A Rare November Day in NYC - The Travel Oracle

What do you do when it’s 75 degrees and not a cloud in the sky? Before you answer, let me also add in that we were in NYC AND we had the day off. Did that change your answer? Did it conjure images of Mary Tyler Moore twirling in the street? (Actually, that image would probably only appear if you’re over 55.) Well regardless of your mental image, let me share with you what we did on a rare November Day in NYC!

Catching You Up

Woman and man standing in Grand Central Terminal. Ceiling is green and behind them is a cream colored arch — Grand Central

A man and woman standing in Times Square. Behind them are multiple neon lights — Grand Central

ICYMI…we were already in NYC for 3 days by this time.

Day 1 – Dobbs Ferry with Friends after a 7 hour tour of Harrisburg, PA’s airport
Day 2 – The Saturday tour of the American Revolution
Day 3 – The NYC Marathon

We were ready to start day 4. The race was over and I was finally turning the corner on a grumpy chest cold. Our friends had the morning free and the weather was BEAUTIFUL!!!

Since they hadn’t spent much time in NYC previously, a walking tour seemed like JUST the thing to do.

But first…Coffee

Look, I’m not saying I’m addicted. I’m just saying that if you want me to do the things or if you want me to say words, coffee is essential. Since they didn’t want me to be a mute lump that morning, our first order of business was breakfast.

We headed to Zaza’s Cafe in Greenwich. A magnificent display of sugary goodness greeted us when we first walked in.

Colorful pastries displayed in an arched glass display case

Though all of that was tempting, I opted for more standard fare…lots of coffee and avocado toast – both of which, were quite righteous.

Avocado, feta and tomato on toast on a white square plate with a coffee cup in the background — *My righteous breakfast*

Properly fueled and caffeinated, we headed out for our morning adventure.

And then…Little Island

Little Island Park sits in the Hudson River and just opened this year. It offers GREAT views of Manhattan, has a picnic area with food trucks, an intimate amphitheater and outdoor instruments for making music. Oh, it’s also FREE and looks like it’s set on giant wine glasses. (What could be better than that??)

Image of Little Island park. Looks like white wine glasses emerging from the river with trees on top of it — Little Island

Close up of the supports at Little Island park. They are large, white, wine glass shaped concrete poles — Little Island

A mass of purple flowers — Flowers on the Island

Wild grass in front to water. The Statue of Liberty is in the far distance — Flowers on the Island

Next…Chelsea Market

This was THE FIRST time we hit Chelsea Market when it wasn’t absolutely packed with tourist and let me say…this place is great! We got to go in all the shops and wished we brought a second stomach for the tasty food! The trick? We got there about 15 minutes before everything opened.

A counter full of chocolates — All the Chocolate

A clock hanging in an archway surrounded by small white lights — All the Chocolate

Taking the High Road

Next we jumped on the High Line and took that over to Hudson Yards. We were again BLESSED with the lack of tourists and were able to really enjoy the artwork and the views from the path.

Empire State Building from the High Line — Empire State Building

Building with bowed glass windows — Empire State Building

The NYC Marathon — *The Medal at the Vessel*

Catching the Subway to Katz’s

Since the walking tour was over and our friends only had a couple hours until they had to head to the airport, we decided it was as good a time as any to eat. Again. So we hopped the subway and headed over the Katz’s Deli in the Lower East Side.

Subway station with a sign on the far wall that reads "Madison Square Garden" — *Subway to Katz’s*

Due to some miscommunication, we all boarded a train ONLY to discover it was on the wrong one. My compadres made it back out to the platform in time, I, however, had a bit more of an issue. I guess I thought that placing your body in the door frame would stop the doors from closing…sort of like an elevator. Instead, they close on you and the train begins to move away. Thankfully, one of our friends pried the doors open like the Hulk and pulled me onto the platform. Lesson learned!

Woman's arm with black marks on it on a subway platform — *What a Dummy*

We Found the Tourists!

You know how I said it was SO GREAT to visit Chelsea Market and the High Line without the teeming mass of humanity? Well, we found out that all the tourists were in line waiting to get a table at Katz’s!

A line of people in front of a brick building that reads "Katzs Delicatessen" — Teeming Humanity

A sea of hungry people inside Katzs deli waiting to order — Teeming Humanity

Katz’s is famous for several reasons:

They serve righteous food
They’ve been around since 1898
They’ve been featured in many TV shows and movies, including the fake orgasm scene in When Harry Met Sally

A round sign pointing down to a table that reads "This is where Harry Met Sally. We hope you have what she had. Enjoy!" — *Where Harry Met Sally*

We parted ways with Brad and Becky and headed back Downtown.

Drinks at One of Favorite Bars

I’ll be honest, you could say we were meeting ALMOST ANYONE for drinks at the Dead Rabbit and I’d be in! Thankfully we got to enjoy some great pours with a couple of runner friends. Thanks to their cozy vibe, great drinks and interesting food offerings, The Dead Rabbit has been on our NYC Highlight Reel since 2019! (Oh and they like also won the best bar in the world a bunch of times as well.)

Wall of bottles of liquor behind a wooden bar — Bar at the Rabbit

Image of a muscular bunny dressed in a cap, red shirt and suspenders above the words "The Dead Rabbit" — Bar at the Rabbit

Evening Walkabout

We had dinner reservations for 6pm about 2 miles from our hotel. My suggestion? Why don’t we walk it? (By the way, that’s almost ALWAYS my suggestion.) Every block was a feast for my soul so I was super happy Stephen agreed to it, after his fun run the previous day. With time to kill, we decided to visit the Harry Potter Store by the Flatiron Building.

Image of a broom in a glass display case — The Nimbus 2000

Dinner at the Refinery

I came across the rooftop bar at the Refinery hotel in an travel article earlier in the year. I’m glad we had reservations because it was unusually full for a MONDAY night. To be fair…it was a RARE November day in NYC. How many more days would we have to sit on the roof and enjoy the view?

A rooftop restaurant with views of the Manhattan skyline above. White lights hang down on strings and there are many people. — Roof top at the Refinery

A bowl containing a Cesar salad with grilled chicken. A glass of white wine sits behind it to the right` — Roof top at the Refinery

And of course…Gelato!

What better way to end the day than with gelato from Amorino? (Well, maybe a surprise limo ride from Jimmy Fallon where we meet Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ana de Armas for drinks would have been a little better.) But this gelato is outstanding and they make it look like a flower. So there’s that.

Dark red and cream colored gelato on an ice cream cone that looks like a flower — The Gelato Rose

The End

Having completed both the NYC Marathon and more than 10 miles of walking with me, Stephen was ready for a ride home so we hopped the subway back to our hotel. What an amazingly wonderful, rare day in NYC. I’m so glad I got to spend it with my best friend and co-conspirator.

A man wearing dress clothes, a Scally cap and the NYC Marathon medal leaning against a pole on a subway platform — One Tired Man

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