Even though I’m perpetually scheming about what far away place I can travel to next, there’s also a part of me that has always thought the “take a vacation in your own city” idea seemed kind of fun too. And last summer, I finally made it happen for myself. During the hottest days of August, I googled “hotels with rooftop pools” (a real priority during an NYC heat wave) and found myself booking a stay at the Williamsburg Hotel for a weekend getaway.
I checked in on Friday evening. My room was small-ish but very cute, and it had a nice little balcony with great views of Manhattan (it was also a good perch to read from).
At the Republic of Booza, I grabbed my first (but not my last) ice cream of the weekend. They serve “stretchy” ice cream (hard to describe, but google it) – kind of weird, but really good.
The real draw of the weekend was, as mentioned, the hotel’s rooftop. Relaxing on the lounge chairs with a frosé as the sun sets = perfect.
I didn’t venture out for many meals (I was pretty committed to ultimate relaxation this weekend), but I did grab a very tasty lunch at Cafe Mogador, a nearby Moroccan restaurant.
And for my second ice cream of the weekend, I stopped into Van Leeuwen (before promptly heading back to my poolside perch).
I finished the weekend by having a Sunday afternoon tea at my hotel. I don’t necessarily identify afternoon tea with “hot summer day,” but then I never can resist a good tea!
All in all, this was one of my better ideas. I don’t make my way over to Brooklyn nearly enough, so it actually did kind of feel like a trip to a new place rather than just another weekend in New York. And having access to a pool during a New York summer really cannot be beat! I’m already plotting my return for this summer…
