New York State of Mind

By MJ Mondaca -

Friday, Sept. 6, 2019 - Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019

Ahhh, New York. That state and most importantly city has a very special meaning to the two of us. We both grew up there, although in different areas. It’s one of my favorite cities for so many reasons: culture, food, ease of seeing it all, and yes the hustle & bustle. That first night we flew in after some delays and arrived at our hotel for the weekend: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel New York on 29th St. in Chelsea. 
Saturday, Sept. 7:
  • Started the day with coffee and croissants at Le Pain Quotidien by our hotel - in the Garment District
  • Headed to Penn Station on 34th St to take the train
  • We spent the morning exploring Williamsburg, where Anthony went to middle school  
  • Stopped for gelato, rainbow cookies and coffee at Fortunato Brothers on Manhattan Ave. Do yourself a favor and add this to your list!
  • Made our way to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
  • Wandered into Greenpoint and checked out some shops and their awesome murals
  • Took the train over towards the Brooklyn Bridge and stopped for pictures in Cadman Plaza Park
Let me share a funny story about the Brooklyn Bridge. I was completely shocked that Anthony had never walked it before. It was also the first time I made him do something physical on our adventures (some foreshadowing, it won’t be the last, and he still hates every second of it - ha!). The bridge was P.A.C.K.E.D! So many people wandering, folks working out - running, bike riding, etc. and lots of Instagrammers. At one point we were walking around like sardines and this big guy is walking right towards us… like chicken style waiting to see who would move out of the way. Well, it was not Anthony. Instead he body checked this guy so hard I thought we were gonna get beat up right then and there. Luckily, the moment quickly passed and we were on our way to the other side. We learn so much about each other on our travels :). 

  • All that working out made us hungry! We stopped for a late lunch at Brooklyn Chop House 
  • Ready to continue our walking tour we continued to Soho
  • Thirsty, we stopped for some adult drinks at Brooke Street Bar in Soho
  • We did some window shopping and got an obligatory street hot dog… yum! Can we say - Sabrett!!!
For the evening we wanted to explore some of the rooftop bars. It’s a must in NYC. There are so many cool neighborhoods in New York City, and each will have tons of options to offer. We opted for a couple between 6th and Broadway on 29th St since that is where we were staying. To end the night we checked out a restaurant about a block further for some burgers and drinks. Next morning we went back to EWR to head back home. New York is a great weekend destination if you can get a non-stop flight. From Orlando, Spirit was our pick. Great price and times worked beautifully. It was also so special for each of us to share some of our favorite things to do there. 


Have you been to NYC? What is your favorite thing to do there?

Google List: New York City
Location: New York, NY, USA

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