A Kimmy Schmidt Inspired Weekend to NYC

Recently, Netflix treated a group of bloggers to an Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt inspired trip to New York. I was one of the lucky Stream Team members to be picked to attend. They spoiled us all weekend long with activities inspired by characters or story lines from the show. It was SO much fun! So I thought I would share with you how you can have your own Kimmy Schmidt inspired weekend. While it was SUPER fun to do it in New York, since that is where the show takes place, you could also recreate this in most other big cities. So grab your girls and make waffles of your favorite city. I’m going to share the general activities you can do to help plan your weekend and also show the ones that we did in New York in case you just want to copycat our fun weekend.

*P.S. if you don’t get the references in the post, you should probably watch the show because it’s funny as hell. This post took forever to write because I was rewatching  parts of episodes to make sure I got characters names right, etc. and would get sucked in and find myself watching episode after episode. Every time you watch it you catch another funny line. It’s the best and I can’t wait for season 2!Check in to a hotel in a bustling location. New York is super fast pace and keeps Kimmy on her toes. I would look for a room that is as close to Jacqueline’s style as you can afford. (Kimmy lives in a closet so I wouldn’t aspire to that). You should feel a little bit out of your element and experience new things around every corner.

*The Netflix Stream Team stayed at the Gansevoort Park Hotel. It was super nice and there were a bunch of full water bottles that Jacqueline would have thrown away. The hotel was comfortable and upscale with a touch of glam. The staff was super attentive and ready to take care of any Jacqueline like whim we had.Book spa appointments for your first afternoon. Do it right in the middle of the day so it feels extra indulgent. Be a little bit of a diva (but don’t be a jerk) and act as though you get massages all the time. If you’re up for it, see if you can find a local Dr. Frampf for some Botox and lip fillers (kidding, you don’t have to actually get any work done – unless you want to. Dr. Frampf is one of my favorite characters played by the very funny Martin Short). Do not feel guilty at taking time for yourself. You deserve this. Follow Jacqueline’s lead and do a little outside in living which means if you look good on the outside you become confident and happy.

*Our massages were done at Exhale Spa in the Gansevoort Park Hotel. Of course they were fantastic!Enjoy some Pinot Noir while getting ready for dinner. Then, when you are feeling tipsy, make your own video for Titus’ song, Pinot Noir. Or make up your own song about your favorite wine. What a great reminder it will be for your weekend with your girls. “As long as it rhymes, everything will be fines.”

*Netflix surprised us with wine and these Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt quote pins to our hotel rooms. I did not make a video of my own. Or maybe I did and it won’t surface until I’m on trial for holding 4 women captive in a bunker for 15 years.Book a fancy meal anywhere you think Logan would take Kimmy on a first date. Splurge. He spares no expense while courting Kimmy. Remember the dolphin with a bow? Order some wine and enjoy each others company. Or look for an Olive Garden since most towns have one and Kimmy also enjoyed a meal there with Randy and Kymmy.

*Our dinner took place at Tavern on the Green, the actual Ghostbusters restaurant. These are the other Stream Team members on the trip with me: Erica, Lynn, Ashleigh, me (duh) and Rachee. It was so fun to be on a trip with other fans of the show. There were lots of selfies among the group, hashbrown no filter. Here is something to always keep in mind when taking a selfie, “You have to hold the camera high to keep your chin up. Then make a kissy mouth. Then think about baby ducks, so your eyes look kind. And squeeze in your arm to push up your cleavage.” Thank you Jacqueline.

Provide some options for how to begin your second day. Get a late start with room service breakfast or you find a local Soul Cycle-type business for everyone to try out a spin class. “Turn your resistance all the way up to Ghandi” and feel the burn like Kimmy and Jacqueline did at Spirit Cycle.

*Several Stream Team members participated in a Soul Cycle class. I think you can tell which option I went with…Take a movie and TV sighting tour. Most major cities probably have some kind of tour sharing where things have been filmed or trivia about celebrities. Kimmy isn’t the only one who gets excited by experiencing places that she’s seen on the big screen. It’s really fun to think of your favorite movies and see the bigger picture of where the filming actually took place. If there isn’t a TV tour available, look for a sightseeing tour of historical places. I spent a little time in New Jersey before and after this trip to NY and it was so fun to see things like Thomas Edison’s lab. Just be sure to read an Us Weekly later to balance out the learning.

*We took a walking tour of Central Park. See that building with the black front in the photo. That is the building exterior they used as Mugatu’s office in the movie Zoolander. We also got to see locations from Gossip Girl and where Dong and Kimmy filmed at what they thought was the Friend’s fountain.

Find a candy store where you can eat candy for dinner. I think this is one of the first experiences that makes Kimmy feel like an adult. So throw your diet cares to the wind and eat some candy. Then do anything that your 15-year-old self always thought you would do when you grew up like drink alcohol.

*We ventured over to Dylan’s Candy Bar, which was the actual store Kimmy shopped in, for some candy inspired cocktails and a little afternoon snack of gummy sharks and dessert flatbreads.

See a production of The Lion King if you can. Titus Andromendon won’t be in it, since he can’t pass as a straight giraffe, but you’ll at least be able to see the show that he has tried out for a bunch of times. If The Lion King isn’t playing, see another play. If a Spiderman themed show is playing on stage, definitely see that. Anything theatrical will do and if all else fails, see a movie. Or watch Law squiggle Order.

*We saw The Lion King on Broadway. It was magical! We had fantastic seats and the set design was crazy amazing. We also saw Ferris Bueller walking on the street on our way in to the theater.

Other Kimmy style things to do:

*Find a swing set and try to go “all the way around!”

*Go dancing somewhere cool like Club Bombay from Moesha.

*Find a place like Time Square with lots of people, tourist attractions and off-brand characters trying to make a living and sing “Circle of Life” together

*Listen to one of those sad Boyz II Men songs and think of all the homies you’ve lost.

*Get matching “bean curd” tattoos.

*Use a blimp to summit Mt. Everest

I am so grateful to Netflix for having me on this trip (they paid for everything but these priceless experiences, memories and opinions are all mine) and getting to be one of their Stream Team members. One thing I learned throughout this weekend is that they really love what they do and that they are continually trying to improve the service and user experience. I’m proud to be part of the team and look forward to sharing how my family uses Netflix each month! You can see how our trip unfolded via instagram and #StreamTeamUKS.

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