Living in NYC – Two Year Update

Hi friends, welcome back! I’ve officially been living in NYC for over two years now, how crazy is that!? It seems like just yesterday I boarded a plane with a one-way ticket to NYC, but somehow, it’s been two years from that date! Today I’m sharing an update of my favorite things, what’s new in the city, how I’m feeling, and what I’m looking forward to. I hope you have a big cup of coffee and a comfortable seat!

Experiencing new restaurants is my absolute favorite part of living in NYC. We love the variety and endless date night spots. You can read about some of our favorite restaurants here. For some reason, Jon and I didn’t take full advantage of all the restaurants until this last year, but we are determined to make the most of living in the city while we can. We’ve only scratched the surface of restaurants and I have a whole list of places I can’t wait to try once we are out of quarantine. Off the top of my head my favorite places are Crown Shy, Adrienne’s Pizzabar, Big Gay Ice Cream, Tonchin, Milk & Cereal Bar, and Asuka sushi.

Another thing I love is our Saturday morning coffee dates. We used to only go out for coffee on vacation and it was so fun trying out new shops, so we finally had an Ah-ha moment and started doing it in NYC. Before the pandemic, we had been trying out new shops every Saturday morning and I enjoyed walking there and spending the morning chatting over a delicious cup of cold brew. I shared my favorite coffee shops in the neighborhood here. The coffee was usually followed by a trip to Trader Joes which I’m also missing dearly! This past weekend we got coffee and sipped it on the pier overlooking the East River and Lower Manhattan. Coffee, fresh air, and sunlight are the best way to start the day if you ask me 🙂

Another favorite thing about living NYC is attending Broadway shows! This past year we saw Frozen and Dear Evan Hansen and enjoyed both of them! It’s sad that Broadway will be closed until the at least the fall, but we look forward to being able to attend more shows in the future, especially during Broadway Week. Hadestown is at the top of my list when Broadway resumes and I’m secretly hoping that Mamma Mia will come back!

My current project is to make our apartment more of a home. I have struggled with decorating for non-holiday times, but now that we are here 24/7 I want to really make it feel like a well put together home. I’ve been obsessed with decorating as of late and I may or may not have fallen down a Pottery Barn sale black hole and stocked up on even more holiday items 🙂 Jon and I finally got our gallery wall up and I’m having so much fun trying to decorate this table. I got these lanterns recently and it’s so cozy to have them lit at night. I’ve made quite a bit of progress I must say – I’ll share an updated non-holiday apartment tour soon.

Our favorite spot in the city is Governor’s Island! We’ve taken the ferry over twice and it’s been such a nice and relaxing afternoon/evening both times. We also enjoy learning about the history of the island, but the most incredible thing is the view of the Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan. The sunsets on Governor’s Island are gorgeous and one day I hope to be able to stay overnight in the upscale tents aka glamping (camping but with fully functioning facilities/electricity). I was hoping to do that for my birthday in August, we shall see.

Currently, we love walking through Battery Park and getting some fresh air! This park is at the southernmost tip of Manhattan and always full of people enjoying the day. We walked through a month ago and all of the flowers were blooming, it was absolutely perfect! I recently started running again and I love running along the river in the morning and seeing the Statue of Liberty.

Our only complaint about living in the city (besides the crazy high cost of rent) is not having a car to use to go hiking/golfing. We both love golfing and hiking, but in order to do so, it requires renting a car or hours of public transportation, and some planning. We simply can’t decide one morning we want to golf, get in our car, and be there within an hour. Hopefully we will get a car soon and not feel so trapped, especially on hot summer days.

Some of the things I’m looking forward to this next year in NYC (virus permitting):

• Glamping in Battery Park
• The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze in Sleepy Hollow, NY
• More hikes outside of the city
• Day trips to explore the Hudson Valley area of New York
• Resuming our coffee dates
• Being able to dine in restaurants again

Jon and I were having so much fun trying out new restaurants and coffee shops, and then the virus turned our world upside down. It’s sad going for our walks and seeing all of the businesses shut down and the streets empty. I miss the hustle and bustle and energy of NYC in all its glory. I know that NYC will come back better than it was before, it seems like there is some optimism in the city.

Final thoughts – as of now, if NYC opens back up, I can see us staying here for at least a few more years. I’m not ready to leave, I love living in NYC way more than I thought I would, and I can’t imagine being in the suburbs at this point in our lives. Eventually we will make our way to the burbs when we are ready to settle down with a family, but that seems so far away from now. Jon and I both worry about being bored once we move out of the city because there’s always something new and fun to do now (when not in quarantine). We will see how the future plays out, but as of now we are staying put and riding out this storm for at least another year.

Thanks for reading friends! Be sure to check out my 9 month update if you haven’t already 🙂