It's surprising that someone who has been a Broadway musical fan for their whole life has never visited New York City, especially considering that both of my parents were raised in New York State. While I have been to Upstate NY, where they are from, I have never made the trip down to NYC.
New York City Exploration:
Since it was my first time, of course I had to see some of the most iconic landmarks around the city.
When we first got to NY, we checked in to our hotel - Hotel Lex. Yes, very coincidental name, don't ya think? I was so overwhelmed looking for hotels that weren't crazy expensive, and when I found this hotel, it seemed like fate! It is located in the Murray Hill neighborhood and it was a great fit. It was only a few blocks from the 23rd and 6th Ave Subway Station which we used almost every day! It was a very convenient station to get you up into Time Square. And we also always felt super safe on the Subway. Granted, we never took it super late at night and were in very touristy areas.
Spots to Explore:
For a great view of the city, I recommend checking out "Top of the Rock" at Rockefeller Center. You get to see three different floors and get a 360 degree view of all of NY. They even have the infamous "beam" from the photo of the original construction. You can pay extra and get photos sitting on the beam. I wish they had signs to tell you what buildings you were looking at, but thankfully one of the security guards there was happy to point stuff out.
Grand Central Station is definitely a cool spot to see. Of course my main reason for visiting (besides the history, obvs) was of course to see the infamous spot where Serena was "spotted" in the first episode of Gossip Girl.
Speaking of Gossip Girl, one of the other must-see locations was The Met.
I highly recommend stopping by the Met and then continuing your day in Central Park, which is right next to it. After a few days in the "concrete jungle," spending some time in nature was a nice break. Plus, it was in the 80s when I was there, so getting out of the sun felt refreshing. While in Central Park, we also stopped by the "Imagine" art at Strawberry Fields.
I couldn't visit New York without of course seeing the "Friends Building" in Greenwich Village. That neighborhood is super cute with a lot of little bistros that felt very European.
Another stop I recommend is taking the ferry across the East River into Brooklyn. It was cool to see the city from across the river and there was this cool shop and restaurant collective called "Time Out Market" right next to the river. I did not visit the Statue of Liberty but did see it from afar. If you don't get seasick like me, I would recommend checking it out.
Culinary Adventures:
New York City is well known for its food and being able to get anything you want at any time.
We didn't try too many places because we were trying to save money. But the places we did try, were delicious!
Bleeker Street Pizza - while exploring Greenwich Village - we tried this place that has won the award for Best Pizza, three years in a row. Their famous slice is the "Nonna Maria" which is their version of a margarita pizza (cheese, basil, tomato).
Bagels & Schmear - of course you have to get bagels while in NY! This place was only 2 blocks from the hotel and the bagels were so good! Their "house special" was an everything bagel with lox, cream cheese, onions, tomato and capers. I got this and it was the best bagel I've ever had! Yes, that is a bold statement. But I stand by it.
Eataly - Also close to our hotel and the subway station was this Italian market and collection of restaurants. I always wanted to check out the LA location when I lived there, but never did. We ate at "La Pizza & La Pasta" inside Eataly. You can also grab food from the various markets and eat at the nearby Madison Square Park.
Chirping Chicken - While in Grand Central, we grabbed some Mediterranean food at this NY chain. The chicken souvlaki was yummy!
All things Broadway!
When you go see any Broadway show, you get the bonus of exploring the madness that is Time Square. This was a fact I was not aware of and always thought the Broadway theaters were in a different neighborhood. I would say definitely check out Time Square at least once, but it is a truly insane area that can be a bit overwhelming. I described it as the Las Vegas Strip but condensed into a few blocks.
Once you get into the theaters of Broadway, it's like being transported back in time. I was lucky enough to see 3 musicals during the trip. Two were planned out, and the third we found tickets for the day of through the Today Tix app/website.
&Juliet - Are you a fan of Britney Spears, Nsync, Backstreet Boys and other 90s/2000s pop songs? Do you love Shakespeare, especially Romeo & Juliet? Do you love a story about female empowerment? If you answered yet so any of these, you will absolutely love this musical!
Merrily We Roll Along - Did you know that Daniel Radcliffe could sing? Yes, Harry Potter! Neither did I until I saw this show. This show is an old show from the 80s that they brought back in 2023 with Daniel Radcliffe and Jonathan Groff. We saw the show right before the Tony Awards and both leads along with the show won Tony Awards! It feels special to be able to see the show before they won the awards. Now it's going to be a hot ticket show! It is ending July 2024 but I'm sure they will bring it back.
Heart of Rock and Roll - Unfortunately, this show already closed on Broadway. It is too bad because it was a super fun and high energy show with music by Huey Lewis and the News.
What to wear:
During my trip to New York in June 2024, the weather was hot and humid! It's important to dress comfortably yet stylishly for all the walking you'll be doing. I made sure to pack lightweight dresses, shorts, and tanks, as well as a few nicer dresses for the Broadway shows.
This is similar to my favorite matching set that I have brought to every trip so far this summer. And it's what I'm wearing in the Met photo above. I ordered a Medium so it's a little baggier.
As for shoes, you want to bring comfortable shoes that you don't mind walking in a lot! I only brought sneakers as well as two pairs of walking sandals that I could also wear out to dinner or for a show.
My favorite walking sandals. They are perfect for walking around all day and cute enough to wear with a dress.
Overall thoughts:
My time in NY was amazing! I managed to visit all the places I had in mind and truly enjoyed exploring the City that Never Sleeps! I now see why New Yorkers have such an affection for it, and I am looking forward to returning!
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Thanks for reading!
-Lex
You look so adorable! What a fun trip. :)