New York City
May. 9th, 2026 05:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
librarymonsterDear Reader,
I recently visited New York City and I loooved it (as always). I was there for a medley of Mother's Day and my mums' birthday celebrations with my sisters, C and O, and my mom, E.
We stayed at The Conrad in Battery Park City. The suites were roomy and clean, Leonessa was the rooftop bar and it was super charming but our heater was broken so we had to peace out a little earlier than planned.
We did a lot of walking on this trip, first stopping at Brookfield Place for coffee and brekkies and memory lane (right after my sister had her kiddo, my mom and I tripped over to help and we'd take him in his stroller, spend hours in Brookfield Place talking & looking at stuff). Then we'd walk along the water either down to the Financial district where O lives or, one morning we headed up to the West Village for a stationary crawl.
The Stationary Crawl
We also hit the High Line and Chelsea Market, but that was on a Saturday so not ideal; just too many people.
The Best Restaurants included A. Pasta Bar which was fresh, handmade pasta dishes; tasted amazing. And La Grande Boucherie, a hidden gem because it's in an atrium that pops up on you when you're walking down the block (to the MoMA Design Store, which we visited while waiting for a table and I got these Mondo headphones that captured me by way of my love for see-through 90s tech aesthetics). It's a hidden gem for the 1920's art deco French ambience and its dessert foods and drinks.
The Highlight of the Weekend was experiencing the AIRE Ancient Baths New York. 10/10 unique experience. The massage/treatments we got were phenomenal. Not sure I'd do it again though because it's pricey and I'm not sure I can get with the idea that caves = soothing spa vibes. It felt more like Pirates of the Caribbean?
The worst: there's a shop called "Coffee Shop Near Me" in Manhattan.
I recently visited New York City and I loooved it (as always). I was there for a medley of Mother's Day and my mums' birthday celebrations with my sisters, C and O, and my mom, E.
We stayed at The Conrad in Battery Park City. The suites were roomy and clean, Leonessa was the rooftop bar and it was super charming but our heater was broken so we had to peace out a little earlier than planned.
We did a lot of walking on this trip, first stopping at Brookfield Place for coffee and brekkies and memory lane (right after my sister had her kiddo, my mom and I tripped over to help and we'd take him in his stroller, spend hours in Brookfield Place talking & looking at stuff). Then we'd walk along the water either down to the Financial district where O lives or, one morning we headed up to the West Village for a stationary crawl.
The Stationary Crawl
- Pink Olive West Village: super cute but small corner shop of stationary, stickers, well-curated gifts for people of all ages.
- We visited my sister's old apartment building when she lived in the West Village in the 2000s/aughts (and I would come stay the weekends while I was in college :p
- Greenwich Letterpress: what an absolute gem! The feminist energy was amazing in here. The cashier glowed when she overheard me tell my sister that I buy tarot decks when I'm experiencing a lot of joy, haha.
- Goods for the Study West Village: had a ton of fountain pen options, which was a very impressive collection and yet, since I'm left-handed, one in which I cannot indulge. Although that fact does save me a lot of money. I was impressed with how this to-die-for stationary briefcase was in one of their displays.
We also hit the High Line and Chelsea Market, but that was on a Saturday so not ideal; just too many people.
The Best Restaurants included A. Pasta Bar which was fresh, handmade pasta dishes; tasted amazing. And La Grande Boucherie, a hidden gem because it's in an atrium that pops up on you when you're walking down the block (to the MoMA Design Store, which we visited while waiting for a table and I got these Mondo headphones that captured me by way of my love for see-through 90s tech aesthetics). It's a hidden gem for the 1920's art deco French ambience and its dessert foods and drinks.
The Highlight of the Weekend was experiencing the AIRE Ancient Baths New York. 10/10 unique experience. The massage/treatments we got were phenomenal. Not sure I'd do it again though because it's pricey and I'm not sure I can get with the idea that caves = soothing spa vibes. It felt more like Pirates of the Caribbean?
The worst: there's a shop called "Coffee Shop Near Me" in Manhattan.
