“Autumn in New York, why does it seem so inviting?” -Billie Holiday
Autumn is my favorite time to travel, but especially to large cities like New York. If you follow me on Instagram, then you saw a few pictures already of our time in New York, but here on the blog I like to share a more in-depth look from our time in the city that never sleeps. While our trip was a quick two days, we were able to do and see so much in that time.
New York was cloudy and even a little rainy at times while we were visiting, but for me it made the trip just that much more cozier being able to walk around in a sweater and light coat. We stayed in mid-town as we usually do because I really like this area for its lively scene and easy access to my favorite things in the city.
staying at the renaissance hotel
My husband travels for work and accumulates hotel points, so we were able book a room at the Renaissance Hotel in mid-town for free. The hotel was quite stylish in decor and was in a good location to be close to everything that we wanted to do and the view from the room was simply beautiful.
bryant park
One of my favorite places in New York is Bryant Park. While smaller in size than say Central Park, it is still such a charming place to visit. Each morning, we would stop into Starbucks to get breakfast and coffee and walk over to Bryant Park then sit down to enjoy our meal in the park. The park also turns into a Christmas Village at the end of October which I got to see once, and it was exciting to see all of the little shops and even a small ice-skating rink. While it may have been too early for the markets to open, I still very much enjoyed my time in this favorite little spot of mine.
shopping in new york
New York is such a great place for visiting various shops. I even like to visit my favorite places such as Banana Republic while in New York. They have a three-story BR store in NYC and its decor and layout was stunning. I also got visit La Maison Du Chocolat to pick up a box of luxurious chocolate truffles.
hot chocolate at angelina’s
Another must-do whenever I am in New York is to have a hot chocolate at Angelina’s which is situated right next to Bryant Park. It had been raining on the way to Angelina’s, so a hot chocolate was truly savored at that moment. We also enjoyed a quick brunch as well while we there. Angelina’s is such a beautiful place to visit with its colorful yet light interiors.
central park
Is there anything more New York than central park? There’s something about getting a coffee and walking around this massive park, especially in autumn. I enjoyed seeing the skyscrapers all foggy in background and being surrounded by the trees that were starting to change colors. We spent nearly an entire afternoon just walking around central park and enjoyed being able to slow down for a few hours.
dinner at charlie palmer
Often when we travel, especially to large cities, we will pick one fine dining restaurant to visit and for this trip we made a reservation at Charlie Palmer. Located close to Broadway and within the Knickerbocker Hotel, this restaurant was exquisite. The decor was highly elevated just like its food. I had steak frites and it may have been one of the best steaks I have ever had. While not cheap to dine here, the experience and the quality food made it well worth the price.
a new york state of mind
Other than all that was listed above, we basically liked walking around the city and enjoying being out and about in a new place. We also spent a few hours in our hotel room relaxing while a good rain came through on our last day. But we didn’t mind as we had a Mont Blanc from Angelina’s and a hot coffee from Starbucks to keep us company. The following are some of the random pictures I took along the way while walking through the city and in our hotel room.
Lovely. Bryant Park is a favorite and I’ve been to the Christmas Village. Beautiful. When I go to big cities I enjoy visiting Ralph Lauren shops.
Seeing the Christmas Village is truly magical, and I am so happy that I got to see it once. I really need to visit a Ralph Lauren shop because they also look so beautiful in pictures. That’ll be on my list for the next trip!
My son and I visited NYC (from Australia) last December and Bryant Park was truly magical! Love your trip report and beautiful pictures – brings back so many great memories of a wonderful trip.
There is something so special about Bryant Park and I love that you enjoyed it while you visited 🙂 I’m also happy that it brought back so many great memories for you too, hopefully you’ll get to visit NYC again one day soon.