New York City, USA

New York City, New York

I live just a 2h10m flight away from New York City and I haven’t been there since 2005! This was sad. I was pleased to rectify this when my brother-in-law suggested we take a trip to NYC to see the Montreal Canadiens play the NY Rangers.

what we Loved:

1. Stay: Arlo NoMad hotel
For our weekend trip to NYC, we knew we wanted to cut down on travel time around the city. We wanted to chose a location that was central to everything we wanted to do. The Arlo NoMad fit the bill. The rooms were teeny tiny, but thoughtfully designed.  One of the main reasons we chose this hotel was the floor to ceiling corner windows. The view is spectacular.   We were there in winter, so we didn’t get to enjoy the rooftop bar, but I can image how amazing it would be in the summer! We had a King Room City (22nd Floor), but you can pay extra to get a “Sky” room, meaning you’ll be on a higher floor.
(11 E 31st St, New York, NY)

This view tho! @ the Arlo NoMad

2. Coffee&Tea: Blank Slate Coffee & Blank Slate Tea
These sister shops are just 2 doors from each other. They’re both little spaces jammed with personality and yummy things. We had a lovely brunch at the coffee shop.  The Tea bar was SO cute. It was filled with beautiful shades of pink.  We enjoyed the best Rose Tea Lattes we’ve ever had!
(121 Madison Ave #3 & #5 New York, NY)

Blank Slate Tea: Rose Tea Latte

Blank Slate Tea: Rose Tea Latte

3. Explore: DUMBO Neighbourhood
We took the F train to York Street Station. We had coffee and a snack at One Girl Cookies. We headed to Washington & Water St to get a photo of the Manhattan Bridge framing the Empire State building (it was a little too foggy to see the ESB!).  We went into a few shops including West Elm housed in a beautiful old brick building. We passed Jane’s Carousel and walked to and across the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a very nice way to spend a morning! 

4. Eat: Temple Court
After we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge we went to Temple Court.  I found this during my accommodation search (The Beekman Hotel), so when we decided on Arlo NoMad, I knew we had to come for lunch. This is very high in my books because the food was delicious and the space was gorgeous. The lunch menu was a little more affordable than dinner. We left stuffed, their recommendations for how many dishes to get might have been a bit high! 
(5 Beekman St, New York, NY)

5. Shop: 260 Sample Sale
This sample sale space continuously rotates different brands. We were lucky to have a Frances Valentine sample sale while we were there! I got a gorgeous beach bag, and discovered FV shoes sadly aren’t made for my big fat feet. Worth checking what they have on the go! Be prepared, they make you check your bag at the door.
(260 5th Ave, New York, NY)

The Frances Valentine Bag I got at 260 Sample Sale.

6. Eat: Tipsy Scoop
It’s Boozy ice cream! This was so much fun! The woman working their was so passionate about the business and was even wearing ice cream print leggings!   I shared a flight of ice cream with Jono and everything was SO tasty. #icecreamwasted
(217 E 26th St, New York, NY)

7. Eat: Nom Wah Tea Parlor (Dim sum)
This was a recommendation from my friend Jess. We share the same great taste when it comes to food, so I knew it would be good.  The internet said it often has a line, so we went for early lunch to beat the rush and got right in.  Everything was fresh and tasty… we ate so much they pretty much had to roll us out of the restaurant!  FYI: They don’t take cards, so make sure you have some cash in your pocket!
(13 Doyers St, New York, NY)

Fresh and Tasty meal from Nom Wah Tea Parlor

7a. Bonus Photo Op: Corner of Doyers Street & Peel Street.
If you’re going to Nom Wah Tea Parlor, you may as well get a photo on beautiful, colourful Doyers Street.

Doyers Street with a belly full of Dim Sum!

8. Eat: Doughnuttery
We enjoyed walking around the Chelsea Market but our favourite thing was eating the mini-donuts! We got a bunch to snack on over the day, but instead we couldn’t resist eating them all at once even if it gave us stomach aches. Haha.

This is not my image. We ate ours so fast we didn’t think to take a photo! via https://www.doughnuttery.com/gallery

9. Eat: Nobu fifty seven
This was our big splurge dinner, so I had high expectations.  Wow, it delivered!  This famous Japanese fusion restaurant had a great atmosphere, service and food. We had lots of courses of shared plates. I love these types of communal meals, it feels special to all share in the enjoyment of the same experience.    I’m still dreaming about the cubes of fried Crispy Rice topped with Spicy Yellowtail.

One of many dishes at Nobu 57

10. Eat: Sarabeths Park Ave for brunch
Another great recommendation from my girl Jess! These Lemon & Ricotta Pancakes were incredible. The decor is “meh” but the food and AMAZING service made the experience a really good one. Honestly, no one does service like Americans, they have it figured out. Oh, and no complaints about those Mimosas!

Lemon & Ricotta Pancakes.

11. Eat: Keens
My Sister & her husband have been to Keens Steakhouse before. They said we had to go and Jono had to have a steak to himself. Here are the 2 things you need to know: 1. Jono can eat more than anyone we know. 2. Keens serves giant pieces of meat. Jono got his own piece, and the 3 of us shared another. Jono devoured his and then helped us finish ours. The photo is the aftermath. I’m not a huge “steakhouse” person, but this Classic NYC joint was very good!

Where’s the before photo? Keens Steakhouse . We didn’t get the Mutton.

tourist classics.

We actually passed on a lot of tourist attractions on this trip, but here’s what we recommend:

1. MoMA: It was a lot of fun to explore the MoMA. They had a great Mid Century Modern exhibition when we were there.

2. Sports: Our whole trip was planned around seeing the Montreal Canadians play the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. This was SO much fun. I’d love to see a ball game at Yankees Stadium.

3. 911 Memorial: This is the first time I’ve been to NYC since this has been completed. This memorial was so heavy, powerful and beautiful. We didn’t go in, we just spent some time with outdoor part.

4. Outlet Shopping: Shopping in Manhattan is a bit crazy. Because of weather, we got stuck in New Jersey for 48 extra hours. We found The Mills at Jersey Garden was an excellent outlet mall. Good selection, good deals, good way to kill time in New Jersey.

next time. there’s never enough time for everything.

-Accommodations: The Beekman Hotel As mentioned above, I was looking at The Beekman when I was booking. If I was going to stay downtown, I’d stay there for sure!

-Shop: Brooklyn Flea Market in DUMBO:  This outdoor market is seasonally from April- Oct.