Welcome back, adventurers!

Hope you enjoyed your first dosage of my amaaaazing trip to NYC. There’s still a ton of fun left for me to show and tell. With that, I present part-deux of my vacation!

Day 3: Blue Bottle Coffee, Central Park, The Plaza Hotel, Greenwich Village,
Brooklyn Bridge, Luck Thai, & Brook Vin

Today began no different than the others- our first priority being coffee! A good thing about the big city is that there’s a coffee shop around every corner. We never went to the same one twice. We got ready for the day, again preparing for a downpour but hoping for sunshine. This day, I was looking forward to most. We were going to ride bikes in Central Park.

Blue Bottle Coffee was just two blocks away from our bnb. It has several stores in California and New York, even some in Japan- which I thought was cool. Tokyo is for sure on my list. It was Sunday morning and the shop was full but not overly crowded. The inside was crisp and clean with white walls and wooden counter tops. The only pop of color was the Blue Bottle logo on the bags of whole bean coffee for sale stocked on shelves near the register. Blue is my favorite color. I checked out the variety and considered buying one for my dad. (If you’re reading this, sorry Pops. Obviously didn’t go through with purchasing.) There was one table left on the patio outside and I had a thought that it’d been waiting for us all morning. I took it fast and we ate our little breakfast.

 

My tea was piping hot so I drank most on the subway en route to Central Park. We were to get off at the south-western corner of the park at Columbus Circle. I can’t even begin to describe how I felt upon arrival. I was overwhelmed with joy by the size and lively commotion of this city’s hub spot. It was super easy to rent bikes, which I recommend doing if you’re going to Central Park because it is HELLA HUGE. There are rent-a-bike shops scattered almost everywhere around the area so you can easily find them. We went to the Central Park West Bike Rental and only paid $25 for 3 hours which is more than enough time to cover the whole park. For us it took about 2 hours and 15 minutes total, and that included all the times we stopped to sight-see and take pictures.

There’s so many different sights and hidden gems all through Central Park. We hit up the popular spots: Bethesda Fountain, Strawberry Fields, Bow Bridge, the Reservoir, and the Mall. Seeing Strawberry Fields was special to me because my Dad is a huge fan of the Beatles, which I think he passed down to me. Imagine is also one of my favorite songs by John Lennon for a few reasons. I snapped a pic and sent it to him.

We took our bikes around the entire park and back. By the time we got done, it was was about lunch time. Without a plan, we headed East along the south border of Central Park hoping something would pop out at us. Something definitely popped out, but it wasn’t food. The 2018 Annual Celebrate Israel Parade was happening on 5th Avenue. It caught us both off-guard. Even more interesting, we got to see a group of Palestinian protesters being chaperoned by a group of policemen. They made their way down the side of the Plaza Hotel. We turned our attention back to the parade and watched. Personally, I really enjoyed getting to see it even for only a couple of minutes. We were still hunting for lunch. Considering It would’ve been difficult to make it to the other side of 5th Avenue and beyond because of the road blockades, we turned back around.

 

Kinda-on-a-whim-kinda-not, Lilly and I settled on stopping at the Plaza Hotel to get food. One of NYC’s best kept secrets is the food hall located on the ground level. Did you know it existed? Maybe I just live under a rock. If you want to go where the locals go, I hear this place is among the favorites for lunch in midtown. The hall is filled with all kinds of restaurants, sweet shops, and delis. Imagine Chelsea Market, but at the bottom of a hotel. Chi Dumplings & Noodles was tucked away opposite of the entrance we came through. Luckily, we found a high-table for two at the end of the lunch rush. We each ordered the pork dumplings. (So basic, I know.) Afterwards, we had a bit of a sweet-tooth. On our way in I was quick to look around and I spotted all kinds of bakeries. It was hard to choose from the assortment of treats. There were mini cheesecakes, pies, fruit tartlets, cupcakes, macarons, and donuts. My heart told me buy one of everything but my head said no. Lilly landed on the mini donuts from Doughnuttery but I couldn’t complain. I had never had mini donuts and I love all things mini. I wondered how tiny the the donut holes were. In case you’re keen on trying some yourself, other locations include Chelsea Market and Columbus Circle. We each picked out two flavors: Pumpkin Pie Brulee and Cinnamon Sugar (mine) and Coco Loco and Lemon Pop (Lilly’s)  and ate them on-the-go to our next destination.

 

Greenwich Village is a neighborhood on the western side of lower Manhattan. It houses the famous Washington Square Arch and New York University. We sat in Washington Square Park for about 20 minutes while charging up our phones. Tip: a portable phone charger saved both of our butts during this trip and I couldn’t recommend it more to bring one! The park was crowded so we got a good break to rest our feet and people watch the wonderful New Yorkers. It was about that time to stop in another cafe to keep us going for the rest of the day. After our short respite we headed north out of the park through a shady, little pathway and through a couple streets on the hunt for what we desired. We passed a ton of shops and bars, even a Starbucks. I love Starbucks at home, but not on my vacations usually. One shop in particular really caught my eye. It was an office and card supply store called Goods for the Study. This was the store that I mentioned 2 WWUs ago where I found those adorable cards. This was legit the cutest, most aesthetically pleasing store that I’d ever been in. Office supplies really excite me. Is that weird? As we walked in, it felt busy with younger customers. I assumed they were college kids just hanging around their campus, maybe exploring the neighborhood during their restful summer break. We spent a couple of minutes inside the shop until heading out. Neither of us bought anything, but I wrote down some of the brands so that I could check them out online. Many brands have an online business, not just brick-and-mortar. This trip wasn’t one we wanted to spend time shopping, so I used the Notes app in my phone to write down everything I want to check out at home. I’ve already bookmarked their online store on my personal computer.

OCAFE was a pleasant-looking coffee shop not far from Goods for the Study. We walked in and it was small, but cozy. There were a ton of plants that lined the walls and a helpful menu hung left of the register. I’d been sticking with just tea up until this point but I finally cracked and got myself a cup of their house drip with soy milk and a dash of turbinado. We sat down and planned out the rest of the afternoon.

 

Our itinerary was open, yet we still had a bunch of things on our list of to-dos. We mutually landed on the Brooklyn Bridge because duhhh. A couple more sips of our drinks and we exited the cafe to find the nearest subway. Disclaimer: the hike up the bridge is a long one, but so worth the amazing sights and the excitement surrounding it. We entered through the Brooklyn side. Not a lot of commentary to add here except that we took in our views and I got as many pictures as I could for the mems. We spent about 30 minutes on the bridge to take it all in. I loved the view of Manhattan- the Statue of Liberty could even be seen. After this, we turned around and headed back towards Brooklyn where we could catch another subway to our bnb. We had a chunk of time before dinner.

We rested for a good hour back at our place until it was time for dinner. We found this amazing little Thai restaurant within Park Slope called Luck Thai. You guys, Brooklyn is so freaking cool! It has everything. Back home, I never delve into Thai food, but this trip I was feeling adventurous. I totes recommend the yellow curry. Super, super delicious. By the time we were through it was dark outside. We figured we’d find another bar and grab a couple drinks. Funny story: we picked a brewery nearby and when we got there the place looked dead. We walked in and I guess we were just confused, but a waitress behind the counter saw us and told us they closed early that night due to slow traffic. Sundaze. We were just a moment too late!!! I felt kind of embarrassed but knew I shouldn’t have been. She was so nice about it.

Our last stop of the night actually proved to be more successful this time. We headed back towards 7th Avenue and found a wine bar called Brook•Vin. The bar seemed posh, relaxed, slow-paced, kind of warm and welcoming. The only light was coming from the candles placed on each table. L and I split a bottle of Muscadet (we didn’t know what it was and it sounded fancy) and finished out the night with conversation. Eventually, we were the last ones in there and we didn’t want to be the ones to hold up the staff. We paid and on our way back to the Bnb, FINALLY came the rain that we’d been dreading the entire time. Feeling slightly buzzed, we walked along 7th under our umbrellas until we found our street. We turned in for the night.

 

Day 4: Cafe Grumpy, American Museum of Natural History, Shake Shack, the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
Madison Avenue, Ladurée, Barraca, & Serendipity

Woke up the next morning and DIDN’T have a hangover. It was a miracle! We found another cafe for our usual morning jump-start, Cafe Grumpy. Lol. Can relate. I ordered a black tea and a citrus olive oil mini-bundt. Today was museum day!

We got to the American Museum of Natural History a little after 9:30. I’m convinced that no matter how well you plan your times to do stuff in the city, there is always going to be a crowd. It was Monday morning, but many people had the same idea we did. At the front of the museum is a grand staircase and perched in the center is a statue of Theodore Roosevelt. (If you’ve seen the movie, you don’t need a visual. I’ve included one anyway.)  Travel tip: if you’re planning on visiting many of the popular tourist attractions such as museums, I would suggest looking into what we used and those are Explorer Passes. They have them for many major cities. For one price online, you choose all the destinations you want to go to and when you get there you pay nothing. Instead, you just scan your pass via smartphone. I think anywhere you can save just a dollar, you should take advantage. We were able to enter the museum by Explorer Pass which was so much faster than buying there. We grabbed a map, picked our must-see exhibits, and planned out our path. One of my favorite and most memorable visitations was going to the Hall of South American Peoples. If you ever have time, you have to research and learn about the Amazonians. I found their exhibit to be extremely amusing. I learned all about how they believe a Shaman can actually summon healing for the sick (which personally, I find fascinating. Not just saying that.) and I’ve concluded that they are the true inventors of the “puke and rally.” See description below.

 

Before heading out of the upper west side, we found a Shake Shack behind the museum and sat down for a super greasy and delicious lunch. #NoRagrets. I won’t say much about it because I know it’s a chain restaurant, except for I’m sending up my prayers to the burger gods that we get one in Little Rock soon because guys… we are missing out!!!! Next, we hiked straight through Central Park to our second museum of the day, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Have you heard of it? Rhetorical question. It’s the largest art museum in the US, and holy cow, my mind was blown. Just thinking about all the celebrities that have ever walked through those front doors made me feel like I was in the presence of royalty. Not to mention, I was DYING to see the visiting exhibit, Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.

Photos just don’t do it justice. It was just beautiful – every piece as extravagant as the next. I wish you could see it for yourself. The Anna Wintour Costume Center (learn here) was completely off-limits to pictures so I have none unfortunately. According to the security guard, taking pictures was deemed disrespectful to the Vatican because they’re lending the pieces to the center for free for the purpose of the exhibit. Only pictures I have are from my memories. Err… #ProudCatholicMoment?

We explored other parts of the museum. I saw the Picasso’s and the Matisse’s, but Heavenly Bodies by far was the most memorable. Lilly and I already discussed that next time we’re in NYC, we’re devoting a whole afternoon to the Met again. We spent a good portion inside on this day even though the weather turned out so beautiful. Do I have regrets? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

 

As if our legs hadn’t carried us enough already this day, I wanted to find the famous Parisian macaron shop, Ladurée, off of Madison Avenue. Honestl hour: macarons are one of my guilty pleasures. Someday I’d like to visit the first, true Ladurée in Paris and sit down in my cute, little beret with a full plate of French macarons. But here I was in the States admiring the next best thing. When I saw the storefront for the first time, I was amazed. Like okay Ladurée, I see you showing off. Just look at the bight-colored boxes, the flower decor on the windows, the marble table tops, and the sea-foam green chairs. Madison Avenue, in general, is magical. Walking there, we passed too many stores to count. Among them were Lilly Pulitzer, Carolina Herrara, Christian Louboutin, kate spade new york (this was just 24 short hours before the news came out), Alice and Olivia, Tory Burch, Alexander McQueen, and Chanel. Next time I visit, I’ll make an opportunity to shop. Like I’ll be able to afford to…ha!

 

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The hours spent at the Met and our stroll down Madison put us into late afternoon when it was nearing suppertime. Considering I’d just stuffed my face with macarons, I was up for some apps and couple of happy hour cocktails. I was particularly excited because we were having a guest dine with us that night. One of my sister’s college friends named Jon-Michael moved to New York City right after graduation and now works for Buzzfeed. He currently lives in an apartment in East Village and agreed to meet us in West Village for sangria and tapas.

We met at a Spanish restaurant and bar called Barraca. Their happy hour isn’t bad, y’all! A sangria was only $6 which is about the price we get back home. I ordered pan con tomate for the table and two sangrias for myself. For me, the evening was filled with plenty of entertainment as Lilly and Jon-Michael had much to catch up on. What more, the sun was setting and many passersby were carrying about their lives – walking their dog, hauling their groceries, heading to work… I couldn’t help but to imagine what living there would be like. Can anybody relate?

Dinner and drinks could have lasted all night and I would’ve been a happy, happy girl. We just had one more stop on our last night in New York then we were headed back to Brooklyn for our last sleep. We made our way to Serendipity for a world-famous frozen hot chocolate. Lilly had been once before when she was 11 years old and she said it was really cool to go back as an adult. As famous as it is, it’s a no-brainer if you’re coming to visit the city. You can always try the $1000 Golden Opulent Sundae… and Lilly and I seriously considered. Each of us established that we were able to afford it… but not willing to. Maybe next time folks, sorry! What we did order was the s’mores frozen hot chocolate. After I’d had my fill, I sat back and enjoyed the commotion of the busy restaurant and the excitement of the other customers.

 

Day 5: Empire State Building, Jack’s Wife Freda, and departure

Our last day in New York City and we saved two very special activities for it. We slept in a little later than I would prefer but no biggie. Don’t sweat it if you’re not on schedule- it ruins your mood and a potential good time. We skipped the coffee shop and headed straight for Manhattan. I didn’t know this before going and I’ll never forget it now, but the Empire State Building sits beautifully near Herald Square, which I was familiar with. We arrived and the whole procedure to get up the skyscraper took little to no time at all. They stop and take your picture which is neat, I guess. From the top, the island seems so tiny even though I know for a fact it’s anything but a short walk between a couple blocks. It was the best damn view of the city I’d gotten and I’m glad that we saved it for the last day. I will always remember it.

After coming down the tower (yes, my ears popped and it was uncomfortable haha) we stopped at the gift shop and I bought a few souvenirs to take back home: a magnet, a pair of socks, and a new mug. Once we were done, we both knew where we were headed: our final brunch to conclude the whole trip. If you haven’t heard of Jack’s Wife Freda, I’ll bet you it’s on every blogger’s travel guide for NYC. Take a look at their Instagram! Take a look at their menu. Take a look at their EVERYTHING! It will have you saying #goals! It’s the most beautiful, charming, and hippest cafe sitting just south of Greenwich Village. We had a lovely time dining. You could say I was just a little taken aback when my cup of tea came out. See picture below.

 

That’s it, guys! After brunch, we took the subway one last time to 7th Avenue Brooklyn. We packed up our things and made the long journey back to LaGuardia. Taking off, I got a final look of the island. Lilly let me have the window seat again. SHE IS SERIOUSLY THE BEST SISTER!

@Lilly, I’m so grateful for our trip together, probably more than you’ll ever know. So what’dya say? Where to next, sis?

 

If you’ve ever been to New York City, what are some of the things you did, places you went, and restaurants you ate at? What’s your favorite neighborhood? Most memorable thing that happened in NY? I love love love getting to hear your side of things. I hope you enjoyed my two-part recap of my adventures in the Big Apple. To state the obvious, I’m a city girl and I loved getting to see the city that never sleeps. I’m already eager to start planning a trip back. If you’d like any other travel tips, go ahead and send me an email or shoot me a DM on Instagram.

I’ll leave you with my all-time favorite travel quote:
“I’d rather own little and see the world, than own the world and see little of it.“

XOXO
Gossip Girl Elizabeth