MY TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY

(where we stayed, ate, shopped, and our full NYC cookie crawl)

This January, Ally and I took a mother-daughter trip to New York City to celebrate her 19th birthday.

How she is 19, I truly do not know.

When I asked her how she wanted to spend her birthday trip, she had two priorities:
shopping and eating.

Honestly? Same.

Since we’ve already done most of the classic NYC tourist spots on previous trips, this time we skipped the packed itinerary and just enjoyed the city at our own pace. No rushing from place to place. No pressure to “see everything.” Just walking, eating, shopping, and finding little spots we loved along the way.

And somehow those always end up being my favorite trips.

Where We Stayed: The Lotte Palace

We stayed at the Lotte New York Palace and absolutely loved it.

After a long night of traveling, we finally arrived around 1 AM and the staff could not have been kinder. We mentioned we were there celebrating Ally’s birthday and they surprised her with the cutest teddy bear, candy, and a handwritten note. Then the next morning, balloons were delivered to our room.

It was such a thoughtful touch and honestly set the tone for the whole trip.

The hotel itself was incredible. Super clean, spacious rooms, amazing staff, and one of the best locations in the city. Our room overlooked the cathedral, which made waking up every morning feel extra magical.

And if you’re a Gossip Girl fan like we are, this hotel makes the trip even more fun because it’s the iconic Palace Hotel from the show.

They even have a staff member named Maurice who gives little Gossip Girl tours if you catch him!

We’ll absolutely stay here again.

What we packed:

January in New York is cold cold.

Like… layers on layers cold.

A few things I was really glad I packed:

One thing I’ve learned from traveling during cold and flu season is to always overprepare a little. Especially in NYC where you’re constantly around people.

planning a trip to NYC? save this post for later!

Where We Ate:

pop up bagel

They started as a small backyard pop up bagel stand that grew into multiple locations. For good reason too… these were the best bagels on earth. I’m not exaggerating either!

La Mercerie

This is a French restaurant with some of the most incredible interior design. We were really impressed with both the food and the service.

maman

Maman is the cutest coffee shop ever! This French cafe was inspired by the owners French mother, so they had a variety of comforting menu items as well as the cutest shop. I can see why they have several locations.

the corner store

The Corner Store is one of the most popular restaurants in NYC at the moment, so if you are hoping to try it out, get a reservation way ahead of time.

polo bar

The Polo Bar serves American cuisine, inspired by Ralph Lauren’s favorites.
They had one of the best burgers I’ve ever had!

the loeb boathouse

Overlooking the lake in Central Park, The Loeb Boathouse is an iconic NYC restaurant and has been the backdrop to “When Harry Met Sally” and “Sex In The City”
The food is delicious too.

little rubys cafe

This little Australian inspired cafe became a favorite of ours. They had some great drinks and even better food.

st. george coffee

Brandy Melville opened a coffee shop in NYC, so of course we had to try it out! It was cute and delicious. Don’t miss their chocolate chip cookie.

Shopping:

If there’s one thing about Ally and me…

we can shop for an unreasonable amount of time.

And since shopping was basically the entire point of the trip, we fully committed.

Some favorite stores:

Needless to say, Ally and I had the time of our lives in New York City.

We shopped, ate some great food, and took a dance class with Justin Neto. It was so fun and he’s such a good dancer! If you want an experience to remember, check out his dance class list, he may be traveling to a city near you.

Since our trip was right in the middle of cold and flu season, we did our best to stay healthy. I always come prepared with Clorox wipes, some essential meds, and I double down on BetterGreens to keep my immune system strong.

One of my best travel hacks I’ve picked up over the years is finding a reliable driver for the trip. Back in 2019, I met an Uber driver named Jimmy, and we became friends. He agreed to drive us around for the trip, and now, every time I’m in NYC, I give Jimmy a call to see if he’s available.

A Few Things We Loved Most

Looking back, some of my favorite parts honestly weren’t the “big” moments.

It was:

Those are the things I always remember most.

New York City never gets old, and this trip was such a fun one.

Between all the shopping, food, and our random adventures like the cookie crawl and dance class, it was definitely a trip to remember. Getting to spend that time with Ally for her birthday made it even more special.

No matter how many times I visit, there’s always something new to do, and I already can’t wait to go back. Hopefully, this gave you some ideas if you’re planning your own trip!

**disclaimer** this post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. But trust me, I only recommend products I truly love and think you will too. I’d never suggest something I wouldn’t use myself!