Fun trip to New York

We stayed in an Airbnb in Manhattan near the lower east side, as this is a part of Manhattan that is lively with a good amount of young people in the area. On our first day, we spent our time doing all the big sights (if you’ve never been to NYC, I recommend it!) We purchased our tickets for the Empire State Building early, so that we could get a time around sunset to go up. You might have to do this a few days in advance depending on the season. We first grabbed bagels at a traditional New York Bagel shop / deli and what they say is true - NYC bagels are better than anywhere else! Then, we headed to Central Park to check it out.

Central Park is massive, even if you’ve been to NYC multiple times, it can be hard to cover the whole thing. But, its such a fun and beautiful oasis in the center of the busy city. In the winter, they have ice skating and Christmas markets, in other seasons, they have paddle boat rentals, horse carriage rides, concerts, events, etc and of course the Central Park Zoo. We walked through and found all of our favorite moments in movies & TV that were filmed in Central Park and then sat by the pond and had a small snack / lunch for a while. For lunch, we found a By Chloe to eat at, which is a completely vegan and gluten free cafe (one of my friends is medically vegan/gf) and it was surprisingly delicious. There are a few spots around NYC.

After that, we made our way down to the Empire State Building a little early, as there is a lot of good shopping in the area just to explore through. Around sunset, we went to the top of the Empire and was able to see the breathtaking view of Manhattan from above. There is a restaurant at the top as well for drinks and food. It was amazing! After the Empire, we went to Mr. Purple’s which is a higher end rooftop bar not too far from our airbnb. Amazing views, pricey drinks - but worth having one! There are some fun bars in the Lower East Side that are really fun to spend a night out at bar hopping. All within pretty close walking distance.

On our second day we had brunch at an awesome place in SOHO, which is a popular neighborhood in the lower east side. Theres tons of brunch spots to choose from, for whatever vibe you’re feeling. SOHO is also known for its amazing shopping. When we finished, we headed to Chelsea, a charming village on the west side of manhattan. There, they built what they call the “high-line” which is a pedestrian walkway that is built above the street level, over the neighborhood. You can walk, bike, run it and go through all of Chelsea for about 1.5 miles. It’s really a beautiful walk and there are various points where you can walk down to the street to eat, shop, or explore the museums, the park, and more. At one entrance, the Chelsea Market is also a really fun thing to visit. You could easily spend half a day exploring the high line. Afterwards, we went to an Irish Pub for Irish coffees (it was winter - and freezing!) and then headed to the new 9/11 Memorial and Museum. This is a heavy experience, but so worth it. Get your tickets for the museum in advance to get the time you want. After the museum, we had dinner, and settled in for the night after a long day!

We headed to the Brooklyn Bridge to walk across to Brooklyn. A must do! The sights are stunning and its a pedestrian only bridge. Once in Brooklyn, right near the end of the bridge is the neighborhood of Dumbo with countless restaurants, boutiques, bars and flea markets. It’s a super fun area to spend part of the day to just explore. We spent the morning there and had breakfast. We then hopped on the subway to Coney Island! The famous beachside amusement park actually has some pretty gnarly rides, but also fun games and chiller rides if that is more your vibe. Make sure to grab a Nathan’s Hot Dog while you’re there -they’re famous! As we spent most of the day there, we headed to Williamsburg for the evening. It is one of Brooklyns most popular neighborhoods and has a lively, young feel. Brooklyn’s best eateries, rooftop bars, and clubs (ranging from poetry lounge clubs to dance clubs) are found here. There is something for everyone! We spend the rest of our entire night in Williamsburg before heading back to the lower east side.

We visited Rockefeller Square in the morning, just to see it of course! In the winter, they have the ice rink , the huge tree, and the lights displays nearby. Of course, they also have the FAO Schwartz made famous by many movies in the square too. There’s an underground mall there as well if that's something that suits you. We grabbed coffee and headed towards Times Square to be real tourists. Times Square is really fun to see, but obviously a huge tourist space. It’s always insanely crowded, but there is always so much to do. Multiple Broadway theaters color the side streets off of Times Square and every show day, they sell a limited amount of day-of tickets for a discounted price. But, if you want them for popular shows, get there before the office opens (usually around 10, you can find the best practices on google). DEFINITELY go see a show. If you have one you want to see, buy your tickets in advance. If you don’t really care, pick a box office for the day of tickets!

We ended up seeing Anastasia that night, and it was amazing. Broadway is its own brand of fun and something someone should experience once in their lifetime! For dinner, we went to Double Zero, the BEST pizza place I've ever been to. And its completely vegan and gf! Next to it are sister restaurants by the same guy, Earth Company (sushi) and Sutra (Mexican) all completely plant based. We tried all of them over our 5 days and they were all to die for.