In April, we spent 4 days in NYC – a little long weekend getaway filled with lots of museums, food and flowering trees. While New York is magical any time of year, I was so happy to go back in springtime again, since my last visit in May 2018 with my best friend. While I also love visiting New York City in October (as I did last in 2019, again in 2017 and 2014 with my sister), I think April is the perfect month to visit NYC for temperate weather, flowering trees, and lots of things to do without the summer crowds and sweltering heat.
Keep reading for my 4 days in NYC in April itinerary plus some art exhibits worth seeing if you’re visiting New York in 2024.
DAY ONE – Porter Flight from YTZ to NYC
We took an early Porter Airlines flight from Billy Bishop downtown airport to Newark. I haven’t had a chance to fly Porter in over 5 years, and I will now try to do a couple trips a year – their service was easy, ran on time, and you can’t beat the stress-free airport experience at Billy Bishop, plus it’s a 5-minute cab ride from my downtown Toronto condo.
After landing in Newark, we took the NJ Train to Penn Station and checked into our first hotel, the Ace Hotel in midtown Manhattan. At first, a room was available but was a double bed, and we were told a Queen would be ready soon. We ended up waiting a lot longer than communicated, and were only able to check in at the 3pm check in time. Again this is fine, but I wish the expectation was communicated clearly vs waiting around for an hour, and being turned away again.
While we waited for our room, we visited Washington Square Park, immediately next to the iconic Flatiron Building and had some Shake Shack, something I always end up doing while in NYC, despite them now opening up in Toronto. It was lovely seeing all the flowering trees and flower beds full of tulips. We ended up doing a bit of shopping at Buffalo Exchange, where I scored a Reformation dress for $30 and an Anna Sui sample dress for $70 as well. Ironically, this was the ONLY shopping I did my entire trip, since both the exchange rates and “NYC pricing effect” put a damper on any sartorial shopping ambitions!
Ace Hotel New York Review
We finally checked into the Ace Hotel and got to our room, which honestly, resembled a broom closet. It was dark, oddly laid out, had a massive Smeg fridge, yet the bed was awkwardly squished towards the front of the room, beside a window that gave an iconic NYC view of a couple of exhaust fans. I am honestly appalled at how much we paid for one night in this room, which felt dirty, dark and depressing. The Ace Hotel in Toronto is such an elegant, cool place to hang out, and I have heard that the Brooklyn outpost of this hotel chain is much more in line with our expectations. While the location was very central, it can also be busy, and if you don’t mind taking the subway, it’s worth considering a hotel either in downtown (where we stayed next) for more room or a room in Brooklyn for more value.
Things to do in NYC: MoMA Review
We freshened up and set out on foot up Fifth Avenue to visit the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Along the way, we visited a number of sites, including the New York Public Library and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
I hadn’t been to the MoMA since our first trip ever to New York City in 2013, so it was a priority for us. On a Saturday, the museum was very busy, but we were able to get tickets very quickly and see a number of exhibits and floors. I really enjoyed some of the more contemporary galleries from the 1980s – present on Floor 2 including the floating stuffed animals, Mike Kelley’s Deodorized Central Mass with Satellites, the Kiki Smith Untitled exhibit consisting of silver jars labeled with bodily fluids, and my favourite of the entire visit, Montien Boonma’s House of Hope which was a multisensorial room, immersing yourself in the beads, creating an optical illusion, but also hitting you with the strong scent of south asian spices that were used to dye the wood beads present in the artwork, and reflective of Thai medicinal herbal ingredients. It was a moving tribute to the artist’s care for his ailing wife, who died of cancer, and definitely stuck with me. Of course, we visited some of the cubist, impressionist and post-impressionist works as well on the 5th floor, and I even had a chance to stop and take a picture with the impressive Monet water lilies mural, while also falling in love with his rendition of irises.
Following our visit to the MoMa, we were hungry and ready for our first full meal in New York. We looked for highly-rated restaurants in the neighborhood and found Iris Restaurant, a Mediterranean restaurant just north of the MoMA at Broadway and 55th Street, just south of Carnegie Hall. We didn’t have a reservation on a Saturday night, but were told it was a 30-minute wait time. We sat at the bar and enjoyed a round of delicious cocktails (he had an Iris Manhattan, I had a Garden Nymph because I love Saint Germain), before being seated in a lovely booth. The food was incredible, it was very expensive with the exchange rate (akin to a Michelin star meal in Toronto), but I loved my roasted half chicken which featured a delicious saffron-yogurt marinade, as well as our appetizers and white wines from the Peloponnese.
After dinner, with bellies full, we took the subway back down to the Ace Hotel and got a good night’s sleep.
For our first day in NYC I wore a classic trench from Banana Republic, Citizens for Humanity Jeans, Veja Campo Sneakers and my vintage Dior saddle bag.
Day 2 in New York City
Checking in to the Millennium Downtown NYC
On day 2, we immediately packed our bags from the Ace and headed downtown to check into our second hotel – which we were immensely grateful for moving to, and receiving a media rate courtesy of the hotel at the Millennium Downtown New York. The hotel is conveniently located right across from the Oculus/World Trade Centre with over 11 subway stops in very close proximity. We were able to drop our bags off early and set off on foot for a coffee at Eataly nearby, followed by a walk along the Brooklyn Bridge. I loved that this hotel was situated within walking distance from the Brooklyn Bridge, which I highly recommend walking across at least once to admire the engineering, history and iconic views.
Before starting our trip across the Brooklyn Bridge, we stopped by City Hall Park, which had magnolia trees in FULL bloom. It was so romantic, and a great place to stop for a photo, or to take in the sights with your morning coffee.
For our second day in NYC, I wore the Sézane Caprice Linen Dress, a Kate Spade Nicola Bag, Yellow Ochre Sézane Paula Babies shoes and Gucci Loafers, and layered my Banana Republic trench in the evening and while we were crossing the Brooklyn Bridge.
Free things to do in NYC: Brooklyn Bridge & DUMBO
Then, we started the 1.8 km journey across the bridge. With stops to take photos, I would account for about 30-40 minutes to make the journey from Manhattan to Brooklyn. I always love visiting the bridge and seeing the views, and it was Daniel’s first time visiting Brooklyn Bridge.
Once we crossed, we headed to DUMBO (which stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) to walk around the beautiful architecture, snap photos and see Jane’s Carousel. The 100 year old Carousel was most recently featured in the Oscar-nominated movie, Past Lives, which has instantly become one of my favorite romance movies. I loved seeing families having fun together, the beautiful urban design of the waterfront complete with parks, retail, patios and more. I always love visiting new cities and getting inspired, and can only dream of such a lovingly kept (and tenanted) waterfront like this in Toronto. I’d love to come back here with my dog Madeline one day for a stroll.
Next, we took an uber to meet our neighbour for brunch at Bacchus, which is an elegant french bistro near Downtown Brooklyn with a lovely patio and even has bottomless mimosas. I had a simple omelette there and enjoyed a glass of sparkling wine on their back patio.
Brooklyn Museum & GIANTS
Next, we hopped back on the subway to the Brooklyn Museum, to take in the GIANTS art exhibit, which features select pieces from the collection of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beats. Also known as the Dean collection of art (Dean is the couple’s last name…), the exhibit featured many large-scale works of art from living, black artists. There were some incredible, monumental works on display and I highly recommend a visit if you can until July 7th! I love how the exhibit was set up, with music from the artists, cozy lounge areas to take in the pieces and view supplementary books and magazines, and the general scale of these works was so impressive.
The sun peaked back out, and since we bought a combo ticket, we grabbed a Dunkin iced coffee and got in line for the Brooklyn Botanical Garden to catch the last of the cherry blossoms in bloom. If you purchase a combination ticket with the Brooklyn Museum, you still need to wait in the general line to get your physical ticket issued. Next time, I would opt to get both tickets online instead.
After spending an hour and a half in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, we went back to the Brooklyn Museum to take in other exhibits. I highly recommend visiting the Egyptian floor, which features many original papyrus scrolls and artworks, a golden funerary wreath from 2nd-3rd Century BCE (one of FOUR in the world), and some mummies. I loved the variety present in the Brooklyn Museum and that they had a more modern lens contextualising their collections.
Another exhibit I loved was the Hiroshige’s 100 Famous Views of Edo (feat. Takashi Murakami), which I learned, the Brooklyn Museum owns one of the finest collections of a complete set of prints from Hiroshige. In this Exhibit, modern Japanese artist Takashi Murakami re-imagined these iconic prints in larger scale paintings, and the exhibit focuses on their urban subject matter, juxtaposed with modern-day views of Tokyo.
My favorite exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum was the Dinner Party by Judy Chicago, which featured 39 women represented by place settings at a triangular dinner table. Each woman was depicted with their name, a porcelain plate with vulvar imagery, and embroidery on their placemat runner that was fashionable during the time period they were alive. Each place setting offered an opportunity to recognize the individual woman that was often overshadowed by their gender, but also reflect on their contributions to society, politics, science and the arts. The names of 999 other women are inscribed in gold on the tiles below. It’s a permanent installation, and truly a wonderful exhibit to take in and learn more herstory.
Cherry Blossoms at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a 52 acre park, filled with thousands of species, and several different gardens including the Cherry Esplanade, Fragrance Garden, Japanese Hill and Pond Garden and Rose garden among others. We went in mid-April, and though we missed the peak bloom, there will still many varieties of cherry blossom trees on display. It was a Sunday, so it was very busy, but I found tranquil moments getting lost near a replica Japanese wood temple, and finding sketchers working away diligently on their art.
The palm houses and orchid houses are also worth a visit, and a lovely daffodil hill was waning, but still beautiful to see. The entrance fee is a bit of a barrier to entry for many, so I would recommend ending your day in Brooklyn here with a picnic to really take in the atmosphere. Admittedly, it was a bit difficult to take photos here with the crowds, so I would probably opt to go again right at opening to avoid the crowds, or go on a weekday. As a note the Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanical Gardens are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays (the only other days we were in NYC!) so we had to visit on a busy Sunday.
Dinner in Park Slope
Following our visit to the Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanic Garden, we walked through the Park Slope neighbourhood and stopped to take some photos with the incredible brownstone architecture. The streets are so picturesque, and in April they are full of magnolia blossoms as well.
We went to dinner at Bogota Latin Bistro, a Colombian restaurant on 5th Avenue in Brooklyn. The drink specials were amazing, and we had Empanadas and split a platter with arepas. The food was authentic, plentiful and affordable, and I would definitely recommend coming here if you love latin cuisine.
We got on the subway back to our hotel, and went to bed exhausted after a big day exploring Brooklyn.
Day 3 in New York City
The Best Gluten-Free Bagels in NYC
On our third day, we got an early start and grabbed breakfast at Modern Bread and Bagel, an entirely gluten-free bagel shop near the 14th Street subway station. I had an everything bagel Jerusalem style with egg and cream cheese and Daniel had a gluten free everything bagel with lox and cream cheese. We split them up and they were so delicious – you would almost never guess they are gluten free!
Spring in Central Park
We then took the subway up to Central Park and spent a couple of hours walking through the park admiring the lovely gardens, blooms and tourists and locals alike enjoying a 25C day in April! There are so many lovely areas to take photos of, 843 acres in total, so definitely take your time exploring the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, Belvedere Castle, Strawberry Fields and the Central Park Boathouse.
We exited the park to get something to drink, and stumbled upon Wolfe Cafe on the Upper West Side on Amsterdam Avenue, and had a great Aperol Spritz and Beer along with a burrata appetizer. We loved stopping in this neighbourhood, and found it very affordable, complete with a lovely patio too!
A Visit to the MET Museum
Next, we walked back through Central Park and ended up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to take in the exhibits. We spent a good deal of time on the first floor looking at the Decorative Arts from the 18th-19th Centuries, but a standout exhibit for me was Weaving Abstraction in Ancient and Modern Art, which juxtaposed four modern fibre artists, Anni Albers, Sheila Hicks, Lenore Tawney, and Olga de Amaral, alongside pieces by Andean artists from the first millennium BCE to the 16th century. It blew my mind that we were looking at a piece of weaving, over 5000 years old that incorporated macaw parrot feathers, that only survived thanks to being buried underground.
Afterwards, we took a tour of the European Paintings including the famous impressionist and expressionist works, as well as some more modern galleries.
After a couple of hours at the Met, we were beat and ready to take an easier pace. I always love exploring the Upper East Side, and we wove our way past the Carlyle Hotel, down Madison Avenue and did some window shopping. Admittedly, on a Monday many of the stores were empty and the sales people ignored us, which didn’t exactly put me in a “shopping mood.” The Love Shack Fancy store on Madison is adorable, but very small and very expensive – I am certain they raise their prices due to the Madison Ave address!
For our third day in NYC, I wore the Emerson Poplin dress from Abercrombie, my Veja Campo Sneakers, Prada cat-eye sunglasses, and my Kate Spade Nicola bag.
The Best Rooftop Views in Brooklyn
We eventually stopped by our hotel and changed for dinner in Brooklyn again, where we met up with Kiara Blanchette who was also staying in Brooklyn. We ate at La Rina Pastificio, which had large portions, and homemade gluten free pasta!
Afterwards, Kiara took us to the rooftop of the 1 Hotel in Brooklyn, which offered a fantastic panoramic view of Manhattan and both the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridge. It was so romantic, and while the cocktail prices were high, you cannot beat this view – it is also a very chill environment and way less expensive than any Skydeck you would pay admission for in New York. I highly recommend visiting this hotel for a drink or two after dinner in Brooklyn. It was a perfect end to our last night in NYC.
Day 4 in NYC
On our last day in New York, we packed our bags and dropped them off with concierge, and explored the Financial District and World Trade Centre Area on foot. We stopped for a last cup of Dunkin in the Oculus, and it was fun to see the buzz of all the commuters coming in to work. Back in office is certainly alive and well in NYC!
Free things to do in NYC: Little Islands Park & Highline Park
Next, we took the subway up a few stops to 14th Street to visit the Little Islands park, which was absolutely covered in sunny yellow daffodil blooms! This park was designed by Heatherwick Studio and features artificial islands connected with paths, an amphitheatre, open lawns and incredible views of NYC. You can see Downtown and the One World Trade Centre to the south, as well as the iconic midtown views of the Empire State Building. This park is free to visit, and if you go – visit the bathrooms. They are very clean but VERY cool architectural treatment on the inside! I was so captured by the beauty and vibrancy of this public park, and can only dream of this being replicated in Toronto’s waterfront.
Next, we visited another iconic NYC Park – the New York Highline – which takes you on a 1.45 mile long journey from Chelsea through the Meatpacking District, up to the newly-developed Hudson Yards area. This park truly bridges old and new, and my planning & development jaw was dropped at some of the stunning architecture of new residential and mixed use developments that have quite literally mushroomed along this park. If you go, definitely go earlier in the day to avoid crowds!
At the end of the Highline, we stopped by the Hudson Yards area to see SHED (a retractable indoor/outdoor performance venue), and the Vessel. While the Vessel is still closed, I reminisced on being able to go up the stairs during my last trip to New York in 2019. I hope they find a solution to be able to reopen, because it was a unique experience.
Four our last day in NYC and travelling home, I wore a Sézane Christie Blazer, Club Monaco wool pants, a Club Monaco striped Bowee tee, a charm necklace (similar here), my Gucci loafers and my vintage Dior Saddle Bag.
Window Shopping in SoHo
Next, Daniel stopped at Vito’s Slices and Ices for a slice of pizza, before we went back down to SoHo to do some window shopping! It was a gorgeous day, and though I didn’t buy anything, I enjoyed visiting the Mackenzie Childs and Real Real flagship locations, along with Rouje, Polene and taking photos again along Wooster street with its iconic manilla-painted building facades.
We ended our trip in NYC by walking along Broadway Street through Tribeca, taking in the gorgeous weather and lively streets. There truly is nothing like the frenetic energy in New York, but I was ready to go home. Until we meet again.
