A Long Weekend in New York City: 3-Day Itinerary
New York City street
New York. The Big Apple. The City that Never Sleeps. Or simply, the City. Whatever name you use, New York City is one of the most vibrant, diverse, and interesting places in America. There is no shortage of things to do and see in New York – in fact, quite the opposite is true. There are so many points of interest that you should plan any trip to New York with the mindset that you will not be able to see or do everything.
Such was the attitude that my husband and I had when planning this trip to New York. We had both been to New York before (but never together), so we decided to focus on visiting places that neither of us had seen or at the very least, had not seen in quite some time. What follows is our three-day itinerary.
Day 1: Travel to NYC and Begin Exploring the City
Our first day began bright and early. We hit the road in the morning and arrived in New York a little after 11:00 AM. Our first order of business was to check into our accommodation in Brooklyn and drop off our luggage, and once that was done, we walked to a nearby café called Marcy and Myrtle for lunch. They had several vegetarian sandwiches, which as a vegetarian, I was quite pleased to see (at many restaurants, the most I can hope for in terms of non-meat offerings is a garden salad), and they also had terrific coffee.
Marcy and Myrtle
Refueled, we then hopped on the subway and headed into Manhattan. Our first stop was the High Line, a public garden and walkway built along an old, raised train line. It features beautiful views of the city, as well as several colorful murals and an assortment of trees, flowers, and other greenery. Unfortunately, when we visited in February, the greenery was more like brownery, so we did not get the full High Line experience. At some point, we will return during the summer in order to see everything in bloom.
View from the High Line
After the Highline, we moseyed on over to the Vessel, a beehive-like structure in Hudson Yards. We opted not to pay the admission fee to climb to the top and instead just took photos from down below.
Looking up at the Vessel
We then walked to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and spent a couple of hours meandering through the galleries and appreciating, as well as scratching our heads at, some of the modern art. If modern art is not your thing, fear not, for the museum also has a selection of paintings from Picasso and Van Gogh, including The Starry Night.
Me looking at an art piece within MoMA
After leaving the MoMA, we had a bit of time to kill before we were scheduled to meet some friends for dinner, so we wandered around, eventually ending up in Rockefeller Center. There, we grabbed a couple of cookies from a Milk Bar truck (I highly recommend the Compost Cookie – it’s so good!), which we proceeded to eat while watching people both excel and fail at skating.
Skating rink at Rockefeller Center
Cookies devoured, we headed on over to Barn Joo, a Korean-inspired gastropub, to meet our friends for dinner. The restaurant had a fun, cozy ambience, and the food was delicious. Afterwards, we stopped by Dylan’s Candy Bar to grab some chocolate before getting on the subway and making our way back to Brooklyn.
Day 2: Museums, Parks, and Books, Oh My!
Waking up early, we hopped on the subway and made our way to Manhattan, where we enjoyed an oh-so-yummy breakfast at Dudley’s. Afterwards, we happened upon a bakery with some tasty-looking desserts in the window, so we decided to treat ourselves and get a cookie. (The bakery was called Broome Street Bakery, but it has sadly since closed.)
Exterior of Dudley’s
Fueled for the day, we then headed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where we spent the next three hours wandering from gallery to gallery, taking in all of the art and artifacts. We barely scratched the surface of the Met’s collection; it is the type of museum that you can keep returning to and find something that you have not seen before. If you are planning a trip to the Met, I would recommend sticking to a couple of galleries and taking the time to fully explore them (that’s what we did). You are not going to be able to see everything, so it’s best to slow down and savor what you can see.
Exhibit inside the Met
From there, we found a nearby café for a late lunch, and afterwards, we walked to Central Park. This was the first time that either of us had visited Central Park, so we took our time exploring the massive public space. While touring the park, we had the fortune of hearing an opera singer, Marcella Adame, perform. She had a beautiful voice, and it was truly a happy surprise that we happened upon her performance.
Walking through Central Park
With an approaching dinner reservation, we departed Central Park and headed toward Greenwich Village for dinner at Nix, which has unfortunately closed since we were there. It is a shame, as Nix featured a delicious, all-vegetarian menu. After dinner, we made the short walk over to Strand Bookstore, where much to my husband and our small apartment’s chagrin, I picked up a few new books.
We finished off the day with dessert at Dō, a place that serves up edible cookie dough – that’s right, cookie dough, everyone’s favorite childhood treat. It was as good as it sounds.
So many cookie doughs, so little time
Day 3: Return Home
On our final day in the city, we grabbed breakfast at Brown Butter in Brooklyn, and it was delicious. I had the quinoa and oat bowl, and it was very tasty. The restaurant also had a lovely, cozy feel about it, which made breakfast there all the better.
My scrumptious breakfast at Brown Butter
We then got in the car and started the long drive back home…and so ended our trip to New York.
Summing it up: The 3 Wheres
Where We Went
High Line
Vessel*
MoMA
Rockefeller Center
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Central Park
*Saw from the outside; did not go inside
Where We Stayed
Brooklyn
Where We Ate
Breakfast
Dudley’s
Brown Butter
Lunch
Marcy and Myrtle
Dinner
Barn Joo
Nix (closed)
Dessert/Coffee
Milk Bar
Dylan’s Candy Bar
Broome Street Bakery (closed)
Dō
If you have any questions about what we did in New York, feel free to ask them in the comments section below!
