Two Tickets to Everywhere

There’s no such thing as a “quick New York trip.” Even three nights somehow feels like you lived an entire miniseries—minus the commercial breaks.

Jef and I hopped on the Amtrak from Philadelphia (bonus points for not losing our luggage, because Amtrak luggage is just… your lap). We rolled into Manhattan and met up with our friends who flew all the way from London. Where did we stay? The Hyatt Grand Central Station. Because if you’re going to explore New York, you might as well sleep directly above the city’s biggest train hive.

Day One: Dinosaurs, Ghosts, and Childhood Flashbacks

We kicked things off at the American Museum of Natural History, where the dinosaurs made us all feel small and the dioramas made us question whether taxidermy counts as “art.” Somewhere between the T. rex and the giant whale, we realized we had turned into the kids—running around with wide eyes while the actual child in our group was just calmly eating snacks.

From there, we hit the Ghostbusters firehouse. No proton packs, no slime, and sadly no Bill Murray—but we did our best impressions anyway. (Ten points if you can hum the theme song without getting it stuck in your head for three days. We could not.)

Day Two: Heights, Meat, and Miles of Walking

If New York is good at one thing, it’s making you feel tiny. Enter The Edge—a glass-floored balcony 100 floors up. It’s the kind of view that makes you say “wow” and “oh no” at the exact same time. Some of us leaned on the glass. Some of us suddenly remembered a strong interest in staying indoors forever.

But nothing cures vertigo like food, so naturally, Katz’s Deli was next. Sandwiches bigger than your head, pastrami so good you briefly consider moving to the Lower East Side, and the knowledge that Meg Ryan has permanently altered the way strangers look at that restaurant.

To work it off, we walked The High Line. Which is basically New York saying, “Here, have a park—but make it elevated and trendy.” There was art. There were plants. There were at least four people who looked like they lived in fashion magazines.

Day Three: Bridges, Bulls, Boats, and Lady Liberty

We started the day with the classic Brooklyn Bridge walk. Nothing says “New York” like dodging cyclists while pretending you’re in a romantic comedy montage. The skyline views were spectacular—one of those moments where you pause, breathe, and think, “Yep, this is why people pay ridiculous rent here.”

We then went to see the Wall Street Bull, which is essentially a giant bronze selfie magnet surrounded by people fighting for angles. We didn’t climb on it (you’re welcome, NYC sanitation department).

Then came the boat ride around the Statue of Liberty. Wind in our hair, skyline sparkling, and Lady Liberty doing her best to look majestic while we tried not to drop our phones in the Hudson. It was peak New York—and the perfect finale.

Final Thoughts: No Sleep, All Fun

In just three nights, we managed to see dinosaurs, ghosts, skyscrapers, pastrami mountains, rooftop parks, Wall Street symbols, and one very famous lady holding a torch. We laughed, we walked too much, we ate even more, and we turned New York into our temporary playground.

Best of all? Doing it with friends from across the Atlantic made it feel like the world’s coolest reunion. London + Seattle + NYC = chaos, carbs, and a whole lot of memories.