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The best things we did in NYC.

a woman standing in front of a wall with graffiti

Whenever I go to New York City, I feel like I’m missing out if I dare to sleep…and when it’s time to leave, I always feel like I’m just getting started. That’s why I find it important to plan like a crazy woman before I get to the city, and hit the ground running once I’m there.

In case you find yourself in a similar situation, here are the best things we did on this trip (in no particular order):

1. Dinner at La Sirene.

We made reservations here on a rainy evening, and enjoyed a cozy dinner that ended up being super affordable as well as delicious. Highly recommend. It’s five minutes away from a bunch of cute Soho boutiques, as well – great for window shopping before your meal.

2. A visit to the Cloisters.

Have you been here before? The Clositers is a branch of the Met located in Fort Tyron Park in northern Manhattan (take the A train to 190th Street).

It’s like a different world.

cloisters

 

The Cloisters is both a museum and gardens. It was assembled from architectural elements, both domestic and religious, that largely date from the twelfth through the fifteenth century.

Check out this container for the precious remains of a saint:

cloisters

From the museum description:

the container adopts the form of the relics it once held-fragments of a saint’s arm. When the reliquary was set on an altar, the sacred bones could be perceived in the two windows, once covered with crystal, that are cut into the silver. When carried in procession, the imposing image of the saint’s arm raised in blessing could be easily seen by the faithful even from a distance.

Wow.

3. A walk through Chinatown.

Unfortunately, I had a super bad stomach ache for a couple of days on the trip. I have no idea why. One of my friends suggested that I go to Lin Sister Herbs to see if they could recommend a tea or something to help me.

The woman behind the counter didn’t hesitate. She grabbed a box of tea and rang it up before I could even deliberate. My kind of place for sure. While the tea didn’t noticeably help my malady, it was worth the trip.

We wanted to go to Jing Fong Dim Sum (thanks again, Henry!), but the line was too long (over an hour). Still, worth trying.

Pop into Pearl River for souvenirs and fun.

pearl river

 

4. A trip into Brooklyn.

We took the L train to Bedford Avenue. We window shopped and walked through the neighborhood for awhile, and then went to Primp and Polish, the best nail salon ever.

They do gel manis and pedis with nail art! I have never seen this before. (And I admit, it’s the little things that make me happy).

My daughter got Nyan cat.

primp and polish

5. Snow Days Shavery.

Shaved snow. For real. Yeti tracks. Just try it. (Thanks Henry and Ang!)

snow days shavery

6. Angels and Fleas, the Chelsea Market, and the Highline.

For great peoplewatching and shopping. Check out my new necklace (photo courtesy of my 11-year-old friend).

necklace

7. The free Fashion Tour.

This tour is really, really good. And it’s free.

garment district

If you need a nosh beforehand, check out UrbanSpace, a pop-up food market. Not sure how long it’s going to be there, so go now, while you can! I got a delicious lobster roll, but you could also get about fifty other delicious things (duck dumplings, Dutch pancakes, Belgian waffles, Japanese curry, Brazilian bonbons, whoopie pies, paella, wood-fired pizzas…)

urban space

8. So much more.

Of course we walked miles. We went to Central Park. We shopped in Soho. We saw a Broadway show and popped into a little Thai restaurant on 46th street afterward. All of the usual things that we love about NYC.

And now we’re heading home. Tired but so happy. And already planning our return…

What are you favorite things to do in New York City? I want to add them to my already-started list for next time. πŸ™‚

 

15 Comments

  1. Did you have a meetup? Would have been great to meet you while you were here. Jing Fong has pretty good dim sum but I think there are better ones out there. To my knowledge, however, Jing Fong is part of the dining rewards network so you will get 5x points had you eaten there. πŸ˜‰
    Great to see you enjoyed your time in my favorite city!

  2. smorgasburg in Williamsburg
    Take L train get off at Bedford Ave then walk towards the East River Ferry area. its’ beautiful and yummylicious

  3. I was in NYC the week before you! Maybe next time, we’ll be in the city at the same time.
    P.S. Jealous about The Cloisters. Was on my to-do list, but ran out of time. 1st thing on my next trip! I agree 100% with your first sentence of this post. There’s always something more to see or do; wanted to see David Letterman again before he retires (made it! We were at the Robert Downey Jr. taping) but had to cancel doing something else (The Cloisters). Finally felt like I was just getting into the groove, but then it was time to head home!! Next time, eh? πŸ™‚

    1. icicle – Next time for sure. The Cloisters is definitely worth the trip. If you can, I would go in the summertime. I think the gardens are much more impactful then, and you can spend a lot of time on the outside of the property.

  4. 2 to mention: The Staten Island Ferry -water view, skyline view & lady liberty. The “relax” time was needed on our latest NYC weekender. Also, I don’t like huge crowds nor am I patient enough to wait 3 hrs for anything but front row at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was totally worth the wait and the cold. Almost as magical as a first trip to Disney World ; )

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