AUGUST UPDATE: August in New York

Not only are we not in August, but we are somehow almost finished with September now. Yikes! School, fall sports, and travel sure does make time fly. Since I love the sound of August in New York, I’m keeping sticking with the August update. This August Update includes a weekend trip to New York City for the US Open. We had a great time! We also enjoyed the city. We combined things we loved from previous trips and added in some new experiences too. It was our daughter’s first trip to New York, so we also were sure to include some kid-focused activities too. There are a few tips and tricks thrown in for fun too.

August versus April

We had wonderful weather over Labor Day weekend in New York. We have gone in April, June, and now August, and I can honestly say I love them all. If you don’t appreciate hot weather to the extent that some of us do (me!), then April would probably be your winner. We’ve been twice in April and had beautiful, cool weather with spring blooms. It was just what we needed after a long Michigan winter.

Day 1: Central Park, Fifth Avenue, The Algonquin, and Bryant Park

This sounds like a lot for the first day. It was – haha! We stayed in mid-town Manhattan at The Sofitel. Because we were traveling with our daughter, we needed a hotel large enough for a roll away bed (and one that actually had said roll away bed). Side note: When we searched for 2 double beds, the prices soared. The Sofitel was very accommodating and our room was huge by NYC standards. They also had a coffee maker for the room (upon request) as well as a nice exercise room. We found The Sofitel to be central to most of the things we did that weekend.

R and I had so much row boating fun in April that we brought our daughter and brother and sister in law to The Boathouse for drinks and rowing.

We then split ways. The guys took the subway out to Yankee Stadium for a tour while the girls headed back to Fifth Avenue for some shopping. On the way, we stopped at The Plaza so our daughter could see the Home Alone 2 Hotel then shopped the rest of the afternoon on Fifth.

The Algonquin Hotel NYC Floor Inspiration: The Algonquin Hotel NYC

We met my parents for happy hour at The Algonquin Hotel. You can read more about the historic hotel and Hamlet the cat in this post. The design here was the star of the trip for me. (I found our future primary bathroom floor inspiration!) The staff was incredibly friendly and professional- a combination that makes all the difference!

Dinner reservations were within walking distance at The Bryant Park Grill. I was able to make a same day reservation that accommodated all seven of us. The Grill is located on the opposite side of the New York Public Library building and looks out over the green space of Bryant Park. It was a beautiful setting! We then headed back to our hotels to rest up for our day of tennis.

Day 2 : US OPEN

US OPEN NYC

Let’s talk about the US Open. It was just as amazing as I thought it would be. We were able to walk the two blocks over to Bryant Park and take the subway (the 7) out to Flushing Meadows. There were quite a few stops but it was nice to not have to transfer trains. We arrived a bit after 11 and stood in line for about 10 minutes.

We bought general passes (back in June) which gave us access to most courts. We were able to visit Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium (the largest stadiums) during the day with these tickets. However, we were unable to access the better chairs and closer seating with the general admission tickets. We also were unable to attend the night sessions.

We took our group photo right when we arrived and I’m glad we did because we all scattered after that. I would also recommend doing your souvenir shopping toward the beginning of the day before the night crowd starts to trickle in and things get very busy.

After lunch (there are several booths and options from which to choose), our daughter became focused on getting autographs. We had some luck on the surrounding courts where we were able to get close to the players. We also heard that the practice courts were a great place to get signatures. We will definitely have a better plan next time!

One of the night matches (we didn’t have tickets) was between Serena Williams and Ajla Tomljanovic. We attempted to see her warming up on the practice courts. My BIL got a great video and my SIL secured a spot where our daughter was able to catch a glimpse.

We left around 8:30pm and took the 7 back into the city. There was a METs game that night (same subway stop), so it was probably good that we waited until that was underway before trying to leave.

DAY 3: MoMA, M&M Factory, Hudson Yards, High Line, Meatpacking District, West Village

What to do in NYC: MoMA

The next morning our daughter and I met my parents at the MoMA. We arrived when they opened so had quite a bit of space to roam. (It was filling up quickly when we left around 12:30.) We were able to see the Matisse: The Red Studio exhibit which was the first time the painting was reunited with several additional pieces of Matisse’s work since they were together in his studio. I appreciated the multifaceted ways to enjoy the art, including looking at the paintings, listening to information about the artwork via your phone, a documentary to watch the art historians talk about their discoveries regarding the creation of the painting, and a separate hands on room to try your hand at drawing and incorporating what you learned. We were also able to see Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Monet’s Water Lillies. As an aside, the museum cafe food was delicious so if you are there and hungry, it is a treat!

We separated after the museum. My parents went to see Moulin Rouge, which was amazing (but not good for 12 year olds). Our daughter and I went to the M&M factory for gifts and some sweets. We realized too late that you can go to the top floor to have your M&Ms personalized. Noted!

What to do in NYC: The High Line

Next, we took the 7 to Hudson Yards. The Edge was on my list (next time for sure!) but shopping was more in line with our daughter’s plans. We shopped around at the mall there and then walked next door to the High Line. The High Line is perfect for strolling, snacking, people watching, and taking in both nature and the city at the same time. It is something I have done on almost every trip as an adult to New York.

We got off in the Meatpacking District and went into Restoration Hardware. All Restoration Hardwares are lovely but this one is just soooooo gorgeous! Our daughter kept herself entertained trying out almost all of the chairs as we took in all of the design inspiration.

NYC Design Inspiration: RH

West Village was next on the list, so we walked in that direction stopping in any stores that caught our eyes. We met R and my sister and brother in law at Market Table, which had been recommended to us (we had reservations). The food was delicious! I sort of expected it, though, since it has the same chef as our favorite restaurant, Little Owl. If you like cozy neighborhood restaurants, wonderful food, and a friendly waitstaff, you cannot go wrong with these places.

DAY 4: Times Square, Broadway, and Macy’s

What do to in NYC: A Broadway Show

On the final day, we said good bye to my parents and then met my sister and brother in law at St. Patrick for the service. We then headed into Times Square to buy tickets under the Red Staircase. It was a madhouse and the line was incredibly long. Luckily, we were able to get help from a nearby hotel to secure tickets to the Broadway Show, The Play That Goes Wrong. It was very funny and perfect for adults and children!

What to Do in NYC: Peachy Keen

Before the show, my brother in law found a super fun restaurant in the area called Peachy Keen, a 70s inspired restaurant in a colorful space with beautiful milkshakes.

What to do in NYC: Macy's

After the show, we walked down to Macy’s Herald Square. It is was established in 1902 and is currently one of the largest department stores in the world. That night, we grabbed some quick food and watched tennis on tv while we packed.