NYC has been a travel goal of mine for a few years now, and I am so excited to say I finally made it happen in January. My high school friends (Best Frands) and I have been doing a tour of sorts of everyone’s campus, and this was a trip to see our beautiful Amelia. I proposed this trip back in November thinking I could get maybe one person of the 13 of us to go with, and somehow the group grew to nine. A girls trip was definitely the way to go for NYC for me just because I felt safe while also packing every second with something. I was there early Friday to Monday night and I feel like that was the perfect amount of time to accomplish almost everything. Now onto the guide! You can download my little graphic at the end of this post :).
EAT:
I have sooo many suggestions for this. I swear every meal we ate was recommend-able. There are yummy restaurants everywhere you look. There is also a CVS on every corner, so we stopped in to grab big waters or energy drinks.
- Pio Bagels: A Latin twist on an NY bagel! So yummy and well seasoned! Felt like a hidden gem and the prices were great.
- Carlo’s Bakery: I watched a lot of Cake Boss as a child, so this was a must. They sell cake by the slice and I recommend everyone getting a different flavor and then trying all of them together. Rainbow cake was definitely my favorite!
- Liberty Bagels: This is the famous rainbow bagel spot, and its right by the Plaza Hotel! These were so fresh, but the line was crazy. Definitely order online for pickup when you leave the hotel, so it will be ready when you get there!
- Paesano: We wanted to do a nicer dinner one night and my friend Olivia suggested this place. They take reservations, have a huge menu, and the prices are very reasonable. It’s located right in Little Italy and this was the best Chicken Parmesan I’ve ever had.
- Planet Taco: This was an accidental late night find that turned out to be one of my favs from the trip. This fun spot in Hell’s Kitchen featured a giant menu of a la carte tacos, quesadillas, burritos, and fun drinks. I loved the vibe in here and my taco just hit the spot (the Adobo Chicken).
- Manero’s Pizza: This was the best slice in NY I had, and I ate quite a few. This little hole in the wall was in Little Italy and had all kinds of unique flavors as well as the classics.
STAY:
We stayed in the most perfect location! We found a deal on a Courtyard Marriott on the corner of 5th and 40th. It was an easy walk to Grand Central Station and three other subway shops as well as a simple walk to 5th Ave shopping and Times Square. There was food everywhere around us and we felt very safe. The room itself was small but perfect for us. There was security and front desk support 24/7 as well as an exterior security check. Definitely great location and service all around!
DO:
Like the EAT category, there are endless things to do in NYC. If you’ve never been, these are the musts (at least for this lil’ Southern gal).
- Circle Line: Statue of Liberty Cruise: This $25 cruise was an hour and left out of a port right by the Financial District. We saw Ellis Island, Battery Park, New Jersey, and the One World Trade Center throughout this hour, all with a wonderful tour guide. Our guide pointed out all kinds of things, from celeb houses to history to places he got in trouble as a teenager. This experience was so much fun, and I really enjoyed getting to see the whole city in this way before exploring the specifics.
- 9/11 Memorial: I was born a year after this tragedy, but it has impacted so many in my generation and older. Here in Kentucky, the tragedy was a large part of the curriculum for middle and high school, so I knew the memorial was necessary. The impact this tragedy left, on personal lives, on our government and airports, and on the city of New York is massive, so my friends and I really took our time here to remember these people and pray for their families.
- Times Square and a Broadway Show: Like in every single section of NYC, Times Square is full of shopping. We wandered around there in the day, just to people watch and look at these massive stores (biggest Sephora in US!), but my favorite part was coming back at night. The lights and vibe are just electric, and I could have sat and watched for hours. Our Broadway show was right off of Times Square, and I couldn’t recommend going to a show enough. Even if theatre is not your thing, these shows are pure magic and worth every penny.
- Central Park: We probably walked for two hours and only saw 20% of this park. It was just a nice fresh air break from all the crazy and we just got to walk and catch up on life for a bit. We also went to some castle in the middle of the park and to another lookout point for some fun pictures.
- China Town and Little Italy: These two are right next to each other and are so fun to just wander around. There are so many interesting sights and shops as well as fun restaurants everywhere. We probably walked around for two hours or more just to see as much as we could. Definitely recommend eating at least one meal in this area!
- Washington Square Park: This park was so beautiful, even in the pouring rain. Any time you see someone playing chess/checkers outside in a movie, it’s likely in this park. There was a beautiful arch and for my book lovers, there’s a four story Barnes and Noble right by it.
- Shopping on 5th Ave: We obviously bought nothing because I was two weeks into my big girl job and my friends are broke college students, but this was so much fun.
- St. Patrick’s Cathedral: I have been a Catholic since birth and St. Patrick has long been a saint I’ve admired. This cathedral was a really special place for me. In the busyness of the weekend, I really stopped to thank God for my girls and this opportunity. If you are not religious, this is still a beautiful building right in the middle of all the chaos.
- See all the TV Spots: You don’t quite know how many things from your favorite TV shows are in New York until you are being dragged around to all of them. As an avid TODAY Show watcher with my mom since birth, I had to go check out their studios. We also got to see the outside of the Friends apartment and the How I Met Your Mother bar. We even walked past the Steven Colbert and Jimmy Fallon studios.
GET AROUND:
You are going to need to get over any fears of germs and just purchase a subway pass. It was $34 for a week of unlimited rides and we more than got our money’s worth. Apple Maps works somehow with all subways to help you find stations and tell you exactly what to take. It is simply the easiest and fastest way to get around. I would also suggest some really comfy sneakers because there is a lot of walking even with using the subways, just to see everything.
Thanks to my soon-to-be 2nd Lt. Cassin for hosting us! This was such a fun girls trip to see our NY girl, and I can’t wait to come back someday! My free downloadable guide is below… See you soon!
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