These photos were taken in Chelsea, the neighborhood we stayed in. I heard someone in NYC describe this place as "full of gays and trendy". It was the perfect central location; we were within walking distance of the Empire State Building as well as Times Square. (We also walked up to the Rockefeller Center and Central Park though it was quite a haul.) Even though we walked a lot, we were also in a great place to catch one of the subways to pretty much anywhere else on Manhattan or beyond. Let me tell you, that subway SURE felt good after all that walking! :)

For the trip, black was my main focus. For some reason that was what I thought of when I thought of NYC, so my outfits were planned around that color. Everything mixed and matched even though I had enough tops to not have to rewear those (and I still had enough room in my carry-on for things that I bought...and one of my American Girl dolls). I brought one of my dolls because her hair was a mess and I had learned about the Doll Hair Salon at American Girl Place. It was hilarious getting her hair done alongside the little girls and their dolls. Visiting that store was always a childhood dream of mine, haha.

Anyway, after a couple of days of chill and mist (seriously, mist is SO annoying...!), the sun came out and it warmed up to nearly 80 degrees! Of course, we had planned on shopping because there was still a chance of showers... It still ended up being a nice day for shopping--and for watching the Belmont Stakes. Being able to watch it (albeit on my phone in Soho) and watch a horse FINALLY win the Triple Crown after all these years was a treat!

Ellen Tracy coat via Nordstrom (similar & on sale!) / Madewell tee (on sale!) and necklace / J.Crew Factory skirt (similar & on sale!) / Sam Edelman boots (exact) / Halogen bag / Anthropologie sunglasses

Linking up with Jenna's Thursday Favorites