As our girlfriend Taylor Swift once said: WELCOME TO NEW YORK, it’s been waiting for you. New York City is truly one of a kind when it comes to cities and is just as iconic and amazing as its reputation is. Here in Philly, we are only about two hours away from NYC and I grew up always going to the city to visit my aunt and uncle in Manhattan. Those are some of my favorite memories because I always remember feeling so at home in the city and vowing that I would live in the city one day myself (now in Philly, dreams come true!). The hustle and bustle, crowds of people, endless restaurants, charming boutiques, and just the overall vibe of it all is something you have to experience at least once. New York is truly like no other which is why all of the locals say: New York or nowhere.
This past weekend, I took a girl’s trip to NYC with my family and it was absolutely incredible. If you have been thinking about planning one, this is your sign! We had so much fun exploring and eating our way through all of the different neighborhoods. Since I know New York City can be a bit overwhelming if you haven’t been before, I wanted to break it all down so planning your next trip is easy as can be. Let’s do it.
Where to stay:
This past weekend, we stayed at the Westgate (found this through (Westgate’s best NYC hotel specials) which is in Midtown Manhattan. and wow we LOVED it. When I first stumbled upon the Westgate New York Grand Central hotel, I was mesmerized by the gorgeous interiors, big rooms, and balcony views. Spacious rooms with balconies are honestly few and far between in New York and can typically be so expensive, so I was really excited when I found the Westgate at a killer price. Since its newly renovated, the hotel feels classically elegant, yet modern, and has luxury rooms at an affordable price. Love it.
The city can be a bit exhausting, especially when you’re out all day, so it was honestly so great to be able to go back somewhere at night and just relax in a beautiful space. One night after dinner, we sat on the balcony, had cocktails, and just hung out, and honestly, it was my favorite night. Having that space to unwind after a long day of exploring was exactly what we needed it was truly such a perk.
Another thing I loved about the hotel was the lobby and all of the amenities. There was a big open lounge area where you could work, hang out, and relax, and it was equipped with its very own bar and market. This was insanely convenient in the morning when we wanted to grab a coffee and some snacks before heading out for the day.
What to do:
I am truly convinced that you could spend your entire life in New York City and still not see it all! That’s what makes it amazing, there is so much to do, and absolutely something for everyone. On this trip, we tried to do a bit of everything. Here are some fun ideas.
- Explore Manhattan! – The great thing about staying at the Westgate is that it’s located in an amazing neighborhood, so you really don’t have to travel far to find awesome restaurants, shops, and everything else. One night, we walked over to Park Avenue, which has loads of awesome food spots, and is really beautiful. All of the other awesome neighborhoods are just a trainride away, and you can always grab a cab for a easy trip. Each neighborhood is a little different, so spend a little time researching to find the perfect one for you. If you’re a big shopper, check out Soho. If you love a quaint and beautiful neighborhood, visit the Upper West Side (gossip girl fans I see you!). The options are endless.
- Take the ferry to Brooklyn – Taking a ferry is such a fun way to get around New York and honestly so affordable. Each ride was only about $3 and you can get almost anywhere depending what ferry you take. We took a ferry from Manhattan to Williamsburg & Dumbo, which are both neighborhoods in Brooklyn. I honestly loved them so much, and felt so at home there. They are a lot less fast paced then Manhattan, and really reminded me a lot of Philly. There are endless boutiques, restaurants, beautiful parks, gorgeous old brownstone architecture and more.
- Create your own food tour – Since I come from a family of foodies, it was our priority to make sure we visited some amazing restaurants on this trip. New York City is unmatched when it comes to the amount of vegan restaurants, so I knew we had to try as many as we could lol. Anyone else plan a trip around the food? One of the absolute highlights was a plant based mexican restuarant called Jajaja in Manhattan. Such amazing food, such a beautiful restaurant, and had awesome cocktails. It was a really fun experience and really delicious. Some other places we ate at and loved it were: Champs Diner, Franchia, Brooklyn Wild, and Van Leeuwen Icecream.
