New York is one of those cities that you can visit over and over again and never have the same experience twice. There are countless things to see, do and eat in the Big Apple but I wanted to share 8 of my favourite things from this October trip.
In this post:
Breakfast At Tiffany’s – Blue Box Cafe
When the Blue Box Cafe opened on the fourth floor of the Tiffany & Co flagship on Fifth Avenue in 2017 the queues were hours long. Naturally, people wanted to have their very own Breakfast At Tiffany’s moment!
Thankfully, bookings soon moved online via RESY though they were gone within a minute or two of being released each day.
My first visit was in May 2018 for breakfast and it was a thrill to be able to step into the Tiffany Blue Box as the signature colour adorns almost every surface. Food was good quality and the US$29 for breakfast was reasonable for the experience.
It was also nice to have a bit of a view of Central Park.
This October I ordered from the US$42 lunch menu with the tuna tartare and club sandwich, along with their signature tea blend.
Unfortunately the Blue Box Cafe will be closing for two years from January 2020 as the Tiffany & Co flagship store undergoes a major renovation so it will be a while before my next visit.
In the meantime we can still enjoy the iconic opening scene.
Steinway & Sons Factory Tour
I’ve wanted to do the Steinway & Sons factory tour for years but you had to be in New York on a Tuesday and not during July and August (as the factory is unairconditioned and so closes in the peak of summer). Finally, I got my timing right and was able to visit in October.
The two hour tour walked through the key stages of making a Steinway piano, and our guide Bob was excellent in explaining the manufacturing process along with the history of the company.
Making a piano has two distinct parts. Bob explained you first make a beautiful piece of furniture and then you add the components to make it into an instrument. Below you can see the frame room where the piano is between furniture and instrument.
At the end of the tour, you’re invited to visit the used piano showroom to play on a range of Steinway grand pianos.
It was a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at one of the world’s great piano makers and I was engrossed for the entire two hours.
A bargain at US$20 per person.
Milk Bar Baking Class
Milk Bar was featured in the Netflix series Chef’s Table Pastry and after watching that episode I was really keen to do one of their classes. A few times a month the team at Milk Bar run a pie making class at their Brooklyn classroom where you get to make your very own Crack Pie.
This is the pie that Christina Tosi created essentially by accident for a family meal at the restaurant where she was at the time, and has gone on to be one of Milk Bar’s signature items.
The class was super informal and we got to make the crack pie first, then the cake truffles whilst the pies were in the oven and later the fridge.
And at the very end of the class you are presented with the Crack Pie that you made along with bags of cake truffles!
The class costs US$95 but given the pie itself retails for US$46 it is reasonable value and a lot of fun! With the opening of the NYC flagship, you can now take the classes in Midtown Manhattan.
Statue of Liberty Crown Tickets
Most tourists will visit the Statue of Liberty, but only a fraction of visitors get to walk up the Statue of Liberty and look out from her crown back toward Lower Manhattan.
If you plan ahead and book Crown Reserve Tickets you’ll be able to see the statue up close from the inside.
Top of The Rock And Rockefeller Centre Tour
The tour of the public artworks that adorn the Rockefeller Centre was an unexpected highlight. New Yorkers and visitors walk past these artworks without giving them too much thought so having a passionate guide to show you the place really made a difference.
The window above the Observation Deck sign represents a television screen, which was just coming into households at the time these buildings were being built. The notches above the O and K are inspired by film strips.
The murals in one of the office lobbies was spectacular and told the story of the advancement of technology and transport. Custom fonts used for signage are quite beautiful.
And of course the views from the Top of The Rock are spectacular, including seeing how vast Central Park is to the north.
And the Empire State Building and One World Trade Centre to the south.
The US$57 for the combination ticket was good value, especially given how enjoyable I found the tour of the public artwork.
New York Public Library To See Winnie The Pooh
The New York Public Library has been home to Winnie the Pooh and friends since 1987 so it’s always nice to pop in to see them.
And the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building itself is an architectural gem with incredible detail everywhere you look.
The Frick Collection
The Met can be overwhelming given its size and scale. The Frick Collection is a small collection of world class art in the mansion of Henry Clay Frick.
It’s a wonderful combination of art and architecture with Vermeer, Turner, Rembrandt, Hals, Goya, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, Renoir, Degas and Velázquez all represented.
Admission is US$22 and valid for one day, compared to US$25 for three consecutive days at The Met, though the quality of the art and the residential setting make it a hugely enjoyable experience.
Levain Bakery
In a city filled with great cookies, Levain is usually rated as the best. They have recently opened a new location in the Upper East Side so it makes for a perfect pitstop after visiting the museums in the area.
The dark chocolate chocolate chip was still warm and as you can see the chocolate chips were molten. It was sensational and so decadently rich that it needed the iced coffee to wash it down!
Introduction – The Cathay Pacific New Year Deal Trip
Review: Singapore Airlines Silver Kris Lounge Sydney Business Class
Review: Singapore Airlines Business Class 77W
Review: Silk Air Business Class 737-800
Review: Four Points By Sheraton Danang
Review: CIP Orchid Lounge Danang
Review: Cathay Dragon Economy Class A320
Review: The Pier First Class Lounge
Review: Cathay Pacific First Class 77W
Review: Fairfield Inn Manhattan Downtown East
Review: Blue Hill At Stone Barns
Review: Le Bernardin
New York Activities
Review: TWA Flight Centre
Review: AA Flagship First Dining JFK
Review: Cathay Pacific First Class 77W (via Vancouver)
Review: Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour
Review: The Pier Business Class Lounge
Review: Qantas Business Class 787
Summary – Highlights & Points Earned
