Destination: New York City

Bright lights, big city!  That is New York City all day and night – it is a city that rarely sleeps!  When people think America, NYC is one of the first places they often picture.  The city itself is a cultural landmark known all over the world.  This was my first time visiting NYC so I did a lot of research and asked many of my friends for their best advice on where to go, what to see and what to eat.  I was lucky to have friends there that showed me around to so many awesome places, as well.  While there was not nearly enough time to do all of the things I wanted to do, I truly had a blast exploring this iconic city with my boyfriend.  Without further adieu, check out where we stayed, what we ate and what we saw in Destination: NYC!

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Where to Stay

The Refinery Hotel

Such a chic boutique hotel in the heart of the city.  It made getting places easy – such as walking to Times Square or Grand Central Station.  There is a bar, a rooftop restaurant and a restaurant on the ground floor that you MUST dine at when you visit, whether you stay at the Refinery or not.  You can also check out my 10 Tips for a New York Newbie on the Refinery Times (the hotel’s blog).

photo above via

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Where to Eat

Eataly

A group of Italian restaurants amidst an Italian grocery market, and then there’s also GELATO!  We chose the restaurant La Pizza & La Pasta – I ate the “Calamari” con Sugo del Mare – the calamari shaped pasta with seafood and red sauce.  Josh had the Ravioli di Zucca, which is made with butternut squash.

Beyond Sushi

A vegan sushi spot.  I don’t eat sushi, but I loved the Sweet Angel wrap.

Beauty & Essex

Seemingly a pawn shop (which you can actually still purchase items from), once you walk through the second set of doors, you enter a glamorous restaurant!  I dined with a group in a private room, so we had several appetizer sized dishes.  Let me tell you, they were all delicious in their own right, and some stole my heart and made me wish I could have them every other night for dinner.  My favorite from our menu was the Chile Relleno Empanadas, the Grilled Cheese, Smoked Bacon & Tomato Soup Dumplings (served in single size on a Chinese soup spoon) and the Frozen Margarita Shot.

photos above via

Parker & Quinn

This is a jazzy old-fashioned decor styled restaurant in the Refinery Hotel, but open to the public, as well.  We met two guys on the elevator that eat there often, and they advised us to try the lamb burger.  I did, and I loved it!  Josh ate the largest pork chop I’ve ever seen, and it was delicious, too.

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Sights to See

Where I visited this time:

Times Square

Grand Central Station

Top of the Rock (visitor info)

SNL Museum (visitor info)

Bloomingdale’s (read my official post on it here)

New York Fashion Week (see my favorite looks here)

Places I’d like to visit next time:

The Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, the Highline, The Statue of Liberty, Seagram Building, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Little Italy, Chinatown, and sooooo much more!

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Have you been to NYC or is it still on your bucket list?  What would you do first when you got there?

xoxo, dolls & dudes!