The Best NYC Itinerary For A Perfect Weekend

After previously living in NYC for 5 years, I’ve finally decided to put together an itinerary to share with you. This itinerary includes all the things worth seeing, experiencing, and doing – museums, historical sites, shopping, etc. And I separated the days by areas that are close to each other to make it easy and walkable:) So without further BS, here is the best NYC itinerary for an unforgettable & perfect weekend. <3

Once upon a time in New York…

Where to stay

The Wagner Hotel

My sisters and I went off this itinerary when we went to NYC and stayed at the Wagner Hotel in Battery Park. Our room had a view of the Statue of Liberty, the bed was super comfortable, rooms were massive for NY hotels, the staff was uber friendly, and we were greeted by fresh flowers in the lobby everyday. I liked being based down here for our trip because it was convenient and honestly the only quiet hotel I’ve experienced in NYC. You can take the hotel bikes out for a ride along the water, or just walk along for sunset. You can book your stay here.

Day 1

SoHo, West Village, Chelsea, Nolita, Chinatown, Little Italy, LES

Chelsea Market

Chelsea Market is such a cool place with all the trendy restaurants and stores. I love that it’s indoors so you can go anytime no matter the weather. Some of my favorite places in there are Chalait, Beyond Sushi, Buddakhan, Higher Standards, and Pearl River Mart.

Museum of Illusions

Shop in SoHo

Some favorite lunch spots are Mercer Kitchen, Pietro Nolita for the aesthetic, and Balthazaar for the scene. A really cute coffee place is Charley St. It’s a restaurant but they also have takeout. Make sure to check out the restroom. I’m such a sucker for unique wallpaper.

Day 2

Battery Park, FiDi, Tribeca & Central Park

The Oculus & 9/11 Memorial

The Oculus and 9/11 Memorial are both magnificent.

The Vessel

Explore the newly built Vessel structure, shop at the beautiful new shopping center next door, and eat. This structure is absolutely gorgeous and totally worth seeing! We didn’t walk around it because the line was long on Easter weekend, but go on a weekday and you should be fine.

Vessel is a public structure and landmark that was built as part of the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project in Manhattan and it is GORGEOUS. It just opened to the public March 15 2019 and is definitely worth a visit. Stay and shop in the luxury mall next door too:)

Central Park

Central Park is massive so you can spend a lot of time here. There’s a zoo, statues of various heroes including Shakespeare and Balto, restaurants, ice skating rinks, and gorgeous landscapes.

Day 3

Brooklyn & chill

Package Free Shop

Head out to Brooklyn to check out this environmentally friendly shop.

Rough Trade Record Store

Vinyls, CDs, books, art installations, live performances – this place has always been so unique and is definitely worth checking out.

Extras

There is so much to do in NYC, there’s no way you can see it all in a weekend but these are my current top picks. I’m placing some extra things to do and see below for you in case you have more than a weekend:)

Whitney Museum
MET Museum
MOMA Museum
New Museum
Dumbo, Brooklyn
Flatiron area
Top of The Rock
Rockefeller Center
Grand Central Station
Bryant Park & The NY Public Library
Greenwich Village
Washington Square Park
The Highline
Times Square – but only if you’re a first-timer. This is a place you only need to see once.
Afternoon Tea at the Plaza Hotel
Brooklyn Bridge