NYC RECAP

My September trip to NYC literally went by in a New York Minute. I have traveled to New York more times than I can count, and yet each time is such a different & fun experience. This past trip was such a sweet time, spent eating the best food and shopping around. My best friend and I traveled to NYC to visit a dear friend, and stayed in her (very chic) apartment in the Upper East Side.

After NYC was hit so hard with Covid in 2020, there was a lot of talk about the city being dead.. however, I am here to report it is alive and thriving! I personally think the addition of the outside dining is absolutely charming and I pray that they stay for ever & ever! I feel like these little huts are the most adorable little extensions of restaurants, full of string lights and cozy settings. ALSO, the subway system upgraded from the infamous metro card and you can now use Applepay, which may just be one of the best upgrades of all time.

I shared most of the trip on Instagram, but I wanted to make sure to make a more permanent place here of the blog; so if you are making a trip you can use some of my experiences for your own! Plus I love recapping such a fun time.

DAY ONE

We drove to the city this time around and did not get in until the evening. When we arrived it was literally a torrential downpour that continued through the night. We took a cab over to Aunt Jake’s Handmade Pasta on 2nd Ave for the coziest dinner. The restaurant has the perfect intimate ambiance, with dim lighting and great music. They make fresh pasta everyday and it is not a joke, literally one of those dishes I will be craving for a long time. I ordered Cavatelli with Alla Vodka and it was SO DAMN GOOD.

After pasta, we decided to walk it off back to the apartment (also because the rain took a break) and stopped at Anita Gelato Factory. How could you walk past this place and not stop?!?!! I had the mixed berry, which was very yummy!

SEE!!!! How freaking cute and cozy are these outside dining spots?!

And Katherine’s very chic Upper East Side apartment

DAY TWO

We didn’t have much of a plan for our second day just a couple goals: Good coffee and something simple. So, we stopped at Ralph’s Coffee and then spent the day at the MET.

We enjoyed our iced coffees at the Madison Avenue location, and it was so cute. We were able to step inside to order our coffees and had to wait a few minutes for some outdoor seating. I had and iced oat milk vanilla latte with a fresh croissant.

From Ralph’s on Madison, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is just a short walk. There is so much to do in New York, but a day at the MET is never a regret. It is a lovely place to walk around and observe all of the different installments of art and history. We were there the week after the Met Gala, so we took a lot of time to look at the ‘In America: A Lexicon of Fashion’ Exhibition, which will be there until September 5th of 2022.

Will be at the MET throughout September 5th of 2022!

The drama

Striking

This is a Autumnal/Winter DREAM. VIBE. GOAL.

Just thought this was lovely, who doesn’t love a perfect pink.

Something new at the MET is their rooftop! You can take an elevator all the way to the roof where they have some installments, as well as an amazing view!

After the MET, food was a MUST. We headed over to the Penrose on 2nd Ave. I had the Turkey Club, and we shared the Buffalo Brussel Sprouts that were SO good!

We also took some time to just enjoy the neighborhood. The Upper East Side is a lovely place to stay, so many cute little nooks and parks you can see! We popped into a book store and coffee shop for a quick pick me up (I got a matcha lemonade).

DAY TWO EVENING

For our evening we threw on some cute outfits and headed downtown for a GNO!!!! We went to La Lanterna di Vittorio near Washington Square Park. They have the CUTEST back patio (that I advise making reservations for if you want a spot). We all ordered Cosmopolitans (because DUH) and sat for a few hours talking and making cheers!

Fluffy Pink Sweater of my DREAMS is Lover + Friends from Revolve a few years ago!

Such a dark & romantic vibe inside!

Their Cosmos are perfection

& the cutest patio that is open year round

DAY THREE

For our third day, I wanted to go somewhere I had never been.. the Brooklyn Bridge! I cannot believe that I hadn’t ever been but it was so fun! There is such an amazing view and it is such a fun photo op!

the best of the best

After our walk on the Brooklyn Bridge and tons of photos, we headed back up town to SoHo. If you aren’t familiar, SoHo is a neighborhood in NYC that is a prime shopping spot. SoHo also has a ton of cute eating destinations, like Balthazar. Since we were in the neighborhood so early (and still recovering from our night one pasta) we stopped into their cafe for some baked goods.

After walking around some and window shopping we finally decided to get a bite to eat at La Pecora Bianca at their SoHo location. I had a cheeseburger with fries and it really hit the spot after a busy morning out!

DAY THREE EVENING

Since we had such busy days out, we wanted to make sure that we had a cozy evening in with take out at least once! So we walked to Chipotle for food and finished the evening hanging out. Sometimes being somewhere and needing to go nowhere is exactly what you need.

DAY FOUR

Day four we headed back out for another busy (and last full day of fun). Before we headed back down to Soho for the day, I wanted a Meg Ryan moment with a brownstone. Then we headed to Church for Sunday Mass for my Catholic friend, followed by a quick breakfast stop at Chobani SoHo. I had a breakfast sandwich and it was very good!

Meg Ryan moment (Iykyk)

Happy & bright

After breakfast we headed back out for more shopping in SoHo, stopping at Free People, Mango, Zara, Mejuri, Paper Source (and Maman; a must stop for breakfast next visit) & many more. We also popped over to the Little Italy festival. It runs for one week in September every year, called the Feast of San Gennaro. The already delicious street is lined with the best of Italian food trucks and treats. Even if you can’t ever make it to the festival, I highly suggest a night out in little Italy. Perfect for a girls night out for good food, or a romantic date night with your man.

Magical & Whimsical

After lots of shopping, we headed over to Ladurée for lunch at their SoHo location.. We made a reservation here a few days in advance, or else we wouldn’t have been able to get a table. A lot of people don’t know that you can get more than just macarons from Ladurée, so I am here to say you can and it’s great! We sat inside and had the loveliest lunch. I ordered an Aperol Spritz, a salmon club sandwich, and of course finished my visit off with some macarons.

I don’t have much to report for day five, we were up early and grabbed Starbucks to get out of the city at a decent time. We had the absolute best time and look forward to another trip back in a different season.

If you get the chance to go to NYC, take it. It is such a fun and upbeat place to visit, especially during the holiday months. I think out of all of the times I have visited, Christmas is my favorite. Seeing the city decorated for Christmas is pure magic.

If you have any questions (especially navigating the city with Covid restrictions/precautions) you can DM me Instagram and I would be happy to answer.

Thanks for recapping this trip with me,

xo

Makayla