BY JEANNE BRAGG

We were lucky enough to go to New York City last week. Our daughter and her husband live there and wanted us to come to celebrate their thirtieth birthdays.

Although we missed the Super Bowl-winning Giants’ parade by a couple of hours, it was still fun to see enthusiastic fans everywhere, still high off the Giants’ win.

Anne lives in view of the Empire State Building, 50 feet from a subway stop, so I have become skilled in the subway travel.

If any of you feels intimidated by big city subways, here is my tip to break the code: for each and every subway stop, there are two separate entrances: an UPTOWN entrance and a DOWNTOWN entrance. Once you determine which direction you are going—north for uptown or south for downtown--you figure out which entrance to take and the rest is a piece of cake.

Well, I created a monster because I introduced Tommy to the subway transfer station at Times Square/42nd Street. You feel like you are walking from Lytle Street to La Vergne in this particular subterranean maze, but if you follow the signs located throughout, you can go almost anywhere on the Island of Manhattan (and even to Queens or Brooklyn) for $2. And you don’t have to sit in traffic or worry about the weather outside: a whole new world to explore.

Want to go to the theatre district? Catch the subway to 42nd Street, ride the transfer shuttle to Times Square and you’re there. Want to go to the Upper west Side? Repeat steps above, take the redline from Times Square Uptown and about four stops later you’re at Lincoln Center. Subway maps are readily available on websites, at subway stations, etc. You just plot out your route before you hop on the train.

Anne also taught us that the bus is a great deal (you can use the same metro card as you do for the subway with the same fare: $2. Again, maps are easily found.

We had our only “celebrity citing” in the subway station at 60th and 5th. Tommy gently whispered “celebrity” when my eyes encountered Chris Noth (star on “Law and Order” and “ Sex and the City”). He was by himself and had a script or something in his hands. Although Tommy was hesitant, I followed behind him to ensure we were on the same subway car. He chatted with a fellow passenger and couldn’t have been nicer. And he looked just like he looks on TV.

It was COLD in the city, but fortunately we packed appropriately. You’re not a New Yorker if you don’t have a quilted “puffy” jacket and a big scarf wrapped around your neck.

You’re also not a New Yorker if you don’t visit the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue on a weekly basis. The store looks a lot like the I.M. Pei entrance to the Louvre in Paris and is quite the place to be. Unfortunately, I spent more time among the throngs of people in there than I would have liked because my I-Phone decided to go on vacation, too. After battling with three different “geniuses” to convince them that the phone didn’t ring (“New York is loud”), I begged Tommy go with me. And guess what? They listened to me when there was a man around. And guess what else? The replacement (“we don’t know if it’s new or refurbished”) they gave me died the next day, too (oh, the joy of these new tools)! I didnʼt let it dampen my trip.

We ate GREAT food, soaked in lots of culture, celebrated really fun birthdays and at times wished we could stay forever. My favorite day was Saturday after a theater matinee. We walked all over mid-town, past the Algonquin Hotel and New York Yacht Club on 44th Street, through Grand Central Station down Fifth Avenue. We window shopped, people watched and held hands like we were teenagers.

Lots of people say they could never live in New York City. Neither Tommy nor I are among those. We love the plays, the people, the culture, the fast pace, the shopping. The convenience and inconvenience go hand in hand

Kind of like my favorite subway partner and me.

ʻTil next week.