Hello guys!
Last Sunday, Chase & I arrived back in Cincinnati after a quick trip to New York City. I was especially excited to visit New York City because it’s was Chase’s first time there!! I feel like visiting NYC for the first time is iconic. There is so much to do, see, and eat.. emphasis on EAT!
New York City Tourist Attractions
With there being so much to do in New York City, planning a trip can feel overwhelming. Our plan (to eat and drink a lot) was derailed as we were sucked into the tourist attractions…a lot. So here are my thoughts on the 11 touristy things we did while we were in NYC.
Time Square
A friend of ours recommended we visit Time Square late in the evening because it would be way less crowded. With our flight getting in late, it worked out perfectly. We dropped our luggage at the airbnb and then caught the subway to Time Square.
To our dearest friends: we were not fans of Time Square.
I don’t understand the hype at all! There were a lot of TVs and chain restaurants… I would never want to go during the day.
New York Pizza
Ok, so if you have to go to Time Square, you can stop at Joe’s Pizza on Time Square. We ate our pizza at 1:00 a.m. with a lot of other people, because it is the city that never sleeps and everyone wanted pizza. There were pictures of celebrities who ate pizza there lining all the walls.
Definitely get a slice of pizza while you’re in NYC.
leave this blog if you don’t like pizza!!
Central Park
I’m indifferent on Central Park. There’s no doubt about it that Central Park is beautiful. It has live music, art vendors, entertainment shows, row boats, and they were even filming a movie while we were there. I’m not sure if this was hyped up by friends or what, but I don’t think we would go again. Why? Because when I’m in a city like New York, I want to see as much of the city as I possibly can!
We do live near several great parks in Cincinnati, so maybe we are spoiled…
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building lived up to the hype everyone gave it. 100%. It’s such an incredible feeling to be 1,000+ feet in the air overlooking the entire city of New York. It’s well worth the money and I would pay to do it every time I visit NYC. They have so many different options for time of day you go (sunset, midnight).
Little Italy
I think everyone should make a stop to Little Italy for dinner. I loved the vibe of live music and so many people eating pasta out on the patios. It’s a heavy, cheesier Italian food, not your typical rustic Italian that’s a little lighter in flavor. There are sooo many options. I would come back to Little Italy, but not next time.
I have my eye on a whole list of NYC restaurants (if you’re interested in me sharing them, let me know!) I want to try next time. One is L’Artusi, recommended on two separate occasions from two of my favorite bloggers.
Williamsburg
We loved walking around Williamsburg! We made a pitstop at Sweatshop, a small cafe, to enjoy avocado toast and coffee. I want to go back to Williamsburg because they had some awesome vintage stores that I would love to buy a few things from. We shared a carryon (yes, you read that right)… so there was no room for ANYTHING extra. We walked across the Williamsburg Bridge to Manhattan and that was CRAZY. More below.
Williamsburg BridgeIW
SO CRAZY/COOL. The Williamsburg Bridge is over a mile long. We had no idea it was that long until.. well.. we had been on it for what seemed to be an eternity and we hadn’t even made it half way yet. You’ll see impressive views of the city by taking this walk. We saw a lot of runners and cyclists – Chase said he would start running if that were his view everyday.
As mentioned above, the Williamsburg Bridge connects to the Lower Eastside of Manhattan.
High Line
The High Line was a nice place to visit and to relax somewhat (although a lot of people), we had walked about four miles from Williamsburg to the High Line, so I could not WAIT to sit down. It’s basically a park on a roof, which I haven’t seen anything like it before. We could see the Statue of Liberty from here (bring your binoculars…).
It is right next to Chelsea Market. We didn’t get a chance to pop in here.
Chinatown
I was desperate to enjoy a meal in Chinatown, but unfortunately I didn’t feel well on this day. We didn’t even think we would make it over that way, but to our surprise we stumbled upon it when we were walking around. I was excited, but disappointed. NEXT TIME FOR SURE.
Brooklyn Bridge
Ugh. I had high hopes for the Brooklyn Bridge, thinking I’d get my ~*dream photo*~ but it was packed beyond belief (I guess everyone knows about sunset). Sunrise would be your best shot…
9/11 Memorial
Powerful and amazing. Go.
Until Next Time, NYC!
During our trip we walked 31 miles in 48 hours!! We were so wiped out from this trip, but would not have changed a thing about it. Our next trip will be a much more leisurely pace, shoveling all the food into our mouths.
Leave your favorite NYC restaurant recommendations below!
