What an April it has been! With a week in Cabo for Kelda’s epic bachelorette party (itinerary HERE), a busy few weeks at work and the very welcome arrival of sunny days and longer nights, it’s hard to believe that my 30th birthday celebration was this month as well!

As promised, we’re finally bringing you our exact itinerary from the weekend!! Even if you aren’t celebrating a big birthday, this guide can absolutely be used for any trip to NYC. It’s light on the tourist stops though, so if it’s one of your first visits to the city, we’d recommend picking just a few things so that you have time for all of the must see attractions and landmarks!

As a reminder, we have the most in-depth guide to planning a trip to New York City available HERE. We cover all of the basics, including which airport to fly into, where to stay, how much to budget and more! You can also check out our multiple NYC Instagram highlights HERE for more restaurant, bar and activity recs than you could ever need.

Now, let’s get into it!

thursday

Kelda flew in a day early to kick off the weekend. Because it was a work day for me, we kept our plans to the Upper East Side and did the following:

Central Park - We took a lunchtime stroll with Zach and I’s dog, Bruce, through the park. We passed by the Jackie Onassis Reservoir (no dogs allowed on the actual track) and Conservatory Garden. More on our favorite spots in the park below!

Bluestone Lane Café - Directly across from the Reservoir on 5th Avenue is a Bluestone Lane Café location. While Bluestone is a chain, this location is stunning and built into a Gothic-style church. If you haven’t tried Bluestone, it’s Australian fare that’s light and perfect for lunch or a midday pick-me-up. They even do picnics to go that you can take to the park to enjoy!

Guggenheim Museum - While I headed back to wrap up my work day, Kelda visited the Guggenheim for the afternoon. The Guggenheim is located next door to Bluestone and directly across the street from the park on Museum Mile. It’s known for its collections of modern and contemporary art, as well as special exhibitions throughout the year. There are six total museums located on Museum Mile and, even if you don’t have time to stop in for a visit, walking past all of them is a fun activity as the buildings themselves are a work of art.

Bemelman’s at The Carlyle - Bemelman’s is a legendary piano bar located in the equally legendary Carlyle Hotel on the Upper East Side. Everyone from the Kennedys to Prince Diana have been regular guests of The Carlyle and a visit to the hotel is an experience in and of itself. It truly embodies the quintessential Upper East Side - old money, glamour and sophistication. There were people in full on ball gowns and tuxes at the bar on our Thursday night visit. Bemelman’s itself is named for Ludwig Bemelman, the renowned author of Madeline, as well as other popular children’s books. The wallpaper of the bar is covered in illustrations paying homage to the author.

Overall, we are glad that we finally checked this spot off of our list, but only feel the need to do it once. Bemelman’s, as you might imagine, is not a cheap spot. Our cover charge was $35 each and glasses of sparkling wine and champagne started at $35. The musicians at Bemelman’s are very talented and it was fun to get dressed up and really lean into the experience, but given the high price, something we don’t need to rush back to either.

Uva/Uva Next Door - For our Thursday night dinner, we went around the corner from Bemelman’s to Uva - one of my favorite neighborhood spots. Uva is an Italian restaurant that has a very cozy, intimate and rustic feel. Perfect for a date night or dinner with a friend or two. Uva Next Door is located, well next door, and offers a different menu that feels more casual and cocktail forward where Uva is more wine forward. Uva Next Door takes reservations. Uva does not. Love both spots and love that they have GF/DF pasta for me too! Some of the best I’ve ever had!

friday

On Friday morning, we got to meet up with two of my best friends who flew in from Seattle for the weekend which was so exciting to experience my new home with them! Friday was a big day, so sharing just a few of the main stops!

Café Luxembourg - The plan for the morning was to cover the Upper West Side, then walk across Central Park to check out more of the Upper East Side. Cafe Luxembourg is always a reliable stop for brunch on the UWS. It’s a French spot (you know we can’t get enough French food!) that’s also frequented by more low-key celebrities, like Anne Hathaway and Jerry Seinfeld. Sarabeth’s UWS location is another favorite and I’ve been dying to try Maison Pickles as well as another choice!

Levain Bakery - Ranked as one of the best chocolate chip cookies in the United States, Levain is a must stop on your NYC trip. If you can stomach two cookies, Maman is another must try! After brunch, we strolled through the UWS and its cute shops and townhomes. We grabbed coffees and cookies from Levain before our Central Park walk. It was the perfect spring day too!!

Central Park - Again! Seriously, the park is so huge that you could visit multiple times over a weekend and see something different every time. I go to the park every day and still haven’t seen close to all of it! Below is a list of our favorite sites in the park to add to your list when visiting:

Bow Bridge
Loeb Boathouse
Bethesda Fountain
Strawberry Fields
Model Boat Pond
Sheep Meadow
Conservatory Garden

Met Rooftop - After clocking up the miles walking through Central Park, we made it across to the Upper East Side. We had planned to grab drinks and apps at The Cantor Roof Garden Bar, located on the rooftop of The Met. If your crowd isn’t super into museums, visiting this bar is a great way to take in the stunning architecture of The Met itself and also experience the breathtaking views of the city and Central Park. Unfortunately, the bar was still closed due to COVID-19 at the time of our visit, so we popped into another place in the neighborhood instead, but I’d highly recommend visiting here if you can!!

La Esquina (Kenmare St) - This was one of the highlights of our weekend and we already can’t wait to return!! Located on a street corner in SoHo, La Esquina is built to look like a convenience store/fast food restaurant from the outside. They do serve tacos to go there, but it’s actually built to be a speakeasy restaurant. When you check in, you go through a hidden door, walk through the kitchen and down underground to the coolest Mexican restaurant with the best vibe! The food and drinks were delicious and we found them to be very reasonably priced. For the aesthetic, location and quality, we found La Esquina to be one of the best overall values for any restaurant we’ve visited in NYC. Definitely make a reservation if you plan to go here! They book up fast!

PUBLIC Hotel - After hopping around several bars in NoLiIta after dinner, we ended our night at PUBLIC, one of our favorite rooftop bars in NYC. The music and atmosphere were great, views were incredible and it doesn’t feel “gimmicky” as rooftops often can. We were at PUBLIC from about midnight to 3AM and the party was still definitely going when we left. Kelda and I stayed at PUBLIC this past summer and would highly recommend it as an option to stay during your visit!

saturday

Saturday was my actual birthday and was another fun day spent exploring a few other neighborhoods with friends!

The Mercer Kitchen - From the chef behind abc Kitchen, one of our favorite spots in NYC, comes The Mercer Kitchen, another hotspot with dependably delicious food and a great atmosphere. The Mercer Kitchen was our brunch plan for Saturday morning and it didn’t disappoint! There is no better neighborhood for a Saturday brunch than SoHo in our opinion. Our other top choices were Balthazar and Sadelle’s. However, even though I started looking 6 weeks in advance for reservations, they were both already booked! If you can snag a brunch reservation at either of these spots though, we highly recommend!!

Shopping in SoHo - SoHo is home to some of the best shopping in New York City and is often where up and coming designers choose to open their first brick and mortar locations. If it’s a nice day, planning to spend a couple of hours wandering through the shops here is a fun way to pass the day and you’ll find a much broader selection than what you’re used to at home.

Washington Square Park - Just a short stroll from SoHo is Washington Square Park. You’ve likely seen it on TV shows and movies with its iconic fountain and Arc de Triomphe replica. It’s a completely different vibe than Central Park. Lots of NYU students, musicians performing, hippies, but you’ll also see families with young children playing, couples walking their dogs, etc. It’s a fun spot to sit with a coffee and take it all in. If you’re visiting during the springtime, this is one of the best places to see the beautiful cherry blossom trees as well.

West Village - Walk a few blocks from Washington Square Park and you’ll hit the West Village. The West Village is definitely the hub of food and nightlife. Many of the most renowned bars and restaurants are located in this compact neighborhood. It’s also one of the best neighborhoods to be if you want to spot a celebrity as SO many call this neighborhood home or frequent its restaurants. While wandering the neighborhood, be sure to stop and check out the Friends Apartment (located on Bedford and Grove) and Carrie Bradshaw’s Apartment (located on Perry Street).

Bar Pisellino - An apertivo bar with some of our favorite Aperol spritzes, Bar Pisellino is a prime people-watching spot if you can grab a sidewalk table. We spent a few hours here as a group enjoying drinks, conversation and people-watching. Even when they are booked for tables, they’re very accommodating with standing-room availability. This is another favorite spot of ours that we plan to return to on Kelda’s next visit as well!

Beauty & Essex- Where I officially celebrated my 30th birthday! Beauty & Essex is a Tao Group concept. Tao operates 28 venues, including Tao (obviously), Beauty & Essex, Cathedrale, Lavo and Magic Hour. If you’re planning a celebration, all of their venues are dependable options for decent food and drinks, a lively atmosphere and the ability to easily accommodate groups. Many of their concepts also turn into nightclubs which allow you to move your dinner straight into a party if desired!

sunday

Most people had early flights on Sunday and I had a big week to prep for at work, so Saturday night was the official end of the birthday celebrations. Because I live in New York, there are several places that I’ve already visited one or more times, but that would be wonderful for a birthday weekend itinerary. Sharing a few other activities below…

Comedy Show at The Comedy Cellar - I would recommend getting tickets in advance and selecting the MacDougal Street Show. The Comedy Cellar is where many of the big name comedians got their start and where they frequently return to test new material, so you have a good chance to see a surprise guest! 10PM or later would be ideal timing for a show.
Buddakan NYC - This was originally my first choice for my birthday dinner, but the menu is primarily sushi and Asian cuisine which I know isn’t always a favorite for all people and can get expensive as well. If your group is into sushi, I would highly recommend Buddakan as an option. It’s where Carrie and Big had their rehearsal dinner and is a stunning space with great energy and food.
Champagne Tea at The Plaza (or similar) - NYC is home to many spot with a high tea and this would be a very fun and memorable activity for a birthday weekend! The Plaza Hotel is, of course, the most famous, but I’ve heard amazing things about Alice’s Tea Cup as well.
Broadway Show - What better way to celebrate a milestone birthday than by treating yourself to tickets to a Broadway show!? Admittedly, I was never into musicals prior to moving here and I’ve now been to four in less than a year. I guess I was just seeing the wrong things before or, maybe seeing them here changes the whole experience! If you’re open to any shows, visiting the TKTS booth in Times Square is a great way to score a cheap deal on day-of tickets.
Daytime Rooftop Bar Hop - If you’re visiting from May to September, you’ll likely have reliably sunny and warm weather. NYC is home to so many amazing rooftop bars and they are some of the best places to take in the views of the city skyline. A few of our recommendations include: PUBLIC, Restoration Hardware, Le Bain, Catch, Mr. Purple, 1Hotel Brooklyn, Magic Hour, pHd or Somewhere Nowhere. Note - the last 3 are very Instagrammable and frequented by a lot of blogger/TikTok types, so the vibe is a little more of the “gimmicky” rooftop that we mentioned earlier.

There you have it! My 30th birthday weekend in a nutshell. There are SO many things to do in New York that it was truly challenging to narrow down plans for just 2-3 days! When I was initially researching to plan the itinerary, there were hardly any guides or recommendations out there when I Googled, so I hope you find this post helpful!! As always, we are here to answer any questions to help plan your perfect trip!!

And, of course, a reminder that so many of our trips are made possible through points and miles earned on our Chase Sapphire and Delta AmEx cards. If you’re interested in learning more or signing up, you’re welcome to use our unique referral links HERE for additional bonus points upon sign-up!