NYC Travel Diaries: 10 Things to Do (Updated)

Besides Toronto, New York is one of my absolute most favourite metropolitan cities of North America. I try to go back at least once a year, and if I’m lucky, I get the opportunity to go back a second or third time thanks to some fun press trips. The concrete jungle is quite the literal photography landmine as it’s difficult to not snap a picture at every turn. But as beautiful as the city is, it changes just as quickly. From one year to the next, new places open, and old places close. And because of this, my NYC travel guides tend to only remain relevant one year at a time.

A few months ago, I went on a fun girls’ trip to the Big Apple and we walked away with so many photos—I’ll also have to preface that we’re all Instagrammers, so refraining from taking photos is not really a thing for us. In the span of only 5 days, I’m sure that I created enough content to last me for at least a month’s worth of posting on Instagram. With that being said, we definitely sought out some of the most Instagrammable places, and among many of them, I found new places that I loved, and re-visited old favourites as well. If you’re planning a trip to NYC any time soon, here are some of the must-visit places to put onto your itinerary!

Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge

If you’re a fan of skylines, then you absolutely must walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Although staying in SoHo is ideal, I’ve recently begun to stay in Brooklyn to cut down on costs and fell in love with the view every time I cross over into the city. It can get quite busy, so if you’re looking for the perfect photo without too many people, definitely try to go as early as possible in the morning for that amazing sunrise shot. We got to the bridge at about 5 AM in the morning and had the entire place to ourselves before the crowds swarmed the area!

Shop and explore Sezane

Sezane has recently became one of my new favourite retailers. This Parisian brand has its own standalone shop in NYC with a beautiful storefront that begs to be photographed. They also have a mock cafe setup inside of the store that is just as beautiful for photos as well. Besides actually shopping, we spent a solid hour just shooting the floral display and the cafe area. Don’t feel afraid of taking your time to take photos there as I’m sure that they’re used to seeing people coming by everyday and doing the exact same thing.

I’m also proud to to credit Sezane for the re-introduction of the colour yellow into my wardrobe. I fell absolutely in love with a beautiful yellow, floral dress there and have been eyeing everything yellow that I can lay my hands on ever since.

Enjoy a milkshake at Black Tap

Those who like milkshakes definitely need to make a pit stop at Black Tap. This restaurant is known for their next-level milk shakes and you’ll leave pleasantly full. I would recommend going here on an empty stomach because their milkshakes can be quite intense and include a lot of food as well. For the best experience, try to get the bar by the window so that you can people watch while enjoying your drink!

People watch at Washington Square Park

On the note of people watching, I love relaxing in Washington Square Park and doing just that. At any given time of the day, there will be street performers of some kind there to keep you entertained if watching people walk by isn’t enough. If you come during the month of May, you might also be able to take in the beautiful Cherry Blossoms there as well!

Grab a cold sweet treat at Milk & Cream Cereal Bar

For a sweet treat, I absolutely adore Milk & Cream Cereal Bar. So damn good! Although they also do a mean milkshake, I particularly love coming here for their delicious waffle cones. I get it, waffle cones are all the rave right now, but Milk & Cream Cereal Bar is the only place that I’ve been to with flavoured waffle cones. The strawberry one is my particular favourite, but all of them taste just as delicious!

Explore the hidden floral wall at Yumi Kim

If you’re as much of a photo-junky as I am, then the floral wall next to Yumi Kim is definitely not to be missed. It’s ridiculously adorable and although you have to sit next to a dumpster, the photos are so worth it! If you plan on sitting on the metal grate like we did, make sure that you don’t make the same mistake as we did and go on a rainy day. We went after a shower and accidentally sat down on top of the grates while it was still soaking wet. I’ve included the address in the link so that you can locate the right location, have fun!

Take in the view at Jane’s Carousel

The DUMBO may be one of the best views of the city, but next to it is Jane’s Carousel, which is also such a fun activity to do on a sunny day. Those that love to people watch should definitely add the carousel to their list alongside Washington Square Park. If you have children, this is also a really fun day activity to do with your family. Every time that I’m there, I see tons of schools on field trips along with parents and their children enjoying the ride alongside the view.

Sleep in and enjoy breakfast in bed at The Quin

There’s nothing like a good bed and breakfast, and The Quin is the place to do it. Located in the heart of the city, The Quin is super central and within walking proximity of almost everything. We stayed here for a few days after leaving Brooklyn and I had such a fun time with the girls while there. We came home to such a sweet surprise on one of the days, as we had purchased flowers to use as props, and found that the hotel staff had put them into a vase for us. It was such a lovely gesture and spoke volumes of the quality of service that the hotel provides.

Although I was really gunning for one of the balcony rooms (they were unfortunately all booked out) to get that perfect NYC streetview, the room that we stayed in was just as comfortable and perfect for 3 girls. I honestly can’t wait to go back to NYC and to hopefully stay in one of the terrace rooms!

Enjoy an afternoon snack at Café Standard

Located on the main floor of The Standard East Village, this cute little cafe has one of the best smoothie bowls that I’ve ever had, period. I’m not even joking when crowning the cafe with this title, because I could go back and eat their smoothie bowls all day long and never get sick of it. If it’s warm while you’re in the city, I would recommend sitting out on the patio as it has such a cute set up, but the indoor component of the cafe is just as great!

Grab lunch at Tacombi

Lovers of Mexican food will thoroughly enjoy Tacombi. I’m a huge consumer of tacos and have found so many wonderful places in Toronto, but none rival Tacombi. If you’re on a health kick, you can also pick up a smoothie or some freshly squeezed juice. However if you’re not in the mood for food, you can always still pop in for some fun and vibrant photos! There are quite a few locations, so if you’re looking for the blue checkered floors, you’ll want to head to the Bleecker St. location.

Photography Credits: That’s So Tee & Qingaling