amibishop: Manhattan Loving (Part II)

So carrying on from my last post about my NYC adventure, here are a few more pictures from my trip.

When we were in Brooklyn we went to the famous Champs Vegan Diner which I had heard so much about from reading various vegan blogs and was so excited to finally go! It had just moved and been refurbed so when we got to the actual address (2 taxi rides later), I fell in love with the 50's retro blue & white original diner style it had been decorated in. The food was amazing and I'm glad I went out of my comfort zone and tried mock meat (I had the Chik'n Pesto Sandwich), as it was completly past my expectations and really, really nice. Veganism is something I take a big interest in, especially since trying alternatives to dairy in my diet and reading a lot of vegan food/travel blogs (I have weird hobbies) so going here and seeing all of the ethics, beliefs and passion that goes in to it was just incredible. I also had the 'Gold Strike' juice which was so yummy and I'm dying to recreate this at home! A amazing diner and I'm already dying to go back (and try their yummy vegan chilli!).

The next day we did more sight seeing which included getting the subway to lower Manhattan going to see The Stature of Liberty, Ellis Island & the Immigration Museum, and Ground Zero (all of the tissues), which were all incredible.

Lady Liberty herself.

Ellis Island.

Cocktails & Dinner at 44 & X Hell's Kitchen. UNREAL food. I was beyound gutted I could not physically eat any more and had to give their Pumpkin Creme Brûlée a miss. Anybody that knows me well knows that I do not ever, ever give up the opportunity for pumpkin or creme brûlée.

Another dinner (this is turning into a food appriciation post...) of pizza that was the size of my FACE. Literally.

Post-pizza sight seeing. As you do. Over the whole of Manhattan.

The Empire State Building is the main thing I wanted to see and do in NYC since I discovered this magical city (thanks James & The Giant Peach, aged 5) and it was even more amazing than I could of ever imagined. I was snapping away on my camera for an hour, walking round the entire upper observatory about 3 times over. So, so beautiful at night.