If you’ve been to NYC and done all of the usual touristy things, or if you’re just looking for some different things to do in NYC, this post is for you! This itinerary is from a fall weekend girls trip, and includes what to do when it’s rainy too; we had a FULL day of rain and had to adjust. Fall is an amazing time to visit NYC and seems to be a little less busy than summer or winter holidays, but do make sure you are prepared for any type of weather and bring good walking shoes. Walking is the best way to get around the city. This itinerary would also be great for a couple’s getaway or a short vacation with teens. Get your notepad ready, we packed a lot in to this 48 hours in New York City!
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Here is a sample itinerary based on a weekend trip to NYC in October:
DAY 1: TRAVEL, FOOD, AND ROOFTOP VIEWS
Coming from the West coast, even with an early morning direct flight, it basically takes all day to get to New York. We flew American Airlines in to JFK, but LaGuardia (LGA) or Newark (EWR) are ok as well, depending on where you are flying in from and which carrier you prefer. We arrived at JFK right at rush hour on a weekday, so it took nearly 90 minutes to travel the 18 miles from JFK to Midtown Manhattan…ugh. We stayed at the Arlo Midtown, which was a great location; just 10-15 minutes walk to Times Square and Broadway, but not right in the thick of those super congested areas. The rooms are small, but well-appointed. There are several restaurant options on site, including a rooftop bar called ART Midtown with amazing city views (see below). This was the view from our 18th floor window!
Once we got checked in to the hotel, we walked just a couple of blocks and stumbled upon Tavola. The place was packed (always a good sign), but we were able to get seats at the bar and get right in. This was probably my favorite meal of the weekend…try one of their homemade pastas or wood-fired pizzas!
After dinner we walked back to the Arlo and grabbed drinks at ART Midtown on the rooftop. It was a beautiful night, and there were lots of fun cocktails to choose from. They close for winter, but be sure to check this place out, even if you’re not staying at the Arlo Midtown hotel.
DAY 2: THE HIGH LINE, BROOKLYN BRIDGE, DUMBO, EATALY, AND BROADWAY
Because the weather report for Day 3 was rain all day for us, we had to squeeze all of our outdoor activities in to Day 2, skip Central Park, and then planned an afternoon tea for Day 3. If your weather looks good all weekend, you could shift things around a bit. Either way, you’ll be doing a lot of walking!
We started off Day 2 early, and walked to Friedman’s in Hell’s Kitchen (there are several locations, but this one was right between the hotel and the High Line) for breakfast…great option for some healthy (and some not so healthy) fuel for a busy day. I had the veggie omelette with bacon and a cold brew; perfection! As you can see in the photo below, it does get busy, so plan ahead.
From Friedman’s it’s a short walk to the start of the High Line. You’ll pass right by Hudson Yards shopping center on the way. It’s a beautiful mall with some great stores (we made a quick stop!), so if you have time to shop it’s a really nice option. Just don’t buy too much because you’ll have to carry it with you! Head to this stairwell at 30th Street and 11th Avenue to enter the High Line (there are some other entry points that you can find on the website as well). The High Line is a city park that’s elevated above the streets in Chelsea, following an old railway line that’s no longer used. It’s 1.5 miles long, and has a variety of trees and flowers, plus great views of the city and the Hudson River along the way. We absolutely loved this hidden gem…don’t miss it!
After exiting the High Line, we walked through Chelsea, then Greenwich Village, and Tribeca, all the way to the Brooklyn Bridge (it was about 2.5 miles). I’ve always wanted to walk across the Bridge, and this was the perfect day for it. It’s worth doing, but it can be crowded! On the North side of the bridge there are a lot of vendors selling souvenirs, taking pictures, etc. and it’s congested. Just stick with it, and about one third of the way across it will open up. In total, it’s about a 1 mile walk to get across the bridge in to Brooklyn. You can even see the Statue of Liberty in the distance on the West side of the bridge.
On the South side of the bridge is a great area of Brooklyn called Dumbo. There are parks (one with a carousel), walking paths, restaurants, and great spots to take pictures at the base of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. We stopped in to Butler for a snack and a tea, and took some photos of the Manhattan Bridge. From there, we took an Uber back to the hotel!
We had tickets to a 7PM Broadway show on Day 2, so we had reservations for an early dinner at Serra on the rooftop of Eataly in the Flat Iron district. What a beautiful space and delicious meal! The menu is seasonal, so we split several autumn-inspired dishes, plus their homemade bread and a couple of cocktails. If you haven’t been to Eataly before, it’s a must-visit as well. In addition to Serra, they have a couple of other restaurants (great pizza!), plus a huge market where you can buy everything from homemade pasta, to chocolates, to wine. Great place to buy some souvenirs to take home!
After dinner, we took an Uber to Broadway and caught the Michael Jackson Live show. If you love MJ’s music, you’ll really enjoy the show. It’s a look back at his career through his music, with great dancing and fun music. We walked the 15 minutes back to Arlo after the show and called it a night…by the end of the day we had walked 11.5 miles and 25,000 steps!
DAY 3: A RAINY DAY…THE MET, AFTERNOON TEA, AND BROADWAY
On our Day 3, there was 100% chance of rain all day. We walked to breakfast near the hotel, and then headed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (aka The Met) to spend some time indoors. Be sure to check the website before going, but currently it is closed on Wednesdays. There’s no need to buy tickets in advance, and there will probably be a line to get in (although I read that there’s a lesser-known entrance at 81st Street that has shorter lines). The Met has a wide range of exhibits, from Modern Art, to Egyptian Artifacts, to Italian Sculptures; something for everyone. It’s big, and it’s crowded, but worth a visit if you enjoy art. Personally, I can only take a couple of hours in a museum, but you could definitely spend all day there. If the weather is cooperative, there is a Rooftop Bar called Cantor that has great views of the city (it was closed when we were there due to weather, but my sister was there this summer and loved it). Supposedly, it’s a little hard to find, but here’s a link to directions if you need help! If you prefer more modern art, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is another great option.
Ideally, if the weather is cooperative, I would have walked back South through Central Park. In the fall, The Mall and Bow Bridge are supposed to be the best spots for seeing fall colors, and taking beautiful pictures. Sadly, we had to Uber and skip the park this time. Fortunately, we had checked the forecast in advance, so I set up a reservation for Afternoon Tea. There are several places in New York that offer Afternoon Tea, from the Uber-fancy Plaza Hotel (there is a dress code), to a more casual experience at The Crosby or The Whitby. They all got good reviews, so we decided we preferred not to dress up (we were all about staying warm and dry) and to go with the Whitby. It’s at the South end of Central Park, so it would be a perfect to walk from The Met to tea. We loved it! Beautiful setting, cozy atmosphere, super-cute Mythical Creatures Wedgwood China, delicious sandwiches, scones, pastries, and tea. Plus we added a glass of champagne to start. It was such a great way to sit and relax, and stay dry.
We had booked another show for the evening of Day 3 (we saw A Beautiful Noise, which is the story of Neil Diamond’s life and music career), so we had dinner at Dos Caminos in the theater district before our show. It’s in a great location nestled between several theaters, and has really delicious margaritas and Mexican fare. That wrapped up my fall weekend in NYC. Even with the rainy day, there was still plenty to do without fighting a lot of crowds at the usual tourist stops. Mission accomplished!
