Recently, the US celebrated Memorial Day, which meant that everyone here got the gift of a long weekend just when the summer is kicking off ! And so, we packed our cabin-sized bags (they charge you for check-in bags on domestic flights here :|) and took off to experience 3 whole summer days in the greatest city in the world — NEW YORK!

A 6-hour flight (overnight) and a +3 hour time change later, we were there! Now, I had been to New York twice before this trip, but both those times ironically, stayed only about 24 hours. So this was my first real chance to see and experience everything it had to offer.

You know, it hits you almost immediately. There’s something about the air of New York that makes you so AWARE of everything around you. It’s like someone has pumped some extra life into you momentarily! It’s happened every single time I’ve set foot in that place and I absolutely LOVE it!

Because we managed to do QUITE a bit in 3 days, I’m breaking down the trip day-by-day so here goes…

P.S:  If you know me, you will know that food plays as important a role in my life as travel does, which is why a lot of what I ate will be part of the following feature presentation as well 😀

Day 1:

Since our Airbnb wasn’t going to be ready till later in the afternoon, we decided to take a train into the city (just faster), and go to mid-town Manhattan and spend that day doing some of the city stuff. Luckily, my uncle was visiting for work, so we stopped by his hotel to freshen up which, as it turns out, was right next to Grand Central station! For a first sighting of a trip here, it doesn’t get more real. We got out onto the sidewalk and the first thing you see is a swarm of people, always in a hurry, you see those famous yellow cabs and all these massive billboards!

But this is what got my attention: drivers in New York honk…A LOT! I tell you, that’s music to my ears! After driving around for 5 months where honking, even when you’re in a bad temper, is really rude, New York makes me feel at home!

A quick shower, nap and change of clothes later, we headed out to brunch. We had already had a quick breakfast that morning but there’s something about being on vacation, you’re always kind of ready to eat, have you noticed? So, my brunch ended up being a hearty vanilla bean french toast with caramelized bananas and a cocktail named “Pool Party”, which I only got because of it’s name and it was delicious!

Since I was getting a proper feel of the city for the first time, I wanted to do all the tourist stuff! So stop 1 after brunch was a quick walk down the street to the Flatiron building! Now, although this is just a building really for tourists, it’s an ode to all the brilliant architecture you get to see in New York if you really look carefully. The flatiron is like the NYC equivalent of the Leaning Tower of  Pisa in Italy, according to me. Which may be why Eataly, an upscale Italian bakery/cafe/deli is located right at the foot of the flatiron, but that’s just my weird logic. I will get to Eataly a little bit later in this story, though, because it definitely deserves a mention.

Next stop: Central Park!

Central Park is one of the major landmarks of the city and spans across an impressive chunk of it. It’s the perfect place to spend a warm summer afternoon and that’s exactly what we did. As I said, the park is vast, so there’s always something around the corner. There are musicians, cartoonists, local artists who will do a fun portrait for you, street performers and of course, ice cream carts and sometimes even lemonade and beverage stands! There’s also a small lake where you can rent out a boat and even a zoo, and well, who doesn’t love the zoo? It’s honestly so much fun because it’s never still, along with being such a treat for the eyes! The park is so beautiful and peaceful that just lying down on the grass with a picnic basket is a good enough use of your time. We walked on to the Bethesda fountain in the park, and Indians will know this as the iconic “Kal Ho Naa Ho” fountain, and along with that, for all the fans, it makes you feel like you’re part of a “Gossip Girl” episode! 🙂 Also, remember Home Alone 2?

All that walking in the park made me a tad bit hungry and magically, I ended up at Magnolia bakery! I came to New York with a mission to eat at one of the following: Dominique Ansel , Levain or Magnolia Bakery — all ICONIC spots for a dessert fix here! Magnolia is known for their cupcakes and their pudding, above all things. The bakery itself is a quaint, idyllic spot, decorated beautifully with, well, cake more than anything! I got a chocolate buttercream cupcake and a vanilla caramel cheesecake, so as not to be too greedy and although pricey, WORTH IT. Trust me, I know my dessert!

The next stop was a tip we received just earlier that day: the F.R.I.E.N.D.S apartment! Now, this is not where they actually shot the show, just the building they would show as their home from the outside. But it immediately became a must-visit spot as soon as I found out about it! The apartment is located on 90 Bedford Street, New York, for anyone looking to visit! Also, you will immediately have some flashes of the show or a recurring version of the title song in your head when you see this place!

Aaaaaand then I found Joe’s pizza just a couple of blocks away 😀 Anyone looking for the real New York slice, this is it. It’s absolutely perfect. I can’t say more. Get the pepperoni. A slice doesn’t cost more than 4 bucks. Coming from Seattle, where great pizza isn’t ALWAYS around the corner, yes, I was very happy after this stop. Joe’s is usually always a bit crowded, so don’t mind a line if you see one; it’s worth the wait and the line usually moves fast.

Finally, it was the evening and time to unwind. And so we went to check out a couple of speakeasy’s in the city. For those who don’t know, these were establishments that were started during the prohibition era in the States, when alcohol was banned. So they are usually masquerading as a laundromat, or a coffee shop. They usually have hard-to-spot signs and secret-ish entrances, where you ring a doorbell and wait till someone gets you and lets you in. We went to 2 – the Bathtub Gin and the 18th Room — both in Chelsea, and they were both unique. The vibe is so different that a regular bar, and so are the drinks. The 18th Room apparently does sustainable cocktails ( whatever that means I’m not too sure!), and their menu is one of the weirdest I’ve ever seen, and printed on a newspaper! But the drinks were definitely concoctions to remember, the best cocktails I’ve had yet! Speakeasy’s aren’t cheap, so be prepared to spend a little more than your average cocktails, but a must-do if you really want to get the feel of New York City.

Just a few tips :

• This is not new information, but the best way to get around the city is the Subway, and also the fastest, especially when you’re there for a limited time
• Please wear shoes that are meant for walking ; you’re going to be doing a LOT of it
• If you plan to do ALL touristy stuff, look up the 3-day City Pass for easy access to some popular tourist spots and it’ll help you save some money if you plan do cover all its inclusions

Day 2 and 3 to follow!