24 Hours In New York City

A whirlwind of a trip, but having 24 hours in New York City was the perfect amount of time. New York City is the kind of place that when you visit, it’s overwhelming. Between the tourists, the people that actually live there, and all of the horns blasting, it’s a place I quickly want to leave as soon as I arrive. I truly felt that 24 hours in the city really was the perfect amount of time. Read below to find out why!

Our Itinerary: 24 Hours In New York City

When we landed in Newark Airport, we priced out an Uber as well as a taxi. We also had previously asked some of our friends about taking the train into the city, but we were advised to avoid the trains because of the rise in crime. It was slightly cheaper to do a taxi so we decided on a taxi.

We arrived in the Big Apple on a Sunday afternoon. I had done minimal research before our trip to look at restaurants that didn’t require a reservation because I knew I wouldn’t have the time to make them before hand. Sometimes it’s just easier to make decisions on the fly than planning everything out.

The research I did do was all food related, as per usual. We were staying right in Times Square at the Westin. We didn’t want to take taxi’s everywhere so I tried to find places that were within walking distance. I did over-estimate some of our ability to walk for that long. We made it, but we struggled.

Bars

The first bar we went to was Haven Rooftop and Bar. This bar was so awesome! Not only was it a rooftop bar, it was also decorated as Christmas Chalet in Switzerland. Twinkling lights, greenery, and cozy blankets made me instantly feel like I was in a Hallmark Christmas movie. Since we were so exhausted, we decided on espresso martinis. Definitely one of the better espresso martini’s that I’ve had. Sometimes I feel like they can be hit or miss if they aren’t made with the right flavor of vodka.

The second spot we hit up was a classic, The Palm Court in the Plaza Hotel. I will say, the drink I got here was hands down the best drink I have ever got, but also the most expensive. $30 for a drink is certainly the most I’ve ever paid, but I like to think of this as more of an experience than just a drink. It was a pumpkin martini that was made with real pumpkin puree. I can’t find the actual drink on their menu online so if you know the name of it – leave it in the comments below!

Kevin and I were shopping around at Bergdorf Goodman and decided to get a drink at the bar on the 7th floor. I got an espresso martini and to be honest – I’ve had better. It was very heavy on the espresso so next time I will order a different drink. But, the views were incredible! The cafe overlooks central park so you really can’t beat it.

Restaurants

We ate dinner at a small Italian restaurant called Uva. Wow oh wow this restaurant was incredible. We started off with a glass of Nero D’Avola and it was divine. Definitely my new favorite red to order. I suggested we try the ricotta bruschette as an appetizer and I’m so glad that we did. The creamy ricotta with the black truffle honey on top was so amazing. For dinner, I ordered the cavatelli al fior di pesto. It is made with homemade pasta so I couldn’t resist. Kevin decided on the gnocchi di ricotta which was cooked in a creamy chive sauce and topped with black truffles. My mouth is salivating just thinking about it.

To continue our 24 hours in New York City, we woke up on Monday and headed to Sarabeth’s. I got the popovers with the green and white scramble which had scallions and cream cheese. Kevin also got eggs and we both agreed that they were the BEST eggs we’ve ever had. So light and fluffy.

I’d like to say that our food tour of New York City is over but we stopped at one last place before leaving the city. We stopped at Ess-A-Bagel for bagel sandwiches. I ordered the BLTA on a plain bagel and it was great! I only say great because I ordered it with cream cheese and they didn’t add it. We were in a rush so I decided to just eat it as is. It was really good but I still think having cream cheese on it would have made it even better.

Things To Do

While spending 24 hours in New York City, its imperative to plan your time wisely! We were staying in Times Square so luckily that was within easy walking distance. We checked out Times Square and it lived up to the hype. There was so much going on it was dizzying. We also went to Grand Central Station and saw the beautiful ceiling of the building.

Our final stop and the reason for the trip, was to go to the Tiffany & Co. headquarters. It was love at first sight! Five floors of sparkling diamonds. It was magical. We were there to get my wedding and engagement ring resized. Kevin and I also were there to find our wedding gifts to each other. I’ll do another blog post on what we went with for our gifts.

24 hours in New York was the perfect amount of time to hit the highlights, and have amazing food. We were definitely impressed with how good all of our food was. It was such a fun weekend and a great getaway for us. Be sure to check out my Duck Key blog post if you are looking for a sunnier destination this winter!

XoXi,