Smooth Trips

02/22/2025

NYC’s Grand Central Terminal is hiding some SERIOUS secrets…

and the best part? Most of them are hiding in plain sight! 👀✨

Sure, it’s a transportation hub, but behind the marble walls and twinkling chandeliers lies a world of history, mystery, and mind-blowing details waiting to be discovered. 🏛️🔎

From presidential hideouts 🕵️‍♂️ to priceless clocks 🕰️ and celestial mistakes 🌠, this terminal is packed with surprises— most people just walk right past them!

🔎 Want more insider NYC secrets?

Follow for the best hidden gems, unique experiences, and stress-free trip planning! 🗽✨

01/30/2025

Save this post to make planning your couple’s trip to New York that much easier! 🗽✨

From iconic sights to hidden gems, this is the ultimate weekend itinerary to help you explore the best of New York City with romance and style! 💕 💄🍸

After all, Valentine’s Day 💝 💐 is right around the corner…

Want even more insider tips and recommendations from locals?

Drop an 🍎 in the comments and we’ll send you our FREE guide to NYC!

01/01/2025

Our 2024 NYC Superlatives 🏆

Ringing in the new year with our roundup of standouts, notables, and faves around the city this year 🌟

Share this with a friend and go check em out 🥂

Bring on 2025 🎉

01/01/2025

Our 2024 NYC Superlatives 🏆

Ringing in the new year with our roundup of standout, notable, and faves around the city this year 🌟

Share this with a friend and go check em out 🥂

Bring on 2025 🎉

11/22/2024

Save this post to make planning your trip to New York that much easier! 🗽✨

From iconic sights to hidden gems, this is the ultimate 3-day itinerary to help you explore the best of New York City. 🍕👀

Want insider tips and even more recommendations from locals? DM or comment 🗽 and we’ll send you or FREE guide to NYC!

09/30/2024

You’re gonna want to save this post 🔐

This is your ultimate SoHo cheat sheet for all the chic, elevated spots that New Yorkers love and frequent 🖤✨

Share this with your travel buddy and get ready to visit NYC like a local 🙌🏼

09/13/2024

Dying for the burger from 4 Charles Prime but can’t get a res? Same

The 4 Charles burger is universally agreed upon as one of the best in the city, and comes with a very instgrammable presentation where a gloved server breaks the yolk and drizzles it over the patties 🤳

Unfortunately, 4 Charles Prime is also one of the city’s hardest reservations to get ⛔️

Luckily, the same team behind 4 Charles brought Au Cheval to TriBeCa, where anyone can experience the elusive burger 🍔

Au Cheval - French for “on horseback” - is also a short order term for “topped with an egg” 🍳

Tucked away in Cortland alley, it’s a diner that blends modern tavern vibes and casual elegance; the crowd was a mix of date night couples to being a clear favorite for where to take your parents who are in town visiting.

What we got:
* Obviously the Double Cheeseburger topped with a fried egg and thick, maple glazed slabs of bacon 🥓
* Green Salad w/ pickled shallots and avocado (it’s called balance) 🥗
* Mille-Feuille - a Napoleon so massive, we couldn’t even make it through half 🍰

📩 Save this post and go experience the 4 Charles Burger, albeit without the gloved presentation…but you’re welcome to do it yourself - everyone else in there is 😉

📍 Au Cheval
33 Cortland Alley, TriBeCa

09/13/2024

08/15/2024

What’s the story behind Mr. Dowling and his $41 martini? 🍸 💸

Dowling’s is named after Robert Dowling, the former owner of the Carlyle Hotel who acquired it in the 1940’s 🏨

His fanciful vision was the major key in transforming the hotel into the iconic NY institution it is today - a glamorous home away from home for celebs, politicians, and royalty🤵‍♂️💃🏽👑

Inside the eclectic, refined restaurant filled with gallery walls of artwork and photographs is a nod to fine dining traditions from the 30’s and 40’s…many entrees are prepared and presented table side, including flames, carving, and saucing 🖼️ 🍽️ ✨

The experience is serviced by the restaurant Captain as he guides you through your meal, dropping personal stories and little known facts about the food and Mr. Dowling himself - like the reason behind the beef bitters in the restaurants signature (and most expensive) drink, the Mr. Dowling 🤑

We couldn’t pass up trying it - not only because we had to see what a $41 drink tasted like, but more importantly - what beef in a martini tasted like 🥩 🍸

As the story goes, Mr. Dowling swam around the island of Manhattan and accomplished this by drinking beef juice…but don’t quote us, the details are a little hazy after our drinks 🫠

📩 Send this to a friend and take advantage of Restaurant Week, ending September 1…Three courses for $60 is a steal when just an entree can be over $60 alone

👉🏼 Follow for more elevated NYC experiences

📍 Dowling’s @ The Carlyle Hotel
35E 76th St @ Madison Ave, UES

07/26/2024

Happy Opening Ceremony Day! 🔴⚪️🔵

Since 2008, Ralph Lauren has been the Official Outfitter of Team USA, and as soon as the Ralph Lauren Mansion on the UES comes into view, you cant help but be filled with patriotism and pride 🥰

The French Renaissance inspired 4-story flagship store is STUNNING and worth a visit in its own right 🤩

Stop by and grab something from the Team USA collection, marvel at the breathtaking space…or swing by Ralph’s Coffee and give the Polo Bear some love 🐻 ❤️

Drop in the comments which sport you’re most excited to see!👇🏽

Ours are gymnastics and canoe slalom (you can guess which is whose 😂) 🤸🏽‍♀️🛶

GO TEAM USA! 🇺🇸 💪🏽

📍 888 Madison Ave, Upper East Side

07/17/2024

We just out here tryna beat this heat 🥵

Our fave summer spot is Gilligan’s at the SoHo Grand Hotel. The open air garden transports you to a tropical island paradise as soon as you enter the gates, immediately surrounding you in lush greenery 🌴🌿🪴

The seafood centric restaurant is 🤌🏽, but the real reason we came was to cool down with their infamous and refreshing Frozen Watermelon Margarita 🍉

Sipping on those, while the misters go off every few minutes around the bar help make the summer heat somewhat bearable 💦

There are ample lounge areas and a long communal table at the bar which makes this spot perfect for gathering with friends 🎉

Share this with a friend or five, and go to at the before the warm weather season is over! ☀️

Open til late September 🗓️

05/29/2024

Have you heard? New York City was just named the World’s Best City in th first-ever Global Cities Index. 🏆

🥇Oxford Economics recently published it's inaugural list if the best cities in the world, and, no surprise to us, New York came out in top!

🗽Not that New Yorkers need any convincing of their superiority, it feels good to have some hard data to bolster our case.

🌆How the list was determined:

1,000 of the world’s biggest cities and towns were analyzed based on 27 different categories. They included environment, governance, economics, quality of life, and more.

Each city was ranked under each category. Then the scores were combined to determine an overall winner. New York claimed the first place ranking, as it obviously should!

Here is how the Top 10 rounded out. #3 surprised us!

How do feel about it?

🥇New York, United States

🥈London, United Kingdom

🥉San Jose, United States

4. Tokyo, Japan

5. Paris, France

6. Seattle, United States

7. Los Angeles, United States

8. San Francisco, United States

9. Melbourne, Australia

10. Zurich, Switzerland

💫Did any of these surprise you? Let us know in the comments and follow to see more of greatest things from the greatest city on Earth. 🌎