Nesting With Grace

by Brooke Christen

Our NYC Trip Guide: Where to Stay, Eat, Shop & Explore

May 12, 2026

I’ve visited New York City twice in the last month, and before that we lived in Connecticut, just about an hour train ride away, so we loved visiting the city often. We have done all the big tourist things like Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, 9/11, Brooklynn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, etc. This trip was a girls trip with lots of shopping, eating and Broadway shows. I put together our full itinerary, along with all the places we loved, where we ate, and some of our favorite NYC neighborhoods to explore if you’re planning a trip of your own.

We have stayed at Park Lane Hotel the last two times we have went and really liked the location. Great view of Central Park, easy to walk to Broadway shows, and comfortable beds! Outfit Sources

View outside our window!

Happy sisters to be in NYC!

Favorite Travel Items-

The Best Carry-on Luggage

Amazon Travel Sources

NYC Favorite Stops in Manhattan Neighborhoods-

NYC Areas We Loved + What To Do There–

Outfit Sources

West Village / Greenwich Village

One of the prettiest areas in NYC. Think tree-lined streets, brownstones, cute cafés, and quieter energy compared to Midtown.

Food Favorites

L’Industrie Pizzeria
Los Tacos No. 1
Bubby’s
Birdies NYC
Salt Hank’s

Shopping & Stops

Greenwich Letterpress
C.O. Bigelow
Chelsea Flea Market (weekends)

Greenwich Letterpress

Chelsea Flea Market

SoHo / Nolita

Probably our favorite area for shopping and walking around. So many cute streets, stores, bakeries, and places to stop for snacks.

Food Favorites

Sunday Morning Bakery
Suka Sushi
Levain Bakery
Leon’s Bagels
Prince Street Pizza

Shopping

Friends NYC
New York or Nowhere
M Jewelers
Glossier
Reformation
Edikted
Princess Polly

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie from Leaven Bakery. It’s warm, gooey, and completely worth the hype.

Lower East Side / East Village

A little trendier and more eclectic with tons of fun food spots and little hidden gems.

Food Favorites

BonBon — A Swedish Candy Co.
Son del North
Yummy Cheese Pasta
Pasta Dip Pasta
Caffe Paradiso

Shopping & Fun Stops

Pop Up Grocer
An.me

Williamsburg (Brooklyn)

Perfect if you want amazing food and a slightly slower pace from Manhattan.

Food Favorites

L’Industrie Pizzeria
Papa d’Amour
Moonrise Bagels
Baked Cheese Haus

L’Industrie Pizzeria

Midtown / Times Square

Busy, chaotic, touristy… but honestly iconic. This is where most Broadway theaters are and there’s always something happening.

Food Favorites

Din Tai Fung
Liberty Bagels
Levain Bakery

Broadway Shows We Saw

Hamilton
Chicago
& Juliet
Moulin Rouge
Chess
The Outsiders
Two Strangers (carry a cake across New York)

Based on the classic novel The Outsiders.

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) is a romantic comedy musical, cute!

Chess is a musical set during the Cold War that follows rival chess champions competing for victory. It had it all..comedy, love, music!

Chinatown / Lower Manhattan

One of our favorite places to wander around. Great food, little shops, and so much energy.

Food Favorites

Golden Diner
L’Industrie Pizzeria

Things To Do

Manhattan Bridge photos
Chinatown foot massage
Canal Street exploring

Shopping

Popular Jewelry
Fishs Eddy
ABC Store

Fishs Eddy is a really fun home goods + kitchenware shop, famous for quirky NYC-themed plates, mugs, and vintage-inspired pieces.

ABC carpet & home is a favorite NYC stops for home inspiration. It’s a beautifully curated multi-level store filled with furniture, lighting, rugs, decor, bedding, and unique vintage-inspired pieces.

Upper East Side / Central Park Area

One of the prettiest parts of NYC. Feels classic New York.

Favorite Stops

Ralph’s Coffee
Central Park
Madison Avenue
The Met

Our NYC Itinerary Day 1-

We landed at JFK around 4:15 PM and headed straight into Manhattan to check into our hotel.
For our first dinner in the city, we went to Joe’s Pizza, which felt very necessary considering it’s featured in Spider-Man. Classic NYC pizza and such a fun first stop.

That night we saw & Juliet on Broadway, which was SO fun and energetic. After the show, we walked around Times Square taking in all the lights and chaos that somehow only works in New York.

Day 2-

We started the morning at Bubby’s for breakfast. The pancakes completely lived up to the hype!

And yes… we had to use the photo booth in the basement.

After breakfast, we spent most of the morning exploring NoHo and SoHo, which ended up being one of our favorite parts of the trip.

If you love coffee, make sure to stop at Café Paradiso, their Salted Brown Butter & Oat Latte is absolutely delicious. This is in an area with lots of great shopping!

Some of our favorite stops included:

Pop Up Grocer
C.O. Bigelow
Caffe Paradiso
Clare V.
Rowing Blazers
Levain Bakery
New York or Nowhere

If there was a theme for Lola this day out, it would definitely be polka dots. She fully committed, and it was the cutest little detail of the day.

Then we wandered through SoHo shopping along Broadway, stopping into:

Urban Outfitters
Zara
Brandy Melville
Sephora
PacSun
Levi’s
Steve Madden
Princess Polly
Glossier
Reformation

We also stopped at:

Mimi’s Frozen Yogurt
Leon’s Bagels

Later we headed to Midtown for Hamilton on Broadway, which honestly exceeded expectations.

After the show, we grabbed Los Tacos No. 1 nearby before doing more shopping around 5th Avenue and Midtown, got Ella a graduation gift!

The Louis Vuitton suitcase building was definitely worth seeing in person. The actual store is across the street, there is a restaurant on the top floor, I heard it is very good and fun to eat at!

That night we saw Chicago on Broadway to finish out the day.

This was actually my second time seeing it this month, and I still loved every second. The music, dancing, and classic Broadway feel make it one of those shows I could watch again and again.

Day 3-

Sunday morning started with Liberty Bagels before walking through Central Park, which is one of my favorite things to do in the city. Must try the rainbow bagel with birthday cake cream cheese!

We even stumbled across a pickleball tournament.

We had reservations at Din Tai Fung, and it was absolutely worth it.

After that, we explored Nolita and the Lower East Side, stopping at:

An.me
BonBon Swedish Candy Co.
Old Friend Photo Booth
Los Tacos No. 1

We met up with sweet friends from our Connecticut days while we were in the city and of course had to make sure we got pictures together.

We also saw the Broadway musical Moulin Rouge, and the stage alone was incredible. The giant heart stage was so cool. We took our Swedish candy from BonBon with us to the show!

For dinner we had reservations at Quality Bistro, which was such a fun atmosphere and a perfect last big dinner in the city.

Must try the butter service! It’s basically a big dollop of butter served with bread and vegetables, such a fun starter. I ordered the scallops and they were delicious.

Day 4-

Our last morning started at Golden Diner before heading downtown toward Chinatown and the Manhattan Bridge. There is a line before it opens, but they take your name and text you when the table is ready (it is very loud outside with the train above).

The best pancake I have ever had. No joke.

Make sure to get a foot massage or back massage a few feet away from Golden Diner! It was amazing!!!

We spent the morning walking around Canal Street, shopping, and getting foot massages in Chinatown. Honestly one of the best things after days of walking around NYC. Lola happy she found an Angel Baby for her collection.

Some final stops included:

Popular Jewelry
New York or Nowhere
Levain Bakery
L’Industrie Pizzeria

We grabbed lunch at L’Industrie before heading to the airport for our evening flight home.

This trip had the perfect mix of everything. If you’re planning a trip soon, hopefully this guide gives you a few fun places to add to your list. And honestly… already ready to go back.

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