My husband and I just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary! We left the kids with Grandma and drove into New York City for two nights. I didn’t feel as though the city was as crowded as prepandemic times. It felt lively and energetic, ready to get back to usual.
Went stayed at the Moxy Chelsea hotel in the flower district. I loved walking out the door and seeing flowers and plants all over the sidewalks. The room was definitely on the smaller side but we had everything we needed for our weekend and I slept comfortably.
We had an Empire State view! 
The lobby
Our first night we ate at Serra by Birreria, the rooftop bar/restaurant. The food was delicious! I loved all the floral decor.
For our one full day in the city we ate brunch at The Little Owl in West Village. Walking around the streets of West Village feels as though you are in a different city. It was quiet! I felt as though I could be walking around in Charleston.
From there we walked to Washington Square Park, somewhere I’d never wandered to while in NYC in the past. I wanted to see the arch! I created a reel about the park, on Instagram, if you want to check it out.
We went back to the hotel for some siesta time after that. I was sweating and needed a breather. We grabbed a late lunch near the hotel, nothing special, and relaxed before heading to Yankee Stadium for the evening. I wanted to visit The High Line but with the heat we didn’t end up going. Another time 🙂
Sunday morning we slept in for as long as two parents possibly can after years of early rising with kids, got some New York bagels (the best!) and headed home late morning. Driving around the city is a little nutty, we felt comfortable taking the Metro a few times on Saturday since we are vaccinated, but driving home felt like it took forever. Always does I guess.
Since we only live about an hour and a half outside the city it was easy to skip the major NYC attractions we’ve been to or want to take the kids to in the future. If you are coming from further away, seeing the World Trade Center site is always amazing and of course the Statue of Liberty. I feel like Times Square isn’t anything great but you should see it at least once in your life. Rockefeller Plaza is fun to see in winter.
There are many rooftop eating options that give you a great view of the city, instead of paying for tickets to go to the top of the Empire State Building or others, book some food reservations before you go. I knew we would have a city view from our hotel and I’ve been to the top of the Twin Towers in my childhood, so I did not worry about making sure we did extra views on this trip. When Broadway reopens seeing a show is a must see! I’ve got tickets for October for Hamilton and am overexcited for that.
Here are some other of my favorite pictures from the weekend:
What are your must see places in New York City?
