My First Time in NYC — Here’s Everything I Did in 48 Hours

Nov 24

Hi friends!

What a time this past weekend was — I finally checked the Big Apple off my bucket list! I originally planned this trip with two friends, but plans changed and I ended up traveling solo… and then rendezvousing with my sister, who also happened to be in NYC the same weekend. Couldn’t have asked for a better trip. Buckle up for my New York travel diary, including all the sights, sounds, and (yes) smells of NYC!

Day One — Central Park, The Met, Chelsea Market & Time Square

We kicked off our first day in New York at a bagel shop called Broad Nosh Bagels. I ordered a classic bagel with blueberry cream cheese, and quickly learned that New York bagels come loaded with cream cheese. No complaints here!

After breakfast, we took a long walk through Central Park, stopping at ponds, fountains, and those dreamy fall trees. We made our way to The Met so I could finally take the iconic Gossip Girl photo on the steps — a must for any first-time NYC itinerary.

Once we wrapped up at The Met, we wandered around a bit before needing a coffee pick-me-up. So we walked over to Ralph’s Coffee inside the Ralph Lauren store, and needless to say, I was obsessed. The line was so long — it literally wrapped around the store — so we popped into J.Crew and Ralph Lauren while we waited. Once we finally ordered, I got the most delicious peppermint hot chocolate, and it genuinely tasted like Christmas in a cup.

Then we took the subway to Chelsea Market for lunch, where we tried the famous tacos from Los Tacos No. 1 — genuinely the best tacos I’ve ever had. After strolling through Chelsea Market, the Starbucks Roastery, & Anthro, we headed to Brooklyn to see the Brooklyn Bridge.

For dinner, we went uptown to Harlem to eat at a shareable-plates restaurant called The Good Good. The whole premise is that you order a bunch of shareable plates and literally just snack for dinner — the most ideal girl dinner ever. We finished the night with a Frozen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity, walked through Rockefeller Center, and ended the night in Times Square — and somehow hit 30,000 steps on day one.

Day Two — Midtown Christmas Magic, West Village & The Rockettes

Day two felt like stepping straight into a Christmas in New York City movie. We grabbed breakfast at Liberty Bagels, coffee at Culture Coffee, and then spent the morning exploring the iconic Macy’s Herald Square Christmas displays and Santaland. I left with the cutest NYC ornament featuring a taxi, the Big Apple, and the Statue of Liberty.

Next, we headed to West Village for lunch at John’s Pizzeria on Bleecker Street. Their cheese pizza absolutely lived up to the hype — one of the best slices I’ve ever had. After wandering through the neighborhood, we walked down to SoHo to shop. This is when I got the viral NYC Abercrombie taxi sweater that TikTok is obsessed with (you can only get it in NYC stores!).

Later, we subway-hopped to Grand Central Terminal, which completely blew me away. I’m a sucker for historical architecture, and between Grand Central and the New York Public Library, I was in absolute heaven. We also passed by The Plaza Hotel and the viral Louis Vuitton building — peak NYC aesthetic. My little Eloise-at-Christmas dreams came true!

For dinner, we went over to Bryant Park and walked through their Christmas Village, where food trucks line the park. We grabbed fried Oreos (a must), and browsed all the cozy holiday pop-ups.

We ended the night separately — my sister and her friend saw Mamma Mia!, and I went to see the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. I cried multiple times (in the best way!). Truly worth every penny.

My New York Travel Tips & What I’d Recommend

This NYC weekend trip was everything I’d hoped for and so much more. Between the incredible food, Christmas displays, historic architecture, and nonstop energy of the city, it’s a destination that absolutely lives up to the hype.

If you’re planning a New York City holiday trip, here are my quick takeaways:

Walk as much as you can — you’ll see so much more.
Subway > Uber. It's fast, easy, and way cheaper.
Don’t sleep on tacos, bagels, or a good slice of NYC pizza. (Calories don’t count in NYC… you just walk them off)
If you're visiting during the holidays, prioritize Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center, Macy’s, and the Rockettes — they’re magical.
And yes… you need the Abercrombie taxi sweater.

New York completely stole my heart, and I already can’t wait to go back.

You can visit my Instagram & TikTok for more NYC travel content, outfit inspo, and recommendations from our trip. And if you try any of the spots I mentioned, let me know — I love hearing your recs too!

XO, Em