New York can be a bit overwhelming but there is something about the city that is so inspiring. You get off the plane and just go-go-go (figuratively and literally)… don’t stop or you’ll get run over by the crazy drivers. That being said, we [my bff Andrea and I] landed at JFK early Friday morning and didn’t stop until we left late Monday evening.
♥ Day 1
First, we checked into our hotel Dream Midtown. We walked through the doors to a ginormous fish tank that went from the basement to the ceiling of the first floor. The room was modern with a colourful headboard and marble shower! I would definitely recommend staying here and it was so central.
After checking into the hotel, I met up with Lauren from Laurel Creative and we did a quick photo shoot around Madison Square Park [all photos posted here.] It was so much fun and we even squeezed in the famous Flatiron Building. I’m so glad I was able to work with her on this. She is so easy going and down to earth, taking photos in the middle of a crosswalk was a breeze!
One of the best places we ate at on our trip has to be Shake Shack. It was one of those places that was on our list of things to-do, and it actually worked out well that the shoot was so close! The line ups are crazy but well worth the wait! Shake Shack is situated in Madison Square Park so we enjoyed our amazing burgers and cheese fries, then finished off with the best shake I’ve ever had within the gardens!
We had a long night of flying and early morning rushing to get ready for the shoot, so we headed back to the hotel and took a well deserved nap. New York is unreal and every night when we hit the bed, we were out! We finished off the evening wandering into Times Square [not realizing we were staying only a couple blocks away.] There truly is no way to describe the feeling of walking into the bright lights and being in the middle of the mass amounts of people. It was a night I will always remember!
♥ Day 2
The following day we hit the ground running. We took the subway to the 9/11 memorial and spent hours walking around just taking it all in. It was a somber afternoon but I am glad we took the time to see it all. We then walked over the Brooklyn Bridge [which is a must] and got some classic touristy photos. I think our feet were numb by this point. I have never walked so much, but it was well worth it! We finished off the day with a little shopping, took the subway back to our hotel and got ready for the night. We went to the rooftop patio at our hotel, PHD Terrace, and spent the night dancing, drinking, and enjoying the views!
♥ Day 3
After a little bit of a sleep in… we went to Sarabeth’s for a much needed brunch! Does anyone else feel like they barely ate when visiting in NYC? We always had a good breakfast, but at the end of the day we were so exhausted all we wanted was a quick dinner and to hit the bed. Sarabeth’s is possibly one of the best brunches I’ve ever had! It’s a must-eat while in New York.
Central Park was next on the agenda. Luckily, it was right across the street from Sarabeth’s! We hired a pedicab and took a tour of the whole park -stopping at all the most popular places. It was well worth the money, especially if you are only there for a short time. You get to see the whole park and it was great to have a commentator explaining where we were and what movies were shot in each area of the park [remember the famous opening scene in Friends where they’re all in the fountain?]
We were dropped off at The Plaza Hotel [where Home Alone was filmed!] and wandered down 5th ave. stopping in at all of the designer and souvenir stores. It was so much fun window shopping and sight seeing. We finished the day at the Empire State building looking over the entire city at sunset.
♥ Day 4
Our final day in NYC. We had a full day as our flight wasn’t until 10 that evening. There were so many things we wanted to do and see that we didn’t get to… which means another girls trip, right? We took the subway to lunch and literally stumbled upon the apartment where Carrie Bradshaw lived from Sex and the City in the West Village. It was the craziest thing, we were looking for a restaurant and I had a funny feeling that we were close to where the apartment was. I put it into Google Maps, and there it was! One block away from where we were standing. Sadly, it looks much more glamorous in the movies/tv show but it was one of those things I just had to see because I have watched the show for years!
Of course, you can’t go to New York without seeing the Statue of Liberty. We took a boat cruise out to Liberty Island and saw the copper [now green] Lady Liberty. We also saw the famous NY bridges in the distance along with a stunning yacht anchored in front of the Statue. It was a beautiful way to end our trip!
We were so busy the whole four days and still didn’t get to see everything! I can’t wait to go back and just take it all in again, with more time to explore all of the non-touristy places. It was one of the best girls trips I’ve ever been on, if not THE best! I’m so excited to get back there again [hopefully for New York Fashion Week next time!]
Tips for a first time visit to NYC:
♥ Plan out each day: once your there its so easy to get lost in what NYC has to offer and not enough time to see everything.
♥ Chose the things you really want to see: you won’t get to see everything, so pick your top 5-6 must-see things and stick to them.
♥ Wear comfortable shoes/clothing: all you do is walk, walk, walk!
♥ Bring a cross-body bag: with so much walking you don’t want anything too heavy to lug around the city.
♥ Take it all in: it’s definitely overwhelming, but New York is one of the greatest cities in the world.
What do you think?