As we write this, we are onboard our flight about to take off from LaGuardia back to Dallas.
Facing the sad reality that our annual winter trip to Manhattan has come to a close, we are feeling reflective. And delightfully sober for once thanks to our continuing Dry January stint.
We started our early winter NYC vacation tradition back in 2023 to see Chicago when Jinkx Monsoon joined the Broadway cast. We soon realized that the city has fewer tourists, hotels are dirt cheap, restaurant reservations come easily and snagging tickets to shows is easier than ever in January and February.
Many of the trips we take throughout the year are hosted by visitors bureaus, airlines or hotel brands who want us to write about our experiences. But our New York trips represent a rare chance to be completely on our own schedule, even if it means paying for everything ourselves. (Gasp!)
That won’t stop us from writing about our travels because we love to share our honest feedback and legitimate recommendations with you!
This particular trip, the only thing we scheduled in advance was two musicals and a play. Everything else we left to chance or joined friends for dinners at places they chose. At least 90% of what we did was worth reporting, so without further ado, here are the experiences worth checking out next time you go, especially if it’s within the next few weeks.
Where To Stay
We’re usually the bougiest bitches in town when it comes to hotel stays, but we took advantage of a Black Friday sale last year and booked a room at the Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites New York Manhattan/Chelsea.
The hotel’s nothing special (we can’t imagine any three-star hotel being noteworthy), but the location can’t be beat. Its Chelsea address made it quick and easy to get to the gay bars of Christopher Street in one direction and our Broadway shows in the other, each about a 12-minute journey on the 1 Train with a station only one block away from the hotel.
The $60-for-four-nights hotel bill was easily the cheapest we’ve ever paid in Manhattan, so we really can’t complain. Our room was large by Manhattan standards, the bed was comfortable, the staff were extremely helpful and friendly, and the voyeuristic views of people going about their daily lives in the hotels and apartments across the street provided a lot of entertainment while we got ready each morning and evening.
What To See
During his trip, we saw three shows and thoroughly enjoyed each. Our go-to app is TodayTix, which often has great sales, but most importantly, keeps all of our tickets in one handy place.
First up, Heathers: The Musical brings one of our favorite ’80s movies to life. It’s showing at the ultra-contemporary, multi-theater New World Stages. We love this Off-Broadway venue so much that each trip we go directly to their website to see what shows they have because there’s almost always a super-queer show in the mix. Heathers is currently scheduled to run through May 24, 2026.
Next, it was off to Marjorie Prime starring Cynthia Nixon and the dynamo June Squibb, still wowing audiences at 96 years old! This 90-minute, no-intermission play originally ran in 2014, but now in the AI-powered world we live in, its themes of technology and grief take on a whole new relevance while bringing up many ethical questions. Catch this incredibly moving (and funny) show through February 15.
Finally, our last matinee of the trip was Chess, starring Lea Michelle, Aaron Tveit and Nicholas Christopher. This revival features music by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and lyrics by Tim Rice. It’s a fantastic showcase for the three leads to belt out one song after another, and we dare to leave without “One Night in Bangkok” stuck in your head on a loop for days. The show’s run keeps getting extended and now continues through June 14, 2026.
But wait, that’s not all! Last year, we saw Oh, Mary! twice: once with creator Cole Escola, and the other time with Jinkx Monsoon. (We’ll see her in anything!) It’s one of the funniest shows we’ve ever seen and love seeing it with different stars in the leading role. Jinkx will be starring through February 1 with Broadway’s original Hedwig, John Cameron Mitchell, taking over from February 3 through April 26. The wildly popular show continues to be extended with the current run going through at least July 5, 2026.
Another Off-Broadway show we saw twice two years ago, Titaníque, moves to Broadway this year with two of the creators, Marla Mindelle and dreamboat Constantine Rousouli, back in their starring roles, along with Frankie Grande, Jim Parsons and gay icon Deborah Cox. The Broadway run will be March 26-July 12, 2026, though we imagine it’ll be extended. On an almost daily basis we struggle to decide whether this show or Oh Mary! wins as our favorite staged comedy of all time.
Finally, the single-digit wind chill in New York this past weekend had us seeking plenty of indoor activities to stay warm. Besides hanging out at bars for expensive non-alcoholic beers, our favorite discovery was Fever’s Submerge, in the former boiler room of Chelsea Market. This digital art hub from the team that brought Astra Lumina to Dallas features the immersive works of more than a dozen artists and it was mesmerizing. Remember those immersive Van Gogh exhibitions? It’s like that, only way trippier. Especially with an edible!
Where To Eat
Two of our besties met us for a portion of the trip and they chose Joanne Trattoria for dinner one night. This cozy Upper West Side restaurant hails from the Germanotta family (you might know one of them, a certain Stefani, a.k.a. Lady Gaga.) The restaurant is a tribute to Gaga’s late aunt Joanne, who tragically died at the age of 19. On the menu, it’s classic Italian fare all the way, but what makes the tiny restaurant special is its daily roster of entertainment, from drag shows to undiscovered talents working the room.
Three other culinary highlights include the fast-casual Emperor Dumpling (with five outlets across the city), incredible Mediterranean at Molyvos (a great location for pre- or post-Broadways meals), Taco Mahal for insanely delcious Indian tacos, and Mama’s TOO!, a bougie West Village pizza spot with long lines that pay off with craveable flavors (don’t skip on the cacio e pepe slice).
Where To Queer Things Up
Gay bars keep on gayin’! And we keep on goin’! Nearly every visit to NYC, we feel obligated to pay our respects via large bar tabs at the historic birthplace of Pride, The Stonewall Inn. We particularly enjoy the Sunday night drag shows upstairs that give a look at the rawer side of New York drag with insanely entertaining shows that last into the wee hours.
Around the corner, The Duplex Piano Bar (Just Jack!) typically gets a lot of our dollars, too. We never tire of watching a bartender sing into a mic in one hand while shaking a martini in the other.
One of our favorite tiny local spots, 9th Avenue Saloon, always offers a great time. Whether you’re watching Drag Race or prefer to torture your friends with control of the music videos via a handy jukebox app, you’ll find a good reason to pop in and hang out for a while.
And a new discovery for us this visit was The Dickens, a Hell’s Kitchen pub that’s technically a gay bar, but one that welcomes a wonderfully diverse crowd, from LGBTQ to straight-up straight. They’ve got happy hour every day of the week (almost unheard of in Manhattan), drag brunch and full-service dining, making it another great pre- or post-theater option.
We hope you can use some of these tips and suggestions. But even more, we hope you can get to New York City sooner rather than later. It really is one of the best places on earth.
