Those who know me know my heart belongs to the island of Manhattan, with its bustling streets, eventful hours and spiritual escape from reality. When I'm there, I'm smiling and acting like a kid in a candy shop.
This summer, my family and I spent two nights in the city I fell in love with long ago. Somehow, I found an even deeper appreciation and love for the concrete jungle, with its breathtaking architecture and sense of hope for all your dreams.
I've been to New York City a few times in my life, so I want to share some of the things we did this trip and where we stayed and ate...
Hotel
We stayed in Tribeca, switching things up from our usual Midtown home base. We all agreed that we loved the change from being in the middle of the noisy, never-sleeping city to the quieter, more residential downtown.
We stayed at The Frederick Hotel, a darling boutique hotel about two blocks from the One World Trade Center and a ten minute walk from SoHo. There were always fresh flowers in the lobby, which also always smelled so good, and it has the cutest seating areas. I also LOVED the bathroom. It was so small, but they took advantage of every square inch. The design and tiling was beautiful; the shower tiling had a map of Tribeca!
While the room was small for four people (but what NYC hotel isn't), we loved our stay, and the staff was very accommodating. Plenty of good restaurants were in the neighborhood, and a subway stop was right outside the door. If you're looking for a good place for a good price, check it out!
Day 1
Central Park
On our first day, it was CRUCIAL for me to go to my absolute favorite place in the whole city, maybe even my favorite place anywhere – Central Park.
I hold Central Park so close to my heart. Some of my favorite memories with my family occurred there. Notably, in 2016 we did the rowboats on the lake (pictured to the above), and it was SUCH a good time. It was a beautiful day and nothing could compare to being on a rowboat in the middle of Manhattan.
On the day we went this summer, we had the perfect weather. We just took a stroll, bought some artwork, watched a street show and soaked up the magic of Central Park.
I just love how there is this huge, grand park in the middle of one of the most hectic cities in the world. It's a beautiful metaphor – serenity in the middle of a jungle. I feel so at peace there.
Gigino Trattoria
For dinner, we never really had a plan. We figured we would just walk around and find something. Well, we found quite the gem – Gigino Trattoria.
We were seated right away, served impeccably despite how incredibly busy they were (there were large graduation parties) and cooked divine dishes.
The calamari was amazing, but it wasn't the star of the show. What was the star was their pollo limone. Oh. My. Goodness. In our household, we are BIG into our chicken francese, so do not take it lightly when I say this was the absolute BEST we have ever had. I seriously dream about it. The chicken was so tender, moist and breaded to perfection. The sauce was out-of-this-world. By far the best meal of the trip.
Do not hesitate to go here. (It's worth the money.)
Day 2
SoHo
SoHo is known for its high-end shops, fashion and overall aesthetic (right up my alley). We made the ten minute walk from our hotel and visited the most museum-like stores.
Gucci, which my little brother was dying to go to, was literally like an art gallery. It had a MOVIE THEATER, with plush seats, a screen, the whole shabang. Everyone wore extravagant outfits, mannequins were dressed like movie stars and in the back were the most beautiful gala dresses. Worth the walk through. (To the right was a jewelry mannequin – MOOD.)
Of course, my mom and I had to go into Tiffany's, where I held a ring worth $300,000. A girl can dream, right?
SoHo is so cute to walk around and take in all the stores you WISH you could shop in. However, my wallet doesn't have nearly enough money.
Washington Square Park
If you've ever seen When Harry Met Sally, you know Washington Square Park is the famous spot where Sally drops off Harry after their drive from Chicago. And you've probably wanted to visit there ever since – I know I did.
We walked from SoHo to WSP (about a ten minute walk). This park has to be one of the best places ever to people watch. There are so many people from different walks of life in the park – students (NYU is all around the park), vendors, tourists, locals.
While it's a lot smaller than I expected, it's a hub for locals, which I love. We watched all the city dogs playing in the dog park and saw students studying on benches. It's so cool to walk around and be one with the New Yorkers.
South Side Seaport
From Washington Square Park, we took a subway back towards downtown. We ended up walking to South Side Seaport, which we had heard was recently redone. The nicest security guard sparked up conversation with us and pointed us toward a place with some good views.
When we got to the place, the Brooklyn Bridge was right there! We stood at Pier 17, a really cool new venue on the Hudson River, on a gloomy day in the city watching boats go by and people cross the Brooklyn Bridge. It was really one of my favorite moments. We took pictures and goofed around, taking in all the views.
Also, how cute is that flower wall? It made for some really cute pictures (which you might recognize from my about page).
Day 3
9/11 Memorial & Museum
One of the most memorable parts of this trip was what we did on our last day – the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. We had seen the memorial fountains the year they opened, but the museum wasn't open then.
9/11 affected this nation like nothing has before, and it hit home for my family as well with relatives uncomfortably close to Ground Zero and serving as first responders.
This museum was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. It's hard to even express the emotions you feel when walking through it and knowing you are standing where the most horrific event in our nation's history occurred.
Crushed ambulances, rooms filled with faces taken from this world brutally, remnants of the planes that were filled with fear as they forever changed how Americans thought of the date on the calendar. September 11th – forever a day of remembrance.
All four of us were overcome with emotion. We each went on our own through the museum, taking it all in in our own ways.
They did a beautiful job on this memorial. The museum is even in what was the basement of the World Trade Center, which I didn't know before. That made it all the more real. The walls were the ACTUAL walls of the original structure. Insane.
Every American needs to experience this. Go, go, go. Understand it. Connect to it. This happened to us. To understand what it means to be an American, go here. It will have you praying, crying and wanting to scream 'God Bless America.'
Things We've Done in the Past
Going to NYC during the holidays should be on everyone's bucket list. Nothing feels more festive than the city around Christmas!
Some of our favorite things during the holidays:
• Horse & buggy through Central Park
• Rockefeller tree
• Fifth Ave. windows
Two food places that are must-gos:
• Sardi's
Other must-dos in NYC:
• Row boats in Central Park
New York City will always hold a special place in my heart! I hope this blog helps give you an idea of some great things to do while in the city.
My best advice: walk fast, get a subway map and don't forget to look up at all the amazing buildings.
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