A Summer Weekend in New York
This was my first trip to New York and all I can really say is that it was everything and more that I have ever dreamed of. New York is really unlike any other city. For lack of better words–it truly is a vibe. You immediately feel immersed in the city–almost as if the rest of the world slips away, as cheesy as that is.
We arrived on a redeye (never again, we’re old and cannot hang) and touched down in the city early on a Friday morning. In theory, it was great to have a whole day ahead of us, but we had no idea how exhausted we would be the next morning and ended up sleeping in until 1PM.
We stayed at The Walker in the village–it was the perfect location, so close to everything and had a boutique vibe which was exactly what we were going for. It’s the perfect distance from Washington Square Park, we strolled down there every morning with a coffee to sit and take in some prime people watching.
I loved stumbling upon Leon’s for their delish bagels and coffee that comes in chic green checkered cups–it was a huge vibe (plus the people waiting in line for their bagels are some of the chicest I’ve ever seen.
We wandered into Lupa for lunch – they make a fantastic aperol spritz (it was the largest one I’ve gotten here in the states).
One thing I learned is that most restaurants take reservations up to 30 days in advance… and we didn’t make a single reservation in advance. I think for smaller groups it was fine to walk in to most places, however if I were to go back and do it again, I’d try to make reservations for places I wanted to try in advance. So many folks shared amazing places, but we weren’t able to get in due to such short notice.
I think my favorite part of this whole trip was quite honestly the people watching. There are so many fabulous folks in this hub of civilization and I could watch them all day.
I will say…I think San Francisco has a better food scene (sorry I know I’ll upset folks) but I wasn’t blown away by anything in particular food-wise. I think New York just has more high-quality variety in one place which is such a plus. My favorite meal was actually at a little natural wine bar over in the west village that we randomly stumbled upon on Sunday afternoon.
Oh and everything in Soho was beyond–such cute little shops, restaurants and shopping. I was in heaven and had to remove myself from the stellar shopping (that is conveniently all in one place).
We had a goal of not to really do anything too touristy–I think the most touristy thing we did was go to the Met. As an art history nerd in college it was cool to see, however I think their magic is in the featured exhibits–so that would be my only advice…go when they have something cool that you want to see, otherwise their standard collection is just okay.
One thing I wasn’t prepared for was the heat…and looking good while walking 15,000+ steps a day. One thing I loved about NYC style is that every chic person was wearing some form of sneakers during the day. I saw tons of these all over the place paired with either a minimal dress or wide leg pants…10/10. I chatted more NYC style trends here in case you’re interested in that convo.
Okay on a final note….let me get to the goods.
nyc recs from you all
eats + sips
Sadelles
Palma
Buvette
Sestina
Double Zero
Via Carota
La Mercerie
ABC Kitchen
Jacques Bar in The Lowell
Oscar Wilde
Daily Provision
La Pecora Bianca
7th Street Burger
St. Jardim
coffee
Third Rail Coffee
The Elk
El Condor
Ralph’s
to do’s
Meander through the high line early on a weekday morning
Stroll down Bleeker and wander the shops
Shopping in Soho
Chelsea flea market
Elizabeth Street Garden
Rowboats in Central Park
