Sweet Trips & Engagement Pics
I promised a recap of our east coast journey, so here we are! A summary of our trip, complete with what I am calling our engagement pictures for now. (I write this from a cozy blanket fort, where I am currently fighting off a summer cold. Which is the worst.)
Earlier this year, a precious friend of Andrew's got engaged, and asked him to be in the wedding. It was in June and in D.C., and the timing was perfect to spend a week with Andrew's family after the wedding was over, so we decided to drive. I'll come back to that decision later---
Literally the only picture on my phone.. Andrew, his best friend Pablo, and me waiting on our Uber!
But first, the wedding in D.C.! We arrived in our nation's capitol three hours later than we planned on the day of the rehearsal dinner because of the AWFUL traffic. ***Lookin' at you Virginia... Thanks for extending the trip.*** Naturally, we were late to the rehearsal dinner. But we made it! And Andrew was reunited with his friends from home and we had a blast. The dinner was at a restaurant AND bowling alley, so we got to bowl and eat supper! The next day, we went to the reception at the gorgeous Mayflower hotel, took a ton of pictures, and danced quite a bit. It was a beautiful affair.
Our AirBnB neighborhood---
The next day, we scooted over to an AirBnb in the Bloomingdale area, and spent a few days hanging out with friends from California. Activities included: brunch at Boundary Stone in our neighborhood (bottomless mimosas, hello!), exploring Roosevelt Island (a fun, outdoorsy place), the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, and a trip to Shake Shack. Also, I taught a pop-up class, and it was wonderful!
Huge thanks to everyone that came-- what a cute bunch.
Then, we set out for NYC. What a drive. First and foremost, I love you northeast, but your tolls almost killed us! $40 altogether (literally) just to drive to New York. Call me crazy, but that seems excessive! Maybe. Maybe not.. either way, be prepared for it if you want to drive to New York from Washington, D.C.
We stayed in a great Airbnb in Chinatown- it was so cozy! (Never used AirBnB before? You definitely should! Use that link for a coupon on your first trip!) We were a quick walk to SoHo and a subway or Uber to anywhere else, including Brooklyn. What did we do in NYC? We ate and walked around, a lot. We also visited The Whitney, went to Jesse Tyler Ferguson's Broadway show, and shopped around in Chelsea and Little Italy. I'm just going to add words under pictures, because photos are more fun anyway! {Did I take a picture of all of our meals? No. But I did take a few... They're scattered throughout.}
Our first night: All of my fiancé's family- including his parents via FaceTime and Dick the dog!
Ivan Ramen: This place was as cool as it was delicious. **Make a reservation, and if the weather is nice, ask for a courtyard table. This was the most pleasant meal we had in New York City- we had space, the weather was perfect, and the service and food were on point. I plan on going back every time I'm in NYC from now on!
KiKi's in Chinatown... Mediterranean food, adorable little space. By far, one of our favorite places in NYC. Pictured: one of our salads, roe dip, and a tzatziki dip!
Lil Frankie's: Italian in the East Village- so, our group- and I- had some mixed reviews on this place. I'm not including the spots we tried and didn't love in this post, but since I have mixed feelings on this one, I'm including it. To start things off, the reservation was painful to make over the phone. But, we got it worked out! Another thing, which isn't uncommon but is annoying nonetheless, is that they won't seat a complete party: 2 of our 6 (and that 2 included me, whoopsies) were running late because of the broadway show, and they were literally threatening to take away our reservation with the other 4 already there ready to sit. Then, when we did arrive, we were seated at a table that was probably actually meant for 4, and the service was mediocre at best. HOWEVER, the heirloom tomato and burrata appetizer was amazing, as were the pasta dishes we ordered. So, I'm still deciding if I would go back. I think I would. {PS: it's also cash only!}
Cafe Petisco: They don't have a website, so I linked the google search for the restaurant. Great dinner and great brunch the next day! One thing to remember: they are cash only. Take cash.
The view at sunset from the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Speedy Romeo: Delicious pizza in Brooklyn! We at there after going to Fly By Night at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. (Cool light show with trained pigeons. If you're in the area, look into it!) We sampled a ton of different pizzas and every single one was awesome. Also, I think it may be on the HBO show Girls, but I only heard that... Who knows!
Jesse Tyler Ferguson's "Fully Committed": only on for a limited time, and so worth every penny. It is a one and a half hour one-man show, and I loved it.
@the Whitney- this museum has art and views!
Most of these were taken in Freeman's ally. Unfortunately, someone tagged over the Love Wall before we got there, but we got some good photos anyway.
As far as driving goes: I think we would do it again! The trip back was a little rough, but not having to deal with the airport was TOTALLY worth it. We're already planning our next trip! Any suggestions on what we should do next time? Leave them in the comments below!
xx