This is not one of those “how to make the most of your one day in NYC and see all the things” kind of blogs, so consider this your chance to stop reading now. This is more of a “this is how crazy we are and this is what we did and we still can’t believe we did it, but also here’s what we won’t do again” kind of blog.

If you’re still here, just hanging on to see how this goes, here it is in all its’ glory: How to Do One Day in NYC according to the Buffs. . .

Step one. Do not drive into Manhattan on a Saturday after 5pm. I hope I don’t need to repeat that. Just don’t do it. Especially on a weekend. And especially on a weekend when festivities are being hosted. Whew. What a time to be alive.

Step two. Get a room with a view. Preferably in times square. This truly matters. I know the magic is what we make it, but if you can make this magic happen, it’s worth it.

Step three. Wear good shoes. You will walk and you will get lost. You will walk some more. You will go up and down steps to the sticky, stinky underground we know and love as the subway. At some point, you may stop and sit as you ride the ferry. But, you will be glad you wore good shoes.

Step four. Ok, on to the real stuff. And the stuff I quite literally just mentioned in Step 3. Take the Staten Island Ferry. It’s cheap as free, it’s breezy, and it hosts amazing views of the Statue of Liberty, as well as the city.

Step five. Swing by China town. Take in the sights and the smells. Eat something yummy. Spend a little money. Let the kids buy something absurd on Canal Street.

Step six. Take the subway. It’s an experience.

Step seven. Promptly stop by Gucci. After the kids have spend their souvenir budget on the cheap stuff, of course. The air conditioning is all the way up, maxin’ and relaxin’ all cool. If you’re visiting in July, you will highly enjoy this. Take in the smells here too. It smells really good. Like, an expensive man. Have you ever smelled one of those? Me either. And if you’re feeling a little ridiculous, have some fun conversations with the shopping consultants and say things like “redneck boujee” and watch them cackle.

Step eight. Central Park. Do it, embrace it, maybe you’ll even love it. Walk and explore and stand in the shade and let the kids climb.

Step nine. Get overwhelmed by the massive festive weekend crowds and eventually skip out on Manhattan to head to slower-paced Brooklyn for the evening to find a shorter wait on dinner.

Step ten. Eat at The Commodore. Even though happening on this little slice of food heaven was a total accident, there is no veering from this step. This is a hard must.

Step eleven. Get a cookie at Levain. Or you can get five cookies. Or twenty. But, the minimum of one must be eaten. It’s a skip and a hop from Commodore, so there really isn’t an excuse for not getting a cookie. Even if you’re too full to eat dessert, just go for a walk and buy the cookie and save it for breakfast and thank me the next morning.

 

Step twelve. Get an Uber from Brooklyn to Times Square and just stare out the windows at all the pretty lights. What a view crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. There are no pictures, because we were equal parts tired and enamored, but just trust me. What. A. View.

Step thirteen. Don’t leave the next morning without a bagel. And obviously a coffee…I just assumed that was understood.

There were things we highly enjoyed and there were things we missed. But, expectations matter. This trip came at us quickly. We were busy with work and life and we didn’t really plan much. So, to expect a pinterest-perfect, meticulously planned, seamless one-day in NYC wouldn’t be realistic.

But, realistically. . .We ate great food, we laughed, we got lost, we laughed some more. There were mishaps and missteps, there were moments and memories. . .And we were together.