Parents Weekend in NYC
recapping my parents three day, action-packed itinerary in the city, complete with where we ate + what we did
My parents are in town… I repeat my parents are IN TOWN!!! Since moving to NYC, my family has visited me quite a few times (over Christmas, during the fall twice, and now during the spring!). It was a quick trip, but we sure did pack a lot into three days (maybe too much? We were exhausted at the end of each day). Here’s a little sneak peak of what we got into this past weekend—
Saturday (Dad’s Birthday!)
My mom and dad had an early morning flight, so by the time they arrived to the big apple around noon, it was time to eat! I had a passenger on one of my flights tell me his absolute favorite pizza spot in the city was Lazzara’s near Bryant Park, so I decided we needed to try it. It was quite good!! We didn't want a super filling meal because we had a great dinner reservation at one of our favorite spots, so this was the perfect amount of food to fuel us for the rest of the afternoon.
Our next stop? The Macy’s Flower Show! I have several friends that work for Macy’s and they had mentioned it to me, and then when my mom also mentioned she wanted to see it, I knew we had to go.
The Macy’s Flower show takes place every spring— they transform one of their departments into flower heaven with floral artwork, arrangements, and interactive experiences. This year, YSL Beauty and Legos had collaborations at the show. If you’re reading this before May 18th, stop by! It’s free and a fun little activity.
The week before their visit, my dad had texted me asking to add approximately 25 things to the itinerary (most of them included seeing some of the iconic buildings in NYC). So, we set out on a trek to hit some of the most famous buildings in the city.
The first stop was The Empire State Building, which was very anticlimactic considering you can’t go inside unless you have tickets to the observatory. We came, we saw, and we left rather quickly.
The next place on the list was the NY Public Library, which, IMO, is one of the most stunning buildings in New York. I could spend hours in there; and I plan on bringing my laptop back to do some writing there. I mean… what an iconic WFH spot?
I could spend unlimited time just admiring the architecture, but the real star of the show was the Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library's Treasures. What treasures are included in this exhibit, you may be asking? Great Q—
Early copy of the Bill of Rights
Winnie the Pooh and friends stuffed animals
Christopher Columbus's letter
The Gutenberg Bible brought to the Americas
Thomas Jefferson's handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence
and more!
Overall, such a cool opportunity to see treasures that you would otherwise never be able to. Would highly recommend (it’s also free).
When at the NY Public Library, it’s obligatory to stop by Bryant Park and people watch. Bryant Park had a market with local vendors and food stalls this particular weekend, so my dad snagged a table in the shade while my mom and I walked around. It felt like a spring version of the Bryant Park Winter Village.
We were exhausted at this point, so we headed back to the hotel to lay low/ freshen up for dinner. Well… my parents laid low while I ran errands and made some clothing returns on fifth ave. I’m a busy woman.
My dad’s birthday dinner request was none other than Arthur & Sons, of course. It’s become one of our favorite spots in the city and never disappoints. On the menu tonight— Eggplant Stack, Spicy Rigatoni alla Vodka, and Old School Sunday Gravy.
We had so many leftovers that we decided to stop by my apartment to drop them off before we headed to the broadway show. Looking back, this wasn’t the best idea considering we ended up being late to the show. To be fair, we had the absolute slowest Uber driver in NYC which didn’t help our case.
We eventually made it to the theater (only missing two songs lol), and had a great time. We saw MJ the Musical— a show highlighting Michael Jackson’s life over the years. It wasn’t my favorite musical on broadway, but the performers did an outstanding job and the casting for Michael was perfection. The music was also amazing!
The biggest L of the night? How uncomfortable the seats were. We’re talking the girl in front of me sat in the aisle halfway through because it was so uncomfy. It became a running joke over the weekend.
I had carried my umbrella all day (with not a rain cloud in sight), but then conveniently left it at my apartment with the leftovers. So while my parents were nice and covered, I made a mad dash through the rain, getting soaking wet in the process. I couldn’t even be mad, it was actually comical.
Sunday
We started Sunday off by meeting at Lexington Candy Shop in the Upper East Side. My mom had mentioned Al Roker going here for quite some time, and I had it on my list of places to try, so I decided today was the day. Lexington Candy Shop is quite a cute restaurant, and it felt like we were stepping into a different decade. I decided on the strawberry pancakes and my parents both ordered burgers. A milkshake to split was the cherry on top.
Afterwards, I took my parents to a famous brownstone down the street (@ stoopandthecity and khemric on TikTok and Instagram). The family decorates their brownstone stoop in elaborate ways for various holidays and occasions. They had just refreshed the stoop for Mother’s Day, and all of the flowers were made of Legos… yes you heard that right… Legos.
The rain held out just long enough for us to see the stoop thankfully! After admiring the stoop, we began our walk over to the Upper West Side through Central Park. It started drizzling, but we came prepared today (unlike the night before).
I actually ended up meeting one of my favorite YouTubers in Central Park (Lauren Norris), which was such a random side quest of the day? She was lovely!!
Once in the Upper West Side, we headed over to The Grand Bazaar, a market that takes place every Sunday filled with antiques, local artisans, and vendors. We bought a few fun goodies including quilted pouches and a vintage metal serving tray that I am now using for my perfumes.
The Grand Bazaar is situated right next to the American Museum of Natural History, so we walked over and spent the rest of the afternoon exploring. We spent hours just on the dinosaur floor alone. My dad was in heaven. This was the perfect rainy day activity and we ended up staying until closing time! My brain was having information overload by the end of our visit, but I plan on going back to explore other exhibits!
After closing time, we Ubered over to Mable’s Smokehouse, a BBQ spot in Brooklyn that I had been eyeing for months. One thing about my family— we love barbecue. When my brother lived in Charlotte, we would try new barbecue places every time we visited him, eventually finding our two ride or dies.
I’m happy to report that Mable’s takes the cake for best ribs, which was quite literally the shock of the century. I didn’t know NY had the ability to do barbecue so well, but I was thoroughly surprised. This meal was overall a 10/10 and one of my new favorites.
We called it a night after dinner— heading back into the city to our apartment/ hotel.
Monday
My mom and dad weren’t leaving until later at night, so we headed out for one last day of adventures. At this point, we were tired. One thing about us though? We’re gonna stick to the itinerary.
First on the list was Tompkins Square Bagels, my favorite local spot. While waiting for our order, I couldn’t stop making eye contact with their homemade crumb cake… so I went back and ordered it. I don’t think I’ve ever had a better slice of cake in my life? It’s safe to say I’ll be going back during my next sweet treat craving (so, like, very soon).
Tompkins is always a 10/10 in my books, but I’m glad my parents agreed!
Afterwards, we moseyed across town to The High Line for a post breakfast walk. Of course, it started raining as soon as we began our trek, but we were well prepared this time *pictured below*.
We walked the entirety of The High Line, stopping at the Vessel and the iconic pigeon statue. While it’s better suited for a pretty day, it was nice to see the area without the normal influx of tourists.
To get a break from the rain, we stopped in Chelsea Market. I loooove Chelsea Market— it’s full of fun stores and delicious food. Our favorite shops were Chelsea Market Baskets (perf for all the foodies) and the book store right across the way.
When we finished perusing, it was time to grab a late lunch/ early dinner to wrap up the trip. Seeing as it was Cinco de Mayo, we opted for some Mexican cuisine. Only a short walk away, we decided to try Dos Caminos. For being in New York City, this was pretty good Mexican food! I have yet to find somewhere quite as good as my favorite place back home, but this was really really good!
After an Uber back to my apartment to grab their suitcases, my parents were on their way back to Georgia ❤️🩹.
This was such a fun, action-packed trip filled with so many memories that I know we’ll cherish forever!
That’s all for now, TTYL!!
xx,
Caro 💌