48 hours in NYC
You can easily spend a lifetime discovering all of the restaurants, shops, hotels, bars, museums, parks (you get the point) in New York City.
I've been there 4x in the 12 months, so I thought it was FINALLY time to share with you my favorite spots. Below is the literal order we did everything when I was in town last. We've gotten pretty good at mapping out our must see's while still allowing time for hidden treasures and cocktails (let's be honest here). There is so much more than this list, but I thought it would be fun to share with you how much you can fit in when you plan your day in advance. I decided to stick to a few neighborhoods, Williamsburg, Nolita and the East Village, which makes it much easier to fit so much in, in so little time.
Stay: The William Vale
An all balcony (yes, every single room has a balcony) hotel in Williamsburg. It has an amazing pool, a killer rooftop bar (more about that later), several delicious spots to eat, and one of the yummiest donut spots I've visited so far.
I LOVE trying new hotels. But I decided to stay here again (after my first visit last August) because of the spacious rooms, great views, and accessibility to all of the cute shops in Brooklyn. Space and outdoor areas are hard to come by when picking a reasonably priced hotel in NYC, so definitely check this one out if that is what you are after.
Day one - Morning:
Stop No. 1 - Egg shop
Egg-centric breakfast/lunch spot. Start your day with a hearty but healthy (in most cases) breakfast. We love the reformer sandwich and warrior one dish. If you are having a leisurely morning, go ahead and order one of their fresh squeezed mimosas (we recommend the watermelon).
Stop No. 2 - Dyphor
This shop sources items from all around the world, but their specialty is beautiful pieces from Morocco. Many are one of a kind and/or vintage so you will always find something special. Even if you aren’t in the market for home decor, take a look for color and texture inspiration.
You can also visit their LA location, LiveStyle.
Stop No. 3 - Mociun
The destination in Brooklyn for the pottery/ceramic/glass obsessed. The shop is filled with unique vessels for the home. No two are the same and the styles range from colorful modern to neutral rustic creations.
Day one - Afternoon:
Stop No.4 Lunch/Snack - Simple Cafe
French Algerian restaurant with a rainbow of mimosa flavors to choose from-guava, mango, pear, and orange. The Algerian Tchouchouka (scrambled eggs, onion, tomato, red pepper, garlic, cumin, harissa) is YUM too. The cafe also has a tiny shop attached that is filled with straw bags, handmade soaps and candles.
Stop No. 5 - Scosha
Handmade jewelry in house mixed with local designers from the area. Dainty jewelry filled the cases caught our eye and had us trying on all the gorgeous rings.
Stop No. 6 -Leif
Lifestyle store filled with home goods, artwork, stationery, and specialty food.
Stop No. 7 -Bird
There are 4 locations in NYC and 1 in LA. This shop is perfectly edited and carries designers like Ulla Johnson, Marni, Jeanna Sohn and Ace & Jig.
Day one - Night:
Stop No. 8 - Happy Hour at The Ides
Located on the 6th floor of the The Wythe Hotel, it faces the East River with amazing sunset views of the Manhattan skyline. The craft cocktails are SO good and it's a gratuity free establishment (how cool is that?).
Stop No. 9 - Dinner at Aurora
Italian restaurant with an ivy covered courtyard. We split the tuscan kale salad and paccheri but honestly could have just filled up on the bread and olive oil.
Day two - Morning:
Stop No. 1 - Maman Tribeca
One part cafe/ one part shop. We tried the avocado toast and the goat cheese tartine, each one would have been enough to share between the two of us.
Stop No.2 - Oroboro
Another great shop filled with unique clothing, accessories + local ceramics. basically our dream closet.
Stop No. 3 - Green Fingers Market
A plant nursery meets vintage store kind of experience. Filled with plants of all species, plus vintage tees, Hawaiian shirts and denim in the back.
Stop No. 4 - Ulla Johnson
Ulla, Ulla, Ulla. When will this brand stop making me dip into my life savings? Even just a quick stop to admire the flowers and overall ambiance is worth it.
Day two - Afternoon:
Stop No. 5-Lunch at Quartino Bottega Organica
An Italian restaurant with a charming quiet courtyard. Too many desserts to choose from. It happens to be right next to Ulla so it's a perfect pit stop before or after spending your savings account.
Stop No. 6- John Derian
Known for his beautiful decoupage, John Derian has 3 shops right next door to each other. The first contains the decoupage, stationery and tabletop items. The second is furniture and rugs, and lastly, the third houses all the soft goods-think velvet pillows, vintage Indian sari blankets, and luxurious French linens. He also just opened up a West Village outpost on Christopher Street.
Day two - Night:
Stop No. 8- West Light
The rooftop bar at The William Vale with incomparable views of the Manhattan skyline. Cocktails are on the more expensive side but the views make up for it. It's definitely a place to make a reservation, otherwise you end up standing behind the people who were proactive and called ahead.