Friday, June 20, 2014

NYC Recommendations



NYC RECOMMENDATIONS
Welcome to NYC!  Thank you so much for joining us this special weekend!  If you have some time to explore the city, please see our list of recommended activities.  We are sure there is something for everyone!


*Tiere And Bill Food Favorites*
1. Jivamuktea CafĂ© - 841 Broadway 2nd Floor NY, NY 10003 - All vegan, organic, hearty food.  Soups, sandwiches, salads and rainbow smoothies!
2.  Mighty Quinn’s - 103 2nd Ave, NY, NY 10003 - Wood-fired BBQ and sides using Texas and Carolina methods.

*T&B Coffee Recommendations*
1.  Abraco Expresso - 86 E 7th St NY, NY 10003
2. La Colombe Coffee - 270 Lafayette St, NY, NY 10012
3.  Joe’s Coffee - 9 E 13th street NY, NY 10003 (locations throughout the city)
4.  MuD - 307 E 9th Street NY, NY 10003


NYC Famous Favorites
1.  NYC Pizza: Grimaldi’s Pizza - 1 Front Street, New York, NY 11201.  Right Under the Brooklyn Bridge.  Voted best pizzeria in NYC and one of 5 best pizzerias in the country by Food Network.

2.  NYC Cheesecake: Junior’s Cheesecakes.  The original is in Brooklyn, but now there are locations around the city, including right around the corner of Times Square.  If you can’t choose a flavor, take home a mini sampler with 18 different mini cheesecakes!

3.  NYC Bagels:  Ess-A-Bagel.  359 1st Ave at 21st Street in Gramercy. Try their giant everything bagels with scallion cream cheese, lox, and tomato.  


NYC Famous Landmarks
1.  Times Square - Located in midtown Manhattan on Broadway from West 42nd to West 47th Street.  Great for some shopping including Forever 21, H&M, Disney Store, American Eagle, and M-A-C flagships.  Large restaurants such as Hard Rock Cafe, Olive Garden and Red Lobster also light up this area.  

2. Empire State Building - Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street.  As seen on Sleepless in Seattle, this 103 story skyscraper is beautiful to look at as well as look from.  You can buy a ticket to the observation deck and even eat a meal while overlooking the city, or you can catch a glimpse of the building and see the different festive colors from different locations throughout the city.

3.  Grand Central Terminal - Historical landmark, still busiest train station in the country.  One of two train stations built in NY during the heyday of railway transportation.  Located on East 42nd and Vanderbilt Ave.


Games
1.  Baseball: New York Yankees & New York Mets

2.  Basketball: New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets

3.  Soccer: NYC Red Bulls


Dessert
1. Ice Cream - If you’re up for a scavenger hunt here are 44 yummy frozen treats to track down all around the city! Something for every taste palate, you won’t be disappointed!  http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/nyc-summer-frozen-treats

2.  Cafe Lalo - 201 W 83rd Street - Endless selection of cakes, pies, tarts and cheesecakes.  Great place for brunch, lunch, fresh juices, cocktails and hot chocolate

3.  Magnolia Bakery - locations throughout the city.  The hidden gem you won’t find on the menu, banana pudding!!  Ask for it before they run out for the day.


Entertainment
1.  NYC Ballet - NY’s famous ballet company founded by George Balanchine resides at the Lincoln Center on West 66th street off the 1 train.  Swan Lake will be performed this weekend!

2.  Broadway Shows - Select from classics such as The Lion King, Wicked, Matilda, Mary Poppins, The Newsies, The Book of Mormon, Les Miserables, Aladdin, Kinky Boots, Mamma Mia!, Chicago, Once, and the new Tupac musical (in it’s opening weekend!)


Nightlife
1.  Fat Black Pussycat - 130 W 3rd St, New York, NY 10012.  Sister club to The Village Underground, come enjoy a drink in the Moroccan room!

*T&B FAVE* 2. No Lights Lycra - T&B favorite for dancing held underground in a Brooklyn Church.

3. Village Underground - 130 W 3rd St, New York, NY 10012.  Live music, comedy acts and open mics.  Ever wondered where Alicia Keys was discovered?


Vegan Friendly
1.  Quantum Leap -  226 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012.  Meatless menu with Asian and Mexican accents and sweets like soy milkshakes and vegan pancakes.  Try the Chik’n Parm, Soy chicken parmesan on a bed of pesto pasta tastes better than real chicken!

2.  Sacred Chow - 227 Sullivan St, New York, NY 10012.  Tiny nook with lovely ambiance serving organic, vegan, kosher lunch, brunch, dinner and dessert.  Try their ice cream!


Outdoors Adventures
1.  Central Park - extending from 59th street to 110th Street, 778 acres of fresh trees, running trails, a lake, a pool, and a fair in the center of the park.

2.  Brooklyn Bridge - If you’re looking for a refreshing morning walk, try the brooklyn bridge.  Great views of the city including the Statue of Liberty!

3.  City Bike - You will find city bike share locations throughout the city.  $9.95 for a 24 hour pass, you can bike your way through the city and then return your city bike to the nearest City Bike share location.  Great way to avoid the crowded hot subways and get some fresh air while exploring the city!

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Wedding Itinerary Reminder

FRIDAY

Rehearsal Dinner for Immediate Family
Mable's Smokehouse: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
6:00 pm


Everyone is Invited To Friday Cocktails
Informal Meeting Spot for Drinks with Friends & Family
Radegast Hall and Biergarten: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
8:30 pm


SATURDAY

Ceremony
Church of the Most Precious Blood Parish
Little Italy (Entrance is on Baxter)
4:00 pm

Reception
Jing Fong Dim Sum Banquet Hall
Chinatown
5:30 pm


SUNDAY
Brunch at Harding's
21st Street Between Park and Broadway.
10 am - 2 pm : Come whenever!

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Walking Directions from the Church to the Reception at Jing Fong: 4 minute walk



The Reception at Jing Fong is 3 blocks from the Church.  It is an easy 4 minute walk.

When you leave the church, take a left on Canal.  Then walk three blocks and turn right on Elizabeth Street.  Jing Fong Dim Sum Banquet Hall is half a block down on your left.  If you hit Bayard St, you went too far! See you at the party. 

Friday, June 13, 2014

I am so happy you are coming next week!



Thank you for making the time and effort to come and celebrate with us.  Here is a photo of my radiant bride.  I am excited to see her walk down the aisle in Little Italy, and to have you all there! -Bill



Wedding Time Update: The Ceremony is at 4:00pm (not 3:00pm)

The wedding begins at 4:00pm and the reception at Jing Fong begins at 5:30pm.  The main entrance to the church is on Baxter Street, just north of Canal.  Google maps mistakenly lists Mulberry as the church entrance.  If you find yourself there, go around the corner to the main entry.



This is the correct entrance from Baxter St.

This is the wrong entrance on Mulberry

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Hotel Recommendations


Hotel Recommendations
1. Chelsea Savoy Hotel – RECOMMENDATION quad room, up to 4 guests for $155-395 per night. http://www.chelseasavoynyc.com/  Convenient location on 23rd street, acess to nightlife and dining options, continental breakfast starting at 7:30 AM. 866-929-9353, 212-929-9353

2.  Cosmopolitan Hotel – Tribeca
$159-$259/night.  Convenient location in tribeca, subway across the street, rooms with two double beds are $199. http://www.cosmohotel.com/ - 888-895-9400, 212-566-1900

3. The Gem Hotel – 3 locations (Chelsea, Hudson Yards/Midtown West, Soho) RECOMMENDATION – CHELSEA – homier looking rooms, a little bigger than Soho location and nice views. $149-$299 http://www.thegemhotel.com/

4.  The New York Manhattan Hotel
Located in the middle of the city, near Koreatown and world’s largest Macy’s, very affordable for location.  $139-329 800-567-7720, 212-643-7100 

5.  Andaz Wall Street - $230 Financial District location, great price for location 1- 888-882-1234

6. The Lex NYC - $239 – Great location, great price, breakfast in the morning http://www.lexhotelnyc.com/   646.312.0000



SPLURGE
1.  The Standard (East Village & Chelsea locations) – approx. $475/night, amazing locations and views. http://standardhotels.com/high-line

2.  The Andaz 5th Avenue – nice rooms, free Wifi, free coffee & free wine in the evening. Approx $415/night http://newyork.5thavenue.andaz.hyatt.com/en/hotel/

3. Chelsea Pines Inn – convenient 14th street location, voted #1 out of 448 hotels in NYC, urban bed & breakfast  $329 http://www.chelseapinesinn.com/


For travel questions on your particular itinerary or hotel please feel free to contact cathleen.villapudua@gmail.com

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Where we first met in 2008

New Jersey Transit's Northeast Corridor Line
"The Way To Go...  to find your sweetheart"

Our Wedding Registry

We live in a small New York apartment, so the traditional registry does not work for us.

Instead, we are grateful for your generosity towards either our Honeymoon Fund  or our Sofa Fund. The best thing in our lives are the people around us, and we'd like to get a sectional couch for our visitors - whether to lounge or couch surf :) For our honeymoon, we are headed to France and Switzerland. It's been Tiere's dream to go hiking in the alps, and we are taking baby bear on his first adventure abroad!

You can make your gift via Paypal below.

 ==Our Romantic Swiss Honeymoon Fund===


Our/My Gift Amount
Comment





=== Our Sofa Fund===









Our/My Gift Amount
Comment





 Many thanks. See you soon!

Airport Recommendations & Travel To/From

LaGuardia is the closest airport- about a 30 minute cab ride. Newark and JFK 45 min to an hour away, depending on transportation.

La Guardia 
- Take a cab!

Newark, NJ AirTrain Info
- To downtown Manhattan: AirTrain to Newark Airport Liberty Station to NJ Transit to Path Train (towards33rd Street or World Trade Center- get off on stop closest to your destination- is this obvious? Maybe not ;))
- To Midtown: AirTrain to Newark Airport Liberty Station to NJ Transit to New York Penn Station

JFK 
- Cab share! Ask someone in the cab line to split the cost with you to Manhattan or Brooklyn. Cabs alone cost $60+
- OR take the AirTrain to Jamaica Station, transfer to the Long Island Railroad. Take the LIRR to Barclays stop in Brooklyn, or Penn Station Manhattan and take appropriate MTA subway line to location (or a cab from there).

If any confusion....email tieremarie@gmail.com or bhessert@gmail.com or see your smartphone ;)

Thursday, April 17, 2014

#TiereAndBill

Use this hashtag for all events leading up to Wedding Weekend! #TiereAndBill

Remember not to switch the names... the bride always comes first!

Post an Instagram selfie to RSVP #TiereAndBill

Wedding Itinerary #TiereAndBill

Rehearsal Dinner for Immediate Family Only - Friday, June 20th, 2014

Mable's Smokehouse

Williamsburg, Brooklyn
6:00 pm
44 Berry Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Informal Meeting Spot for Drinks with Friends & Family - Friday, June 20th, 2014 

Radegast Hall and Biergarten

Williamsburg, Brooklyn
8:30 pm
113 N.3rd Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Ceremony  - Saturday, June 21, 2014

Church of the Most Precious Blood Parish

Little Italy, Manhattan
4:00 pm
109 Mulberry Street
NY, NY

Reception - Saturday, June 21, 2014


Jing Fong Dim Sum Banquet Hall

Chinatown, Manhattan
5:30 pm
20 Elizabeth Street
NY, NY 100013

Sunday Brunch - Sunday, June 22, 2014


Harding's

Flatiron, Manhattan
10 am - 2 pm : Come whenever!
32 E.21st Street
NY, NY 10010



Hotel Recommendations

For visitors to New York,
Here are some recommendations:

 Airbnb
- Anything in Manhattan close to church and reception site
- Brooklyn may be a bit cheaper (neighborhoods to check out: Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Fort Greene, Williamsburg)
- Don't hesitate to email Tiere or Bill for questions regarding neighborhoods: tieremarie@gmail.com or bhessert@gmail.com
- WE LOVE AIRBNB and have stayed multiple times in people's homes and apartments - all positive experiences.

HOTELS (All easy to get to wedding sites via taxi or subway)

The Jane Hotel Bunks 
 Best Western Bowery Hanbee Hotel
Howard Johnson SOHO
Chelsea Inn
Chelsea Lodge
Brooklyn Bed and Breakfast