NYC Travel Diary Part 2: Where to Stay

Hey guys & gals!

Yesterday I gave you a quick intro to NYC & how my travel diary will go. As with any trip you plan once you make the decision of where to go and your flights have been booked,  your next step is probably where to stay. In all honesty I don’t have a ton of experience with hotels in NYC. I have always been pretty lucky and have friends that allow me to crash at their house when I visit. But since this is a HUGE part of any trip I do have a few suggestions.

Airbnb: This is always a great option no matter where you are traveling. In NYC this would give you a great opportunity to stay and explore different neighborhoods you normally wouldn’t when staying in a hotel. I feel like the majority of hotels are in central Manhattan, but you can find an Airbnb almost anywhere.  This is also a very budget friendly option.

The Plaza Hotel: Any Home Alone or Eloise fans out there? I’ve always wanted to stay at The Plaza but haven’t gotten the chance yet. I can promise I have heard nothing but great things and in my opinion this is quintessential NYC. It’s also a great location.

Image via NY Post

JW Marriott Essex House: I actually stayed here a couple years ago and it was so nice. They recently renovated it and I’ve heard it’s even more amazing. (Really not sure how that’s possible since it was already gorgeous in my opinion.) This is right on the edge of central park and if you can get a room with a view I highly recommend it. Just like The Plaza this is in a great central location. (They are just down the street from each other.)

Image via Hotel Online

The Empire Hotel: If you’re a Gossip Girl fan this is the place for you! (Are y’all seeing a theme here? I really only know hotels from TV and movies. Haha) I’ve heard great things about this hotel and I have been to their rooftop bar, which is really fun. They even have Gossip Girl themed drinks. (At least they used to.)

Image via NY Daily News

The Palace Hotel: Since we are talking about Gossip Girl this is another one that’s from that show. I’ve walked by this hotel a few times and if the inside is anything like the outside it must be gorgeous. This hotel is on the East side but along with all of these it is in a great location.

Image via Pursuitist

I’m sorry my knowledge in this section is not very extensive. These are all fun iconic places but there are a million places to stay in the city. I think it’s all about where you plan on spending most of your time & what your budget is. I would suggest looking into boutique hotels if you want to stay somewhere like SOHO or Chelsea. If bigger names and Time Square are more your style there is no shortage of Hilton, W, or Marriott’s in the city. It’s all about what you’re looking for.

If you need any more suggestions, please feel free to comment on this post or email me and I would be more than happy to help you find the perfect place to stay for your NYC vacation.

I’ll see y’all tomorrow for one of my favorite topics…where to eat!!

NYC Travel Diary Part 1: Introduction

Hello lovelies!

Happy Monday. I know what you’re thinking, “she NEVER posts on Monday.” Well you would be correct but today, or rather this whole week I have a real treat. I’m kicking off my weeklong travel diary for NYC! That’s right there will be a new post every single day this week.

I knew I wanted to do this post when I was planning my trip; but because I love New York so much, and have a million things I want to share with y’all, I wasn’t sure how I would break it up. I finally settled on the following categories:

Places to Stay

Things To Do

Food

Nightlife

I’m going to try and keep each category to things/places from this trip. However, if you need any other suggestions please feel free to leave a comment or email me at fashionablylateblonde@gmail.com and I would be more than happy to share even more of my favorite things with you.

Today I want to leave you with a few tips for your visit.

1.    Plan ahead but not too much! I’m never one to plan my entire trip because I like to leave time open for spontaneous things. In NYC if you plan on doing something extremely touristy that requires tickets, buy them in advance. This will prevent disappointment if they are sold out and also help you avoid long lines. (The exception is Broadway because you can get some great last minute deals. However, if you have a specific show just go ahead and buy the tickets ahead of time.)

2.    Use public transportation! This may sound scary especially if you have never used the subway or any type of public transportation, but I promise it’s not as hard as it looks. And if you get lost just ask someone. We’ve all been there. This will be a huge time & money saver! (My biggest tip here is pay attention to uptown vs. downtown trains. This will save you a lot of time)

3.    Don’t be afraid to try something new. Whether it’s a restaurant or activity there are tons of things to do and see and even more places to eat so make sure to step outside your comfort zone just a little.

4.    Take a day to just wander. (Even better if it’s by yourself.) I don’t typically like to be alone. Not in a weird way but I just really like being around people for the most part. Every time I go to the city however I try and make sure I have at least one day by myself to just walk around. I love walking through all the different neighborhoods and discovering new places. I really can’t recommend this enough. It’s one of my favorite things.

5.     Last but not least bring comfy shoes. I did a whole post here on how comfortable shoes in the City are a must. Bring heels if you plan on going out and that’s your thing (I usually do) but just know you may think a pair of shoes is comfortable (that includes heels) but NYC will make you rethink that ASAP! A great trick I learned from a girl at the club one night was bring a small pair of flats like these foldable ones and put them in your purse then at the end of the night when your feet are dead you can throw them on and carry your heels.

I hope this helps and I hope you will come back tomorrow for where to stay in the city!

Perfect Body-Con Dress (Part 2)

Happy Thursday! We are so close to the weekend y’all and I can’t wait!

 As promised today I am back with an outfit repeat! I last styled this dress in a totally casual/end of summer way. Today I decided to dress it up a bit more for a fall date night feel. This would be the perfect look for dinner with your guy, or drinks with your girlfriends on a Friday night. I think that’s why I love this dress so much… not only is it extremely flattering, but it’s also very versatile. (And under $60!!!) Another great date night look for when the temps really drop is pairing it with this leather jacket, and black OTK boots! Just in case two looks for the same dress wasn’t enough now you have a third idea!

This dress already came in a ton of different colors and I’m pretty sure they have come out with even more since the last time I posted.  There’s also a long sleeve version now that I totally have in my cart!  (I will probably pull the trigger this weekend on that one.)

Dress: Nordstrom (long sleeve version here) | Jacket: American Eagle old (other options here, here, here, here, here, & here) | Shoes: Lulus old (similar here) | Sunnies: Quay Australia | Earrings: Bauble Bar | Lipstick: Sephora Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick in 01 Always Red

I hope you have enjoyed me showing you the same pieces styled a different way. Let me know in the comments below if this is something you would like to see more of.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. The weather has been PERFECT here this week, and is supposed to continue through the weekend!

Thank you for reading! It really means so much!

P.S. Check back Monday (yes you read that right!) and every single day next week for my guide to NYC!!