New York City

In the spring of 2023 one of my close friends Lily and I decided to start planning a trip to New York City. I had only been once when I was about fifteen with my family and since moving to the U.S. she had not gotten a chance to see NYC. We spent time finding the best places to stay, making museum and restaurant reservations and searching for cheap tickets.

Day 1 – Arriving in NYC

We chose to take a red eye from Seattle to NY which meant we touched down at JFK around six in the morning. We both had not gotten much sleep and the hot, muggy weather hit us like a brick. After dragging our luggage through the subways that felt more like an oven than a metro system, we arrived at our hostel in Midtown. Typically when I’ve stayed in hostels there are large rooms that are either co-ed or single gender. Luckily this one had options for smaller, private rooms and we got a much better deal than if we had stayed at a hotel. In my opinion it’s always better to pay less for accommodations and have more spending money for activities, which we definitely budgeted for on this trip!

After resting for a bit at the hostel we headed out to see the city – starting with some touristy sightseeing for Lily’s first time in NY. We were only a couple blocks away from the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center. We did some shopping and enjoyed watching the crowds of people wander around the busy streets.

Afterwards we walked to Grand Central Station and then ducked into the New York Public Library to avoid the rain that had just begun to fall. Both buildings were incredible – the stunning architecture, elaborate designs and history.

After walking back to our hostel we got ready for dinner and headed back out into the rain to a restaurant with Asian fusion BBQ and drinks called OBAO Midtown.

After dinner we took the subway uptown to the Met. It was a Friday night so it was “date night” at the museum. This meant that live music and drinks were available. I had never visited the Met at night and it was so special to see the galleries lit up against the dark night in the backdrop.

I loved seeing all the different galleries and displays. It was so fun to see all the couples wandering around and admiring the beautiful art.

Lily and I were pretty beat from our flight and exploring all day so we called it a night and took the subway back to Midtown once the museum closed.

Day 2 – Central Park and Manhattan

The next morning we went in search of coffee and bagels. Blue Bottle is a coffee chain I had really been wanting to try and it was absolutely delicious. Lily had also never tried a bagel with lox, so we both ordered one from Black Seed Bagels.

Next we walked to Times Square. It was packed with people and incredibly hot and humid so we decided to head uptown towards Central Park to cool off.

I absolutely love Central Park. It’s easily one of my favorite places in the country and to me is one of the main features that makes New York so special. It was so fun to walk around and people watch. There were tennis and pickleball matches happening, families pushing babies in strollers, school children laughing and skipping. As storm clouds rolled in and started to break the heat, people looked at the sky which was booming with thunder. Soon enough a heavy downpour rolled through and we ran under a bridge to wait for the squall to pass.

After the rain was light enough to continue walking we stopped by a coffee shop to relax for a minute and plan our route to Soho where we planned to do some thrifting. We took the subway downtown and after shopping we hit Joe’s Pizza for dinner. This place was amazing and so cheap!

We then took the subway back uptown to the Guggenheim, a museum that is really stunning architecturally. I was also able to get “pay what you wish” tickets which are on Saturdays from 5-8 pm. To get these tickets you do need to reserve in advance. We spent about an hour wandering the many cylindrical floors and galleries before heading back to the hostel to get ready for a night out.

That night Lily and I went downtown to Manhattan to check out the nightlife. We ended up going to a techno club called Outer Heaven.

Day 3 – Central Park (Part II) and Pier 17

On Sunday I woke up pretty late and Lily and I decided to do some solo exploring. She went to Chinatown and I took the subway up to the park to get some coffee and breakfast.

This cafe, called Bluestone Lane Upper East Side, was amazing, it was located in a section of a very old church, right across the street from Central Park. I ordered the banana bread and a vanilla iced coffee – so delicious.

After grabbing breakfast I wandered through Central Park some more, stopping by the reservoir, the lake and the Bethesda Fountain and Terrace. It was mid-afternoon at this point and I was headed to a concert downtown so I took the subway back to the hostel to get dressed up.

That evening I headed down to Pier 17, an amazing rooftop venue with 360 degree views of the New York City skyline, Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Bridge. I was seeing the Swedish artist Tove Lo perform, and as a big fan I couldn’t be more excited. I also wrote a concert review piece of the show which you can find here.

The show was absolutely amazing. Everyone in the crowd was so friendly and the energy was electric. Even the downpour of rain during the second half of the concert didn’t dampen the mood. I was thrilled to be able to see one of my favorite artists in such a unique location and got a great spot only two rows back from the stage.

Day 4 – From Uptown to Downtown

For our last full day in New York Lily and I explored all over the city. We started off by getting breakfast at Jams, a super cute restaurant located in the 1 Hotel Central Park. Next we went up to Columbia University so Lily could see the campus. I had visited the school several years ago when I first came with my family and it was just as impressive.

Next we headed down to the Flatiron district to go to Harry Potter New York, a super fun store with everything Harry Potter themed. We drank butterbeer, browsed the displays and sorted ourselves into houses with the talking sorting hat.

The next stop took us back over to the Seaport area where I went to the concert the previous night. Lily wanted to show me a bookstore she had visited yesterday – McNally Jackson Books.

There are few things I love more than grabbing a coffee and sitting in a cafe or bookstore to read. This bookstore had a super cute cafe inside, two stories, comfy chairs and adorable archways and brick designs. We stopped at one of the waterfront areas to admire the Brooklyn Bridge before the storm clouds really rolled in.

We ran back to the bookstore and hid out for a while waiting for the rain to let up, but no luck. Eventually we decided to brave the downpour and hurried to the nearest subway station to head to midtown for our dinner reservation at SERRA by Birreria. The food here was delicious and the ambient lighting was so cozy, especially after running around all day in the rain. This is a rooftop restaurant but the ceiling slides open and closed depending on weather, so you’ll be able to enjoy it at any time!

Our next stop was the 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar which has a stunning view of the Empire State Building. Admission here is free but I would highly recommend making a reservation in advance. The drinks here were delicious and you really can’t beat that view.

One really special moment of this trip was when I ran into Reneé Rapp after we left the bar. She is an actress and artist who I have been a fan of since I saw my first episode of The Sex Lives of College Girls. She also has amazing music and is currently on tour. She was so friendly and it was a really exciting experience to get to meet her!

To cap off our night we took the subway over to Brooklyn to see the city. The view was absolutely stunning and made me fall in love with the city even more. It was the perfect way to spend our last night in New York.

Day 5 – The MOMA

The final plan for our trip was to see the MOMA – Museum of Modern Art. I stopped at Ess-a-Bagel for breakfast and was so pleased with the delicious bagel and coffee I ordered. It was such a fun experience to be in a buzzing New York deli shop in the morning, surrounded by all types of people rushing about their day.

The MOMA in NY was one of my favorite museums, which is saying a lot. I always make sure to visit at least several museums when I take a trip, so I have been to quite a few. I love the architecture of the building, the design and interior lighting, the location and the galleries.

The exhibit that was my favorite is visible immediately after entering the front doors. It is a giant floor to ceiling display that is constantly morphing and evolving. The display is AI powered and is constantly generating new, unique images that are based on different galleries and art pieces in the museum.

After we left the museum we headed to the airport. I felt satisfied with everything we had managed to see during our stay in the city and I was more convinced than ever that I was meant to move here. The people, energy of the city, nightlife, art, creativity, food, culture, music, fashion, opportunities, smells, sights, tastes, sounds – everything about New York made me feel insatiable and electric. I was already imagining moving here next summer.

Published 9.27.24