MY TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY
New York city, here we come!

This January, Ally and I took a mother-daughter trip to New York City to celebrate her 19th birthday.
How is she 19?!
When I asked her how she wanted to spend her birthday trip, she had two things in mind: shopping and eating. So that’s exactly what we did! Since we’ve already experienced the classic NYC tourist spots on past trips, this time we skipped the itinerary and just enjoyed the city at our own pace.



What we packed:
Where we stayed:
The Lotte Palace
After a long night of traveling, we arrive at The Lotte Palace. We arrived at 1 AM, and they were so nice. We shared that we were traveling for Ally’s birthday and the staff gave her the cutest teddy bear, a handwritten note and candy. The next morning they had balloons delivered to our room. How sweet is that?
The hotel was incredible. Not only were the rooms super clean and spacious, ours had an amazing view of the cathedral. The staff was so friendly and helpful, and we felt completely safe the entire time. But the best part? It was right in the heart of the city.
The Lotte Palace is the iconic hotel from Gossip Girl! Since we both love the show, it made our stay even more fun. They have a staff member who is a fan and gives Gossip Girl tours if you catch him! Hint: his name is Maurice! We will definitely be back to stay at The Palace. I can not recommend them enough.



Our “Cookie Crawl”
If you follow my IG, you may have seen that our trip to NYC kicked off the start of our “cookie crawl.”
We went to a million bakeries in the city to find the “best” chocolate chip cookie!
The Bakeries We Tried:
La Mercerie
Chip City
Lavain
Magnolia Bakery
St. George coffee
Ralphs Coffee Shop
Daily Provisions
Culture Espresso
Maman




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 us, it’s that we can shop for hours and since that’s exactly what Ally wanted for her birthday, we went all in!
stoney clover
Doen
buck mason
loveshackfancy
sporty and rich
sezane
dana foley
reformation vIntage
the frankie shop
anine bing
jellycat cafe
bloomingdales
neiman Marcus








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.


Check out some of my travel favorites!
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!
Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to stay in the loop on all the latest updates, ideas and fun surprises!

**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!