Fall in NYC

So it's no secret that I love New York city. If you're new here then welcome, my name is Miranda and NYC is my most favorite place in the world.

It all started back when I was 15 years old and I started watching Sex and the City. Looking back a 15 year old shouldn't be watching that show but my mom was awesome and it was a tradition for us to cook some popcorn and watch it. My love for NYC grew deep watching Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda (see, it was meant to be!), strolling the streets of Manhattan.

Fast forward to a few years later when Gossip Girl just further added to my want to travel to the big apple. To this day I still don't know which show I like better, I suppose it depends on my mood, but if you're wanting some New York city inspiration turn on your T.V. and watch either one of these shows, it's a great way to start a list of things to see and do there. #BlairIsMyGirl

Call me a nerd but when Google Earth started I strolled the city streets in the comfort of my own living room all the way here in the lowcountry. It was a horrible tease but the only way I could see the city. It's still a favorite past time of mine when I'm bored. I encourage you, if there is a place you want to see or visit terribly, google street view it, it's amazing to get a 360 degree view as if you were walking those sidewalks in real life.

After 15 years of dreaming and lusting over New York I was finally given the surprise of my life on Christmas Day 2014. Wrapped inside a box was a blue construction paper airplane that Tarl had made and a blank piece of paper drawn with a clock inside of a square. It took me a solid 10 minutes to figure it out - JetBlue/Times Square. Looking back his artistic abilities are very lackluster but it was about the sweetest thing ever. He had booked and paid for a four day trip and the tears were rolling down my cheeks.

NYC did not disappoint. It was everything I imagined it would be and then some. I knew on the flight back home I would have to go back, and soon. After realizing, if you budget properly, NYC doesn't have to be as extravagant as some people make it out to be. So my sister and I sat down, did the math and planned a girls trip 6 months later. Like I said, I just had to go back.

Going with your husband and going with your sister are two totally different experiences. With Tarl, I wanted to take in all the sights of NYC and eat at all the "have-to-eat" places. With my sister we did the budget friendly route. Coffee and croissants for breakfast, a pizza slice for lunch and we'd split large dinner portions. It was great. We also hit all the flagship stores like Saks, Tiffany, and Macy's. 

So at this point, after dreaming of this place for 15 years I had already been twice in less than one year. It was addicting and I was hooked! My sister and I went in September of 2015 and I knew before the end of 2016 I wanted to go again so when the following year came and my big 30th was approaching Tarl asked what I wanted to do for my birthday. The answer was easy, I wanted to spend my 30th in NYC, then some bad shit happened. My mom passed away, our daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and celiac disease and then a hurricane hit. My 30th birthday bash in New York got cancelled but it turned out great in the end because we were able to hold off a month and spend it in November instead. The weather was cooler. The Christmas decor was going up. It was fall in New York - my favorite time of the year. It was simply magical.

It has been almost two years since our last trip to NYC and I have missed it terribly. About three months ago we were lying in bed one night and Tarl randomly brought up how delicious Carmine's was (it's a must eat for us every visit!). We've ate at the one near Times Square and the one on the Upper West Side. We prefer the west side location because you can sit outside, people watch, and it's less crowded and loud as the Times Square location. 

He brought up how much he enjoys visiting NYC when he originally thought he would hate it and he said we should book another trip soon. We stayed up and chatted about previous trips and it got my heart racing. The next morning while sipping on my coffee I priced it out and booked. I sent him a screenshot of our booking and he called me laughing. He said he wasn't surprised at all and was excited to go back again. I thought about the best time to go. I contemplated booking it a couple weeks from the date I booked and going in the spring but the prices were outrageous because it would've been so last minute. I thought about December because I've always wanted to see NYC decorated for Christmas but with it being a trip for just Tarl and I, I couldn't imagine seeing NYC at Christmas without Cadence. This left summer and fall. My heart lies in fall. I've said it before but it's just my favorite time of year, so I booked us for October this year. I booked in March and it seemed like forever away but now it's already June and I cannot believe how quickly the time is flying by. Before we know it we'll be packing our bags.

I am not a seasoned NYC traveller by any means of the word. This will be my 4th trip and I know people personally who go about 4x a year! #goals  I have learned a few tips along the way that I truly find beneficial if you're planning a trip to the big apple!

Take the Subway

So it's tricky as hell to figure this bitch out at first. A map is going to be glued to your hand the first day of your trip, but after a few mis-haps and ending up in places you didn't mean to be, you'll learn and it's convenient and cheap! Rather than pay $2.75 per subway ride, purchase the 7 day card. It's $30 and you can swipe it as often as you need to for your entire stay in NYC up to 7 days. 

If you make a mistake and end up somewhere you didn't mean to go or got off at a stop you didn't mean to get off at, it's not the end of the world. Just get back on and go back. Seasoned New Yorkers have always been super helpful too when it was necessary to ask for help.

Cabs are expensive and they average around $20 a ride or more. The only benefit to a cab is they drop you off at your direct stop so you don't have to walk those city blocks once you leave the subway, but NYC is about the sites so the walking never bothered us.

If your flight is out of JFK take the AirTram to the subway system. It's $5 verses the $60 cab ride into the city and it takes less time because you're not fighting traffic.

Plan a Little

I know some people aren't planners and that's okay, but I suggest a little lite planning if you're heading to the city. It's such a large city with lots of things to see and do, so to having a list ready of places you want to visit is a huge help. I've made a list of places I've wanted to see, shops I wanted to visit and restaurants I've wanted to eat at and marked them off on my map. It's such a huge help and really is the best use of your time there. 

You can go on the NYC website and purchase a map. They're inexpensive and get shipped right to your door. I couldn't imagine going without one. This way, prior to your trip, you already have a pretty good idea of where the west side and east side is and you can mark places off on your map you want to go to.

Each trip of ours has been different. Different places, eateries, sites, here's our list for our upcoming trip:

High Line

Magnolia Bakery (the original location)

D.U.M.B.O.

Laduree (SoHo location)

Maison Kayser

Margot Patisseri

Morgan Library

NYC Public Library

Union Fare at Union Square Park

Jack Rogers Flagship store

Carlos Bakery - Hoboken, NJ

Grand Central Station

Penn Station

Top of the Rock

Tribeca

Staten Island & The Bronx (to complete the 5 boroughs)

Tribeca

Leftbank

Eataly

Veselka

Di Fara Pizza

Lombardi's

Lady M Cakes

SaraBeths

This is just the beginning. I continue to add items to this list a few times a week. Will we get everything off the list done? Probably not, but it's great to have an idea of places to see and do. The one thing we have never done in NYC is take the hop on/hop off bus tours and I think I want to do that this time. Our only issue with taking one (and this is why we have never done them) is due to timing and traffic. The subway gets you from A to B in 5 minutes, with NYC traffic how long are the buses going to take? Have you ever done the hop on/hop off? If so, would you recommend it?