We spent a casual, romantic week in NYC celebrating our wedding anniversary. It was my first time visiting New York for pleasure rather than work. Here are a few places we visited during our trip! For restaurants, bakeries & cafes we visited, click on the links for my previous posts.

Watch a show

We saw an evening showing of the musical, Book of Mormon after hearing about this for so long, but never having the chance to see it. Hamilton is also a very popular show to see. We took the subway back towards our Airbnb afterwards and risked a trip to Milkbar as the rolling thunder and lightning threatened rain. We made it back just in time with our soft serve before it started to pour.

top of the rock

On our anniversary night, we decided to check out sunset golden hour at the Top of the Rock at the Rockefeller building. Luckily, we headed up an hour before golden hour before the crowds became denser. There are two viewing decks. While most people will head up to the top deck, I’d highly recommend the view on the lower deck. It’s better! Stand between the glass panels where there’s an opening. It’s the perfect spot to fit your camera lens without capturing any glass!

the morgan library & museum

We decided to visit the Morgan Library after seeing some beautiful photos online. The entry fee was on the pricey end, but nevertheless a fun stop to explore during the day. It’s amazing to think that one individual used to own this entire collection.

Central Park

A romantic stroll through Central Park, followed by a mini picnic and nap made for a relaxing afternoon. We came across a violinist who was playing several of Vivaldi’s pieces and we couldn’t help but listen for a while and take a seat on the nearby benches.

Chelsea MARKET

Our Airbnb was conveniently close to Chelsea Market, which has several restaurants and stores. It was a great spot for a quick bite to eat and if we were feeling like a more casual meal. One of our favorite noodle places, Very Fresh Noodles is here.

explore the cute neighborhoods of west village and greenwich

We took a casual, long walk through West Village and Greenwich, dropping by Via Carota, our new favorite pasta restaurant along the way. There are several beautiful homes, framed by the tree-covered streets. We found the apartment from the TV show, Friends and enjoyed the ambiance at Washington Square Park, where a pianist entertained several onlookers while another artist sang in another corner. This was one of my favorite parks in NYC, aside from Central Park.

harney & sons (soho)

It’s been on my bucket list to visit Harney & Sons in person ever since a friend of mine gave me a tin of their rose scented tea. They have an extensive collection of teas all along the walls and the lady who helped us with tea selections knew every single tea in store. We walked out with two new teas including a Vietnamese Kim Tuyen Black and a Golden Yinzhen from Yunnan.

the highline

We walked the entire Highline on one of our sunny, warm days in NYC. The Highline is an elevated park that’s been converted from a former rail line. It’s lined with greenery and offers vantage points of the city above the streets.

grand central terminal

After exploring East Village, we walked to Grand Central Terminal. It’s a sight to behold inside and crazy enough, an entire wing upstairs was dedicated to the Apple Store. If you’re traveling, the wifi here is pretty awesome too. I loved the market and the stores here. We basked in the AC here given the heat outside, which made it a nice respite for an hour or so.

eataly

After hearing so much about this place, we decided to see Eataly for ourselves. It’s comprised of several restaurants and one large market selling Italian foods, fresh cannoli, and the best selection of charcuterie ingredients I’ve seen in one place. Everything is little on the pricey side, but fun for a one time visit.

9/11 memorial

We paid our respects at the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan. It’s a worthwhile visit. It’s nice that they place white roses on the birthdays on the names of those who died.

walk across the brooklyn bridge

We had the pleasure of walking across the bridge at sunrise and sunset. If you’re looking to have the bridge mostly to yourself and interested in dodging all the tourists, I’d recommend coming for sunrise. There’s nothing more magical than watching the world around you light up in gold.

But if you’re up for sunset or when it’s dark, the bridge and its surrounding parks are beautiful too. Be sure to walk near the Empire Fulton Ferry Lawn which has a spectacular skyline and bridge view. There’s also Jane’s Carousel and a few restaurants in the area.