Tags: #blog #travel #newyork #city
10 days, 2 cities, 1 unforgettable New Year’s adventure
What started as a simple “let’s spend New Year’s in Times Square” conversation over coffee in Seattle turned into the most jam-packed, exhilarating, and slightly overwhelming 10-day adventure of our lives. Here’s how two West Coast natives navigated the concrete jungles of New York City and Washington D.C. during the magical chaos of the holiday season.
Day 1: Arrival and First Impressions
Landing in the Lion’s Den
10:30 PM JFK arrival. Nothing prepares you for that first cab ride into Manhattan when the city’s neon heartbeat hits you through the window. The 90-minute ride from JFK to the hotel was like a preview of coming attractions—bridges, lights, and the kind of energy that makes you sit up straighter in your seat.
Midnight wisdom: Times Square at nearly 1 AM is still buzzing. We did the obligatory tourist photo and immediately understood why 8 million people call this madness home.
Day 2: The Classic NYC Bucket List
Postcards Come to Life
Morning magic at Top of the Rock (10:00 AM): Thanks to our CityPASS investment , we skipped the lines and got our classic Empire State Building shot. Pro tip: Go early. The crowds multiply fast.
Rockefeller Plaza feelings: December in NYC hits different when there’s a massive Christmas tree and ice skaters spinning below you. We spent way too long just… staring. Sometimes tourist traps exist for good reasons.
Fifth Avenue power walk: From Trump Tower to Tiffany & Co. to St. Patrick’s Cathedral—each block feels like stepping into a different movie set. The Gothic cathedral really does look impossible nestled between all that commercial glitz.
Central Park afternoon therapy: After the sensory overload of Fifth Avenue, Central Park’s Bethesda Terrace offered the reset we didn’t know we needed. We found a quiet spot at The Ramble and watched actual New Yorkers living their actual lives.
Evening: Friend reunion in Times Square (2:00 PM meetup) followed by the obligatory nighttime neon photography session.
Day 3: The Philly Intermission
When NYC Felt Too Small
5:30 AM wake-up call for the 6:00 AM train to Philadelphia. One and a half hours later, we were exploring the birthplace of American democracy with our friend Khanh An. Sometimes the best travel days are the ones where locals show you their city through their eyes.
Evening return: Radio City Music Hall was our reward for the early morning. two tickets to see the Rockettes felt extravagant until those synchronized kicks started. Pure American entertainment magic.
Day 4: Neighborhood Deep Dives
Beyond the Obvious
Breakfast at Russ & Daughters (179 E Houston St): The 20-minute trek from the hotel was worth every step. When locals have been coming somewhere since 1914, you listen.
Flatiron to SoHo adventure: The famous triangular building makes for great photos, but the real discovery was The Strand Bookstore at Union Square. Four floors of books and the kind of browsing time that makes hours disappear.
Chelsea Market lunch: Los Tacos (75 9th Ave) became our go-to whenever we needed quick fuel. Fresh, fast, affordable—the NYC trifecta.
Little Island sunset: This floating park on the Hudson feels like someone designed it specifically for Instagram, but the views are legitimately stunning.
Evening double-header: SUMMIT One Vanderbilt at 10:00 PM was like stepping into a kaleidoscope. Immersive art meets city views equals pure sensory overload in the best way.
Day 5: Financial District and Brooklyn Bridge
History Meets Heights
Roosevelt Island Tram (10:00 AM): Same price as the subway, infinitely better views. The aerial perspective of Manhattan never gets old, and the tram runs frequently enough that you don’t feel rushed.
9/11 Memorial reflection: Some experiences resist description. The memorial’s quiet power felt especially profound during the holidays when the city around it buzzed with celebration.
Brooklyn Bridge walk: Starting from South Street Seaport, the 10-minute walk to the bridge entrance flows naturally. The bridge itself? Every bit as majestic as promised, and the Manhattan views from the middle are worth every tourist elbow you’ll dodge.
Wall Street photo ops: Charging Bull, Federal Hall, Trinity Church—we collected them like Pokemon while navigating crowds that proved NYC’s reputation for human density is no exaggeration.
Day 6: New Year’s Eve Icons
Going Out with a Bang
Empire State Building at dawn (8:30 AM arrival, 9:00 AM entry): CityPASS saved us again. Being inside this Art Deco legend while most of the city was still sleeping felt like a secret privilege.
Statue of Liberty ferry adventure (11:00 AM, 2-hour experience): Ellis Island’s immigration museum hit differently during a year when travel felt precious again. Lady Liberty herself? Smaller than expected, more meaningful than imagined.
BXL Café New Year’s dinner (8:30 PM, 125 W 43rd St): Belgian food steps from the ball drop felt appropriately international for two travelers from the other coast. We skipped the Times Square chaos but could feel the energy crackling through the restaurant windows.
Day 7: Museum Marathon
Culture Shock Therapy
Triple museum challenge: Natural History (10:30 AM) → The Met → MoMA. The T-Rex fossils, Egyptian artifacts, and modern masterpieces blurred together in the best possible way.
Central Park transitions: Walking between the Natural History Museum and The Met through Central Park provided perfect palate cleansers between cultural overloads.
Museum fatigue reality check: By MoMA, we were stumbling through Starry Night and Warhol like zombies. Note to future selves: one museum per day maximum.
Day 8 and Day 9: Capital Calling
Democracy Tourism
5:30 AM Penn Station departure: The 4-hour train to D.C. became unexpected meditation time. Watching the East Coast countryside blur past while sipping terrible train coffee had its own romance.
The Westin Washington D.C. check-in (1400 M St NW3 nights): Our one splurge accommodation felt earned after sleeping on Hung’s couch.
Monument marathon: Lincoln Memorial → WWII Memorial → Washington Monument → White House → Capitol → Library of Congress. Each stop reinforced how small you feel standing next to history.
Library of Congress secret: The reading room’s Instagram-famous architecture is spectacular, but the real magic happens in the rare book collections where you can request to see documents that shaped the world.
Washington National Cathedral bonus round: The Gothic spires and city views provided a spiritual counterpoint to all the political monuments.
Day 10 and Day 11: Full Circle
Goodbye, East Coast
Morning D.C. to NYC train (11:00 AM, 4 hours back): The return journey felt faster, maybe because we knew what waited for us.
Final dinner at MáLà Project (41 W 46th St): farewell dinner choice perfectly captured our trip—bold flavors, generous portions, and the kind of experience that makes you want to move across the country.
JFK departure reality: The 2:00 PM journey to the airport for our 5:00 PM flight felt surreal. Ten days earlier, we’d been wide-eyed tourists. Now we were leaving with phone numbers, inside jokes, and the kind of stories that improve with each telling.
What we’d do differently:
• Book museum tickets in advance (seriously)
• Pack lighter (those winter coats took up half our luggage)
• Budget more for spontaneous meals (the best food discoveries were unplanned)
• Stay longer in D.C. (3 days felt rushed)
What we nailed:
• The CityPASS investment
• Mixing planned attractions with neighborhood wandering
• Saying yes to friend recommendations
• Documenting everything (these notes became this blog)
Food highlights worth the splurge:
• Katz’s pastrami (205 E Houston St) – messy, massive, magnificent
• Keens Steakhouse lamb (72 W 36th St) – old school NYC at its finest
• Dominique Ansel cronut (189 Spring St) – worth the hype and the wait
The takeaway: I realize I’ve collected enough stories to last a lifetime. Some trips are investments in Instagram likes. This one was an investment in understanding why 8 million people choose to make their lives in one of the world’s most demanding cities.
Would we do it again? In a heartbeat. But next time, we’re definitely hitting Brooklyn for that Hometown Bar-B-Que (454 Van Brunt St) we kept hearing about but never made time for.
The East Coast showed us what it means to live at full volume. Now, back in Seattle’s gentle rain, we’re already planning our return.