A Holiday Staycation in New York City
New York City is a beautiful place to visit during the holidays. Since I was a child, I visited the Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas Tree, walked along Fifth Avenue to view the holiday displays at the department store windows, and more. Now that I live in Connecticut, seeing these sights don’t happen as often. With children of my own, I thought it would be perfect for a spur of the moment staycation in New York City.
We booked a suite at the Four Seasons New York on 57th Street, an ideal basecamp within walking distance of all the locations we wanted to see. Some of their amenities include a stroller, which is handy when traveling with a toddler.
Our day started off with lunch at our favorite sushi restaurant, Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill located on 58th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues. From sushi to sashimi to fried chicken, Blue Ribbon offers an array of dishes for any palate. My kids enjoyed a chicken teriyaki bento box and some of their signature crispy fried chicken wings. Check out what we enjoyed:
View this post on Instagram
For a pick-me-up, we headed across the street to the Time Warner Building for some coffee and pastries at Bouchon Bakery and picked up some last minute presents. We walked back along the southern edge of Central Park to the hotel for an afternoon siesta.
After the sun set, we walked to Rockefeller Center to view the Christmas Tree and visit the iconic toy store FAO Schwarz which opened at its new location at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in November 2018.
Tip: For those traveling with infants and toddlers, we recommend not using a stroller as the area is very congested. We used an infant backpack carrier to carry our 16-month old.
The night ended with dinner at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse on 54th and 3rd Avenue – far enough from the tourists so we enjoyed a somewhat quiet meal before the kids started getting cranky.
Returning back to the Four Seasons Hotel, we felt right at home with turndown service done before we arrived. There were a few things I forgot to request, but I used their app to communicate with guest services to obtain a refrigerator and baby amenities.
The next day we grabbed breakfast at the Food Hall at the concourse level of The Plaza Hotel. There are close to 2 dozen vendors, including Cafe D’Avignon, Epicerie Boulud, Tartinery, and more. it was tough deciding where to eat but we grabbed a few items from various kiosks. It was unfortunate we were unable to see the Christmas decor in the lobby of the Plaza as they only permitted hotel guests.
Our visit ended with window shopping and some errands. For the next time we visit, we’ll try to accomplish what was originally on our itinerary. Have you visited NYC for a short staycation? Any recommendations?
Let’s Get Social