As every parent knows, it can be nearly impossible to take time off with all the activities and responsibilities that go along with having school age children but my husband and I managed to find 36 hours recently to travel to New York for a little theatre, great food, shopping and a dash of culture. Here is how we spent our 36 hours in the city:
36 HOURS IN NYC
*Check into The Carlyle Hotel on the Upper East Side
* Cocktails, snacks and jazz at Bemelman’s Bar (delayed flight caused us to miss our reservation at Chez Fifi)
* Shopping Veronica Beard, Ann Mashburn, KRB, Me + Em, Ulla Johnson (downtown), and La Ligne
* Late Lunch at JG Melon – old school burger joint; cash only!
* Afternoon tour of The Morgan Library & Museum – “personal library of financier, collector, and cultural benefactor Pierpont Morgan.” This is a great one to add to your list of places to visit and it only takes about an hour or so to tour.
* Meet up with friends for drinks The Lowell Hotel – perfect spot for drinks on a cold and rainy winter night.
* See a show – we saw the Broadway “comedy about love” called All In, featuring a rotating cast (ours was Jimmy Fallon, Lin-Manual Miranda, Aidy Bryant, and Nick Kroll – wow) at the Hudson Theatre. It is no longer playing but there are so many more to choose from right now – see below.
* Head downtown for late dinner at Balthazar
* Leisurely breakfast at Dowling’s at The Carlyle
* Walk down to The Winter Show to gaze at all the beautiful antiques and objets (next year’s dates are January 23-Feb 1 2026).
* Pop in Zitomer Pharmacy across the street from the hotel for treats to bring back to the boys, and then
* Time to go home !
Sargent and Paris at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Louise, Princesse de Broglie by French painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres at The Frick Collection
WHAT’S NEW IN NYC
Printemps New York – the famous Parisian department store now in NYC and by all accounts is an experience unto itself
Chez Fifi – Parisian style bistro on the UES getting lots of buzz
Just in Time – new show about the iconic performer Bobby Darin is an“electrifying new musical that will transport audiences into an intimate nightclub complete with a live band, a stellar ensemble cast…”
The Frick Collection – Recently re-opened after a five year, $200 M renovation showcasing the collection of Henry Clay Frick. “The institution’s holdings—which encompass masterworks from the Renaissance through the nineteenth century—have grown over the decades, more than doubling in size since the opening of the museum in 1935,” one of the most famous pieces being the portrait of Louise, Princesse de Broglie by French painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres.
Joan Didion Archive at the New York Public Library – literary geeks rejoice: “Comprised of 336 boxes of items, most of which have never been seen publicly, the archive represents the most comprehensive collection of the authors’ materials.”
Good Night Good Luck – George Clooney’s historical drama about the conflict between veteran CBS journalist Edward R. Murrow and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy – adapted from his 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck.
Buena Vista Social Club -a new musical that tells the story of the legendary Cuban musicians.
Sargent and Paris at the Metropolitan Museum of Art – “explores the early career of American painter John Singer Sargent (1856–1925), from his arrival in Paris in 1874 as a precocious 18-year-old art student through the mid-1880s, when his infamous portrait Madame X was a scandalous success at the Paris Salon.” Now through August 3, 2025.
The Carlyle – I love everything about this hotel. It is definitely not the nicest hotel in New York, and certainly isn’t the most modern, but it is my favorite.
Black and yellow, black and yellow, black and yellow. Shout out to my OutKast friends.
Lunch at JG Melon, an institution. While I was standing at the bar waiting on a table, I watched a man come up and ask the bartender for the wifi password. Needless to say, the bartender laughed and told him he was in the wrong restaurant for that question. Total old school here – take a look at the cash register (that they still use).
Soda: No Refills. No credit or debit cards accepted.
Just perfect.
Before your visit you should read The Personal Librarian, a fascinating novel about JP Morgan’s head curator, Bella de Costa Greene.
The cafe was really nice and pretty – it would be a great place for coffee or lunch after your tour or if you just need a break.
Absolutely well worth your time to see this incredible library.
There are so many great shops across from The Carlyle, including Veronica Beard which is always fun to visit even though I am a frequent visitor of their online shop as well.
The Lowell Hotel has to be one of the best winter spots for drinks in all of NYC. I really want to stay here next time to get the full experience.
Not surprisingly, they make a great martini.
Lim-Manual Miranda, Aidy Bryant, Jimmy Fallon and Nick Kroll were in the cast of All In on the night we went.
I did notice this personal umbrella holder and I assume driver from the Peninsula Hotel waiting outside for one of their guests – now that is good service.
It was a long way to go downtown after the play, but we wanted something fun and lively – I think Balthazar stays open until 1 or 2 AM. We didn’t stay that late but they were just getting going when we arrived for our 1030 PM reservation.
And speaking of Balthazar, Keith McNally (who owns Balthazar, Pastis, Minetta Tavern, and Morandi) recently released his memoir called “I Regret Almost Everything”. He’s a fascinating person, and very opinionated – I can’t wait to read or listen to his book this summer (narrated by Richard E. Grant).
Leisurely Breakfast before heading back home
I had an hour and a half to kill before heading to the airport so I walked down to The Winter Show at the Park Avenue Amory.
Here is a panel I would love to have attended – all about travel and design with Charlotte Moss and (Birmingham-based!) architect James Carter.
They had a little coffee shop and café set up in the space so you could enjoy a coffee while you shop or have lunch or a snack.
Not a museum piece – this Warhol was for sale at the show.
This was seriously elevated window shopping.
I really want to go back next year just for this show.
And you always have to stop into Zitomer’s – don’t ask me why but you do. It is a pharmacy but so much more.