Finally getting my last bit of NYC photos to the blog! This trip seems like so long ago, looking back, but it also feels as if it were just last week at the same time.
My mom and I were in New York for a mother-daughter girl’s weekend this past August. (Check out my post on The Upper East Side & The Meat Packing District here.)
Today’s post shares a look into the third part of our trip: our stay at Hotel Elysée (a quaint historic hotel right in the heart of Manhattan) and a few of our favorite places we explored in SoHo, The Garment District & Times Square. I’m also sharing a peek into the offices of BaubleBar & KAS New York – two of my favorite brands I was able to meet with while visiting The Big Apple!
A Break in Bryant Park.
We spent five days in the city, and most of our days were filled with breaks on as many park benches as we could find, hello pregnancy problems!
One of my favorite of our stops in touristing was at Byrant Park. My mom and I grabbed fruit cups from a little cafe down the street and found a small table to cozy up in. We sat for what felt like hours, watching the hustle & bustle of the locals and the lunch crowd enjoying the gorgeous day.
Exploring SoHo was on the top of our to-do list during our visit.
I love this part of the city, with its picturesque streets, ivy adorned buildings, and trendy restaurants and shops on every corner.
Shopping in SoHo.
Meeting with the man behind Vintage Barbie and Ken Photos was a must! I originally saw his art on Instagram and couldn’t wait to shop his pop-up while in NYC. He creates staged photos of Barbie & Ken dolls in these ahhmazingly intricate 1960s inspired sets.
I bought this one to put in our powder room!
David Parise, the guy behind the art, can regularly be found on the weekends selling his wares at 24 Prince St. in SoHo from 11-6!
And just right around the corner (literally) is the BirchBox Flagship Store. We popped in and created our own mini-BirchBoxes. Then I headed down to the basement to BirchBox man where I nabbed a few goodies for Patrick.
Lunch Break.
Shopping & strolling the streets of NYC can really wear a girl out. My mom and I were famished by the time we stumbled upon Jack’s Wife Freda for lunch.
A few friends & blogs had actually recommended this restaurant to us – and it did not disappoint! And I must say, the people watching from our little booth was pretty good too. From yuppies to artists to what looked like the cast of Center Stage, we felt like we were one with the locals that afternoon.
Blog Life.
Blogging has definitely given me some AMAZING opportunities. And being able to visit with the team behind BaubleBar at their headquarters in NYC has to be high on that list!
The offices were nestled right across from Madison Square Park and, of course, were as chic as can be! With a pop-up shop right in the middle of the space, I was able to browse the fall collection at my leisure.
And by leisure, I mean I could have stayed in there for hours chatting with the team and trying on the pretty jewels!
A few of my favorites from the new collection are below!
Making the most of my NYC trip, I fit in one more meeting that afternoon with KAS New York.
With its assortment of intricate lace and embroidered pieces, it’s no surprise KAS New York holds the candle as one of my favorite brands. (Hello, this dress!) Meeting with Karit, the designer of all these pretty pieces was such an amazing experience.
We chatted about the history of the line, what drives him to design and the inspiration behind the fall collection.
Which just so happens to consist mostly of my two favorite colors, blue & white!
A Historic Hotel.
My mom and I love to hotel-hop! That’s why we had three home away from homes during our five-night stay in the city. In our opinions, it breaks up the trip and gives you an opportunity to explore another area even more.
We finished our NYC trip with a stay at Hotel Elysée, a classic NYC spot just a few blocks from Bloomingdale’s!
Our room was super spacious, decorated in my favorite colors (I’m noticing a trend here!) and finished with an elegant antique touch that had us feeling transported back into days of NYC past.
Fun fact: this historic hotel was once the home to famous author Tennessee Williams. Writing many prominent works within the walls of Hotel Elysée, Tennessee Williams lived here for over fifteen years.
I loved the personal touches in the room, like the bottle of wine waiting for us (er, my mom!) and the bookshelf with classic pieces of literature tucked away for our perusing.
The all-white marble bath was a nice little retreat after a long day of playing tourist & exploring the streets, too!
A Terrific Time in Times Square.
As it was our last night in the city that never sleeps, we had to go out with a bang!
Which included a visit to Times Square and catching Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, naturally.
Serendipity.
To top it off, we stopped for sweets at Serendipity.
Has anyone seen the movie!? If so, you might recognize the little table above where all the magic happens between the two serendipitous lovers!
We ordered their famous frozen hot chocolate and my sweet tooth was tingling!
Before saying our goodbyes and heading to the airport, my mom and I loaded up on the tastiest of complimentary breakfasts at Hotel Elysée. We brought all of our goodies back to our room and soaked in the last bits of the sounds of the busy city outside our window.
Thank you all for following along my NYC Travel Diaries! I have so much fun sharing my adventures with you all. And hopefully, they’ve given you some insight into planning your next trip to the Big Apple!
And as always, thanks for stopping by the blog!
—
alice
