Best friend visiting for spring break = a week of all the touristy activities I never have time for. 

Last week, my best friend visited me for her spring break. For an entire week. In the midst of midterms, classes, and club meetings, I didn’t know how to give her the picture-perfect NYC experience I’ve been raving about for months, but I was still determined to have the best week possible. After consulting the council (a group of upperclassmen I met on the train), I crafted the perfect week in NYC to fill our time together. Here are the top 5 places we went, most of which I have admittedly never been to. 

  1. Chelsea Market (specifically for Brooklyn Charms) 

I might be Chelsea Market’s biggest fan, from the food to handmade trinkets and of course, the famous Brooklyn Charms! While I didn’t end up buying anything, this is such a cute way to memorialize an NYC trip, and the best indoor activity for an annoyingly rainy week. 

  1. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

Don’t worry, I have been here before, but the highlight of this trip was definitely an exhibit called Before Technicolor: Early Color on Film. 

  1. Joe’s Pizza

Okay, I’ll admit it. This was my first Joe’s slice, and I was not disappointed. As touristy as it is, stop by the next time you’re forced to be in close proximity to Times Square. 

  1. Walk in Central Park

A classic, reliable, and always eventful activity. 

  1. Morningside Heights Tour 

Of course, I couldn’t let her leave without getting a taste of the Columbia experience, and luckily for her, she picked Bacchanal weekend. After a morning spent at Absolute Bagels, I treated her to the once a year beauty of the entire student body gathering on Butler Lawns. Considering it was my first Bacchanal, I don’t have much to compare it to, but I still had the best time, and I think it was the perfect (although slightly deceitful) representation of Columbia. On another night, we had a great dinner at Thai Market (my first time) topped off with the simple pleasure of a Heights frozen margarita, aka a Barnumbia rite of passage. 

Honorable mentions/places I sent her when I was stuck in class:

  1. Shopping in SoHo
  2. Washington Square Park 
  3. The Apollo Theatre
  4. 5th Ave/Rockefeller Center 
  5. Bryant Park 
  6. The MET

I had a great week, and being a tourist in the city was a much needed reminder of all there is to do off-campus. So, if you can find any free time to invite a friend to visit for a weekend or spend an afternoon off campus, I recommend it! It’s time to start checking things off that NYC bucket list you made forever ago.

Image Via Bwog Staff