New York City, I’ve missed you since that too-short college trip 10 years ago, and I miss you now. I even miss the hot summer air, and the constant noise. There’s just something about this place.

After exploring various parts of east Canada, I thought it’d be silly not to hop on a plane for an hour down to New York. I’d been thinking about visiting pretty much ever since I left the last time, and it made sense to head down there while I was on that side of the pond.

We flew right over the city, down to the Statue of Liberty and back up to LGA. It was so exciting to see the city I was about to explore from high up in the air.

I scrambled onto a very busy bus, and arrived to a very hot, very noisy city.

My Airbnb apartment in Manhattan unfortunately wasn’t great, so I won’t actually be sharing the details on that one…

Things to do in Manhattan, New York

Go to a Sofar Sounds gig

It turned out that my buddies in Black Foxxes had to rearrange their American tour due to visa issues, so they ended up being in the New York at the same time as me. I couldn’t pass up seeing some friendly faces from home all the way over on another continent, so I headed downtown to meet them.

We had a few beers and catch ups, compared our adventures and had a bite to eat, before heading around the corner to a little Sofar Sounds gig in a lovely, bright office space. Sofar Sounds can be found all over the world, so it’s worth checking out if there are any near you.

It was a lovely intimate gig, and there was even a puppy in the audience. I’ve never seen anyone so happy as Mark when he got to hold that pup.

Find the Friends apartment building

I had a little wander around West Village after brunch one day, looking at all the lovely buildings and shops and wishing I could live there for just a little bit. As I was in the area I had a look at some of the buildings featured in Friends. I don’t care if that’s sad, I love that show.

Visit Ground Zero

I’d never visited this area before and I’m really glad I did – the 9/11 Memorial is really beautiful, and reading the names of the people were lost that day is so shocking. Obviously, it was incredibly busy which kind of takes away from what you are looking at, especially when half the people are taking selfies.

Look at some art at MoMA

I headed north to MoMA. I have fond memories of visiting this place during my college trip, and discovering one of my favourite artists, Cy Twombly. I much prefer looking at art on my own, as I can really take the time to look at the pieces I connect with, so this visit was better.

If you have any interest in art and illustration, you must go to the MoMA.

Climb to the Top of the Rock

I bought a combined entry ticket to MoMA and Top of the Rock, as they’re less than 10 minutes walk from each other. I’d been up the Empire State Building before, and the view is breathtaking, but this time I wanted to be able to see that landmark building alongside everything else.

Where to eat in Manhattan

Breakfast at The Butcher’s Daugher

There were some places in New York that had been on my to-visit list for a while. There were a lot of places for brunch on that list, and I started out with The Butcher’s Daughter, which had been recommended to me, and had a few different locations scattered across Manhattan.

I headed to their little tiny cafe in West Village, which was pretty busy as it was a Saturday morning. As I was on my own, I sat at the bar on a wobbly stool and ordered a coffee and Monterey Eggs. It was so tasty – my favourite parts were the beans and the sheer amount of avocado you get – no scrimping here.

Sprinkles cupcake ATM

I had to go to the Sprinkles cupcake ATM on Lexington – it was so cute and fun. I got a peanut and chocolate cupcake, bought a drink from Whole Foods (where I saw some beautiful blush pumpkins) and then headed to Central Park to enjoy my treat. I only saw a tiny corner of the park, and it is definitely somewhere I’d like to explore more when I inevitably head back.

Brunch at Cafe Henrie

Somewhere very high up on my list for brunch was Cafe Henrie – I mean, just look at all the pink, and that neon sign. Believe me, there’s a better one inside.

I got there a little early for food, so sat with a delicious coffee in an unusual mug, and perused the menu. I had my heart set on waffles, but unfortunately they couldn’t make them that day, so I had some more eggs and avo. It was super tasty and the watermelon radish was beautiful. I do love a radish.

Sarabeth’s for decadent French toast

A couple days later, on the last day of my trip, I wanted somewhere special for brunch, and some people suggested Sarabeth’s, so I headed there for a huge plate of French toast and bacon, as recommended. It was so indulgent and you got a ridiculous amount of everything.

Gastro-hall and bakery, Union Fare

Turned out another buddy of mine was in New York at the same time as me – I met up with Liv (of What Olivia Did fame) and her lovely boyfriend Joe at Union Fare, for yet more ridiculous food. They have almost everything you can think of here, including pizza, a smash bar, and loads of baked goods.

We had croissants filled with delicious things, and I popped a scoop of ice cream on mine too – very, very naughty. It was so nice to see Liv and discuss all our recent adventures, and laugh over the fact that we never seem to meet when we’re back home.

After a spot of shopping down 5th Avenue, we parted ways as they had to get off to a fancy dinner. I browsed a few more shops, bought a couple of souvenirs and headed back to my apartment to pack to go home to the UK.

New York, I love you.