I think we heard Empire State of Mind 50 times during our quick 2-night trip to New York City. There is a soundtrack and a smell to NYC that is different from my last visit in January of 2017 (with my mom to watch my sister perform). During that trip in 2017, we visited Zabar’s, Kismat Indian in Washington Heights, Thai Sea in Brooklyn, Donut X, Donut Pub, Carwash Donuts, Carlos Bakery, Rue, and a rooftop bar. This visit (8 years later), we snacked our way around Manhattan before and after watching Hugh Jackman perform.

We planned our trip around seeing Hugh Jackman’s “From New York, With Love” show at Radio City in New York. We had lovely seats in ORCH 3 that were not too far back from the stage. I watched the stage during the show and not the side-mounted televisions that were zoomed in on Hugh Jackman and the other performers. The seats are quite comfortable and just large enough to feel adequate for most people. The orchestra sloped gently, and the stage was elevated so I could see without the row in front of us getting in my view. The venue seats ~6000, and my main comment is that there are not enough restrooms! There are four levels of restrooms, and the lines were halfway down the hall for some of them 15 minutes before the show. There were only 6 stalls in the mezzanine bathroom I was able to use before the show started.

Hugh Jackman’s show itself was great! We went to the matinee on the last day of performances for this show. He was personable, charming, and funny. There was a good mix of songs throughout the show (with songs from The Greatest Showman to Music Man to Les Mis). Though he spends an entire short piece jump roping (as a fun spoof of the Deadpool and Wolverine movie’s NSYNC dance), he is not doing as much moving around/dancing. For one of the songs (Never Enough), there was a guest singer. Kate Hudson also came out, and she and Hugh did a few songs from their upcoming Neil Diamond movie. Clearly, Hugh Jackman is talented, and this was a super-fun show to watch live.

🥂 Bar 54
Rooftop bars are one of my favorite activities in a new city. I looked for one within walking distance of our hotel near Times Square, that took reservations, and had good reviews for the views. Reservations were easy, and while the glass barrier means you can’t look straight down, the vibe is still worth it as a rooftop bar. A glass of champagne and a cocktail set us back approximately $67, including gratuity. There is supposedly a time limit to the table reservation, but we were not hurried at all by the waitstaff. It was a very relaxed time, and it was gorgeous outside in early October.

🍗 Dave & Buster’s
We booked a table to watch the UFC fights on Saturday night. They have plenty of TVs. When we arrived, they sat us in front of one that wasn’t currently showing what we came for, and it took them 20-ish minutes to switch it over. By the time the main fights were on, almost every TV was playing UFC. Service was great. Food was okay. Of the two finger foods we ordered (Philly egg rolls and boneless wings), they were mildly overcooked, dry, and overpriced. You’re paying for the space, not the food.

🍕 F&F Pizza, Brooklyn
Recommended by Babish (YouTuber), this pizza spot is in Brooklyn. We accidentally booked a table at the full restaurant next door (thanks, Google), but they let us leave our reservation and head next door for slices. We ordered clam, pepperoni, cheese, and Partanna. The Partanna was our favorite, though the clam slice was unexpectedly delicious. A chewier crust, great flavor, and solid prices ($4–$7 per slice) make this one worth the trip.

🍕 Joe’s Pizza
A must for classic NY-style slices. The OG location was not ready with slices when they opened, so we hit the Times Square spot instead. The line was just outside the door when we arrived before noon. Everything smelled delicious! We got a slice each of cheese, pepperoni, and white. Solid choice for NY-style pizza.

🍜 Ichiran Ramen
This was the priciest Ichiran we’ve ever been to, and not the best quality. The setup included privacy dividers we couldn’t remove, but we were seated side by side. The matcha pudding was a fun menu addition that we tried, but overall, not quite worth the $79 tab or 45-minute wait for two bowls of ramen, drinks, and a dessert.

🍩 I’m Donut?
We went all in here, ordering eight donuts (Pistachio white chocolate donut, custard donut, PBJ donut, Caramel Espresso Cream Donut, Sake Cream Donut, Matcha Cream Donut, Scrambled Eggs Donut) and a matcha latte. Fortunately, the donuts are not too large, but 8 is too many to eat in one sitting for two people. I would go back for the Matcha cream donut again and again. It was some of the best matcha I’ve had in a pastry. The scrambled egg donut was a trip. Definitely worth a try, but far from your standard donut flavor. The line was managed well outside, and the inside is cute and appealing. Pricey but memorable.

🥪 Katz’s Deli
I’ll have what she’s having at Katz’s Deli. This is a confusing place to walk into for the first time! They hand you a little ticket when you walk up, and you join a line in front of the deli counter and wait your turn to put in your order. They cut your meat and build your sandwiches at the deli counter, and then tag your ticket with what you ordered. You pay at the exit (with cash) or in the back (with a credit card). The place is full of really fun décor and plenty of tables. It can get crowded here, but if you stop by in the morning early enough, you won’t be waiting long in line and will probably have plenty of options for a table. Sandwiches are large (easy to share) and priced accordingly. We tried a pastrami sandwich, a half egg salad sandwich with a cup of split pea soup, and got it with a can of soda for ~$75.

🍪 Levain Bakery (NoHo)
Soft, thick, and gooey cookies that are everything social media promised. I’m team chewy cookie, but even I had to admit these were impressive. The chocolate chip walnut is their OG flavor.

🥐 Paris Baguette
A quick breakfast stop that felt calm amid the city rush. The mocha was the least sweet mocha I’ve ever had, but the pastry cases were stacked high and looked appealing.

Since my last visit to NYC, transportation has gotten easier now that you can tap and pay using your phone. Prices have gone up minimally for public transit. $2.90 for a single tap vs. $2.50 last time I was in NYC. $8.50 for the airtran to/from JFK. $8.25 for the LIRR to JFK. We took one Uber from Brooklyn’s F&F pizza to our hotel in Times Square for $44. Our Delta flights were ~$400/each round-trip in the 2-seater exit row (twice as expensive as my flight last time but from a different city). We spent ~$500 on food and snacks – a lot for a quick trip, but not too much considering all the places we tried and all the food we ate. Travel is always more expensive than staying home, and there are more costs than I expect every time we travel, but prices seem reasonable for NYC (hotel ~500/night downtown near Times Square, orchestra seat ticket ~$340 at Radio City, $30 for a souvenir t-shirt, ~$5 for a nice slice of pizza).

Some other things we noted during the trip… The Hop on/Hop Off buses always looked full, with a line down the block to get on. I’m not sure you’d be able to get a seat if you got off and wanted to get back on. I didn’t see anyone smoking cigarettes (smelled Nicotine only once), but saw multiple people smoking weed (several times in the subway). I expected more lines at some of the places we went for snacks/food, but we never waited very long in lines (the longest was for Ichiran). Things/food were both more expensive and less expensive than I expected in comparison to Austin food/merch/travel expenses.