Well my friends, the time has come – Bec and I leave the country tomorrow morning bound for NEW YORK CITY!!!!! To say we are excited would be a total understatement. You see neither of us has ever left Australia so this is going to be such fun.
As I type this I am literally sitting at the Mt Isa International sipping cheap bubbles quietly peeing my pants with excitement. We are really doing this.
We have been talking about this trip for a good couple of years now and we finally decided to throw caution to the wind this year and just book the bastard.
We both have husbands who have no desire to leave Australia so we decided to go together. NYC will be way more fun with a girlfriend anyway, surely! So these two blondes are LEAVING THE COUNTRY…. and we have no idea.
No seriously, we really don’t have any clue. We have totally winged the whole thing from booking our airfares, to the hotel and passports. Ok so maybe that was just me winging the passport but I finally have it.
Basically we are going to NYC as a 40th birthday present to ourselves. Bec turned 40 last year and I turn 40 this year. Perfect.
I thought I would whip up this blog post as a reference for myself while we are over there. So I can just click through to this one spot to find all of the information I have been trawling through. All of the fabulous suggestions people have given us, all the little things that I wanted to note down so we don’t forget. I thought – why not put it in a blog post and that way it might help other people in the same boat. So here goes…
Tickets to Get
New York Explorer Pass
Karen Tully is a lady I totally just stalked and friended on Facebook. Another friend told me she was in NYC and was posting great pics and tips so I was onto it people. I must not have look like a total psycho because she added me as a friend and boy has she been helpful. Before you could say Upper East Side we had sent each other about 27 private messages. She was full of great hints and tips and I am sure I will be forever grateful. One thing she told me to get was the New York Explorer Pass. After checking this pass out it seems to cover most things we will be doing in NYC, things that we would be paying entry fees for. This pass covered them all, it includes things such as cruises, bus tours, Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, 9/11 museum and tour, Central Park bike rental, museums, Madame Tussauds, Woodbury Common bus tour and heaps more. You can just purchase this pass online and keep it on your phone for entry. I am so there Jackie O – this may be my first purchase.
Transport
Subway & Busses:
Apparently we definitely need to get ourselves a Metro Card when we arrive, and we motor all around Manhattan on the Subway no trouble at all. Well so they tell me, and I am always prone to believe people. So after clicking through it seems we can get a 7 day pass for $29 US. This gets us unlimited rides on the subway and bus system. How good is that!
We need to purchase this from the vending machines at a subway station. Tick.
Free New York Tourist Maps & Attraction Guide
I just clicked through, entered my details and this will give me:
Free 250 page guide book
Free NYC Subway map
Free NY Tourist map
Free Hop On Hop Off bus map
Shows
We have already pre purchased tickets to two broadway shows – The Phantom of the Opera and Wicked. We can’t wait.
Things To Do
Highline – Chelsea to The Meatpacking District
Top of the Rock
Cruise
Carrey’s Steps from Sex & The City – Perry Street – 66 Perry Street Greenwich Village
Woodbury Common
Hop On Hop Off Bus
Madame Tussauds
9/11 Memorial Museum
Eating
Baby Mac Eats New York – this blog post has so much info, so many great suggestions for bars, restaurants, fast food and cafes.
Balthazar – Soho
Shake Shack
Eataly
5 Guys Burgers
Magnolia Bakery
Drinking
Bathtub Gin – 9th Ave between 18th and 19th – speak easy hidden behind coffee table
Monkey Bar – Midtown
The Rainbow Room & Bubble Bar – Top Of The Rock
Bryant Park
Hudson Hotel – Midtown West
Gramercy Park Hotel – Gramercy Park North
The Plaza
PDT (Please Don’t Tell) in the East Village. You enter through a telephone booth in a hot dog store. Its very cool. You need to phone a reservation first though (apparently – of course I wouldn’t actually know because this info has been given to me and I have never actually left Australia, ha ha ha, but I am thinking it sounds pretty cool).
Accommodation
We are staying at Hotel Elysee, Midtown – it appears to be a quaint boutique style hotel, not a massive sterile chain.
Thank you to one of my blog readers who suggested this hotel when I put the question out, I can’t remember who you are but I remember your message and really appreciate the suggestion.
Lets hope she delivers. It is also home to The Monkey Bar. Carrie & Big had a drink there in an episode of Sex and the City so I figure if it is good enough for Carrie it is good enough for me. Will let you know how we go.
Blogs
Baby Mac – New York State of Mind – big list of all things NYC – this one blog post is my GO TO blog post to take you down the rabbit hole of all blog posts about NYC that Beth has written. So much information and great reading about one of her trips to New York
Styling You – 10 things you must do in New York City
Ok, over and out for today… but I will be back very soon to blog NYC! I hope to blog each day (famous last words) so I have a record and memories of the trip but can’t wait to share it with you too. Bec is a great sport and will be along for the ride so we can’t wait to share our trip with you. Lets to New York together.
Time to shut my suitcase and fly to Sydney.
Have a great time! As mentioned you must check out Lilly Pulitzer on the Upper East Side at Madison and 79th, which is conveniently directly across Central Park from the Upper West Side shake Shack. Perfect for a post burger stroll!
Also, a wander around Bergdorf Goodman followed by a glass of bubbles in their restaurant looking over Central Park is always a good shout.
https://ny.eater.com Eater NY always has good up to the minute restaurant info as well!
Hi Maddie, bugger, I forgot to check out Lilly Pulitzer while we were at Central Park yesterday. We did have a wander through Berdorf Goodman but had champagne cocktails and cheese at the Plaza. I think Berdorf Goodman would have been better, but The Plaza was very enjoyable.
Thanks Miss Chardy have a brilliant time, well done you have convinced me, it has been decided after reading all your great ideas, and taking notes, I’m booking for my 60th. Looking forward to the next instalment. When you’ve recovered from the flight. Cheers Helen
Hi Helen, oh that is too funny. You should definitely stay at this hotel. You will not be sorry. After a busy day out and about it is so lovely to come back to this quiet part of town and this lovely hotel. We couldn’t be happier with this accommodation.