Earlier this year my sister Sophie and I started daydreaming
and talking about possible “Sister Trips” and where we could go for a weekend
away together. We ended up talking about New York and how amazing it would be
to go there for an ultimate girly trip and, once we’d been given the nod from
our other halves, we decided to just go for it and get it booked! So we did!
We
started our trip by meeting at King’s Cross station and headed to Heathrow
airport together on the tube. This really was the start of the holiday for both
of us, as we were so excited to see each other and start planning what we’d do
while we were away. As I live in Northallerton in North Yorkshire and my sister
lives in St Ives in Cambridgeshire, we hadn’t actually seen each other in person
while packing so I think we probably spent a lot of the journey just discussing
outfits to be honest!
(I didn't pack the cat in the end...)
Once
we’d checked our bags in and gone through security we properly kicked off our
trip by having a glass of Prosecco at the airport – why not! We flew with
Virgin Atlantic who were amazing and the flight seemed to go by so quickly. We
used the flight to take time to plan our trip (we’re both ridiculously
organised and love to plan!) and came up with a little itinerary of where we
wanted to go on which day and, most importantly, where we wanted to eat.
Once
we’d landed in New York we made our way to Manhattan and found our hotel. We
stayed at the Affinia Dumont NYC Hotel in the Murray Hill area. The hotel was brilliant – we had a studio room
with a kitchen and two queen size beds and it was just a couple of blocks from
the Empire State and Chrysler buildings.
After
checking in to our hotel and dumping our bags we headed round the corner to a
place called S’MAC which serves macaroni cheese (heaven, I know!). Sophie
had discovered S’MAC online before we went away and found that not only did
they serve about a dozen different versions of macaroni cheese, but they were
also right near our hotel. We both ordered the classic macaroni cheese with
breadcrumbs on top. The macaroni came in its own individual skillet pan and, I
have to say, it was the best I’ve ever tasted! (Apart from the one Soph makes
of course!) Shortly after sampling our first meal in New York we made our way
back to our hotel and got some sleep ahead of our first full day.
On
our first morning, after having a quick breakfast to set us up for the day, we
jumped on the Subway and headed down to the Staten Island Ferry port. The ferry
is great as it’s completely free and about a 50 minute journey to Staten
Island. During the journey we were able to stand out on the deck and get a
great view of the Statue of Liberty. It was a foggy day so visibility wasn’t
that good, but by the time we’d got back on the ferry to go back to Manhattan
we got a great view of the city.
Following
our little ferry trip we had a walk through Battery Park Gardens which was
lovely and then headed to the financial district to pay our respects at the new
Freedom Tower and reflection pools where the Twin Towers once stood. Standing
there really made it hit home just how big an effect that 9/11 had on the city.
I’m really glad we saw this part of New York as it was great to see the new
tower that is now the tallest building in the New York skyline.
After
making a quick detour to Century 21 to buy hats (we’re both fair haired and the
sun was so hot that day) we made our way over to Brooklyn for some lunch. Soph
and I shared a margherita pizza at a place called Jiuliana’s. I’m a
massive fan of pizza, and this one was definitely one of the best I’ve had
(I’ve since been to Venice, and had amazing pizza there too so couldn’t
possibly choose a favourite!)
Following
our lunch break we took the opportunity to take some photographs of the
Brooklyn Bridge and then walked over it back to Manhattan. Both myself and Sophie
are big Sex and the City fans so we loved being on the Brooklyn Bridge
imagining Steve and Miranda in the famous scene from the movie!
Once
we’d crossed the bridge we headed to our hotel to freshen up and then went to
the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). As it was a Friday evening it was free for us
to get in, so I’d definitely recommend that to anyone who might be going. I’m a
big fan of modern art and the museum was home to pieces by some of my favourite
artists so I was in my element. Not only that, but you were allowed to take
photographs – this was brilliant as a lot of museums and galleries in England
don’t allow any photography.
We
were exhausted after our first day of sightseeing and getting over the flight
and time difference, so decided to head back to S’MAC after our visit to the
MoMA for a quick dinner before bedtime! This time around Sophie ordered the
four cheese macaroni and I had the hamburger macaroni. I was going to sum them
up and say how great they were, but just writing this is really making me wish
I was there right now so I will skip this part and go on to day two (rest
assured, it was good!)
Now,
I feel like it’s appropriate to give you a bit of background to our plans for
our Saturday in New York, so for this part of my blog I will go off topic ever
so slightly. As Soph and I live about 170 miles away from each other, we don’t
get to see each other in person as much as we’d like to. So for the past few
years we have had a “Sister Day” where we head to London together for the day,
go shopping, eat lots of nice food and then end the day with a show. Sophie had
booked us tickets to go see Aladdin on Broadway on the Saturday night while we
were in New York as my birthday present (spoilt rotten I know!), so we decided
to turn the Saturday into our usual “Sister Day” and do everything we’d do in
London but in New York.
We
started our Saturday by going to a place called Penelope for brunch. We
had to queue for a little bit but it was definitely worth the wait. This was
another place that Sophie had researched before going away and I am so glad she
did as it was brilliant. I ordered a “Penny Egg Sandwich” which was scrambled
egg with pesto in an English muffin and was lovely. Sophie ordered waffles
which came with fruit and the best butter we’ve ever tasted, citrus butter, and
this was great too.
After
setting ourselves up for the day we headed out to do some serious shopping. I
won’t bore you with all the details of exactly what we bought, but let’s just
say we took advantage of some of the American stores where items were cheaper
than they were in England! I’ve listed the shops we went to at the bottom of
this post, if you’re interested, and also some tips on getting discounts.
As
we’d had a late brunch we decided we didn’t need to stop for a proper lunch and
made our way to the West Village to do some more sightseeing. While we were there
we went to a place called Faicco’s which is an Italian pork butchers
that my sister had read about online (she was proving useful to have around!)
We both had arancini, which were little balls of cheesy rice in breadcrumbs. A
perfect little snack for the afternoon!
As
previously mentioned, we’re both Sex and the City fans so a trip to the West
Village wouldn’t have been complete without going to see Carrie Bradshaw’s
apartment! We went to Perry Street and found the infamous steps leading up to
Carrie’s door, but we were a bit disappointed to find there was a chain across
them stopping people from standing on them. So I had my photo taken next to the
steps instead. It turns out people do live in that building, so I can
understand them not wanting tourists hanging around their front door all the
time!
Part
of our usual “Sister Day” in London involves a cupcake stop at either the
Hummingbird Bakery or Primrose Bakery. So on our Saturday in New York we
decided to try out Molly’s Cupcakes on Bleeker Street There was a
great selection to choose from and I ended up having a “Cookie Monster” cupcake
which was a plain sponge with cookie dough in the middle, buttercream icing and
a mini cupcake on top. Sophie ordered the “Peach Cobbler” which was a plain
sponge with peach puree in the middle, buttercream icing and a peach slice on
top. We were both really impressed with the cupcakes, they were really fresh
and so so tasty!
After
our cupcakes and a bit more shopping in the West Village (and a certain Marc
Jacobs purchase!), we freshened up at our hotel and headed out to Times Square
to catch some dinner before going to see Aladdin on stage. Times Square was
crazy! It was so much busier than where we’d been during the day. We went to
Shake Shack for food and both ordered a Shack Burger and Cheese Fries.
Sophie introduced me to Shake Shack last year when they opened up in Covent
Garden in London (the only one in the country) so we just had to go in New York
too. The cheese fries are crinkle cut fries with a cheesy sauce and are oh so
good. If you’re ever in London and fancy a burger it’s worth queuing up at
their Covent Garden branch.
We
made a mad dash over to the New Amsterdam Theatre where Aladdin was waiting for
us to be seated. Sophie and I are both big Disney fans, having grown up
watching the films, so we were both excited to be seeing Aladdin…on stage…in
New York! The show was absolutely brilliant! It had all the classic songs from
the film, as well as a few new ones too which were all great as well. It was
interesting to see a show with an American audience compared to an English one,
as everyone got so much more involved in the show than back at home. Everyone
was singing along and cheering throughout scenes, it was such a great
atmosphere.
After
one last magic carpet ride we went to see Times Square at night. I couldn’t
believe it was still really busy even though it was about 10.30pm! We then had
a quick stop off at Pinkberry for a frozen yogurt (another tradition
that we do in London on our usual “Sister Day”) and headed to bed after a busy
day.
After
getting a good night’s sleep we headed out for breakfast the following morning
and walked down to the Flatiron District. I’m a big geek when it comes to
architecture so was in my element when we saw the Flatiron Building!
Shortly
after our jaunt to the Flatiron District, we headed further up 5th
Avenue and did another spot of shopping (it would have been rude not to!). 5th
Avenue is one of the best streets for shopping in New York, but I also liked
how there were some iconic buildings dotted in amongst the many shops, such as
St Patrick’s Cathedral and the Rockefeller Centre.
We
walked further up 5th Avenue until we got to the entrance to Central
Park. Before we headed into the park itself we went to Whole Foods to get a
salad box each so we could have a little picnic in the park. I’d really
recommend doing this to anyone who may be visiting as it was lovely to sit down
outside and have a bite to eat (also, the amount of choice at Whole Foods was
great).
We
had a little wander through Central Park but didn’t end up seeing much as we
were both too hot! It was boiling that day and we’d made the mistake of wearing
jeans so kept overheating and needed a lot of shade. However one important place
that we did visit was the place I like to call “The Bergamino Marriage Spot”. I
feel like I should go slightly off topic again here so allow me to explain…
Sophie
and her husband Graham eloped to New York in November 2013 and got married just
the two of them outside in Central Park (I know, pretty cool!). So one place
that I really wanted to see during our trip was the spot where they exchanged
their vows. They got married right near the Bethesda Terrace in Central Park,
overlooking a fountain and one of the prettiest parts of the park. When Sophie became
Mrs Bergamino it was a freezing day in November and when we visited the place
together it was a boiling hot day in May – so it was a very different
experience to her wedding day! I’m really pleased I got to see this place with
my own eyes, it’s crazy to imagine my sister saying “I do” there!
Soph in the spot she said "I do":
We
decided to head back to the hotel and freshen up before dinner, and squeeze
some more Central Park exploring into the next day (our last day!). As it was
our last evening of the trip, we wanted to treat ourselves to a slap up meal so
went to Keens’ Steakhouse and ordered a steak and a portion of fries to
share. Keens’ Steakhouse is often described as one of the best steakhouses in
New York, so we knew it would be good! We were not disappointed. It was a
really nice treat for our last night, the food was brilliant and I loved the
décor of the restaurant (think 1920s American, Boardwalk Empire, Great Gatsby
style).
After
our steak (or half a cow as Sophie liked to call it!) we headed to a bar near
our hotel for cocktails then started the big task of packing our cases ready
for checking out in the morning.
On
our last day we didn’t need to get to the airport until later in the evening so
decided to spend the day doing the things we hadn’t already had chance to do,
as well as going back to a few favourite places. So we started the day back at
Penelope for breakfast where I ordered a three egg omelette with ham and
American cheese and home fries, and Sophie ordered the waffles again (mainly
for the citrus butter!). While we were there we also picked up some of their
home blend coffee for our other halves (well, we had to get them something!).
Since the trip, the coffee has gone down very well so we’ve decided it makes
sense for me and Soph to head back to New York to get the boys some more – I
think that’s a sensible idea to be fair!
After
breakfast we headed to Central Park to explore a bit more (we were wearing much
more suitable clothing this time around). I loved Central Park and if we’d had
more time I could have easily spent a day or two just wandering around and
seeing what I could find. We spent a decent amount of time there on our last
day, but there’s still so much of it we could have seen! I love the fact
there’s a big peaceful park with so much nature right in the middle of an
infamously busy city!
Once
we’d seen a few more sights we decided to go back to the West Village as this
was one of our favourite areas we’d visited. In particular, we decided to head
back to Molly’s cupcakes for one last cupcake!
After
our one and a half cupcakes (yes, we ordered three) we headed back up to 5th
Avenue to go to the Rockefeller Centre, and more specifically, to the Top of
the Rock. We went up to the viewing platform at the top of the Rockefeller
Centre where we had amazing views of the city. It was really worthwhile going
up there to see the city from a different viewpoint (even if it did start to
rain) and was a great thing to do on our last day as we could see a lot of the
places we’d visited during our trip.
After
the Top of the Rock we stopped by the Chrysler Building and Grand Central
Station to take some photographs. We made the mistake of heading to Grand
Central at 5pm meaning it was ridiculously busy! But was still a good sight to
see. On our way back to the hotel to collect our luggage we headed for one last
Shake Shack burger to get us ready for the journey home.
The
journey home wasn’t as easy as the journey to New York, as when we got to
Newark Airport we found out our flight was 4 hours delayed. We were due to be
flying at 10pm and ended up taking off around 2am, so we had a good few hours
to kill in a not so exciting airport! But, once we were on the plane, the
flight itself was fine and we both managed to get some sleep before landing at
Heathrow and making the final leg of our journey home.
I
realise I have written a massive amount about a four day trip, however I feel
like we did so much that there’s just so much to write about! It really was a
trip of a lifetime for me, something that we hadn’t spent long planning and
just decided to book on a whim. I’m so glad we went and I would absolutely love
to go back as there’s so much more of New York to see. A huge thank you to
Sophie for being the best company, the best person to plan a trip with and,
ultimately, the best sister.
I’ve
listed a few of our favourite places that we visited, ate at and shopped at,
for anyone who may be interested to know. As well as a few hints and tips for
anyone who may be planning a trip to New York:
Sights
we visited / things we did:
- Staten Island Ferry –
a free ferry ride to Staten Island, during which you go past the Statue of
Liberty so a great opportunity for photographs,
- Freedom Tower and
Pools of Reflection – paying your respects at the 9/11 memorials,
- Brooklyn Bridge – walk
across the bridge to Brooklyn, grab some pizza then walk back to Manhattan
on this really impressive and iconic bridge,
- Museum of Modern Art –
head there on a Friday evening between 4pm and 8pm and get in for free,
- Carrie Bradshaw’s
apartment – for a true Sex and the City fan, this is a must!
- West Village – full of
brown stone buildings, away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the
city. Great for shops and places to eat.
- Times Square – a must
for anyone visiting New York,
- Flatiron Building –
quirky building off of 5th Avenue,
- Central Park – another
must see for anyone visiting New York. I recommend really researching what
is in Central Park and making a list of things you want to see as there is so much in there to explore,
- Washington Square Park
– a park in the West Village with what looks like a replica of the Arc de
Triomphe and a big fountain. Really pretty place to sit and eat some
lunch,
- Rockefeller Centre –
head up to the Top of the Rock for amazing views over the city (book
tickets in advance online as they get booked up quickly).
Recommended
places to eat:
- S’MAC – specialising
in different varieties of Macaroni Cheese (amazing),
- Giuliana’s Pizzeria –
brilliant pizza in Brooklyn,
- Penelope – we went there
for breakfast twice but they also serve lunch and dinner. Really great
menu and a lovely little place,
- Faicco’s – pork
butchers in the West Village. Try the arancini – they’re a decent size and
only a dollar each,
- Molly’s Cupcakes – so
good we went there twice! Brilliant cupcakes with really original flavours
(and you can create your own),
- Shake Shack – awesome
burgers, shakes and ice creams. I recommend the cheese fries and the
lemonade,
- Pinkberry – great
place for frozen yogurt with a choice of toppings,
- Whole Foods – a
supermarket just outside Central Park with a massive salad bar. There are
loads of hot or cold foods to choose from and it was all really fresh,
- Keens’ Steakhouse –
one of the best steakhouses in New York. A bit pricey but worth it if you’re
after a treat (HUGE steaks!).
Places
we shopped in:
- Century 21 – like
America’s version of TK Maxx,
- Fossil – lovely
jewellery, watches and leather handbags – at a fraction of the UK price,
- Levi’s – classic jeans
but cheaper than in England (TIP – I signed up to the American Levi’s
mailing list before heading out to New York and received a discount
voucher to use in store. So not only were my jeans cheaper than in
England, but I also saved an extra 20%!)
- Forever 21 – brilliant
high street shop with gorgeous clothes at reasonable prices,
- Sephora – great beauty
shop selling all things makeup, skincare, perfume and haircare etc. Soph’s
favourite!
- Abercrombie &
Fitch – like what we have in England but at a fraction of the price. We
stocked up on their essential T shirts and saved a bundle!
- Anthropologie – a
mixture of homeware and clothing – some really beautiful stuff.
Other
hints and tips:
- Do some research on
New York before getting there – we found this really worthwhile as it helped
us plan what to do each day, what we wanted to see and to get the most out
of our time,
- Use Pinterest – it
proved to be a really useful tool and a great way of getting together a
little mood board of what we both wanted to do,
- Pay attention on the
Subway – we found this far more confusing than the Underground. It’s
useful to use but the maps aren’t as clear as the tube ones,
- Buy a Metro travel
card for the Subway – we bought one for $15.50, used it loads and ended up
saving a lot of money. It’s valid for 7 days once activated and you can
use it on buses too.
- Get a “3” pay as you
go sim card – use one of these in your phone while you’re there and you
get free texts to home and free data! Sophie did this and it proved to be
really useful when we were out and about using Google Maps etc.
I hope you’ve
found the above useful or interesting – if you’ve been to New York before I’d
love to hear about your recommendations too or see your photographs! Thank you
for taking the time to read what I have to say and please share my blog with
your family and friends if you’ve liked what you’ve read!
H xx
I thought I would take the opportunity to show you an example of the fine art wedding albums I have available to clients. The albums are available to be bought separately, at either 8”x8”, 10”x10” or 12”x12”, or if you’ve booked either the Half or Full Day Album Package you get a 10”x10” fine art wedding album included in the price, as part of the package (saving £50). The photographs in this blog post are of a recent album ordered by Lisa & Alan who got married in May, that I designed for them. The albums themselves are supplied by Folio Albums (http://www.folioalbums.com), who are a Yorkshire based printing company specialising in eco-friendly products and methods. 
