Happy Friday! Here’s the final installment of my #BowtifulTravels recap from my recent trip to New York City. If you missed the first two, here are links to Day 1 & 2 and Day 3.
Saturday, May 21st, 2016
Day four started out with breakfast at our hotel and then a trip to Tiffany’s to look at all the gorgeous goodies there. One of my favorite sections was the housewares floor. I absolutely love fun china, cups and the extra touches that you can add to a table setting, so it was really not much of a surprise that that floor ended up being one of my favorites.
Up next, we made our usual (and necessary) stop at Bergdorf’s. We checked out the Jo Malone counter there and I ended up adding another fragrance to my collection. The English Pear & Freesia reminds me of summer and champagne. It’s a light fragrance, so it’s a really nice alternative to my usual Peony & Blush Suede.
After Bergdorf’s we walked through Central Park so that I could check off another item on my New York bucket list. I finally got to see the famous Alice in Wonderland statue! Mary and I also took some outfit of the day photos by Conservatory Water which will be going up some time soon.
Next, I went to meet up with my friend Hannah Rademaker at Ralph’s in the POLO flagship at 5th and 55th. I’d been into the POLO store before, but this was my first time going to Ralph’s. I’d been told in the past by numerous friends that it was a “must-go” place for me and they were so right. This place was amazing and right up my alley. Combining a classic prep brand and coffee? I’m sold!
If I had to design a coffee shop, it would be exactly what Ralph’s is. The atmosphere there is amazing, I’m a sucker for the white and green color scheme and the white marble tables were the perfect finishing touch. Ralph’s is definitely going to be one of the places that I now have to go to every time that I’m in New York. I purchased an on-the-go coffee mug so that I could take a piece of Ralph’s back to Chicago with me and I’ve used it almost every day since coming home.
As I said, I went there to meet up with a friend. Hannah and I have known each other since we were around three months old and we’re only a month apart in age! It’s been cool over the years to reconnect at various points in our lives because we both share a love for different areas of the fashion industry. I’m a life and style blogger (obviously) and Hannah is a model who just switched to a New York agency. It was great to catch up with her and hear about the adventures she’s had so far this summer!
Right after I got back to the hotel after meeting with Hannah, the sky had pretty much opened up and it was absolutely pouring rain. Mary and I cabbed it to Soho for our dinner reservations at The Mercer Kitchen. The food there was fantastic and our server was really fun. It’s quite rare that I actually finish my whole entree at a restaurant (I usually take home a doggy bag) but the angel hair pasta that I got was so good that I finished all of it as well as a bunch of the french fries we ordered.
You could definitely say that I was in a bit of a food coma that night, but it was worth it!
Sunday, May 22nd, 2016
On our last day (tears), we packed up our belongings and purchases in the hotel and officially checked out. Our flight wasn’t until later that evening, so we checked our bags with the concierge and went off to do a little bit more exploring for the day.
We popped by the Lotte New York Palace, which my fellow Gossip Girl fans will recognize from countless scenes in the show, and we shopped around at Mulberry, Bottega Veneta and Henri Bendel before heading to The Plaza for tea.
On our first trip to New York, Mary and I started a tradition that every time we visit NYC we have tea at The Plaza as one of our final activities before heading home. This time around I got the rooibos des vahinés tea which was described as ” a delicious pairing of vanilla and almond against a delicate Rooibos backdrop, for a warm and sophisticated blend” with aromas of vanilla and almond and originating as a “red tea from South Africa, with vanilla and almond and sprinkled with pieces of vanilla pods and marigold petals.” It was absolutely fantastic!
After tea, I snapped a few more photos around the city and we headed back to the Waldorf to get our bags and grab a cab to LaGuardia to fly home.
Now, a bit of a side story:
Staying at The Waldorf Towers was such an amazing experience and I became incredibly fond of everything about the hotel. The way the coffee tasted, the kind staff, the ambiance of the lobby and above all, the scent that permeated the air throughout the hotel (especially in the main lobby). It was a relaxing and sort of vintage, yet not stuffy, scent. It made me think of an era of the past and of all things high class. It was pure bliss.
For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what the scent was! I asked numerous hotel staff members and it seemed to be a great mystery. No one was quite sure what it was and they were so used to it that they hardly noticed the scent anymore. Finally, I asked someone at the reception desk and she informed me that the scent was made exclusively for the Waldorf Astoria and that they pumped it through the air vents in the main lobby. Another one of the ladies at reception also knew what the general scent mixture was, white tea and thyme!
The Waldorf doesn’t publicly distribute or sell the scent in any form, but one of the other women at the reception desk remembered that around Mother’s Day they had gifted special sachets of their signature scent to their guests who were moms. She had put one aside to keep, but she surprised me and gave it to me so that I could take a piece of the Waldorf home. Now, every time that I open the memory box that I put the sachet it in, I’m immediately transported back to the lavishly carpeted and gilded lobby of The Waldorf Astoria in New York and I can’t help but smile and recall our amazing visit.
I had such a fantastic trip and I’m already so excited for the next time I go back to New York City. Chicago may have my heart, but NYC is certainly one of my favorite places in the world.
Until next time…
