NYC twice in a year? Yes, please! On a whim, the sister and I decided to do another weekend in NYC before the holidays and winter months arrived. Not only is NYC a favorite destination, but we got to enjoy absolutely perfect autumn weather for all 3 days. Every time I’m there, though, I think about how 1) I could live in this city and 2) I should always extend these NYC vacays by at least 2 more days.

I’ve come to know my way around the city, and am super comfortable with the subway system and just walking around, in general – thanks to my Maps app. In saying that, I find myself gravitating to the same neighborhoods now – SoHo, Little Italy, Meatpacking. Of course, every neighborhood has its own appeal and vibe and it’s definitely worth making your way through each. My vibe? Trendy but comfortable, with great food options… aka the top 3 faves previously mentioned. We stayed at the James Nomad this time, which was a short walk from either the 6 or N/R trains.

 

If you read my “Weekend in NYC” post from my summer vacation, you’ll have read my tips and tricks. I won’t repeat it here, but it’s worth checking out before booking your next trip. 🙂 

Because the weather was so perfect, we decided to spend one full afternoon in Central Park. We ended up doing a 4mi walk through the park, including a break for white peach sangria at the beloved Tavern on the Green. It was as awesome as we’d imagined it to be. It was Sunday so they had a brunch menu plus a live jazz band. We ended up chatting with the couple sitting next to us, who were hilarious, and had a really nice afternoon. The views of and from the park are just beautiful.

A few other highlights from this visit:

• The Nomad: We got to try a couple of drinks at what was recently named the Best Bar in North America (and #3 in the world). I had the Sergeant Pepper because spicy tequila cocktails are my jam. Both were well crafted and executed, and made a great pre-dinner stop.
• Kobrick Coffee: great location, amazing cocktails made by people who clearly love their job, and the best old school hiphop music. Next time, though, I’m getting food too! 🙂
• The Garret: small, secret, awesome. You find this second floor bar by walking through Five Guys and going up a set of stairs in the back. It just feels cool. Another great cocktail spot with hiphop music, awesome people and a casual vibe
• Parm {separate post to come}
• Mimi Cheng’s, again {also a separate post to come}

NYC is such an amazing food destination and I’ve had excellent meals and drinks, from cheap to expensive. However, it’s because of this standard that the bad experiences really make an impact. Unfortunately, this weekend we had an entirely dreadful and unacceptable dining experience at Quality Meats. I’ll never go back – it was very poor customer service, followed by non-existent follow-up. It’s sad, because we really looked forward to it and ended up wasting an entire Saturday evening. Oh well… What I can say, as an exact opposite experience to this, was the meal we had the following night at one of our faves, Boucherie. I love Boucherie. It’s everything I want in a dinner – ambience, great space, great people and service, excellent food. Thank you for turning our frowns upside down, Boucherie. ❤

HUGE thank you to my love, who gave me a surprise gift the day  before my trip: the Canon camera I’ve been eyeing. I love him, and this camera. ❤

‘Til next time, NYC. ❤