NYC in 36 Hours
I love jaunting to NYC for a quick trip. It is the perfect city to do it in! I have a few tips for making it the most memorable trip possible, so every New York minute of your time is maximized.
Find your neighborhoods, preferably adjacent, and then find your hotel. I am more of a downtown girl; I love the Meatpacking District, Greenwich, Soho, and Chinatown so I stay at the Soho Grand. It’s a fabulous and reasonably priced hotel that is perfectly located for walking, Ubering or taking the Subway wherever I want to go.
Pack light and wear comfortable shoes. I mostly walk when I’m in NYC and according to the steps accrued on my watch it’s usually over 10 miles a day—no guilt eating!—so I wear comfortable but stylish booties. For a 36-hour trip I will wear one pair of jeans both days and change my shirt. This allows me to carry-on a Bean bag or similar tote and THAT’S IT! Two packable sundresses could also pull off this feat.
Plan your restaurants, but also reach out to friends for suggestions. I asked for suggestions before my most recent trip to NYC in my Instagram Stories. One of my friends replied telling me to go to Nom Wah Tea Parlor in Chinatown, it was the BEST recommendation ever and one of the highlights of our trip.
The Highline and The Vessel are worth it if you are walking that way. I used the Highline as a way to move about the city when I was there, I was able to walk from The Vessel to Soho House in the Meatpacking District easily and really enjoyed it. If you plan well, it can be a great way for you too to move up or down twenty odd blocks without having to stop and wait for traffic!
You can tack Brooklyn on before the airport. In a play-it-safe move last time we were there, we spent the afternoon in Brooklyn before our flight. This allowed us to check out Misi, do some thrift store shopping, and see the development at the waterfront by the old Domino Sugar Factory. It was the perfect way to cap off our trip before heading home to Chicago.
In my humble opinion, New York is the best quick trip and has the most opportunity for a pretty inexpensive trip. You will traverse far more territory, and have greater wallet-friendly options than LA. As much as I love the West Coast—it is beautiful and special—the quick trip is far superior in NYC.
