Snapshots of NYC // Day 5 // LOTS OF BOOKSTORES! // October 2017

In the fall of 2017 we took a trip to NYC. We had never been, and honestly had more fun than we were expecting to! I'm finally getting my act together and getting these posted! :) If you missed my posts with Days 1 & 2, Day 3, and Day 4 check them out.

Day 5 was our last day in the city. We spent a lot of it rounding up things that we wanted to check off of our list. It ended up being a bit of a bookstore day! Not complaining!

Eat: We tended to eat several partial meals from time to time... It was a little sporadic! We only had one meal on this day, because the other was at the airport... and I'm betting we picked up a pastry for breakfast at Starbucks. :) 

• The Meatball Shop (West Village) -  I swear this place was just called Balls. Maybe they changed it...? Googling Balls NYC probably isn't going to get you great search results... I loved the atmosphere at this place, they also have 3 other locations in the city. KC tried the buffalo chicken meatballs and I tried something a bit more classic. This was a fun place, and nearby a bookstore that I needed to see. :) 

See: More of Central Park, Different Parts of the City, and lotsssss of bookstores!

Shop: I made it my personal mission to explore tons of book shops while in NYC. I'm sure you are shocked. Here are the ones we saw on day 3. I'll have to do a round up post in the end when I finish. 

• Books of Wonder (Uptown) - This is a children's and young adult used and new bookstore. It is a hot spot where a lot of authors do readings, and they have a lot of signed books as well. If you love children's or YA books. This is a super fun bookstore to visit! They do have another location Downtown.
• Idlewild Books (West Village) - this was probably my favorite bookstore that we visited because it was all based around travel, language, and culture books. I love to read travel fiction and memoirs! They even have fun cookbooks, etc. The person working on the day we went didn't say two words to us... but the book selection was awesome! They also teach language classes! They have another location in Brooklyn.
• Three Lives & Co. (Greenwich Village) - This was a really fun, manageable sized bookstore. It was in a fun area, and had a really well curated selection of popular and literary fiction and nonfiction.
• Housing Works Bookstore and Cafe (??) - This place was interesting, the layout was really cool... but it definitely wasn't my favorite of the stores we visited. I liked that they had a big social justice agenda, were very welcoming to all, and that the had used books for sale. It didn't feel very cozy to me, and it was a little hard to get around the upper balcony when there were other people there. It was ok but not our favorite. If you lived there, I could see it being a go-to.
• Book Culture (Columbus Ave. Location) - This small store is packed to the gills with both books and people. I wanted to love it, it had a very clean but not stark vibe... but it ended up being one of my least favorites...but that might be because it was hard to move around!
• Pink Olive (West Village) - This stationery store is cute as a button. I loved their selection of stationery, gifts, and prints. I found a few things to add to my paper collection. They have several locations across the city.

Do: while walking around the city itself is PLENTY to do, we did see some other great places as well! We enjoyed seeing more of the city, especially the village on this day. :) 

Stay: We stayed at Pod 51 hotel. It was very economical!!! It's bare bones, but very clean and in a safe area. Just make sure to check what type of room they are reserving. They do have shared rooms and shared bathroom situations.

Favorites: The Meatball Shop, Idlewild Books, and Pink Olive.

New Experiences: A travel themed bookstore, a children's books bookstore, and a meatball restaurant.

Have you been to NYC? What were some of your favorite things to do? 

Have you been to any of these places? 

Do you like to visit everyday spots like bookstores when you travel?!

Do you have any fun trips coming up?! We are heading to Memphis soon, and then somewhere really exciting in December! Any guesses?!

Other NYC Posts: Days 1 & 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Anastasia on Broadway.

More NYC travel day posts coming soon!

Happy Travels!

XO,

Alexandra

More NYC travel day posts coming soon!

Happy Travels!

XO,

Alexandra

Snapshots of NYC // Day 3 // The Brooklyn Bridge and Anastasia on Broadway // October 2017

In the fall of 2017 we took a trip to NYC. We had never been, and honestly had more fun than we were expecting to! I'm finally getting my act together and getting these posted! :) If you missed my post with Days 1 & 2, check it out here.


On day 3 we spent a chunk of our day walking the Brooklyn Bridge, eating pizza, and taking a nap before my favorite dinner in the city... and Anastasia on Broadway. I think Day #3 was by far my favorite!

you can see the statue of liberty out there!

Eat: We tended to eat several partial meals from time to time... It was a little sporadic!

• Juliana's Pizza (Brooklyn) - We wanted someplace not too far from exiting the Brooklyn Bridge, and Juliana's was just the ticket. I knew Taza had recommended it, so I figured it was a good recommendation! We loved our Margarita Pizza and the atmosphere was very cute. If you enjoy wood/coal fired style pizza, you'll like Juliana's!
• Milk Bar (Nolita) - I wanted to try the social media famous Milk Bar. We were checking out a few places in Nolita, so this location was convenient for us. I'm going to be honest and say we didn't love it! The crack pie was suuuper sweet, and the compost cookie didn't have a lot of texture. It's like they ground up all of the "composty" items and tried to make a smoother cookie. Bummer, but oh well!
• City Kitchen (Times Square) - This was hands down my favorite place that we ate in the city. It is basically a food court, but with legit local vendors. Places like Kuro-Obi (of Ippudo fame), Dough Donuts, and Luke's Lobster Rolls. They have seven diverse places to choose from, in an area that is a little bit of a foodie desert. I'll take it. I got the ramen. SO GOOD. I think my first legit ramen! KC got the combo plate with mini lobster, shrimp, and crab rolls. He's a major seafood fan and this spurred his now love of lobster rolls. He's obsessed. The view from the bar at the window was lovely. Pretty city lights! We decided to go here because it was the most interesting place near where Anastasia on broadway was playing. NO REGRETS... other than we were too full to try a donut at Dough!

See: Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, and DUMBO. 

Shop: I made it my personal mission to explore tons of book shops while in NYC. I'm sure you are shocked. Here are the ones we saw on day 3. I'll have to do a round up post in the end when I finish. 

• None... but just wait for Day 5!

Do: while walking around the city itself is PLENTY to do, we did see some other great places as well!

• The Brooklyn Bridge (Brooklyn) - The bridge is beautiful and it is a nice way to see some great views of the city. This whole thing is going to be filled with tourists, and if you're like me... it will be fairly stressful to walk on. You're supposed to stay in certain lanes for runners/bikers... but it is nearly impossible.
• Tips: 
• Pull off to the side when you can, every once in a while there is a corner. It will give you a chance to get out of the crowd for a second or two.
• Offer to take a photo for someone and they will likely offer back. :) 
• DUMBO (Brooklyn) - This stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. You've likely seen people taking photos here on Instagram. The view is a very cool section of the Manhattan Bridge between buildings. As with most of the places we visited on this day of our trip, it was PACKED with tourists trying to get their shot in. Not an issue, but something to be aware of.
• Anastasia On Broadway - as I type this, Anastasia is no longer playing in NYC. *sniffle* However, it is touring the country... and we recently saw it in KC and it was still very fun. I would recommend it. Seeing a broadway show is kind of a "must do" while in NYC, and I am so glad that we saw this one. Here more about my experience at the show, here. 

Stay: We stayed at Pod 51 hotel. It was very economical!!! It's bare bones, but very clean and in a safe area. Just make sure to check what type of room they are reserving. They do have shared rooms and shared bathroom situations.

Favorites: Pizza at Juliana's, The View from the Brooklyn Bridge, CITY KITCHEN, and Anastasia on Broadway.

New Experiences: *coal* fired pizza, legit ramen, lobster/shrimp/crab rolls, a bridge that is the attraction, a Broadway show, and Milk Bar.

Have you been to NYC? What were some of your favorite things to do? 

Have you been to any of these places? 

Do you have any fun trips coming up?! We are heading to Memphis soon, and then somewhere really exciting in December! Any guesses?!

Other NYC Posts: Days 1 & 2, and Anastasia on Broadway.


More NYC travel day posts coming soon!

Happy Travels!

XO,

Alexandra