Travel Diary: Exploring NYC in Style

We just got back from New York and celebrated our first wedding anniversary in the big apple! It had been 6 years since I had been back in the city and it was just as I had remembered! We first went to Annapolis for a friend’s wedding and following the wedding festivities we took a train that dropped us off right in Manhattan. I have to say the train system on the east coast is beyond amazing, theres so many different routes plus it was really affordable! (our one way train tickets were $28 each!) We stayed near Times Square area and it was the perfect location since it was walking distance to so many spots plus it was walking distance from the train station we got dropped off at which worked out really well. Just keep in mind if you are flying into JFK it is quite far from Manhattan.

We only had a few days in the city but for our first day we first visited the exclusive Harvard Club (my cousin is a Harvard alumni) for drinks and appetizers. They have a nice little rooftop area as well. We then headed into the Flatiron District and caught the sunset at Nubeluz which is at the top floor of the Ritz Carlton Hotel. The views and drinks were by far the best we had experienced, I highly recommend! Be sure to ask for the smoky drinks!

Outfit details linked here

The next day we had lunch in Bryant Park which is a super cute park near Times Square. After lunch we headed up to Central Park, The Met and the Upper East side. We were given some great tips from family members (who live in the city) to group sightseeing to respective areas which really is the best way to see as much as you can in a short amount of time.

I made the rookie mistake of making this 3+ mile walk in (what I thought) were comfy sandals pictured above, but I learned the hard way that sandals are an absolute NO when you’re walking 5+ miles a day. I ended up frantically purchasing a pair of Puma sneakers at Foot Locker and they saved me the rest of the trip!

Outfit details linked here

Later that evening we went up to the Empire State Building to take in the night views and it was stunning to see the city from 80+ floors up. I had visited the Empire State Building but only during the day. Even past 9 pm it was bustling and it took some time to find a spot to take photos. Before you head up to the observatory deck, a photographer will take you picture against a green screen. We didn’t plan to purchase these photos but we liked how they had turned out and thought it would be a great souvenir to have. Side note we did NOT plant to match but only realized as we were already out of our hotel Lol!

Our outfit details linked here

The next day we ventured to Wall Street/the financial district via the Subway (the routes show up on your phone so its pretty easy to navigate which subway to take) visited the 9/11 memorial and stopped at the famous Joe’s Pizza for authentic New York Pizza! This was all at the south end of Manhattan and closest to travel to Brooklyn. We also found the famous Joe’s Pizza and tried some authentic New York Pizza, it was absolutely delicious and very affordable too! From there we were able to catch the ferry to Dumbo, Brooklyn which was super fun to take in the views of Manhattan from the ferry. We then headed to Ceconis for lunch which had the prettiest views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges and the food was delicious! (Highly recommend the bolognese rigatoni) We walked around and enjoyed some matcha from Cha Cha Matcha which has so many fun and unique matcha options.

We took the subway back into Manhattan and explored the China town area and got some (much needed) foot massages and stumbled upon The Crown another rooftop bar with more stunning city views and the most amazing espresso martinis!

We explored more of the China town area and stopped for some sushi and sake then headed back to the Times Square area to walk around and take in the sights in the bustling area on our last night. Here’s a quick list of some spots we loved

Where to Stay:

The Viceroy (South Central Park)

The Ritz Carlton (Flat Iron District)

Nomo (Soho)

Where to Eat:

Carbone ( Had a reservation but cancelled due to the timing)

Nubeluz (At the top of the Ritz Carlton)

Joe’s Pizza (Theres a ton of locations)

Levain Bakery (The cookies are amazing!)

Ceconi’s in Dumbo (The best views of the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges and the food was delicious)

Cha Cha Matcha (theres a few locations throughout Manhattan and their shops are super cute)

The Crown Room ( Great city views from China town)

PDH Terrace (Didn’t have enough time to make it here but theres a pretty floral walk way)

While We Were Young Kitchen and Cocktails (a cute, aesthetically pleasing spot for food and drinks, visited here on my last trip to NYC)

Pietra Nolita (another super cute and pink spot with lots of photo ops, visited here on my last trip to NYC)

Some of my favorite spots:

Central Park (an obvious place to visit but just be aware its huge!)

Empire State Building (We went at night but the daytime would be great too for photos)

The Met ( It’s free to visit and thanks to Gossip Girl for making it so famous)

Rockerfeller Center ( During the holidays they make the main entrance area an ice skating rink!)

Park Avenue- the Upper East Side (so fun to see some of the most expensive real estate in New York on this street)

Sleep No more- A classic interactive play that is based on Shakespere’s Macbeth with inspiration taken from noir films over the course of a 3 hour evening. (I did this on my last trip to NYC and loved it! I highly recommend booking this, just be sure to wear comfortable shoes bc its a lot of walking!)

Dumbo, Brooklyn- The cutest area and far less crowds which made it a great spot for photos!

What are some of your favorite spots in Manhattan?

Share in the comments below!