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July 6, 2009

Fourth of July: A Date Night in NYC

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After having spent a day having fun with the boys at the zoo and park, my husband and I went home and started making plans for a date night. Date nights don’t come around too often for us. With as many kids as we have it can become an expensive venture, and not having a lot family nearby to call on for help makes getting away just that much harder.

But we lucked out, found a great sitter that was a perfect fit for all their needs (and financial limitations) and we decided to go out, without the kids, on one of the most celebrated nights in New York City: Fourth of July. This fourth of July was a special one because it was also the celebration of the 400th Anniversary of Henry Hudson’s first exploration. Thus an event which usually takes place on the East River, moved to the West side and thousands upon thousands of people were joining in on the festivities.

So, we left our 3 boys under the care of our angel/babysitter and made our way to 26th St., by way of 34th St. When we exited the station the sun was a bright yellow, the breeze was refreshing and a bit strong, and the sky was a beautiful blue. We walked past some of my favorite spots, such as the Empire State Building, the beautiful post office building (James Farley Post Office) on 33rd St, and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (from Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh) before arriving to 27th St and standing almost in awe at how empty and quiet the streets were. An incredible site for sure.

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IMG_8509The people around us were in a hurry, many with bags of food and blankets in their hands, quickly making their way towards 12th Ave, along the Hudson River. Those who did stop, stopped only for a drink or snack at the nearest hot dog stand, or for all the fun trinkets being sold for the upcoming ceremonies and fire works displays. But not us, we strolled down the empty streets, holding hands, kissing every so often, enjoying our time alone.

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The scene along 12th Avenue was anything but empty. Tons of people had already gathered and it was only 6:00pm! We found a spot to sit and even met a lovely couple from Canada who were there on vacation, celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary. Though the wait was long we made the best of it and had some pretty good laughs before we heard the first BOOM! in the sky.

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IMG_8521The sky was alive with a beautiful display of lights, the booming sounds followed by a colorful, wow-inducing brilliance of pyrotechnics.

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After all the excitement of the fire works and bidding farewell to our new Canadian friends, we made our way down 8th Ave. and had dinner at the vibrant Cuba Cafe. While Latin music played in the background, we chatted over mojitos (excellent by the way)and chicharrón, which consisted of small bits of deep fried sausages, pork, and beef.

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I ordered the Ropa Vieja which was a bit salty, even for the dish which tends to be on the salty side already, but still good. Hubby ordered the best dish ever, which was Grilled Chicken with Habanero Sauce, served with fresh Spanish and mashed potatoes.  Yum!

IMG_8697It was, by far, the best Fourth of July ever…and the best date night in a long time.

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Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, close to home or farther away. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and CEO of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications management, and brand development agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She splits her time between her homes in New Jersey and Finger Lakes.

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8 Comments
  • Tafari
    July 5, 2009

    Looks like a good time start to finish. And the photos are great!!!! On the way out of tbs city, we saw Cuban Cafe. When I'm back, I'll have to put that on my list of places to dine at. Good food is my weakness…

    Go Mama!!!

    Reply
  • Celebrating the 4th of July around the U.S.
    July 6, 2009

    […] made us all jealous with a wonderful post about a 4th of July date night in New York City. She brought the romance back to […]

    Reply
  • Pilar @ ScoringDeals
    July 6, 2009

    The food looks delicious! Looks like you had lots of fun! 🙂

    Reply
  • Lisa
    July 6, 2009

    LOVE the photo of you two!

    Great food/drink shots too!

    Who is the wonderful photographer? 🙂

    Reply
  • Traveling with an Open Mind | Traveling Mom
    July 7, 2009

    […] while sitting around with my husband waiting for the fire works display along the Hudson River, we had the fortune of sharing curb space with a Canadian couple, Rob and […]

    Reply
  • Smallprint
    July 7, 2009

    Fireworks and habanero chicken. Does life get any better?

    Reply
  • Carol
    July 7, 2009

    Thanks everyone for all the compliments! The food was as awesome as it looks and more.

    Lisa: I could tell her you're interested in maybe hiring her for a photo shoot?

    Smallprint: No, this is as good as it gets my friend, for sure!

    Reply
  • Celebrating Fourth of July in Washington, DC | NYCity Mama
    July 12, 2010

    […] all the displays I have seen, even on 4th of July in NYC, I have never seen any as wonderful as the display in DC. And there, sitting on the dusty, prickly […]

    Reply

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About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am a communications professional, an award-winning travel blogger, a public speaker, CEO of a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency, a wife, and a mom of 3 sons and 2 puppies. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading!

Carol Cain

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