5 Must-Do’s for your short NYC Trip…if you like reading, the arts, & food

Disclosure: For 100% transparency, I do not receive compensation for the product or business recommendations mentioned in this post. These recommendations are based solely on my personal experiences and research.

Below is my longform narrative of an April 2024 quick-trip to NYC. Ron and I drove from Baltimore to The Big Apple on a weekday morning and returned home the next evening.

Getting organized for your departure.

Whenever I’m planning a trip, whether it’s a local day trip to sample donuts and hot cider or an extended trip to the other side of the world, I assemble all packable items in the most obtrusive manner possible prior to leaving the house. Yep, I’ll stack my luggage, outerwear, the snack-bag, and everything that is “going with” in front of whatever door I will be exiting. It’s a bit inconvenient to have to hurdle or circumvent my obstacle course, but family members have learned to tolerate it, yours will too.

I do have a couple travel anxieties:

1. Running out of reading material.
2. Running out of food.

Thanks to independent booksellers, large chain booksellers, libraries, those cute little mini libraries that resemble intellectual bird feeders, Amazon, Libby, Kindle, and Audible, I am never without reading material.

My food anxiety stems from a work trip that left me traumatized. Although I wasn’t personally impacted, the horror left an indelible mark on me. The backstory: Several years ago, I arrived at Dulles Airport for an evening flight to Dublin. I was traveling with an Irish publisher that had been in the US for several weeks. I had a paperback in my hand, some work documents to peruse in-flight, recent issues of Runner’s World, and Poets & Writers, and Fifty Shades of Grey that was undoubtedly entangling itself in the charging cords at the bottom of my bag.

As our flight started to board, she remarked, “I’m hoping this flight isn’t as dodgy as the last one.” Before responding, I peered inside my bag to make sure my reading material hadn’t spilled out like Hansel & Gretel breadcrumbs. Turning towards my travel companion and ready to provide compassionate assurance, I asked if she experienced turbulence on her journey.

She said no, they had run out of food on the transatlantic flight.

WHAT?! Panic-stricken, I zig-zagged my way to a restaurant that was on the concourse, procured 3 slices of pizza, folded them, and put them in my purse. From that moment on, snacks are always included in carry-on items. I think this is why when I travel with my stepkids, they make sure that I’m in a logistically desirable location enroute.    

I had architected a fine obstacle course in our kitchen consisting of a small wheelie luggage bag, a tote bag from The Strand (optimistically I planned to hunt and gather more books in this cotton-twill snare), a thermos filled to the brim with heated cold brew, my Yeti filled to the brim with lava-hot coffee (I didn’t want to forgetty-my-Yeti), my cheetah-print water bottle, and a soft-sided thermal bag of snacks. My slim-lined purse was balanced precariously on the wheelie, looking like an inanimate Wallenda.

Here’s a tip: put your keys on the obstacle course as additional assurance that you will not leave any of your important items behind.

You’ve arrived in NYC, now what?

Are you hungry? Find Joe’s Pizza NYC and indulge. Ron had been talking nonstop on the way to the city about his indoctrination with Joe’s, a NYC institution. I can reaffirm that it was life-changing for me as well.

We arrived in the city mid-morning, we dropped our car and luggage off at our hotel, and then we set out exploring. The weather didn’t cooperate very well, it was early April, and evidently Mayflowers were on their way. It rained all day and evening. The day was bearable; I had a Gortex rain slicker over my puffy coat that kept me dry.

But Wednesday evening? Holy crap. The wind picked up, the rain started pelting us sideways, we had to duck into doorways to escape the hurricane-esque conditions. At one point, I was so cold, wet, and hangry, it was reminiscent of when I ran the Philadelphia Marathon a few years ago.

Philadelphia. I wasn’t 2 miles into the City of Brotherly Love race when I experienced snow, rain, wind…the worst possible conditions for me. If I’m not dry and in 80-degree temperatures, I’m cold. At mile 23, the rain and wind hadn’t let up, so I found myself shivering under a bridge, wet to the core, contemplating whether the bar across the street would let me barter my way into a shot of something. Anything. I didn’t have any money or a credit card. I decided to continue the race, crossed the finish line, and then I had an amazingly fast pace as I made a beeline to my hotel (3/4’s of a mile away) and a hot shower.

The trifecta of me being cold, wet, and hungry is downright ugly. As I darted along the New York sidewalk, the Siberian wind whipping up and drenching me in rain, my eyes stared downward, and I wondered which part of the bubble-gum strewn pavement was where I was going to collapse and die. I was certain death was near.

Shockingly, the next thing I knew, I was in Joe’s.

Joe’s Pizza was a warm & bright oasis in contrast to the bustling typhoon yammering at the door. The ovens emitted warmth; the sweet aroma of freshly baked pizza resuscitated me. Inhaling the scent, I was revived.

This is a no-frills counter-service establishment; they do have bar stools and high-top tables along the interior perimeter. You can dine in if there is room. We were very fortunate. Due to the inclement weather, I think a lot of the regulars opted for their dinners to be delivered to them. That’s what bravery looks like: all the service industry workers that made house-calls via motorbikes in that Wednesday Night Tsunami.

The pizza is worth acting like a hangry cold-assed swashbuckling pirate adrift at sea.

Ready to exploit your artistic cravings?

When Ron wasn’t slipping Joe’s Pizza into our car-ride conversation and making my tummy rumble in agreement, he was extolling the pleasantries and pageantry of The Strand.

What is The Strand?

Wowie. It is one of the best book-browsing experiences evah (said with a New England accent, for some weirdo reason).

Give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the 18 miles of books. Warning: you may lose sense of time and spatial reality when traversing The Strand. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Due to other commitments, we only had an hour to gallivant The Strand. This short timeframe was insufficient for my full immersion. Don’t be that person. I am planning a return visit as I’m typing this.

I’m typically a solo-traveler in bookstores and libraries, I don’t like to hold anyone up with my tortoise-pace of taking everything in. One of the first tables I encountered featured the most popular and best-selling books. I realized that I had read 87% of the books that were on display. Some titles sounded familiar, I had to skim the back covers or peek inside to see if I could recall reading them. The fresh pulpy-paper aroma wafting up from the pages was intoxicating. It was bibliophilic ASMR.

I did snare a couple books. One of them is The Idiot by Elif Batuman. While Elif has written nonfiction, this is her first novel; it was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize and was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction in the UK. It’s kinda fun to say, but truthfully, The Idiot became my travel companion as we negotiated the streets of New York. When I found myself waiting for a show to begin, the subway train to arrive, a glass of wine to be poured, The Idiot had my unadulterated attention.

The other book that I tucked into my tote was a paperback version of The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab. I’ve had this on my Goodreads list, I’m excited to dig into it, but I will need to wait-list it temporarily.

In addition to Elif’s tome, I am currently listening to The Personal Librarian and A Very Typical Family. I recently downloaded Lauren Fox’s Days of Awe to my Kindle.

If you can read this, you need to visit The Strand.

Another artistic opportunity to whet yourself.

We visited Fotografiska Gallery, a museum of photography, art, and culture that incorporates visual arts and life performances into their programming. My first impression was that it might be a bit more modern and contemporary for my typical palate, but I was intrigued with the creativity and diversity of the exhibits. And I loved reading the artists’ bios and learning what influenced their projects.

We lingered at the first-floor hipster bar and browsed their beautiful book collection. I would like to return to leaf through their extensive selection and identify the artists who I’d like to see more of, even if it involves traveling to another city for their exhibitions.

There is a cost associated with this venue. We purchased our tickets and boarded the elevator to the 6^th floor. Even the elevator had a fun & whimsical vibe, with an upside-down garden dangling from the ceiling. We meandered through the shadowy galleries, glasses of wine in hand, on our unique mission of discovery. Each floor was dedicated to a cohort of artists of mixed media; the collection was unpredictable and a source of wonder.

This was a nice stretch for me; I’m often drawn to black and white photography, street scenes, slice-of-life type compositions and art in the disciplines of Impressionists, Realism, and Baroque. I found the gallery to be provocative, edgy, and bold. This would be a fun date-night excursion or a prelude to a weekend brunch, where you can tap matching mimosa’s together and collaborate on how the collection made you feel or what memories it evoked.

The Fotografiska Gallery is housed in a Romanesque building built in the late 19^th century. The building blends contemporary elements with the original historic features, fusing old and new, echoing the provocative attributes of the contents within.

The gallery is located at 281 Park Avenue South; the museum and cafe are open from 10:30am – 9:00pm; the bars open later in the afternoon.

Going Live

NYC has countless live events; if you want to attend a concert, comedy act, or a theatrical performance, there are almost infinite possibilities. And sometimes you can get all events rolled into one simply by people-watching, which is one of my favorite live entertainment choices.

We got tickets to see Titanique at the Daryl Roth theater. The performance was spectacular. The theater is intimate, at times the cast becomes members of the audience. The actors are so fun, and sooo talented. I loved that Rose’s mom (Ruth) is played by a man, Russell Daniels. At one point, Ruth has a temper tantrum and throws himself onto the floor. It was like watching a petulant child cross-pollinated with Chris Farley clad in a housecoat. The music was superb, I highly recommend seeing this off-Broadway production.

Mia’s Bakery – best bakery in Brooklyn.

Hopping onto our hotel elevator in pursuit of coffee our second morning in Brooklyn, Ron and I were chatting about our plans for the day. I mentioned that we should ask the front desk staff for a recommendation on a bakery to grab some cupcakes for our visit with his daughter.

The other passenger on the elevator, a 40-something man in business casual offered, “you want the best bakery in town? Go to Mia’s Bakery. It’s the best in Brooklyn.”

Startled because I’ve been educated on how standoffish New Yorkers are, I wanted to encourage this helpful behavior. I smiled and asked if the bakery was nearby. Elevator Guy provided directions, advice on which confections were his favorites, and in the lobby, he incited a flash mob scene in which random hotel staff called out their favorite Mia’s Bakery flavors.

Mia’s was all that. Our 4-pack of cupcakes included 3 of the recommended flavors along with a Crème Brulée per the advice of the lovely young woman at the counter. I highly recommend a visit; see if you’re able to leave with what you came for…or did you realize that you needed a few more dessert items than you had anticipated? This looks like a great place to gather with friends and sample a handful of lusciousness. Or honor someone special by sharing a coffee, a pastry, and listening to what is going on in their world. Be totally in the moment. Their moment.

Nuthin’ say’s lovin’ like cupcakes from Mia’s oven.

Here is where my brain goes when I wander into a mesmerizing bakery like Mia’s:

My eyes glaze over as I take in the decadent slices of pie, cake, cookies, and scones that are cleverly arranged to tease, tempt, and taunt. I’m alone as I climb into the dessert display and lounge on the shelving, taking random bites out of all within reach. I don’t need a fork or spoon…I’m just going to taste a few things and then curl up and take a nap. I look perfectly elegant; my narrow frame allows me to expertly swivel about within the dessert racks.

And then it happens, perhaps another customer arrives or someone wearing a netted cap interrupts my imagination. The record player needle screeches as it is abruptly dragged across the vinyl record groove. The self-portrait of me looking Grace Kelly-esque dissolves into me looking curiously like Bridget Jones wedged into a snow globe of swirling confectioner’s sugar confetti.

I snap out of it and return safely powder-sugar-free to my position on the outside of the bakery case. And I think, ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’. Oh wait, I thought the word was “sconed”.

Stroll along Smith Street as if you don’t have a care in the world.

Amble through eclectic Cobble Hill in Brooklyn. I was enthralled by the charming shops, the brownstones, and the tree-lined streets that beckoned to be explored. There are vintage boutiques and haberdasheries.

I had so much fun taking in all the eye candy on Smith Street.

Look how cute the Dear Dreamer shop is; it’s like we’ve stepped into Claude Monet’s world, all pastel-y and impressionistic. When something is this cute, you owe it to yourself to venture inside. Be sure to check their dynamic events page because there is always something happening in this dream state…there are trunk shows, girls’ nights, pop-up jewelry shows, all-day coffee klatches. The owners are so imaginative.

Here’s a quick start guide to pack in a memorable visit to NYC:

• Grab a couple slices of pizza at Joe’s Pizza.
• Head over to The Strand to browse.
• Meander through a gallery, museum, or library.
• Let your curiosity be your tour guide; wander down an avenue with eclectic shops.
• Cap off the day with an off-Broadway matinee (the X below is the Daryl Roth Theatre).