During Thanksgiving break, I spent two days in New York City. Yet, despite my brief visit, I checked off nearly every item on my must-see list. I detailed the highlights of my weekend and offered insights into my favorite spots, the amount of time needed, and the must-see or must-try aspects of each spot

I started my mornings with a walk to get breakfast. On the first day, I visited the Bryant Park Christmas market and had breakfast at Le Pain Quotain, and the legendary hot chocolate from Angelina. At Le Pain, I would recommend the cheddar, avocado & tomato-pepper jam breakfast sandwich and their chocolate croissant. The hot chocolate from Angelina is a must-try, it was the richest and most satisfying drink I’ve ever had. On day two, breakfast was at Best Bagels, and I can confidently say these were some of the best bagels I’ve ever had. I had an iced coffee from Ten Thousand that I would also highly recommend that morning. 

My favorite spot in the entire city was Central Park. It was gorgeous, especially with all the fall leaves. I spent about 4 hours in the park over the 2 days and wish I spent more. The best thing to do there is walk, the carts and bikes are expensive and don’t allow you to enjoy your surroundings fully. In Central Park, I stopped by another location of Le Pain which had a delicious pumpkin spice latte. 

I also visited the MET or the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You access the museum through Central Park. The Museum collects, studies, conserves, and presents significant works of art across time and cultures to connect all people to creativity, knowledge, ideas, and one another. It presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy, including paintings from some greats such as Van Gough, and priceless pieces of Egyptian history. YLHS student Hannah Jebelli (12) comments, “I have never been to the MET but would love to visit.”  I enjoyed the MET and would recommend it to all who are interested in art and history.

I also tried Levain cookies, Magnolia Bakery banana pudding, and Venchi chocolate and gelato. All three of them were delicious and I would recommend them. For other meals we had, Adels Halal Cart for chicken and rice, Top Thai which was the best Thai food I’ve ever had, and the famous Joe & The Juice Tunacado sandwich.