I have friends who go to Hawaii to sleep. The Huz and I went to New York to get busy. As I mentioned in my 2017 summer bucket list, one of my goals was to jet off on a couple’s trip. My requirements weren’t outrageous. I simply required a suitable travel destination for sleep, sex and shopping. Obviously not in that order, because I really, really dig shopping.
A city break was what I was after, and New York ticked all the right boxes. Yes, just last month, I got my quick and efficient weekend nookie run at the same time as nailing off one of the greatest bucket list ideas for couples. And you know how much I love nailing items off my summer bucket lists!
Starting off classy
We flew on Aeroplan points, and splurged on business class. #WorthIt. Within minutes of settling into my roomy Air Canada seat, I started feeling giddy. One glass of wine in, I was completely dissolved. Just like that,
I was no longer anything to anybody. I was simply me, on a plane with a guy I adored and an adventure at my feet. What would we do? Where would we eat? I really didn’t care. The plan for this trip was to go wherever the wind took us.
I was so in vacay mode, I forgot my unread copy of Canadian Living in the seat pocket in front of me – a critical error for a travel writer-cum-magazine junkie. At the time, however, I gave zero f***s about 30 minute meals. This was a romantic couples trip. In the city that never sleeps! Would we?
Where do couples go in New York?
NYC is vast, but we totally nailed the location. I knew Soho was where we OK I, needed to be. My first hour on the ground, I stumbled upon the Dominique Ansel Bakery. These dudes invented the cronut! It was so close, I nipped in once a day for sugary sustenance.
Trend alert: expect warm chocolate chip cookie shots filled with Tahitian vanilla infused milk to make its way to a bakery near you. I didn’t end up trying one, but I did buy the molds so Eve could make them for me at home.
We were also nearby Laduree, my all time favourite patisserie. For breakfast I tucked into le pain perdu a la rose. Trop de dreamy! Warm french toast drizzled with raspberry coulis and lashed with rose whipped cream always sets the right tone for the day, n’est-ce pas?
One thing we didn’t do, but I wish we did, was visit the Met Museum. Next time! And I’d also like to spend more time in the Flatiron district. And if you’re looking for affordable accommodation, one of the coolest hostels in New York City is Freehand, and it’s actually ideal for couples. It’s stylish, and doesn’t give off backpacker vibes, though technically, it is a hostel.
Romantic dining in NYC
Without making a single reservation, I managed to hit all the resto hotspots on my list. Balthazar was tops for breakfast and I’m still enjoying their sourdough I smuggled back to Canada.
Mario Batali’s food emporium Eataly sports half a dozen Italian restaurants, and it’s set up like a market between them. For a splurge, we went the oysters and champagne route at Aqua Grill, before moving onto a pretty good (but not great) risotto and crab.
Surprisingly, I wasn’t that into shopping. I hit a few cool boutiques and found the Target in Tribeca. Oh, and MOMA. Museum shops are the best for gifts.
Besides spending a considerable amount of time in our hotel room (wink), we ended up doing a lot of walking. Far too much walking for a sexy getaway.
We especially could’ve done without walking two and a half hours all over Brooklyn to arrive at Lucali (reputed to be the best pizza in NYC) and find it closed. Thanks a lot, Google! Now I’ll never know why couples like Bey and Jay Z head here for romantic dinners.
New York was short, but sweet. Weeks later, I’m still so proud we made this vacation happen. It wasn’t so much the destination – though NYC was great. It was more the sense of possibility it afforded.
This was a trip where we could do anything we wanted at anytime. Freeing ourselves from our schedule, email and social media was the biggest break. Getting a little somethin’ somethin’ on the side was an added bonus.
I guess it didn’t matter so much where the travel took us, but that we did it. It being the trip together, of course.
What’s your favourite city for romantic getaways??
