My Breakfast at Tiffany’s NYC Tour
While I was reading the book Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M., by Sam Wasson about Audrey Hepburn and the making of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, I thought it would be fun to take myself out into the city to do my own Breakfast at Tiffany’s NYC tour. If you didn’t read my book review, well then…go read it! Okay, I won’t force you, but I highly recommend it. It might just change your life.
So I’m not gonna lie, I was excited about this plan. Not just because it would get me out of my apartment before noon on a Saturday, but I thought it would give me a newfound appreciation of myself. I’m the type who doesn’t really make plans. I just go along with whatever someone else has planned, which for the most part is fine by me. However, this was going to be a whole day that I planned out just for me. And obviously, NYC is one of the best places to explore. Day trips into the city are like mini vacays. I knew that somehow this Breakfast at Tiffany’s NYC day would end with me having some profound epiphany about myself. I. Was. Ready.
NYC can also be a bitch…
Saturday rolls around and I actually got up at 8 am. I was so proud. And instead of checking Facebook/Instagram/Twitter/Google, I head straight to the shower. Can’t wait to get my day started! Turn the faucet on while taking care of business and then…wth? Freezing cold water! I don’t panic. I use my Google Home to set a timer for 30 minutes, I want to do some interweb searching anyway. How could I start a morning without doing that? Thirty minutes later, still cold. Another 30- cold. I’m the assertive type so I texted my Super to find out what was going on. No response. I won’t take this lightly. I’m going to send another text that shows I mean business- “I’ve been up since 8 am waiting for hot water and it’s still ice cold.” That will get some action!
No response. I’m seething in anger because I can’t get over the fact that for once in my life I’m up at an early hour on a Saturday and my plans have been sabotaged. Finally, though, at 10:30am, I’ve got hot water. Hallelujah.
After a long subway ride with people invading my personal space, I finally made it into the city. Well, first I had to get past the jerk in the elevator, so after yelling at him with my eyes, I escaped the subway. Finally! I can start my day of fun-filled positive me time!
First things first! Audrey Hepburn, as Holly Golightly, eats a danish for breakfast while outside of Tiffany’s.
By the time I make it to my spot for a danish, it’s 1:40 pm and I’m starving.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s NYC Tour
I needed to see this sign. I was still trying to shake off my morning’s frustrations. See? The city beats you down, but then it picks you back up again. I didn’t get a hot shower for two and a half hours! Okay…so maybe the city didn’t exactly beat me down. Anyway…
I had to go to Tiffany’s first since that was where Holly ate her danish (even though Audrey detested danishes). Well, outside of Tiffany’s is a busy area, so not a good spot to have my danish. From my research, it looked like one of the Breakfast at Tiffany’s filming locations on 52nd and Park would be a good spot to sit and eat my cheese danish. But first, here’s a pic on 5th Avenue:
Now to 52nd and Park
This is my spot to sit, relax, and devour my danish. It’s a bit cool out and slightly misty, but that’s okay, I finally made it. Now I can imagine Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard in this very spot making film history. Was George being a diva on this day? Apparently, he wasn’t very well-liked on set.
I have trouble focusing on this image because there’s a weird looking guy smoking a cigarette not too far away from me. Is he looking at me? I’m female, all alone in scary NYC. Wouldn’t it be funny if, after 12 years of living in this city, this would be the day I get mugged? He starts walking towards me! I’m thinking, “Oh shit. Grab your danish!” But then he just kept walking past me towards that building. Do you see? He wasn’t a weird guy! I’m the weird one. I’m sitting all alone on 52nd and Park on a dreary day eating a cheese danish. That’s all kinds of certifiable behavior. So ladies, don’t fear NYC, it’s perfectly safe!
Now that I’m satiated and back to rational thinking, I start heading to Holly Golightly’s brownstone, which is at 169 East 71st street. It’ll be good exercise to walk and I got my Fitbit with me for motivation. I do start to wonder though if a guy was taking me out on a date that involved all this walking, would I be carefree and happily go with it? Or would I knock off points because seriously, will a bathroom make an appearance during this date? I’d like to know!
On the way to Holly’s brownstone, I happened to pass two spots that made me smile.
Made it to the Breakfast at Tiffany’s Holly Golightly brownstone!
If only I could buy Holly’s brownstone and restore it myself. I wonder who’s working on that?
I had planned on going to the New York Public Library, but because of my late start, I had to cut it from my tour. Another day!
Instead, I head to Central Park. Have you heard of it? It’s definitely another Breakfast at Tiffany’s filming location.
Central Park
This is where Paul, in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, learns the true story about Holly Golightly from her hubby, Doc Golightly.
This was my last stop in Central Park, but not my last stop on the tour. Audrey Hepburn made the little black dress a must-have for the modern woman. While I couldn’t get a Givenchy, I could ask one of my more fashionable friends where I might find an affordable option. My designer friend came to my rescue with the perfect spot.
Not only would I find an affordable dress and accessories, but I was also supporting a good cause. Check out Angel Street Thrift Shop’s mission.
The goods:
The dress was $40.00, beaded necklace $5.00, and the orange triangle necklace was $10.00.
Very cute shop!
So that was the full Breakfast at Tiffany’s NYC tour! I was exhausted. I walked 19,324 steps.
Did I have any epiphanies about myself? Not really but I guess I learned that I have to do a better job at shaking off my aggravations. Or do I need to move into a nicer apartment and hire a chauffeur?
To see pictures of Audrey Hepburn and other cast members on location while filming Breakfast at Tiffany’s, go to this website.
Currently reading Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight. This book is set in Park Slope, Brooklyn!
Reblogged this on Searching for Humor.
OMG this was so cool! What an awesome idea you had to do this 🙂 I love the idea of taking a walking tour of your favorite movie 😀 And that dress. Seriously. TO DIE FOR. What a find! Love the jewelry too! Thanks for sharing your words and your pics!!
Thank you SO much for reading my blog and commenting! It was a fun day and I plan on doing it again if I get inspired by the current book I’m reading. I was pretty lucky to find that dress. It was the only store I planned to go to and I think that was the only little black dress there at that time. Audrey Hepburn wore a black dress with bows on the straps in Sabrina, so I thought it was perfect to find one like this. 😊
I seriously love it! I’m fighting the urge to run out and buy a new black dress b/c there’s literally no reason for me to buy one…but OMG it’s just so pretty!
Haha! Go get one! I have no reason for it yet either! Hopefully, I will have somewhere cool to wear it.
Hey girl, inspired by your wonderful comment on my “Love me Tinder” post, I decided to stop by and check out your blog. AMAZING girlfriend! These pictures are absolutely gorgeous and it brings me right back to when I made my own personal “tours” through NYC years ago. Oh and by the way, (not to get all creepy, stalker-like on you), but I live out on Long Island, so we should totally plan a trip to Manhattan sometime and do a tour of our own!! Between you an I, I always wanted to do a “Sex and the City” tour. I swear every time I watch that show, I KNOW I have seen Carrie’s brownstone before! Anyway, great post and pictures. I look forward to reading more of your work. <3
Aww thanks so much! I didn’t notice this comment before! Thanks for reading and I’m glad you liked it! I loooved Sex and the City! I don’t think I ever did a tour. I can’t believe that! I know I’ve seen Carrie’s stoop though because it was on my way to work back when I first moved to the city. I’d totally go for a Sex and the City tour! Let me know! 😊
Haha sure thing girl!! I am a total Sex and the City-a-holic you have no idea!! And even though I worked in the city too a few years ago, and I watch the show RELIGIOUSLY, I can’t seem to pinpoint that place the girls always meet to have lunch. You know which one I mean right? Where all four of them are sitting together, two of them opposite from the other two? But I DO know about that theatre down in Lincoln Center where Carrie and Berger had their first impromptu movie date!! Oh, and that FANTASTIC little garden and gazeebo where Carrie and Miranda had their lunch in the Sex and the City Movie. You know where they talked about if Miranda was going to forgive Steve for cheating?? Haha, Can you tell that I am a die-hard Sex and the City fan or what!!!??
There are SO many places we can try and go, but it would take some planning and maybe a total re-watch of the whole series? I’m totally down!! Haha. But. maybe when the weather gets warmer we can plan something out,. feel free to contact me with any thoughts you may have, or even if you want to TOTALLY Girl-Out with Sex and The City talk! My email is lynn.shatteredwish@gmail.com Let me know! 🙂
Oh my god! I need to rewatch the series because I’m totally not sure of the spots to go! Although I’m sure there are Sex and the City tours still going on. I do need to rewatch the series! I have it on dvd. Just need to get the right cable to hook my DVD player to my newish tv. I’m so not tech savvy. I agree, that it would definitely be better to do when it’s warmer!
My email is searchingforhumor@yahoo.com, but you can also find me on Twitter at Searching4humor
Love long walks around the city – this is an epic one! I’ve never done breakfast at Tiffany’s even though its a totally New York cliché. I think shortly after you wrote this, they opened up an actual café in Tiffany’s – but your tour is much more authentically Holly Golightly! Definitely feeling like I need to rewatch the movie while eating danish…
Thank you so much for reading this! This was the first time I did this kind of tour. Audrey inspired me!
That’s funny. I can’t believe the timing of Tiffany’s cafe. I think I actually read about that cafe sometime after doing my tour. It would have been perfect for my tour, although I might have been too intimidated to go into Tiffany’s. I should have gone in the store. Haha. Oh well. Maybe another time? 😊 Thanks again for reading!
A danish while watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s sounds like a great idea! I need to do that too next time I watch it!
I LOVE THIS POST! The photographs of NYC make me nostalgic. I always wondered what it would really be like to eat breakfast at Tiffany’s. I mean, can we meet up and eat breakfast at Tiffany’s some time in the future? This sounds like a splendid place for a blogger meet up hehe. That dress is so cute! Wish you had made it to the library as I haven’t been in years. Love all your thoughts and musings in this post. You wouldn’t be living in a proper NYC apt if you didn’t wake up with no hoter and a super that ignored you. Ha!
Yes! Let’s do it! And then we can go to the library! Sounds like a great day to me. 😊
Ugh. My apt has got a few issues. #nycliving 😒
Thank you for checking out my post!! Sorry for my delayed response. I’ve been traveling.