26 May New York City like a Local
New York City is one of my favourite places in the world; there really is a different vibe to it that you can only understand once you’ve visited it. My boyfriend and I decided to take a trip there just the two of us since we hadn’t been in a year or two. I’m a planner and I don’t go to New York without a spreadsheet breaking down what we were going to do every day during our four-day trip. I divided down this post in a couple of different section to make it easy for when you plan your next trip to the big apple. Enjoy! (Click here to skip to the map of all of the spots)
Sleep
The Hoxton
This was my second time staying in a Hoxton hotel (I stayed with them in Paris a couple of months ago) and it did not disappoint. I love staying in Brooklyn because it’s a little more chill than being in the heart of the city, so after a whole day of walking around, it’s nice to decompress. The hotel is located a five-minute walk away from the subway, so it’s super easy to get into Manhattan.
We actually got upgraded to a Manhattan-facing room, which was breathtaking. The rooms are bright and compact, and the vibe of the hotel is very cool and chill. I also love that they have some non-alcoholic cocktail-esque drinks on the menu, so you don’t have to feel awkward asking for a virgin drink.
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- The Hoxton, Williamsburg
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- View from the Hoxton in Williamsburg
Eat
Since we only had a couple of days in New York, I wanted to make sure that I had all of our meals planned out. I found a lot of the places below through the Bon Appétit Foodcast, Munchies Chef’s Night Out series, and Grub Street.
Buvette
42 Grove St (Greenwich Village)
This spot is the quintessential Greenwich Village spot. Chill vibes and high-quality French-inspired food – what more can you ask for?
Must try: Waffle Sandwich, Les Oeufs Vapeur, and Almond Croissants
Misi
I love restaurants with a small menu, done well. Misi focuses on appetizers (vegetable-focused) and fresh pasta. Check out their IG for addicting videos of handmade pasta. Tip: Reservations book up extremely quickly, so set a reminder for 30 days in advance; they also have a bar section specifically for walk-ins if you miss out on the reso.
Must try: Whipped Ricotta Crostini, Spinach Mascarpone Tortellini, and Olive Oil Ice Cream
Via Carota
51 Grove St (Greenwich Village)
The owner of Buvette, Jody Williams, is 1/2 of the mind behind Via Carota (so we knew it was going to be good). This restaurant has more of a bistro-vibe to it and the food is incredible. Tip: get there early. There are no reservations, so I would suggest dropping in early and walking around Greenwich Village to kill time. When we got there, they told us the next table was going to be a 2 and a half hour wait (somehow the host changed his mind and sat us at the bar a minute later, which I still don’t understand but I ain’t complaining)
Must try: Burrata di Puglia, Cibreo Toscano, Cacio e Pepe, Svizzerina
Frankel’s Delicatessen & Appetizing
631 Manhattan Ave (Greenpoint)
We ate here on our last day for lunch and it was perfect for a rainy morning.
Must try: Chocolate Babka, Mazzo Ball Soup, Potato Latkes, Pastrami, Egg & Cheese on Challah
Five Leaves
I love sitting on the patio at Five Leaves for lunch – such an NYC vibe to it
Must try: Morrocan Scramble, Ricotta Pancakes, Heritage Bowl
Scarr’s Pizza
22 Orchard St (Lower East Side)
I watched Bon Appétit’s video on finding the perfect New York Slice and they put Scarr’s at #1, so we had to try it.
Must try: Margherita Slice, Pepperoni Slice
Eileen’s Cheesecake
One of the most classic NYC cheesecake spots. They have individual-sized cheesecakes, so you can try a couple with friends.
Must try: Classic Cheesecake (with Strawberry if you’re into that)
Meatball Shop
170 Bedford Ave (Williamsburg)
For our first day in NYC, we wanted a lowkey dinner to grab and eat by the water in Brooklyn to watch the sunset. This was the perfect meal and those mashed potatoes were amazing (maybe we were just starving… but wow.)
Must try: Classic Meatballs with Classic Sauce and Mashed Potatoes
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream
204 Wythe Ave (Williamsburg) *multiple locations
This is actually a chain, but they have pretty original flavours, and a ton of vegan options too!
Must try: Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Oat Milk Latte
Ludlow Coffee Supply
176 Ludlow St (Lower East Side)
Cool coffee shop in the Lower East Side, perfect for ducking into when it starts pouring outside
Must try: Brownie, Tumeric Latte with Oat Milk
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- Scarr’s Pizza in LES
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- Buvette on Saturday a morning
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- Eileen’s: Iconic cheesecake spot in New York
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- Bar seats at Via Carota
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- Scanning the menu at Buvette
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- Enjoying chocolate fudge brownie ice cream with vegan whip at Van Leeuwen
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- Waffle Sandwich and Oeufs Vapeur Chèvre at Buvette
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- Lunch at Frankel’s: mazzo ball soup, pastrami egg cheese on challah, latkes
Shop
Glossier Flagship
Stocked up on my ride or die: Boy Brow in Brown
Everlane
I was able to try on their new sandals and picked up a pair of their new Day Crossover Sandal in Camel. The leather is buttery soft; fits true to size.
Aimé Leon Dore
Cool menswear with a cute café inside the store.
Saturdays
Surfer shop with graphic tees, and of course a café with a back patio to hang out on.
The Break
Vintage for the cool NYC girl; a lot of blazers and suit sets. I picked up a black oversized blazer and was over the moon happy with it.
Awoke Vintage
688 Manhattan Ave (Brooklyn) *multiple locations
A curated selection of vintage pieces, perfect for someone who doesn’t feel like sorting through tons of clothes to find one good piece.
Pas Mal
You can find designer brands like Ganni, LOQ, and Baserange at this cute shop in Greenpoint.
Dobbin Street Vintage Co-Op
This shop has everything from vintage furniture, to clothing, to random little knick-knacks. If I lived in NYC, I’d pick up some home decor here.
Feng Sway
Plants everywhere, some mirrors, and racks of vintage clothes to pick from.
Frankie Shop
100 Stanton St (Lower East Side)
If you’re a fan of @alyssainthecity, you know that Frankie Shop is a top spot for NYC fashion girls.
Reformation
156 Ludlow St (Lower East Side) *multiple locations
One of the OG mainstream sustainable fashion brands that makes the cutest LA vibe dresses and tops.
Assembly New York
170 Ludlow St (Lower East Side)
Designer pieces to browse through in this cool LES shop.
Round 2
113 Stanton St (Lower East Side)
Resale store for sneakers and apparel from hype brands like Supreme, North Face, and Champion.
D0
Brooklyn Bridge
We started on the Brooklyn side of the bridge and walked towards Manhattan on our first day. The views were amazing and it wasn’t too busy when we went, but I can imagine that during the summer, it gets a little packed. It didn’t take us more than 30 minutes to get across the bridge.
John Lennon Memorial
My boyfriend is a big Beatles fan, so we took the subway up to the Dakota Apartments on the Upper West Side (where John Lennon lived and where he got shot). Then, we crossed the street to go towards Central Park and visited the memorial. It’s a simple plaque on the ground that says ‘Imagine’, but it was crazy to see how many people still visit it. To be honest, I got really emotional and teary-eyed passing by it.
Central Park
After visiting the memorial, we walked through the park and ended up by the Conservatory Water. It’s a little pond where people sail their model boats; we sat on a bench here for an hour just soaking in the city.
Chelsea Market
Chelsea has changed a lot since I went in 2015, it’s a lot more commercial, but the Chelsea Market is still something to see. We just walked through it, but if you’re planning on eating something there, I would recommend planning it out before getting there because the options are overwhelming.
The High Line
This is a walk that I always do when I’m in NYC. It gets very busy, so we started on one end at 9 AM on a Saturday and walked south to Chelsea, to then get to Buvette for brunch. They’re doing some renovations, so there is some scaffolding on certain sections, but it’s still a great walk.
Greenwich Village
If I were to live in Manhattan, this is the neighbourhood that I would choose. There is so much charm in this area from the architecture to the trees lining the streets. It’s a great food neighbourhood (Buvette, Via Carota, Spotted Pig, Butcher’s Daughter, etc…); I could walk around there for hours.
Washington Square Park
After Buvette, we took a short walk to Washington Square Park and sat around for an hour or so. There’s usually musicians and tons of people just hanging out. I also pet a dog named Savannah who was saved from dog fighting; she was the sweetest soul.
Comedy Cellar
I don’t think I laughed that much in a veryyy long time… You can make a reservation online over a month in advance (if you’re looking for a Friday or Saturday night show, book it in beforehand) or you can show up before the show in hopes to get a spot.
MoMA
Museums in NYC are pretty expensive, so when I found out that the MoMA has free entrance on Fridays from 4PM-8PM, I knew that we had to go. We got there around 4:15 and it was busy, but it was even crazier when we left, so I would say to go right at the beginning, or near the end around 7 PM.
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- Vintage car in Brooklyn
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- Conservatory Waters at Central Park
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- Comedy Cellar
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- Views from the MoMA gardens
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- Petting Savannah in Washington Square Park
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- A picturesque street in Greenpoint
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- Walking the Brooklyn Bridge
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- Rainy day in Dumbo
Honourable Mentions
Unfortunately, 4 days isn’t enough to do everything in the city, so here are some places that I love or had my eye on, but didn’t get to on this trip