I have been to New York City only twice in my life–coincidentally both over Easter break. I visited for the first time last year and had a less-than-pleasant experience. I was underwhelmed by this great big city that I know is beloved by many. So my friends devised a plan for me to revisit New York City.
Upon arriving in the city Fiona, a fellow HerCampus member, and I got off the subway at the wrong stop–this was the best possible start to our day. We stepped off on 6th Avenue with the sun shining down on us. We walked towards Cornelia Street–I had to, I am a Swiftie at heart. Then made our way over to the iconic Friends apartment.
After our stroll through the West Village, we made our way over to Chelsea Market. We ate at a Korean grill called Mokbar and ate Bibimbap bowls–this was some of the best food I have ever eaten. After we finished eating we met with our other friend Bridget, another HerCampus member. Together we headed to the Strand, a famous bookstore known for its 18 miles of new and used books. It was featured in one of my favorite holiday shows, Dash & Lily. We browsed through the stacks of books for what seemed like forever and by the time we left we had barely scratched the surface.
After the Strand, we walked to the Harry Potter store. This was by far my favorite part of our day trip. Upon arrival we got Butterbeer–as all fans know it is a Harry Potter staple. We also got Butterbeer ice cream, a Butterbeer muffin, and a Daily Prophet cupcake. After our sweet treats, we began browsing through the store, greeted by everything a Harry Potter fan could dream of. There was even a whole section of the store dedicated just to types of different wands. We each gathered a sizeable amount of purchases in the store–including Harry Potter socks, a Niffler keychain, and an 18” x 24” poster of Sirius Black.
As the day was coming to an end we decided to sit on the steps of The Met, which felt very Gossip Girl-coded. At this point, I was feeling like an authentic New Yorker. We each got a large soft pretzel and people watched. Then we walked through Central Park to catch our subway to our train. My day in New York was what I always dreamed about when people talked of the city they loved so much.