New York: Week 1, New York Over View
New York was absolutely the place to be, and I have so many amazing things to say about it! This officially kicks off my NYC Blog Series, where I’ll be sharing 5 weeks of NYC awesomeness.
Here’s what’s coming:
Week 1 (This Week): Overview of the trip and flying arrangements
Week 2: My NYC food guide (aka everything we ate… haha)
Week 3: Street photography in the city
Week 4: Outfits and shopping (because if we’re going to NYC, you better believe we’re doing it in style)
Week 5: Museum visits and seeing The Book of Mormon on Broadway
This week we’re starting with the full overview of the trip. Buckle up, I’ll try to keep it short, but there’s a lot to talk about. I’ll be sharing my exact itinerary, where we went, and how much we loved everything so if you’re planning a trip to NYC yourself, this should give you a helpful starting point.
Let’s get into it!
Lets FLY
We were one of the first groups to experience the new Southwest travel policy, aka assigned seating. And when I tell you this was the most chaotic boarding experience of my life… I mean it. I have never seen something so bad in an airport. We got through BNA security just fine for our 6:30 a.m. flight on February 6th, 2026 and waited at our gate. Our boarding pass said we were in the newly updated Group 6. Naturally, we assumed this meant six other sections of the plane would board before us. The gate attendant explained that boarding would happen front to back, and we should line up with odd-numbered groups on one side of the rope and even-numbered groups on the other.
Right away, things felt a little off. To set the tone for the morning, the screens at the gate weren’t working, so there was already some confusion. Group 1 boarded, then Group 2. But by the time Group 3 started boarding, we noticed something strange, there weren’t that many people left waiting, even though we were nowhere near boarding yet and our seats weren’t in the back of the plane. Group 3 seemed massive.
Later we found out they weren’t actually boarding in order from Group 1 through Group 8 like they announced. They were basically just letting people on the plane. We waited patiently until Group 6 was called because, well… we didn’t know any better. But by the time we finally boarded, there was no overhead bin space left, and somehow there were already people seated in the back of the plane.
Let’s just say… it made it really hard to stay cheerful at 6:30 in the morning.
Day 1 in NYC
After arriving in the city, we dropped off our bags and headed out to start exploring.
Our first stop was brunch at Rosetta Bakery, where we grabbed a chocolate croissant, a turkey and cheese sandwich, and coffee.
Next we stopped at Target to grab a few things we needed for the trip before heading over to The Shops at Columbus Circle to walk around and browse some stores.
While we were there we visited Lik Gallery and the Museum of Arts and Design, which was such a cool stop for anyone who loves art and design.
After that we spent some time walking around Central Park, which is always one of the best ways to slow down and enjoy the city.
Of course we had to stop at Magnolia Bakery for something sweet.Their famous desserts are worth the hype.
Later in the afternoon we checked into our hotel, dropped our things off, and headed over to The Metropolitan Museum of Art to explore one of the most iconic museums in the city.
After a long day of walking, we went back to the hotel to freshen up before dinner at The Smith.
To finish the night, we grabbed one more sweet treat back at the hotel before calling it a day.
Links for Day 1 Locations
• Empire Hotel: https://www.empirehotelnyc.com
• Rosetta Bakery: https://www.rosettabakery.com
• The Shops at Columbus Circle: https://www.theshopsatcolumbuscircle.com
• LIK Fine Art Gallery: https://lik.com/pages/new-york-gallery
• Museum of Arts and Designhttps://madmuseum.org
• Central Park: https://www.centralparknyc.org
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art: https://www.metmuseum.org
• Magnolia Bakery: https://www.magnoliabakery.com
• The Smith: https://thesmithrestaurant.com
📍 Open the Route in Google Maps
You can explore the route here:
This route is roughly 3–4 miles of walking total, which is a perfect NYC exploring day.
Day 2 in NYC
We started the day with coffee at Starbucks to wake up before a busy day of exploring and shopping. This was the coldest day here, it was also my birthday! Happy 23 to me!
Next, we had brunch at The Little Hen, where the food was cozy and delicious, the perfect start to a cold NYC morning.
To warm up, because I physically could not feel my anythign, we wandered into shops along Broadway and SoHo, checking out some of our favorite boutiques like Aritzia, Aerie, and my absolute favorite, Mure + Grand. After some shopping, we stopped at Cut and Cropped, a charming jewelry shop where we created custom Italian charm bracelets, such a fun NYC souvenir.
Later, we visited the Color Factory, a bright and interactive art museum (we also considered the Museum of Ice Cream, but the Color Factory won our hearts).
For lunch, we grabbed pizza at John’s of Bleecker Street, then stopped by The Cupcake Bake Shop for something sweet. We continued shopping in the afternoon at Greenwich Letterpress and Colorful Natalie, both full of unique stationery, colorful pieces, and NYC charm.
After returning to the hotel to freshen up, we headed out for the evening to see the Broadway show The Book of Mormon, followed by dinner at Bocca di Bacco. We ended the night back at the Empire Hotel to rest up for the next day of adventure.
Links for Day 2 Locations
• The Little Hen: https://www.littlehen.co
• Mure + GrandWebsite: https://mureandgrand.comInstagram:https://instagram.com/mureandgrand
• Cut and Cropped Instagram:https://instagram.com/cutandcroppednyc
• Color Factory:https://www.colorfactory.co
• John’s of Bleecker Street: https://www.johnsofbleecker.com
• The Cupcake Bake Shop:https://www.thecupcakebakeshop.com
• Greenwich Letterpress: https://greenwichletterpress.comInstagram:https://instagram.com/greenwichletterpress
• Colorful Natalie: https://www.colorfulnatalie.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/colorfulnatalie
• The Book of Mormon (Broadway): https://bookofmormonbroadway.com
• Bocca di Bacco: https://www.boccadibacconyc.com
📍 Open the Route in Google Maps
You can explore the walking route here:
This route is roughly 4–5 miles of walking total, which makes for a busy but perfectly NYC‑filled day!
Day 3 in NYC
We started the morning with coffee at Starbucks to fuel up for our final day in the city.
Next, we met up with Jimmy's best friend Andy for brunch at Rosa Mexicano, a lively spot with delicious Mexican brunch options, the perfect mid-morning meal before exploring more of NYC.
After brunch, we headed to The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) to see some iconic art and take in a little culture. It was a dream come true to see the famous Starry Night and The Persistence of Time, I stood in awe of these images for so long.
For lunch (or a late lunch/early snack), we stopped at Shinjuku Ramen for some comforting ramen bowls, and because it was cold out we sure needed it.
Afterwards, we wandered through Times Square, stopping by the M&M Store and doing some fun shopping at the Harry Potter Store, LEGO Store, and Hershey’s Chocolate World, perfect spots for souvenirs. While at the M&M store there is the option to have your face printed on a M&M so of course I took that opportunity.
For dinner, we grabbed a bite at Tick Tock Diner, a classic NYC diner with an iconic retro vibe.This was not my favorite spot we ate, but even my trips are not perfect.
Later, we headed to Macy’s Herald Square for a quick shopping trip before returning to the hotel for a photo shoot to wrap up our NYC adventure.
Links for Day 3 Locations
• Empire Hotelhttps://www.empirehotelnyc.com
• Rosa Mexicano: https://www.rosamexicano.com
• The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA): https://www.moma.org
• Shinjuku Ramen:https://www.shinjukuramen.com
• Times Square M&M Store:https://www.mms.com/store-locator/us/ny/times-square
• Harry Potter Store:https://www.wbstudiotour.com/harry-potter-store
• LEGO Store NYC:https://www.lego.com/en-us/stores/store-nyc
• Hershey’s Chocolate World NYC: https://www.hersheys.com/chocolate-world
• Tick Tock Diner:https://ticktockdiner.com
• Macy’s Herald Square:https://www.macys.com
📍 Open the Route in Google Maps
You can explore the walking route here:https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Empire+Hotel+NYC/Starbucks/Rosa+Mexicano/MoMA/Shinjuku+Ramen/Times+Square+M&M/Harry+Potter+Store/LEGO+Store/Hershey's+Chocolate+World/Tick+Tock+Diner/Macy's+Herald+Square/Empire+Hotel
This route is roughly 4–5 miles of walking, perfect for a full final day in Manhattan.
Wrapping Up My NYC Adventure
And just like that, our whirlwind NYC adventure comes to an end! From cozy breakfasts and iconic museums to colorful boutiques, sweet treats, and Broadway magic, these three days were packed with memories I’ll never forget, and a dream birthday I don’t know if I can top!
New York City is truly a city that keeps giving, every corner is full of surprises, energy, and things to explore. Whether you’re wandering through Central Park, hunting for unique souvenirs in SoHo, or catching a Broadway show, there’s always something new to see and do.
I hope this entry gave you a little inspiration for your own NYC trip, and maybe a few ideas for where to eat, shop, and play along the way. If you decide to follow a similar route, don’t forget your walking shoes, a sense of adventure, and of course, your camera (or phone) to capture it all!
Until next time, NYC thanks for the memories.
