New York City

Ahhh…New York City!!!! It’s my favorite city ever.

The times we have been before we have always stayed a little outside the city. In December we stayed a block away from Times Square and it was A-MA-ZING! Ryan booked at the Hampton Inn on 41st Street. This Hampton Inn was newly renovated, very affordable (well, it was when we booked it but we’ve since learned that the rates have skyrocketed), it was incredibly clean and had a fantastic continental breakfast. It was very close to everything and I would stay there again in a heartbeat (if the price is right, of course)!

As far as food goes, you have literally every option imaginable and it’ll be hard to go wrong with whatever you choose. Ryan would tell you his favorite thing to eat are the gyros from the little food stands…haha!

My favorite restaurant there is an Italian restaurant called Carmine’s. The food there is some of the best Italian food I’ve had. The only downside is everything is family style, so if you order different things you end up with a ton of food leftover. I love the atmosphere there, too!

The couple sitting behind us at Carmines were clearing into each other. — The couple sitting behind us at Carmine’s were both on their phones pretty much the whole time. Maybe they were texting each other, right?! 🙂

If you’re an avid cupcake/cake fan like myself, you MUST go to Sprinkles. There are only a few throughout the country and the owner is one of the judges from Cupcake Wars on the Food Network. It will be THE best cupcake and icing you will ever put in your mouth! I recommend vanilla and Ryan would say strawberry.

I never miss the chance to enjoy a Sprinkles Cupcake, but first I like to get the party started with a shot of their delicious icing! Don't judge me!!! — I never miss the chance to enjoy a Sprinkles Cupcake, but first I like to get the party started with a shot of their delicious icing! Don’t judge me!!!

My other favorite place in NYC is Serendipity 3. The movie Serendipity made it famous, but they have really great dessert like the frozen hot chocolate and cheesecake. The food is delicious but be warned: the menu can be a little overwhelming for some. Most restaurants will have a pretty long wait, so I recommend making reservations if you can. I think most of them you can reserve online through Open Table.

We would definitely recommend going to a Broadway show. They are pricey, but so worth it. The Lion King is an absolute must if you haven’t seen it. I would also recommend Wicked and Matilda. We saw Aladdin while we were there on this trip and I think Ryan and I would both agree that it was “just okay.”

Ryan and I went to Aladdin on Broadway. It was magical (but not our favorite show ever).

For sightseeing type stuff, the Top of the Rock is INCREDIBLE! I loved it more than going to the top of the Empire State Building. If you plan to do this, definitely reserve and buy tickets online…it will save you on waiting in a really long line to get tickets.

The 911 Memorial and Museum is a must. The museum takes about 2 hours to go through. Incredibly powerful and sobering. I would recommend getting tickets for this in advance as well.

"Let's Roll." - Todd Beamer — “Let’s Roll.” – Todd Beamer

I loved going to Macy’s and just experiencing the hugeness of it. We didn’t go to Central Park, but that is something I definitely want to do in the future. The Brooklyn Bridge was amazing. We took a subway into Brooklyn and walked across the bridge. It was soooo breathtaking (maybe because I’m afraid of bridges and heights…lol!).

And of course, Times Square at night is amazing. The lights and big screens are just awesome. Grab some Starbucks (which are everywhere you look) and go up to the observation deck area in the middle of Times Square and just soak it all in…you won’t be sorry! 🙂

We took the subway several times and passed through Grand Central Station on several occasions. It's an architectural marvel indeed! — We took the subway several times and passed through Grand Central Station on several occasions. It’s an architectural marvel indeed!

Last but not least, we decided to wander into St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Wow. We felt the Holy Spirit move in that place and it. was. incredible. We prayed together and it was one of the most special moments ever. Definitely make a point to go here!