Visit New York City

YA BISH. I went to New York City. I got to experience New York just like a typical Real Housewife of New York. The glitz, the glamour, the subway…

So high class.

I had never been before, but I have a few friends who live there, and they helped me come up with a fantastic list of the best things to eat, see and do in NYC. Buckle up, it’s a long one.

Where to Eat in New York City

I don’t know how anyone who lives in New York City decides where to eat. There are SOOO many options. And what if you really like a place? There are too many new places to try to go back to the same place TWICE! You might say the same thing about LA but like… LA is actually a betch to get to and I’d rather lay about and order Postmates. Ya feel? Anyways, I have assembled a fairly long list of places to eat. I am so sorry for how long this list is but I was given so many suggestions and I know I’ll go back one day and try new things on this list.

Where We Ate in New York City

Rosemarys– Mouthwatering focaccia bread and Italian dishes.
Magnolias -Banana pudding, a New York MUST! Even if you don’t like banana flavored things.
Ippudo -Ramen and pork buns. Probably my favorite meal in NYC.
Juniors -Cheesecake across from the Music Box Theater, we got a slice of this “world famous cheesecake” after our show. It was pretty good and satisfying. Was it AMAZZINGGGG? No.
BROOKLYN BAGEL & COFFEE CO– bagels and schemer. I know people get CrAzY over NY bagels, and yes it was delicious, but that’s because I LOVEEEE all bagels. The coffee was really good too.
The Doughnuttery– So many unique flavors and I liked how small it is.
Murray’s Bagels– Directly across from our hotel. Great bagels and coffee, but I thought the Brooklyn Bagel place was better. It had more schemers, but this place was just dandy.
The Plaza– We had afternoon tea here for my (early) birthday. I felt like Eloise.

Udon West- Tasty Udon. Japanese noodles in broth. Like Ramen but with thicker noods.

Other Recommended Places

We didn’t eat at any of these but these were recommended to me by my NY natives. Next time! I put little * next to the ones that were highly recommended!

Dining

Adriennes Pizza Bar
Saju (French)
Eataly (Italian)*
Charie Bird (American)
L’artusi (Italian)*
Red Farm (Chinese)
Gallow Green (American and rooftop bar)*
Lil Frankies (Pizza)
La Tarte Flambee (French)
Ellen’s Stardust Diner (American and a show)
Lombardi’s (Pizza)
Stonefruit Espresso and Kitchen (Cafe)
Thai Son (Vietnamese)
Bluestone Lane (Cafe)
The Spotted Pig (British)*
Grimaldi’s Pizza
Zabar (bagels)
Kossar’s (bagels)*
Russ & Daughters (bagels)*
Black Seed Bagels
Gray’s Papaya (Hot Dogs)*
Nuchas (Empanadas)
Emily (Pizza)
Pizza Beach (Pizza)
Malatesta Trattoria (Italian)
Cotenna (Italian)
Aria (Small plates and wine bar)*
Ninos 46 (Italian)
Crispo (Italian)
San Marzano (Italian)

Dessert in New York City

Levain Bakery (Cookies)
Milk Bar (bakery)
Schmackary’s (Cookies)
William Greenberg Desserts
Bread’s Bakery (chocolate bread)
Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies

Drinks in New York City

Hudson Hotel
The Press Lounge
Top of the Rock-Bar 65
The Frying Pan (Recommended by quite a few)
Rose Mansion-wine bar
Pod 39
Russian Tea Room
Gallow Green (American and rooftop bar)

What to Do in New York City:

Guess what? There is a fork ton to do in NYC. Your feet are going to get tired. Your camera roll is going to get full. There is no way one can do it all in one trip. Unless you don’t sleep…which may be possible in the city that never sleeps…interesting.

The Must Do’s

Empire State Building– Ride yo ass to the top for that #instaview
Top of the Rock– The view at the top here is BETTER than the Empire State Building
Time Square – another obvious MUST DO

Statue of Liberty– We didn’t go to the island (cause we are cheap). We took the Staten Island Ferry (FO FREE), which does a nice drive by. If you go on the ferry, sit on the right hand side to see the Statue of Liberty. If you want to go to the island, there are plenty of places to get tickets online. I recommend reserving them a few days in advance just to make sure they don’t sell out.
Central Park– Rent bikes, take a walk or have a picnic! Go for a jog! This park is HUGE.

9/11 Memorial Museum– A must do in NYC. My favorite activity.
Broadway Play/ Musical – A MUST DO if you are a fan of the artsss. We saw Dear Evan Hansen and it was marvelous darling. Also, we felt WAY overdressed. People just don’t dress up for the theater anymore. Such a shame.

The Cute Streets and Shops

Stone Street – Great place for food and drinks in the Financial District.
Chelsea Market – SO CUTE. Great little food places and shops.
Greenwich Ave – Another street filled with shops and restaurants.
SOHO Neighborhood– Shopping and art…. and restaurants.
Greene Street – A street filled with shops and restaurants? Yes.
Rockefeller center– Shopping and restaurants, who would have thunk?

The Arts and Culture of New York City

The Met – See some world famous paintings by Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, Degas…etc. They also have Washington Crossing the Delaware. Tons of artifacts, sculptures, interiors and other things besides paintings. Go get your culture on.

Natural History Museum – As seen in the Night at the Museum movies. Great for the science and history NERDS.
MoMA– If you are into Modern Art. I didn’t have a chance to go cause my sister hates museums… so next time. They have Warhol, Van Gogh (Starry Night), Mondrian, Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Matisse, Dali, etc.

The Famous Things to See

Washington Arch – I know the OG is in Paris but hey, NYC wanted one too.
Grand Central Station– Even if you aren’t taking the train from there, just pop in and take a look. So iconic.
Chrysler Building– you can’t go up it but you can look at it.
Love Sculpture– Iconic. Address HERE
Charging Bull– Another sculpture to see. Address HERE

The Other Great Things

Washington Square Park– Cute park with a huge fountain and the Washington Arch.
The High Line– Nothing crazy but a nice walk, overlooking the streets.
Mood Designer Fabrics – For true fans of Project Runway.

Immigration Museum– Take a ferry over to Ellis Island and learn all about the immigrants journey to America!
New York Public Library – For the NERDDSSSS.

Where to Stay in New York City:

New York City is split up into boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island. If you want to be in the heart of all the things listed above, I recommend Manhattan. It might be more expensive but it will save you time in the long run. Now Manhattan is split up into it’s own districts as well. Some areas are better than others but some are more expensive. Below I listed the areas I would check out.

Midtown- right in the middle of everything. Near Time Square, Empire State Building, etc…
Chelsea/Greenwich Village: Quieter, charming, close to the highline and market.
Upper East Side- More pricey, but near Central Park. Think very Gossip Girl-y.

We stayed at The Gem Hotel in Chelsea. It was cute and quaint. Perfect for just the two of us.

Tips for New York City

Use the subway! We had a 3 day unlimited pass, which I recommend. They have longer options or one day passes as well. If you plan on taking the subway everywhere, this is great.
You are probably in someone’s way. If you need to stop to check your phone or read a map, step to the side or be prepared to get yelled at.
Uber was way cheaper than Lyft for some reason.

That was long! Are you ok? Did ya get through it alright? You want more?? Then you should check out some of my other blogs on Camp Toast or my Travel Diary on New York City. Enjoyyyy! Have a fabulous trip!