Next Stop: Grand Central Station

Grand Central Station doesn't appear on many of our visitors' to-do lists. It's understandable -- among the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Times Square, the Empire State Building and all of New York City's other must-sees, it's difficult to fit in a trip to a train terminal.

So when Paul's mom suggested a visit this weekend, I was eager. I'd been there only two or three times myself.

We didn't spend long in the main concourse, but 10 minutes is more than enough time to be awed by the architecture and especially the gigantic windows. It's almost enough to make me wish I lived in one of those commuter towns listed on the boards. Almost, but not quite.

My Latest Ride on the Staten Island Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry is the not-so-secret way to get the best views of the Statue of Liberty for free. Paul and I took yet another trip across Upper New York Bay this past weekend when his mom and our 10-year-old nephew, Conrad, paid us a visit for a few days.

I've lost count of the number of times I've ridden the ferry, but I don't really mind. It's relaxing and a nice rest from the constant walking the remainder of New York City invites. Besides, the views really are pretty spectacular.

As I've said before, I also enjoy seeing New York from a visitor's perspective, and Conrad is the youngest visitor we've had. He's a great nephew -- polite, smart and funny to boot -- so I was especially eager to hear his take on the city. The adventure started the first night, when he was surprised (1) that we were crossing the street when the sign said don't walk and (2) we had to park our car three blocks away from our apartment. Welcome to New York.

The views of the Statue of Liberty, however, didn't disappoint. I, on the other hand, pointed my camera off the other side of the boat, toward Brooklyn and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

NYC Restaurant Picks for All Tastes and Budgets

No sooner do I finish one meal than I start thinking about the next. Since when did not liking to cook mean not liking to eat?

And even though Paul counts cooking as one of his favorite hobbies, we both share a love of trying new foods and new restaurants -- even if they're new only to us.

On that note, I've started a page on where to eat in New York City -- my observant readers will have noticed that a link to the page appeared last year, on this blog's homepage, just above the most recent post. (Go ahead and scroll up -- you'll see it there.) Since then, I've added even more listings.

Currently the page include 39 restaurants, delis, dessert shops and more, split into groups by location and cuisine. Each listing also includes a link to my review.

In addition, I have included special lists of my top picks based on your budget, taste and occasion. 

The page will be regularly updated. Expect to see more listings from my very own Bay Ridge.

Yes, this page includes only a small fraction of the thousands of eateries New York City offers. But consider this a curated list of the places I know, love and would gladly eat at again. Whether you're paying a visit to me or to New York City in general, bon appetit!