A Week in New York City: My Reunion with the City!

I lived in New York City for 4 years and it was the best time of my life. I miss the city so much and Covid has put a damper in several of my plans the past few months to return for a visit. Luckily, New York state quarantine requirements was lowered to 3 days (instead of 14 days) and my office returned to a fully remote work environment so I quickly booked a flight to Laguardia (only $150!). This is going to be a long post (I was in the city for a week after all) so prepare yourself!

I want to preface by saying that this trip looked different than a normal vacation because of the pandemic. I did NOT want to catch Covid while in the city and have to remain there under quarantine for 14 days. Additionally, I followed all the travel guidelines outlined by the State of New York (you can find the guidelines here if you’re interested in traveling to the city anytime soon). Under these guidelines I had to obtain negative CDC approved Covid test results at a maximum of 72 hours prior to boarding my flight, fill out the traveler declaration form on the state website, quarantine for 3 days after landing in NYC, and obtain negative Covid test results on my 4th day of being in the city. It was tough, but my love for the city made it all worth it. Plus, getting my favorite foods via delivery wasn’t hard at all! New York City has a much lower Covid case count than my home state of Texas so I wanted to do my part in slowing the spread. The city cares SO much about keeping its residents safe- masks are worn everywhere (indoors and outdoors), outdoor dining was strongly encouraged, social distancing was strictly enforced in many places I visited. As a result, I felt extremely safe and felt like I could enjoy my vacation in peace. I had a lot of fun visiting my old home state and I’m so excited to share my trip with all of you!

Where to Stay

Arlo Soho

This is actually one of my first few times staying in a hotel in NYC- I’ve always had my apartment there so never had the need for a hotel room. I was pretty excited to experience the hotel scene and Arlo Soho did not disappoint!

What to Do

Metropolitan Museum

Due to capacity limits and social distancing, there are long lines to enter the Museum, although they do move relatively quickly. If you go with a New York resident or Museum member (like I did), entrance is free. Otherwise, the ticket is $25. Preregistration is required for some of the more popular exhibits, but its equally nice to just wander around the museum exploring the wide variety or artifacts displayed here.

AKC Museum of Dog

This Museum had just opened up when I was leaving New York and as a long time dog lover, I knew I had to visit it once I returned. The Museum isn’t crowded at all, making it a great social distancing attraction. There are 2 floors of exhibits and it takes about an hour to see the entire place. There are tons of paintings of dogs through the decades as well as a fascinating exhibit on presidential dogs. To keep visitors safe, a stylus is given to each person to use for any interactive exhibits and also to push buttons in the elevator.

Palace Hotel Christmas Tree

Skip the crowded Rockefeller Christmas tree and take your annual city tree photo at the Lotte Palace Hotel Christmas tree instead! This tree is located in the hotel courtyard located on 52nd street between Madison and Park avenues.

Strand Bookstore

After watching Dash and Lily on Netflix, I became so nostalgic about the Strand bookstore (a good chunk of the show is filmed inside the store) and popped in to take a look one day when I was wandering the streets. The Strand is a local bookstore and definitely needs our support during these difficult times. I love feeling like I stepped into a warm cozy home whenever I enter- the staff actually leaves little notes on the shelves regarding their favorite books! The Strand is located on 12th street and Broadway.

Fotografiska

I use to walk past the Fotografiska building all the time while it was being constructed wondering what would be inside. Sadly, the museum opened after I left New York so I knew I would have to visit once I returned. The museum centers around photography and has a handful of rotating exhibits at a time. When I visited, there was an exhibit on Death Row exonerees that was so eye opening and moving and inspirational. Each featured exoneree was shown up close in video format while his story played for the listener to hear. There were a few times when I was moved to tears hearing their situations and seeing their own faces react to their ordeal. Fotografiska costs $24 to enter and can be crowded at times so booking a timed ticket in advance online is the best option. The museum is located on the corner of Park avenue and 22nd street.

Central Park

There really aren’t words to describe how beautiful Central Park is at all times of the day during every season, so I’ll just have to show you! These were take a little before 5pm in early December.

The Edge Observatory

This is a new attraction that opened recently in Hudson Yards (a new development in the city) and while it costs quite a lot to go up to the 100th floor observatory ($36), I have to say it is worth it. The view is amazing- just be sure to go on a clear day so you can see as far as possible! The rules do allow you to change your ticket once so if you do happen to have booked a ticket on a foggy or rainy day, they will change it for you to a different day (this happened to me). Masks have to be kept on the entire time even though you are outdoors, except for when you are posing for a picture. Security is strict and will request that you mask up if they see you without a mask for too long. A pro tip is to go up right when the Observatory opens (less chance for crowds!) and to line up for a photo at the corner nearest the Empire State Building. That corner is super popular so prepare for a frenzy of photo taking as each group only gets 2 minutes (or less if the line gets too long!) in the corner.

Hudson Yards

When I moved away from New York, the Hudson Yards area had opened to the public, but much about it was still unknown. Now, it was become a spot for high end shopping, waterfront viewing, and fine dining. The Edge (see above) is located inside the huge luxurious mall and so are stores and cafes like Lululemon, Van Leewen ice cream, Camp, Zara, Shack Shake, and Fuku. Hudson Yards is connected directly to the High Line so my friend and I opted from explore both the elevated train track park along with the mall and the iconic Vessel (also located at Hudson Yards).

Bike Riding along the Hudson River

One of my favorite pastimes when I lived in New York! Its a great way to get fresh air and exercise while viewing the beautiful Hudson River and exploring the western side of Manhattan. There are several great parks along the way and photo opportunities. I use Citi Bikes through the Lyft app, which costs $3 for 30 minutes. There are docking stations all along the bike path so it makes for a very convenient and safe ride. I’m terrified of bike riding in the actual streets of New York so this separated bike path is definitely more my speed. Highly recommend!

Bryant Park Winter Village

The Winter Village has always been one of my favorite holiday traditions when I lived in the city and when I discovered that it was not cancelled by Covid, I saved it for my last day in New York. While there are significantly less vendors and still a lot of people (I didn’t remove my mask once while exploring the Village), it is still just as magical and festive as I remembered. I walked around the corner to pick up the decadent hot chocolate from the new Angelina Paris cafe (prepare for a line) and throughly enjoyed my last afternoon in New York here.

Dr. Scalp

I first discovered Dr Scalp from Youtuber, Michelle Choi, after I had moved away from New York and was so disappointed I wouldn’t have the opportunity to get my hair and scalp treated by their scalp professionals. So when I was first planning my reunion trip, visiting Dr. Scalp was my #1 thing I wanted to do. The scalp care salon specializes in not just hair washing, but also treating your scalp for whatever condition afflicts it (they have a machine that first checks out your scalp to determine what type of treatment you need). I opted for an oily scalp treatment and spent 2 hours having my scalp treated, washed, and massaged. It was glorious! The pricing option isn’t cheap- I spent about $150- but it was definitely worth it. My scalp felt so refreshed afterwards.

Sundays Studio

Getting my nails done in NYC was always something I considered a luxury because I usually preferred to spend my money on food and traveling. But since I was on my reunion trip to the city and I wanted to support a local studio, I decided to get a manicure at Sundays Studio. Sundays is a Korean owned nail salon that specializes in their exceptional service and non toxic nail polishes. The nail studio has two locations in Manhattan- Hudson Yards and Flatiron district. They had so many Covid protections in place including mask wearing and a plastic shield between the nail technician and the customer. For an hour, I relaxed and was pampered to the fullest!

Brooklyn Bridge

No New York tourist trip can ever be complete without a visit to the Brooklyn Bridge. It is such a beautiful architectural feat and symbolizes the city so well. Even on a cloudy day, I enjoyed walking along the wooden path and looking out over the city.

Pier 17

Located at the edge of the Financial District and bordering the East River, Pier 17 is one of the newest attractions to hit the city. In the summer, Pier 17 hosts free outdoor movies on their rooftop lawn and free fitness classes on the pier. There is a variety of cafes and restaurants located inside the building and even a really cool members only lounge for Chase cardholders. In the winter time, there is occasionally a rooftop ice skating rink or winter cabin dining options. There is really so much to do! But my favorite thing is just sitting at one of the many wooden chairs that line the edge of the pier and overlook the River. New York City is so beautiful and I will never get tired of looking at it!

What to Eat and Drink

This post is getting way too long so I’ve decided to cut it in half because I honestly ate a LOT in New York. Stay tuned for all my NYC food adventures next week!

My whole return trip to New York City was such an emotional experience for me. I spent 4 wonderful years living there and reminisce about those years all the time. Being back for a week allowed me to live that time in my life again (even for a short period) and was one of my highlights for 2020. I can’t wait to return (once Covid is over though because plane travel during the pandemic is just too stressful) and experience the city even more!