I just got my wisdom teeth removed, so while I’m stuck at home I thought to make myself useful and write this NYC chapter! I visited New York two months ago, it was the second time in this overwhelming city. 2011 was my first time in the Big Apple and ever since I left, I’ve always wanted to go back. Without a doubt the most amazing city in the world, my favorite! I’m definitely going back very soon. I’d love to make it a tradition to visit New York City once a year, but we’ll see about that… it has to be possible with my new job of course. Even though there still are hundreds of coffee bars that I want to visit in New York, I’ll already give you my favorite hotspots from this trip.
FOOD & DRINKS
Let’s start with the foodies! I’m a sucker for coffees and sweets, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I have 3 amazing hotspots for that! The first one is Jack’s Wife Freda, a cosy all-day bistro in Lower Manhattan. My order? Soft boiled eggs with soldiers, a fresh orange juice and a latte of course. The second hotspot for breakfast is the Clinton Street Baking Company. Not a very nice interior BUT known for the best pancakes of New York and I agree! My order? Pancakes with warm maple butter and chocolate chunk, delicious! The third one is The Butcher’s Daughter. I’m sure you’ve already heard about this one but it’s definitely worth it! My order? Avocado toast (yum!) and their Green juice. So these three should be a great start of your day!
Coffee addict? Feel ya! Luckily for us, NY offers thousands of fancy coffee bars to relax during the day. We did visit a lot of them, but if I go back (I know I will), I’d like to try new ones, because there are so many! My top 3 from this journey is 1. Happy Bones NYC 2. Ralph’s Coffee Shop 3. Toby’s Estate Coffee
SHOPPING
Maybe the main goal of your trip, certainly an important one for me. When I travel, I want to discover local stores. It would be boring to go shopping at stores you can find in your hometown. My NYC favorites? Barneys, Bloomingdales and Macy’s, three classics but so amazing! My purchases? A dark green Stutterheim rain coat at Barneys and a Chanel lipstick at Macy’s (always a nice souvenir). Of course you can’t leave the city without checking Fifth Avenue, but Greenwich Village, the Lower East Side, Madison Avenue and 57th Street are the best shopping neighborhoods.
TO DO
8 days is actually too short for NYC, you can easily spend 3 weeks in this city. Here’s a list of my favorite things to do when you’re here! Renting a bicycle is a great idea in New York, the distances are obviously big but you see so much more than traveling by subway. I’d recommend to discover Brooklyn and Central Park by bike, that’s amazing! Get Up and Ride is a lovely place to rent bikes in Brooklyn. The Wythe Hotel is a beautiful hotel with an amazing rooftop bar! Perfect stop during your cycling day. You can also cycle through the neighborhood Dumbo and have a picknick in Main Street Park right under the Manhattan Bridge. Here you have an amazing view over Manhattan and for all the Gossip Girl fans, Dan Humphrey’s Loft is right here!
So about that, I also did a Gossip Girl tour which is pretty cool if you want to see all their shooting locations (Grand Central Station, the Met Steps, Constance, the Empire Hotel…). Times Square, the Flatiron Building and the World Trade Center can’t be missing on your list of course.
The most memorable moment for me? Witnessing a live show of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon! We queued for hours from 5AM but it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I would re-do it immediately. The main guest was Aaron Paul, protagonist of Breaking Bad (1 of my favorite series!) so I had the time of my life! Sadly enough it was forbidden to take pictures, but if you want to attend a show yourself, feel free to send me a DM on Instagram and I’ll explain what to do.
I was so excited to be back in NYC that I actually forgot a lot to take instax pictures… but thank God Squared One made it possible to get my pictures anyway. You can even get your Instagram pictures printed here! I hope you guys enjoyed this post about my New York experience.
L.
Next up: Amsterdam
HOTSPOTS
Jack’s Wife Freda, 224 Lafayette St.
Clinton St. Baking Company, 4 Clinton St.
The Butcher’s Daughter, 19 Kenmare St.
Happy Bones NYC, 394 Broome St.
Ralph’s Coffee Shop, 711 5th Ave (2nd floor)
Toby’s Estate Coffee, 125 North 6th St.
Barneys, 660 Madison Avenue
Bloomingdales, 1000 Third Avenue 59th St.
Macy’s, 151 W 34th St.
Get Up and Ride, 330 S 3rd St.
The Wythe Hotel, 80 Wythe Ave
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