It’s the last week in New York City before school officially starts and that can only mean one thing. Time to jam in as many memorable activities as possible with my family until they’re ready to start shopping for school supplies. And so, last week, I had the chance to take my kids, their friends and my parents for a very special day in the Big Apple.
First stop was my favorite lunch location – Ellen’s Stardust Diner. If you’ve never been to this 1950’s style eatery, then you don’t know what you’re missing. While the food is delish, what I love most about Ellen’s are the singing waiters and waitresses – many of whom are now performing on Broadway! My daughter and her friend even got the chance to join in on the action, singing back-up to a Lady Ga Ga tune (sadly, I don’t know that one). I did however know all the showtunes they belted out (including Suddenly Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors) and Car Wash from that 1970’s flick.
Next stop…Radio City Music Hall. Recently, we were given the opportunity to invite some of our favorite Role Mommies, including She Scribes, Coast to Coast Mom, writer extraordinaire Judy Antell and NYC Single Mom to attend a very special event at Radio City Music Hall to kick off their Christmas Spectacular. The VIP invite came complete with the opportunity to meet the Rockettes, take a picture with Santa and decorate cupcakes compliments of Magnolia Bakery. But the coolest thing of all was the back stage tour of Radio City – from the hydraulic stage that was built in the thirties to a birds-eye view of the stage which we found out was modeled after a cruise ship. Oh, and did you know that there used to be an entrance to Radio City that led straight out of the subway? My dad had the time of his life as he waxed nostalgic about his visits to Radio City as a teen (along with my mom of course) and he even got the chance to take a photo with a Rockette who hailed from New Jersey!
And then, as we were getting ready to leave, we found out we were going to get the chance to attend the opening night performance of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular! After the kids grabbed their swag bags, we raced out of Radio City to catch Santa and all the Rockettes in action and even took part in the largest kick line in New York City.
But the fun didn’t stop there. Oh no, when you’re with Role Mommy, the fun never ends. And so, we headed over to the Nintendo World Store where the kids picked up two DS games (Nintendo Dogs and Sonic Party in case you’re wondering) for our upcoming road trip to Vermont.
And so ends a perfect summer day in New York City. Sure we spent a lot of time indoors, but on a hot August day, sometimes the best things in the Big Apple can be found inside Manhattan’s hidden treasures.
Role Mommy 3.0