New York City, USA

Hello Empire State Building!

Oh I do enjoy a trip to good ol NYC!

Essentially a trip covering the 3 basics – food, coffee and shopping.

Let’s start with food…

Our favourite find in the Flatiron District – Eataly – we hadn’t even read about this anywhere. We were just wandering by one evening and wandered away in. Food market, restaurants and Gelato spot in one! Great spot to get picnic ingredients and just across the road from Madison Square Park.

In other food news, after a trip around the Hells Kitchen Flea Market we went to the Cake Boss Cafe in Times Square for a cannoli. Yum!

We did the Chelsea Market a couple of times too when we wanted to have lunch on the High Line, the disused railway track which is now a park in the sky. Got some fantastic hand dipped pretzels from Nancy’s Candy Company. Yearning for them now…

Dean and DeLuca – if I could live there I would. Any one of them. Enough said.

ABC Kitchen – so we unfortunately didn’t get a chance to go here to eat but so many people have told me it’s a great spot. I’ve heard you need to book a month in advance but maybe April time might be ok.

Magnolia Bakery – ok so there are a couple that we went to and the best one by far is the original – 401 Bleecker St. There’s also one in Bloomingdales but it just wasn’t the same.

Serendipity III on the Upper East side (225 E 60th Street). We literally tried to get in here 3 times but there was always a queue. Would you be well queuing for frozen hot chocolate. Yes, you would be. God damn it.

Amazing bakery called the Little Cupcake Bakeshop on 30 Prince Street in SoHo was a regular little haunt of ours. A cupcake accompanied with Harney and Sons Paris Tea? Yes, please and thank you very much.

Stumptown Coffee Roasters was apparently very good according to John. I have no idea, I just like the smell 🙂

There was also this bar in the East Village called McSorleys Old Ale House (15 E 17 Street) they only sell beer (light or dark) – John loved that place. You have to order in twos also!!

Awesome cupcakes at the Magnolia Bakery, Bleecker Street

The Little Cupcake Bake Shop

Cake Boss goodies

East River State Park, where Smorgasbourg is held

Lucy’s Whey in Chelsea Market

Cooling down in Washington Square Park

Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn

The New York Public Library

View from a rooftop bar on Broadway

Brooklyn Bridge

General New York-i-ness things

Smalls Jazz Club on 183 W 10th Street – we had such an awesome evening here.

Smorgasburg in Williamsburg was another great find. Essentially an outdoor food market with a beautiful view back to Manhattan. They had some lovely ice-pops from People’s Pops.

All the usuals too; popped in to the New York Public Library just to check out the inside of the building. Rockefeller Center – good view from the Top of the Rock. Empire State Building – totally worth getting the express tickets as you pass out all the queues. As you may have gathered I don’t like queuing…

We went to Times Square a few times too. M&Ms world is here – we got some I heart NY ones – super cute. You can also get personalised M&Ms – great for kiddies, parties, Thursdays…

Central Park – checked out the Loeb Boathouse for lunch but I’m not sure it’s really worth queuing for – you could just go to the Foodhall at the Plaza and get ingredients for a picnic and sit overlooking the water. We also checked out Belvedere Castle and wandered around the Park for a few hours. Wouldn’t mind a few more hours around the Park.

We had Afternoon Tea at the Plaza on a rainy afternoon which was really special. Hit the Eloise at the Plaza store too and picked up a lovely book for baby India to have from her Auntie when she can actually read!

We didn’t walk the Brooklyn Bridge this time but took the subway out and did a lot of wandering about in the area. A lot of wandering. I reckon I’d live in Brooklyn actually, there’s a pretty cool vibe.

Shopping

Directly across the road from the Magnolia Bakery is Book Marc – Marc Jacobs’ bookstore. So cute. They were just about to open up a Marc Jacobs Beauty store across the street but we just missed the opening. Next time! Around the corner from here is Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment (64 Perry Street) – great photo opp for the girlie girl that I am.

The Strand Bookstore down by Union Square is a great place to while away a couple of hours. I believe they measured and there’s 18 miles of books!

Henri Bendel on Fifth Avenue. Cute jewellery and travel pouches, compact mirrors and travel candles.

Century 21 at 22 Cortlandt Street. Designer discounts. Lets just say everybody got their presents from here and I got a whole new underwear drawer.

Piperlime – well since I’m absolutely obsessed with Piperlime I was not going to pass up the opportunity to go to their real life shop in SoHo (121 Wooster Street). Also my Havaianas completely fell apart so I had no choice but to get new shoes. Result! Update: Sadly, Piperlime is now closed.