A New York City Getaway

There is nothing quite like a New York City getaway! At the very end of the winter holidays, my sisters, my mom and I jetted off to New York City to kickstart the new year. New York City holds a soft spot in all of our hearts. After years of mixing and matching on our trips there we finally all made it out together. We only spent three and a half days there, but they were – like always – jam packed. One day we walked over 25 km. That’s right, over 25 km in a city where there’s a cab on every corner. Never again.

If you’re planning a trip to the city, I would recommend dedicating a day or a half a day to a neighborhood or area. One place I had never gotten the change to walk around before was Greenwich Village, and I’ve gotta say, it quickly became a favourite.

Steph and I walked straight down 5th to Washington Square Park. This way, we got to pop in and out of the shops (and Starbucks) along the way, and we passed by the Chrysler, Empire State, and the Flat Iron buildings.

Friends and the East Village

We only had one goal in the East Village: Find the ‘Friends’ apartment. Steph had been once a few years ago but I’ve never seen it and I am a crazy friends fan. It’s been like 3 years since I started binge-watching, and here I am, three years later, still watching it every night before bed.

With our mission accomplished, we walked around a bit before heading to lunch on the opposite side of the island (queue that 25 km of walking). Greenwich village is great because it’s not a super popular spot for tourists (unless you’re outside the friends apartment). You can enjoy the architecture in peace and quiet. There’s also tons of little shops and coffee shops. It’s just all around lowkey and lovely. Since it’s so close to Tribeca and Soho, you could easily spend a morning shopping and then head to the village for a lowkey walk-around afternoon, or vice versa.

Central Park and Bathesda Fountain

Another old favourite of mine is Central Park and, more specifically Bathesda Fountain. You’ll remember this if you were around last time I went. Even on a short New York City getaway, Bathesda Fountain is a necessary visit for me. I honestly just think Central Park is one of the calmest and most romantic places in the world. But romantic in the sense that you feel really at peace and thoughtful walking around there. Last time we went it was basically dead because it was so freezing, but this time there were plenty of street vendors and artists and people enjoying the sun.

Visiting Brooklyn Bridge (Of Course)

This time we walked from Williamsburg bridge over to the Brooklyn bridge. My feet were dying a little bit, but I think you can get some of the best pictures of Manhattan from the bridge, and my sister had never been. So, we trucked on through.

Every time I go to the Brooklyn Bridge I’m so exhausted from walking there that we take a break at the little park right next to it. But isn’t it pretty?!

My feet were done after this, but it was totally worth it. We didn’t get a chance to go to Brooklyn this time around. Too bad, but I’m happy I at least made it to the bridge again. Next time I’m taking the subway there though.

Finding Something New…

On our first day there, we went into St Thomas’s church to get out of the rain and to have a look around. Totally worth it!

There are churches and cathedrals all around the Manhattan and I’ve never bothered to go in one before. The architecture was incredible. My poor quality iPhone pictures don’t do it justice. This was one place I couldn’t believe I had been missing out on before. I’ll definitely take the time to check out some more of these in the future.

What About FOOD?

I also, obviously, enjoyed a lot of incredible food. There are awesome bakeries and food shops literally everywhere in NYC. I picked up some little cakes on my way back to the hotel one night and basically just lived the dream.

New York City During the Holidays

The other really great part about going at the end of the holidays was that all of the holiday decorations were still up, but it was less hustle and bustle. I was kind of put off thinking it wasn’t worth it because it wouldn’t feel festive after Christmas, but it was still so soon after that it still made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. This is outside Radio City, but the decorations were everywhere.

Kicking the year off with a fun little New York City getaway was probably the best thing I could do. I’m so inspired to spent my money on experiences like this, and try by hardest to travel and adventure more this year. It’s hard because most of your money gets eaten up by gas, phone bills, and, of course, tuition, but I’m going to try to make the most of what I have to get some more travel in this year!

Where’s top of your travel list this year?

Read my sister’s post about the trip here.

More Travel Posts | More Photography Posts | Temple Bar and Downtown Dublin

Find me: Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | YouTube | Facebook

Contact: arcticsabrinabusiness@gmail.com