Emery celebrated a big birthday several weeks ago (13!) and her big gift was a trip to New York City! Emery and I were joined by dear friends and we made it a mother-daughter trip for the record books. Tara and I grew up together in Atlanta, where she still lives. McKenna is just a few weeks younger than Emery, so this was a double celebration.
I hadn’t been to New York in almost twenty years and the girls had never been. Tara visits regularly for work, so she was our resident expert on this trip. We all landed at Laguardia within minutes of each other Friday afternoon. FYI for my fellow Greenville travelers: the direct Delta flight from GSP was inexpensive and several times available.
We grabbed our bags and quickly grabbed a taxi to our home away from home: The Plaza! The Plaza spoiled the girls and greeted us with Eloise themed birthday gifts. So sweet!
Arrival at The Plaza
After dropping our stuff in our room we immediately headed next door to Bergdorf’s. Emery and McKenna have been in some nice stores before, but nothing quite like this! They were in awe of the Chanel department. Who am I kidding? Tara and I were, too! I was completely smitten with these little Chanel cubes, but couldn’t justify the purchase. However, I do have a birthday next month if Ben or my parents happen to read this…hint, hint!
Shopping at Bergdorf’s
Our browsing in Bergdorf’s was short lived because we had reservations at the top of the world: Edge observation deck at 30 Hudson Yards. This was wild! We all got a kick out of the fact that helicopters were flying below us. Cocktails and mocktails were enjoyed while taking in the views. Tara made us dinner reservations at Milo’s in the very same building, which was wonderful. I highly recommend including this stop on your itinerary should you find yourself in Manhattan.
Edge and Milo’s Hudson Yards
Surprisingly, we were in bed at a reasonable time! We needed to hit the ground running the next morning.
Saturday brought us gorgeous weather and a delicious room service breakfast. We booked a Carnegie Suite and thoroughly enjoyed the extra room and bathroom. Worth every penny. The view of Central Park was a nice touch.
Views from The Plaza
Our first stop of the day was Rockefeller Center for ROLLER skating! I had no idea this was a thing. The sun was blazing hot so we didn’t last too long, but it was a super fun way to see Rockefeller Center. We worked up an appetite skating so we headed back to Fifth Avenue for lunch and shopping at Saks. Lunch at L’Avenue was delicious, of course. Can one even have a bad meal in New York City?
Rockefeller and Saks
A wonderful way to take advantage of the gorgeous weather was to take a pedicab ride through Central Park. Emery and McKenna got a kick out of the fountain from “Friends” and the playground and apartment building from “Jessie.” Tara and I thought The Dakota was a cool spot. The park was packed and everyone was having a good time.
Central Park
Our little crew had just enough time to shower back at the hotel and rush to our dinner reservations at the famous Carmine’s in the theater district, which also happens to be next to Times Square. As expected, the food and service at Carmine’s were top notch. We had penne with vodka sauce, shrimp scampi and the Carmine’s signature salad. Oh my goodness…I am starving just thinking about it. After dinner we let the girls take in the sights and sounds of Times Square.
Carmine’s and Times Square
This trip had so many highlights that it’s hard to choose just one, but if I HAD to pick the ultimate highlight, it would have to be the Michael Jackson show on Broadway. This show is at the Neil Simon theater. I can’t begin to adequately describe the insane talent of the cast. We were captivated the entire two and a half hours of the performance. The songs are so fun! Emery and McKenna begged to stick around after so they could meet the actors and get their autographs. We ended up missing our reservation for frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity’s, but the girls were okay with that. They couldn’t get enough of Broadway. If you’re in NYC, see this show.
MJ Show on Broadway
We got back to the hotel LATE, but it was totally worth it.
Packing up Sunday morning was sad, but at least we had almost a full day to explore more of the city before leaving. Our first stop was brunch at Le Bilboquet. I ordered a kale and quinoa salad, which was healthy AND delicious. Emery ordered the Grand Marnier crepes flambe and they were fabulous. And probably not healthy. But that’s okay seeing as how we walked miles upon miles every day.
Other last day priorities included buying some good LV dupes for the girls and wandering around the Upper East Side. I think I could live on the Upper East Side. It’s such a charming neighborhood.
Last Day
New York, you were a dream! I can’t wait to go back. I’d love to take both kids during the holidays. Please share recommendations for things to do with a ten year old boy. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about our itinerary.
