MURRRRRRRRR’ ‘KRRRIIPPPMMASSSSSS!!!!!!
The trip of all trips. A bucket list item. A dream come true. All of these things are true of a trip to New York City for the Christmas season. With the extremely high expectations also come some forgotten realities– and I am your girl to share those with you all! So, keep reading to find out what is up with this hectic, joyful, stressful, freezing, beautiful, amazing city of lights!
Kamron had been in basic training/technical school since June. We had gotten engaged, and were planning a December wedding (December 28th to be exact). I was working 60 hour weeks as a hospice nurse, and attending school full time. I mean… Let’s throw a mom & daughter trip to NYC in there two weeks before the wedding! Why not?! Allllllll of that to say- if WE can make it happen, YOU can make it happen!
Flights to New York have never been extremely pricey for us, so I would not stress about monitoring price drops like your life depends on it. The prices will be what they are for the Holiday season (not much wiggle room there). NONETHELESS- Use that Hopper app to ensure you are getting a great deal! (The closer that you get to New Years, the pricier the tickets will be). We chose December 11th through the 15th. Even as busy as it was I think that we were smart to not go the week OF or the week immediately following Christmas. All of the same sights are there, y’all! It’s Christmas in New York as soon as the turkey is off the table at Thanksgiving- so you won’t be missing anything to go in early December *wink wink*
Day 1:
Landing in Newark airport (I prefer JFK) just after lunch, we knew we had to get this bulky luggage checked into the hotel before we could be free to roam! If you read my previous New York City post, you’ll know I have mixed feelings about utilizing taxis and Ubers in the city. The prices just get so ridiculous, because you can easily get caught in traffic (& these services are just charging away the longer you are in the vehicle). However, it is hard to beat the convenience of a taxi being right outside the airport after a long flight! So off we went in our stinky taxi. You just have to bite the bit sometimes! Destination- 3 West Club! My mom had booked our hotel this go around, which was such a blessing because I could not even think straight for the weeks leading up to this trip… 3 West Club was a nice twist from a normal, mainstream hotel chain. It is the most gorgeous, classic hotel, and gives you all of the New York vibes! I REALLY enjoyed the unique experience and the rich history of the building. At around $215 per night it is obviously not the cheapest option, but it does have some added perks for the cost! SEE WHY BELOW! [Location: 3 West 51st Street, New York, NY]
This gem is nestled directly between Saint Thomas Church and Rockefeller Center, and is just behind Radio City Music Hall. Talk about all of the Christmas feels!!! I cannot recommend enough booking a stay in the general area of East 47th-East 54th Street. This area will keep you within close walking distance of your main Christmas attractions, and still have you close to midtown (which is the happening spot to be in my opinion)!
Of course, we spent our first night taking in the famous Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center! I won’t sugarcoat it for ya’… the crowds are shoulder to shoulder for these events, so don’t expect the Pinterest portrayed images of “not a soul around” in the photos (I am not convinced they don’t photoshop those to be honest) *insert eye roll emoji* The views are just as gorgeous though. I was not prepared for how pretty everything would be- it really is magical! Christmas tree, oh, Christmas tree…
Location: 600 5th Avenue between 49th and 50th Street Rockefeller Center
Standing directly beside the Christmas Tree (literally looking up at it) you can turn around and see the famous FAO Schwarz toy store! I will be honest with you all. I had giant hopes for this store. I imagined it being just like the toy store portrayed in ‘Big’ and ‘Elf’. It was more like a JcPenneys with only toys on the shelves, and everyone is three years old & screaming at the top of their lungs. It was worth it to head upstairs and stand on the floor piano that Tom Hanks played is jingle on in the iconic film! I mean, you are there- you might as well experience it, right?!
Low quality picture, high quality memory.
Leaving the toy store and looking back out onto the Rockefeller skating rink- we have more places to see folks! If you pop across the road there, you can take view of the AWESOME Saks on Fifth light show. Portrayed right on the side of their building- it is a killer design. I think we watched it a few times- it’s a MUST! Now… Heading southeast on West 50th Street, we are walking a short 0.1 miles to the Radio City Music Hall. This is where the true concentration of Christmas décor is! Radio City Music Hall, & the Exxon building (being home to your red Christmas ornaments)– COME ON SANTA WE LOVE ALL OF THIS CHRISTMAS SPIRIT!!!
Location: 1260 6th Avenue, New York, NY
Now. This is important! Two words: MAGNOLIA BAKERY. We could not get enough to this place, guys. We probably stopped through once a day, every day. The banana pudding is knock your socks off amazing. They even out did the south on their nanner’ puddin’. It is so good. So good. I recommend stopping through and ordering one of everything on the menu while you cruise the streets *kisses* (Warning: Their hot chocolate is NOT sweet. It is like melted dark chocolate in a cup) Shop the shops, walk the walks- the city never sleeps… but we did because #exhausted.
Day 2:
We had more of Central Park to see spinning off from our last trip to New York. We knew for sure this is something that we wanted to do with our day, but did not plan anything else in particular. (This entire trip was kind of played out day by day- I needed a break from wedding planning) This ended up being one of my favorite days though! Keep reading, loves!
Taking our friendly and beloved subway to the west side of Manhattan *see Bite of the Big Apple post for subway/city guides*. To 201 West 83rd Street, to be exact. We wanted to grab some coffee for the day. What a trip to make for some coffee in the city, right?! Yes and no. Café Lalo. Have you seen that sweet Meg Ryan & Tom Hanks film, ‘You’ve Got Mail’?! THIS IS THEIR CAFE! I have a thing for finding cute little filming spots if I can help it. It’s just cool to know, “Hey! We have been there in that exact spot!” As awesome as it was to visit, their beverages and snacks were nothing to call home about. Again, the hot chocolate was unsweet & dark (you’d think we would learn our lesson, eh).
Café Lalo did drop us in the lap of the hidden gems of all hidden gems. JACOB’S PICKLES. I will dine here every single time I am in Manhattan from now on- it made the keeper list. The food is absolutely exquisite. Order everything that scares you, and prepare yourself to be amazed. Lord have mercy! Location: 509 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY
I cannot recall what the plates were exactly. I do know that we just ordered the chef special for that day (following the waiter’s recommendations), and everything was pumpkin flavored & Heavenly. PUT IT ON YOUR BUCKET LIST!
As we waddled toward Central Park we made our way past the American Museum of Natural History– it is always incredible just to look at! It’s such a great starting point to enter into Central Park, I cannot stress that enough! Just through the first walkway going south inside the park, you will pass a large pond on your left… We stopped here to climb the rock platform for some photos. I wish I knew the exact location, but it was just one of those spots you find along the way!
Walking down the main West Drive through Central Park you will pass by Strawberry Fields Memorial at 72nd Street Station if you fancy a stop! We had our minds set on Gapstow Bridge! I was so eager to have a photo with this bridge, guys! It is just one of those iconic spots for me for some reason! Featured in movies such as Cruel Intentions, The Devil Wears Prada, Home Alone 2, Weekend at Bernie’s, Anger Management, the list goes on! You will be treated to a sweet surprise before you get there though! The Wollman Ice Rink is just before Gapstow Bridge, and makes for a sweet spot to people watch! We contemplated skating as the crowds were not as packed as the Rockefeller rink, but decided against it this time. Looking back, I wish we would have just tried our hand at it! You should! On to Gapstow, soldiers!
Wollman Rink @ 830 5th Avenue, New York, NY 
Great views of the city from Wollman Rink 
By far my favorite view of the city 
Central Park Zoo is a quick cut East from this location if that is something you are interested in seeing! We were headed to the shopping of all shopping! It’s mandatory to walk around with a shopping bag at Christmas time, guys! Being a huge fan of the TV series ‘Friends’ I just HAD to see Bloomingdales for myself! You, too? Let’s go! Leaving Gapstow Bridge head southeast on East 62nd Street going towards Madison Avenue. You could also exit Central Park onto 5th Avenue and swing by the Apple Store on 5th, Bergdorf Goodmans, Tiffany & Co., and Trump Tower! This will add a bit of mileage onto your trip to Bloomingdales, but would be worth it if you are a first time visitor! Bloomingdales is so out of our price range, but I definitely sampled all of the fancy perfumes (hehehehe)! There is plenty of affordable shopping in close proximity so don’t worry!
Although we did not have prior reservations (& were still stuffed from brunch at Jacob’s Pickles) I would recommend taking the quick walk over to dine at Serendipity III if I were you! This is another favorite of ours, and is an amazing experience *see my Bite of the Big Apple post for more details*! We hopped the subway for a quick ride down to Grand Central Terminal- we knew we wanted to see it decorated for the holidays & it did not disappoint! Grand Central is a must stop on any bucket list guys- it’s so beautiful!
Leaving Grand Central Terminal you are directly across from the New York Public Library & Bryant Park. Stop on through! Bryant Park has a private, small skating rink within itself. It is also home to small, pop up shopping booths during the daytime (don’t worry, we are stopping here tomorrow!)
Day 3:
We got an early start on this particular day! Being that we had show tickets for later that evening- we wanted to get some traveling in before that! The only thing I could think about was W A F F L E S. Yes, waffles. Even more specifically- Wafels & Dinges. That’s not a typo folks- this truly Belgian stop is a delicious breakfast option. Located right inside of Bryant Park it is a nice outside bite before you stroll the little pop-up shops! Yum, yum, yum! [Location: 6th Avenue & West 42nd Street, New York, NY]
A couple of options for this next bit. You could walk a few blocks straight down to see the Empire State Building, and then take a quick taxi farther down to the famous Flatiron Building (this is an iconic photo op spot). OR- you could just jump onto the subway and head down to our next stop. Washington Square Park.
Washington Square Park is just one of those places you have to see once in your life, and especially to say that you have been to the city of New York. I will warn you, however, that it is pretty ghetto. The monument itself is stunning, but the immediate area surrounding it is crawling with homeless. More heavily than anywhere else in the city from what we had seen in previous trips. So, when visiting this area just be aware! New York University is also in the immediate surroundings- so the coffee houses, comedy clubs, and jazz bars are banging! DO Cookie Dough is just a few streets over if you can stand another sweet bite to eat! We had something else in mind though *stay tuned*
Destination: Lupa’s. The Italian food to trump all Italian food. This is the real deal, y’all. You know it’s good whenever you can’t even read the menu. This is a hole in the wall place, but it is a treasure! The staff was so helpful in deciphering the menu, and the environment was excellent! A great local find! Location: 170 Thompson Street, New York, NY.
Cappelletti pasta w/ pumpkin squash and brown sauce 
Orecchiette pasta w/ duck & lamb glazed in red sauce
*TIP! Cappelletti is known as “pope’s hat” pasta/// Orechhiette is known as “little ear” pasta*
We had dinner and show to make, so we headed back to the room to get out of our street wear! Radio City Music Hall is host to the Rockettes and the annual Christmas Spectacular Show. This is a great alternative option for a Broadway show during the Holidays! Being much cheaper than your mainstream Broadway plays, but still being an amazing, amazing experience. I would recommend this show to anyone of any age- it is that good! Tickets are purchased before the show to make your life easier! Maybe grab a snack from Magnolia Bakery to keep you warm while you wait in line! *Dress is church wear- nothing extremely fancy*
The show is probably an hour to an hour and a half long! Please, watch the clips on YouTube- it is so amazing!
For dinner we kind of ventured out of the way to eat at my must try spot- BlackTap! It was about a 0.5 mile walk- nothing too crazy! BlackTap was made famous by a Facebook video that went viral. They are known for their outrageous milkshakes! Their food is quite delicious, too! See for yourself! *insert heart eyes*
[Location: West 55th Street, New York, NY]
Day 4:
Truth time? My first trip to NYC years back… I was absolutely devastated to find out that ‘Central Perk’ did not actually anywhere in Manhattan (you know, the coffee shop from ‘Friends’). I guess I thought that it was an actual place, or that someone had at least created it by then. Big hopes, big dreams. Crushed. Hahahahaha. So, I settled for the next best thing after seeing Bloomingdale’s. The ‘Friends’ apartment! This was actually extremely exciting for me- if you are a fan of the show, put this stop on your list! This little tourist spot sits directly between Chelsea and SoHo at 90 Bedford Street, New York, NY. The entire neighborhood is actually super precious- like something off of TV *wink wink*
From this location it would be a straight shot downtown on the subway to a number of prime locations: the 9/11 Memorial, Battery Park (for the best views of the Statue of Liberty), Wall Street. Circling back heading uptown you could also swing through the New York Stock Exchange at 11 Wall Street, New York, NY. From here your best bet is to continue on the subway uptown to City Hall (taking Subway train N or R). City Hall puts you within walking distance to the Brooklyn Bridge!
*SIDE NOTE: It’s is C O L D up in here at this time of year. The wind will whip you to death just walking the streets. If you choose to brave a ferry out to Liberty/Ellis Island- just be bundled up extra, extra! The same applies for walking out onto the Brooklyn Bridge. It is guaranteed to be freezing. Go forth little popsicle. Do your thing!*
CHINATOWN: Oh, Chinatown. It should come with a beginner’s guide, honestly. This was a must stop for us on this trip because it is home to knock-off city. And ya’ girl NEEDED a knock-off Louis Vuitton purse, mmmkay?! I had friends from work send $100 a piece to get them some good finds as well. Merry Christmas to all!
Chinatown is wedged kind of caddy-corner in between Columbus Park & Sarah D. Roosevelt Park. The best and only way to approach it to get all of the shopping is to walk down via Canal Street. Canal Street runs horizontal across all of Lower Manhattan so it goes on, and on, and on. We came down from the ‘Friends’ apartment so we utilized the red 1 2 train & got off at the Canal Street stop. Each subway has a Canal Street stop, so let’s run some scenarios. If you were coming from the 9/11 Memorial- hop the blue A C E train uptown to Canal St. If you’re coming from a tour of Ellis/Liberty Island find the green 4 5 6 train uptown to Canal Street. Lastly, if you are coming from City Hall/ Brooklyn Bridge you will want the yellow N Q R W train uptown to Canal St. PLEASE SEE MY PREVIOUS NYC POST FOR BEGINNER TIPS ON VISITING THE CITY- IT IS VITAL!
We had a love- hate relationship with this endeavor. The walking is real. The roads are rough. The place is crowded. The folks selling the knock-off items are I N T E N S E. A few things to know and do before you attempt Chinatown… Cash talks! Grab a decent amount of cash before you get there (or utilize an ATM inside of a bank once you are there). Do not whip out your big bills in front of the people selling merch. They will take you for everything you have (LOL). Bargain with them, make the deal of your life. I ended up purchasing three LV bags, and two wallets in total. I got each bag for $50, wallets for $10-$15! Find the ones that you feel are the closest to the authentic thing, because they do differ in appearance from place to place. You could find just about anything here, guys! (I ended up buying a whole ass carry on luggage just to bring back stuff we had purchased while shopping- YIKES)
Little Italy village is also butted up against China Town. We did not go too far into this section, but I am certain it has so much to offer! Especially Italian food if that is what you are vibing! We were on a mission for some Chinese food! I love that we did this, because the reward was a prize! Made to order from a shop no bigger than a laundry room, and probably couldn’t pass a health inspection to save its life. This place was delicious! I wish I had jotted down where it was, or what it was called- but it was in the deeps of China Town & worth every mile walked.
Being our last full day in the city we just took it easy, and re-visited some of the previous Christmas scenery in midtown! There was a lot that I wish we had done on this trip: the major being going into Brooklyn! I said that back in 2017 whenever we visited, but still managed to skip over it! NEXT TIME THOUGH! NEXT TIME! Word on the street is that Brooklyn is home to the best views of Christmas lights. Dyker Heights in Brooklyn is on my bucket list for a Christmas trip- maybe you should see it for me and report back!
For views of the entire city: two things to consider here. Top of the Rock will get you views of Central Park AND the Empire State Building. Be mindful, that Central Park is best viewed when the sun is still shining, because it is dimly lit at night. The Empire State Building is the opposite! The Empire State Building is best viewed at night to capture the city lights! Both come with a steep cost, but you can purchase in advance online to save you a little. It’s worth it if you don’t plan on frequenting the city often!
Dinner options- it feels like I didn’t discuss dinner options much in this segment. That is mostly because it is so overwhelming to narrow down the abundant options- even for me! I recommend just utilizing the Yelp review app or Google Maps app to find highly reviewed options closest to you! We ate at Bill’s Bar & Burger for dinner, because it was close to our hotel (and was actually very delicious)! [Location: 16 West 51st Street, New York, NY] Angelo’s Pizza is also a great option for our neck of the woods, providing yummy pizza & pasta! [Location: 1697 Broadway, New York, NY] You cannot go wrong here, just do your research and be mindful of the letter rating at the entrance of each restaurant (we want an “A” rating for inspection)!
As always, utilize your Google Maps app for navigation, && your copy of the City Guide for the handy subway guide in the back of the book (still my favorite navigation tool for the subway). Purchase your 7-day Metro card immediately upon arrival into the city ($35 has you covered for the entire week, y’all) it’s saving you money I promise! *see my Bite of the Big Apple post for all of the beginner tips for a first time visit to the city*
The locals are so helpful if you ever find yourself lost or needing some help! Grab one that does not look particularly rushed, and just reach out for some advice! We are always shocked at how genuine and helpful the New Yorkers are- WE LOVE NYC! We hope that you will, too!
