This past weekend, I was confronted with the impossible dilemma that all New York residents must eventually face: out of town visitors who want you to show them all of the city in three days.  It’s a seemingly impossible task but it was – dare I say it – the perfect New York weekend.

A pleased out of town visitor

Now, in some (small) places of the world, a weekend to see the sights would be doable. But this is Manhattan. You can’t experience all of one district in three days, let alone the whole island.  And these weren’t any old visitors.  It was two of my very best friends, and I wanted them to really experience the city.  And so they did.

Having  arrived in the city at 6PM on Thursday, I figured my guests would be exhausted, so I took them to a nearby chic and affordable restaurant for dinner: Bread. With dim lighting, fantastic music, edgy décor, and delicious sandwiches, it was the perfect way to say “Welcome to New York!” From there we went uptown, where we relaxed with wine in a friend’s Herald Square apartment before returning to my place.

On Friday we woke up early to get bagels and took them to Central Park for breakfast. After hiking and laying out for a few hours, we made our way to the MET, where we saw GAP and Conde Nast’s collaborative “American Women” exhibit celebrating women’s fashion over the last two centuries, the Starn twins’ new Big Bambu rooftop structure (it’s like walking through a bamboo forest that overlooks central park), and the massive Picasso exhibit.

We spent the rest of the afternoon perusing Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side before grabbing lunch in Rockefeller Center. A metro ride and a few naps preceded a late dinner at a posh new restaurant on the Lower East Side which was followed by drinks at a favorite local dive bar.

Saturday I surprised my dear amigos with a little gift from work: the opportunity to be extras in a GQ photo shoot. We got to spend the day in the park doing various activities in front of a camera with three hot celebs (whose names I am unfortunately not allowed to reveal—you’ll have to wait until the issue comes out in August). We were even styled by GQ editors.

After a bit of shopping and some yummy frozen yogurt at Pinkberry on St. Mark’s, we headed to Midtown to meet more friends who were also in the city for dinner. Once we finished stuffing ourselves with Italian food, we made our way back to their fabulous apartment in Midtown.

A late night which included a whole lot of Alejandro later, we woke up for Sunday brunch in Union Square at the renowned Grey Dog, followed by some shopping at a local bookstore. Finally, I said goodbye to my friends and put them in a cab to LaGuardia. It was the perfect ending to the perfect New York weekend.

While you may not have access to a GQ photo shoot, the only thing you really need for a grade-A trip to the city is the right mixture of glamour, culture, tourism, and good friends.

-Will Defebaugh, Creative Director

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