Sometimes last minute trips are the best ones.

There's no time to have an anxiety attack over the details. Just throw a bunch of stuff in a bag (Mostly black, grey, and denim because hey, it's New York and most of the residents are rocking dark palettes 24/7.) and go.

So, recently I had the chance to motor to NYC and stay at The Palace, which all my fellow fans of Blair, Dorota, Serena, and Lily know is really and truly the Gossip Girl hotel. (With a reboot slated for 2020, expect to see a resurgence of interest in the original show.)

A few snaps of the famous Christmas tree in their courtyard (where - as GG fans know - we got our first glimpse of Blake Lively’s Serena van der Woodsen, returning after a mysterious exit from NYC and a subsequent stint at a Connecticut boarding school, in episode one) are a must, whether you're staying at the hotel or not.

If you aren’t going to make it to the city for Christmas, no worries because there are plenty of reasons to take a trip for (or after) New Year’s! Here then are a few more highlights, recommendations, and tips - all inspired by our recent excursions - to keep in mind.

1. This wouldn't be a Patty J post without a coffee mention, and the Gossip Girl tie-in hands down has gotta be Sant Ambroeus on Madison, a brisk walk or short cab ride from the Lotte NY Palace. Kelly Rutherford, aka, Lily Van der Woodsen, has updated via Instagram from there multiple times over. You might also catch a glimpse of Lenny Kravitz (He cited SA as a fave dating back to his childhood in a profile in the NY Post a few years ago.) or another equally famous individual. While we were there for a late morning nosh this past spring, we spotted both Derek Blasberg and Karlie Kloss.

2. On a much smaller scale, but adorable as heck is Remi Flower & Coffee on 2nd Avenue. Get an oat milk latte or hot chocolate and a muffin and (hopefully) take some phone fotos from this extremely photogenic cafe combination florist. Still waiting for someone to open something like this in Rhode Island, I think it would be a huge hit!

3. After you pick up something Charlotte Tilbury at Bloomies or Sephora (Forget Kylie because Charlotte continues to be one of the hottest makeup lines right now.), head on over to the Museum Of Ice Cream which will be open thru March 1, 2020. Some of the highly Instagrammable attractions include floating tables, a three story slide, a pink subway (Shades of Elle Woods!), and a pool full of sprinkle candies.

4. If you’re a Starbucks fan, you’ll definitely want to dash over to the new-ish Starbucks Roastery in the Meatpacking District. It was inspired by the cafe lifestyle in Italy where you can enjoy cocktails or wine as well as a cappucino. (They unveiled the very first one of these in Milan btw.) So, there’s a beautiful bar on the 2nd level and back on 1st, you’ll find bakery counters where you can buy pastry or bread, a fireplace, special premium coffees for sale, not to mention some pretty cozy seating. It’s not like any other Starbucks I’ve ever seen. (Probably why there was a line of people down the block waiting to get in when they officially opened their doors last December.)

Packing And Prep: Shoes you can walk in (again, flat boots or booties and stylish sneakers are always on point in the City) and the Curb app should be high on your list. We were singing the praises of Uber and Lyft - until, that is, we ended up stranded at the Whole Foods near Bryant Park during lunchtime. Thankfully we were able to hail a yellow taxi to get back uptown. The Curb app allows you to pay for your taxi rides and tip the driver via your smart phone, all very old school NYC meets digital age.