New York Trip
I visited New York City for the first time in January 2025 to see Romeo + Juliet on Broadway, and the trip was an absolute dream. As a seasoned Chicago visitor, I didn’t know what to expect, but as an avid Theater fan, I knew I had to check it out. Rachel Zegler was a vision, Kit Connor put his hand on my chair, and my first Broadway show was incredibly memorable. Something I am very vocal about is my love for theater, specifically Hamilton (to the annoyance of my family and friends). Because of this, the second I saw that Leslie Odom Jr. would be reprising his role as Aaron Burr, I began plotting how to be in the Room Where It Happens. It took some convincing, but after several days of begging, my mom agreed and bought the tickets as an early birthday gift. I don’t know that I had ever looked forward to Fall Break this much.
Thankfully, the city was much warmer in early October than in mid-January. New York welcomed us the way it welcomes everyone: with tall buildings, caffeine, and immediate inconvenience. Since our VRBO wasn’t ready until 5:30 p.m., we kicked things off by dropping our bags at a barber shop in Hell’s Kitchen that moonlights as luggage storage. Very New York. From there, we walked to Blank Street Coffee in Times Square, which was my first of many personality changes fueled by caffeine. A surprise street food festival pulled us in next, where we tried tanghulu and fried dumplings while dodging tourists and questioning how anyone ever gets anywhere on time.
We made our way to Central Park and hopped on a discounted pedicab tour of the lower half of the park. This is where I proudly informed my family of every Avengers and Spider-Man filming location we passed, because nothing says “culture” like Marvel trivia my sisters don’t want to hear. Afterward, we grabbed pizza at Joe’s (purely for cinematic accuracy, obviously) and took the subway downtown to ride the Staten Island Ferry for some sightseeing and skyline appreciation.
Back in Hell’s Kitchen, we grabbed our bags and headed to a rooftop Mexican bar to kill time before check-in. Spirits were high, margaritas were flowing, and then reality struck. Our VRBO was a scam. While on the phone with VRBO for over an hour, we walked to a dinner reservation that I had, tragically, never made. After frantically searching my email and accepting defeat, we officially became homeless tourists. Thankfully, my mom’s Hilton Honors status saved the day, and we secured a last-minute room near Times Square. We then hauled our luggage through the chaos of a packed Times Square like seasoned New Yorkers who absolutely were not seasoned New Yorkers.
The next morning, we headed to Brooklyn, with a mandatory Blank Street stop because the Daydream Matcha is truly what dreams are made of. After a brief panic attack upon realizing the subway goes underwater (not to worry, we survived), we grabbed bagels in DUMBO and ate them on the curb. We wandered around, checked out Time Out Market, and took photos with the Manhattan Bridge before heading back to Manhattan to visit the 9/11 Memorial and Trinity Church, where Hamilton and his wife are buried. History, but make it Broadway.
Speaking of Broadway, we made our way to the Richard Rodgers Theatre (with a hot dog pit stop, of course) and watched an absolutely incredible performance of Hamilton, featuring Leslie Odom Jr., which genuinely felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I am nothing if not a fan girl, and it felt pretty spectacular to witness an original cast member on Broadway. The high school me, who spent her free time watching funny videos of the Hamilton cast and listening to the album on repeat, was fulfilled. After changing for dinner, we ate at Lillie’s Victorian Establishment in Times Square, followed by Magnolia Bakery for banana pudding, a quick run through Five Below, and yes, another visit to Joe’s Pizza (I’m a creature of habit). We flew out early the next morning, exhausted, well-fed, slightly traumatized, and fully in love with New York.
