Wednesday, June 12, 2019

NYC Trip Recap & Reccomendations

Happy Friday y'all! I am so happy to be back in the Sunshine State and be back to a regular routine. As fun as traveling is, it is always such a relief to be home. I am so excited to share all about my family's trip to NYC today!
I do plan on doing a separate post all about the Pro's & Con's of NYC so that you can have an honest picture at what this city is like. I felt that no one warned me about several aspects of the city and plan to do an honest post next week. 

Today however, I just want to share about our trip, what we did, and what I recommend most. Let's dive in!



Day #1

Central Park Movie Sites Tour
Our first day started very early, so after arriving in NYC we still had a whole day ahead of us. We started off by doing an hour and a half walking tour of Central Park. This tour pointed out parts of Central Park and surrounding areas that have been in TV Shows and Movies such as Home Alone, Sex and the City, Gossip Girl, etc..

This tour was so much fun and a great way to see the park. There are many beautiful parts of this huge park and I felt a guided tour was the best way to see the highlights. 

It was pretty hot outside and the tour was a lot of walking so make sure to wear comfortable shoes and clothing.


Ellen's Stardust Diner
This was a restaurant our tour guide recommended and so we decided to stop in for dinner. There is always a line wrapped around this building but it moved pretty fast this night. This diner is such a small and fun place where the waiters and waitresses sing Broadway music (and popular hits) throughout your time there. There is confetti, customer participation, and a lot of laughing and singing along. Several of this diners waiters and waitresses have gone on to sing on Broadway so they are extremely talented. 
My family loved this place. The food was nothing to write home about but the entertainment was what made it so great. If you go to NYC, you HAVE to eat here. 



Day #2

Gossip Girl Sites Bus Tour
My sister and I are huge fans of the show Gossip Girl and have always wanted to visit the sites this show has filmed at in the city. We were so thrilled that a tour like this exists and simply had to do it.
This tour took us to hotels shot in the show, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dylan's Candy Bar, and other famous spots around the city. This was such a nice way to cover major ground without having to do much walking. My sister and I had a great time and if you are a Gossip Girl fan, you have to take this tour.


Movie Sites Bus Tour

While my sister and I did the Gossip Girl tour, my parents took a more general tour of famous spots around the city. They saw spots from Ghostbusters, FRIENDS, Rachel Ray, and more. They enjoyed their tour as well. 


Friedman's Restaurant
That night we found this gem of a restaurant that is solely gluten free and we about died. This was some of the best gluten free food I have ever had, and the prices weren't too outrageous in comparison to other NYC spots. We ended up eating here again during the week and couldn't recommend it enough.



Day #3

Top of the Rock

 
 
This was one of the few things I was really set on doing while in the city. I really wanted to go to the top of a sky scraper and get that stunning, post card view of the city from a far. It is obviously very popular to head to the top of the Empire State Building, but have heard it is very small and crowded at the top.
 Instead, we decided to do the Top of the Rockefeller tour and it was perfect. We went early in the morning when there weren't many people and there were so many different spacious decks to go out on. The best part, is that our view included the Empire State Building, which you wouldn't have if you were on it. 
This was truly such a beautiful experience and one of our favorite moments of the trip.


The Musical Wicked
If you were to ask every member of my family what our favorite part of our trip was, we would each say, without hesitation that it was seeing Wicked on Broadway. The dedicated theaters in NYC are so unique and this show was by far the best musical I have ever seen in my life. I am pretty sure everyone in the theater had goosebumps when Defying Gravity was performed. This was my favorite part of the whole trip and truly an amazing experience.


Harbor Lights Cruise
My family ended the night by taking a sunset ferry around the harbor to get a nice up close look at not only the city, but also the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. This wasn't one of the ferry boats that docks at Ellis Island so you only see it from the water, but it was stunning right at sunset and made for a great photo-op too.



Day #4

Radio City Music Hall Tour
The day after the Tony's were held here, we took a tour of one of the most famous entertainment venues in the nation. This building is so beautiful inside and we had a great time learning about the history of this place. We even got to meet a Radio City Rockette.


9/11 Memorial and Museum

Unfortunately I didn't get to attend this one because I wasn't feeling well and went back to the hotel, but my parents and sister were so impressed by this place. It is heartbreaking and emotional of course, but a must-see when in the city. They spent three hours there and still didn't see all of it. They did have to wait out in the rain for an hour so make sure you schedule this spot early in the day. They highly recommend you go see this!



Day #5

NBC Studio Tour
Before heading to the airport to go back home, my family took a tour of the NBC Studio and this was so stinkin' cool and fun. This was such an interesting and interactive tour. We got to see the set of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live, and more. Not to mention, the gift shop was so fun. I found lot's of FRIENDS merchandise and my mom loved the Today Show section.
I highly recommend this tour if you have time while in NYC.


That was our trip! We had a great time and love traveling as a gang together. I sure love these people I call family, and I sure love my home.
NYC was an interesting place and we experienced some culture shock but overall, I will look back on this trip with fond memories. Have you ever been to NYC? What was your favorite thing you did?

I will have a Pro's and Con's of NYC post up next week. Until then, have a happy weekend!

xoxo

4 comments :

  1. Replies
    1. Oh my goodness, yes! It was so fun (: Thanks for reading!

      xoxo

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  2. So glad you went to the Top of the Rock because I think that it has the BEST views in the city! Also, yay for wicked!! One of my good friends is a singer/dancer in the ensemble, so the show has a special place in my heart :) Looks like you loved the things you found in NYC!

    xx Libby
    https://premedwearspearls.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes Top of the Rock was amazing! How incredible that he/she is in Wicked. It was my favorite part of the trip. Thanks for reading and taking time to comment (:

      xoxo

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