New York City’s Metropolitan Opera is world renowned for its exquisite architecture and its exceptionally talented performers. I had always dreamed of attending an opera at “The MET”. During the evening of April 9th, that dream became a reality! My weekend getaway included “high society” culture in Manhattan, a pampering spa treatment in  Brooklyn , and several vegan specialty shops to please my palate.

A late morning arrival would leave no time for breakfast, so the practical decision was to make my own breakfast sandwich the prior evening, using ingredients from “Whole Foods Market”. On the Megabus ride to NYC, I devoured my wonderful breakfast bagel filled with tomatoes and vegan provolone cheese.

My snack for the bus trip was a tasty Sweet Currant Hazelnut “Bixby Bar” in dark chocolate.

We arrived at 11:30am, ready for a filling lunch. I stopped at Terri Restaurant (Terri Restaurant) in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. They have a couple of locations throughout Manhattan. The clean and bright restaurant has counter space seating. Meals and snacks are very reasonably priced.

I started with a unique and satisfying “Spice Of Life” juice made with pineapple, apple, mint, and jalapeno.

For my entree, I selected the Buffalo “chicken” with ‘chicken’, buffalo sauce, veganaise, lettuce, tomato, onion, and celery on a ciabatta bread. The sandwich was really good.

From their sweet treats display, I opted for the peanut butter brownie. This was an excellent decision. The brownie was delectable. Terri Restaurant is perfect for those seeking a quick and casual lunch.

A couple of hours were at my leisure before the MET opera event, so I decided to spend some time strolling through mid-town Manhattan. Times Square and Broadway truly epitomize New York City. I am always captivated by the bright lights and glitter of their streets.

A quick check in at my hostel and I was ready for dinner. A really popular vegan restaurant in Manhattan is “Peacefood Cafe” (Peacefood Cafe). Their menu offers comfort food such as sandwiches and pizza, as well as juices and baked goods.

A freshly squeezed gingerade accompanied my meal.

I started with the broccoli cream soup of the day.

For my main entree, I chose the roasted vegetables plate(japanese pumpkin, chinese eggplant, zucchini, cauliflower, brussel sprouts). My dinner was flavorful.

Then I walked over to the baked goods displaycase and my eyes gazed upon the most decadent dessert! I selected that strawberry shortcake as the “piece de resistance” to my dinner meal. The silky strawberry cream filling in the perfectly flaky pastry was absolutely scrumptious!

Springtime daffodils graced the streets of New York under the beautiful magnolia trees.

By early evening, I had arrived at the Metropolitan Opera. A lovely waterfall welcomes visitors to the plaza at Lincoln Center.

Inside the MET Opera building, one can’t help but notice the elegant and ornate winding stairway, stunning crystal chandelier, and a royal red color scheme.

The opera program for this evening is “Madame Butterfly” by Puccini.

The actors’ performances were superbly captivating! The Period costumes and the stage decor were magnificent and added that extra touch for a superior production!

Early Sunday morning, I headed to the subway train for a ride into the borough of Brooklyn. The Verrazano Bridge greeted me upon arrival into the multi-cultural neighborhood.

The purpose of my visit was to indulge in a Spring spa treatment at the eco-friendly and vegan-friendly “Green Spa & Wellness Center (Green Spa & Wellness Center).

Several of the product lines that the spa carries, are vegan-friendly. Shelf upon shelf of facial skincare, body care, and makeup are available for purchase.

Guests are welcome to an herbal tea.

After the tea, I enjoyed the “Green Mountain Spa Package” with a ginger exfoliating body scrub; a Detoxifying, Slimming & Skin Toning Warm Marine Clay Body Wrap, and a Cool Mint Hydration Treatment. The spa gave me the treatment as a gift, since they were short staffed that day and were unable to include a scalp treatment. My skin felt so silky smooth and well hydrated! You really feel like a celebrity while being pampered at this luxurious spa.

As I walked through the neighborhood, I noticed several attractions it has to offer:including a botanical garden and the Brooklyn Museum.

A subway ride, followed by an uber, and I had arrived at “Little Choc Apothacary” (Little Choc Apothacary) for my breakfast. Wow! I have been yearning for a vegan-friendly creperie for such a long time! This all vegan creperie offers sweet and savory crepes. I opted for the newtella hazelnut spread with vegan clotted cream filling on a crepe topped with fresh strawberries. The crepe was extremely delicious! An herbal tea accompanied my meal.The spectacular taste and the variety of flavors make this a must-do activity for vegan visitors to the Brooklyn region!

Next on my agenda was Brooklyn’s own all-vegan “cheese” shop “Riverdel Fine Foods (Riverdel Fine Foods ). Another “WOW!” moment. This boutique cheese shop offers the finest selection of vegan cheese from Brooklyn and other parts of the USA. Flavors such as gouda, cheddar, mozzarella, and many others from cashew cheeses to soy based cheeses. They offer vegan gourmet food items such as vegan “caviar” for purchase.

The shop also offers a menu of specialty sandwiches containing a variety of vegan cheeses. I selected the Italian sandwich consisting of vegan mozzarella cheese, tomato, lettuce, and pesto in ciabatta bread. My sandwich was delicious.

Next to the sandwich counter is a displaycase full of tasty vegan sweets. I purchased a total of four macarons in flavors of rose, chocolate, lavender, and absinthe. Another WOW moment! These tasted amazing with their cream filled centers and moist shells! I had been seeking vegan macarons online for the past two years. Dreams can come true. The time had arrived to take the subway train back into Manhattan.

A leisurely walk around Manhattan later that evening brought me to my dinner destination. VBurger (VBurger) is an all vegan burger fast food restaurant. The casual space has plenty of seating and prices are reasonable.

For my appetizer, I selected the fried zucchini chips with a variety of flavorful cool and spicy sauces.

I opted for the VBurger Classic with cheese, containing a savory beefless burger, vegan cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, and vsauce.

The owner gave me a coconut water and a vegan cannoli dessert “on the house”.

My entire meal and dessert were very tasty. I really enjoyed the burger, zucchini chips, and the cannoli!

Looking down at the time, I realized that I needed to head over to the Megabus stop for my ride back to Boston. As I walked along the streets of lower Manhattan, I noticed one of the many street performers the city.

As I walked past the city skyscrapers and bid adieu to New York, the experiences I encountered during this visit were well worth noting as genuine “gems”. A gourmet vegan cheese shop, an all vegan creperie, many amazing vegan restaurants, a vegan-friendly spa, and the fabulous MET Opera made this getaway a very exciting one.