My five favourite things to do in NYC

Good evening angels. I can't quite believe how far into November we are and that I've been home from New York for almost a month already. I had the most wonderful trip with my mum, it'd been too long since we'd had a girls trip together and the five days we spent here were just magical. Despite a forecast of rain, we were blessed with some gloriously sunny autumnal days and saw so much of this crazy city. I had a lot of DM's asking for for advice on what to see etc, this was my fourth time visiting so I thought I'd list my five favourite things to do in New York City and the tips I've picked up along the way.

First up, if you're flying from the UK I can't recommend Norwegian enough. With fares starting from £139 one way and £245 return (!) it's such a great value airline yet the inflight experience is never compromised – always such a comfortable flight, impeccable service and you can order drinks and snacks right to your seat (winning). They run three flights a day from Gatwick, and their 6am departure means you can arrive at Times Square by 10:30am local time. 

NYC location wise, I stayed at Yotel NYC. It was my second time staying here and I loved the property just as much as last time. Cute, efficient little cabins with gorgeous views over downtown Manhattan with a restaurant, rooftop bar and gym all on site. The location in Hell's Kitchen is a stones throw from Times Square and a great base to reach everything else from in the city. Now.. into the good stuff.

1. Walk the High Line & have brunch in the West Village

I did this shortly after it opened a few years ago and it's remained one of my favourite things to do in the city. Only a 10 minute walk from our hotel, we headed here on our first morning and, in my opinion, it's the loveliest way to start the trip – but definitely do it on clear/sunny day if you can! The Highline is actually an old railtrack running from Hell's Kitchen area all the way down to Hudson Yards, that's been transformed in to a beautiful 1.45 mile walkway (or 'elevated linear park') for New Yorker's, commuters and tourists alike. Weaving between tall, modern skyscrapers and old traditional New York buildings, the High Line is lined with gardens that took inspiration from the self-seeded landscape that grew wild for 25 years after the trains stopped running – I'm sure you can imagine this makes for a pretty beautiful juxtaposition between urban and nature. Not to mention, the epic, elevated views of the iconic skyline.

If you walk in the Hell's Kitchen > Chelsea direction like we did, you can find yourself a short walk from the West Village just in time for brunch. My forever favourite is Jack's Wife Freda (although they have 3 more locations across the city), and filling up on their delicious brunch menu is just what you'll fancy after your walk. FYI – the green eggs with feta are the bomb.com

2. Visit the Top of The Rock (& how to save on entry)

Now I've done the touristy things a few times in NYC, but as mum hadn't been in over a decade we definitely wanted to check a few of them off. And to be honest, I don't think I'll ever take a trip here when I don't go here. The Top of The Rock, in my opinion, is the best of the sky scrapers you can visit when it comes to seeing the city from above. Having visited both here and The Empire State observation deck's on this trip, it's definitely the more spacious, less crowded and the views are unparalleled. We went shortly after opening at 8:30am and were lucky to be two of only a handful of people there. Unfortunately the clouds hadn't cleared for us yet, but I imagine this would be even more spectacular as the sun rises over manhattan.

You'll need to buy a ticket to get in ($38), but if you're planning on visiting a few of the sites, I can't recommend picking up a NYC GO City Pass. Saving you up to 44% you gain admission to the top 6 New York attractions, including Top of The Rock, MoMA and The Statue of Liberty Island to name a few! I was kindly gifted one of these to use during my trip, but paid for one for my mum too as they were such amazing value.

3. Brunch & shopping in Nolita/ Soho

Nolita and Soho are maybe my favourite neighbourhoods on Manhattan. From the dreamy fire escapes and pastel painted buildings, to the plethora of trendy brunch spots and pretty boutiques. It's a really cool area that makes you feel like a local and is the perfect place to spend morning or afternoon mooching about and perhaps even staying for cocktails in the evening too. 

We had a lovely brunch at the Butcher's Daughter in Soho, one of my favourites in NYC for vegan/ veggie eats. With tables just outside it was a great place to people watch and see the New York go by right in front of you, all of course whilst sipping on an oat-milk matcha and munching their vegan deli sandwich. Some other great spots nearby are also Rin-Tin-Tin, Pietro Nolita and Egg Shop. Afterwards, you can wander around the neighbourhoods and do a bit of shopping – these areas are a hotspot for sample sales too. And, if your muscles are aching from all the exploring, head on over to Chinatown for a massage. We were recommended by a local to visit Renew Day Spa for a $36 dollar 1hr massage and it was bloody amazing.

4. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge & take the ferry to Williamsburg

Perhaps surprisingly, this was maybe my favourite day of the trip. It was Saturday and the sun was shining, the day ahead was looking beautiful. Of course, that meant half of Manhattan showed up to walk the bridge too, it was so lovely none the less and the views are just spectacular – just get there early if you can to soak as much of it in as possible. Over the bridge you'll find Dumbo, AKA Dan Humphrey's 'hood for my GG babes out there. Again, this might have been because it was a sunny Saturday, but the main street was full of people getting that iconic shot of the Manhattan Bridge. There are however a few lovely lunch spots, we went to Al Mar and definitely would have stopped for a drink at Ceccioni's if it wasn't too busy.

From Dumbo you can then take the NYC Ferry down to Williamsburg. My friend and fellow NYC maven Hayley gave me this recommendation and it was such a good one! Only a couple of dollars so it's 10x cheaper than getting an Uber and oh my god was it 10x more beautiful. Download the free app to purchase your ticket and avoid the queues, then to enjoy a beautiful view of Manhattan as you cruise along the river.

We got off at North Williamsburg and a short walk from there was Smoursburg food market which we stumbled on by complete chance. Open on Saturdays and Sundays, it's the most insane collection of delicious street food of all kinds – the NY Times even dubbed it the Woodstock of Eating! There's also a bar just next to it where we enjoyed a couple of pints, before indulging in some seriously delicious treats from the stalls. I picked up a fresh coconut, loaded fries, a soya meat slider whilst having a little boogie to one of the stall's reggae music – pure heaven.

Afterwards we headed to The Hotxton Williamsburg for sunset cocktails (again get here earlyish) and made it to their rooftop bar, Summerly, just in time for sunset. Both the drinks (go for the Key Lime Colada) and location where phenomenal. The views of a slow burning sky kissing the manhattan skyline, Mum by my side and cocktail in hand are memories I'll cherish forever.


5. Have lunch in Central Park at Tavern on The Green

Central Park is of course an absolute must when visiting NYC. It's beautiful in all four seasons and often provides the perfect sanctuary when you need a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. We were pushed for time, so this time took a rickshaw around the park and actually had the best time! We lucked out with an amazing rider who showed us all of the most beautiful parts of the park, taking pictures and loading us with all the history and famous film spots along the way.

On the west side of the park you'll find Tavern on The Green. It's a beautiful restaurant and bar looking over the edge of the park with an amazing menu. I had a salmon Ceaser salad that was to die for, washed down with a couple of flutes of prosecco of course. This spot is perfect for a special occasion or birthday and I'll come back every time I visit New York.

This is actually a very personal recommendation, we visited the Tavern on The Green as a family back in 2002 and I remember to this day having such a special evening, running around the property and dancing underneath the fairy lights with my brother. So I surprised my mum with lunch here on our last day and it was the perfect way to end the trip.

Thank you so much for reading! You can see this all in action in my IGTV vlog of the trip here.

The Kimono Shirt Dress

This kimono shirt dress was an unlikely contender for my autumn wardrobe, yet it's become one of my favourites. Namely, because I rarely find a shirt dress that fits my shape this well and also because I usually have a tendency to shy away from floral prints, particularly this time of year. But something about the chic design of this little number told me to give it a try, so on our final day in New York I wore it out for brunch and a spot of shopping in the gorgeous boutiques in Nolita and I've honestly never gotten so many compliments.

Almost every shop we went into someone asked me where it was from and of course, I proudly told everyone it was from this amazing British high street brand called Dorothy Perkins. Though it's suitable for workwear or even partywear, I chose to style it up with a backpack and my indigo Stan Smiths to pick up on the white piping detail and love how the look came together. 

There's a quite an oriental vibe to the lillies and kimono style which I think is what makes it so perfect for autumn winter. Now the temperatures have dropped I think layering a grey slouchy knit over the top would look gorgeous too, a trend focused but versatile wardobe addition.

In other news, my New York Vlog went live yesterday! It tested my paticence with editing, but I'm so happy with the little recap of my trip! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it – still getting the hang of this YouTube business! As always, thanks for reading.

Shop the look: Dorothy perkins dress, Adidas Stan Smiths, Radley Backpack

NEW YORK VLOG

Best Brunch Spots In New York

If there's one thing we did a lot of in NYC, it was brunch. Even before we left I'd compiled a list of best brunch spots and screen shotted countless shots of eggs benny from my favourite New Yorker's Instagram. And let's be honest, brunch in New York is something else. They go above and beyond, from unique culinary creations to all-vegan menus and slices of french toast the size of a doorstep. So naturally, I had to share with you my some of my absolute favourites that you simply have to visit if you're in New York City. And if not, here's to some mouth-wateringly good weekend brunch inspo!

1. Jacks Wife Freda (Chelsea) - 50 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014

Following a Catfish and The Bottlemen gig downtown the previous evening, we were definitely in need of some serious re-fuelling the next morning. I'd spotted Jack's Wife Freda on many a New Yorker's Insta feed and was instantly drawn to the adorable branding (this is the place with cute quotes on the sugar packets!) and colourful looking brunch dishes. Inside, it 100% lived up to my expectations and the food was delicious – you simply have to order the eggs benny with beet hollandaise!

2. The Butcher's Daughter (West Village) - 581 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014

We popped in here after walking the whole length of Highline (in 30 degree heat, might I add), and were in desperate need of a sit down and some good food. After a monstrous portion of chilli cheese fries in a diner the day before, I was more than ready for all the goodness this vegan had to offer. We both went for kale salad variations, Liz a Caesar and me a mediterranean bowl topped with the most heavenly vegan cashew ricotta. All of course, balanced with a couple of pilsners from their own brewery – the perfect brunch/lunch spot for veggies, vegans or simply anyone that enjoys some seriously amazing tasting healthy food.

3. Rin Tin Tin (Nolita) - 14 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

This spot in Nolita was recommended to us by my US blogger babe Alyssa when we met up for drinks. 3 cocktails down combined with an accent barrier, I accidentally took the name down as 'Ren Ten Ten' (doh!) and was super disappointed when I couldn't find it online. So you can imagine my joy (and of course embarrassment at my own stupidity) when we stumbled upon a glorious looking place called Rin Tin Tin durning our day in Nolita. They served a serious portion of French toast and a side (read: 10 rashers) of bacon with molten fruit and maple syrup, which was probably my most favuorite brunch of the whole trip. They do, however, also have lighter options too – Liz's avo on toast looked pretty damn delish. Extra points for the most on-point dreamy decor in this place too.

4. AlMar (Dumbo) - 111 Front St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

We hit up this spot after a cold and windy walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. I'd been dying to see Dumbo (not mainly for the hope of spotting Rufus Humphry) and the iconic cobbled streets and old converted warehouse buildings, so as chilly as the walk across from Manhattan was - they were well worth it. We'd originally been reccomended a spot called Atrium which was unfortunately closed for a private event so, we were super delighted to stumble upon this lovely spot just around the corner. Half pub, half café, this Italian trattoria was just the ticket we needed to refuel. I went for a truffled wild mushroom, egg and melted cheese concoction off the specials board which was as divine as it sounds, though I did have some food envy of the woman sat next to us who ordered their insane 'eggs on a cloud' dish! Extra points for gorgeous tasting coffee too. 

Bookmark this post for your next trip to NYC!

Yotel NYC

For the rest of our stay in New York, we spent five wonderful nights at the incredibly cool Yotel in Hell's Kitchen. Probably the most modern, hi-tech hotel I've had the pleasure to stay in, their concept made for an entirely new home away from home experience. 

Located just west of Times Square, Yotel was brilliantly located and a great base point for seeing the city. We could walk to midtown, the Highline, Chelsea and even as far as the West Village if we wanted, but subway stations were never too far either. As you can see, its spot in the city made for some incredible cityscape views over lower Manhattan. 

We stayed in one of their gorgeous Premium Queen View cabins and I couldn't have been happier with our little space. From a monsoon shower, adjustable smart bed and a cute little workspace with high-speed free wifi – it had everything we needed and more for the most comfortable stay. 

As much as I adored all the nifty modern elements (think mood lighting and machines for self-check-in), what made me fall head over heels for this place was the breathtaking view from our room. On those days we were blessed with scorching sunshine, we were spoilt with burning orange and pink sunset views over the downtown skyscrapers. And, even on the cloudy days, seeing the tips of the buildings disappear into the mist was also pretty magical. 

I woke up at around half six most mornings, partly induced by jet-lag and partly by sheer excitement. I made myself a little routine of going down to their restaurant floor and getting Liz and I a coffee and a couple muffins (complimentary for all guests from 7am!), before heading back to the room and sitting on the bathroom floor for 10 minutes or so, just letting the epic view of the city sink in as the sun peeked behind the rooftops. 

Though we didn't have a chance to try their restaurant, we did manage to spend a little time out on their gorgeous rooftop terrace. Before heading out for the evening we enjoyed a couple of cocktails on the terrace which, nestled between several lit-up skyscrapers, made for the coolest yet iconic NY spot to kick off your evening and worth a visit even if you aren't staying at the hotel. Make sure to order the 'Shore Thing' and 'Suite Surrender' cocktails – beyond delicious!

Our stay was an absolute dream from start to finish and I definitely don't think it'll be my last. With affordable rates, this place is great if you haven't got a huge budget but are looking for somewhere a little luxe and modern – let's not forget the excellent location either! 

Thanks so much to Yotel and to their warm and welcoming staff for having us during a truly wonderful stay. Thanks for reading and  Stay tuned for some footage of Yotel coming in my New York Vlog on Sunday!

Visit: Yotel New York