New York at Christmas, Part 1
Last month Henry and I headed to New York City to take in all of the Christmas magic! (And be sure to go to Part 2 after this!) He turned 9, so for his big present we took this trip, along with our friends Veronica and Max. Having grown up in NJ I’d experienced bits and pieces of it, but never the FULL NYC at Christmastime experience. And it truly did NOT disappoint. Veronica planned the most wonderful itinerary. Very full, but not overwhelming, with things from everyone’s wishlist. I’ll share everything we did below- where we stayed, what we ate, where we went. It was such an amazing long weekend and if you ever can make it happen, I can’t recommend it enough.
Accommodations: Hotel Henri. We found HH randomly while searching online for a hotel that was moderately priced but not sketchy, and in a good location. This fit the bill and we really like it! Definitely not The Plaza, but it was a great spot that I’d return to again for sure. Comfy beds, a surprisingly spacious room for NY and for the price, and again- in a good location. Would recommend!
We arrived in NYC on a Thursday evening and after we checked into our hotel we made the quick walk to Eataly for dinner. It was so cool! I loved all of the different areas and the meal we had was fantastic. Henry had the butter pasta and that simple dish alone was amazing. We ended the evening with gelato and headed back to our hotel to prep for a very busy next couple of days!
We woke up Friday SO excited and ready to take on a full itinerary. Up first was breakfast at Maman, a delightful little coffee shop/cafe. I had one of the best orders of avocado toast I’ve ever had and it was a perfect way to start the day.
From there we headed to Henry’s “must-do” of the trip, the Empire State Building! He wanted to go all the way to the top, so we went as high as we could go, to the 102nd Floor Observatory. The whole experience was very cool- super touristy but we all enjoyed it. It didn’t take too long either, and it was a fun mix of history, amazing views, and that feeling you’re doing something special. The boys really, really liked it, and even the elevator ride up was part of the fun.
After the Empire State Building we walked over to Central Park, got some pretzels (always the best!), enjoyed hot chocolate from a street vendor (so good!) and then rode a pedicab to the American Museum of Natural History. The pedicab ride was awesome and one of the highlights for sure. We got to see so much of the park and the boys got a total kick out of the whole experience. Our driver pointed out so many neat landmarks, and we even got to see Santa riding a bike past us. It was great.
We arrived at the Museum of Natural History and all of us were so excited! This is one of my most favorite museums in the entire world and I knew Henry would love it. He lives for all things science and history and it really blew his mind. He enjoyed the dinosaur and natural disaster exhibits the best, but all of it was great. We went through most of the museum in a quick 2.5 hours, which was great timing for the boys. Not too long, not too short.
After the museum we popped over to our dinner spot- Ninja NY! This was recommended by my friend Zoe, and it did not disappoint! The food wasn’t the best- but it was ALL about the experience. Seriously, so cool and the boys were SO INTO IT! Everyone who works there dresses like a ninja and gets totally into the part. It’s a very theatrical dining experience- you take an elevator up, walk through some very dark corridors, people jump out at you (seriously freaked me out), and then you’re taken over to your table. Food is served in the most creative ways- dry ice, big towers- it’s a kid’s dream. Henry and Max loved it. If you have kiddos, this would be a really fun place to go.
We wrapped up the night with Magnolia sweets, another fave! Here’s a tip- always get their banana pudding. It’s so good and a must-try! Cupcakes and pudding, and we were off to bed to prep for our “festive Christmas day” the next day! Onto part 2 of these posts- see it here.
Outfit details:
Blue jeans worn throughout
Suitcases (we LOVE these)
xoxo
