As with our other itineraries (Italy here), we aren't people that take cities lightly. We try and cram as much as possible into each day!
PS Restaurants that were highly recommended but will have to make it to next time:
Il Mulino
Quality Meats
Balthazar
Lilia
Buvette
Jack's Wife Freda
Frank (we went here, and did love it!)
Day 1:
Arrived by Noon
Checked into hotel around Times Square area
Black Tap for Epic Milkshakes and Apps!
Explored Times Square Area
Mean Girls the Musical
Snacks at Chipotle
Day 2:
GMA (had studio tickets but lined up 5:40am, were 4th in line)
Lunch at The Ribbon on the Upper West Side
Explored Central Park
Freshened up, then to the 360 degree rotating rooftop bar at our hotel (The Marriott Marquis)
Dinner right beside the theater at the most awesome ("Best tacos") taco shop: Los Tacos No. 1
Harry Potter Cursed Child Part 1 Play
Day 3:
Sunrise (6:45am) on the Brooklyn Bridge. Sun rises behind Manhattan's skyline. Gorgeous!! Plus you are almost all alone on a normally crowded bridge.
10:15 NY Historical Society Harry Potter Exhibit
Lunch at Patsy's Pizza
Checked into new hotel in Flatiron District
Apps and Drinks at the largest rooftop garden in NYC
Harry Potter Cursed Child Part 2 Play
Day 4:
Went for a walk to the Flatiron building (outside our door),
Friends Building and Washington Square Park.
Coffee and Cronuts at Ansel's Bakery
Lunch at Lombardi's and at Joe's Pizza
Shopped in Greenwich Village at the cutest stores!
Headed downtown to One World Trade Center to see it, the memorial, and the 9/11 museum.
(allot 3-4 hours for this)
Back to The Village for incredible food at Frank's ! My fav of the trip!
Checked into the JW Essex House right by Central Park.
Day 5:
8:00 a.m. Top of the Rock appointment for the most incredible views of the city! The best place to see the Empire State in your background AND Central Park! PS if you get there at 7:30 you will be basically up there alone!
9:00 a.m. Made it to see Gaby from www.whatsgabycooking.com (SHE'S AMAZING) on the Today Show right after that in Rockefeller Plaza.
10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. American Museum of Natural History -- we could have spent much longer here, but we searched the top things to see!
Lunch
Walked around 5th Avenue, again around different areas of Central Park. Could also add Grand Central Station / Trump Tower
Champagne at The Plaza
The Book of Mormon Musical
Day 5:
We had intended to see the statue of liberty today, but instead swapped it for a pizza tour of Brooklyn.
See our "best pizza" results here.
Seriously, all we did was take the subways around and eat pizzas.
We also explored the artwork of Brooklyn including the Bushwick Collective.
Day 7:
Kelly and Ryan - arrived at 6:20 a.m. and since we had "priority tickets" (we booked tix as soon as we could) and arrived early we were just 8th in line.
Checked out of hotel
Lunch at BareBurger , it was so good! Everything had so much flavor!
Explored the flagship Macy's store
Headed to the airport to go home.
For more from New York head over here.