Anna's Adventures

New York City is truly a city that never sleeps! For real, it’s known for its hustle and bustle culture. With that being said, we didn’t even scratch the surface of things to do in New York City as first timers. I guess that just means we will have to book another trip soon!

where to stay

NYC is rather large and there are so many different areas to explore. We opted to change hotels while we were visiting so we could really enjoy each area.

The best place we stayed is the Park Hyatt New York. While this isn’t an everyday type of thing for us, it was worth the splurge. The hotel was incredible and the room service breakfast was icing on the cake. It’s ranked on the Forbes best list 10 years in a row for a reason!

Another great option is the Beekman Hotel. This hotel is close to the financial district of Manhattan, so it was definitely quieter than staying near Central Park. The interior design was unique and old fashioned which added some charm to the hotel.

Last but certainly not least, we chose to spend a few nights at the Hyatt Regency on the Hudson. This was located in New Jersey but had the most magnificent view of the New York City Skyline. If you don’t have too much time in NYC, maybe skip this location, otherwise, our stay was delightful. We enjoyed the view during our breakfast!

MUST SEE: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

• American Museum of Natural History – If you’ve seen the movie, Night at the Museum, you’ll want to visit this iconic place! We could have spent hours touring the different areas of this museum.
• Statue of Liberty – We took the city cruise boat to tour the Statue of Liberty. It was great way to see both the Statue of Liberty museum and Ellis Island.
• Empire State Building – Voted the #1 attraction in New York City. It’s iconic and the view is priceless!
• Central Park – Grab some coffee and take a stroll through the park. It’s like transporting on to a movie set.
• Fifth Avenue – New York City is known for their luxury retail shopping so be sure to check out the shops on Fifth Avenue. Maybe pick yourself out something nice to remember your trip by!

MUST EAT: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

• Ralph’s Coffee – A picturesque place to enjoy a cup of coffee right outside of Central Park.
• Magnolia Bakery – Known for their world famous banana pudding! Definitely will satisfy your sweet tooth.
• Joe’s Pizza – It’s not a trip to the big apple without enjoying a slice or two of pizza. Head over to Joe’s for an authentic New York slice.
• Mama’s TOO! – Our favorite grab and go pizza place in the city! The angry nonna is loaded with hot soppressata, mozzarella, chili oil, and hot honey.
• Angelo’s Coal Oven Pizzeria – A cute little sit down pizzeria serving traditional pizza pies, pasta dishes and desserts.