Viva Travels: New York's Chelsea Market + Hotel Giraffe

Wearing Beanie from LOFT; Sweater Dress: Roxy via Marshalls

Hi guys, as you know, last week I attended New York Fashion Week. I wanted to share my favorite recommendations from the city, such as where to eat and where to stay for our latest Travel Series.

First up, is the Chelsea Market. This is absolutely my favorite place to go each time I'm in New York (here are some pics. from my last visit). It's a cool little market filled with restaurants, stores, coffee shops and it's right by High Line park (a park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets of Manhattan's West Side). So after you grab some food you can go walk it off at the park--which is exactly what we did.

It was so chilly that day, so we decided to go for some soup at a place called Hale & Hearty. I had the clam chowder soup and it was absolutely delicious. I always feel like I'm somewhere else when I come to this market, so definitely check it out. 

As far as hotels go, we stayed at an amazing boutique hotel called Hotel Giraffe. It's located between Midtown Manhattan and Downtown. The best part were the rooms! They were so spacious, it almost felt like a mini apartment--equipped with a living room and even a balcony! The staff was beyond nice and even had a bottle of wine waiting for us when we arrived.  I had heard so many great things on TripAdvisor about the hotel and the staff, and got to experience it first-hand. 

Another perk was the complimentary wifi and free continental breakfast--which is always great if you're looking to save some bucks eating out. They had a wine and cheese reception from 5pm-8pm, which my husband and I really enjoyed, especially after being at fashion shows all morning. Oh and a cool little fact, did you know Hotel Giraffe's Penthouse, 1202, was transformed into Mr. Big's Apartment during the 1st Sex & the City Movie--pretty neat huh?

Picture of the bathroom (can you spot me in the mirror?) 

Thank you so much Hotel Giraffe for hosting our stay--we really enjoyed it.

Also a HUGE thank you to my parents-in-law who took care of our sweet son Sebastian, while the hubby and I got to attend New York Fashion Week and spend some time together. It was our first trip alone without him. Even though we were only gone for 3 days, we missed him so much and filled him with kisses when we got back home. And of course we also took a little trip to  FAO Schwarz in New York and brought him back the cutest Jack-in-the-Box.

What are some of your favorite places to stay and eat when you're in New York?