Three Days in NYC
As a post-Peace Corps treat to myself and as a birthday weekend for my uncle Thaddeus and aunt Bethany, I tagged along with my family to the Lower East Side where Thaddeus currently lives. We squeezed into a hotel room in midtown on a Thursday night last weekend and had a day of adventures together on Friday. When my aunt, dad, and grandparents left on Saturday afternoon, I decided to stay a couple extra days at a West Village Airbnb by myself and indulge in some museum therapy — a bandaid to my problems, always.
I’ve been to NYC twice before, once in June 2016 and another time in December 2017. This time was particularly enjoyable because of the breezy but warm September weather, my ability to navigate around (six months in London will do that), and my decisions to skip sights or do things again based on my previous trips. I grabbed dinner with my college friend Diego one night, subwayed up and down and around Manhattan, and thought seriously about where I want to live and what I want to do now. I’ve never had a desire to live in New York, and I still don’t think I do, but damn do I love short bursts of its energy.
I’m sharing my itinerary below as my pretty ideal New York weekend. I didn’t pull out all the stops and didn’t go to every tourist destination, but I hope this will give you some ideas about what you can do on your next trip there!
Friday
Morning
Breakfast — lox bagels, sausage, coffee, etc. — at Katz’s Deli (from When Harry Met Sally)
Walk around Lower East Side neighborhood
Subway to Brooklyn and look at the view of downtown and the Brooklyn Bridge from Pebble Beach
Midday
Lunch in Chinatown at Shu Jiao Fu Zhou (for peanut sauce noodles) and North Dumpling (for dumplings), then eat at a nearby park
**I definitely would’ve participated in Greta Thunburg’s Fridays for Future climate strike at Foley Square/Battery Park if I wasn’t busy with my family that day!
Afternoon break at hotel for a power nap
Evening
Dinner at Fish in West Village (Tried and recommend the garlic butter mussels, clam chowder, and fish tacos)
Comedy show at The Grisly Pear (the Comedy Cellar is next door if you’re able to snag tickets)
Saturday
Morning
Subway to Columbus Circle and walk through the southern half of Central Park
Brunch at Maison Kayser in midtown
Midday
Walk The High Line in Chelsea
Walk around the Whitney Museum of American Art Biennial (biennial exhibit of contemporary American art/artists)
Thrift at Buffalo Exchange and Fab Scrap in midtown
Evening
Take a late afternoon/early evening break at Bryant Park and walk around the New York Public Library
Dinner with a college friend at Yum Yum Too in Hell’s Kitchen
Late night walk around West Village/Greenwich Village and Washington Square Park
Sunday
Morning/Midday
Quickly grab tea and a croissant at Le Pain Quotidien because you woke up late
Explore The Metropolitan Museum of Art for FIVE HOURS because it’s amazing and you cry a little
Uber up to Washington Heights for The Met Cloisters, a medieval monastery revival with the Met’s collection of medieval art
Evening
Subway down to Morningside Heights and walk around Columbia University‘s campus
Meet for dinner (around the corner from my Airbnb) for pizza and wine at Numero 28 in West Village
Crash at Airbnb and journal about your weekend!
‘Til next time, New York.
