If you read a lot of lady blogs, you’ll probably pick up on the fact that the annual BlogHer conference is this weekend in New York. Thanks to an unfortunate combination of being back on a seven-day-a-week work schedule and spending lots of money on the epic road trip, a trip to New York for BlogHer was not in the cards for me this year. And let’s be honest, if I was going I probably would be skipping every session in favor of hanging out in the city.

I spent a week and a half working in NYC in February, and loved every minute of my free time there. I never really did a recap of that week, and I’m not going to now. I do want to share with you the places that I still daydream weekly about because I came to love them so much. That way if you ARE in NYC this weekend, you can visit them and I can live vicariously through you.

I’m conspicuously omitting some of the obvious places like Central Park and the Empire State Building. I’m going to presume you’ve heard of those. I also didn’t do much that required me to be outside for long periods of time because of the million feet of snow on the ground.

Things to See:

• MoMA: Sad day for you that the Tim Burton exhibit that was at MoMA when I was there is no longer, but there’s still plenty of cool and famous works to be seen there.
• High Line: A relatively new addition to NY, the High Line is a linear park (ie walking trail) built on a reclaimed elevated railroad line in Chelsea. It’s a weird little secretesque garden that offers fab views of the West Side and Hudson River.
• The NY Public Library: All libraries are awesome, but beautiful, huge libaries are something to be treasured.
• Times Square in the middle of a weekday night: When I say middle of the night, I’m talking like 2:30 a.m. (take a friend). You’ll be standing in the middle of what is usually the center of the universe when it is nearly deserted.** It’s weirdly spiritual and haunting at the same time. The absence of traffic is especially weird.
• Any NY hood. Just walk around and see how every neighborhood is different from the last. NY feels like no other place on Earth, so it’s best to soak it in.

Things to Eat:

• 202: This is a bistro located inside Nicole Farhi’s clothing and homegoods boutique at Chelsea Market. The brunch is amazing, and you can drool over the wares that will be way too expensive for you to purchase.
• Momofuku Milk: Y’all. I shed tears when I think about how much I crave a return visit to Momofuku Milk. It is like nothing I’ve ever seen. Ice cream treats and baked goodies in a way you’ve never thought of. GO HERE NOW. (I hear the other Momofuku restaurants are awesome as well).
• Gramercy Tavern: I allowed myself one huge food splurge. Gramercy Tavern was it and worth every penny. Everything from the service to the post-meal coffee was done perfectly. Sure, it ain’t cheap, but if you can splurge do it. Go for lunch when the offerings are cheaper and atmosphere less formal.
• Any noodle shop (because we have NOTHING in po-dunk Knoxville): You’ll see them everywhere. If you don’t, an Ollie’s Noodle Shop is a good standard.
• S’MAC: Holy mother of macaroni and cheese, this place offers gourmet flavors of mac and cheese. Don’t think about the calories. Focus on the amazingness of the menu.
• Any place that sells French Macarons: They were supposed to be the next big thing after cupcakes. I don’t think they’re catching on because they’re hard to make. I found a little ice cream shop in Chinatown that sold these little treats, and I was hooked, line and sinker.

Places to Shop:

• Chelsea Market: So many wonderful bodegas and restaurants all under one roof. Puts the Knoxville Market Square farmer’s market to shame (and we have a pretty good farmer’s market).
• Uniqlo. It’s Japan’s take on Old Navy or Gap or what not, and it’s the company’s only store in the U.S. Try to go on a weekday or you’ll be standing in line for a dressing room. But even if there is a line, these clothes are worth it when you see how cheap they are.
• Zabar’s: “The Upper West Side’s Gourmet Epicurean Emporium” one description says. If you like to cook or want to like to cook, wander through the aisles of Zabar’s for inspiration.
• The Strand: If you love books, you might want to take a half day to digest everything the Strand has to offer. They store claims it offers 18 miles of new and used books for the taking.

**At least, this was the case when it was 20 degrees outside. The summertime might be different.