New York Is Never The Same Trip Twice

What an amazing week! I just got back from New York City with my best friend of 23 years as a guest of Netflix for a special event surrounding The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. We decided to take full advantage of the opportunity and extended our trip ahead of the actual event with Netflix, so we could explore the city and have some bestie time. And explore we did. 5 days, 4 nights, 2 gals and 1 amazing city. I’ve been to NYC 3 times now and it’s never the same experience, which is why I clearly need to go back again and again and again. Some things are consistently amazing but one thing is for sure, New York is never the same trip twice.

 

 

1. The Food. I finally figured out why New York is called “the city that never sleeps”, it’s because they’re always eating! I’ve never had a bad meal in New York and this trip was no exception. And the beauty of all the walking (so much walking) is being able to eat basically what ever, when ever! We found Molly’s Cupcakes in Greenwich Village that serves the most amazing stuffed (yes, I said stuffed) cupcakes all hand crafted and delish. We also stumbled across Beechers Handmade Cheese Shop and Cafe in the Flatiron district where we had the most amazing grilled cheese sandwich, ever! Get off the beaten path or ask a local where they eat. 
2. Meet Ups. If you asked me 6 months ago if I had any friends in NYC, I would have said no. But now, as it turns out, I have several friends on the east coast, thanks to Periscope and Snapchat and the connections I’ve made on social media. Lunch with an old friend from Calgary who relocated to NYC 2 years ago, dinner with 2 friends I met on social media and a day of exploring with my best friends mom, who I’d never met in person despite being best friends with Roberta for 23 years! More on that in another post 🙂 New York was a great place to meet up with new and old friends, I’m sad I missed a few peeps. I guess I’ll have to come back! 
3. Street Art. Keep your eyes open, there’s art everywhere. On walls, on sidewalks, in the subway stations. From graffiti to street performers to beautiful murals that cover an entire building, free art is everywhere and everything in New York. 

However, there are some things that never change about New York, no matter how many times you visit. Somehow they begin to make you feel like a local or at least a part of the city.

1. The walking. Oh so much walking. We logged 23km the first day and 13km the second (we decided to use the subway a couple of times). I love walking and not having anywhere in particular to go and no time frame to be there by. Wandering, exploring, flipping a coin to go left or right. It’s such an adventure. It’s truly freeing from my regular life of schedules and deadlines. Pro tip: wear comfortable shoes and seamless socks, forget fashion, comfort is key. And at the end of the day, stretch!
2. The people. Don’t believe the hype. New Yorkers aren’t angry people. I have yet to come across anyone in New York who seemed mad. I think visitors are confusing loud with angry because for what they lack in anger they more than make up for in volume. Loud talkers, loud whistlers, loud protesters, loud laughers, just loud all the freaking time. Oddly enough after a while, it all just sounds like white noise that fades into the background, until a taxi honks or a fire truck goes by. Pro tip: NYPD officers are some of the nicest people on the streets of the city. Say hello or ask for directions, they’re always happy to help.
3. The Garbage. For a city with a population of 8.5 million, not counting tourists, it’s a relatively clean place but when the work day ends and the sun goes down, the sidewalks are congested with mountains of garbage bags from businesses, rather than people commuting to and from work. Nothing seemed to give me more perspective of the millions of people living there and my own environmental impact than seeing all that waste every single day. Pro tip: Use digital maps on your phone to get around and reduce the waste from tourist maps and pamphlets.

If you find yourself in New York, I strongly encourage you to have no plan at all. Wander, I guarantee you’ll end up in all the right places and you’ll eat all the good food. But if you need a hand, hit me up! Special thanks to the my friends at Netflix and the #StreamTeam for inviting me along on this adventure!

I (heart) NY