Your 1st Time in NYC

I just took Spencer to NYC for his very first visit. I had planned a LOT! Then we decided to go to Japan the following week, I toned down the NYC itinerary to show him the best of the best and I thought I'd share that with you and let you share YOUR NYC tips as well! I just love this city so much. It really makes me feel alive and shows the best parts of America.

Day 1 (Friday): Check in to the Arlo NoMad. We stayed here and LOVED the location. It is right in the middle of Manhattan and easily accessible to the subway and all sites! Plus they had an amazing roof top lounge and bar. AND the best room view!

1. View Statue of Liberty from Battery Park. To cut time, we rode the subway from the Arlo NoMad down to the bottom of the island. We decided to just SEE Lady Liberty from shore and go on our way. Lots to see and do!

2. Walk by the Charging Bull and Wall Street. From Lady Liberty, we proceeded North towards the Charging Bull statue. We did a quick walk by because it was CRAZY. Again, just seeing it was enough, no picture, but Wall Street was clear! It was cool to see that Uber was opening up that day on the Stock Exchange and all the fan fair involved!

3. 9/11 Memorial and Museum. The first official stop on the itinerary was the 9/11 Memorial. My first trip to NYC was right after 9/11. It was a sad site to see, and seeing it all done up years later was a very solum experience. It was nice to go pay tribute to everyone who lost their life that day. It was like thanking NYC for our trip. The museum was hard but very meaningful. I highly recommend at least a stop at the fountains.

4. PIZZZA. John's of Bleeker was on Spencer's pizza bucket list and boy did it not disappoint! I'm not a huge pizza fan, but I loved it! The sauce was a little sweet. The crust was perfect and the cheese was melted to perfection. My pizza lover gave it a 9/10! AND if you are a Friends and/or Sex in the City fan...both of the apartments are near by!

5. Times Square at night. You must see Times Square...it is mandatory. Go at night, see it all lit up and then head out! LOL It's crazy, but you just gotta be apart of the crazy for a moment!

6. Rooftop drinks. You deserve it after that day. Lots of walking, the craziness of Times Square. We made it back in time for sunset. That was magical! Then the Empire State building lit up and we were in heaven drinks in hand! Relax, because tomorrow will be another busy day!

Day 2 (Saturday):

SLEEEEEP IN!!! NYC will be there when you wake up. Depending on your time zone change, you will need it!

1. Central Park (Strawberry Fields, Belvedere Castle). There is soooooo much to do in Central Park and if you go on a nice day the shaded trees and the breeze will make it easy to walk and get lost all day! 

2. Natural History Museum / The MET / The Guggenheim. You cannot go wrong with any one of these. What are you in the mood for? We chose the History Museum for the dinosaurs! They have some HUGE and amazing fossils there!

3. Rockefeller Center. After our museum trek, we headed to Shake Shack to power up for our next sightseeing adventure. Rockefeller Center is the BEST at Christmas time with the tree and the skating rink! Another extremely busy attraction, but worth it to see some holiday magic! And NERDS the Nintendo Store is there too!

Day 3 (Sunday): Today was Spencer's birthday and I wanted to do a lot of special things for him this day. I booked a birthday brunch at The Plaza hotel, since was a huge Home Alone fan. You can easily book that online and it was a fun surprise and experience!

1. MOMA. This is my favorite museum in NYC! I love the classics, the modern art and they had an amazing collection entitled: Good Design! Lots of items from the 50s including appliances, cars and even the Chemex! It was under construction so two floors were closed, but by the end of 2019 it looks like it will be back up and running at full capacity! Perfect for a Christmas trip!

2. Grand Central Station. Of all my times in NYC, I had never been to Grand Central Station. My friend Adam suggested it and so we added it to the list and BOY am I glad we went! It was a rainy day and a perfect refuge. When you first walk in it is completely breath taking! I could have stared at the ceiling forever! They even have a great downstairs area with tons of eats and I was able to get Spencer birthday treats from Magnolia Bakery!

2. Walk across Brooklyn Bridge. This was on the itinerary, but by the end of our trip + the rain, we were just over it! LOL But I would love a chance to do this because I never have. For the view, the photos and to get to the other side....

3. Dinner - Juliana’s. Another suggestion of Adams! Plus you cannot go wrong with closing out your trip with more pizza!

Wow! What a trip! Have you been to NYC? What is your favorite things to do in the city?! I love going at Christmas time, it feels so magical. But going at the beginning of May was great too! We had mostly amazing weather, but don't forget the umbrella. We didn't need it a ton as you use the subway at LOT! Thank you for following along on Spencer's first trip to NYC and I hope it helps you plan your next NYC adventure!