TRAVEL

MY BIRTHDAY TRIP TO NYC

Hey there!  If you follow me on Instagram you probably noticed we were in New York City a few weeks ago.  It was a late birthday trip, since I share the same birthday with my daughter.  We had a great time, and I really should have had the post up by now!  I’ve been procrastinating, and downloading the Stylebook app certainly hasn’t helped me manage my time better.  Stylebook is so addicting, but moving along, let’s talk about all the amazing things we did in NYC!

What we did

We walked around Times Square soaking up all the lights, energy, and chaos day and night.  We stayed at the Marriot Marquis in Times Square which is very conveniently located near many Broadway Theaters, but a draw back is that it’s far from Central Park and some of my favorite shopping spots.

Below is the view from one of the lounges at the Marriott Marquis.  The view is pretty amazing and it would be so awesome to be here over New Years Eve and watch the ball drop, although I’ve heard the waiting list is a few years.

We shopped at the most fabulous store ever.  Like ever.

Seriously, Bloomingdales at 59th and Lexington is my happy place.  With several restaurants and nearly every luxury boutique inside from Fendi to Chanel, it’s an amazing experience!

I love getting lost in all the levels and corners in Bloomingdales, I could shop and dine in this store all day!!

And ya know I got to hang out with Queen SJP.  You can read all about my SJP adventures HERE.

We saw one of my very favorite movies Waitress on Broadway.  The Brooks Atkinson Theatre is full of beauty and charm.

Inside the theatre they even had fresh baked pies for sale.  The smell of fresh pie was incredible!

Everything was pie themed, including the curtain and it was such a fun experience!

The cast of Waitress did a wonderful job!  The set and songs were beautiful.  I definitely recommend everyone go see it!

We also spent a lovely morning hanging out in Central Park.  We explored just a small part of Central Park actually.  Central Park is huge!

We spent a little time jogging through the beautiful trails.   I like to exercise but I hate anything to do with running, but I did it for the experience.  Plus Brian promised me mimosas afterwards.

I wish we could have explored Central Park a little bit more, it’s full of restaurants, beautiful sculptures, gardens, and more.  We just ran out of time.  I think every time we visit NYC we will explore different parts of Central Park.

We also got to watch famous New York pigeons eat bread!

Our favorite eats

Not every place we dined made the “favorite eat” list.  Some places were new experiences for us and a few others we like so much that they’re repeats.  Our first dinner in New York was at Tender.  We did get lucky with this one.  Our flight was delayed and our airport transportation was a pretty frustrating experience due to extreme traffic.  We were hungry and tired and just wanted a good restaurant near our hotel.  A quick google search found us Tender.  The interior was dark and chic and the food was really great as well.

Last trip to NYC we never made it up to Forty Carrots but this time I’m so glad we did!  It definitely played a role in meeting Miss SJP, but also I’ve heard the frozen yogurt has a cult following because it’s so incredible.  Specifically the plain flavor, and it definitely lived up to the hype!  The plain flavor was sweet and slightly tart, and I added sprinkles and chocolate chips to mine.  Yum!

Now, Stella 34 Trattoria is a repeat for us.  Located in Macy’s several floors up, it has lovely window views and incredible food!

We discovered this restaurant a few years ago when we went for Brian’s birthday.  We had the girls with us and we loved it so much we ate there twice during our trip. 

This scallop appetizer called the Crudo was absolutely incredible!

Food Hall at The Plaza Hotel is also another repeat for us.  We also discovered this place on our last trip.  The girls wanted to see the Home Alone Hotel, and it was then we noticed a sign that said Food Hall entrance.  “What’s Food Hall?”  we wondered.

I’ll tell ya what Food Hall is, it’s a paradise of food and drinks in the basement of The Plaza Hotel.  If you’ve never visited New York before make sure you check this place out!  You can find everything from amazing fresh pasta, lobster, pastries, crepes, sushi, wine, tea, caviar….the list goes on and on!  We love to get small dishes and split them, that’s how we were able to try out many of these little restaurants.

Vin Sur Vingt is a favorite of ours in Food Hall.  We always stop here, and it was dining here a few years ago that really started my subway tile obsession.

David Burke located on the 1st floor of Bloomingdales has become another favorite of ours. The restaurant inside is small and cozy which I find charming.  It’s where we power up for a day of shopping.  This kale salad with salmon was pretty excellent.  We both ordered it and we both devoured it.   I love kale, it gives me super powers.

I find my husband is much more relaxed and fun to shop with if I get a few cocktails in him.  So he tried this one called The Rabbit Hunter.   It’s made with Bourbon, ginger beer, lime and mint.

A new place we tried, and may I say we LOVED, is Max Brenner Chocolate.  Wow, is all I gotta say.  This place was actually recommended to us on our last trip, but I remember feeling all sugared out at the time so we skipped it.  Big mistake.

This place is incredible and will definitely be on our repeat list!  There was a tube of chocolate coming from the ceiling over to the bar!  This is the fondue for sharing.  It was just so good that I have no other words really.  Just pictures, yummy pictures.

Another new place we tried that was recommended to us was The Milling Room, recommended to us by my daughter’s violin teacher who knows the chef.  It was a wonderful dining experience!   I completely forgot to take any pictures here so I had to use a photo from their website.  I adored the modern, lively atmosphere, we sat to the left of the fireplace with comfy pillows in our chairs.

I recommend The Milling Room to anyone looking for a great place to eat in NYC.

Favorite displays

New York is definitely a shoppers paradise!  I love window shopping and all the gorgeous clothing on display.  Visually I just couldn’t get enough so I decided to put together a group of all my favorites!  Enjoy!

Lessons we learned

People run really really fast in Central Park.

Alternate your shoes to save your poor feet, that means you need to pack shoes that go with all your outfits.  When I just couldn’t walk anymore in a certain pair of shoes, another pair would get me going again.

You can use your Neiman Marcus card at Bergdorf Goodman.…score!

We prefer taking a taxi, but when traffic is horrible and you’re short on time you’re better off taking the subway.

If you’re like me you’ll need to bring an empty suitcase, the shopping is just too good to pass up!

Just relax and don’t try to pack in too many activities!  Planning for certain activities in NYC is essential, but some of our favorite moments were unplanned.


We’re already planning another trip to go back.  Possibly this spring?  Have any suggestions on food, shopping or restaurants?  Don’t be shy…I love recommendations from others.  Leave them in the comments or on my Instagram and I’ll add them to my list of places to check out!

Laura

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One thought on “MY BIRTHDAY TRIP TO NYC

  1. This blog is especially inspiring. Beautifully done, even made ME want to go to New York………………..great job Laura!