New York Summer 2025

This past summer, I was able to travel up to New York City to visit my girlfriend. She was spending the summer in the Upper East Side doing research at Mt. Sinai along with being a camp counselor. I have always been interested in big cities and New York is certainly one of my favorites, but going to visit her was a completely unique experience and one that I really enjoyed.

Fortunately, I was able to take a couple days off of work to be able to visit. When I arrived late Wednesday night, I was greeted by her cozy, single bedroom apartment that was a great space despite the air conditioner not working. We agreed on a plan for the next day before going to bed, as I was exhausted from the travel.

Our first full day was Thursday and we started it off the right way by getting bagels and coffee for breakfast. We then made our way over to Central Park where we did a couple laps around the reservoir. We made our way Belvedere Castle to look around for a bit and also walked down Museum Mile before taking the subway to the Lower East Side. We then grabbed a quick lunch in Madison Park and enjoyed the weather for a while, ultimately deciding to go back to her apartment and chill out before our dinner reservation at a restaurant in Murray Hill. We went to bed early in preparation for another day of touring the city.

Friday started out with a lovely breakfast of french toast and avocado toast. After our meal we walked down Fifth Avenue to visit St. Patrick's Cathedral and do a little shopping, where I picked up a pair of pants at Nike and she found a nice shirt in Zara. I was also able to find a great birthday gift for my mom in the Harry Potter store. We then made our way to the Whitney Museum of American Art. We had a great time and made sure to see every inch of the museum, including the views on the outdoor terrace. Later that evening, we sat down for a quiet dinner at Yasouvlaki, a greek restaurant in the Upper East Side and concluded our day with a few games of crazy eights.

On Saturday, we definitely got our steps in. The beautiful weather led us all the way to the Williamsburg Bridge, where we walked across and ended up in Brooklyn. Meandering through the streets, we stumbled upon a gift shop where I bought a new card game for us and my girlfriend was able to find the perfect set of earring to match a dress she had just bought. After our quick shopping endeavor, we made our way to Laserwolf where we enjoyed an incredible meal with arguably better views. This was easily my favorite meal of the trip. Exhausted from walking and stuffing ourselves with Mediterranean food, we decided to take the train back and relax for a couple hours. We ended the day with a picnic in Central Park and an ice cream cone.

On my last day, we went to a really cool brunch place and I got another order of french toast, this time slightly more indulgent. After brunch we walked around some more before heading back so I could get ready to leave. My flight out was uninteresting and I arrived home that night without conflict.

Overall, I had a lot of fun on this trip. I am used to going on family trips to NYC so being able to explore with just me and my girlfriend was a great experience and allowed my to appreciate the city in a newfound way. I am looking forward to my next trip to the city as there is still so much to explore and experience. I am very grateful to my girlfriend for letting me stay with her for a few days and I hope next time can be even better.