3 days in NYC with Nate
Six months or so ago my dear friend Kamri reached out to see if nate and I (and some other friends) would want to go to NYC with her to watch the US Open and celebrate her birthday. UMMMM….HECK YES! We secured childcare, then went online and booked our airline tickets and tennis tickets.
Here’s a quick rundown of what we did and where we stayed!
STAYED
I had a giftcard to the Rosewood Hotels and for that reason we stayed at The Carlyle on the Upper East Side. LOOOOOVED IT. Super swanky. Really nice location. Clean. Just all around lovely. I will say there are so many nice hotels in NY so I would look more based on location and where you want to be. The hotel was 3 blocks from a subway station which was awesome because we rode the subway everywhere and the location made it easy to hop around via subway but also enjoy strolling central park.
By the way all of the outfits I wore are linked here!
DAY 1: ARRIVE // SOHO // GREENWICH VILLAGE
We got into NY around 1 and took the bus and subway to our hotel. While I was not in the best mood about this plan, Nate really wanted to try out the public transportation and get a feel for the city. We dropped our bags and immediately went in search of food. We ate at a Thai restaurant called Up Thai that if we are honest neither one of us loved.
We went back to the hotel to change clothes and headed towards the Greenwich Village/Soho area for shopping and to meet everyone for dinner.
This area is incredible for shopping and Nate and I both agreed we would want to stay in this area in the future. Nate went and sat at a restaurant called Bareburger that has outdoor seating along this little park. The area felt quieter in many ways, with more small buildings and less skyscrapers. I walked around popping into stores I have seen online but never been in person, such as Clare V, Sezane, and Buck Mason.
Dinner: Le Baratin. We did zero research but my friend Kamri (whom we came to NY to celebrate!) saw Coco Gauff post about this place and incredibly we were able to get a reservation! French food, comforting, homey atmosphere.
DAY 2: CENTRAL PARK // THE US OPEN // HAMILTON
Nate and I came to NY for the US Open and to celebrate Kamri so Flushing, Queens was where we spent the majority of the day. We did, however, start the morning by getting royally lost in Central Park (there are way less signs than one might think) and ended up on the wrong side of the park from where our hotel was. I was hangry but we were able to secure a bagel with cream cheese from Pick-a-Bagel before I melted into a puddle.
We took the subway to the Open in Queens along with about a thousand other tennis fans (but really it was not overly crowded and much faster than going by car).
The US Open was an absolute DREAM. I would go every year if I could. Gorgeous, clean venue, fun cocktails, so much incredible food. The whole day was just spectacular. We did get very lucky because the day before was a high of 95 and overnight the temps cooled off to a stunning low of 68 high of 80 and overcast. Had we been there on the sunny and 95 day I am sure it would have been a bit less enjoyable.
We ate lunch from one of the many food booths (the food really is awesome!) and I enjoyed the Honey Deuce immensely. They really do a great job of having tons of food and drink locations so the lines aren’t outrageous. They want to ensure you can purchase a $23 drink as much as you want to! Ha!
We left the Open around 4 to head back to our hotel to rest for a moment before catching the subway towards midtown for HAMILTON!!! If you ever get the chance, this show is top notch. Afterwards we popped by Times Square and it’s mind blowing to me just how many people are there at all hours of the day. We also got the girls I heart New York sweatshirts (JR got a US Open one) because this is where the majority of tacky NY gift shops are located.
DAY 3: HUDSON YARDS // THE HIGHLINE // THE MET // US OPEN
This day was packed! We woke early and decided to take the subway to Hudson Yards and Nate and I are so glad we did. This area was gorgeous! Huge, shimmering skyscraper buildings, big sidewalks, tons of coffee shops.
We grabbed a coffee and breakfast at Daily Provisions and the “Cheesy Egg Gougere” was a tiny egg filled puff pastry sent down from heaven. We both agreed this area felt like Washington, DC.
We walked on the Highline for a bit which really is worth doing if you get the chance. It feels like walking amongst trees in the middle of the city. My only complaint was how crowded it was. Had we had a stroller it would have been really hard to pass people.
There was also a massive, swanky shopping mall (address is Hudson Yards 1) where the entire first floor was all designers but the other four floors had a large array for shops and food. I looked around Madewell, Zara, and Uni Clo while Nate sat and read a book (we really work so well together in that I love to shop and Nate loves to read while I shop!)
We took the subway back to our hotel, had a quick rest, then walked the short few blocks to meet our friends Josh and Lindsey at The Met. The Met is massive and would take an entire day to try and see it all. We opted to take out time in the Impressionist Wing and then sit down and eat lunch in one of the Cafes. In the words of my dad, “you can get a $10 caesar salad for $30” but it was well worth it.
We said goodbye to Josh and Lindsey and went back to the hotel to drop bags and change for the night matches at the US Open.
We got there at 6pm along with ten thousand other people and the next hour was chaos. The day matches went long and the night match people were allowed entrance so for about two hours the entire complex was at double the capacity. Nate and I were able to secure two pizzas and eat them standing up while watching the end of the day match on a giant TV screen. While chaotic, this whole experience was really fun. The whole place was buzzing with energy from the day match and the excitement surrounding Djokovic for the night game.
Around midnight, after Djokovic losing in a shocking four sets to the underdog Popyrin, we headed home via the subway and fell into bed half asleep around 1am.
*Note on the subway: even at 1am, the subway was very busy. This is likely because it was a Friday night, but I was very surprised by how many people were there. Nate and I agreed that we loved taking it everywhere, but I would have felt differently without him there. Our overall experience navigating it was fantastic thanks to the way Google/Apple Maps tells you exactly what to do and how long it will take to get there. All in all, I would do the subway with a friend during the day, but wanted Nate there in the evening. Nate and I agree if we had the kids we would feel good taking the subway. I do think a lot comes down to where you are going and at what time of day. Also, you can’t beat the cost! Our uber to the airport on Saturday morning was more than all of our other travel combined.
DAY 4: BAGELS AND TO THE AIRPORT
We slept in on Saturday and had enough time to walk and get one final bagel before heading to the airport. We took an uber this time and it was really nice leaving on a Saturday because the whole city was very quiet! No traffic and to Laguardia in under 20 minutes.
RECAP
Day 1: Arrived, grabbed a quick bite at Up Thai. Headed to Greenwich Village/Soho area for shopping and to meet everyone for dinner. Dinner at Le Baratin.
Day 2: Morning in Central Park. Bagel at Pick-a-Bagel. Took subway to The US Open in Queens. Lunch from one of the many food booths at The Open. Hamilton show in Midtown. Times Square.
Day 3: Hudson Yards first thing. Coffee and breakfast at Daily Provisions. Walked the High Line. Toured Hudson yards shopping area. Met friends at The Met. US Open for the night matches.
Day 4: Bagel and off to the airport.
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