Travel Diary: The Very Best of New York
Almost a year since I visited New York City with my camera, I felt it was time to reminisce!! I would love to do a city elopement over there, there are SO many amazing spots for photos on the streets of New York. Shout out to Kate, a Derbyshire gal like myself, who is now living in New York and has curated the list of all lists that I frequently share with friends of all places to eat, drink and visit in the city.
Eloping to New York is an incredible way to get married with all the fun and none of the formalities. I do offer destination weddings, so definitely get in touch to discuss a bespoke package! Don’t forget, an NYC elopement is on my bucket list, so if you’re the first you’ll be looking at discounted rate for a destination elopement!
U P S T A T E
Starting our trip in upstate New York, near Kingston, we hung out in a big house in a quiet neighbourhood for a week, exploring neighbouring towns like Woodstock and taking hikes around the lakes in the area. Such a beautiful area, and as you can imagine, nothing like the city. I got the feeling it’s the Norfolk of New York, where most have a second home to escape the busy streets to have family BBQs, hike, visit wineries and breathe some unpolluted air (much like we did!)
T H E C I T Y
Heading off to the city, tulips lined the streets we walked along in our huge puffer coats and layers (yeah, wrap up for the city in April!). I’ll note a few of my highlights here, because the photos really tell it better than I could write, but scroll to the bottom for the full list I mentioned earlier.
Walking the high line was so great, a flat, easy walk, with big rewards of seeing all the architecture, art, being amongst the trees and looking down on the streets. Stretching 1.45 miles from Gansevoort Street (south) to 34th Street (north) depending on which way you want to walk and where you want to end up. If you want to finish up in Hudsons Yard head south to north, and if you want to finish up in the Meatpacking District, do the opposite! Don’t forget to stop off at Chelsea Market, a hub of restaurants, small businesses and food stands, one of the most popular food markets in the world. Chelsea Market is of course one of the suggestions on The List, in fact you could quite happily eat your way around New York City.
I also loved renting bikes to travel around super easily. I was actually feeling a little under the weather, so we opted for the electric bikes which were a little more expensive. However, we assumed the cost balanced out since you’re able to travel faster on the e-bikes and therefore not use them for as long (although we didn’t test this theory so couldn’t say for sure!). We used Citi Bikes, powered by Lyft much like Londons Santander bikes. You’ll need the app to unlock and pay for your trips. (This is NYC, there are absolutely other bike hires for different prices, most likely if you book in advance too, but we didn’t do that so you’ll have to use everyone’s best friend, Google). Apart from my weekly spin class, I am not a cyclist, so heading out on two wheels around one of the busiest cities in the world where drivers love to use their horns in standstill traffic (just why??), it could have been daunting. However alongside one experienced cyclist in our small group of three, and New Yorks excellent cycle lanes, it was extremely easy to head from A to B, alongside pedestrians and vehicles. We cycled all over the city, across Williamsburg Bridge (and walked back across Brooklyn Bridge), to Grand Central Station and everywhere in-between. Renting bikes was a decision I would recommend and repeat myself if I ever went back! I’ve also done a bike tour previously in the Hollywood Hills, so having a tour
I can’t finish this blog post without mentioning breakfast at The Standard!! Classic New York, blending traditional steak house with New American cuisine. Definitely a spot to visit on the morning of, or morning after, your elopement! A stunning interior, with furnishings that have been rediscovered and updated. The bar is light and milky, checkered tiles, wooden countertops, while the restaurant (where we dined) was dark with ambient lighting, a place Don Draper might pop up at any moment. This is definitely a place not to miss, particularly for a special occasion.
Those are just my personal highlights, check out some of the photos and The List, which we did much more of, below to really plan out your trip!
T H E P H O T O S
Kingston, NY
New York City
One of the spots I’d take a newly married couple!
Another must do wedding photo spot!
Now what you’ve either been waiting for, or you’ve scrolled straight to!! Curated by a local living through a tourists eyes, what we got to experience on the list was truly some of the best food, interiors, views I’ve seen!! I wish we had time to do more!
* The places we did visit, definitely comment or message if you have any questions!
T H E L I S T
Brunch/Lunch
Jacks Wife Freda - super popular for good brunch.
Joseph Leonard - super simple, really good food.
Rabbit Hole - you will be talking about the beef sandwich with French dip for years!!
Seamores - the lobster Mac and cheese is a dream!
*Chelsea Market - various casual eateries.
*The Standard - the crab toast, the pancakes, the French toast. Plus a Photo Booth in the bathrooms!
Russ and Daughters - a bagel institution!
*Rubys - classic Aussie brunch in New York.
Citizens of Gramercy - another Aussie favourite.
Dinner
Freeman’s - the warm artichoke dip is amazing.
Lafayette - French bistro vibe.
Momoya - Japanese, get the spicy crispy tuna.
Meatball Shop.
Pastis
Miss Lillies - Jamaican, a bit of a wild dinner, waitresses in bikinis, loud Jamaican music and the best corn and jerk!
Piccola Cucina - amazing authentic pasta.
Cafe Mogador - amazing Mediterranean.
Pizza
*Joes - for a casual American slice
Johns Pizza
Price Street Pizza
Lucali, Brooklyn (often a wait)
*Pretty much all the dollar slice shops! (I actually added this to The List because I thought they were great!)
Bakeries and sweet treats
*Magnolia - famous for their banana pudding but our local gal always gets the chocolate cheesecake. I can’t remember what we got but I remember it was amazing!
Supermoon - for amazing pastries.
Levain - for cookies.
Van Leeuwen - for ice cream.
Economy Candy - old school sweet store.
Coffee
Irving Farm
Daily Provisions
Citizens of Gramercy
Stumptown
Bluebottle
Bars
Jimmys rooftop bar at James Hotel - so much fun!
Rolfs - German bar that’s absolutely worth going to if you love Christmas.
Boom Boom Room - top of The Standard Hotel.
The Wythe.
Things to do
*Walk the high line
Central Park
*Walk over the bridge (Brooklyn bridge, Manhattan bridge, Williamsburg bridge)
*Chelsea Market
Union Square Market
*The Edge - touristy, but if you haven’t been to NYC before the views are amazing.
Cute areas
West Village
Greenwich Village
*Gramercy Park
Williamsburg
Lower east side - a bit rough and ready but cool, like east London.