New York was fabulous and that phrase pretty much sums up our trip. This was our 6th trip to NYC since we've been married but our first trip at Christmas. I anticipated how insanely crowded the city would be so we avoided most touristy sites and stuck to our favorite parts of New York, mainly the Upper West Side, The Flatiron Area and Soho. We ate and shopped and just enjoyed the city.First things first. We arrived on Christmas night after leaving our family a little bit earlier that usual. On the flight in we had a perfect view of the city and the red and green Empire State Building. We checked in and immediately headed to the insanely packed Rockefeller Center and 5th Avenue. It was so Christmas-y exchanging "Merry Christmas" greetings with the doormen along our walk.
The tree was gorgeous.
We also loved the windows at Saks.
We also loved the snowflakes that flashed on 5th Avenue.
The next day was pretty rainy so we spent the early morning hours walking down Broadway on the Upper West Side. We headed over to Magnolia Bakery for a cupcake.
Then to the Met to escape the rain. They have an amazing collection dedicated to decorative arts so it is a design enthusiasts dream. They even framed wallpaper so you can focus on how gorgeous it really was. I also love modern art so that wing is my favorite.
Afterwards we headed over to Sarabeth's East, a restaurant I heard about in a guidebook for a really late lunch.
On Sunday, we immediately headed down to Soho for some shopping. Kate's Paperie had a gorgeous window display and I stocked up on stationery and a new agenda for the year. Chris of course hit up the Apple Store (as well as the one on the Upper West Side, which is excellent as well). We filled most of this day with shopping, an early dinner and went back to the room so Chris could watch a little football.
Monday we stuck around midtown. We went to Herald Square then down to the Flatiron Building. This is one of my favorite parts of New York especially when 5th avenue is a mob scene. Flatiron has excellent shopping without the crowds. I made a visit to the mothership, Kate Spade. The store is just as fabulous as Lonny Mag said it was. I got a new Kate, some earrings and a cosmetic bag.
Then we headed down to Union Square and had lunch at Union Square Cafe. I had Squash Tortelli cooked in Cranberry Sage Brown Butter Sauce. TO DIE FOR. Also, I had greenmarket apple cider and cider cinnamon doughnuts. I had never had a doughnut that melted in your mouth but now I have. Delish! We headed to Bryant Park which was decked out for Christmas.
We spent the rest of the day around midtown shopping. We went to Serendipity 3, which as corny as it is I absolutely adore. I love the atmosphere. Thanks to the lovely "bouncer" I like to call him we got in and the decorations were worth the wait.
We finished up our trip with some more shopping, strolling through Central Park and just enjoying the city.
(Including the amazing gingerbread houses at Le Parker Meridien)
We are already planning a trip back in early March for my b-day. Mainly because I want to see Laura Linney's new play, Time Stands Still, which opens on Tuesday of next week. I love NYC. I think about Gertrude Stein's quote that America is my country but Paris is my hometown. I feel like the South is my country but New York is my hometown.
If you love New York, you need to see it at Christmas.
I have gotten a few requests to create a NYC travel guide. I have already started working on it and I will hopefully have it ready for you guys ASAP.