Travel Diary: NYC, once again!
Guess who's backkk in the city!
Ahh it looks so warm and sunny from above doesn't it?? LOL. I stepped out of the airport and stepped right back inside to add every layer of clothing I packed with me. I don't think I've EVER been in weather this cold. It got down to 19 degrees! I'm pretty sure that's colder than my freezer??
OK before I go into a full on rant about the weather #dramatic, I'll get to it:
The Knickerbocker Hotel
I stayed at my home away from home, The Knickerbocker Hotel in Times Square. It's hands down my favorite luxury hotel in NYC.
As an avid, discerning traveler... my standards are HIGH when it comes to accommodations *and everything else in life;). So trust me when I say this ultra sleek, contemporary hotel is 5 stars for a reason.
With the weather as cold as it was outside, it was hard to casually stroll around the city exploring. Your only option was to go from A to B via Uber or aggressive yellow cab to avoid frost bite. However when you're staying at a hotel like The Knickerbocker, there is every conceivable amenity right at your fingertips. Anything you could possibly need or want, you got... and then some.
The cafe downstairs (Jakes Cafe & Coffee Shop) offers custom coffees, espressos and a variety of fresh pastries (fml) & quick bites. Their room service, don't even get me started... just order the pecorino risotto with a side of truffle fries and you'll be one happy guest. With all this delicious food thx God they have a gym, which happens to be one of the most impressive hotel gyms I've been to.
The rooftop might be one of my favorites in the city, I'll let pictures try to put the rest to justice:
The Knickerbocker, rooftop.
Hibiscus margs, ceviche & tator tots for the W:
The Knickerbocker, rooftop restaurant & bar: St. Cloud
Have your own apres-ski experience at the cozy rooftop lodge!
Apres at the Knick: Enjoy their specialty drinks like mulled wine or buttered hard apple cider by the fireside!
Another snow day! With snapchat filter reading 25 degrees (because how else do we know what temp it is outside?)... it was close to impossible to pull myself out of my cocoon of luxury! Coffee & room service alll day please:
*literally all day* I didn't think the breakfast could be topped, and then there was the dinner menu...
With the arctic weather outside, they served Hot Cider & warm cookies for hotel guests. It deserves 6 stars just for this!:
Before all my trips, I like to ask my followers for recommendations: things to do, best places to eat, where to party, et cetera. I've been to NYC more times than I can count, but this city has so much to offer and I want each experience to be different. So THANK YOU guys again, this was one of my best NY trips to date.
I tried out a few recommendations, and there are 2 in particular I have to share:
Sleep No More, a theatrical experience.
I mean wow. An experience is right.
Sleep No More is a theatrical performance primarily based on William Shakespeare's Macbeth. Don't feel like you need to know anything about Shakespeare or theatre for this to be one of the coolest, unique experiences to have. I mean to show you my level of knowledge, I thought Macbeth was a woman... so there's that. I literally knew nothing and was still blow away by it all.
It's an interactive play that lasts up to 3 hours. You typically get split up with whoever your with (bye bye Chelsi!) so that you have a truly individualized and immersive experience. I had NO clue what to expect... I was just told to go in open minded, where my mask at all times, and to not speak at any point.
Silenced with a creepy mask, I was placed in a bedroom for it all to begin. From there, you choose your journey: you move about the hotel deciding what rooms to go into, which characters to follow, what to touch, taste, smell and interact with. Follow whatever and whoever intrigues you. Of course I found myself following the hot characters. I even watched one guy showering for 5 minutes straight, convincing myself it was a crucial piece to this plays puzzle. ;)
With the decor set back in the thirties, and dark lighting throughout... it can be creepy at first. But fear isn't a driving force within the play. It's just that your senses are HEIGHTENED. You're feeling all sorts of things... kinda scared, intrigued, excited - and then there's the theatrics on top of it: the lighting, smells, props... It's all just intense. An orgasm of the senses, if you will.
I don't want to give away too much, so I'll leave it at that... but I'd definitely recommend Sleep No More if you're looking for something very different to do in the city!
... and one restaurant that deserves it's own mini review, Buvette. Shout out to @onmybranch for (strongly) recommending this!
It's a pinttt-sized French bistro in West Village offering breakfast, lunch & dinner.
After a long and worth while wait, we sat down and tried our best to not order the entire menu.
If you like croque madames... actually scratch that. If you're HUMAN, you must try this place.
We ordered a couple different breakfast options, but the croque "Cr'Q Forestier' with roasted mushrooms & gruyere was pretty damn incredible. I think we said "wow" between every single bite. "The Chevre," which is steamed organic eggs on toast with goat cheese & sun dried cherry tomatoes was a close second.
... and then the nightlife. So I'm still a bit of an amateur on where to go in the city. I'm always torn between what neighborhoods to go out in: East Village, West Village, Chelsea... so many options! I tend to just go with the flow aka my local friends and see where the night takes us. I will say that Beauty & Essex is the one spot I try to go to on everyy trip, it's my favorite restaurant in the city! The food is incredible and I love that their bar/lounge is equally as impressive. I mean they serve champagne in the bathroom if that doesn't speak for itself. No picture here... I actually only have 1 photo from our nights out on this trip ha they are few and far between... too busy dancing:)
Chloe 81, an intimate little club/lounge.
And then Monday nights... oh how I love Monday nights these days! Who says watching your ex get engaged is weird? Radio 95.5 PLJ graciously had me and Caila at their intimate viewing party for the finale of The Bachelor. It was open bar, so all good there :)
I was invited to come by the Pietro factory to check out how they make their handbags. Um amazing!!! It was like santa's workshop making the most beautiful handmade leather goods. They've been there since 1982 and it's the only handbag factory left in the entire city! I walked away with a GORGEOUS black bucket bag... I'll link it here.
Blizzard Stella was my cue to go home back to sunny South Florida.
Thanks for having me, NYC... 'till next time :)
jen x
