Anniversary Trip: Our 3 Day Itinerary to New York City

Anniversary Trip: Our 3 Day Itinerary to New York City

Sixty-eight hours and over 45 thousand steps in New York City proved to be the most beautiful, magical, exhausting, perfect trip for our anniversary. I completed months of research to prepare for our trip to NYC and now you don’t have to.

Being there for only a few days, I wanted to jam in everything that I could. Now, although this is all scheduled, we were flexible and changed things up along the way to make it more enjoyable and feel less rushed. To be clear, I would not consider this a relaxing trip. We knew that we would be walking a ton so we brought our good tennis shoes. It reminded me of Disney World with all the walking.

Without further ado, here is the itinerary!

Let’s dive into the details!

Transportation:

Once arriving via airplane, we spent the entire trip on the subway, a few buses, and one ferry.   There is a bus that will bring you from the airport to the city. My biggest advice is to make sure you are going in the right direction (because we did not hahaha). We were advised to avoid cabs and Ubers because often times you are stuck in place and not able to move (if you’re headed to Times Square area).

For the subway, you can buy a pass or just tap your card every time you go in. Thankfully, when you put your destination in the GPS on your iPhone, it shows you exactly which subway to take. You just have to switch to the bus/train option (instead of car or walk).

Safety:

Overall, I felt very safe in the streets of NYC. Keep in mind that I was with my husband.  Personally, I would not have been wandering off on my own. However, there were female solo travelers on the subway.

Cleanliness:

The streets of New York City were relatively clean in my opinion. It did not smell like Bourbon street. However, the subway was smelly and dirty. I didn’t see any rats in the subway so that’s good. My hand sanitizer was my best friend.

My favorite places:

The ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty and walking the Brooklyn Bridge were two of my favorite things because it forced me to slow down and enjoy the beauty of it all. The weather was perfect and the skyline was gorgeous.

The 911 museum was incredibly somber and magnificent at the same time. It was the quietest museum I have ever been in. If you have never been, I highly recommend that you visit it at least once.

The Empire State Building had a museum which I wasn’t expecting. My husband and I really enjoyed this experience. We arrived at 8:20 pm and it was practically empty. This was an ideal time for us due to low crowds and a more romantic setting.

Riding Bikes through Central Park was exhilarating. I wasn’t expecting the hills which were a challenge for me. We rented bikes right outside the park through Citi Bike which was an easy and affordable choice. We laughed and panted throughout this trek. Overall, I did love this experience.

The Lion King on Broadway was marvelous! Shortly after the show, the actors came out and signed autographs right outside and took pictures. We were able to meet young Simba and Nala, grown Simba, and Mufasa.

If you are a fan of the show Friends, then the Friends Experience is a MUST SEE! This made me laugh and cry.  It is full of memorabilia, costumes, sets, and photo opportunities.  They take professional pictures and photos on your phone.  There is also a Central Perk with coffee at the end! Can’t forget the gift shop at the end. My husband fully embraced this with me and it is something I will never forget.

My favorite food:

Bagel to Sandwich is a place we came across by accident and it had scrumptious bagels! We went back multiple times! I did love Juilianna’s Pizza; however, many people says you must have Joe’s Pizza in New York. We had both. The bread pudding at Magnolia Café was delicious. We also ate our way through Bryant Park.

The People:

I’ve heard some things about New Yorkers being rude, but I did not have any unpleasant encounters. Everyone I spoke to was kind and helpful.

What to Pack:

I recommend comfortable walking shoes, cash for tipping, hand sanitizer, and a small backpack with protein bars and water because once we left the hotel, we were gone all day. If it’s cold, the key is thick socks and a good thermal coat. Being from Louisiana, it took me a long time to learn that 5 Louisiana layers equals one good Northerner coat.  Therefore, I do recommend getting you a decent coat if you’re going during the winter. I bought a long Columbia thermal jacket with hood on sale and it’s my absolute favorite!

Suggestions:

1. Study the subway line a little bit to be familiar with how they run.

2. Put the places you want to visit on a map so you can group activities together based on location (see example below).

There are plenty of other things to do in New York such as Rockefeller Center, The Edge, Comedy Cellar, Radio City, and so much more!  We packed as much as we could into the time we had in NYC.

If you’ve dreamed of going to New York, here is your sign to book your trip!