My time in New York City has been so wonderful and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you through a few posts. First, the BlogHer Health conference far exceeded my expectations. Second, I adore both the energy and anonymity that this city offers. There is truly nothing like it. I’m not sure if I could live here but I sure do love to visit.
Here is my Tuesday in New York and the first night of the BlogHer Health conference!
TRAVEL TO NYC
I woke up at 5:30 a.m., showered and got dressed, picked up around the house, said goodbye to the girls and drove myself to the airport. I’ve decided I much prefer to drive and self-park rather than Ubering to the airport. It honestly ends up being about the same cost. I brought a cup of Wild Friends Nut Butter Oats to eat for breakfast and added a banana and hot water to it at the airport. I just asked for a small cup of hot water at Starbucks when I was getting my coffee. Easy and healthy travel breakfast!
We ended up being about two hours delayed due to snow in NYC but we still arrived shortly before noon. It’s such a quick flight from Charlotte to New York – just a little over an hour in the air.
THE ARLO SOHO
I took a cab to the conference hotel, The Arlo in SoHo. This hotel is awesome! The rooms are small (welcome to NYC!) but the hotel is very modern, hip, warm and friendly.
Although the room is small, it is perfect for just me and has everything I need. The bed is comfortable and the shower has a great shower head and water pressure.
There is tons of comfortable lounging space downstairs if you want to be out of your room.
And they even have these outdoor tents in their courtyard for hanging out. They call it “Camp Arlo.” How cute is that?
Oh…and there’s a mini Dylan’s candy bar in the lobby along with snacks, grab and go food and a coffee bar. There is also a restaurant on-site but note there is no fitness center. There are tons of options for classes and running in the area.
I grabbed a kale salad and some chips when I arrived and ate in my room before getting ready to head out for the afternoon.
FLYWHEEL TRIBECA
The first activity on my agenda was a class at FlyWheel Tribeca. It was hosted by Vagisil and part of the BlogHer Health conference.
I got checked in and set up in the stadium. The bikes were different than the ones we have in Charlotte but really nice.
The CEO of Vagisil, Keech Combe, spoke to us before class started and shared her very inspirational story. Their whole message at the conference was around being shameless around our health as women and “never shutting up” about the things that matter to us. Keech ended up riding on the bike next to mine and motivated me through class!
It was so much fun to be in a stadium of 50 women giving it their all in class. Our instructor Natalie was a rockstar and everyone loved her.
MAMAN
Of course I had to seek out an afternoon treat after that FlyWheel class. I went to Maman in Tribeca thanks to a recommendation I received on Instagram. It’s a French cafe with the loveliest ambiance. I had a white chocolate pretzel cookie and a cup of ginger tea. I sat there for 45 minutes or so just relaxing and hanging out.
BLOGHER HEALTH FIND YOUR FLOW
The BlogHer Health conference festivities kicked off on Tuesday night with a networking mixer. After drinks and mingling, BlogHer did a 2018 Voices of the Year awards ceremony and it was amazing.
The award recipients included…
- The founders of the Women’s March (pictured above)
- The daughter of the woman who started the #metoo movement (accepting the award on her mother’s behalf)
- The woman who started the Pussyhat Project
- Chelsea Clinton
- The author of Every Body Yoga
- The two reporters from the New York Times who broke the Harvey Weinstein story
And many more.
At the end of the day I felt so fired up about the power that we have as women to use our voices to create change and our ability to truly come together to make major shifts.
THE GREEK
I wanted to grab dinner after the awards ceremony but it was freezing out so I didn’t want to walk too far. My phone led me to The Greek, which is a Northern Greek restaurant just around the corner from the conference venue and the hotel.
I grabbed a seat at the bar and instantly fell in love with the cozy atmosphere. It was perfect for a cold night. The bartender was so kind to me and it was honestly so nice to have a quiet solo dinner.
The cold weather and warm buzz of the restaurant made me crave something hearty and comforting so I ordered the short rib over orzo risotto at the recommendation of the bartender. He did not steer me wrong! It was melt in your mouth delicious. I wanted to try so many other things on the menu but since I didn’t have anyone to share it with, kept my order simple. I would HIGHLY recommend this restaurant if you enjoy Greek food and are in the area.
Back in the room, I got into my PJs and into bed where I hung out working and watching Friends and House Hunters for the rest of the evening. Love hotel nights! 🙂
And that wraps up day 1!
Do you enjoy traveling solo? What about dining solo?
What’s your favorite thing about NYC?
