My first girls’ trip was in 2012 with my two sisters, Nikki and Shannon and our mother, Joan. We decided to upgrade Nikki’s bachelorette party to a three-night getaway in New York City. Here is a detailed look on how we spent our three nights in the Big Apple.
Day 1: Broadway Musical
After arriving at our hotel, Affinia Manhattan, we did a quick change to get ready for the evening festivities. We had dinner at the hotel restaurant, Niles before hopping in a cab to see “Mamma Mia” at the Winter Garden Theatre.
Seeing a Broadway show is a must, in NYC. We choose Mamma Mia because we were celebrating my sister’s upcoming marriage, plus my mom is a huge ABBA fan. It just seemed fitting. It was a spectacular production, and one we highly recommend. I found it hard to believe we couldn’t find a cab after the show as the streets were a sea of yellow earlier. The driver of a black stretch-limo offered us a lift for a flat fee of $20.00. We couldn’t resist. We all climbed in and enjoyed the drive through Time Square back to our hotel. The city was coming alive, just as our first night was coming to an end. It was a long travel day and it was time to retire and start new in the morning.
Day 2: Sex in the City Tour
Tapping into our inner Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte, we made our way to the Plaza Hotel on 5th avenue. This was our pick-up location for the Sex in the City bus tour we booked. The bus drove us past famous city landmarks, including locations important to the T.V series. The highlight was our stop at Onieals Restaurant and Bar, otherwise known as, Scouts from the show. We all enjoyed a cosmo except for Shannon who was pregnant at the time. The cosmo is the iconic drink from the show and it was both sweet and strong.
Keeping with the Sex and the City theme, we had dinner at Da Marino’s after the tour. This restaurant is not only featured in the T.V. series, but it is also a favourite dinning spot of Chris North. Chris plays “Mr. Big” in the show. I highly recommend this Italian restaurant, and I would not hesitate to eat here again.
Time Square
Another must do, while in NYC, is visiting Time Square. This was our next stop after dinner and it was only a short walk away. The lite billboards, street performers and a sea of yellow taxi cabs are a staple to New York tourism, and they don’t disappoint.
The city drew me in as I absorbed the noise and felt the electricity in the air. I tried to keep up with the city’s rhythm as everything and everyone was in a hurry to move forward. We stood out as obvious outsiders with a camera in our hands and a smile on our faces. There was so much going on it was hard to stay focused. One-minute Nikki was posing with the Statue of Liberty and the next minute my mom was taking lessons from spider-man. We stopped in at the Blue Fin to give our feet a rest, while we sipped on a cocktail and talked about the day’s events. Eventually, we called it a night and walked the remaining 16 blocks back to our hotel.
Day 3: Shopping and Harbour Cruise
On our final day in New York, we chose to spend our afternoon shopping. The four of us headed to Macy’s Department store with a mission; to buy an item that screams New York chic. We all walked away with a parcel or two. Macy’s is the largest department store in America, as it stretches over an entire block and has more than 10 floors. This store should be on everyone’s to-do list. Our shopping excursion was exhausting, but worth it.
We spent our last night on a sunset harbour cruise. It was relaxing after a long day of shopping as we enjoyed the picturesque views of the city’s skyline. I would recommend dressing appropriately as it’s cold out on the water at night. Our trip was booked for the end of April and we were freezing, some of us more than others.
Statue of Liberty 
Manhattan bridge and Brooklyn Bridge
We quickly learned that three nights were not enough to experience all that New York has to offer. There is so much more to see like; Central Park, museum of Natural History, Ellis Island and the Empire State building. We all vowed to go again, but have yet to do so. I have even made it a bucket list item to take my mom back to New York City.
New York is a city that everyone needs to experience at least once and if your lucky, two or three times more.
My name is Elise, I am a Bucket List Blogger, who inspires and helps others complete their own adventures by sharing my experiences and recommendations.
Going to a Broadway Musical is a great way to have a getaway, and if any of you think that’s not true, I’d like to know why. I think the performance at this Broadway Musical event is the best that you can watch.
I couldn’t agree with you more.