Welcome to New York, Swifties, it’s been waiting for you. Live your best vacation life on a trip to New York State with itineraries featuring places from iconic lyrics, music videos, and even a few gems frequented by Taylor herself in her New Yorker era. Photo Credit: @noerosetravel on Instagram.
Explore Taylor Swift’s New York:
NEW YORK CITY
Hotel Chelsea
This Manhattan hotel that’s on the National Register of Historic Places gets a shoutout on the title track of Taylor Swift’s 11th studio album The Tortured Poets Department, that also name drops literary icons Dylan Thomas and Patti Smith who are among the long list of famed poets, writers, and musicians who once called the hotel home.
Take a self-guided tour of Taylor’s Greenwich Village
Credit: Anna Pakman
Taylor and a certain former beau may never walk Cornelia Street together again, but you totally should! This charming little street is nestled in New York City’s West Village neighborhood. Join the line of Swifties taking selfies at Taylor’s former digs, a gorgeous townhouse with carriage doors located at 23 Cornelia Street (pictured), and grab a bite to eat at one of the excellent restaurants lining the street, like inventive Chinese-New American fusion spot Silver Apricot or the affordable and always fun Tacombi taqueria.
Credit: @nyclovesnyc on Instagram
Then, walk up 6th Ave and take a right on E 8th Street to take a peek inside the windows of Electric Lady Studios, where Taylor has recorded music since “Lover.” Continue to MacDougal Street and make another right going a block and a half south until you hit Washington Square Park (pictured), which serves as the unofficial campus square for New York University. In 2022, NYU gave Taylor an honorary doctorate in fine arts, so that’s Dr. Swift to you.
Credit: Anna Pakman
Next, you’ll want to exit the park at its southeast corner and turn left on W 4th Street then make a right onto Lafayette Street. You’ll walk past Lafayette Grand Cafe & Bakery (pictured) where Taylor has been spotted with pals. If you see a line, it’s likely not a Swift sighting: Lafayette is known for their TikTok-famous suprèmes, a round croissant stuffed with flavorful creamy fillings, made in limited quantities and “dropped” three times a day.
Credit: @bibliochick on Instagram
Continue on Lafayette Street and take a slight right onto East Houston Street then an immediate left onto Crosby Street. You will see the Housing Works Bookstore (pictured) on your right. This is where a red-haired Taylor read her novel in All Too Well: The Short Film. All purchases at this store go to benefit Housing Works, a non-profit organization providing housing and healthcare to people living with HIV/AIDS. An intimate cafe inside provides a perch to take a break from the hustle and bustle of city life.
If you’re of drinking age and the night is young, continue on to the East Village bar Lovers of Today, which is thought to be the dive bar mentioned in Delicate.
High Line
Credit: @darkokontin on Instagram
As Taylor sings in Cardigan, “I knew you / Your heartbeat on the High Line / Once in twenty lifetimes.” No once-in-a-lifetime trip is complete without a stroll on the elevated walkway that connects the Meatpacking District to Hudson Yards. Formerly a working rail track, the High Line is now part garden, part open-air modern art museum.
Empire State Building
Credit: Marta Zielinska
Like any real love, New York is ever-changing. See the whole city from the top of the Empire State Building where Taylor announced her album, 1989.
Coney Island
Credit: @hans.zhong on Instagram
This classic amusement park in South Brooklyn inspired a whole song by the same name and is well worth a whole visit. Whether you choose to dip your toes in the Atlantic on the adjacent beach, fly high on rides, or just sit on a boardwalk bench pondering the sunset, this destination is sure not to disappoint.
LONG ISLAND
Oheka Castle
Credit: @noerosetravel on Instagram
You’ll recognize this impressive French-style chateau immediately from the Blank Space video. Take a tour of the castle and grounds, enjoy afternoon tea in a lush dining room, or treat yourself to an overnight stay at this real-life fairytale abode.
Lavender by the Bay
Credit: @andrewj_brooks on Instagram
While it never made it into a video or hosted Taylor herself (that we know of), it would be impossible to write this blog without mentioning this hidden gem that will make a literal Lavender Haze creep up on you. A working lavender farm, Lavender by the Bay is so photogenic that your selfies are sure to go viral. Soak up the views, pick out a lovely bouquet, and shop for more lavender products to take home.
HUDSON VALLEY
Taylor-inspired road trip
Located just north of New York City, the Hudson Valley is dotted with the types of picturesque small towns and gorgeous nature that will make you fall in love on the spot.
It’s no surprise that this region served as the setting of Taylor’s Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions as well as parts of the All Too Well short film. Rumor has it that All Too Well was filmed at least in part at the Westchester home of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. While an invitation from the Reynolds’ might not be in the cards for all, you can explore nearby towns like the lovely Katonah with its highly regarded Katonah Museum of Art (pictured).
Credit: @carolineeparr on Instagram
If you visit in late summer or early fall, go apple picking at Fishkill Farms (pictured) in Hopewell Junction like Taylor did with Jake Gyllenhaal back in the day.
Continue your trip north up the Hudson River with a stop at the absolutely adorable town of Rhinebeck and be sure to stop by Samuel’s Sweets Shop, which is owned by fellow Swiftie Paul Rudd (spotted at a recent Eras Tour concert at MetLife Stadium).
Credit: @bentley.potter.photography on Instagram
While you can’t visit Long Pond Studio, you can explore the neighboring small city of Hudson and the area with our handy 48 Hours in Hudson guide. Don’t miss the world-famous antiquing and beautiful Olana State Historic Site (pictured) while you’re there!
CENTRAL NEW YORK
Back to Binghamton
Credit: @n0bis on Instagram
Did you know that the short music video for Back to December was filmed in the upstate city of Binghamton, NY? Stand in the same spot as Taylor once did at MacArthur Park and see more of what this city has to offer during your 48 Hours in Binghamton.
Share New York State adventures with us on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter with #ILoveNY and #iSpyNY, and tag us on Facebook!
