Quality time in NYC is just what the doctor ordered. Two days, about fifteen miles of walking, and one night next to central park at the Essex House was perfect.

Brian and I are a good match for traveling. We want the most out of our time, and we love walking the best. We're also big on food, but when it's such a short trip, we don't necessarily want to spent excessive time sitting and eating. I needed a good bagel, and Brian needed a couple good slices, and we were good.

We got a great deal at the Essex House and couldn't have asked for a better location- it was so central to Manhattan. Met up with a friend and took a subway near Union Square and grabbed Thai at ROHM on 20th in the flatiron {totally recommend it... good food/location}, coffee at The Grey Dog on University {and the most massive brownie ever served}, then called it a night. Sometimes it's good to call it a night when you're reeeeallly jetlagged and you want to get the most of the next day.

*We wanted to stop at the ShakeShack, but ah, not enough time...*

So we legitimately made the most of the next day. We grabbed bagels at Ess-A-Bagels... friends, that place is SUCH a delicious tourist trap.

While seriously enjoying our bagels, we discussed the crazy tourist situation... The place is packed-line-out-the-door, and the friends of the ones out the door waiting were sitting in the 10 tables available... none with bagels yet, most with glares, and most also with five extra chairs for future companions. Yelp didn't mention this sort of madness.. we had some good laughs about the seriousness of ordering bagels there. Don't get me wrong, I'd go back in a heartbeat. The bagels are legit. I'm talking insanely good. How do the places in New York manage to get bagels so right, and why don't they give SF bagel shops their secrets? At least we've perfected the sourdough and the dutch-crunch breads.

*The Shop Around the Corner is, indeed, a cleaners now.*

So I was browsing the good ol' internet Friday night and noticed the 15th anniversary of You've Got Mail {thanks to SometimesSweet Friday links}, and quite perfectly, we were in the vicinity of the sites where the best rom-com was filmed... so naturally, I dragged Brian to the Upper West Side with me. We discovered that The Shop around the Corner is a standard cleaners, rather than the enchanting deep-green-with-patterned-floors- book shop it once was, but gosh, I was excited to be there. The block was charming, and I decided that if I lived in Manhattan, the Upper West is my ideal. We made it to Gray's Papaya {W 72nd}and I embarrassingly took a picture there too, without any hotdog purchase. Somehow in the moment, it felt right to stand at that corner. In retrospect, I can't decide if it's awesome or ridic. Both, I think.

NYC /December 23, 2013 by Kate Brightbill

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