NEW YORK CITY🌃
This summer I got to live in the best city in the world. It was a DREAM!!!✨ I've found the absolute best places that will make your trip to NYC one you will never forget!🖤
Before heading to New York we went to Boston and Cape Cod. It was such a fun way to start my summer in the north east. New York is such a special place, there is just nothing like it.✨ As soon as we landed, I knew I was in for the time of my life.☺️I have traveled to New York for weekend trips so many times, and of course loved it! But let me just say, living there for two months is completely different. I had to learn everything from the subway system to where the best place to get my nails done. I became so independent this summer and grew so much, mentally and spiritually. Sometimes the big city can feel lonely, luckily I had the best roommates ever who just made my summer of living in NYC 10000x better. ❤️ We lived in the NYU dorms, in Greenwich village. (also - it took us a while to learn how to say Greenwich😅) This is an area I had never really explored while traveling to New York, so it made it that much more fun. We lived right in-between Union Square Park (goodness do I have some stories from there) and Washington Square Park (again, lots of stories😁). We would go on walks every evening around the parks and just people watch, it made for lots and lots of laughs. During the week all of us were working, so we made all of our big plans for the weekend! I think my favorite thing about living in New York was being able to walk everywhere - or almost everywhere. Like, if I wanted to go to Zara I just walked 8 minutes and was there! Or, if we all wanted Shake Shack for dinner (which was very often) we just walked 15 minutes and we are sitting outside looking at the flatiron building eating the best burger! 😋Okay, now more about my favorite places - speaking of... Shake Shack in Madison Square Park was one of our favorite places to go. It became a tradition after church on Sunday, we would go sit in the park to eat and talk. We had so many Jesus talks, laughs, and the best memories sitting in that park. Another favorite close by, was Eataly. This place is so fun because there are many restaurants in the building, and a SUPER CUTE restaurant/bar on the rooftop.😍 It is called Serra By Birreria, they always have it decorated by season - you must get a reservation to eat, or you could get a drink and just see the prettiness. Speaking of rooftops... 230 5th rooftop bar is a really fun one, that is also close to this area. In the winter, they have igloos on the rooftop - SO FUN! Okay, I'll just finish talking about all the best rooftop bars we explored! The Skylark is right off of Times Square (also right across the street from where I worked!) and I think it has the best views of the Empire State building. Mr Purple is another one that you could probably find us at most Saturday nights. It has a great view of Midtown and Financial district. The wait may be long to get in, but definitely worth it for the views! Rockefeller center has an amazing rooftop, but you must pay. Same with the Empire State Building, I for sure think those are must-do's at least once!!🌃Now lets go back to FOOD.😍 Because, I know this is the real reason we travel, hehe. One of my favorite restaurants I discovered this summer was Tao Uptown. This is a fancy Japanese restaurant that has AMAZING✨ food and a very cool environment. Another favorite, that I think everyone knows about, but is still worth the HYPE is Carmines. Everything is served family style - so don't be alarmed by the huge portions. The spaghetti and meatballs are probably the best in the world, no lie. Beauty & Essex is also a really fun one. The portions are a lotttt smaller, but the environment is like no other. Rubirosa's was my favorite pizza in NYC. So, I think that says a lot about that. The R lounge has an incredible view of Times Square, like SO COOL, but the food is just okay. Now my favorite dinner place I've found in New York is Hunt & Fish Club. This is very pricey, but I think SO WORTH IT. It is beautiful inside, and the food is amazing. I love to get dressed up for a show and eat here before. And the best way to end that night - dessert at Ferrara's in Little Italy. The chocolate cake is a MUST. These are just a few of my favorites. There are really just SO MANY - and I can't wait to keep finding more favorites.🥰BRUNCH, BRUNCH, BRUNCH. 😍 Is it just me or when I think of New York I just picture Sarabeth's pancakes... hehe.😋 Sarabeth's Central Park is one of my favorite places. Its the perfect location to stroll through the park after, or take a walk down 5th Ave for some of the best shopping in the world. Tavern on the green is located in Central Park and it is another one of my favorites. NoMo SoHo is very popular, and for good reason. It has a really cool environment and great food! The Terrace at Edition is on the rooftop of a hotel in Times Square. There are flowers and plants everywhere, so really thats why I went. The food was good, but very expensive for not much. I still loved going and exploring a new place. Serendipity is for sure a favorite, mostly in the winter for the frozen hot chocolate. 😍They don't take reservations, and the wait is always insaneeee, so be prepared to walk around while you wait.Now, some of my favorite areas/things to do in NYC!!! Shopping, duh! ☺️ 5th Ave for sure has some of the best shopping, with Louis Vuitton right on the corner, and Lululemon right down the street. There is lots of variety in places, which is fun while shopping! On the same street, I love shopping around the Rockefeller Center. Anthropologie, Free People, J.Crew, there are so many good spots right there.Another area I love is Soho, the shopping is so good with many different places so close together. From Bloomingdales, Zara, Glossier and so many others it is such a fun area to be in. The meatpacking district is another really fun area for exploring. Chelsea Market is right in the center, and Hermes and Dior are right down the street. The Highline is also right here. That is a fun place to walk and great for pictures. This area in New York felt like I had traveled to a different city. That is what I love about NYC, everywhere you go, you get to explore something so new and different. Another MUST DO while in NYC is DRYBAR. If you know me at all, well then you just know. This is so fun and special treat to do while on a fun trip. Dylan's Candy Bar, is just a really fun place to go in, and maybe get some yummy candy too. Tea at the Plaza (The Palm Court at the Plaza). Say nothing more - this is a MUST, at least once. If Tea is just too fancy for you, try going in the basement of the Plaza. There are so many cute stores. It is like a courtyard with lots of different places you can eat at. If you are able to go to Hillsong NYC while there, you NEED to. They have the most amazing worship and we love the pastor. That was one of the best things about this summer, no doubt.✨Broadway shows!!! When traveling to New York seeing a show always needs to be on the list. This summer, and just from past travels, I have gotten to see so many amazing broadway shows. Some of my personal favorites have been, The Lion King, Waitress, Wicked, and Aladdin. I am seeing Frozen in a few weeks and I am probably more excited then I should be. A few others I have seen are Hamilton, Mean Girls, and Fiddler on the Roof. Seeing any show just makes the night so much more fun and magical.💕I could sit here and write about New York literally for days. 😍 There are just so many amazing places to explore, eat and see. Sometimes the fun is finding those places yourself. I'm so thankful for the opportunity this summer to live and explore New York and all it has to offer. There was always something fun/crazy/exciting happening right around the corner. It really is the best city in the world and I hope you all get to experience it one day. I love ya lots, NEW YORK CITY!✨✨✨✨ I'll share some of my favorite pics from the summer below!
With love,Sarah Kathryn Hale💕