As a little girl I dreamed of going to New York City. The lights, the buildings, the people, it all amazed me. The constant hustle and bustle on the streets never seems to fall short of excitement, and the idea of just walking and listening to my music is something I could live for everyday.
Forty-eight hours in New York City was all I needed to confirm my assumptions. My work sent me on a trip to receive an award on behalf of one of our programs and the flight back home didn’t leave until the next day. So, since I had never been, I figured why not make the most out of my day in the city.
I was in Midtown East Manhattan. Fortunate enough to be located within walking distance from so many different attractions. My goal was to walk everywhere, taking no subways or taxis because quite frankly I wasn’t ready to tackle transportation in New York. The 45 minute Uber to and from the airport was enough for me! So I walked everywhere, and when I say everywhere I mean everywhere. Walking 12 miles in my white booties was not my best decision, but the blisters healed in two days and I got some good pics. So, what’s more important?
Ground Central Coffee Company
First thing in the morning I hit a cute little coffee shop called Ground Central Coffee Company. I got the most delicious matcha latte with a chocolate croissant and yogurt parfait. Talk about a great start to the morning! The coffee shop had a little seating area in the back with a selection of books and couches to lounge in comfort. I sat up front next to the cool doodles on the wall. Every bit of me loved taking in the morning hustle and feeling like a city girl with her latte.
Grand Central Station
My adventure began shortly after when I hit Grand Central Station, Rockefeller Center, and Times Square. When I tell you I was in awe entering Grand Central Station that’s an understatement. I felt like I was in a movie with everyone hurrying around me as a stood still and admired. The ceiling is full of constellations, and when my eyes hit the stars I fell in love. Everything about that place exceeded expectations or anything I saw in Gossip Girl.
Magnolia Bakery
Somewhere you have to go is Magnolia Bakery. Their banana pudding is out of this world. I think I died and went to heaven when I took my first bite. I knew before landing in New York it was a bakery I had to stop at. My Instagram feed was full of their posts and I wasn’t leaving the city without at least trying it. I’m happy to say it didn’t fall short of any expectations and every bite was worth running 20 extra minutes on the treadmill. If you have the chance to try it, GO!
Fifth Avenue
The afternoon consisted of a stroll in Central Park and shopping down 5th Avenue. When I hit the Nike store I was in heaven, let me tell ya. Five floors of everything Nike. I LOVED IT. My Nike girl came out but unfortunately my wallet didn’t…it was all nice to look at though.
I also went into Aritzia and Lululemon. Aritzia had everything neon and I was just living my best life. They had neon joggers, neon sweatshirts, and neon puffers. Just everything neon, and it was all calling my name. Then Lululemon had this meditation space, also known as the Mindfulosophy space. This space was exactly what I needed. I plopped down on one of their zen pods, put on a pair of headphones and listened to 1 of the 12 self-guided meditations. Definitely a highlight of my day, and really helped with the next series of unfortunate events. So let’s continue…
I took a plane home that night, exhausted as ever. Just to top it off, the plane was delayed by four hours. Apparently, I don’t have a ton of luck with airports. Nonetheless, I made it home and in bed by three in the morning only to wake up to my alarm at seven. Absolutely no breaks, but the past 48 hours were magical and I couldn’t imagine the trip any other way.
I know I barely saw the city, but for as little time as I had I think I did a pretty good job. I hit several places that I wanted to see, and somehow did it all in one day. I have no doubt I will be back in the future. Until next time New York…
See ya later!
Jacqui M. Green