Hola, mis amores! Y’all ready for a whirlwind NYC adventure? I’m gunna assume that you’re responding con un resounding YES! YAS!! Ok so, you guys know, I’m a Bronx Girl. Not only is New York my home, pero también es the city that I love most in the whole world (and that’s saying something). I never turn down un viaje to NYC, like nunca. No matter how short, how full the agenda, or what time of year we’re talking about. Por esa razón, when my friend Jessica asked if I’d be down for flying out to spend only one day in NYC…
…I said yes without hesitating!
24 hours in the “City That Never Sleeps”! Sounds like something for a 20 year old college co-ed, not a mother of 2 with responsibilities! Bah! Mentira! It was perfectly doable, and even actually perfect para mi vida con los niños. The beauty of a spontaneous one day trip is that you literally only have to rearrange events/commitments para un día- y that’s it! The next day you fly in home and dive immediately back into your normal grind, like you never left! It’s actually quite brilliant!
The trick is both being intentional and easy-going.
Escúchame amigos, in order to make a quickie trip work well, tienes que hablar con tu travel companion and you gotta decide on a few (yes, just a few) must-see/must-do things. Once those two or three things are settled, you can make reservaciones para esa cosas ahead of time and that creates the backbone para tu día. Let’s say you wanna hit the Empire State Building and you wanna eat cookies at Levain Bakery. Pues, I’d suggest planning out those things, booking what you need to book, and mapping out how you’ll get there. That’s it though, that’s the extent of your planning.
Después de eso, eres libre.
You’re free to meander, get side-tracked, get lost, and just be FREE. That’s the best part about going to a city you’ve already been to, too, the pressure to see it all y hacerlo todo– it’s OFF. You can literally just hit your non-negotiables, and then just enjoy being where you are for your 24 hr. adventure.
That’s what we did!
- Wanna hear all about it? Ok, lets go, then!
If you’re more into visuals today, you can skip the reading and head straight into vlog mode!
Hit up my Youtube video about our 24 hour NYC experience here!
“One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years.”
Tom Wolfe
The WHY? What Was The Reason?
Lemme tell you a little story about HOW the whirlwind trip began…
A few weeks antes del viaje, my girl Jessica sent me a text out of the blue saying, “Random question: do you like Michael Jackson”?
Obviamente I said: “COURSE! I love his music- that’s my childhood right there! “☺️ Por supuesto, I had no clue why she was asking or where she was going with her question. She proceeded to tell me que the original cast for the MJ Musical was about to move on y que she wanted to see them on Broadway before they left. What she was asking, lo que ella quería… some company!
Without even knowing all the deets I was in.
Broadway=Good. NYC= Good. No brainer!
Yo estaba complemente invested at this point! Thankfully, the deal got even sweeter as the details started rolling in: she had a free hotel stay and Broadway month mean half-price tix for us both! What a steal of a deal! Mi marido had no choice but to give it a thumbs up- I was gunna be SAVING, after all! HA! Another plus: we’d fly in one morning and leave the next- like a bunch of jet-setting super spies- so our weekly home/work schedule wouldn’t be too disrupted by the trip! #winning
In the weeks antes del viaje, all I had to do was research the show, rock out to some Michael (to get my head in the game, obvi :), find a kick ass hotel, and narrow down our food/activity options for the remainder of our 24 hours… easy peasy!
- Good story, right? Stay tuned for the all shenanigans!☺️
The WHO? Having Fun With Fake Identities!
Packing for a girls trip can be daunting, but not when you do it with a friend! Cuando lo haces juntas, you can develop a general vibe for the trip together. “How do we wanna look?” “What should we bring so we match?” “Who do you wanna be while we’re there….”
That brings me to my favorite lil bit about our 24 hour trip to NYC: The WHO we were.
Wanna make a short trip more fun? Here’s a fun game:
Create alternate names and personalities for you and your friends while you explore a new city.💡
Channel someone new for the day with your vibe, your outfit, your fashion choices. It’s FUN!:)
Jessica and I decidimos que (due to the clothing we’d brought) que sería perfecto to “play a role” for our time in the City. Nothing crazy, just some silly fun. It made our 24 hours mucho más interesante and it gave us a cool narrative for the day!
So, who were we?
She was a refined socialite name Pilar from the Upper East Side with a taste for luxury…except for when it came to sidewalk performers and cheap street food.
Me? Well, I was Gigi: a struggling artist who shares a flat with 4 of her friends in The Village. Always up for a good time and a dance in the middle of Central Park.
Our “new personas” stayed with us the entire day (lo puedes ver en las fotos) and I’ll tell you- we had the best time playing along!
- Have you ever created a “travel persona”? Would you ever? What would your new name be? 🙂
The WHERE? Dopest Hotel Ever!
Mira amigos, there are a million places to stay in New York.
Dependiendo de tu wallet, there’s a hotel to suit any need, budget, and aesthetic. Puede ser completamente overwhelming to know which one is the right one to chose, though. You have to consider so many variables: how close it is to your pre-determined places of interest, how well it will accommodate your needs, and if it has an extra perks that would make it better than other hotels. Es mucho to think about. Thankfully, the choice was easy for us…
We chose The Moxy Hotel- Chelsea.
Chelsea was close to our theatre, to Central Park, and to the all of the rest of the locations we wanted to visit while still being a clean and trendy part of town- so, the location era perfecto!
Now, a hotel in New York should provide you with a special experience that you can’t get anywhere else, even if you are only staying for 24 hours. Being picky is important in this instance, so that you can stay somewhere both affordable and unique! Afortunadamente, in our search for greatness, we came across The Moxy.
You guys! It’s trendy, it’s clean, it’s beautifully decorated, and it’s got gorgeous views of the city. The hotel was budget-friendly pero tambien te hace sentir “fancy” with it’s decor, amenities, and lounges. Oh, and I can’t forget the lobby adorned with beautiful pink flowers and the hotel SCENT. Yea, you read that right- it had a delicious signature scent! AHHH, que rico!
- Amores, if you’re looking for a great NYC hotel, that’s affordable and within walking distance to all the main sites and is a pure joy- The Moxy is the way to go!
The Where (Food Edition!)
1. Pick-A-Bagel
Eating in NYC can be quite the task. Don’t get me wrong, it’s delightful; New York has some of la mejor comida del mundo, but the vast number of options can make the search for food intimidating for sure.
You guys, that’s where planning and research come in handy. Por ejemplo, before we even got on a plane, we knew that bagels were at the top of our list (because… duh!) and thanks to outstanding bloggers and various “must eat” lists, we had narrowed down the options to just one place: Pick-a-Bagel. 🥯
The reviews were great, the pictures were mouth-watering, and I even had a friend whose taste I trust post pictures there just 2 days prior. It was meant to be.
No teníamos nada más que pensar!
We made the long walk upon our arrival in the city. Yup, Pick-a-Bagel was our very our first stop y déjame decirte… there wasn’t a lick of disagreement about that matter. We knew what we wanted and we didn’t wanna wait.
The place is super busy but really cool; when you walk in, you understand immediately why it is so highly reviewed. It looks the part. También, tons of locals all over the place- another good sign. The staff were efficient and the menu had so many varieties of bagels and smears and sandwiches that you could literally eat there everyday for a month and not get the same thing twice. That’s not even mentioning the salads and soups available.
Is it worth the hype? Hell yes! My everything bagel breakfast sandwich with sausage, egg, and cheese was crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Everything you want a bagel to be. So yea, absolutely worth the hype.
So glad I did my homework beforehand.
Pick-a-bagel was truly legit!!
- If you haven’t tried it, definitely put this place on your list! What’s your go-to bagel order?
2. Magnolia Bakery
Hay lugares that you hear about everytime a new person travels to the city… Shake Shack, Katz Deli, The Rainbow Room…etc. That’s how it went with Magnolia Bakery for me, I heard about it non-stop from everybody who went on a trip to New York; raving reviews every single time.
Desafortunatadamente, when I finally went the for the first time, no sabía que ordenar. I just shot from the hip and ordered a cupcake. Now, don’t get it wrong- it was good- but it wasn’t life-changing. Esta vez, with this trip, I decided to try again but this time after some research.
You see, the thing to get is the banana pudding.
YEA! They are FAMOUS for it.
Now, Gigi and Pilar didn’t have time for dinner before our big Broadway show. We didn’t wanna be late y queríamos llegar con tiempo to get merch- so we skipped a sit down meal and opted for street food. It was a great idea, ‘cept we didn’t pass by anything tasty on our way to the theatre. As luck would have it, we arrived TOO early to the show and the heavens parted and dropped down into our minds la idea de comer dessert for dinner… and Magnolia’s was only 6 blocks away. YAY!
So, we ran. We’ll not really, we speed-walked “Oprah Style” to get our sweet treats/dinner.
Lemme tell you, fue maravilloso. The creamiest, yummiest banana pudding I’ve ever had. I may have openly moaned while eating it on the street, no se. The ratio of pudding to wafer and banana was ideal- and it wasn’t too sweet. I’ve had all kinds of banana pudding, both good and bad, y este fue el más perfecto que he probado.
Best dinner ever!
- Have you ever had dessert for dinner while traveling? What was it?
3. Bryant Park- Winter Village
Late night eating is not usually something I’m down with, si te digo la verdad, but when in New York you gotta do as the New Yorkers do. So greasy comfort food after 10- why not? Ha! También no comimos dinner, so we were absolutely in need of sustenance after watching the Broadway show.
And really, who we kidding? We didn’t wanna head back home so early.
NYC is the city that never sleeps, so we had to taste it at night, right?!
La idea fue to walk around and find a cool spot to hang, eat, and drink for a good while- just to really disfrutar the city till the very last moment. Thankfully, Bryant Park came through for us.
We just so happened to be walking by, making our way back towards our hotel, and we spotted the Winter Village at Bryant Park. It was all twinkly and festive, there was loud DJ music, and shops selling eats, y eso fue exactly what we were looking for. Now, I’m not gunna lie, it was a surprise to see wintery- Christmassy decoraciones en medio de February, pero it was a vibe. We dug it, so whatever….
Anyway. The options weren’t plentiful. Most of the shops had already closed down. What was open were pretty much the places that just sold drinks and appetizers. Oh well! No era muy fancy, pero it worked for us. Jess (or Pilar 🙂 and I shared some loaded up cheese fries, sipped on a few hard ciders, and just enjoyed the Winter wonderland motif that surrounded us.
We laughed at the wobbly ice skaters, we swayed to the beat of the la musica, and we just enjoyed watching the city at night. NYC really does change persona at night and that version of the city is just as amazing as the day one. It a treat, don’t you agree?
Bryant Park came through.
It was exactly the kind of experiencia que queriamos for the last few hours of our adventure.
I’m hella grateful.
- Do you like cities better during the day or night?
“There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless.”
Simone de Beauvoir
The WHEN? President’s Day Magic
My last girls trip was to Miami and the weather was blazing hot. Lets just say, que no fue ideal… you can only imagine the state of my hair. Frizz City. Que horror!
This time around fue una cosa muy diferente… New York City was cold. Not like freezing cold, but the kind of cold that us Florida girls dream of. Big jacket and scarf cold. Cute beanie cold. Frizz-less hair cold! But* still warm enough for us to enjoy strolling around outside. The kind of post-Winter/pre-Spring weather you want para un viaje!
One of the things I most love about travel are the happy surprises you find along the way…
This ideal 55 degree President’s Day fue exactamente eso: una linda sorpresa.
It had snowed the week before, so no one was expecting sunshine and park-day temperatures on the day we arrived.
Lo qué pasó ese día was that everybody in New York must’ve gotten the same memo: GET OUTSIDE! It felt como si the whole city came out to play with us! Families, dog moms, grandparents, business men in suits, street performers, and buskers- ALL out making the most of the perfect day.
We strolled through Central Park from Columbus Circle up to Bethesda Fountain, just enjoying being surrounded by the magic that seemed to be swirling around us. Music filled the air, so did laughter, and a fresh breeze that carried with it the scent of street food. Fue muy lindo, de verdad. It felt like we were in the middle of some classic New York City rom-com; it was that magical.
Jess and I especially enjoyed toda la música. We stumbled upon one busker performance after another, escuchando y bailando to all the sounds we heard along the way. There was Merengue in there, some
Hip-Hop, traditional Chinese music, Americana being played on the guitar, and even some jazzy saxophone. It was a delight for the ears, y también nos dio a few hours of free entertainment that we hadn’t anticipated!
Central Park siempre es una buena idea, especially if you aren’t sure of the best way to take in the city on a tight schedule.
It certainly was for us.
- Have you ever spent the day in Central Park? What types of things did you see?
“Give me such shows — give me the streets of Manhattan!”
Walt Whitman
The WHAT? Tell Us About This SHOW!
Let’s get to the nitty gritty… the REASON we flew all the way to the Big Apple: EL SHOW!
Pues, se llama MJ: The Musical. It is a new musical about the time period during which Michael Jackson was creating his Dangerous World Tour- como un documentary of his rehearsals and interactions while he was tweaking what would become one of the biggest moments of his career. The show was kind of like a retelling of his musical career THROUGH his music . Jackson’s songs told the story. It was really well done.
Now, Broadway is a part of me. It has been since high school.
Yo soy una verdadera “theatre nerd”. I’ve seen over 20 shows. I totally love it.
I love it even more when I get to see a show that hits me in the feels AND in the dancing shoes:) MJ: The Musical hit that mark. Primero, the show was a non-stop PARTY, celebrating the music and genius of Michael Jackson with bop after bop. From start to finish, it was an absolute blast. No matter how you feel about the man himself, his contribution to music and pop culture is indisputable and that’s what was celebrated. Segundo, the cast (the whole cast) fue increíble- just AMAZING- especially @mynameisaramie who played MJ on the night we went. My mind was blown.
Lastly, the show was a beautiful trip down memory lane. Yo crecí escuchando música de Michael… he shaped how I danced, the videos I grew up watching, and what I thought was cool. Watching this show felt like paying homage to my childhood, as well as to Michael, so it felt extra special. If that makes sense.
I legit felt like I had gone back in time and attended a real Michael Jackson concert, that’s how wonderful it was.
Pilar and Gigi had the time of their lives, eso te lo aseguro! 🙂
- If you are in the city, definitely go see this show! Even if you aren’t in town, get a flight and a ticket and make it happen! I promise it’s worth it!!
Oh and if you can, grab an amazing friend to dance with- trust!
Overall…
“One can’t paint New York as it is, but rather as it is felt.”
Georgia O’Keeffe
Ya lo dije un vez, but New York is always a good idea.
It’s (in my opinion) the greatest city in the world, and worth a visit any time of the year for however long you can be there. You know what I’m saying? Another good idea, though? 24 hour girls trips! Son sinceramente espectacular! They give all the thrill of a vacay without all of the price or home-life disruption. I believe que they can be real travel game changers for those of us who can’t take off from work, or who have too many commitments in our everyday lives to take off for a full week or two.
Viajar no es fácil; travel can be hard to do.
So why not take lots of baby adventures like the one we did and scratch that wanderlust itch?
I think its an idea worth thinking solidly about. Not to mention, it was the cheapest vacay I’ve ever taken, so there’s that. Budget friendly, baby!
One day, one night, a lifetime full of wonderful spontaneous memories.
Pilar and Gigi lived their best lives on that glorious President’s Day and I’m thrilled to announce that they are already planning trip #2. Maybe next time to Chicago! And with the spouses! Otra aventura for us to share contigo!
Thanks for reading along and traveling with us! I hope you enjoyed our shenanigans! Tell me, amigos, where would you GO on a 24 hr. adventure!?! Dimelo todo!:)
Until next time my cuties,
Joana
