We landed in New York with no plan, no itinerary, no reservations, no agenda. My partner wanted to shop and I was happy to follow, even though we are not typically the type to just wing it (before kids and after kids). It felt a little strange at first, but it felt right. Fair warning though, the exchange rate as a Canadian is brutal.
After dropping our bags at the hotel, we headed straight out. Our first stop was Lenwich, which had been popping up on my social media so I had to try it. We ordered the chicken Caesar wrap on a spinach wrap and it was so good. It was fully stuffed but not overly dressed, with something new in every bite. Would definitely go back, and if I'm going to be completely honest, this wrap lives rent free in my head. I think about it a lot.
Lenwich. Classic New York heroes since 1989. It lived up to it.
After lunch we took the M103 bus down to Lower Manhattan to explore and do some shopping. If you haven't used the NYC bus system, it's a great alternative to the subway. Don't always assume the subway is faster, because sometimes the bus beats it. You also get to see the city as you ride, which was a nice bonus.
That evening we made our way to Times Square. Look, it's a tourist trap, crowded and overstimulating, and honestly you can very easily get overwhelmed. I should probably tell you to avoid it at all costs. But every single time I go to NYC, I always end up walking through Times Square because for me personally, you haven't been to NYC without passing by. No regrets.
We stumbled on this near Times Square. The word HOPE in giant red letters at midnight. Felt like the right thing to see.
The next morning we started at Rockefeller Center to see St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Atlas statue, and Fifth Avenue. We'd been up the Top of the Rock before on a previous NYC trip so we didn't feel the need to go up again, but walking around that area is worth it on its own. St. Patrick's Cathedral is something else. I didn't expect to be as taken by it as I was. It just sits there in the middle of all these skyscrapers and it stops you. We stood there for a moment and just looked at it.
St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Atlas statue. Both free. Both worth the stop.
Next stop was Apollo Bagels, another viral bagel spot I'd been seeing all over social media. The line was long but it moved quickly, and they were really efficient. We ordered the smoked salmon on an everything bagel and the tomato with cream cheese. Both bagels were really good. The tomato added a nice freshness to every bite, and the smoked salmon was really good too. The bagel itself was crunchy and they were generous with the cream cheese. Overall, worth the hype.
Smoked salmon and tomato. Two very different bagels, both good in their own way.
We noticed the big crowd at Upside Pizza and decided to check it out. We got the Sicilian pepperoni and the spicy vodka slice as recommended by the staff. I'm not a pepperoni kinda gal but that Sicilian pepperoni was really good, with dough that was so soft and chewy. The spicy vodka did it for me though. The sauce was amazing and had a nice kick to it, and I would definitely come back again just for the spicy vodka. The vibe inside was lively and the staff were quick and efficient.
The Sicilian pepperoni. Still not a pepperoni gal. But I'd get this again.
After pizza we stopped at Chacha Matcha and got their Nitro Matcha to share for around $8 USD (~$12 CAD). Really good, creamy, just the right amount of sweetness. We kept walking, stopped into KITH, and spotted Levain Bakery right across the street. There was a big line so we figured why not.
To be honest, Levain was all right. Nothing that blew me away. We ordered the carrot cake cookie, the caramel coconut, and the chocolate chip walnut (their original), and we did like the crunch. But I'd been noticing the huge Instagram and TikTok hype around this place and honestly wasn't going to go out of my way for it, especially at $5.75 USD (~$8 CAD) per cookie. We only stopped because we were literally across the street. Look, I know this is a controversial opinion and the Levain fans will come for me, but that was genuinely my experience.
The famous Levain cookie. Long line. Decent cookie. That's about it.
We went to Soothr, a Michelin-guided Thai restaurant, for an early dinner. We ordered the crab noodles, beef green curry, and the duck panang curry. The crab noodle was creamy but it was missing something. We asked for their Thai chili oil and boy did it elevate the taste. Amazing. One thing we liked about this dish was that they were generous with the crab meat.
The Soothr spread. Ask for the Thai chili oil. It changes everything.
The beef in the green curry was so tender, fall off the bone, with just the right amount of spice. Then we got the duck panang curry, and even though I was pretty stuffed at this point and only took a bite, this took the cake for me. The duck was tender, but the panang curry was WOW. Nutty, creamy, and everything you imagine a good panang should be.
The duck panang. One bite and it took the cake. If you go, order it.
We ended the night with a stop at Magnolia Bakery, which was right by our hotel. The line wasn't long which was great, though the staff were a little cold and unwelcoming which caught us off guard. The pie completely made up for it. The texture was more whipped than pudding, which I wasn't expecting, and the banana flavour was perfectly balanced, not too strong and not too faint. We understood the hype. It was a genuinely great dessert and I'd go back for it.
Speaking of the hotel, we stayed at the Hilton Midtown for two nights, which came to around $493 USD ($675.35 CAD). The location was great, about a 15 minute walk from Times Square, and you'll spot Halal Guys as soon as you exit the hotel. The staff were friendly and the service was impeccable: if anything was ever missing from the room, one call down to the front desk got it sorted, and they followed up a few times to make sure we actually received it. We would stay here again. One thing to know though, our room didn't have a mini fridge, which kinda sucked because we had leftover food and nowhere to put it. If having a fridge matters to you, it's worth calling ahead to request a room with one.
A quick note on money. Just so you know, I round up when I share prices on the blog so you have a bit of a buffer to work with, better to overestimate than underestimate. For two nights in NYC, we spent around $871 USD ($1,193 CAD), not counting flights. Accommodation at the Hilton Midtown was our biggest fixed cost at around $493 USD ($675 CAD) for two nights, and MTA transit came to around $21 USD ($29 CAD) across 7 taps. The casual meals added up quickly, with Lenwich at around $20 USD ($27 CAD), Upside Pizza at $12 USD ($17 CAD), and Apollo Bagels at $24 USD ($33 CAD). The splurges were where the money really added up. Soothr dinner was around $150 USD ($206 CAD), Levain Bakery was $18 USD ($24 CAD) for three cookies, Chacha Matcha was $9 USD ($12 CAD), and Magnolia Bakery was $7 USD ($10 CAD). This was for our anniversary, so we chose to splurge on dinner and the hotel, but NYC can be done for less if you plan accordingly.
| What | USD (approx.) | CAD (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (Hilton Midtown, 2 nights) | ~$493 | ~$675 |
| Airport transfer in (Uber shuttle) | ~$22 | ~$30 |
| Airport transfer out (taxi, poor planning) | ~$95 | ~$130 |
| Transit, MTA (7 taps across 2 days) | ~$21 | ~$29 |
| Lenwich (1 wrap + drink, shared) | ~$20 | ~$27 |
| Upside Pizza | ~$12 | ~$17 |
| Apollo Bagels (2 bagels) | ~$24 | ~$33 |
| What | USD (approx.) | CAD (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Soothr dinner | ~$150 | ~$206 |
| Levain Bakery (3 cookies) | ~$18 | ~$24 |
| Chacha Matcha | ~$9 | ~$12 |
| Magnolia Bakery (banana cream pie) | ~$7 | ~$10 |
A quick word on the airport transfers. Coming into NYC we took the Uber shuttle which was $22 USD ($30 CAD), but on our way back, due to our poor planning, we couldn't take the shuttle to the airport. To use it you have to walk 23 minutes to the pickup spot and at that point we were too tight on time, so we ended up paying $95 USD ($130 CAD) for an Uber directly from the hotel. The shuttle is still a great option, we just didn't plan properly. Give yourself enough time to get to that pickup spot and you'll be fine.
A heads up on the exchange rate. We converted $200 CAD through Wise and received $146.51 USD, roughly $1 CAD getting you $0.73 USD. NYC is already an expensive city, and adding the Canadian dollar on top means you feel it with every single transaction. If you don't already use Wise for travel spending, it's worth looking into. Much better rates than exchanging cash at the airport. If you'd like to sign up, feel free to use my referral link.
Would we go back? Maybe. The food scene alone could keep you busy for a month and the energy is unlike anything else. But as a Canadian, every dollar you spend there costs you more than it should.
The Empire State from street level. One of those NYC moments where you just have to look up.
We also had plans to visit the Brooklyn Bridge and explore DUMBO, something we were genuinely looking forward to, but our flight got cancelled and honestly, that is just travel sometimes. With two kids at home, we had to learn to adapt and adjust our plans. Not everything goes the way you imagined and that is okay. Brooklyn and DUMBO will have to wait for next time. If we do go back, I'd want to explore beyond Midtown. I'd love to spend more time in Brooklyn or even the Bronx, which honestly gets ignored in most travel content. There's a version of New York that feels more real and I haven't found it yet.
A personal note before I wrap up. We don't do a lot of trips just the two of us, life with two little ones doesn't always make space for that. This one was for our anniversary. No kids, no to-do list, no agenda. I'll be honest though, the mom guilt hit harder on this trip than it did in LA. At least in LA I had the girls around me and their dad was home with our kids, so it felt easier to justify being away. This time it was just us. I found myself checking my phone more, missing the kids more, feeling like I had somehow abandoned them, even though I knew logically that they were completely fine. That feeling is real and I don't think enough people talk about it.
But I also knew this trip wasn't just good for our relationship, it was good for me. I came home feeling a little more like myself. Sometimes you need to step away to remember who you are outside of the roles you play every single day. NYC gave us that, and that's enough for now.
That was our weekend in NYC. Short, expensive, and honestly kind of perfect for what we needed it to be.