- Go on Sunday and utilize the free street parking! It’ll save you a ton of money not paying for a garage/Uber/Subway, and it’s nice to cool down or warm up in between shopping & sightseeing. Plus, you can throw your purchases in the car instead of having to carry them around. It’s also great to be able to charge your phone for a bit, I know I use my phone all day long while in NY, whether it’s for photos or my GPS. If you need a portable charger to take on the go, here is the one I take everywhere with me!
- Skip Starbucks & hit one of the 2 Ralph’s Coffee shops by Ralph Lauren. One is in The Flat Iron District and the other is at 888 Madison Ave on the first floor of the Ralph Lauren women’s store. The Madison Ave location has cafe tables & umbrellas to sit outside & enjoy the view. Central Park is also right at the end of the street, so you could take your coffee for a stroll in the park, too. Highly recommend the Iced Vanilla Oat Milk Latte.
- Book dining reservations ahead of time if you want to eat at a popular location, as far in advance as possible. Don’t wait! Some places do take walk-ups, but not all. Here are a few picturesque/Instagrammable places on my list: 230 Fifth Rooftop, Manhatta & Magic Hour.
- This might be TMI, but… Department stores are the best places to use the restroom while walking around the city! Most other stores, restaurants & coffee shops either don’t have a public restroom or require you to buy something. Stop into Macy’s, Bloomingdales, etc. when you pass them! When ya gotta go, you gotta go!
- Check Instagram hashtags and location tags for special events, displays, etc. if you’re into shooting photos! Someone or brand is always celebrating something in NYC, and things are always changing up for the seasons. Lots of stores have beautiful, fun displays for holidays and events. For example, there were rainbows galore this past weekend for Pride! I absolutely loved this display at the Stoney Clover Lane store in the West Village, which I found ahead of time thanks to Instagram tags!
There’s a gazillion blogs out there with fun restaurant rec’s, show to see, etc. but I wanted to share a few tips with you I’ve picked up as a frequent visitor of NYC! I only live about a 3.5 hour drive away, so I go for the day ALL the time! If you’ve never been before & don’t know how to get around, it can be intimidating for sure! If you ever have any specific questions, feel free to ask me at hello@karascupoftea.com any time!
