I recently went on a weekend trip to New York to celebrate my Great Grandma’s 90th birthday. It was an incredible trip and I was so happy to spend time with my family. We stayed on the Upper East Side and stayed uptown for most of the trip. The weather was amazing and everyone was out and about. With new CDC guidelines and vaccinations, it was incredibly exciting to see a return to normalcy in the city.
Eats
Maison Pickle
Maison Pickle is located on the Upper West Side. You definitely need to come here with a group and an empty stomach. We started with the frosted cinna’nut pull apart bread. It was delicious, but I think if I go back I would try the savory garlic ones. My cousins and I did great ordering with the entrees. We shared the berries n’ cream challah french toast, the fried chicken french toast, and the mac n cheese. We also got two orders of their homemade pickles, which were amazing.
Nobu Fifty Seven
Nobu, is 100% worth the hype in every single city. If you order correctly, the quality and craftsmanship is incredible. We love the yellowtail jalapeño, crispy rice and spicy tuna, rock shrimp, and the sashimi salad. Pictured above is an assortment of sushi and the delicious warm crab hand roll.
Pick-A-Bagel
Nothing beats a NY bagel. There’s a bagel shop on every few blocks, but we stumbled into Pick-A-Bagel on the Upper East Side for lunch before my brother Jared and I took on The Met. My order is kind of strange – egg, cream cheese, and tomato on an everything bagel, but it is delicious! We ate our bagels on the steps of The Met, Gossip Girl style.
Sites
The Met
Jared and I are art nerds, so the Metropolitan Museum of Art was a must visit. We didn’t just stop in, we carved out all of Monday morning before our flight to spend there. As an AP European History student, the European painting section was my favorite. My favorite pieces on display were “The Storm” by Cot, Monet’s “Garden at Sainte-Adresse”, and Lucas Cranach the Elder’s “Judith with the Head of Holofernes”.
Central Park
We lucked out with the weather as it was warm and sunny the entire trip. Right after we got settled in the hotel, Jared and I walked around Central Park for a few hours. People were dancing at the Bethesda Terrace, having picnics by the water, and enjoying the nice weather.
More Fun
SNL
I’m a huge SNL fan, so on Friday night when we found ourselves near the Rainbow Room we of course walked over. There was a small group of people gathered outside, waiting for the cast to come out after rehearsal. We ate our ice cream there and I got to meet Michael Che, Melissa Villaseñor, and Alex Moffat!
Van Leeuwen
I had seen Van Leeuwen Ice Cream all over instagram, so I was excited to try it after Nobu. I kept it classic with cookies ‘n cream which was creamy and delicious. My mom got Peanut Butter Brownie Chip, which was AMAZING but super rich.
GG’s 90th!
On Saturday, we spent the day in the suburbs celebrating my Great Grandma’s 90th birthday. We took professional photos, had lunch and cake, and enjoyed one another’s company. While it was only a small group because of COVID it was a day full of love and happiness. I am so thankful to have my GG in my life!
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