A trip to New York isn’t complete without seeing the Statue of Liberty, so we decided the best way to see her for the first time was from the water on a boat.
We booked online for a ferry tour which departed from Hudson River Park and lasted about an hour and a half.
Leaving the dock we went down the West side of Manhattan and past the Financial District.
The tour went up past Manhattan with DUMBO and Brooklyn on our right side.
We went under the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge and it was amazing to see these magnificent structures from a different angle
The boat then turned so Manhattan was on our right hand side and we got a great view of midtown including the Empire State building.
The tour took us back past downtown where we saw the famous Staten Island Ferry.
We then made our way towards the Statue of Liberty which was the highlight of the tour.
In all honesty, it is a lot smaller than I expected in comparison to all the the skyscrapers in the city, but it is a stunning structure which is so iconic to New York.
The boat finally made its way back up the West side of Manhattan and to the pier at Hudson Yards.
This was a fantastic way to see the city from the water and a brilliant bucket list moment to see the Statue of Liberty in all of her glory ❤
When visiting a new city we always like to book the hop-on hop-off Big Bus Tours as they’re a cheap and easy way to get around to see all of the major tourist attractions. On the third day of our trip we booked the tickets which last 24 hours so we could split the tour across two days, so here is what we saw on the second half of the bus tour.
Just around the corner from our hotel was Times Square so we had to start by hopping off here to get some shots.
As expected, Times Square is a very busy and hectic tourist trap, so we got our photos and quickly got back on the bus.
Next we made a stop on Broadway as I wanted to visit the Polene store.
I’d had my eye on the Numero Neuf mini handbag for a while and so I finally made the purchase.
I opted for the colour Sable as a neutral tone to go with lots of outfits.
I even got the strap monogrammed with my initials as a complimentary service with purchase.
From Broadway we went a few more stops on the bus down to the Financial District where the new One World Trade Center stands.
I did find it quite upsetting to see the 911 memorial site where the twin towers used to stand, but it has to be done when in New York for the first time.
We hopped back on the bus and went up the west side of town where we got off at Hudson Yards to walk along The Highline.
The Highline is a 1.45 mile long elevated park and greenway created on a former New York Central Railroad.
Along the way we saw The Vessel, an impressive honeycomb like sculpture of interconnected staircases designed by British designer Thomas Heatherwick.
It’s a brilliant way to see the city as the path weaves between buildings to provide unique views and perspectives.
Towards the end of The Highline, we came off to go to Chelsea Market for some lunch.
A bit like Borough Market in London but inside a former factory building, Chelsea Market features many restaurants and food vendors from a wide variety of cuisines.
As soon as my boyfriend saw the Currywurst, that was decision made for his lunch.
You can take the boy out of Germany, but you can’t take the German out of the boy!
After lunch we then went for a stroll around the Chelsea neighbourhood as I wanted to get some aesthetic street style pics.
The exposed fire escapes and stoops on the houses in Chelsea are what characterises this part of Manhattan, making it the perfect spot to photograph street style.
With the weather still so mild and warm for October, I wore my smart white shorts paired with a brown tank from C’est Normal, a silk Le Scarf around my neck, Dior sliders, Marc Jacobs tote bag and YSL sunnies to complete this chic, daytime city look.
It was the perfect day to walk along The Highline and it’s something I definitely recommend doing if the weather permits during your trip to NYC.
As mentioned, Times Square is not my idea of fun but a great one to tick off the bucket list.
The Chelsea neighbourhood was so trendy and cool, so I would like to explore it more on another trip to the city as we only got to see the area around the market.
As always, the Big Bus Tours didn’t disappoint in providing a relatively cheap and convenient way to get around and see the sights of New York City ❤
During our week in New York we were keen to try different cuisines and on the Monday night, I had a craving for some Asian food. So after a quick look to see what was in the area, we found a popular Asian-fusion restaurant called TAO, just a five minute walk from our hotel.
I wore this Topshop playsuit which was giving classy Asian inspired vibes paired with nude heels, my velvet green Sandro handbag, and a small silk scarf thrown around my neck to complete the look.
We made an 8pm reservation and arrived a little early to enjoy some pre-dinner cocktails at the bar.
I ordered the TAO martini which was super sweet in taste and looked very aesthetic with the three raspberries for garnish.
We were then shown to our table in the main restaurant where we were seated at a booth with a view of the iconic sixteen foot tall Buddha statue.
I was excited to have some sushi and so I opted for the special crispy tuna roll which was delightful.
My boyfriend ordered the orange chicken which was more like sweet and sour, the sticky pork ribs, a side of rice and we shared a side of wok fried greens too.
Everything was delicious but safe to say we over ordered as the portions were very large; we should’ve known being in America!
It was only when I was watching an old Sex & The City episode the following week at home, that I realised Carrie Bradshaw and her friends attended the opening of TAO Uptown in season 4 episode 3.
We also happened to watch the movie Hitch when we got back from NYC and we spotted the TAO restaurant again as the location they filmed the speed dating scene. It would seem you’re never far from a famous location or celeb when in New York City!
It was a fabulous evening at TAO Uptown and a fun spot for date night with its lavish interiors, ultra trendy vibe and scrumptious Asian inspired menu. I’d recommend trying TAO if you’re in the city, just be sure to make a reservation in advance as this popular spot books up quick – https://taogroup.com/venues/tao-uptown-new-york/
As one of the most photographed spots on Instagram in New York, walking over Brooklyn Bridge to get one of those iconic shots with Manhattan in the background is a must when visiting the city for the first time.
On the Monday afternoon we headed downtown and grabbed a slice at Joe’s Pizza for lunch.
Grabbing a slice of authentic American pizza was on my list of foodie experiences to do whilst in New York and it didn’t disappoint.
I opted for a spinach and ricotta topping whilst my boyfriend went for a classic slice of greasy pepperoni.
Fuelled up on pizza and we were ready for the walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.
It would seem the bridge is busy at most times of the day unless you were to come super early in the morning, but that didn’t effect our experience.
Whilst it was an overcast day it was still quite warm at about 23 degrees, so the perfect weather for a pleasant stroll over the bridge in shorts and a light jacket.
A few stops for photos along the way and we finally made our way over to DUMBO.
DUMBO (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass) is another very famous neighbourhood known for its picturesque streets and trendy art scene.
We found ourselves on Washington Street, the most popular street in DUMBO for that iconic view of the Manhattan Bridge framed by the cobblestone street and red-brick buildings.
As expected it was very busy during the afternoon, so we got the shot and continued exploring the area.
From the bridge we had spotted an awesome looking rooftop bar overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan skyline, so we headed there for an early evening cocktail.
Located on top of the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, Harriet’s Rooftop is a stylish bar serving lovely cocktails to enjoy whilst taking in those unbeatable views of the city.
I had a classic Paloma cocktail whilst my boyfriend had a local Brooklyn pilsner beer.
As you can imagine it was very pricey, but we couldn’t complain given the brilliant views we got to soak up whilst enjoying our drinks.
It was soon time to make our way back over the bridge and with the early evening drawing in and the city lighting up, the skyline became even more photogenic.
I can see why so many people love this part of New York; there’s a certain romantic quality about it that makes you feel like the main character in a movie.
Once we reached the other side of the bridge we caught a cab back to the hotel and on our drive through Manhattan, there was the most beautiful sunset of purple and pink hues.
Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge over to DUMBO was one of my favourite experiences during our visit to New York, and I’m super keen to see more of this trendy neighbourhood on our next trip to NYC ❤
With Central Park being right on our doorstep at the Park Lane Hotel, we decided to spend our Sunday afternoon exploring the park on bikes before enjoying some classic American bagels overlooking the lake.
We hired push bikes from a kiosk just outside of the park and cycled up the east side on the dedicated bike lanes they have all around the park.
It was a beautiful sunny afternoon in late September and the weather was still warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt, so I wore my Tommy Hilfigure boyfriend style shorts, a stripy low back top, my Stradivarius cage toe mules, my Coach handbag worn across body and MiuMiu sunnies to complete the look.
We took a short detour out of the park to the Upper East Side where I wanted to go for the famous Tompkins Square Bagels.
The choice of bagel flavours and different fillings was incredible, so the server kindly let us try some different cream cheeses to help make our decision.
With the bagels secured, we packed them in the bike basket and cycled back to Central Park.
We made our way around to the west side of the park where we found the big lake looking glorious in the afternoon sun.
After finding a bench with a nice view, we unwrapped our bagels and savoured every last bite as we soaked up the wonderful views of Central Park.
For our bagels we ordered one savoury and one sweet.
Our savoury choice was the everything seasoning bagel lightly toasted with a scallion and red onion cream cheese filling.
The sweet bagel was blueberry flavoured with a nutella and peanut butter cream cheese filling which was divine!
I couldn’t wait to try my first Poppi drink which I’ve seen lots of American influencers rave about and we were not disappointed, the orange flavour was delish.
Bagels devoured and tummies full, we hopped back on the bikes and made our way to the South end of the park to return the bikes.
This was the perfect way to spend a glorious Sunday afternoon in New York and I’d highly recommend renting bikes to explore Central Park as it is so big! I would say it was one of my favourite parts of New York ❤
When in New York shopping on Fifth Avenue is a must and with our hotel just around the corner, it was the first thing on our agenda on day one of our trip.
I had the perfect outfit planned for our first outing in New York featuring my killer new boots.
I paired my suede mini skirt from Bershka with a high-neck cream singlet from Pull & Bear, then completed the look with a classic baker boy hat, my sand suede long boots and my trusty Coach monogram handbag with the cross body strap.
With it being the end of September the weather was still quite warm particularly on our first day, so a jacket wasn’t even needed.
Our first stop was a cafe called Scoop which we found on a quieter street just of Fifth Avenue to grab a bite to eat for breakfast.
We shared a yoghurt with granola, some watermelon, a coffee and a freshly made smoothie we could have blended with our choice of ingredients.
There was a lovely little courtyard with seating called Paley Park right next to the cafe where we sat and enjoyed our brekky.
It was like an oasis nestled amongst the city with a gorgeous water feature wall and lots of trees looking glorious in the sunshine.
We then walked further up Fifth Avenue and got some fabulous photos of me crossing the street with the hustle and bustle of the city around me.
There were lots of stores to browse and there was some great pieces in Zara, but I wanted to buy from places we don’t have in the UK, so I found myself picking up lots of bits at Aritzia.
I tried on this awesome vegan leather oversized bomber in a deep chocolate brown, but I didn’t get it as I was looking for a similar style but in a suede material.
An impulse purchase was this gorgeous shift dress which was giving Carrie Bradshaw vibes and I simply couldn’t resist.
The athleisure wear in Aritzia is also really nice, so I got this dark green sports top with the flattering white border detail.
The dress was $149 and the sports top $40 which I thought was a good price for the quality of these pieces.
I couldn’t not have a look in Victoria’s Secret and they were doing five panties for $25 dollars, so naturally I had to stock up on some cute undies.
Coach was another must visit store for me and the flagship one on Fifth Avenue is quite impressive, they even had a dinosaur statue made of handbag cuttings.
I’ve always loved the Tabby style and so this one in the dark animal print caught my eye.
I was very tempted as this would make a brilliant statement winter handbag, however I was saving myself for a Polene bag I’ve had on my wishlist for ages and they have a store in SoHo New York.
After well over ten thousand steps in my high heel boots, we were ready to head back to the hotel for a rest and some lunch.
The evening before we also made a stop outside Tiffany’s on Fifth Avenue because I was wearing my Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly inspired dress and had to get a photo outside the store where Breakfast at Tiffany’s was filmed.
I’m a big Hepburn fan and love her in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, so this was a special moment for me ❤
We only touched the surface of the shops on Fifth, but we’d done enough shopping for one day and I was super happy with my purchases. Being just on the doorstep of our hotel, we were going to be visiting Fifth Avenue a number of times during our trip and I wasn’t mad about it!
After a weekend back in the English countryside, we are still on a high from our fabulous holiday exploring the very best of the one and only, City of New York.
It really is a city packed with so much to do and although we ticked a lot off our list of things to see, we’re already wanting to go back to experience more of this awesome concrete jungle.
Our hotel for the duration of our vacation was The Park Lane Hotel located on the very South end of Central Park.
The location was ideal as we were in the centre of the city with the beautiful green expanse of Central Park on our doorstep.
Darling Rooftop bar sits on the very top of the hotel where we enjoyed a specular breakfast on the Monday morning of our stay.
Like everything in New York the breakfast buffet came at a pricey cost of $75 per person, but with this experience only open to hotel guests, we couldn’t pass up this incredible opportunity.
We also dined in their A La Carte restaurant Calvert’s on Sunday evening as everywhere else nearby was closing early that night.
I had the asparagus radish chickpea salad and my boyfriend had a tomato ragu pasta. Both dishes were delicious complimented with friendly service, something we discovered was unfortunately not always guaranteed even at the most premium restaurants in the city.
Our room was a good size with a super comfy bed, stylish interiors and a cool city view.
I especially liked the stylish bathroom with striped tiling.
Overall we were very pleased with our stay at Park Lane Hotel and would recommend to anyone visiting New York for the first time wanting to be amongst the hustle and bustle of the city.
We packed a lot into our seven days in NYC and made some incredible memories together whilst taking in the spectacle of The Big Apple.
With such a brilliant list of things to share including famous landmarks, iconic photo spots, scenic rooftop bars and our favourite restaurants, I thought I’d focus separately on each area we visited and what we did there in a series of posts called ‘The NYC Diaries’.
So be sure to subscribe to my blog to get notified for a very exciting series of posts to come about our trip of dreams to New York City ❤
A trip to New York has long been on my bucket list and I’m super excited to be going there for the first time with my boyfriend next week. As soon as we booked the trip I couldn’t wait to get outfit planning and using Pinterest to create my mood board of NYC iconic aesthetic, delicious foodie inspo and of course cool street style.
I was in my element filming this vlog as I got to layout all of the clothes and accessories I want to take to New York, as well as try on some cute fall fits I had envisioned in my mind, before sorting them into my trusty packing cubes and slotting them into my suitcase. Needless to say, organising and planning makes me very happy indeed and when it comes to styling and having fun with fashion, NYC really is the perfect place for it. I hope this vlog inspires you for your own autumn wardrobe and gives you some useful tips for when it comes to packing for a city break. Next time I see you guys we’ll be in New York, so be sure to subscribe to see the NYC Diaries on my channel here soon ❤
Since opening a few years ago, The Mutton at Hazeley Heath has been a firm favourite local pub for Friday drinks as well as their award winning menu of traditional pub dishes done to a five star standard.
So this Saturday we decided to book a table in the restaurant for date night and as always enjoyed a delectable meal complete with top service.
Now we are well into September, it felt like the last weekend I could get away with white jeans and mules, so I wore my Topshop white slim fit jeans paired with a ruched detail backless top, my gorgeous Senso pink satin mules and a Cult Gia dupe mini box bag.
Blush pink hues for date night is a timeless classic and I would’ve worn my pearls to complete the look, but with a nigh neck top on I opted for statement gold drop earrings which I recently got from Na-kd.
With 8:15pm reservations, we arrived at The Mutton for 8pm to have an aperitif. I sipped a classic Dirty Martini which was delightful; I felt very Carrie Bradshaw from Sex & The City ❤
The interiors at The Mutton are very classic countryside chic with a subtle modern twist, and the low lighting in the restaurant makes for the perfect sophisticated evening atmosphere.
To start we shared the sourdough bread with charcoal butter and homemade spicy pickles which were divine.
For main course I ordered the chargrilled sea bream, crushed potatoes, seasonal vegetables and white wine sauce with a side salad, whilst my boyfriend had the sirloin steak with nduja butter, fries, pickled shallot, parmesan and rocket salad.
I had a glass of the Gyotaku, Christophe Mittnacht Alsace, French white wine upon recommendation from the waitress as a pairing to my fish dish.
As always it was a 10/10 meal presented beautifully, cooked to perfection and full of incredible flavour.
We savoured every last bite and with clean plates all round, we left very satisfied indeed.
The bill came to just under £150 so its certainly on the pricier side for a meal out, but definitely worth it for a special occasion or a treat for date night.
The Mutton at Hazeley Heath remains our top spot for fine dining in Hampshire, so be sure to try it for yourself if you’re in the area – https://themuttonathazeleyheath.co.uk
Whilst I’m never ready to say goodbye to Summer, I do love the transitional period for fashion as we can re-introduce layers and start tapping into the autumnal trends like suede jackets and rich chocolate brown tones.
But as we find ourselves in this sort of limbo between summer and fall, it’s a great opportunity to style cute shorts, skirts and dresses with boots.
I’ve been waiting for the right moment to style my Stradivarius Cowboy boots with my Tommy Hilfiger boyfriend jean shorts, so this Saturday’s date night was the perfect opportunity with the weather still mild enough to have my legs out in the evening.
I paired the shorts with a new babydoll style top I got from Zara recently. The feminine shape of the top with backless bow detail balanced out the boyish silhouette of the bottom half to create that countryside chic aesthetic.
To complete the outfit I took out my new US Polo Assn saddle style handbag in rich chocolate brown; another nod to autumn and the cute countryside look.
We went for post dinner cocktails at the Bel & The Dragon in Odiham where the interiors were also giving classic countryside chic.
I had a refreshing Hugo Spritz which was delightful. I can’t believe I hadn’t tried one before, it’s definitely a new fave cocktail for me.
I’m now on the lookout for a pair of long suede block heel boots in either a light sand colour or rich chocolate brown.
A killer pair of boots styled with shorts or a skirt and an oversized knit or jacket is such a vibe and looks so effortless yet chic.
I’m thinking for New York this kind of look for daytime will tick all the boxes , I just need to find the perfect pair of boots now!
Dani Aneka 