New York City is one of my favorite places in the world; it’s right up there with Captiva Island and any J. Crew store (according to my “Favorite Places” board on Pinterest). There’s something about NYC that makes everything feel so fabulous. And while it may be easy to over glamorize the city because it is, after all, New York City, there’s just something so honest about it. The city is what it is, and it hides nothing. After just returning from a trip to New York, I thought it would be fitting to make a do’s and don’ts list of what to do there, especially if you are visiting in the winter. Just as a preface, I spent all of my city time in Manhattan, and have actually never explored the other four boroughs; this is something that I hope to change in the future. But for now, here’s my take on what you need to do and where you need to go for a week-long winter getaway in the city.
Do accept the fact that you won’t be able to do everything in one trip, unless you are moving there, or are staying for an extremely prolonged period of time. There is so much to do in New York, and it really does take multiple trips to see and visit everything. Do plan things that might be geared more towards colder weather; while visiting the Statue of Liberty is totally an option year round, this is something that I would recommend doing once the weather is a little bit warmer just so that you can enjoy the experience more without freezing your butt off the whole time. That being said, don’t be afraid to spend some time outside walking around, especially in places like Central Park. The city is very beautiful in the winter, and you have other options available besides walking everywhere.
That being said, do learn how to navigate the Subway. While NYC might not be quite as cold as Minnesota, it will be chilly, and because you obviously want to explore everything the city has to offer, you’re going to want to move about (and not by foot). Figuring out the Subway system is actually pretty simple; I would definitely say do download an app like “NYC Subway” or “Transit” to help with your navigation. Don’t buy single ride MetroCards unless you only plan on using the Subway once. Instead, buy either a 7-day card, or pay as you go based on how many rides you will need. Trust me, riding the Subway is an experience that you won’t want to miss out on, especially if you like meeting interesting characters.
Once you have your MetroCard, do travel all over the city. Midtown is a great area to start out it, and while there may be a lot to do there, you definitely want to explore uptown and downtown neighborhoods as well. Having stayed in upstate New York at my Aunt and Uncle’s house for this trip, I took the train into Grand Central Station everyday, which put me right in the heart of Midtown; so let’s begin there.
Do go to Grand Central Station, even if you aren’t actually taking the train. Also, if you’re a fan of Gossip Girl, do take a classic Serena-esqe pic overlooking the Main Concourse (also if you’ve never watched Gossip Girl, do that too). While you’re in Grand Central, make sure to check out the beautiful ceiling, and also just take a moment to stand and observe. One thing you’ll notice is how quiet it is for how many people are in there; it’s really pretty beautiful to notice the calm amongst the bustle of people.
From Grand Central, you can make your way up 5th Avenue and head to Rockefeller Center. During Christmas time, 5th Avenue and the Rockefeller Christmas tree are definitely things you want to see, so do incorporate these into your trip. The Christmas tree is a sight to see, whether it’s during the day, or when it’s lit up at night. It’s also really fun to look at the window displays, especially the ones at Saks 5th Avenue. Do note that many of these displays come down on January 2nd, but the lights usually stay up. Also while you’re on 5th Avenue, do some shopping; however, don’t spend all of your money here because we have other fabulous places to shop as well.
Once you’ve made it to Rockefeller Center and you’ve seen the tree, do visit Top of the Rock. Having visited both the Empire State Building and Top of the Rock, I would say that the reason I like Top of the Rock more is because you actually get a view of the Empire State Building in addition to the rest of the skyline. You really can’t go wrong with either, but that’s just my two cents. Also, at Top of the Rock, do visit the upper observatory levels first; the top level definitely has the best view and it doesn’t have clear barriers making your pictures blurry or reflective, so it’s for sure the best place to go.
After seeing the city from above, head a couple of blocks uptown to MoMA. A big do for me is visiting the Museum of Modern Art. While there are many great museums in NYC, and you should visit more than one if you have the chance, MoMA is my favorite. It is full of infamous paintings like Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Monet’s waterlily paintings that take up huge walls. I would also say do visit the museum with an art history minor if you know one (thanks Mom!), but even if you don’t know all that much about art, you can definitely go just to experience it and appreciate the beautiful and interesting pieces.
Even just staying around Midtown, you have many options as far as where to go next. One classic spot that you can’t miss is Times Square. Do go to Times Square, and do take in (and take pictures) of the lights. But honestly, don’t waste too much time here; there are a lot of people, the shopping isn’t all that great, and the restaurants aren’t all that amazing either (it’s a lot of big name restaurants that you can pretty much find in any city in America). Also, don’t let the off-brand characters walking around convince you into taking pictures with them unless you want to pay. My favorite part of Times Square is how close it is to the Theatre District, so with that, let’s go there next.
Do go see Broadway shows while you’re in NYC. I cannot stress this enough. While the allure of seeing big name shows that have been around for a while like Wicked and The Lion King can be appealing, I would honestly recommend seeing shows that either haven’t traveled nationally yet, or are having limited runs on Broadway. Also, do see shows starring famous actors and actresses if you can. While I was there, I saw Falsettos and Waitress, and they were both phenomenal. I wanted to see Falsettos because it was having a limited run that ended shortly after I left, and it starred Broadway greats like Christian Borle and Andrew Rannells, who I love from other Broadway and tv shows. Waitress was also an amazing show that made me feel all the feels, from happy to sad, and I would just strongly recommend it to anyone and everyone (also the music is amazing, thank you Sara Bareilles). While you’re in NYC, do enter the Hamilton ticket lottery every day that you can, but don’t get your hopes up (like I did) because they only give out 21 tickets per show; but who knows, you might be one of those lucky 21.
I can almost promise you that to get the full experience out of everything I’ve listed above, you couldn’t possibly visit all the places or do all the things in one day; and we haven’t even left Midtown yet. There is much more left to do on a trip to New York, but I’ve decided to make this a little mini-series, so as not to overwhelm anyone. So do keep your eyes out for another New York travel post coming soon. Until then, I’ll be looking at flights so that I can go back soon, just in case you need to find me!
XOXO, Chloe
Stylish and Starving at Twenty Something
Stylish and Starving At Twenty-Something 