Written by Mollie Witt, Assistant Manager, Merrywood Apartments
At this year’s Kick-Off party, I was so happy to see that I was the grand prize winner of Venterra’s Better Way Contest and won a trip to New York City! I immediately started making mental lists of things that I wanted to do, places that I wanted to see, and when I wanted to take my trip.
My husband Mike and I decided that spring-time in New York would be perfect! As we flew in to Newark, I could see the amazing skyline of Manhattan and after arriving into the city, our shuttle made it’s way to the corner of Broadway where we were greeted by the superb hotel staff at The Paramount Hotel, right in the heart of Times Square.
On our first day we enjoyed hot stone massages at a spa in hell’s kitchen, marveled at the buildings and of course stopped for some new York pizza on the way. We had a wonderful dinner and listened to some great music, then walked around Times Square at night.
The next day the first stop was the Today Show, Rockefeller Center and then a tour of the NBC studios, followed by the Nintendo Museum. We also made our way to 5th Avenue where Tiffany and Co. was amazing, Saks 5th Ave. was like a dream, and the FAO Schwartz was just as splendid as it was in the movie ‘Big’! Mike and I also visited Central Park and went to the Central Park Zoo. I love animals and this was a great way to spend the afternoon.
The following day we went to see the World Trade Center Memorial. After spending time paying respects and marveling at the beauty of the memorial site, we went to shop at Century 21 and then won David Letterman tickets while I was looking at a street art display in Times Square. After Letterman, we hurried down to Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks in the NBA Playoffs! We watched them beat the Boston Celtics, which was an anniversary gift to my husband. Everyone (sports fan or not) should have the opportunity to at least stand outside of Madison Square Garden before a Knicks playoff game.
I am so thankful to work for a company that gives opportunities like this to their employees. Being that this was my first trip to NYC, I am going to be hard pressed to find a vacation this wonderful in the future. I am thankful to Venterra for providing me this opportunity for life-long memories. After working for this company and falling in love with the culture, I can not imagine myself not a part of the Venterra family!