NYC in Three: Day 2 & 3

The second day of our trip ended up being my all-time favourite day in New York City. We covered so much ground in what seemed like so little time, and managed to hit every place on our mental list without getting stressed about staying on schedule. We unintentionally stuck to a park theme for most of the day, so please excuse and/or enjoy the obscene amount of photos in this post. 

FYI, if for some reason you haven't read NYC in Three: Day 1 already, click here.

To start the day, we popped into Starbucks before hopping on the E train towards lower Manhattan. A definite highlight of the trip was when a woman ordered a 155 degree drink and insisted there be one ice cube (that she had to be able to watch melt) in her cup. I mean, have you seen the size of a Starbucks ice cube?? Did she want the satisfaction of watching it melt, or did she want her drink to be just a tinge cooler than 155 degrees? These are the things that keep me up at night. Anyways, let's move on.

Our first stop was the High Line which was the one thing we had unanimously decided was a must-see for this trip. For those of you who don't know what the High Line is, it's a park that's built on an old railway line that lets you walk over the streets of New York from the Meatpacking district (Gansevoort Street to be exact) all the way to W 34th Street. It's honestly one of the coolest refurbishment projects I've ever seen because it offers such a unique viewing point of lower Manhattan and the Hudson River.

It's really surreal to be in a park floating above the busy streets of NYC and once in a while as you walk along the pathway, it's easy to forget you're in the city. There's a ton of cool street art along the High Line as well as so many cute places to sit and take it all in. Even though there were tons of other people exploring, jogging or simply using the High Line as a shortcut, it never felt congested.

We walked along the High Line for a few blocks and got off right at Chelsea Market. I LOVE Chelsea Market and was so excited for Maddie and Tess to explore the cute little flee market inside. Being the constantly hungry young adults we are, we also decided to eat lunch in the little food court. Tess (who doubles as my token vegan friend) was in heaven after finding Beyond Sushi, a vegan sushi restaurant, while Maddie and I were in heaven because of the Doughnuttery. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

The Doughnuttery makes some pretty interestingly flavoured doughnuts. To give you a better idea of what I'm talking about, their flavours include things like Cheeky Peach, Pumpkin Pie Brûlée, Cheesy Poof, and much more. For all of you non-adventurous eaters, there are also some flavours that are a little more tame. I would highly recommend branching out and trying a flavour that's a little weird if you have the chance, but at the end of the day, they're all delicious. 

After devouring our food and taking some instagram-worthy photos, we ventured from Chelsea Market to SoHo. It's a decent walk between the two, but I can't give you an entirely honest time estimate considering we stopped numerous times to check out what Snapchat geofilters were available (very important obviously). Along the way, we also made a slight detour to Washington Square Park. I am a tad ashamed to admit that part of our motivation for going there was to see the adorable dogs @thedogist always posts on Instagram, but it was well worth it. 

After a few hours of wandering and window-shopping in SoHo, there was a unanimous vote for a coffee pick-me-up. Tess had gone to Australia over Christmas break and claimed she had found the best coffee in the form of a Flat White at a place called Bluestone Lane. Naturally once we found out that Bluestone Lane also has locations in NYC, including one in SoHo, we had to go. 

After five months of Tess creating hype about how amazing their Flat White is, I wasn't disappointed (and yes, they do offer every type of milk and milk alternative under the sun). If you're ever in NYC, or Australia for that matter, I would definitely recommend stopping by Bluestone Lane and treating yourself to a Flat White. 

It seems like this post is becoming just as food-focused as it is park-themed...

To end the day, we headed back to Midtown to grab some dinner and enjoy our final night in NYC. After deciding we would eat in Bryant Park while watching the sun set (how cute are we?), Tess bought something fun and vegan from another Bluestone Lane location, while Maddie and I couldn't resist stopping at the Halal Guys. The word obsessed doesn't even begin to explain how I feel about the Halal Guys. If I could eat their food once a day, I probably would. 

Our third day was relatively uneventful; Maddie flew out early so Tess and I were left to wander the city on our own for half a day. After Starbucks-hopping, checking out Grand Central Station and walking by the United Nations, we ended up back at Bryant Park. Since the vast majority of our day consisted of people-watching and daydreaming, I've included those photos in this post as well.

Looking back, I don't think I've ever felt more accomplished during a quick trip. We mixed classic tourist activities with a ton of free exploration in just two short days, and it was a really great way to see the city without spending too much money, or wasting time standing in lines. 

The moral of this two-post-story? Take spontaneous trips and don't forget to enjoy yourself while making the most of your time in a different city. Your legs might feel the burn for a few days afterwards, but it's definitely worth it.

Where to Find Maddie:

Twitter: @whereismaddie

Instagram: @maddiecookkk

Where to Find Tess:

Twitter: @tessbxldwin

Instagram: @tessbxldwin

Blog: As Free As the Sea