Chapter 38 - Broadway, Cheesecake, and Comedy in NYC

Greetings from the Big Apple!

Welcome to Chapter 38 of Crabby & Chipper Travels!

On July 29, we headed out on a last-minute 8-night trip to New York City—one of our favorite destinations in the U.S.

7/29 – Arrival + Comedy Club
We landed in New York and checked into our tiny Pod 39 hotel room—cozy would be a generous description. 

Our room was 149 sq. ft. in size.  Just enough space for a queen size bed, desk and private bathroom.

The room might have been tiny, but the bedroom window had a view of the Chrysler Building.

And the bathroom window had a view of the Empire State Building.

It was a sweltering 99 degrees, but we didn’t let that stop us. That night, we caught our very first NY comedy show at the New York Comedy Club. 

We were able to get tickets at the last minute.  The headliner wasn’t Corp’s favorite..too much crowd work.

7/30 – Central Park + Murray Hill

We spent the morning walking through Central Park. From a planning and design perspective, I just love that 840-acre park. 

We were surprised to see lots of pickleball courts.

Beautiful view from Central Park.

Later, we explored the Murray Hill neighborhood and found it buzzing with locals in their late 20s and 30s enjoying happy hour.  It was such a surprise to see, since it seems like people in their 20s and 30s don’t really go out to bars anymore and tend to stay home instead.

Before calling it a night, we headed up to the hotel’s 17th-floor rooftop bar.

The 360° views did not disappoint.  Empire State Building in the upper left.

7/31 – Chinatown + Broadway

We grabbed 7-day subway passes and headed to Chinatown for lunch at my all-time favorite spot, Wo Hop and walked through Little Italy. 

A wedding party was dining nearby, and the photographer’s constant flashing made us feel like movie stars.

From there, we wandered through Washington Square Park near NYU—where Corp got pooped on by a bird. 

That evening we were off the The Outsiders, a Tony Award–winning Broadway musical based on S. E. Hinton’s classic novel and the 1983 Coppola film. Set in 1967 Tulsa, it follows Ponyboy Curtis and the clash between the working-class Greasers and wealthy Socs, exploring identity, loyalty, and resilience.  We loved the movie when we were kids.  At dinner, I realized I forgot our tickets back at the hotel, so Corp sprinted a 40-minute round trip to retrieve them.

We had pretty good seats for just buying the tickets the day before.

The show was so good!  It was powerful and emotional.  Yes, I shed a few tears, especially when they said the famous line "Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold."  A reminder for Ponyboy to hold onto his innocence and goodness even as the world around them grows harsh.

  We enjoyed blueberry cheesecake at Junior’s after the show.

We wrapped up the night with a "shoulder to shoulder" stroll through Times Square.

8/1 – Bagels + Old Friends

A Lox bagel sandwich from Bagel Pub kicked off the day. 

So delicious, but so rich and filling!

We reconnected with “Trailer Park George,” a friend we first met three years ago at the Trailer Park Lounge in Chelsea and have kept in touch with ever since. This time, we met him and some fiends in Greenwich Village, where they were bartending, and they shared a bunch of great recommendations for bars to check out in the neighborhood.

The first was Marie's Crisis Café, a legendary sing-along piano bar in Greenwich Village that is renowned as “the world's only acoustic showtunes sing-along piano bar”, where patrons gather to belt out Broadway classics together.  No photos allowed there.

We also stopped at Arthur's Tavern, a first for us.  

We really enjoyed listening to the band's funk and R & B.

It was definitely a fun New York City night!

8/2 – Pastrami + Astoria
Lunch was a massive pastrami sandwich at Sarge’s, which was delicious! 

It was so big it was easily shared. 

We couldn’t resist an invitation from George to visit his neighborhood in Astoria, so we hopped on the subway for a 30-minute ride to Queens. Once there, he showed us some of his favorite local bars and introduced us to friends along the way.  We love these types of experiences!

Corp and George with their mini Miller High Life's.

We also tried “street meat” from Franky’s Souvlaki, a food truck serving Greek kabobs over rice. 

Absolutely delicious!

In certain parts of Astoria, some streets are regularly closed to vehicles on Sundays as part of NYC’s Open Streets and community-driven initiatives.  Love it!

A fun art piece at one of the bars. "Kiss's".

At Doyle's Corner, the bartender struck up a conversation with Corp, asking how he was enjoying his trip to NYC so far. Corp said he was having a great time but joked that he hadn’t yet experienced a bartender yelling at anyone. Without missing a beat, the bartender launched into a mock tirade—complete with slurs, expletives, and over-the-top theatrics—which had everyone laughing.

8/3 – Central Park (Again)

Another leisurely day wandering Central Park. 

Central Park never gets old for me.

The Bethesda Fountain is stunning.

Another skyline photo from Central Park.

8/4 – Brooklyn Bridge + Yankee Stadium + Seth Meyers

We took the subway down to the Brooklyn Bridge and walked over it to Brooklyn.   

NYC skyline is stunning!

There used to be a tradition of attaching metal locks to the bridge fencing, but now it seems people are using hair ties or plastic ties instead.

We walked around a little in Brooklyn and discovered Camden Plaza Park.

Although we were there in August it felt like Fall because of all the fallen leaves.

Chilling on a park bench.

After the Brooklyn Bridge, we jumped on the subway and rode it about 30 minutes to the Bronx to see Yankee Stadium.

We walked around Yankee Stadium expecting a big “wow” factor, especially given that it’s home to the most expensive team in the MLB. Instead, the building felt pretty plain—lacking character, with no notable art, sculptures, or distinctive features on the exterior.

That evening we were off to 30 Rock to see the taping of Late Night with Seth Meyers.  Since this was a last-minute trip, we requested tickets just three days before leaving, so our expectations were low. I was pleasantly surprised when we got an email inviting us to participate—though it noted we weren’t guaranteed seats, since they intentionally over-invite to make sure the audience looks full.

The show (free!) was fantastic—Bill Hader was the guest, and he and Seth were hilarious together. 

I wasn’t convinced we’d get in, but luck was on our side.

No photos allowed during taping so here is the entrance to the Peacock Lounge.

8/5 – Stranger Things + Cheesecake Round Two

One of the things we love about New York is the amount of walking we get in.  Our step count stayed strong—17,000+ each day. 

It amazed us how often we’d stumble across restaurants and bars we’d already visited on this and past trips in such a massive city.

The highlight of the day was seeing Stranger Things: The First Shadow. Set in 1959 Hawkins, it reimagines familiar characters like Hopper, Joyce, and Bob as teenagers whose lives are upended by the arrival of Henry Creel and his unsettling past. The Broadway prequel blends great storytelling with incredible special effects that push the boundaries of live theater. 

Act 1 plays like a nostalgic high school drama, but Act 2 descends into something darker, more intense, and chilling. The special effects were so life like and the lead actor delivered an amazing performance.

And yes, we had to have Junior’s cheesecake again—this time strawberry.

8/6 – Lasts + Goodbye

Our final day was full of “lasts”—last walk through Central Park and last slice of New York pizza. Getting to LaGuardia via subway and bus was surprisingly smooth. We would definitely do that again.  $10 subway/bus ride versus $80 Uber ride.  And just like that, our New York adventure came to an end.

Miscellaneous random cute/funny/interesting/weird pics/videos below…

Although New York is often called a concrete jungle, you’ll stumble upon charming flower stands, wreaths, and outdoor restaurants on street corners that add a surprising touch of beauty.

Who doesn't love a NY slice?

Check out the intricate stonework on the exterior of this building near Central Park.

While taking a break, we wandered through Nordstrom and spotted some wild shoes—just look at the heels on these!

More beautiful flower displays!

The NYC subway system is full of colorful tile murals, each adding unique character to the stations. I especially loved the whimsical Alice in Wonderland mural—it’s playful, detailed, and a delightful surprise underground at the 50th St. station.

We grabbed hot dogs from street vendors outside the New York Public Library. One corner charged $27 for two, while another nearby was $17 for the same—definitely ask the price before you order!

This is the new pool that opened this summer at the north end of Central Park in Harlem.  It was enormous!

This photo doesn’t capture how unusual it was. We were exiting a subway station that was really deep underground, and you had to lean way back on the escalator both up and down—it felt so strange!

Corp said not everyday do you see this.

I have never seen anyone sitting outside while processing their hair color.

One of the best things about New York City is you never know what you’ll run into. We were wandering through Central Park and came across this surprise.

I couldn't pass up a photo opportunity with the art installation.

We hope you enjoyed Chapter 38 - until next time!

Happy adventures!

Corp and Tammy