This post is NOT sponsored in anyway. Everything we did and went to was paid for by us. All opinions are always my own.

This is my second visit to NYC & the longest visit. I am by NO means an expert & definitely stood out as one of the many tourists. But tourist to tourist, if you need help planning you’re trip to NYC then I am sharing what I learned & did:

Tips

I HIGHLY recommend going in with somewhat of a plan because there is so much to do. I planned out our days by neighborhoods/tourist events (initial plan here) so that everything was close enough & to make sure we didn’t miss anything in that area. We just had to change seeing the Empire State Building due to fog/closure & the sightseeing tour due to pure exhaustion of walking so much. (Which reminds me: BRING COMFORTABLE SHOES. Or cute shoes with additional supportive insoles.) If you’re going in a busier time like December, then you should only plan 2-3 major attractions a day. It takes a lot more time than most people realize to get to each location plus there is a lot of waiting in line even with a fast pass! I found some great restaurants on Pinterest, Yelp, & Instagram in each neighborhood just in case we were hungry & wanted to eat. If there are specific places you want to eat then make sure to check if you need reservations or if you can make a reservation to help reduce waiting in lines. Also, make sure there is room in your suitcase. Between all of the sales & souvenirs we almost had to buy another suitcase to check because we bought so much stuff.

Tickets

I found round trip tickets from Austin (AUS) to NYC (JFK) for $220 for December 1-4 in late October. These were by far the cheapest tickets especially during holiday season! I fell in love with Jet Blue & I don’t want to fly with anyone else. I’m 5’5″ but have longer legs & I actually had leg room in coach (about the same as Economy with Delta)! Plus there was free WiFi & I signed up for Jet Blue Rewards (non-credit card rewards) & received points AND HALF OFF all of my Lyft’s (ride share service) while in the city! Which I took FULL advantage of about 10 times.

JFK to Manhattan

The initial plan was to find the Subway or something from JFK to Grand Central. After a little research with the free WiFi on our way to JFK, I found the NYC Express Bus. From JFK to Manhattan was $19/Person & you get an additional 10% off when you book with the app. The Express Bus takes you to Grand Central (41st Street & Lexington Ave), Times Square (42nd Street between 5th & 6th Ave), or Port Authority Bus Terminal (42nd street & 8th ave). The Port Authority Bus Terminal is a couple of buildings over from the Times Square Pod Hotel making life 10x easier!

Hotel

We were going to stay at the Roosevelt Hotel initially, BUT there was as issue through the booking agency Hotel Quickly & my reservation ended up being cancelled without me knowing until I went to check in. So we had to find a place to stay ASAP that was nice & cheap. My friend recommended The Pod Hotel & we booked a 3 night stay at The Pod Times Square for around $600! HIGHLY RECOMMEND this hotel if you are trying to do NYC on a budget. This hotel is AMAZING. There is a great bar, The Polynesian, & it is SO close to SO MANY THINGS: Times Square, Broadway, Theatre Row, Madame Tussauds, Bryant Park, Circline Sight Seeing Cruises, & so much more. Most of the tourist attractions were about 1 miles away. We did a Bunk Pod that was about 151 square feet with an AMAZING view:

Transporation

DON’T rent a car. You’ll thank me later. We walked or used Lyft. & pretty much anyone you ask tells you to walk because you’ll get there faster!

New York Pass

If you ever want to see ANY attractions then I highly recommend The New York Pass. I used it for both of my visits to NYC. With the pass, you skip the long lines & you save SO much money on attractions. To go to the Empire State Building is normally $39, Top of the Rock is $39, Big Bus New York Hop on Hop off Bus Tour is $60, Circle Line Sight Seeings Cruise is $43, The RIDE is $69, & all of that is more than a 2 Day Pass. With The New York Pass, you buy your pass, have the pass on your phone, can use the app as a guide, & you have the option to go on cruises, tours, food tours, & so many other NYC attractions! You pick your pass duration (1, 2, 3, 5, 7 or 10 day), download your mobile pass (or you can mail it or collect on arrival in New York), & then whenever you go to an attraction you scan your pass & head straight inside! With The New York Pass, you skip the ticket line at 100+ of the attractions including Top of the Rock, MoMA, The MET, Circle Line Cruises & so much more! I will mark what I used the New York Pass on below.

Itinerary

Day One

Blue Box Cafe

Fifth Avenue/Midtown
Breakfast at Tiffany’s has always been my favorite movie & NOW YOU CAN FINALLY HAVE BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S! You HAVE to make a reservation & booking starts 30 days in advance. I was on the waitlist but luckily I got a call! Another warning, there are many people that dress up like Audrey Hepburn (LBD & pearls) while eating.

Times Square

Midtown
The first place I ever went to in NYC was Times Square & I think that is the perfect way to start your trip. All of the lights & crowds give you a good feel of the city.

Midtown Comics in Times Square

Midtown
This is the best comic book store that I have ever went to. If you like comics or know anyone who likes comics then you should definitely stop by Midtown Comics! They have old to new comic books, books, action figures, collectibles, apparel, and so much more!

Sugar Factory in Times Square

Midtown

Radio City Musical Hall

Midtown
The Stage Door Tour available with the New York Pass

Rockefeller Center

Midtown
Tour available with the New York Pass

Nintendo

Midtown/Rockefeller Center
If you have kids, a boyfriend, husband, love games, or just want to feel nostalgic then you have to stop by the Nintendo Store in the Rockefeller Center. The store has so many little presents, games to buy & play, Nintendo New York items like shirts & cups, and a lot more!

Top of the Rock

Midtown
70th Floor Observation Deck available with the New York Pass. You can get great pictures of Central Park, the Empire State Building, & everything in between. (New York Pass)

Central Park

Midtown

Black Tap Burgers

Midtown
There was a HUGE line but it was definitely worth the wait! The burgers are amazing and their famous shakes taste just as good as they look!

• THE ALL-AMERICAN BURGER: prime burger, lettuce, tomato, pickles, american cheese, special sauce
• ONION RINGS
• BROOKLYN BLACKOUT CHOCOLATE SHAKE: chocolate frosted rim with mini chocolate chips topped with a chocolate brownie, whipped cream & chocolate drizzle

Empire State Building

Midtown
New York Pass. I think this is a must do/see on everyone’s list when they come to the city. I like to go to Top of the Rock during the day & Empire State Building at night so you can see all of the city lights.

Day Two

Ladurée New York Madison

Upper East Side
Ladurée has THE best Macaroons, really good coffee & delicious pastries. We went to this location twice & once to the one in SoHo. I ordered SO many macaroons & bought an additional box of 20 to take home!

Upper East Side

Madison & Park Avenue are filled with gorgeous buildings & luxury shops such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Ralph Lauren, & so many more.

Pizza Beach

Upper East Side
We went to the Pizza Beach in the Upper East Side but there is also another one in Lower East Side. The pizza & service was incredible. All of the pizza options looked delicious & I HIGHLY recommend if you want good pizza that isn’t extra greasy.

• ROCKAWAY PIZZA: Pink Vodka Sauce, Imported Buffala de Campania & Fresh basil
• WATERMELON MARTINI: Vodka & Fresh Watermelon

Bryant Park

Midtown
The Winter Village in Bryant Park is a great place to grab souvenirs & Max Brenner Hot Chocolate! It’s Italian Hot Chocolate & THE best Hot Chocolate that I have ever had!

SoHo

There are SO many designer boutiques, department stores, & high-end art galleries & there’s at least half the crowd of Fifth Avenue. There are gorgeous cast-iron-facades, cobblestone streets, high-end restaurants & nightlife hotspots.

Pietro Nolita

Nolita
Right next to SoHo & Little Italy in Nolita. This place was absolutely AMAZING! I found this place on the list “Most Instagram-able Spots in NYC” & it definitely is. They failed to mention how AMAZING the food is. It was so hard to choose what to order, but the steak I ordered was DEFINITELY in my Top 5 favourite steaks.

• BISTECCA DI MANZO: Pino’s Prime Meats Beef steak w/ roasted fingerling potatoes and chimichurri
• VECCHIO BORBONE: Bourbon, chamomille, honey, cinnamon, lemon, clove bitters, topped with red wine

Washington Square Park

Greenwich Village

Off Broadway Musical

Midtown/Hell’s Kitchen
Everyone always says that you should see a play when you’re in New York & now I can see why! We saw the Off Broadway Musical of Clueless & it was such a great show! The cast sing and dance to 80’s and 90’s hits & we’re so talented!

Day Three

Brunch: Citizens of Chelsea

Chelsea

Flat Iron

Flat Iron District

One World Trade Center

Financial District

9/11 Memorial & Museum

Financial District
You can visit the Memorial of where the twin tours stood & then see the Museum with the New York Pass.

Century 21

Financial District
If you shop anywhere, you have to check out Century 21. Designer clothes & accessories are up to 65% off! I found a Valentino Handbag for $350 & BCBG dress for $25!

TAO

We had lunch at TAO Downtown and it was AMAZING! The best part was the HUGE Happy Birthday Fortune Cookie!

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise: NYC Landmark Cruise

Hell’s Kitchen: Pier 83
This is the best thing to do in New York & officially my new favourite thing to do! We did the Landmark Cruise & saw Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge & a full view of the NYC skyline.

Fifth Avenue

Upper East Side & Midtown

Victoria’s Secret on Fifth Avenue

Midtown
Victoria’s Secret flagship store is four stories & on the third floor is the new VIP Runway Experience where you have access to the fashion show, can walk the pink carpet, & pose with iconic Angel wings! There is also exclusive New York PINK items to pick up as your NYC souvenir!

Day Four

Central Park

Midtown
We grabbed Starbucks & went for one last walk through Central Park on our last morning.

Carmine’s Italian Restaurant in Times Square

Midtown
This is the best Italian food that I have ever had! Make sure to have a reservation so you don’t have to wait & keep in mind that the prices are high because they are EXTRA LARGE portions. We ordered the Fried Calamari & Lasagna. We didn’t finish either because of how large the portions are. The picture of the lasagna below was taken after he cut out two pieces. We ate here as our last stop & we’re so full we actually saved money not buying anything at the airport!
That was my trip to New York City for my 25ht Birthday! If you’ve never been then you definitely should. It’s the busiest during December but it is SO beautiful & there is so much to do. Anything you buy also makes great Christmas Gifts if you do go in December!

Packing List