We recently had our very first experience with visiting NYC. If you haven’t checked out our day one Visit NYC check it out HERE.
We visited the 911 Memorial and Times Square as well as checked out some local restaurants and bars on day one and had several more places that we wanted to see on day two. Since the trip was technically only two days we were severely limited to what we could see and do while on our visit NYC trip.
We started our day at a little diner that was right down the street from our hotel called Sunset Park & Donuts. Aaron found it while looking on google maps for a place to eat so we decided to give it a try. It was a tiny little place but the food was amazing. They even had homemade donuts which we didn’t get to try but they looked really good!
After breakfast we decided to venture into the city so we got back onto the subway. We had actually started to figure this subway system out so finding where we needed to go was a lot easier on day two. Our first stop of the day was going to be the Top of the Rock observatory.
When I was researching our trip to NYC I came across the City Pass. The City Pass costs you one price and you can visit up to 6 attractions from the list of attractions that participate. For us, we decided to go with the small pass which is the C3. We got to pay one price to see 3 different attractions. More information about what is included and price can be found HERE. The City Pass can also be found in many other popular city destinations so check those out as well.
Top of the Rock Observatory
The Top of the Rock Observatory is located in Rockefeller Plaza. When you go in you are given a time that you are able to go up to the observation deck. There are many shops and restaurants located nearby so if you have to wait, there is plenty to do. There are three decks that you get to visit when you do get to go up to the top. The top most one is 70 stories up and offers completely unobstructed views of NYC.
The Brooklyn Bridge
My conference started on our second day but not until early afternoon so we decided to make our way back to Brooklyn and check out the Brooklyn Bridge. I have always wanted to visit the Brooklyn Bridge ever since Meredith met Steve there in Sex and the City (total fan over here) as well as the amazing views of Manhattan. The bridge was pretty crowded with tourists but it was still fun to walk across and check out the views.
Brooklyn Dumbo
Since we still had some time to kill, we headed back towards Brooklyn and found a little local restaurant Westville Dumbo to grab a drink and a small bite to eat. Brooklyn was actually really cool to check out and we probably wouldn’t have even explored Brooklyn if we hadn’t decided to stay there.
Since I was heading off to the BlogHer conference for a few hours, Aaron and I had made a plan to meet up near the Brooklyn Expo and then head back into the city in the evening. Props to Aaron for actually making it from the hotel to the conference site at the Brooklyn Expo by himself by the subway system by himself.
Once we met up we headed back into the city with plans to go to The Empire State Building. Along the way we stopped off at a nearby bar for happy hour. I am terrified of heights and was actually surprised I managed the Top of the Rock Observatory earlier that day. I needed a couple Manhattans to make it through this next venture. We stopped off at Legends first due to it’s location to the Empire State Building and it was conveniently offering Happy Hour.
When I was sufficiently liquored up (I really wasn’t that intoxicated) we made our way over to the Empire State Building.
The Empire State Building
The entry to get to the elevators to go up to the top of the Empire State Building contained the history of the building’s construction. It was cool to see how the building came to be and the history behind it. We chose to go at night but you can also go during the daytime hours. The views at the top at night were absolutely spectacular and we even got to witness a marriage proposal while we were checking out the 360 degree views of New York City.
Afterwards we ate dinner at Heartland Brewery and then headed back to the hotel. Aaron had an early flight the next day and I was off to day 2 of the BlogHer conference. The hotel arranged for a car to take Aaron to the airport which took some pressure off of us to try and find a way for him to get to the airport in the morning.
Sadly, it felt as though we didn’t have enough time to explore as much as we wanted to. There were so many things that we wanted to see that we didn’t get to just because of the time limitation. I can’t wait for our next trip top NYC so that we can explore all the other sites that we didn’t get to check out the first time around!
What a fun trip! NY is one of the only states I’ve never been too. This looks like it was a blast.
I’ve never been to NYC! Looks like there is so much to do there and the architecture is beautiful!
I love NYC in the fall! It looks like y’all had a blast! The pictures are amazing!
Nice. Thanks for sharing this information with us. I thought NYC is a scary metropolis.
I love visiting NYC so much to do, great for just a weekend.
I’ve visited NYC a few times and it is always an exciting time. It looks like your second day there was a lot of fun!
I am in love with New York. I’ve been there many times but all the time, there’s something new to explore. I love the vibe there too. I love how it’s fast-paced. The last time I was there I recorded 31,000 steps for one day. Crazy!
Seems you had an amazing time though you didn’t have enough time to explore as you wanted
I love travel blogs, and when people share their real life experiences and itinerary’s! Great read!
I’ve heard that NYC is one of the busiest cities in the world. Nevertheless, it’s beautiful to visit and explore!
What great photos, it looks like a good trip
Though I did not get a chance to visit New York city, but heard a lot about it. The night view of the high skycrappers are really stunning. Hope one day I can go there.
New York City is always less than an hour away from me and all the major occasions are marked by our family in the city. I’m glad that you were able to enjoy the major land marks, but there is so so much more you could see next time.
NYC is one of my favorite cities in the US! I love it. Have you been to a Broadway show yet? That is a must see experience!
NYC is my dream city to visit. After seeing your pictures, I can’t wait for more to explore.
Sounds like a great trip