New York truly is the City that Never Sleeps and one that is an incredible city to explore. Full of life that is constantly buzzing, culture and food tours to indulge on. That being said, there’s a huge mix of neighbourhoods to check out and with so much to do in New York, prioritizing a few key areas to check out is necessary. Even if you’re on a short weekender, you can still get a great feel of what the city has to offer.
The first thing you’ll realize as soon as you start planning what to see and do in New York for the weekend is that there’s not enough time to see and do everything. To be fair, even spending an entire month in NYC won’t be enough time as the city is constantly changing. We’ve visited New York countless times individually and together and we still haven’t managed to visit every single spot. The plus side is that from Toronto, New York City is just an hour away!
Even if you might be short on time while being in the city, that doesn’t mean that to see New York for a weekend is anything but exciting! An array of secret spots, an abundance of restaurants and action-packed areas to check out at this point it’s worth mentioning that your feet will ache after exploring the city for the weekend. So, grab a metro card, get your itinerary of Google’d locations to check out and enjoy your weekend in one of the most iconic cities in the world.
Day One
11am. Ess-a- bagel: The Midtown bagel shop is a must to check out as they’ve got an incredibly huge variety of fresh hand rolled bagel sandwiches. Try to get there at a good time of around (9am-11:30am) but be prepared to wait in line for 45+ mins on the weekends. We ordered the egg on an everything bagel and their new avocado cream cheese but if you’re smarter than us, you’ll order a bagel with lox and capers with onions instead.
11:15am. Gregory’s coffee: If you’re looking for quick service, friendly people and a smooth coffee then look no further. Top it off with an Ess-a-bagel sandwich is always a great idea. Being a bit of a matcha aficionado I’ve tried plenty but Gregory’s coffee makes one of the best matcha lattes I’ve ever had. Like any specialty cafe the average beverage will be about $9 USD. Another plus side is Gregory’s coffee only uses cups made of recycled plastic and bamboo straws.
11:30am. Central Park: Even with the hustle and bustle of 5th Avenue and skyscrapers surrounding the city there is a sweet escape right in the centre of the city which can be enjoyed all year round.
Head over to Central Park and take a stroll around the open lawns. Either rent bicycles or a horse with carriage to take you around the trails of the park. Whereas, in the winter months, you can even go ice-skating right in the centre of Central Park. One thing that you’ll notice straight away is how vast the park actually is. Although you can’t get too lost, you may lose your way when navigating the numerous walkways and promenades.
Each and every day, there are free walking guides that you can download online and take with you to the park and discover at your own pace. Make sure to take a shot at the Bethesda Fountain and enjoy exploring around Belvedere Castle.
1pm. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA): At the heart of midtown Manhattan, MoMA has some of the world’s greatest collections of modern and contemporary art. Some of the art that is housed by MoMA is from well known featured artists Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night”, Monet, Andy Warhol and many other great artists.
Admission is about $32.00USD per person. Getting your tickets and reserved entry time can be done in advance. We lined up for about 10 minutes and were able to purchase our tickets as soon as we walked in.
6pm. Halal Guys: A trip of any length to New York City cannot be complete without lining up on W 53rd Street and 6th Avenue for Halal Guys. If the line of New Yorkers and tourists alike waiting for a steaming platter of chicken or gyro over rice and the famous Halal Guys white sauce isn’t an indication you’ve arrived at the right food cart then make sure to look at the iconic yellow and red umbrellas on top of the cart.
If you’re lucky you might even see TV series or movies being filmed. As we ate our Halal Guys we saw Carrie Bradshaw, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis filming the famous HBO Sex and the City Just Like That series. It truly was a New York moment.
7pm. Times Square: In the Midtown area of Manhattan it is constantly bustling with a mix of people, street vendors selling goods or a photo op and billboards that line the streets.One of the most unique places that makes New York so different from any other major city. Love it or hate Times Square it is something worth seeing.
Day Two
10:30am. Medrite Mandatory Covid PCR Testing: Due to Covid travelling has changed quite a bit. As Canadians it is required that a PCR test be administered 72 hours before travelling back into Canada.
Medrite located on 2nd Avenue and 48th Street was a great experience. The wait time was about 20 mins (not during peak times). The staff were pleasant and very understanding with all the patients. Our results came in less than 72 hours. Be mindful it is a major holiday then the lines and wait times are a lot longer.
12pm. Joe’s pizza: While visiting SoHo(South of Houston Street) a place to indulge in New York style pizza is at Joe’s Pizza located on Carmine Street. It is always busy but the wait time will go by very quickly with their efficient service. You can never go wrong with a classic cheese slice of pizza New York edition.
12:30pm. Get lost and explore SoHo: The ultra-trendy area of SoHo (South of Houston Street) was once a manufacturing district. Today, the neighbourhood is home to a booming art scene, restaurants, bars, high-end shopping, and plenty of Instagrammable places. SoHo’s ultra-modern businesses and cosmopolitan clientele really serves the term as “trend capital”. From celebrities to bloggers, the city’s stylish area is home to plenty of independent boutiques, galleries, coffee shops and vintage finds, etc.
2pm. Bar Pitti: Keeping with the Italian cuisine trend we checked out Bar Pitti for a late lunch and although there was a line, we were shown to a table almost immediately. The most identifiable part of Bar Pitti is the outdoor seating area, which spills onto the sidewalk. The service can be a little brusque and rough around the edges, but that’s part of the charm. Bar Pitti’s menu can be found written on a chalkboard with their daily specials.
5pm. Cha Cha Matcha: A matcha lover’s dream not only for the matcha based drinks that are served up either hot or cold but they have ice cream and an assortment of pastries to fit all preferences. Cha Cha Matcha is an intimate, cozy trendy little place for a great photo op. A must try place if you love matcha so matcha.
8pm. Dinner at Mortons: New York City has no shortage of great steakhouses. Located in midtown, Morton’s a staple steakhouse in the heart of NYC. The entire building is grand from the moody lighting, elegant banquettes, and the friendly staff, the experience you have really justifies the steep prices.
Day Three:
12pm. Bubby’s for brunch:We’re all about exploring the best places but just as much as we do we need to refuel and work up an appetite to head to the next spot. Food is equally as important as the sights that NYC has to offer. One brunch spot we always visit is Bubby’s for brunch or lunch. If the line around the block isn’t an indication of that then you have to try the food. No matter where you’re exploring Bubby’s has a few locations in Manhattan alone.
1:30pm. Visit the 9/11 Memorial: 21 years since the terrible events of 9/11 are still present in New York. The sombre reminder at the 9/11 memorial where the Twin Towers once stood.
This is a stop that should truly be included in anyone’s itinerary when visiting New York. Well worth it to pay your own respects to the lives lost that day.
2pm. See the Oculus While visiting the 9/11 Memorial head across the street to see the Oculus which is actually a train terminal that is just incredibly designed.
3pm. Brooklyn Bridge: One of the most iconic bridges is also a staple for when visiting New York City. No matter what neighbourhood we’re visiting, walking across the river to Dumbo(Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) or Lower Manhattan. The journey across the bridge never gets old.
The Brooklyn Bridge connects Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn Heights where you can take a stroll, hire a bicycle to catch a stunning view of the city. The view from the bridge is spectacular and it’s still one of our favourite viewpoints. The best time to avoid most of the crowds is during sunrise (it’s early but worth the shot).
4pm. Dumbo: After walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, Dumbo is an area that’s filled with little restaurants, flea markets and a bunch of bars and boutiques.
The most iconic shot of the Manhattan Bridge is here. This area is known as one of the best things to do in Brooklyn.
5pm. Visit the Empire State Building: One of the most iconic skyscrapers in the world, how can one not think of Jay-Z and Alicia Key’s song Empire State of Mind when seeing that the Empire State Building dominates Midtown.
If you’re interested, head to the top of the Empire State Building which has some amazing views across the city. Other places worth visiting to get a perfect view of the city are the Top of the Rock.
6:30pm. Rose’s Pizza & Pasta: Located right across from MSG, Rose offers an array of pizza which makes it a quick bite to grab before the game starts. A classic cheese and veggie slice are always our go to slice of choice.
7pm. Madison Square Garden: Whether you’re a sports fan or a concert goer Madison Square Garden is one to check out as having the best fan experiences. The atmosphere is energetic and iconic as some of the best players have played memorable games and artists have performed centre stage there. Recently, Steph Curry from the Golden State Warriors broke his own NBA record by hitting a 3-pointer shot in his 158th consecutive game at MSG.
As you walk into MSG you’ll see on the ground various artists and athletes who have stepped foot into the building and left their mark. If you’re lucky and catch a game there you will never be short of a list of celebrity sightings.
9pm. Wagamamas: After the Knicks game this made for a great dinner option. No reservations were needed and proof of vaccination is required to dine in-doors. For those who aren’t aware, Wagamamas is a UK based Japanese chain. After living in England for quite some time Sehrezade’s a huge critic when it comes to Wagamamas. Since she says nothing comes close to British Wagamamas, this location was pretty spot on with it’s chilli pepper edamame and katsu curry.
Enjoy NYC it really is the city that never sleeps.
-The Wahid’s
