My first trip to New York City was earlier this year and I couldn’t wait to plan another visit! Each Columbus Day weekend, I visit my dear friend Sarah who lives in Santa Barbara, CA. This year, Sarah had a contract job in New York City so I jumped at the chance to have another big city adventure.

Friday:

Incredible tapas and drinks at Traif

Dancing at Bembe – We loved the DJ and live drumming! The drinks (mango guava margaritas – yum!) and the music took us back to our Central American travels…

Drinks at Hotel Delmano

Very late night NYC slices at Anna Maria Pizza

Saturday:

Brunch at the Brooklyn Smorgasburg and enjoyed the skyline view

Checked out arts and crafts at Artists & Fleas

Enjoyed goats milk salted caramel soft serve from Victory Garden at Father Demo Square, while being serenaded various Sting/The Police songs.

Checked out Washington Square Park

Music in the park

An abandoned pool

Walked down to the Financial District

One World Trade Center

Across the street from One WTC, historic St Paul’s Chapel of Trinity Church. Known as the oldest church and a place of refuge for responders after 9/11.

Next, browsing at Century 21 Department Store – What a crazy place – it’s like the Nordstrom Rack on crack.

Breakdancing performance at the subway station

Ace Hotel – Dinner at The Breslin (enjoyed the best kale salad ever), then drinks in their beautiful lobby

NYC street scene – New York Garden Church and the Empire State Building at night

Look who we rode the subway with!

Neighborhood Columbus Day fixture of some sort

Sunday:

Brunch with Evan at Oxford Kitchen

Sarah, cousin Evan, and I; My dapper streetside juice guy

Biggie, Biggie, Biggie can’t you see

Browsed the Brooklyn Flea and picked up some jewelry

Enjoyed the Manhattan skyline from The Ides, the Wythe Hotel’s rooftop bar and then mexican food at Zona Rosa

Jalapeño Watermelon margarita; sun-kissed skyline

Monday:

Sarah had to work so I took the subway (all by myself!) to the Green-Wood Cemetery and just wandered around, enjoying the warm fall day.

The Green-Wood Cemetery entrance

The chapel

The controversial Civic Virtue statue

View from Battle Hill – look closely to find Lady Liberty

After visiting Green-Wood Cemetery, I strolled around Sarah’s Williamsburg neighborhood and checked out the great graffiti.

Sarah’s NYC fire escape

I call this one ‘Mean Mug’

That evening, we scored tickets to the sold out Deltron 3030 concert at the Highline Ballroom.

After the concert, we returned to Williamsburg and had a drink at Union Pool – a former pool supply store now neighborhood drinking establishment with a taco truck on their outdoor patio.

We finished off our night with more drinks and dancing at Bembe and a few more pizza slices from Anna Marie.

My flight left very early that morning so I decided to stay up all night, in the city that never sleeps. Until next time, New York…

NYC Travel Tip: the Time Out Shortlist – New York guidebook, and the HopStop app were invaluable and helped immensely in directing where we needed to go!