48 Hours in New York City

We finally have our first road trip on the books since moving back to the mainland United States last August. We decided to make a trip up to New Jersey over Thanksgiving to visit some family as well as spend a fun 48 hours in New York City.

Two days in NYC is not a lot of time to explore, so we decided to approach this trip in much more of a relaxed manner. We can always make another trip up and I really wanted to be able to enjoy some downtime with the family and not worry about seeing as much as possible. We put a few things on the list to check out, but really just prioritize a couple of different areas and spent our time wandering around, taking in a few sites and enjoying some delicious New York bites.

Here is a breakdown of what we did during our two days, including where we stayed and the places we dined. It’s ok to take a trip and not have an absolutely packed itinerary. Just get out there and wander!

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Travel to NYC

The drive to NYC from Washington, DC takes about 4 hours with light traffic. We had a decent drive up because we decided to leave on Thanksgiving morning when traffic was rather light. Our drive back on Sunday morning was a different story. We dealt with others returning from the holiday weekend as well as pretty constant rain on the way home. Our trip time increased by about 3 hours! We may take the train up next time to avoid dealing with traffic and to just have a different kind of experience.

If you do decide to drive, parking in the city can also be a challenge. We decided to park in New Jersey and take the Ferry over to the city. Overnight parking was only $20 a day compared to the $75 a day the hotel valet charging. And taking the ferry was a great way to see the city skyline. I didn’t really want to deal with driving in the city either, so this was a great option to take even more stress out of the equation. We parked at the Port Imperial Ferry parking garage and I highly recommend it!

Where to stay in NYC

With so many hotel options it was hard to figure out the best place to stay for our 2 nights in the city. We ultimately decided on The Westin New York Grand Central which we booked through Hotwire for a decent rate. If you want to stay right in the heart of the city, you’ll have to pay a premium, but to me, it was totally worth it for the experience and convenience.

Overall, we enjoyed the hotel. It was very busy due to the holiday and I thought the hotel managed the chaos pretty well. However, there was nothing really special that stood out, that went above and beyond. It’s a solid option for a comfortable place to stay, especially when you’re spending limited time there in the first place.

Day 1 in NYC

After a quick Thanksgiving visit with some family in New Jersey, we headed over to the Port Imperial Ferry Terminal in Weehawken and took the Midtown/W. 39 St. ferry over to NYC. The trip took less than 10 minutes and offered great skyline views of the city.

Included with the ferry trip was a bus shuttle that took us within a few blocks of The Westin New York Grand Central. We weren’t able to check-in early, but they were able to hold our luggage so we could get right to exploring. First stop, Bryant Park.

Bryant Park

Bryant Park, which is also the location of the New York Public Library, is located a short distance from The Westin New York Grand Central which made it an easy choice as the first stop on our NYC adventure. As it was Thanksgiving weekend, it was beautifully decorated for the holidays to include a winter holiday market, as well as an ice skating rink. Even though it was pretty cold out (the entire weekend in fact) we enjoyed our stroll around the grounds and even made a return visit the following day.

Lunch: Bryant Park Grill

Since we were in the area and starting to get quite hungry, we decided to grab some lunch at Bryant Park Grill. We all enjoyed our lunch choices as well as dining in the enclosed garden seating. The atmosphere was festive and I imagine even more beautiful during the warmer months.

Times Square

After lunch, we strolled a few blocks over to hang out in Times Square. The energy and activity of the area was just what we needed after filling our bellies at lunch. I think a stroll through Times Square is a must on a first visit to NYC.

Central Park

Next on our list to visit was historical Central Park. Although it was quite cold, it was sunny, and we enjoyed our walk over as well as exploring the park grounds. It’s a fun place to spend a couple of hours, even during the winter months.

Dinner: Barolo East

Oh. My. Goodness. If you are looking for amazing Italian food in NYC than I have the place for you. Barolo East. I discovered this place while browsing Yelp and just had to check it out. It’s a cozy and intimate setting, has absolutely delicious food and friendly service. I enjoyed the Gnocchi di Norma as well as the Torta Di Formaggio for dessert. Add in a couple of glasses of wine and I was a happy girl!

Day 2 in NYC

Breakfast: Blank Slate

Blank Slate Coffee + Kitchen was another gem I found on Yelp. It’s a charming cafe located in Midtown that offers a variety of breakfast plates. I went with the Avo & Whites Sandwich, which is made up of egg whites, avocado smash, spinach, tomato on seven-grain ciabatta. It was delish! It was healthy and light as well as quite energizing. Perfect for the day of exploring we had ahead of us.

Highline NYC

After breakfast, we headed over to the Highline, which is a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. It’s a wonderful park where you can experience nature, art, and design. There are murals and art installations as well as places to sit and take in the city. It s a great way to wander from one neighborhood to another.

Whitney Museum

At the end of the Highline is the world-famous Whitney Museum of American Art. I’ve always wanted to visit the Whitney and could not pass up the opportunity to check it out. It’s a museum full of twentieth-century and contemporary American art, with a special focus on works by living artists. I thoroughly enjoyed wandering through each and every room.

Lunch: Spotted Pig

The Spotted Pig came highly recommended to me as a great place to grab lunch, so after we finished up at the Whitney we headed over to grab a bite. Lunch was great, I ordered the Burrata with Roasted Squash, Honey Crisp Apples & Dates along with a delicious Bloody Mary. I am sad to report that the Spotted Pig has recently closed down due to some unfortunate drama. Good thing there is no shortage of amazing restaurants in NYC.

9/11 Memorial

Visiting the 9/11 Memorial was high on our list. We ended up hopping in a cab after lunch to make our way over. I have to admit, I was surprised at how crowded it was. We only toured around the outside memorial and did not visit the museum. It is truly an amazing tribute to those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, as well as those who were affected long after.

Dinner: Little Italy Pizza

You know we had to grab a slice of NYC pizza while we were here right? I found a place within easy walking distance from the hotel as we were all feeling a bit tired from our earlier adventures. We hit up Little Italy Pizza (which was ironically not in the neighborhood Little Italy) and we were not disappointed. We each got a slice and with a Yelp “check-in” we also enjoyed some Garlic Knots. Although is was very busy when we showed up, the line moved fast and we were chowing down on some yummy pizza before we knew it.

Overall, our 48 hours in New York City was a nice little escape. We decided beforehand that we were going to approach this trip in more of a wandering, relaxed sort of way rather than trying to see everything in a short amount of time. I look forward to the next visit to NYC, hopefully with a few more days to spare.

Have you been to New York City? If so, what were some of your favorite spots or places to eat? I’d love to hear about it in the comments. Aloha!

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