Vacation Vagabonds Guide: NYC in 48 Hours

New York City – A dazzling skyline, compact boroughs, streets packed with interesting shops, and unique people. In all its multifaceted angles, there are a thousand ways to “do” a trip to NYC. We decided to tackle the City in 48 hours and experience as much of it as we could in one short weekend. And boy did we pack in a lot! We took an urban wandering approach to experiencing NYC in the fall and let the structure of the city guide our daily journeys à pied.

Evening: Nightlife. We arrived into the city in the evening and headed directly to dinner in the Upper East Side at Candle 79 for an unbelievable fine-dining experience and vegan, organic plates. Stephanie was especially excited to dine here because loves the chef’s cookbook! Afterwards, our good friend currently living in New York joined up to show us a night out on the town. We were ambitious and traversed half of the city from East Village to Chinatown to Brooklyn.

   

Morning: Weekend brunching is part of the NYC lifestyle. We highly recommend a casual brunch at Jack’s Wife Freda in West Village. This charming yet understated American-Mediterranean bistro is super popular with locals and tourists alike. We ordered their Eggs Benny, Madame Freda, and cappuccinos with cute “coffee art” to go with.

  

Afternoon: Wander West Village past local outdoor markets, small neighborhood parks, and high end boutiques.  Charming brick winding streets lined with old brick buildings give the area a lovely laid back feel. Seasonal veggies and homemade goodies were displayed in stalls at an outdoor neighborhood market. We also hopped into a few shops to browse their fall/winter collections, including Intermix, Maje, and Sandro (some of Stephanie’s favorites).

   

Afternoon: Explore Chelsea Market. This indoor urban space includes a diverse food market and local arts scene. It’s also one of New York’s hot spots for unique antiques, collectibles, and vintage clothing. Chelsea Market was a fun pit stop and great entry point to access the High Line.

Afternoon: Walk the High Line. The High Line is an elevated freight line turned walkway that runs from Ganesvoort St. up the West Side. The walkway offers pedestrians an urban oasis and a different perspective of the city. Expect crowds in the afternoon, especially on a sunny day, and great people watching. You can hop on/off the High Line at several access points, but we walked the path in its entirety.

   

Afternoon: Times Square and shopping. If you didn’t take a picture in Times Square, did you even really go to New York? This tourist packed mecca is one for the books, and while we don’t love most overcrowded tourist attractions, we felt like this was still a NYC bucket list must. The Square is full of New York’s famed hustle and bustle energy, and the massive flashing billboards are also dazzling by night.

   

Afternoon: In NYC, you’ll walk. A lot. What was meant to be a rather short cab ride from Times Square back to our place turned into an adventure in itself. As hard as we tried one late afternoon, we couldn’t hail a taxi (they were all full!) and decided to take the city blocks by foot. We walked all the way back from Times Square to the Upper East Side and on the way passed interesting architecture and notable New York landmarks including the New York Public Library, Bryant Park, and designer shops on Park Ave.

   

Evening:  Sip a cocktail at an upscale rooftop bar. The Press Lounge came highly acclaimed by local friends. To get there, take the elevator up to the 16th floor at the Ink48 Hotel. You’ll be rewarded by panoramic views of the city and the Hudson River. We sipped on cocktails poolside and caught the sun setting over the city and stayed for a beautiful full moon rise.

Evening: Dine in Hell’s Kitchen. With a lot of restaurant variety in the area, it can be hard to choose where to stop. We popped into a Thai restaurant called Obao, which had amazing and affordable plates plus a hip club-like ambiance. Take a stroll around Hell’s Kitchen past late night restaurants and bars up to Times Square to experience the neon-lit block by night. On the way out of of the tourist-packed Square, we discovered a reverse happy hour at Bar Catalina (675 9th Ave A) and stayed for bubbly rose and impromptu dancing with the bar staff. Go for great happy hour/reverse happy hour options and a fun cozy vibe!

Morning: Local coffee spot. Strolled around Upper East Side to Birch Coffee, a local coffee chain, to get our morning dose of caffeine. Not only is Birch Coffee delicious, but the company also purchases coffee beans from sustainable farms around the world with the aim of “making the coffee industry a fair and sustainable one.” Oh, and the pastries! You know we had to try the gourmet Texas-sized donuts. We split a dulce de leche donut and our taste buds got sent to heaven.

   

Afternoon: Pop into the Plaza Hotel & stroll Central Park. The Plaza Hotel dominates the square at the lower end of Central Park. Inside the revolving glass doors, you’ll be rewarded with giant chandeliers and the definition of New York luxury. From there, walk into the park past ponds, bridges, and benches. You may also discover some tucke treasures like the Alice in Wonderland statue and the Belvedere Castle. On your way out of the Park, walk down the grand avenues on the West and East peripheries with adorned facades that will definitely inspire major home design envy.

   

   

Evening: On the road again. Hail a taxi or ride sharing service directly from your phone to catch a ride back to airport. While Uber and Lyft are good ride sharing options, many New Yorkers use Gett and Via. Vacation Vagabond tip: First time Gett users will get $20 off their first ride by entering the code GTTEGOT. First time Via users will get $10 off their first ride with referral code stephanie6j7b. Until next time, New York!

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