Made in Manhattan

After shopping around in Soho the night before, we were ready to be full on tourists the next day. We switched our Airbnbs in the morning; once we checked in, we headed straight for Chelsea.

For the first part of our day, we wandered along the High Line, a 1.5 mile elevated park made out of an abandoned railroad track. I loved seeing parts of the tracks through the flowering grass. After walking through the park, we stopped in at the Chelsea Market for a quick lunch. Before reaching the food market, we looked through some amazing booths full of vintage jewelry and vinyl records.

Our hunger eventually caught up to us, but Chelsea Market had so many options that we spent more time trying to figure out what we wanted! Of course, we couldn’t visit New York without eating a good slice of pizza, so can you guess what we had? Returning to the High Line, Paige and I stopped along the way for some strawberry rhubarb popsicles.

A trip to New York would not be complete without a visit to the Flatiron Building. A notable Manhattan landmark, seeing the Flatiron in person is definitely a must. Although there are similar buildings around the country, I have never seen anything like it. When we first walked up from the right, the building looked so ordinary. Once we walked to the front of it, I was surprised at how tall the building stood. Even though the building’s shape isn’t exactly ‘unique’ (one is actually in SF), the Flatiron soars to new heights.

Sitting (quite literally) next to the Flatiron, Madison Square Park brings a breath of fresh air with its greenery neighboring a bustling cityscape. As some of you may know, I will travel for great food. My family raised me with this philosophy, and I have carried it through into my adventures. Personally, I believe that food can either make or break a trip. Luckily, New York’s food scene does not disappoint.

One of my most anticipated eats of the trip: Shake Shack. The east coast version of In-N-Out, I knew I just had to get in on the debate. Although I believe in the west-coast-best-coast mentality, Shake Shack rocked my world. I ordered a double shackburger with crinkle cut fries and a lemonade (my go-to drink for any fast food meal). I never really liked In-N-Out to begin with, but Shake Shack’s burger surpassed all of my expectations. We would later consume shackburgers whenever we had the chance, (I even ate some in the airport before I left), and I still crave it to this day.

After soaking in a state of pure bliss, we walked around the surrounding area and stumbled upon the Empire State. The first of many sightings, we got up close and personal with her while getting lost looking for a Trader Joe’s.