It’s a tradition, we celebrate specials birthdays in NYC with a girl’s trip. This year was Sweet 16, and we packed lots of adventure in while visiting the Big Apple! Traveling with teens can be lots of fun and full of adventure, but a good plan always helps!
Itinerary: Day 1
This day was spent near the condo we were staying in on 96th Avenue. It’s near Park Avenue, Madison and 5th Avenue. We had late lunch at BG, the cafe at Bergdorf Goodman after shopping all of the different boutiques. Honestly, this is better suited for adult girl’s trip, as my picky eater was not a big fan of the menu. The drinks were really good. Valentino was hosting a special pop up and each floor had full displays- coffee carts, flower trucks handing out full bouquets, pastry carts. She was just as happy with those, and it was all free!
We then went to the Times Square area and ate at The RagTrader in the garment district. Such a cool old building that was once a fabric factory. The cauliflower steak was amazing, and of course I had to order The Charleston cocktail! From here, we went to Times Square to see Hamilton. AMAZING! Go if you are in NYC!
Day 2
The day of 20,000 steps! We started the day at The Color Factory. It was fun for all ages. I recommend this or The Musuem of Ice Cream, both are creative musuems and a great break for the non shoppers. We then went to eat at Pietro Nolita, one of my favs. It is ALL pink with a few choice words in their logo, but we all loved our food. This was SOHO day. We stopped into the Gucci store, they change up the displays every few months and are worth the visit. We just missed the full swimming pool they had inside recently.
As for dinner, well, I followed a blogger’s advice and we went to Cantina Rooftop. Follow mine, and maybe skip this unless you are looking for very loud music with a DJ and people walking around offering shots of tequila. Not really what we had in mind, my 16 year old was a bit overwhelmed.
Day 3
Day 3 was designated shopping day for this NYC girl’s trip. We walked Central Park near our condo that morning and then headed to brunch at Beauty and Essex. The coolest spot! I had a cocoa puffs espresso martini and we split the donuts before ordering red velvet pancakes, croque monsieur and tomato soup grilled cheese bites. Delish! The fact that you walk through a pawn shop to get there, I love that place.
Other highlights of the day include: Canal Street shopping (skip this you can do it in Times Square now), lots of Zara shopping, stopping in so many boutiques, and ending at Ellen’s Stardust Diner for an early meal. That place is so fun and the waiters are so talented, you are there for the entertainment not the food really. We made last minute decision and ordered tickets to Dear Evan Hansen.(Half loved, half did not. Excellent acting, depressing subject)
Day 4
The least planned and perhaps most fun day! We started by shopping in Hudson Yards (honestly the best Zara- clean and not packed), and then we walked the Highline. Took a detour to hit the Chelsea Market, a great place for a bite to eat if you are hungry. We went through the vendors mart. We then explored the Meatpacking District- my new fav! It’s not packed and so clean. We ate at RH (Restoration Hardware) and had a celebrity sighting too. (some real housewife lady) The meal and the atmosphere were amazing. Highly recommend!
A few questions from followers:
Is it safe? Yes, we felt safe for the most part. We took the subway one day, and that was enough. It was a little scary with a delusional man trying to fight a guy next to us. I am not sure I would do again. This and Times Square did not feel as safe as they used to in previous trips, everything else felt fine.
Uber vs. Taxi- Taxi, hands down. I was surcharged after Hamilton, and the uber ride ended up costing $100. Even the driver told us not to use them that taxis are way less expensive.
Must dos? Broadway Play, every time I go. It’s a must on the list. Most of the time I am happy doing TKTS or walking up to a theater for last minute tickets. Hamilton was a bucket list item for me, so I ordered them ahead of time. If you plan to get a last minute ticket, the TKTS booth at SouthStreet Seaprt is the least crowded. (Make sure it’s open)
Must eat? Beauty and Essex was super fun. Next time, I’d like to go to the Polo Bar, reservation by phone only. Ralph’s coffee us a great spot to start the day. And of course, you have to get bagels. Essa Bagel is the most often recommended, we were staying close to Grameisters, and it was delish! We didn’t make it to Laduree, Cipriani, Eataly or Balthazar this time, those are favs too. Big John’s Pizza in Times Square is a tourist spot, but in a cool old church. It’s enormous.
Want more? Check out my Instgram page and highlights tab for day to day scenes from the city during our trip. Find more travels here too.
