A few weeks ago, my husband and I booked a spontaneous weekend getaway to New York City. We had three free nights with Marriott that were about to expire, so we thought why not spend them somewhere exciting! We had both been to New York separately, but had never explored the city together. It was a jam packed two days but was definitely one of those core memories I’ll never forget. I’m sharing our weekend itinerary below and how we explored many of New York City’s top attractions in only two days!
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Night 1
We arrived to New York fairly late on Friday because we weren’t able to fly out until after work. However, we caught a short direct flight from Raleigh, NC. When we arrived to JFK, we did have to pay a hefty Uber fee to travel from the airport to our hotel, which was located in Times Square. We stayed at the AC Hotel New York Times Square and really enjoyed it! The hotel was centrally located to many attractions we aimed to visit, and although slightly small, our room was clean and modern.
After checking into our room, we walked to a nearby rooftop bar to grab a drink before exploring Times Square. You have to see Times Square at nighttime to see how impressive it truly is! We took some pictures and videos before heading back to our room to rest for the upcoming day.
Day 1
On the itinerary for our first full day in New York City was Central Park! We stopped by Four Five Coffee on our way to Central Park and enjoyed some freshly baked croissants in addition to our morning coffee. Last time I visited NYC, my mom, sisters, and I purchased a bike ride tour through Central Park which was a great way to see everything in a shorter amount of time. However, this time around, my husband and I decided to explore the park by foot! I downloaded a map beforehand and made note of the spots in the park we wanted to see. In the span of about four hours, we visited the Central Park Zoo, Gapstow Bridge, “the rock” photo spot, Bethesda Fountain, Belvedere Castle, and Bow Bridge.
After a full morning in Central Park, we took an Uber to the Chelsea Market to meet up with a family friend for lunch. After a much needed burger at the market, we walked through the High Line. The High Line is an elevated rail line that has since been transformed into a walking trail with tons of beautiful scenery and views of the city. We visited The Vessel in Hudson Yards, and also stumbled across a Jameson popup which was super fun! We spent the rest of the night exploring the various rooftop bars that New York has to offer. A few of our stops were Jibs, Skyline Rooftop Bar & Lounge, and Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge.
Day 2
We started our second full day in New York City having brunch with a cousin at Rosemary’s. It was a lovely location and we enjoyed the food! The main place I wanted to visit this day was the Brooklyn Bridge because neither of us had seen it before. Although we visited at midday (which likely wasn’t the best time due to crowds), we had a great time and were still able to take some fun pictures. It is quite a long walk over the bridge, but the views are worth it! We then spent some time exploring the Dumbo area before heading back. While in the Brooklyn area, you can also map out visiting the 9/11 Memorial, Chinatown, and Little Italy areas. We skipped those for this trip due to needing to head back and meet up with family!
On the way back, we stopped by Eataly based on the recommendation of family and WOW I loved this place! It is an Italian market with bars, restaurants, and tons of Italian items like cookies, pasta, cheese, meats, etc. We had a drink and a snack before heading back to have dinner with family at a Spanish tapas restaurant. Our to-do list for the evening was to see a Mets game at Citi Field. It was our first time visiting that stadium and we had a great time! After the game, we took in the beautiful nighttime views before heading back to our hotel for an early flight.
Although you might not be able to see everything New York City has to offer in one weekend, you can definitely visit several high points. Just be sure to plan your itinerary ahead of time and don’t forget your walking shoes! To gather other ideas, check out my NYC itinerary from my trip in 2019 here.
