Hi there! As I look back on my most recent posts, I feel as though I should change the name of my blog to “Eat, Drink & Travel”, lol. Honestly, though, I have realized that Instagram is a much better platform for sharing my fitness “things”; whether it be new workout/fitness gear, clothes, classes or workouts, I get much better hits and responses to what I share when I share it on Instagram.

However, you can only share so much in a single Instagram post or story, and I’m not one to post multiple photos in one day or even share photos multiple days in a row, which is why having this little blog comes in handy!

I love sharing our trips and experiences on B2B because not only do I enjoy going back and reading/reliving our experiences on a later date, but I have been able to share our trips/experiences with others as they plan similar ones!

Now that we’ve cleared that up, here’s to the recap 😉 RM and I have talked about going to NYC together for so long, but for some reason or another, it never happened. Since RM’s birthday falls so close to Christmas, it often gets overshadowed by the upcoming Christmas Eve and Christmas Day festivities. Last year, I decided to change that – I surprised him with a trip to NYC to celebrate his birthday! I had always wanted to visit NYC for the holidays, so it all worked out so well!

Where We Stayed

Per usual, we opted for an AirBnB. We chose the West Village as it’s a super quaint part of the city, away from the hustle and bustle of the tourists and attractions in midtown. Although it was small, the one I booked was so perfect for us! The location couldn’t be beat, it was super clean, had all the amenities we would want or need and the bed was comfy. If you’re looking for a great AirBnB for your NYC weekend, I couldn’t recommend this place enough! The host was also very responsive and accommodating.

Where We Ate

Before going to NYC, I reached out to RM’s sister and BIL for recommendations as they both lived in NYC for a while and are in the food/wine industry and know good food. RM also had some places that he wanted to go to, so it worked out well.

• Blind Tiger – by the time we got to NYC and checked into our AirBNB, we were starving! It had mostly stopped raining, so we decided to pop out for a walk to see if we could find someplace to get a drink and snack at. Enter: Blind Tiger. This was in the West Village and looked cool from the outside and somewhat busy on the inside, so we figured it had to be pretty good. We were pumped to see what a great beer list they had – so many fun IPA’s to try! We snacked on empenadas and curried cauliflower while sipping our way through a few beers. The vibe was great, the food was great and the beers were great. All in all, we would definitely recommend this place!

• Patsy’s Pizzeria – RM had been raving about Patsy’s pizza for so long! Unfortunately, it did not live up to what he remembered it being, so it was a bit of a disappointing meal 😦 However, if you are looking for good pizza, RM’s sister recommends: Lombardis (in Soho), Motorino and Luzzo’s.
• Waverly Diner – Originally, RM wanted to go to a big diner in Union Square, but when we walked there, we realized it had recently been closed. Enter his second restaurant fail of the weekend, lol. However, after a quick google search, we found Waverly Diner, just a few blocks from our AirBnB, which was exactly what we were looking for: casual diner serving good breakfast food. The banana walnut pancakes were SO good – it was a great start to the day!

• Corner Bistro – While at the Observatory, we realized we were getting rather hungry and thought a burger sounded good. We were going to go to Minetta Tavern (the best burgers), but RM remembered another place he used to go to a lot called the Corner Bistro. After some googling, he found that it still existed. We joked as we made our way there that this place better be good, otherwise he was going to be 0 for 3. Luckily, it was perfect! It was small and quaint, but two seats opened up at the bar right as we walked in. The staff was super pleasant and I loved that the menu was less than 10 items. We ordered two cheeseburgers and a side of fries and within a few minutes, they were serve to us; on paper plates, nonetheless! But, that’s part of the charm and experience at Corner Bistro – just as RM remembered it. The burger was SO SO good – we would definitely recommend going there! It’s cash only, but everything was pretty cheap so it wasn’t an issue.
• Murray’s Bagels – I texted my friend Kelly (who lives in NYC and who my girlfriends and I visited back in April) for bagel recommendations since it’s just not right to go to New York and not have New York Bagel, #amiright?! I’m not even really a bagel person, but it’s a fun treat when they’re really good. Murray’s was a short walk from our apartment and we really enjoyed our bagels and coffee while watching the hustle and bustle of people doing the same.

• Palma – RM’s BIL was the manager at this small, beautiful Italian restaurant in the West Village before they moved to Atlanta and now back in Boston, so I knew I wanted to take RM there for his birthday dinner. I fell in love with the restaurant before we walked in, as it was this picturesque restaurant front amidst apartments on a quiet West Village street. The inside was equally as beautiful – tasteful Christmas decorations, lots of candles and flowers everywhere! We sat at the bar for a few drinks before our table was ready – I loved my rose flower drink! We were seated in the back garden room, which had a wall of flowers. It was like a city oasis! The food was incredible – we started with the fried artichoke hearts and burrata and shared a pasta dish for the main course. We finished with mini canolis for dessert. All in all, this was such a wonderful meal and experience without all the hustle and bustle of big restaurants with big crowds.

What We Did

With a short weekend in NYC, there’s really only so much you can do! While we didn’t get to everything on out list of “want to do” things, I think what we ended up doing made for a great weekend. Obviously, it’s likely no shock that by the length of our “Where We Ate” restaurants, a lot of our weekend revolved around food and drinks, but these are two of our favorite ways to explore cities and new areas!

Below are some things we did that were not just eating or drinking 😉 These were focused around Christmas in NYC because I had never experienced it before!

• Walk around the West Village/Bleeker Street – we had a great time walking around, popping into little shops and envisioning what life would be like if we lived there!

• Visit the tree at Rockerfeller Plaza – this has always been on my list, so I’m really happy we were able to check it out! It was busy, so we didn’t stay long, but it was beautiful!

• Check out the storefronts – We only made it to Macy’s, but it was pretty cool to see how festive they get!

• Visit Ground Zero – Albeit very emotional, it was also a very powerful experience. We tried to go to the Museum/Memorial, but the lines were SO long and it was freezing, so we decided next time we are in NYC we will book in advance.
• One World Observatory – there was no line here, so we decided to check it out. We weren’t sure what to expect, but the whole experience far exceeded any ideas of what it would be like! It was extremely organized and we loved how they made each part and event. Even as you rode up in the elevator they had videos showing how NYC has evolved over the years. And once you get to the top – holy sh*t the views were insane!!! Not to mention the sheer fact of how high you are. It was pretty insane. We spent a while up there, sipping cocktails and checking out the views. We were so happy we did this, and would recommend it to anyone looking to do something cool in NYC.

And just like that, a whirlwind of a trip to NYC was over! Cannot wait to get back there in the warmer weather!

Questions for you – where’s your favorite weekend getaway? Are you a city person or a small town person?