New York, New York (Part 2)

the rest of the the good stuff from our trip

Day Three:

We started our day at Friedman’s again - I told you it was a fave - leaving about the same time we did the day before (around 9:30/10).

We headed down to the Financial District to explore the 911 memorial. It was about a 30-minute Uber ride from our hotel and the weather was sunny but cold. We walked around the memorial for a bit before we popped into a mall that was close by to warm up and get a snack. Our tour wasn’t until 1:00 so we did a little shopping while we were there. I do believe if wasn’t so cold we would have explored more of the area.

At about 12:30 we headed over to get in line for our tour (which took about an hour). If you haven’t done the tour, I highly recommend it. Everything is so well done and while sobering, it was good for both us and the kids to hear and walk through the memorial.

Once we were done we spent some time in the gift shop and then made our way to One World Trade Center where we had made reservations to go to the top. That appointment was at 3:00 and they give you two hours to explore. Going at this time of day was perfect for this time of year because we got to watch the sun set over the Hudson/Lady Liberty! The views are probably some of the best in the city and they also have a snack bar/restaurant at the top if you need to grab a snack (which we did).

Dinner reservations were at P.J. Clarke’s on the Hudson. It was actually in the mall and right off the water. Dinner was great (Doug’s favorite meal) and had something for everyone. We did arrive an hour early for our reservation but they were able to accommodate us (helped that it was like 5:00 p.m.).

I do think if it hadn’t been so cold, the spacing between reservations (from the tour to One World Trade Center to dinner) would have worked because we would have explored more - but it did feel like we were waiting for the next thing a little bit.

After dinner it was dark and we took a short walk on the boardwalk. It was beautiful with all the Christmas lights, Lady Liberty, and looking back at the One World Trade Center. It was probably about 7:00 when we took an Uber back to the hotel.

The kids were beat and just wanted to chill so Doug and I headed up to the bar at the top of the hotel. We almost didn’t go and we are so glad that we did. I love an espresso martini and theirs was the best I had all week. The views from the top are to die for and the bar decor dreamy. And ask for the truffles - they were delicious and come in the cutest box (you know I kept it).

Day four:

Our last day was much more low key. Our flight was leaving at around 5:00 and we knew we would have to head to the airport around 2:00 (we flew out of Laguardia). We still hadn’t been to Macy’s so we grabbed breakfast at La Pain Quotidien and headed down to the iconic store. We explored for a bit and Char did a little shopping.

We headed to our next stop - which was a must for me. Culture Espresso was another rec from a local and I had been once before. They have great coffee and cookies to die for - with a special one just for me - a gluten free peanut butter cookie. Not usually what I would go for (I’m def a chocolate chip kind of girl) but this is worth every bite (and calorie). It’s also just a cute spot - so worth popping in and between Macy’s and Bryant Park.

We actually headed back to the Holiday Market at Bryant Park and spent a little more time there. Charlotte and I both wanted to take something home so I found a beautiful scarf and she found some chic ear muffs.

We were pretty tired and everyone was pretty much done, so we headed back to the hotel and rested for a bit/got things ready before we called our Uber.

It was a wonderful trip and I think just enough time. I kept telling Doug that I want to go back with just him so we can eat all the food, pop into art studios and museums, and walk through various boroughs of the city.

Maybe, one day, I’ll get to share that trip - because once you hit all the touristy spots there are so many other wonderful things to discover in the city that never sleeps!