If you’re looking for a great way to spend the weekend in NYC, I’ve added some hot tips to my NYC Guide for you to consider. From cherry blossoms to great Japanese food we explore a little bit of Roosevelt Island and Brooklyn’s Industry City.

NYC Guide: Roosevelt Island

• Cherry Blossoms on the River walk. The river walk on Roosevelt Island is lined with cherry blossom trees that are in full bloom right now. It’s a beautiful path to walk and enjoy the bright pink and white blossoms while catching a view of the Manhattan skyline.

• FDR Four Freedoms Park Continue along the path of the river walk and at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island you’ll meet the entrance to the FDR Four Freedoms Park. Ascend the staircase of the park to another tree lined path to view to the monument to FDR. Be sure to check the park hours when planning your trip. They change seasonally.

  Bonus tip: check out the ruins of the small pox hospital. This haunting and beautiful structure tells the story of a bygone era.

• Tram the Roosevelt Island tram is a NYC icon. You may have seen it on Spider Man. Float above the East River to get from Manhattan’s midtown East to Roosevelt Island or vice versa. The views are stunning and this is a NYC attraction all my guests and visitors really enjoy. You can use your metro card for the tram.

• NYC Ferry the NYC is by far my favorite way to get around NYC. With stops in Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, it’s a fun way to get around. When the weather is nice, you can grab wine or beer or soft drinks and head to the rooftop to enjoy the air and views of the city along the way. You cannot use your metro card to ride the ferry but the price is equivalent to one subway ride.

NYC Guide: Industry City Japan Village

After enjoying the morning on Roosevelt Island, I headed to Brooklyn’s Industry City for lunch. Industry City is a great space that would make a great place to explore for a few hours. Move from complex to complex to find artisan shops, wine stores, chocolatiers, and a variety of restaurants and pubs. I had a specific destination, Japan Village. Part of Industry City, Japan Village hosts a Japanese market, a sake shop, and several restaurants.

• WakuWaku Lynette and I decided to lunch at WakuWaku for izakaya. They had a great outdoor set up with ventilation and windows, heated tables, and contactless ordering via QR. We started with a Santory whisky Yuzu high ball cocktail and Mio sparkling sake. The menu offers a wide variety of yakitori. We ordered kabocha (pumpkin), avocado, and chicken yakitori. All were nicely presented and tasty. We ordered traditional sashimi, gesu, kani croquettes, age dashi tofu, and fried potatoes with mentaiko mayo. We really enjoyed every dish. It’s a great spot to visit and spend an enjoyable afternoon or evening.