A Weekend in New York {Part 2}

Catch Part 1 here!

We started every morning with Stumptown Coffee from the Ace Hotel...it was beyond dreamy!

Day 2 was a Sunday, which also happened to be Mother's Day!  I was looking forward to hitting up a cute neighborhood spot in the West Village called Hudson Clearwater and getting my Mother's Day mimosa!

**Tip** New York does not sell booze before noon on Sunday...good to know, especially when it's Mother's Day!  

We got to the restaurant early because they didn't take reservations, and duh, it was Mother's Day!  But it was surprisingly quiet.  Well...that was 100% because of this silly alcohol rule.  *Sigh* 

 Naturally, we made the most of it and requested to sit outside on their quaint little patio.  It was super charming and the food was excellent!  The restaurant is a couple blocks from the Hudson River, so we strolled down there to check it out before returning promptly at noon for our drinks!  You can also get a nice view of the World Trade Center from the river too.

After brunch, we headed to the Highline to walk it all off.  If you're not familiar, it's a converted train track from the 1930s, made into a public park and walkway.  They integrated the traintrack into the design, which makes it super unique.  They also have little food trucks, lounging chairs and art along the way.  I definitely recommend checking it out--it's a gorgeous spot and a nice reprieve!

Afterwards, we went back to the hotel to change and freshen up to see Wicked on Broadway!  It was such a theatrical show and super fun to see!  Bonus, the dad from GIRLS was the Wizard, which was a nice surprise!

After the show, we walked over to Time Square for an obligatory picture!

Since it was our last night, we decided to really splurge on food!  

First stop was Buddakan for their edamame dumplings...which were OUT OF THIS WORLD!  We also got the tuna tartare spring roll and rock chili shrimp {which was also amazing!}.  You might remember this restaurant from Sex and the City!

After, we stopped by Milk for some cereal flavored soft serve...delish!

And then we had dinner at Upland, which was super swanky, modern, but not too stuffy!  We loved the little gem salad and their bucatini cacio e pepe.  It was all delicious!  Not pictured but worth noting, we stopped by a whiskey bar, Maysville, around the corner from our hotel for a night cap and the bartender, Gabriella was the best!  The food menu also looks pretty spectacular!

Sigh...our last day!  We really wanted to make the most of it, so we got up early and walked back down to the West Village for brunch at Bluestone Lane.  We loved sitting outside and eating something semi-healthy!  ;)

Our next stop was at Central Park.  We really lucked out with the weather...it was sunny and in the low 70s.  I can't even imagine it being any hotter...the humidity is no joke!

For lunch, we decided it was worth waiting in line at the original Shake Shack in Madison Square.  This was probably the benefit of staying until Monday because the tourists were not as prevalent!  **Hint** The chicken sandwiches are the way to go!

Our last and final stop was at the rooftop bar over Eately.  They've changed their concept so that it's a new pop-up restaurant every season.  They just changed it over for the summer to Sabbia, which had a fun coastal vibe.  We would definitely go back for some appetizers next time!

One last tip I will leave you with is to bring a portable charger!  If you're anything like me, I was Instagramming and Snapchatting up a storm, which meant my battery was d.e.a.d. half way through the day.  The portable charger was a lifesaver!

So there you have it...how to do two and a half days in New York!  It was such a spectacular trip and we felt super fortunate to escape for the weekend.  We are already planning our trip back {which probably won't be for a while...but, hey, we can dream!} and can't wait to create new memories.  If anything, our trip really reinstated the importance of taking time out for "just us" and traveling...something we never really made a priority before kids.  Word of advice...travel more!  Memories really do last a lifetime.  ;)

xo natasha