New York, New York

I can’t help but sing: " It's up to you New York, New Yoooork " whilst writing this post.

Visiting New York has always been on the top of my bucket list, and I was lucky enough to tick it off my list about 3 years ago, when we took a 6 day trip to New York.

Our plan for this trip was to choose a specific location everyday and explore that area. We had a few places earmarked that we really wanted to see and places where we wanted to eat, but as for the rest we just explored.

Walking around and exploring, you suddenly found yourself standing in front of famous buildings like the Flat Iron building or catching random glimpses of the Chrysler Building peaking through the concrete jungle of buildings - so many wonderful surprises!

We stayed in an amazing accommodation in LES’s Fulton Street, just a stone throw away from the famous Brooklyn Bridge and Wall Street. It was the perfect location for both Manhattan and Brooklyn. But the most amazing part of this accommodation was the fact that the building block had the most amazing rooftop entertainment area with breath-taking views of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge. Standing there, it felt so surreal and on top of the world.

Just some of the views...

First things first of course after checking into our accommodation, was finding a pizzeria selling pizza by the slices. You know the ones you always sees in the movies? Those pizza slices too big to fit on a paper plates?

We found the perfect little spot called LES Pizza Window serving the most amazing margarita pizza slices with a sprinkle of oregano. Sooo delicious! This was just the beginning of our long-planned NYC food trail and it was off to a good start ;)

As there was SO much food and so many delis and restaurants we wanted to try, the only way we could fit it all in was to share everything. Best decision ever!

The next few mornings started with a few hours of work (still in bed and pj's 😊) whilst my husband was out for his morning run. Every morning as the sunrise slowly painted the buildings in an orange-pink tint, I couldn't help but think that this must be the most amazing office view.

Work done, a quick shower and a hot Starbucks in hand we started exploring the city hoping to find a fantastic breakfasts. We tried a few different bagel places and I have to say it's true what they say about New York having the BEST bagels! I wish I could have one right now.

If I would write about all the food we tried and the places we visited, this blog post would be never-ending,

Thankfully we did a LOT of walking on this trip as our food intake was vast.

Must-eat places (tried and tested by us) in New York:

(Note: we did this trip before we changed to a vegan diet!)

• Pizza by the slice at LES Pizza Window

• Hot Dogs at Crif Dogs, NYC’s Number 1 Weiner

• Black sesame ice cream served in a churro cone at ChikaLicious

• Have a cheese burgers at the hidden Burger Joint @ Le Parker Meridien Hotel ( make sure you know exactly what you want before you arrive at the ordering till)

• Cocktails at Fresh Salt – their old fashion cocktail is a MUST!

• Lox and cream cheese bagels from Leos Bagels near Hanover Square (and do try the freshly squeezed grapefruit juice)

• Have a famous Reuben sandwich from Eisenbergs Sandwich shop on 5th Avenue

• Do yourself a favour and try the PEANUT BUTTER milkshake at Shake Shack in Madison Square Park

• Ramen at David Chang’s Momofuki Noodle Bar. You will feel like you need a shower afterwards (because of all the noodle slurping) but it is so worth it. I also recommend trying their Spicy Lychee Soju Slushy – Yum!

• Dumplings at Vanessa’s Dumpling House (great value for your money)

• Indulgent sandwiches and beer at Earls beer and cheese, Park Avenue. A cosy bar renowned for their quirky food and beer selections. We had the NY State Cheddar grilled cheese (a kimchi and porkbelly sandwich) and the Cuban Reuben. Try with the Captain Lawrence Fortina’s Finest Summer Lager.

• Have a Salty Pimp ice cream at Big Gay Ice Cream shop

• Have a dessert at the Milk Bar

• Ever since I have seen the movie 'Fools Rushed In' I have been wanting to try a Gray’s Papaya hotdog. I have to say I personally was not too impressed with their hotdog, but their papaya drink was delicious.

Things to see and do:

• Chrysler Building

• Empire State Building

• Go for a run in Central Park

• Watch a sunset in Central Park

• People watching at Grand Central

• Walking or running over Brooklyn Bridge

• Take the ferry to Staten Island for a view of the Statue of Liberty

• Walk the Highline

• Have a sandwich on the Highline with a view of 10th Avenue

• If you like bookshops, visit Strand Book Store and Kitchen Arts and Letters,inc. (for cook books and books on food)

• Dylan's Candy Bar

• Get lost in many of New York's food markets

• Find a rooftop bar for great views of the city.

• If you love sewing or watching Project Runway, MOOD fabrics is a must!! One can easily spend a whole day searching for the perfect fabric in that place. It was absolutely hilarious watching the husbands finding make-shift seating as they waited patiently for their partners to finish shopping.

• Watch a Knicks Game at Maddison Square Garden

• Visit the World Trade Centre Memorial

• Explore the trendy areas in Dumbo

• See the views from Dumbo of Manhattans Skyline

You can scroll through the images below to view a few photos from our trip.

I will admit this was a very indulgent trip and yes I did gain a few kg’s, but it was SO worth it.

New York, I love you! Hopefully we will meet again really soon...

This was without a doubt one of my favourite trips ever!