Alexandra Adele: Travel Diary: New York City

Day 1: Goodbye YYC, Hello NYC!

We arrived in New York around 4pm, got in our cab, and headed to the Upper West Side where we settled into our quaint room at the Nylo hotel. After a not-so-light Italian dinner at Serafina’s next door, we decided to walk until we got tired, which happened to be many footsteps later. We made it to Times Square, stopping at one of my favourite spots in NYC, the Lincoln center. The grand windows all lit up, takes my breath away every time. It’s easy to forget what time it is when the city never stops. It was quite late by this point, all the shops were still open, and there were people everywhere. We headed back to our hotel to get some rest before our first full day in NYC begins!
*Tip of the day: Definitely see the Lincoln Center at night. It is beautiful during the day too, but it stands out more when it is all lit up in the dark.

Day 2: What’s another 20,000 steps?

I don’t think I have ever walked this much in one day! Our morning started with a great breakfast at a hip little coffee house, Irving Farm Coffee Roasters down the street from our hotel. The subway station was right there, so we got on making our way down to lower Manhattan. We arrived at the One World Trade Center where we took in some great views of the city from up top. We then went to the 9/11 fountain memorials. It’s hard to describe the feeling of being there. Some moments in silence later, we headed to Battery Park where we contemplated taking a ferry around the Statue of Liberty, but the line up deterred us very quickly. Instead, we decided to make our way up the financial district (a must for Anders), and Little Italy, where we ate a mediocre at best Italian lunch. As we made our way closer to the Manhattan Bridge we decided to walk across to Brooklyn. The cobble stone streets, and views of New York City are among the many things I love about Brooklyn. We stopped at One Girl Cookies for an afternoon Americano, and wandered along the water. The sun was setting as we were walking back across the Brooklyn Bridge. Once we got to our hotel, we were all so exhausted! We ate dinner in the lobby, and then passed out!
*Tip of the day: I would not recommend walking across the Manhattan Bridge. The train runs along it, making for a very noisy walk. The Brooklyn Bridge is a way better walk and is more pedestrian friendly.
*Tip of the day: Avoid eating in Little Italy. We weren't pleased with our meal there, and with New York being full of great food options, it was disappointing eating a lunch we didn't enjoy.

Day 3: Upper East Side beauty

It was early in the morning, we hopped on the subway along with all the New Yorkers heading to work, and got off in Greenwich Village. We grabbed breakfast and coffee, then made our way to Washington Square Park. It was a beautiful sunny morning, making our sit on the park bench over looking the Washington Square Arch, even more peaceful and beautiful. Our morning turned into a walk along the brownstones, to the Flatiron building. We found a cute café, Maison Kayser, for delicious Croissant and a great view. We still had a full day ahead of us. We walked under the stars in the Grand Central Terminal; we peaked inside the New York Public Library (no Jake Gyllenhaal to be found), and then made our way to the Empire State Building. We window-shopped along 5^th Avenue en route to our hotel to freshen up. Our evening started with a fantastic dinner on the patio at Isabella’s, a little Mediterranean restaurant in the Upper West Side. We were all very tired, so more sight seeing by foot was not an option. Instead, we went up the street to the AMC movie theater to catch a late movie. Best movie theater experience ever! Side note: To all Canadians, if you have never been to an AMC theater, you NEED to go next time you are across the boarder! We each reclined in a big comfy seat, while we watched Sully, how suiting being a few blocks from the Hudson River. I could have fallen asleep those seats were so comfortable, but the movie was to good! Our 3^rd day was now over, and our beds were very much needed!

*Tip of the day: Don't miss checking out Washington Square Park. It was one of the highlights of our trip. It is a great little park right by the University.

Day 4: A stroll in the park

This whole trip I was looking forward to spending some time in Central Park. The concrete jungle had me craving some lush greenery, and a quiet afternoon, but before we headed to the park, we made our way to the Rockefeller Center. After we finished at the Top of the Rock, we walked towards Central Park where we sat down for breakfast and coffee. Our walk through the park led us to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where we spent the early afternoon. Once we had seen enough, we walked back through the park to the Upper West Side to get lunch at the Shake Shack. The boys went back to the room to nap, while my mom and I took advantage to get some shopping in. The rest of our night consisted of another walk to Times Square where we ate dinner, and looked around some more. Another day down, one more to go.
*Tip of the day: It is worth the money going to the Top of the Rock. You can see the Empire State Building so beautifully, along with the rest of the city. Try to get there early in the morning, so you don't have to wait in a long line.

Day 5: Don’t make me leave

It was our last day, and as much as you can’t see all of New York City in just a few days, it sure felt like we had seen a lot! We were pretty tired by the end of our trip, but we put our walking shoes on again, and went down to Central Park. The Belvedere Castle, and the Bow Bridge were amongst the many things we saw that morning and afternoon. On our way back to the hotel to catch our ride to the airport, we stopped at Sugar and Plumm, for some Ice Cream. The perfect finish to our last day! We weren’t ready to leave, but my shins and feet were thankful! I guess over 100,000 steps in a few days will make you feel sore, but it was all worth it! We really enjoyed seeing the city by foot, and being able to take it all in.
*Tip of the day: The Belvedere Castle was one of my favourite spots in Central Park. Great views from the castle overlooking the park and city!
*Tip of the day: Make a stop at Sugar and Plumm for dessert. The atmosphere is so cute and fun.

Until next time, New York!

Xo,

Alexandra