Sights to See

Welcome back! Madyson here bringing you the latest recommendations for sights to see in New York City. Thank you all for joining in me journey during my time in the city. It has truly been nothing short of amazing. As these will be my last bit of recommendations for the Big Apple, be sure to stay tuned for my future travels.

9/11 Memorial: It is amazing to see the time and dedication that was put into remembering those who tragically lost their lives on this day. The memorial is beautiful, and it has each and every named carved into it. The site also has a museum that you can buy tickets to and visit to find out more about the events and the impact that this day left on our country. This picture above is the view you have when visiting the memorial, the entire area is truly breathtaking.

Statue of Liberty: I feel like this one speaks for itself, but you can’t come to New York City and not visit it at least once, right? While you have to take a ferry to get there, there are many tour options you can take advantage of to really get the full experience.

Grand Central Station: The Grand Central Station is beautiful and has so much more to offer than just trains to catch. There are plenty of shops and dining to spend time at. You could spend a day here taking in the beautiful building, eating at the restaurants and walking through all of the shops.

Dumbo, Brooklyn: Dumbo is the edge of Brooklyn closest to Manhattan. If you walk to Brooklyn Bridge all the way across then you are basically in Dumbo. The views of Manhattan are incredible and there is easy access to the ferry from here. There is a park on the water that you can walk through as well as restaurants on the water that you can eat it.

Again, thank you for joining me! I have really enjoyed sharing my experiences with you and I hope you have enjoyed them too. Maybe they have even made you feel like an insider on how to successfully get around the city. Don’t worry, I’m still figuring out the subway too. I hope you get the chance to really experience this amazing city and all that it has to offer! Where will I go next?

Until next time…
– Madyson

Food, Food and More Food

Hi friends! It’s me… again! I’m still living in this fabulous and of course trying to new things to bring you the best recommendations. Has it been long enough to call myself a local yet? Honestly, I think it would take years as a New Yorker to know enough to actually be a local!

This week is full of food recommendations because honestly who doesn’t love some good food?

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria: This is hands-down the best pizza I have had in New York yet. It is located in Dumbo, Brooklyn. The customer service was amazing, the pizza was amazing, and the views were incredible. What more can you ask for? The picture above was actually taken from my very seat inside the restaurant! For those of you who know what Barstool Sports is, you know that David Portnoy is famous for his pizza reviews. Well, this pizza place was reviewed by David himself and he gives them a whopping 8.7/10 which is an incredibly high score based on his other reviews. For those of you who don’t know about this, if you’re in for a good laugh you should look him up.

Gyu Kaku Japanese BBQ: This restaurant is actually a chain in some major cities, but I didn’t try it until this month in NYC and I have already been twice! The food is amazing and it’s an awesome experience. The meat you order comes to the table raw and you cook it to your liking at the grill in the middle of the table in front of you. You can order several kinds of meet, veggies, rice bowls, and even s’mores! Since this is a chain, for those of you not local or not interested in going to New York you still may be able to try this place!

Beach Cafe: Beach Cafe is located in the wonderful Upper East Side. Let me start by saying that this is the cheapest brunch special I have ever seen. You can get any entree and not one, not two, but THREE drinks of your choosing all for under $20. It is an amazing deal and the food is so yummy. My personal favorite is the french toast, it comes with a strawberry compote and it is so delicious. Who doesn’t love three mimosas with their breakfast?

Thank you for joining me again this week and I hope you enjoyed these yummy food recommendations!

The City That Never Sleeps

Hi friends! Welcome back to my weekly adventures and travels in the amazing NEW YORK CITY. This week I have a lot of exciting recommendations for all of you! My week was full and fun and rewarding experiences at many different places, but I have hand-picked my favorites to share.

Museum of Natural History: If you didn’t know, now you know. This is where the amazing moving Night at the Museum was filmed. It was so cool to experience this place in real-life after seeing that movie so many times. The museum is very large and has so many different exhibits that you could spend hours in. It is a must-see when visiting the city.

Broadway Show – Chicago: Seeing Chicago is probably my most favorite thing I have done in NYC yet. They always say you have to see a Broadway show, and honestly you really do. It is an experience like no other, and the people in the show are some of the most talented people you will ever get to watch. It definitely gives you an appreciation for theatre that you may not have had otherwise.

SOHO: SOHO is full of food, fun and my personal favorite, shopping. You could spend the day there just walking around and you wouldn’t get tired of it. The area is beautiful, and the options are endless.

East Village: East Village is definitely for the livelier, younger crowd. This is where you can find many college students in the city, with that being said the night life is incredible. This definitely is not a neighborhood for everyone, but it’s a cool, trendy place to visit if you are in to those sorts of things.

Barcade: Barcade is an amazing bar + arcade, just like the name. They have a full-service bar with food and drinks and all the arcade games you can imagine. The games are super cheap with most being only 50 cents per play. It is such a cool experience, and there are several locations in and around the city.

This week’s post is from places all over as you can tell, but that is one of my favorite things about New York. Every neighborhood and borough is like its own little world which makes it so easy to never run out of things to do. After all, it truly is the city that never sleeps.

Thanks for joining me!

Places to Visit


Hi, and welcome back to my blog! I’m really excited about this week’s recommendations as it is full of some of my favorite places that I have been to since my time in the city began.

Hudson Yards: Hudson Yards is a beautiful, relatively new neighborhood that everyone must see! It is the home to a beautiful shopping center called The Shops and Restaurants at Hudson Yards as well as an awesome sightseeing spot called the “Vessel.” The mall has a lot of high-quality stores and restaurants, and it is a great place to spend a day in the city. Hudson Yards also has an amazing observation deck. There is a high line in the area that provides great views of the city and is definitely worth walking through.

Battery Park City: Battery Park City is a beautiful area. It is full of history, amazing water views, and of course great shopping. One of my favorite places in the area was Brookfield Place. It is a wonderful shopping center that has great stores, an amazing food court, and a fantastic restaurant and bar area on the water. The food court is two stories and includes many local restaurants and bakeries in the city. One of my top picks for the food court restaurants is the DigInn, they have delicious healthy food options. The restaurant is called PJ Clarke’s and they have great food with a pretty extensive menu of options including seafood and cocktails. The bar area includes a great sunbathing deck with music and chairs, and you can see the Statue of Liberty off in the distance. Across the Hudson, there are views of Jersey City. I highly recommend going here if you are looking for something to do in the city. There is also another nice mall in the area which is called Westfield. There are many great parks in the area as well as memorials and museums.

Exploring these two areas have definitely been some of my favorite times in the city this summer. Either area would be a great place to stay while visiting or even a great place to move if you are planning. It was an easy subway ride from upper Manhattan, so it is easily accessible to all. It also very close to Tribeca which is the home of many corporate jobs; these areas would be an easy commute!

Thank you for reading this week!
– Madyson
 

The Journey Continues…

Hello again! Madyson here with some new recommendations for all of your NYC travels! My time here has been nothing short of amazing and each day is always so exciting! My recommendations for this week include The Met, Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn itself, and Chinatown!

  • The Met: This place is something you should definitely experience during your time in the city. There is so much art to view and take in. Not to mention the building itself is jaw-dropping beautiful. Each part of The Met is organized by era/type of art which makes traveling through it even more exciting. There are also featured exhibits at different times during the year. It is definitely a must-see.
  • Brooklyn Bridge: It’s a beautiful walk across the water and you get a great view of both Brooklyn and Manhattan and even the Statute of Liberty. My best recommendation would be to go during the week as opposed to the weekend because it can get really crowded! It is a great place to take photos and just enjoy the view.
  • Brooklyn: Brooklyn was much quieter and less crowded than the Upper East Side. It definitely has its own characteristics. It reminded me much more of an Atlanta vibe. It is definitely worth checking if you have the chance when visiting the city.
  • Chinatown: Chinatown was definitely an experience. There are so many stands set up selling fresh produce and seafood; it is definitely the place to go if you are in the market for things of that nature. There is also a plethora of souvenirs if you’re in the market for those. There are a lot of restaurants with authentic Chinese food. It also conveniently located close to Koreatown and Little Italy, so it is worth the trip.

In addition, this week I wanted to add a little flare to my post by introducing Pizza Rankings! I have tried so many different pizzas since I have been here. After all, NYC is known for that, right? So, this week I have two must-eat pizza recommendations for you.

1. Little Vincent’s in UES: First of all, it’s only $3.50 for HUGE slice. Which if you’ve ever been to the city, you know it’s not the easiest to find something cheap, so I have been a frequent here.
2. II Corallo Trattorio: The pizza is amazing, and the service is great. It is located close to Soho. It is a different vibe than Little Vincent’s because it is more of a restaurant than a grab-and-go pizza stop.

Thanks for joining me!
– Madyson

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

WANDERLUST: (n.) a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world


Welcome to my blog! Madyson here to tell you all about living on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. As someone who grew up in South Georgia, NYC has been a completely different lifestyle than anything I’ve ever experienced. You can walk to anything and everything you could possibly want to in under 20 minutes. The restaurant choices are endless as is the shopping, things to do, and things to see. I have been here for going on one week, and I plan to provide a new update for you every week with recommendations of things to do and places to visit in the city! The purpose of this blog is to enlighten you about the best spots in and around UES/NYC and give a little glimpse on what it is like living in this beautiful city.

Week 1 Recommendations

1. Yankees Stadium: Yankees games are so much fun! The Yankees Stadium isn’t in UES, but it was too great of an experience to not add it to the list.

2. Central Park: Central Park is only about a 15-20-minute walk from my apartment in UES. It is must-see place in NYC. There is a plethora of sights to see around the park. It is a great place for walking your dog, going for a jog, or even having a picnic.

3. Shopping on Madison Ave: Madison Ave is another must-see! There are so many places to shop and it is a beautiful area to walk around and enjoy the weather.

4. Times Square: Times Square is a short subway ride away! It is another must-see if you are visiting NYC. It is a view like no other; seeing it will really show why NYC is known as the city that never sleeps.

5. Calexico Mexican restaurant: This is the first brunch spot I visited in the UES. They have buy-one-get-one free drink specials for brunch on the weekends, this is a really good deal considering the price of adult beverages in the city. The food is also amazing, and the prices are very reasonable. I highly recommend.

6. EVF Performance: This is a CrossFit gym located in UES that I recently visited. It is a really great place to go get a workout in while also meeting new people. The staff is very friendly, and they aren’t afraid to push you to your limits!

Thanks for joining me! I look forward to chatting next week!
– Madyson