NYC

Realized as I posted about Christmas, I had forgotten to explain my NYC WW post.  Anyways recap of the travel first.
We left Houston eager to get to Atlanta and make our connection.  About Baton Rouge area, we were warned of possible delays in arriving on time.  With only 45 mins between flights, I took as much care and figured if we were delayed in ATL due to weather, hopefully other AirTran flights were delayed.  Turned out they all were.  We had a lunch hour plus in the Atlanta airport and a gate change.  We landed in LaGuardia 2 1/2 hours late and we did scrap our plans to hit Les Halles that night.  The woman next to us had traveled from Detroit to NYC and it took her 11 hours.  We were doing okay with only a rescheduled dinner reservation for the next night.
Got our MTA cards and boarded our bus into the city.  Passed the infamous Rikers Island prison and crossed the RFK bridge into the city that never sleeps.  The bus route took us right thru Harlem on 125th.  Saw the Apollo theater and gentrified Harlem with its giant block long OLD NAVY and CVS on several corners.  Found the subway to get even closer to our hotel.  Hotel was nothing worth mentioning.  Cheap, beds, shower and power outlets.  Done and done.  We activated the data plan on my Ipad ($20 for a month or $10 a day thru the hotel) and found a pub near us and Columbia University.  Onward!
Pub was normal pub.  The waitress explained on a slow Monday we were listening to her Ipod playlists and amusing her boss to no end.  Food and beer ordered then she stepped out for a moment.  When she came in, she heard Barbra Striesand singing "All I ask of you" and rushed to turn it off.  That was supposed to be my wedding song as a dorky 8th grader.  Many laughs.  Then the regular Bob came in. 87 years old and lover of country music.  I wanted Bob to be my NYC souvenir.  The boss told us he comes in every night, never drinks but dances with the girls.  Oh to be Bob.
Returned to our cheapo hotel, turned on the AC due to the steam pipe in the bathroom putting out some serious radiating heat and slept of what to do next.  Awoke and planned the day for the Met (Museum of Metropolitan Art), walking along Madison avenue, Times Square and again on the docket, dinner at Les Halles.  Ate breakfast at a Madison Avenue well heeled establishment.  Never order the side of lox, it will cost you $$$$.  Never in my life have I spent that dollar amount on breakfast.  We never would eat breakfast or any other meal on Madison Avenue.
The Met was great, not worth the $25 entrance but you can defer and pay whatever you want.  We know how to do museums and just sip the things we have an interest in and bypass the others.  Egypt, Roman, Greek, arms, European paintings and out the door.  We had our small deli experience and can say the Pastrami Queen on Lexington was way better than Katz.  We returned to the hotel for a costume change for Chad and headed to Times Square.  We got on a different train than anticipated and popped out of the subway tunnel at 40th and 8th.  Right across from the Port Authority and Beer Authority.  Yes, a bar with 100 bottles and 80 taps of beer.  Chad was in heaven!  Did our rounds there and at Times Square.  Saw the 2012 ball, said a little prayer for Dick Clark and got out of there.  Just cheese ball chain restaurants and lots of neon.  The Mormon Church had a huge sign which I thought was interesting to advertise your religion at such a location.  Then we decided to walk to Les Halles and take in the sights while we jaunted over to Park Avenue.  Empire State was dressed up in blue for Hannukah, Brent Park had their tree and ice skating going with a lot less crowds, and Grand Central Terminal for our ceiling view.  Stunning building.  just stunning.  Then on to Les Halles!
Now I have a slight obsession with Tony Bourdain.  He gets paid to travel, eat and gripe.  Sign me up.  We saw him and Eric Ripert in Houston just a few weeks prior.  So when NYC planning, I looked up his resto and said FOOT DOWN.  Prices are really reasonable whereas Eric Ripert's tasting menu will get you $250 lighter, a simple steak frites at Tony's will set you back $21.  Score one for Tony.  Great restaurant, lovely atmosphere and a fantastic wine with dining experience.  Had we made it Monday for  half price bottle night, the dinner would have rivaled the $$$ lox experience.  Oh well, only in NYC once.
Spent a bit too much out jaunting and shopping for a new point and shoot camera set us up for an epic fail with MTA in returning to our hotel.  So we got close enough, stopped back into Beer Authority and then yellow cabbed it back to the hotel.  Crashed hard in our sweat box and awoke to another day in the city.
Day two and we walked from Zabars (less than the Lox for two bagels with lox, coffees, juice and spare bottle of water) to Empire State building.  Much debating on what building to do to get the sights.  Top of the Rock or Empire.  Chad chose Empire as the history angle appealed to him.  It is still the highest view point so I gladly ponied up that entrance fee.  As we approached, Chad decided aloud he could reside at said Empire State Building.  See it has a Starbucks, Chipotle and Heartland Brewery located on the ground floor.  Awfully big of him.  Views were spectacular and I even ponied up for the high deck as well.  Great views, clear weather and a once in a lifetime experience.  Tummies rumbling and onto Brooklyn via the train.
Landed in Brooklyn and found the Grimaldis right under the bridge there, kind of famous.  OMG, good pizza and we went small as I wanted a cannoli for the walk back.  Giant and creamy cannoli with the view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan growing ever larger, priceless.  We hustled into Lower Manhattan to find St. Pauls Chapel, Wall Street and stroll by the Freedom Tower.  Astounding!
We then fumbled around the West and Greenwich village until finally stopping for dinner.  More strolling and back to the subway ride home.
Found a local bagel shop the next morning and once again didn't even spend side of lox money on the complete meals for 2 of us.  Checked out Rockfeller Center, the Macy's, Bloomingdales, and other 5th Ave shopping.  Stopped at FAO Schwartz but no piano so we checked it off the list and got on our merry way.  St Patricks cathedral is undergoing great renovations but needed to light a candle for Grandma Mary.  On Dec 13, the Guadalupe tribute had left huge flower arrangements so all the while perfect for Gramma.  We decided to try our luck on cancellations for Book of Mormon.  The ticket agent told us of a great pair of tickets, $450 per seat.  No thank you.  but returned at 4:30pm for the front row lottery where the tickets cost $32 per seat.  We didn't win but had enjoyed a Katz deli sandwich (not orgasm worthy like Sally had with Harry) and several pellets later.  We then had a rendezvous with some fellow Houstonians who were in NYC as well.  Food and drinks and strolls later we rolled once again back to the hotel.
With more bagels in our belly, we caught the return bus to LaGuardia to return home to a shitty dog and kitty.  All and all great trip, awesome city but too big.  We did most of the things on our list and consider it checked off.  Cheap hotel was great with such a stay but anything less, we'd suck it up and spend more for a lower Manhattan locale instead.  NYC for Christmas was nice but nothing beats my Paris grand magazin windows and a cup of vin chaud.  Or Stuttgart Christmas markets with gluhwein, sausage sandwiches and small merchants who know it is how in Phoenix, Arizona.