It’s late January and Caroline is celebrating a birthday. With an arctic blast looming, Marlowe and I decided it was the perfect time to celebrate another frigid birthday adventure…this time with a quick jaunt to NYC . It's been a solid decade since Caroline and I navigated the city together, and for Marlowe, it's her NYC debut.

Ditching the chaos of air travel, we hopped on a train from Boston to NYC, despite the jaw-dropping price tag. I could've funded three flights with what our business class tickets cost, but the comfort of train travel is, as they say, priceless. Penn Station welcomed us, and we decided to soak in the city vibes with a leisurely 20-block stroll to our hotel. First order of business: replacing the lone pair of jeans I managed to shred after proudly boasting about my light packing skills.

After checking in to the Kimpton Theta Hotel, a cozy spot tucked a block or two away from from the vibrant chaos of Times Square and the entrance to Hell's Kitchen, we ventured out in search of jeans. As we approached the neon lights, we found ourselves directly in front of a Krispy Kreme. Now, our family isn’t big on donuts, but Marlowe hadn't experienced the magic of a "hot off the line" original glazed donut. That was an experience I couldn’t let her ignore.

Reluctantly, Marlowe agreed to try one.
A bite later, she was in love.

In my quest for jeans, Superdry beckoned. The window display screamed "Not your style," but deep within the store, we unearthed some surprisingly tasteful and well-made items. Superdry may have just snagged themselves a new follower.

Now proudly wearing my new jeans, we refuel and enjoy the hotel's free wine happy hour (a guest favorite), before making way to dinner at PRINT. Duck, lamb, wild boar ragu, and a decadent chocolate soufflé graced our plates in this restaurant that sadly bids farewell.

On our way back, I snagged a bottle of ludicrously priced wine. A few glasses later we called it a night and fell asleep to the sounds of passing cars and sirens in the night.