Just a little while before we have another little one, so we decided to go on a babymoon. We have doubted where to go; New York, Dubai or Istanbul. We chose New York and it was wonderful! We were very lucky with the weather; 14 degrees Celsius and no rain. Great weather for a city trip!
Day 1; Tourist mode on 🗽
We flew with KLM and arrived at JFK airport at four in the afternoon. We took the Airtrain to Jamaica and then the Long Island Railroad to Penn Station. Total costs; $20 per person.
From Penn station it was about a 10 minute walk to the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, which I had booked near Times Square. I booked this location in Midtown because you can do a lot on foot from here. In addition, it was Regg's (my boyfriend) first time, so we went full on tourist mode. That evening we visited Times Square, Rockefeller Center and the surrounding area. We also ate hamburgers and fries at Shake Shack 🍔.
Shopping in Midtown!
Pancakes at Little Ruby's
Day 2; Shop till you drop 🛍️
The Starbucks is located right at the opposite of the hotel where we had a cup of coffee and a warm bagel with cream cheese for breakfast. We took the subway (with a bridal couple in it!) to Soho, where we went shopping. We stopped for lunch at Little Ruby’s where I ate the most delicious pancakes with banana and Nutella. Highly recommended!
We have seen the shops in Soho, so we took the subway to Fifth Avenue to continue shopping. But first; coffee! This time at Blue Bottle Coffee (deliciouss!)
At the end of the shopping street is the Apple Store and after that, I was quite tired I can tell you. But before we head back to the hotel, we took a quick photo of the Plaza Hotel (where Home Alone 2 was filmed!).
Twenty-eight weeks pregnant and 30,000 steps further; I was ready for bed. But hey, a girl has gotta eat! We had dinner at a four-minute walk from our hotel at a Spanish Tapas restaurant, called Boqueria W40th. A super nice hip place, where I noticed a lot of locals! 🫒
Day 3; Sightseeing 🌉
Of course, Regg wanted to do the typical New York sightseeing activities, so today that was the plan for day three. We started at the Empire State Building, where we bought tickets for fifty dollars each. You can then take the elevator to the observation deck where you have a view of all of New York. A bit pricey, but fun to do.
We then took a twenty-minute walk to the High Line; an old elevated train track, which has been transformed into a kind of park. I have been there before and that is why I would not recommend this in the winter. There were no leaves on the trees, so the vibe was different. At the end of the High Line we made a stop at the Chelsea Food Market, where we ate a pita with lamb kebab at Miznon. And it was delicious guys👌🏾. Soft bread with warm meat, yum! They also have vegetarian options 😉.
Okay, next stop; Ground zero, where the World Trade Centers stood, but now a beautiful monument. Then we went to my favorite store; Century 21. An outlet, where you can simply shop for little. I bought baby clothing for 1 to 2 dollars each! It's getting late, and we are tired, so we took a Lyft (taxi) over the Brooklyn Bridge to Time Out Market in Brooklyn. If you have read my blogs before, you know that I am a fan of these food halls, where you can enjoy good food from different world cuisines! And as far as I'm concerned, an 'added bonus'; the view is really amazing from here! A fully illuminated skyline. It was the perfect end of the evening.
Times Square
View from the Empire State Building
Day 4; Last round of shopping 🤑
When we dropped our suitcases at the luggage drop off at the hotel, the concierge asked if we were interested in a taxi to the airport. The suitcases had now become ten kilos heavier and to be honest, that's why I didn't feel like taking the subway or train. We booked this taxi for a hundred dollars, including tip.
Although I actually wanted to show Regg Central Park, it started to rain on our last day. We'll do that next time! I decided to take him to Macy's department store as well, but to be honest, it wasn't worth our time. We walked further to Fifth Avenue and shopped there for ourselves and our daughters. And then it was time to go home again.
To be honest, I was afraid this trip would be too much for me; wandering around all day with a big belly 🫣.. But New York has plenty of nice places to take a break, so I was able to explore all day. I had also planned in advance to go to sports competitions and rooftop bars, but I was way to tired in the evenings. We took it easy and really enjoyed this beautiful city together 🥰.
Looking for more New York tips? Check out my blog 'These are my tips for a first time trip to New York'✌🏽