Meagan, our lovely Brand Director, recently traveled to New York with her husband (and their besties) to celebrate their 6-year wedding anniversary. New York, in Meagan’s eyes, is all about the food – and lots of it! Think of the perfect couples’ getaway, with 2-dinners each night and a lot less sightseeing and a lot more shopping (because if you have a 2-year-old at home, you know shopping is mostly out of the question, so they did it up!). If you’re up for a trip full of comedy clubs, underground restaurants with reported Beyonce sightings and secret speakeasies, this is your type of guide.
Here’s how Meags thinks you should spend 3 days in New York City. Also, take note of some of these hot spots. Proper reservations are a must!
Read on for our Brand Director’s take on the perfect weekend spent in NYC…
Details
Flight
The older we get, the more red-eyes become our worst nightmare. Do yourself a solid and take a direct day flight to JFK. Though slightly more expensive, you’ll thank us.
Stay
The Ludlow / Lower East Side location and within walking distance to Nolita and SoHo. The best rooms are the Loft King with the Terrace (for warmer months) and Skybox Loft (for the winter).
Day 1 / Flatiron & NoHo
Breakfast
Walk over to Two Hands in Nolita for a quick breakfast. This place is a great stop for avocado toast, acai bowls and cappuccinos. Once you finish up, head to the Prince St. train station and take the train to 23 Street Station Uptown & Queens. We’d be failing you if we didn’t note that Prince St. Pizza is right by here. If you find yourself wandering in this area again and your stomach is growling of hunger, grab a quick slice. Let it be known that “some” argue this to be the best slice (square) of pizza in New York.
Activity
Once you get off the train, you’re in a primo shopping area—think Madewell, Lululemon, Zara, ABC Home. If you’re not a shopper or finished up shopping, head over to the Empire State building. Yes, it’s touristy, but they’ve actually done a wonderful job building out their museum and the views are the best in the city. Plus, you’ll feel like Blaire Waldorf and who doesn’t want that?!
Lunch
Eataly / Are you ready for your next meal yet? Walk over to Eataly and either make an advance reservation at one of the interior restaurants or walk up and sit at one of the pasta bars. Try to go on a weekday, the weekends are extra crowded!
Dinner
La Esquina / Go here for your underground experience. La Esquina is a Nolita-based Mexican food restaurant—there’s two restaurants here, one on the street level and one underground. Make a reservation for the underground location and head here for a true-New York hot spot. How cool is this… you have to walk through a tunnel of stairs then the main kitchen before being led into the dining space. Expect vibing music, dim lighting, cocktails so good you forget how many you had, and possible celebs. This place is worth your time!
Activity
Comedy Cellar / After you’re done with dinner, head over to the Comedy Cellar for a 10:30 show. There are two locations, so be sure to make a res in advance for the original location. If you’ve watched Crashing or any other comedy show, the Comedy Cellar is a place for comedy’s elite. Once the show opens up, you have to put your phone on airplane mode and seal it in a bag. There are a lot of celebrity pop-ins wanting to work out new material, so don’t trust the original line-up. Whenever someone big walks in, they bump everyone for later in the night. It’s a worthwhile 2-drink minimum. Expect to cry-laugh on multiple occasions and don’t sit in the front unless you want jokes made about your outfit. Yes, go here!
Day 2 / Central Park & Broadway
Brunch
Maison Pickle / Wake up and take an Uber here. Maison Pickle is a brunch dream. Think photo worthy cocktails, upbeat music and pull apart buns with honey. This place is so stinking good, you might need to skip lunch… maybe. I don’t know though, you do you girl. This is a FOOD trip after all. Just promise us you’ll order the pull apart buns.
Activity
After finishing up, you’ll be right by a few things: The Guggenheim (Modern Art Museum), Central Park (you can rent bikes and ride around the park), or Broadway. Whatever feels right, we support you.
Dinner #1
Ippudo / There’s no New York without ramen. Ippudo is like the PF Changs for ramen (ok, might’ve just offended someone with this reference, but you’ll get it if you go) and a perfect restaurant to take those that don’t always vibe with ramen. We vibe with ramen though and their pork broth is what dreams are made of. There are lots of good/holer ramen spots out there, but this one fit the bill for our ramen-loving crew. At this point, maybe head back to the hotel and gather yourself for dinner #2? Just a thought!
Late Dinner #2
ABC Kitchen / Ready for your second dinner? To juxtapose perfectly with dinner #1, ABC kitchen is a dimly light, slightly romantic, farm-to-table spot. The menu is filled with lots of vegetable-forward dishes, plenty of wine and a pastry situation so good, you’ll want to stay all night.
After Dinner Drinks
AttaBoy / Get your second wind and head here around 10pm. Knock on the weird door and wait for someone to come out (check yelp to establish what the “weird door” looks like). Add your name to the list and they’ll call you when there’s a spot for you. Once you get a spot, you’ll be let into a dark and narrow speakeasy so cool, you’ll be telling your grandkids about it. They don’t do menus here, so expect the bartender to come up and ask you what you like. The vibe is so good, you forget what time you got there… just a heads up.
Day 3 / Brooklyn
Breakfast
Jack’s Wife Freda / Wake up and walk on over to this cute little breakfast place that will put you in the best mood – they have three locations in the city, so take your pick. The steak and eggs were definitely something to write home about, you’ll see.
Activity
Shop around Nolita + SoHo / There are some great little stops here—We like Sezane, Glossier, Everlane, AmourVert, Clare V., Credo, Detox Market. Or, stop into Happy Bones… a cute little coffee stop. Don’t worry, our crew is a bunch of coffee snobs and this was vetted properly. Once you’ve finished up, uber or take the train over the bridge to Williamsburg Brooklyn. We’ll spend the rest of our trip here!
Lunch + Activity
Time to explore a new area! Williamsburg, Brooklyn is the cutest little hub of cute shops + eats and residential neighborhoods. With the water nearby, there are great look-outs and walking trails that give you a lovely view of the city. As you make your way walking through the neighborhood, we’d recommend stopping into Diner (open Friday-Sunday for lunch) along the way for a bite. It’s a great little burger/salad place with a cool interior vibe… the restaurant is in an old diner car. Once you’ve finished up, stop into CatBird with your bestie and get “zapped.” It’s the perfect little souvenir to head home with!
Dinner
Lilia / To end your trip in Williamsburg, snag a very popular dinner res at Lilia and enjoy the best pasta of your life! Seriously, the reviews on this place are solid and some mention it’s one of the best meals in New York… and probably the best way to end your trip. Once you’ve finished up, take an Uber back to NYC and take in your last night of the city. New York is such a special place and we hope you enjoyed our little 3-day trip!
Thanks so much for following along! If you do end up inspired by this log and plan your next trip, please DM us photos and rub it in our face about how much fun you’re having! We’ll love it! xx