A Weekend in New York

I have never seen New York at Christmas time but have always wanted to experience it in all its glory. So after a crazy hectic 4th quarter hubs and I decided last minute to escape to New York for a couple days and let me tell you, it was magical. We didn’t go with a plan as much as just a couple spots we had to see in the short amount of time. And everyone warned us to make reservations for dinner which we didn’t do because I didn’t want to be on a schedule of any kind. #momlife

When looking for a hotel I wanted something boutique-like close to everything we want to see so walking wouldn’t be an issue plus I wanted good atmosphere and vibes because that is where Mimosas start the day and the day ends relaxing around the lounge. Affordability is also super important as well as the ability to photograph pretty because #instagram is real. So once we stumbled upon Moxy in NYC Times Square we were sold. Its also part Marriott Hotel Brands and if you live that #pointlife, that is important for traveling on the cheap which is always my goal.

When I say this hotel is literally perfect, it really is. In fact, there is not a single thing I would change about it. But it is def not for everyone. We arrived before we were able to check in our room so we handed off our bags and hit the streets. Key to getting 3-4 full days and make it feel like a week is arrive in a destination as the city is waking and then you will end up having all day instead of wasting a day of travel. First, stop breakfast at Friedman’s. Best part, it was small but we had no wait which had to have been perfect timing on our part because the lunch crowd arrived and the wait began. But we had lots of coffee and amazing food then took a stroll to Bryant Park.

Since it was noon by this point we sat down and I had a glass of wine and hubs had a beer and people watched. It was fabulous. The week before we went they had snow and the week after we went they had snow, but in between. There was no snow, which I was a little upset about seeing we traveled all the way up to NYC and snow at Christmastime would be fabulous in the city. But even without the snow, it was fabulous and much more comfortable to just stroll around town which is exactly what we did.

Bryant Park was amazing with so many food stands as well as small little shops. There was also a huge ice skating rink which we never made it out onto and entertainment such as jugglers and ping pong tables sprinkled around. After a lap or two, we decided to head back to the hotel where we could get a little work done, get a drink, and get in our room to get ready for the evening.

Here is a video of the hotel and all it has to offer along with our room. Now earlier I said it wasn’t for everyone and it’s not. The spaces are small (most are in NYC) and they make amazing use of space but some might consider it too small. It was actually a selling point for me when we were booking and my next girls trip will be to NYC and stay at Moxy in NYC Times Square in their twin quad. Think bunk beds and pillow fights. So if you are in let me know and we can start planning. We had King Corner Room it was small it was perfect for 2 people. Not to mention that price!

Hotel

FOOD

This is going to blow people’s mind but we didn’t make a single food reservation. I didnt want to be on a schedule since we are so scheduled all the time. So we totally rolled with the punches and instead just checked the internet for restaurants near us when we were ready to sit down. We also tried to find the most mom and pop, locals only joints so we ventured away from our tourist hub of Times Square towards Hell’s Kitchen or neighborhoods a little on the outskirts. Now one place that is chainy is Shake Shack and after a few too many cocktails the night before, it was perfection.