Who spontaneously booked a one-day weekend trip to New York City with their best friend? That was me. This past July, after one day coming back home from my job as a summer camp counselor working with young, active children, I decided that I needed to visit my dream city for a day to reset my life and refresh my mind. Then I thought, who better to do it with than your best friend! We both live in Connecticut, and are relatively close to the New York border, so why not take advantage of the proximity to one of the most famous, vibrant cities in the world?
Waking up at six in the morning to get ready to catch the train three hours later was probably the most tiring event of the day. I got ready at my house, and of course, at this time, my family was asleep, so I had to be quiet. Doing makeup in complete silence without music was rough since I love putting on music whilst getting ready for anything (who doesn’t)!
I also remember stressing over which of the three outfits I had in mind to wear for a day like this, but ultimately ended up wearing a cute white blouse, green shorts with flower designs, and BT21 knee-high socks (this will be relevant soon) with cream, heart-embroidered converse. Safe to say, I was proud of my outfit, and it held up well in the bustling streets of the Big Apple.
Grand Central station
Afterward, I was dropped off at my bestie’s house and waited some more for her to finish up. Her and I started off the day with a Dunkin breakfast (unsurprisingly, I currently have a Dunkin obsession). As I rode the train to Grand Central Station, I gossiped with her, told stories, or listened to music in a peaceful silence. All I remember was how excited I was to go to New York City with my best friend by ourselves! Me being me, I made a comprehensive list of places to visit and a schedule that would’ve lasted until the late evening.
Grand Central Station was one of the most beautiful stations I have ever seen! I took so many pictures of almost everything: the artwork ceiling, the big windows, and the iconic Tippany Opal Clock to name a few.
Fun Fact: In 2020, the KPOP boy group BTS performed here whilst it was empty for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, performing their new song at the time: “ON” from the Map of the Soul: 7 album — which was the first KPOP album I bought in 2022!
The New York Public Library
The New York Public Library was one of the first places I visited! It’s one of the prettiest, and largest libraries I’ve ever seen, and our self-guided tour was a calm change of pace from the city streets.
Fun Fact: The anime, Banana Fish, took place in New York City, and the New York Public Library is often mentioned and shown as it holds an important role in the series.
Books Kinokuniya
As a fan of anime, stationery, and books, this bookstore was the cutest place to shop for Japanese-related items. It had three floors, with a quaint cafe on the top floor overlooking the busy streets outside! I bought a cute planner and a manga, totally worth the price, and I highly recommend visiting this store!
Central Park
I underestimated how big Central Park really is! My friend and I walked halfway through the park until I realized that we had way longer to go than we thought, so we stopped, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t enjoy it. Beautiful scenery surrounded us, with different colored flowers blooming everywhere we looked. If I ever end up living in the heart of New York City, Central Park will definitely be my go-to outdoor spot!
Rockefeller Center
My best friend (left) and I (right) took a stroll around Rockefeller Center, taking a quick break to lunch outside of the building. If you’re in need of a quick, inexpensive meal, I recommend Puya – Tacos de Puebla located inside Rockefeller Center!
Fun Fact: My family and I visited Rockefeller during the winter for the holidays three years ago, and all I can say is that the city during the Christmas season is absolutely magical! The Rockefeller Christmas Tree lit up the area with its many, colorful lights and ornaments, and the Saks Fifth Avenue Light Show added to the overall holiday experience in New York City!
times square
This was one of the most packed areas of the city. So many stores and billboards everywhere, I felt like I was in a whole new world. My best friend and I definitely spent a lot here, I mean, how could we not! There was a store that I had always wanted to visit: Line Friends, a South Korean-based store. I dragged her into the store, and I spent hours looking through the store, taking photos, and buying over $100 of BT21 merchandise.
Fun fact: BTS member, Jungkook, performed at Times Square last November performing songs from his latest album at the time, Golden! (P.S. check out my article about his album)!
final thoughts
I would 100% say that my day in New York City was one of the best days of my summer! The weather, the food, the places, everything was perfect, and I definitely cannot wait to go back…maybe even this winter during the Christmas season (hopefully with my best friend again)!
Some honorable mentions:
- The Peninsula Hotel: BTS member, Taehyung, took a photo of himself standing outside of the hotel. I recreated the same photo and pose!
- Metropolitan Museum of Art: BTS member, Namjoon, took a photo of himself sitting on the staircase in front of the famous museum. Of course, I had to recreate this one as well!