I travel to New York frequently for work, however, it’s usually all business when I’m there. I don’t get much time to explore as I’m working and entertaining clients. Once in awhile I do go to New York for fun or extend my business trip. Over the last couple of years Mike and I have taken a couple of long weekends in New York to explore and have fun. We usually do 48 hours in the city and pack in as much as we can. While each trip is slightly different, there is one thing that we always do when we are there. We enjoy the restaurant scene! New York is just as great as Chicago for restaurants, bars, and lounges, and we love to live it up. Between all the trips I’ve taken there for work and pleasure I’ve crafted the best things to do and see in New York. We actually just got back from a weekend in NYC a couple of weeks ago and packed in a ton of fun things. Check out all the things to do and see in New York.
Where to Stay
We’ve been staying at the same hotel for a few years now, the Viceroy Hotel located near Central Park South. It’s a great little hotel. I say little because it’s tiny, like anything in New York, however the rooms are super functional. It’s a tiny room, but it has a king size bed, a chaise lounge, a desk and a small closet for folded and hanging clothes. It’s the perfect tiny house for the weekend. The bathroom is also pretty big for New York standards, equipped with a pocket door that makes a world of difference in terms of size. We weren’t in the room much so the size really didn’t matter. The hotel has a rooftop lounge as well as a restaurant, Kingside, that serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night snacks. It’s decorated as an old school diner with a modern twist. We had a lovely time at the hotel this time minus the 7am fire alarm that had us running 18 floors to the lobby only to find it out it was false alarm. While we were thankful it was a false alarm it did highlight that you need to to be prepared for emergencies no matter where you are.
What to Do
If you haven’t been to New York before, or are going for the tenth time, the following attractions are places you definitely have to see when you are there.
Central Park
Being a die-hard Chicagoan, it’s hard to find anything that compares to living on the lakefront. However, Central Park is amazing. We spent a few hours just wandering around the park and taking in its beauty. While the trails and ponds inside the park are great to see, you will also want to make sure you see Poets Walk, Bethesda Terrace and the Bow Bridge. If you want to take a rest from exploring they have a full service restaurant, the Boathouse located inside the park, it’s great for brunch or drinks.
Times Square
This area of town is a bit too much for me with all the lights and chaos, but it’s one of those things you just have to see in person if you go to New York. It’s everything you’ve seen on TV and more, there are people and characters on every corner and tons of electronic screens everywhere.
SoHo
One of my favorite neighborhoods in lower Manhattan, this neighborhood is known for designer boutiques, a fashionable crowd, and high-end nightlife destinations. I love to shop in this neighborhood when I’m in NY, I equate it to Oak Street/Rush Street in Chicago, it has just about every store you can think of nestled into beautiful loft style buildings with cast iron fire escapes. If you are looking for a rooftop lounge stop by the James Hotel, they have a trendy lounge that serves amazing cocktails.
Rockefeller Center
This place is the epicenter of NBC programming, it’s the home of the Today Show, Tonight Show and SNL. It’s always abuzz with locals and tourist checking out the area. At Christmas it’s the home of the famous Rockefeller Christmas Tree. If you’ve seen it on TV you have to see it in person.
High Line
Built on old railroad tracks, this walking trail/park/art sculpture is a beauty. It perfectly captures the history of the rail line and modern urban use of space. It’s very similar to the 606 trail in Chicago, which was built years later.
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
Next to visiting One World Trade Center, this is the coolest thing to do. I get totally geeked out learning about the history of the island and the Statue of Liberty. If you have ancestors that came through here you’ll want to look them up, it will give you chills.
One World Trade Center
I’ve been to New York several times since 9/11, and have seen pretty much all the stages of ground zero, from it being a fenced-off area to seeing the rebirth of One World Trade Center and finally going inside. Each time I am overcome with emotion and in awe of the resilience and spirit of the American people. I won’t ruin any surprises for you, but get a ticket and go to the top of One World Trade Center, you won’t be disappointed.
If you happen to be traveling during the holidays you’ll want to check out the markets in these two locations.
Bryant Park Market
The winter village opens up in early November and features local stores, food vendors and an ice skating rink. Its more commercial and less unique shops, but fun to look around.
Columbus Circle Market
My personal favorite holiday market in New York. Its very similar to the Christkindlmarket in Chicago and features local and international vendors with ornaments, food and religious items. We purchased our nativity set here and love it so much.
Where to Eat and Drink
New York has a ton of great restaurants and lounges, it’s hard to narrow it down, but I’ve done my best. Here are some of my top picks.
Quality Eats
On the Upper East Side, is a lively, smaller sized restaurant with delicious meats! I love red meat, it’s probably my favorite food, next to hot dogs 🙂 We waited over an hour to get a table (should have made a reservation) and it was worth it. Superb beef options and bacon to die for.
Tavern 62
A David Burke restaurant, just about everything is good here. We had the tuna tartare, bison short rib and the black spaghetti, it was a large range of food types and all dishs were amazing.
Eli’s Market
I highly recommend brunch at this spot. It wasn’t overly crowded, but it was very good. It has a restaurant on one side and a little market on the other. If you like eggs benedict, get it here, the canadian bacon is thin, crispy and plentiful on this dish. So good I could eat the picture!
King Cole Bar
Located in the St. Regis Hotel, this bar is a New York institution. With a sophisticated atmosphere this bar serves up classic cocktails to New York locals and tourists looking to partake in a traditional NYC scene. Its rumored to be the first U.S. location to sever a bloody mary.
Halal Guys
Street meat at its finest! On pretty much every corner in NY has a stand with Halal Guys, its kind of a NY staple. They recently open a location in Chicago, which is good, but I still think it tastes better in New York. I mean who doesn’t love street meat?
Turnstyle
An underground market at Columbus Circle featuring little shops, a florist and several food options. It’s a great place to grab a quick bite and warm up a bit in the colder months.
Laduree
If you need an afternoon pick me up and you find yourself on the Upper East Side stop in at Laduree and grab one or ten macaroons. I fell in love with these delicious macaroons in Paris and get really excited when I get to visit one of their U.S. locations. I wish they had a Chicago location.
Sounds like a jam packed weekend, right? If you plan it correctly you can definitely pack in all these things to do and see in New York. I highly, highly recommend you walk or take the subway everywhere. New York traffic makes Chicago traffic look like nothing.
Are you planning on going to New York soon or have you been and have a great recommendation? Let me know, I’m always looking for new places to go when I’m there. Or maybe New York isn’t your thing and Chicago is! Check out my recent staycation in Chicago!
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