New York City Weekend Getaway

“New York, New York. I want to wake up in a city, that doesn’t sleep” (insert Frank Sinatra voice). The Famous NEW YORK, what better for a weekend getaway? This New York City Weekend Getaway Itinerary is for the “I need a vacation, but only have a weekend” kind of mood. Yea, I get those every weekend too.. (it’s normal).

This blog includes all the details you will need for a New York City Weekend Getaway:

Why we chose New York
Some historical/jeopardy worthy facts about NY
Best time to go to NY
Flights – Airline, Times, & Cost
Accommodations – Brooklyn
Transportation & Costs
Itinerary – Things to do & places to eat

Why New York? – New York City Weekend Getaway

You have to visit New York at least once in your lifetime, it’s almost a rule of being human. New York is iconic because of its sentimental history, culture, and INSANELY GOOD food. It makes a great weekend getaway because there are unlimited things to do and see in one central area!

New York History – New York City Weekend Getaway

So I won’t dive too deep into the history because it goes all the way back until 10,000 BC. But just a little taste to help understand why the culture is the way it is and some of the monuments that are included in this New York City Weekend Getaway. I’ve also included some jeopardy worthy fun facts to keep you on your toes.

1883 – Brooklyn Bridge – A parade of 21 elephants were led back and forth over the bridge to demonstrate its sturdiness.
1886 – Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to honor the Centennial of the American Declaration of Independence.
1890-1954 – 12 million + immigrants passed through Ellis Island. This explains the mix of cultures and that ultimately leads to a huge variety of the drool worthy food!
1902 – First skyscraper – The Flatiron building located on 23^rd Street and Fifth Avenue, was the first skyscraper built in NYC.
1931 – The Empire State and Chrysler Buildings were completed.
1961-1975 – Vietnam War – The Empire State Plaza commemorates New York residents who served in the war.
1969 – Woodstock – Now I’m sure you all know what this is, but it is it a little ironic it fell on year 1969..?

So there’s tons more to this timeline but I just wanted to hit the main highlights that relate to our New York City Weekend Getaway. So if you want to read more check out the I Love NY website at -> I Love NY.

When to go to NY? – New York City Weekend Getaway

We chose to go NY Oct 20-22 2017 because of the fall colors. New York is known for its bustling city life but grand central park covers acres of land right smack in the center of the city. The park is so beautiful in the fall time and I would argue this is the best time to go! Although, I would love to see New York in the winter time with all the beautiful Christmas lights. The only negative part is it restricts your time outside because it can get freezing. We actually got 70 (Fahrenheit) degree weather when we went, which is really odd for this time of year. The average temperatures in October range from 50-60 degrees.

Flights – New York City Weekend Getaway

Spirit is usually our flight of choice for short flights. It’s a cheap, lower end airline but it gets the job done. It’s no biggie for short trips, especially since New York is only 1.5 hour flight from our home town, Detroit. The cost of one round-trip ticket from Detroit to LaGuardia is $180/person.

We were both able to make up our hours at work and got off work a little early to catch a flight at 4:10 PM. Our returning flight left at 6 PM. These times allowed us to have 2.5 days.

Accommodations – New York City Weekend Getaway

We lucked out because we have a close friend who lives in Dumbo, Brooklyn so he picked us up from the airport and we stayed at his apartment, cost free for the weekend. If you do not have free accommodations for the weekend, I still recommend staying in Brooklyn.

Booking a place in Brooklyn will be much cheaper than staying downtown Manhattan. We always use AirB&B.com or Booking.com when we are looking for accommodations.

Brooklyn also has some iconic spots that are a huge must on our New York City Weekend Getaway. Not to mention they have the best pizza in all of NY! Traveling from Brooklyn to Manhattan is extremely easy.

Transportation – New York City Weekend Getaway

You can use the R6 and N subway to get everywhere on this itinerary, assuming you are staying in Brooklyn. We split one subway pass for the two of us and put $20.00 on it. Each ride costs $2.75/person. We used the very last dollar!

Once you are in Manhattan everything is pretty much blocks apart. You can always use the subway to get from place to place but most of the time we just walked. It all depends on what you want to do! We walked a lot and over the course of 2.5 days in NY we walked 25 miles! Gotta burn off all the calories from all the pizza we ate!

Itinerary – New York City Weekend Getaway

Since you only have 2.5 days in New York you need to jam pack your itinerary. There is so much to see in New York and you don’t want to miss any of it!

Day 1

Flight: 4:10-6:30 PM – Flight DTW -> LaGuardia
Dinner: Ate dinner at a market called Lebanon in Brooklyn. Get the chicken shawarma it is seriously so good. We opted for something a little quicker in order explore Brooklyn at night.
Dumbo Boro Park: Seriously the cutest park ever and still lively in the evening! You also get an amazing view of the skyline at night.
Brooklyn Downtown – Fun place to walk around and explore.
Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory – Some of the best ice cream, gotta splurge here.

We always chose flights that are on Friday afternoons. Why!? We do it so we don’t have to use a vacation day. Typically Friday is an easier day to get out a little early. Since we live close to the airport we can leave around 2 PM for a 4 PM flight. We are able to work a couple extra hours during the week in order to leave early on Friday.

The first day is more like a half day. Basically you arrive from your flight, get some dinner and check out Dumbo Boro Park and Downtown Brooklyn.

Dumbo Boro Park is awesome and I wish I had one of these in my backyard! By time we got here it was already dark but it is completely lit up and still very lively. You have multiple dog parks, walking paths, and a rocking climbing section right in the middle. The best part is the view of the Brooklyn Bridge from the river. The view is so beautiful and an ideal spot for photo shoots.

One thing I learned very quickly when going to Brooklyn is restaurants do not like when you use their restroom without buying anything. Make sure you “go” before you head out or map out the public restrooms. I went into a small pizza shop and used their restroom and the owner waited outside the bathroom door to have a 10 minute discussion with me about how rude it was. I’M SORRY – I DRANK TOO MUCH WATER!!

Day 2

Now be prepared day 2 is full of activities. It’s important to get a good nights rest the day before to start early on day 2.

Breakfast – We started our day really early around 6 am and made our first stop at Bagel Boy in Bay Ridge. They are the most delicious bagels, great way to start the day! They are especially known for their bagels with lox.
Subway – After we picked up our bagels we took the subway to down to Manhattan.
Oculus Train Station – This building is all white and in the shape of a rib cage. It’s super interesting and that’s why we chose to get there at 7 AM because this place gets packed! We really wanted to see the building empty and trust me it is worth it!

9/11 Memorial – Located right behind Oculus – the monument definitely captures the emotions once felt here. Be prepared it’s a tear jerker.
Little Italy/China Town – BOMB FOOD and over all just interesting to venture into!
Soho – Bring some cash for a SHOPPING SPREE. This is where all the big designers have their shops.
Union Square – This is one of the main squares in Manhattan. It’s constantly filled with people. Many joggers, dog walkers, and chess players! They also have fresh food markets almost every Saturday during the warmer months
Lunch – We needed something fast so we stopped at a Halal Guys food truck! Halal Guys is a Mediterranean fast food restaurant. They specialize in Gyro bowls and they are delicious. Plus they are bringing 5 restaurants to Detroit (our hometown) so I am PUMPED for that!
Flat Iron – This was actually one of my favorite buildings. We never went inside but the exterior architecture is so interesting!
Empire State – It would not be a trip to NY without seeing the empire state building! This is the 5th tallest skyscraper in the US.
Plaza Hotel – The plaza hotel is one of the most luxurious expensive hotels located right in Manhattan so obviously you gotta check it out!
Rockefeller – A complex made up of 19 commercial buildings. The middle area is open and surrounded by little shops. This is also where they have the outside ice skating rink with the massive Christmas tree in the winter time.
Central Park – Absolutely love central park because there is so much to do here. Lots of street entertainers and food vendors. We even rented a row boat to take out on the pond.

Times Square – Of course Time Square is an absolute must – no explanation needed!

Subway – We took the subway back to Brooklyn – whew that was an eventful day!
Dinner – Di Faras Pizza in Brooklyn. Now this is the classic New York style pizza. The owner emigrated over from Italy and has been perfecting his pizza for over 40 years. Every single pie is made by him. Now that’s true love right there!
Rocco Sheeps Bay – After a long day we were looking for a nice relaxing evening. We went to Rocco Sheeps Bay in Brooklyn for some tea and knefe, a Middle Eastern dessert. It’s fried cheese dipped in honey, so delicious!

Day 2 was definitely a packed day but like I said there’s so many amazing things to do and see here that you just don’t want to miss any of it! This was also my favorite day of food Di Faras pizza was just absolutely delicious. Not gonna lie I think I gained a few pounds even after walking all day. The knefe got me!

Day 3

Early bird gets the worm! Another early day but I promise it’s worth it! Plus you can take a little nap on the flight back home.

Brooklyn Bridge – Sunrise – This was actually my favorite part of the whole trip! Sunrise on the Brooklyn Bridge is absolutely gorgeous. The pinkish tones reflect off the buildings and make the most beautiful view. It’s the perfect time for some pictures. You won’t be the only one here I promise. You will find many joggers and even people doing yoga on the bridge.

Brooklyn Bridge Street – Now this is a classic. You have to get a picture in front of the bridge! You will find a line of people here waiting to get their picture taken.

Jacks Wife Freda – For breakfast we stopped in here and got an omelette super yummy!

High Line – Meat packing district – A public park built on a historic freight rail line. Super urban and trendy definitely check it out!

Artichoke Pizza – Voted some of the best pizza in the area!
Beer Garden – Awesome place to sit outside and enjoy a beer.
Bryant Park – A great place to hang outside and enjoy some free board games and people watch.
Library – Right in Bryant Park is the library and it is massive. The library is so gorgeous just peak in and have a look.
Flight Home – Sadly it’s time to head back home and take a nap!

Conclusion – New York City Weekend Getaway

There you have it! A New York City Weekend Getaway all planned out. Time to book your flights!

Obviously this itinerary is packed to the gills so feel free to alter it based on how much you want to do and see. My absolute favorites were the Brooklyn Bridge for sunrise, Di Faras pizza for dinner, Dumbo Park for night time views, central park for people watching, and of course you have to see times square if you are going to New York. Definitely don’t miss any of these!

New York is the ultimate weekend getaway you can’t get bored here! Let me know what you guys think in the comment section. I’d love to hear if you’ve found any more spots I should check out because I will definitely be going back.

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