Adventures in NYC


New York City has been a part of my dreams for years and, thankfully, I had the opportunity to explore it this Spring Break with a few wonderful friends. Our stay was short as we arrived Saturday morning and left Monday afternoon, but everything we did and saw made it very worthwhile. Below are some of the highlights of such a stimulating trip (disclaimer: it's mostly food and coffee).

Toby's Estate Coffee

I have a lot of favorite coffee places, but Toby's Estate's Flatiron Espresso Bar on Fifth Avenue earned a spot in my top five almost immediately after I stepped foot inside. The baristas were all extremely friendly, the black and white color scheme inviting, and the coffee delicious. Not only that, but the espresso bar was also connected to a Strand bookstore, flower shop, and Club Monaco. Unfortunately, I already had to haul back a duffel packed too full multiple blocks back to the ferry (having a love for fashion can be painful) and didn't have the room or arm strength to accommodate the many books, flowers, and shirts I really wanted to buy. For anyone planning to try it out, I highly recommend the Maple Sage Latte.

(I noticed later that I had pinned a picture of this shop to my "future travels" Pinterest board, which is even more exciting considering I wasn't aware I was checking off a destination. You can follow my inspirations here)



Penelope

Brunch is a must on any form of trip or vacation, at least from my perspective. On Sunday night, we  all gathered around Ryan's Macbook and began the search for a place that would meet all of our expectations. Penelope on Lexington Avenue was the choice and it was delicious.

I had the Punkin' Waffles on the bottom left and the Sweet Potato Fries in the middle. 

Doughnut Plant 

We walked by Doughnut Plant on our way to visit the Chelsea Hotel and immediately knew it was something we had to try. We were right and ended up making two trips. During the first trip, I had the Brooklyn Blackout Cake Donut which was, in complete honesty, the best donut I have ever had. On the second trip, directly before our return back to the ferry and the beginning of a long drive back to Michigan, I had the Pistachio Cake Donut which is pictured below. It was also pretty delicious, but not quite as good as the Brooklyn Blackout.


Other notable stops include: 

Stumptown Coffee in Ace Hotel - Which had a very cute grab-and-go atmosphere 

MoMA - Where I saw Van Gogh's "Starry Night" live and in person and took a cheesy photo in front of Warhol's "Campbell's Soup Cans"

Shake Shack - Where I tried a mushroom burger due to lack of vegetarian options and was surprisingly impressed

L'Amico - A cute Italian restaurant on Avenue of Americas

NYC is a very inspiring environment and I can't wait to return!

Motion: A Spring Break Playlist


Anyone who knows me knows that music plays a key role in my experiences. Below are a few songs that have followed me on my Spring Break adventures so far, replaying in my head on my walks through the streets of NYC.