New York

Day 1

New York in the winter is freezing, so we started the day by bundling up in the thickest clothes we could find. Once we were all layered up, we headed out to explore the city, starting with one of the most iconic landmarks the Empire State Building. We went all the way up to the 86th floor, and the view was unreal. Seeing the whole city from up there, with the tiny yellow taxis and endless buildings stretching out in every direction was definitely a moment to take in. After that, all the walking made us so hungry, so we went to our lunch reservation which was a cozy little French restaurant. The artichoke dip was next-level amazing. Seriously, I’m still thinking about it. The whole place had such a warm, beautiful vibe, with a gorgeous bar. We spent the afternoon just wandering through Midtown Manhattan taking in the city. Eventually, we made our way to Rockefeller Center where we watched people ice skating. My dad didn’t want to skate to prevent injuring himself and I didn’t want to go alone so instead we just enjoyed the view and the festive atmosphere. By then, we needed a little break, so we headed back to the hotel to rest and get ready for the highlight of the night which was seeing The Great Gatsby on Broadway. And wow, it was absolutely incredible. The performances, the music, the whole production, everything was just perfect. I was completely obsessed with it. To wrap up the night, we walked home through Times Square taking in all the bright billboards and city lights. And just like that, we were ready to start another amazing day in the city.

Day 2

We kicked off our second day in South Manhattan, starting with a stop at the cutest little cafe. Nothing beats a warm cup of coffee and a flaky croissant on a chilly morning in New York. It was the perfect cozy start before heading out on a boat tour to see the Statue of Liberty. Seeing Lady Liberty up close was just as incredible as I imagined, but wow, it was freezing on that boat. The wind coming off the water made it feel even colder, and by the time we got back, we were basically ice cubes. Totally worth it, though! To warm up, we grabbed a taxi and made our way to the 9/11 Memorial. Walking around the site reminded me of how it was such an important place to visit. From there, we continued on foot to the New York Stock Exchange, just to take in the atmosphere of Wall Street. By lunchtime, we were starving, so we found a little restaurant near the Brooklyn Bridge. The view was beautiful, and the food hit the spot. After refueling, we kept the adventure going by walking all the way to SoHo for a little shopping where I managed to grab myself a pair of adidas. We even had time to stop by Greenwich Village, where Sex and the City was filmed, which was such a cool moment to see. After all that walking, we needed a break. We headed back to the hotel to rest before dinner. We had a reservation at an Italian restaurant, and I swear, it was the best food of the whole trip. I had pasta that was chef’s kiss perfect, and the tiramisu? Absolutely unreal. With full stomachs and happy hearts, we called it a night, ready for another exciting day in the city.

Day 3

For our last full day in New York, we started with the usual, another croissant, because at this point, it was basically tradition. Fueled up and ready to go, we headed to The Met to soak in some art and history. We didn’t stay too long (I’m definitely not at the age where I can spend hours in a museum), but the time we did spend there was worth it. The Renaissance paintings were stunning, and we even saw some ancient Greek relics, which was really cool. After that, we walked over to Central Park, where we saw more ice skaters and just took in the peaceful atmosphere. For lunch, my dad had found a trattoria right next to Central Park, so we walked over and wow, it was the best pizza I’ve ever had. It was topped with pepperoni, sausage, and spicy honey, and the combo was unreal. I’m still thinking about it. Next up was Grand Central Station, which was so cool to see in person. It’s been in so many movies. We ended the night with a visit to a restaurant to see one of my dad’s old high school friends and her daughters, catching up and enjoying one last NYC evening. After that, we walked back to our hotel, taking in the city lights one last time before getting ready for the next day’s adventure.

Day 4

On our last day in New York, we started off at the New York Public Library. It was so cool to see the study rooms and check out some of the exhibitions they had on display, such a peaceful and historic spot in the middle of the city. For lunch, we headed to Chinatown and found this amazing authentic Chinese restaurant. The food was incredible. We ordered a bunch of different dishes to share, and every single one was so good. After eating way too much (no regrets), we wandered around Herald Square and walked by Madison Square Garden just to check it out from the outside. We also passed the iconic Ralph Lauren coffee shop. Eventually, we made our way back to the hotel and hung out there until it was time to check out. We absolutely loved New York and are already planning to come back.