Over a long weekend, Olivia, one of my best friends from high school, made the long trek into the city! Olivia and I have been best friends since 7th grade math class and I was so so excited to have a friendly face from home with me in my new home.
Olivia’s dress is linked here. Only available in black though!
Whenever someone comes to visit I always try to have a list of places to go, things to do and see. But when it comes to New York City a place with so many options that I myself am still learning it can feel overwhelming to pick! I rounded up some of the things that we did and had planned for your next girls trip to NYC!! I also have a NYC spots highlight that is super helpful!
Friday Night Drink Spots
With the warm weather in full swing, a rooftop bar is perfect for a summer night. We started at one that was close to my apartment!
🍸 Mr. Purple – Order the “Strawberry Lemonade” or the “Mr. Purple”. The views are amazing!
All photos from Mr. Purple website
🥂 Other fun rooftop bars: Loopy Doopy (known for their Prosecco and ice pop drink), Public Hotel, Serra Fiorta (in Eataly) The Brass Monkey, Le Bain at the Standard, The Pod Hotel Rooftop, Last Light, 230 Fifth, The Skylark, PH-D, The Crown Rooftop.
Loopy Doopy – From Conrad Hotel 
Image from Conrad Hotel 
Public Rooftop – Image from Public Hotels 
Eataly – Image from TimeOut 
Le Bain at The Standard – Image from The Standard Hotel 
Brass Monkey – Image from Brass Monkey 
The Pod – Image from The Pod Hotel 
The Skylark – Image from The Skylark Instagram
Click here to explore some more!
Saturday
🍵 Lauderee Soho: The ultimate girls spot. Tea and macaroon to make a Parisian dream come true right in the city. Make sure you book your reservation for the garden!
Image from Pinterest 
Image from Pinterest 
Image from Village Voice
🥐 Coffee Stop – Three Seat Espresso (try the elevated bagel or the iced latte with oat milk), Tompkins Square Bagels (sooo many interesting cream cheese flavors like birthday cake or wasabi…you know if you’re into that?), Toby’s Estate, Bluestone Lane, Dominique Ansel Bakery (blooming hot chocolate), Ninth Street Espresso, Ludlow Coffee Supply, Cha Cha Matcha, La Colombe, The Bean (so many pressed juices, açaí bowls, coffee, and smoothies!)
🍒 Health Kick for breakfast: Agavi, Tap NYC, Pressed, The Little Beet
🌳 Central Park : There is so much to do here! Have a picnic, rent a bike (I recommend city bike since there are sooo many drop off spots and you dont have to reroute back to the original bike shop), explore the Central Park Zoo, or even row a boat (click here to rent yours) but more importantly dog watching.
🏺Museum Visit: There are so many museums to visit. Some include: The Met, Guggenheim, American Museum of Natural History, Museum of Sex, Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). Click here to explore more.
🍾 Out on the town. We went to a rooftop spot called Public. After meeting up with a friend there we ventured over to a place called Joy Face which was quite the scene. It felt like you stepped back into a different decade. This was a groovy bar with fun light fixtures and a water bed. You read that right.
🎉 Other going out spots!! Lovers of Today (really fun drinks), The Jane, Acme, Tao Downtown, No Fun, Hair of the Dog, Dear Irving, Bounce (more of a clubbing vibe), Fat Cat (live music, pool, Ping-Pong, board games), Bua (dim and calm), Please Don’t Tell (Don’t tell anyone I told you…look for the phone booth and pick up the red phone), Public Hotels, Make Believe, Bagatelle, Marquee.
Bagatelle – Image Link 
Marquee – Image Link 
The Jane – Image from The Jane Hotel 
Dear Irving – Image from Dear Irving Website 
Make Believe – Image from The Infatuation
*look into all of these individually before going – these range from a dark club with beaming lights to a cozy 20’s style cocktail bar*
Sunday
🥞 Butcher’s Daughter: Olivia and I stopped at the Butcher’s Daughter which is one of the classic girly fun NYC brunch aesthetics that you see on the gram. There are sooo many brunch spots to choose from!
Image from The Butchers Daughter Website 
🥓 Other Brunch Spots: Cafe Cluny, Bobo, Jack’s Wife Freida, Claudette, Good Night Sonny, Maman, Clinton Street Baking Co.
🚶♀️Walk in West Village: After brunch we walked around the West Village for a little. Some iconic spots include:
- The Friends Apartment – I’ll be there for you!!! Snag a pic with your gal pal here!
- Carrie Bradshaw’s Apartment – I couldn’t help but wonder….
- Grove Court – A cute little hidden court right next to the friends apartment!
- Magnolia Bakery: Stop in for a sweet treat!
- Upper Rust – old antique shop!
- Pink Olive – super cute shop to pick up a fun
🛍️ Shopping in Soho : After brunch we walked around SOHO for some afternoon window shopping! Bring your comfortable shoes to walk if you’re gonna do this!
🌉 Walk the Brooklyn Bridge: If you’re not feeling shopping you can walk the Brooklyn Bridge instead!
🍝 Dinner at San Marzano: A cheap and delicious Italian spot in the East Village. You make your own pasta ($9), appetizers and wine are around $7. Order the meatballs, buratta and the pear and gorgonzola ravioli. This place has a warm and cozy feeling.
More dinner spots here !!!
🍦 Ice-cream: I recommend Van Leeuwen and Stuffed Ice Cream. Get the honeycomb, cookies and cream or salted caramel at Van Leeuwen. Stuffed Ice Cream is known for their “cruff” which is a glazed donut stuffed with ice-cream and toppings. At Stuffed Ice Cream I would recommend the fruity pebbles ice-cream. They have so many fun flavors like: cinnamon toast crunch, matcha, red velvet, white chocolate lavender, cookie monster and more!
Image from Stuffed Ice-cream Instagram 
Image from Stuffed Ice-cream Instagram
I’m still learning all of the ins and outs but I hope that these recommendations are helpful if you visit. To the girls, the hugs that still feel the same no matter how much time passes, welcome to a city that makes you feel connected and alive in a way you couldn’t even imagine. Happy exploring!!
Always,
Madison
