Wellington Hotel
New York offers unlimited hotels to choose from and on my stay the Wellington Hotel was the perfect choice. The Wellington Hotel is located along Seventh Avenue at 55th Street and central to everything Manhattan is all about. The bustle and excitement of the city is only moments away from the hotel and that made every day waking up even more dream worthy.
Wellington’s central location meant easy access to all the main attractions including a ten minute walk to Times Square and the Rockefeller Center. I didn’t have to flag down taxis or hop on the subway as everything I wanted to see to experience the true city vibe was on my doorstep.
In terms of pricing, I would put The Wellington in the average category to what most hotels would cost in New York. There are more budget-friendly options and of course, a lot more luxury options than this hotel, however, The Wellington offered everything I needed for an affordable price with a central location. I paid £100 a night for the hotel and divided it with my sister, so that it didn’t work out as too pricey, considering the amenities.
Wellington also offered breakfast tokens for a nearby cafe and I was able to get a bite to eat before setting foot in my day venturing around the city. If you’re looking for a mid-range, standard hotel for the full New York experience that gives you your money’s worth and more, I’d highly recommend The Wellington Hotel.
Levain Bakery
You don’t really know the meaning of a good cookie until you make a trip down to Levain Bakery when in NYC. Established in 1995 in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Levain Bakery has gained a reputation over two decades for creating the biggest and gooiest cookies in the city. Be prepared to queue for a while as the scent of the chocolatey goodness lingers outside the store front.
Levain Bakery is an Instagram win (if you’re in to that sort of narcissism) and one you must have seen photos of when others have flocked to the city. The bakery offers a range of different cookies that look like large rocks filled with more chocolate chunks than you can count. On the outside, the cookies look hard but when you break them in half, the gooeyness of the soft centre is revealed and they have the perfect combination of a soft and crunchy cookie, baked to perfection.
The bakery has many different flavours of cookies so there’s the variety if you’re a picky eater or want to try a variety of the chunky cookies. I chose the triple chocolate flavour and my sister picked the milk chocolate one. We swapped at one point to try each other’s but I have to say the triple chocolate choice won by a mile. It’s definitely a cookie with a complete chocolate overload and perfect for the sweet tooth lover.
Lombardi's
Pizza became the norm in America when the first ever pizzeria hit New York in 1905, called Lombardi’s. The pizzeria still stands today in the centre of Little Italy and offers the same charm, authenticity and incredible pizzas which were first launched in the city over a century ago.
Little Italy is a hub in Manhattan to offer the taste of the romantic country in the centre of NYC. It has that authentic and charismatic atmosphere to match it and a place that needs to be added to your agenda. I loved the ambiance of Little Italy and how the quirky and colourful buildings reminded me of walking through Rome.
Lombardi’s is a restaurant that is overly hyped for good reason. As the first pizzeria in the United States, it has not only the history element to it but cooks pizza the right way, the traditional, Italian way in a wood fire oven. Their pizza menu isn’t hugely varied, however, every pizza they offer is exactly what is said on the tin with the true pizza flavours coming through. I had the ‘ Buddy’s Cake Boss Pizza’ which offered a dreamy combination of prosciutto ham, rocket, mozzarella and romano cheese and it was as dreamy as you can imagine.
The interior in Lombardi’s also screams traditional Italy with the red and white checkered tablecloths, lingering scent of fresh dough, rustic wooden furniture and old school Italian music echoing through the air.
