NEW YORK CITY 2024
INTRO
NYC is arguably the most iconic and well-known city in the US, dare I say the world. This city has so much to offer and every time I revisit I find more and more things to do and places to go. This post encapsulates my two recent trips to NYC including tips, activities, food, photos, and more!
TRIP OVERVIEW
Accommodation
Hotel Giraffe, Gramercy
Pendry Manhattan West, Hudson Yards
Activities
Broadway (The Music Man, Hamilton, and &Juliet)
Olafactory NYC
Walk the High Line and go to Chelsea Market
The Tenement Museum
Thrifting on W Houston Street
Exploring the city (Soho, Chinatown, Little Italy, Greenwich, etc.)
Restaurants
Lafayette Bakery
Ole & Steen
Red Gate Bakery
Pop Up Bagels
Lady Mendl
Le Pain Quotidien
Citizens of Gramercy
All’Antico Vinaio
Bleker Street Pizza
Hen House
Petes Tavern
Beccos
LumLum
Gogi 37
miss KOREA BBQ
Tao Downtown
Magnolia Bakery
Levian Bakery
GUIDE AND DETAILS
Hotel Giraffe
Good location and a bit away from all the crazy tourist areas
Smaller and more quaint
Minimal amenities (no gym, spa, pool, etc.)
Refreshments and snacks in the lobby 24/7
This was a nice enough hotel and would be perfect for people who aren’t going to be in the room a lot and aren’t looking for an escape within the hotel.
Pendry Manhattan West
Good location and a bit closer to the crazy tourist areas but still a good distance
Nicer rooms and felt higher end then The Giraffe)
Nice gym and amenities offered
This hotel was great and I loved it. It is a great location, nice rooms, nice staff, and overall a great place to stay.
Activities
Broadway
When in New York, you must go see a show! Even if you don’t like musicals, Broadway in NYC is just something so amazing everyone will love it. You can buy tickets in advance or try to get some cheap last-minute tickets at tkts (if you choose this option, you will have to wait in line and nothing is guaranteed). I saw The Music Man, Hamilton, and &Juliet but the showings change with the months.
Olafactory NYC
We stumbled upon this randomly and oh my gosh it was so cool. At Olfactory NYC, you can completely customize a perfume down to the color of the bottle and the silent notes of the fragrance. First, you pick a base fragrance than the mixologist helps you decide what notes to add to specialize the scent to your liking. Once you’re happy with your scent, they mix and bottle it with the bottle and label of your choosing. This was such a fun and cool experience and suggest checking it out!
NOTES: It’s about $80 per scent, they take reservations (although we walked in with no reservation and had no wait), and they offer bath soaps, lotions, and travel sizes of sents as well.
Walk the High Line and go to Chelsea Market
The Highline is a beautiful walk, along what used to be a railroad track, through the city. At the end of the trail is Chelsea Market which is a collection of stands in what used to be the train station. A fun and active activity that leads to shopping and food sounds like the perfect option!
The Tenement Museum
The Tenement Museum contains a collection of multiple tours that each display a home and story of a different family that has immigrated to New York. This tour was super interesting and was a great immersive way to learn more about the first people who came to New York and the variety of challenges they faced. Check out the tour options as each one is a new tenant, new family and new story.
Thrifting on W Houston Street
This street has so many fun options and products to choose from and I definitely recommend checking it out!
Exploring the city (Soho, Chinatown, Little Italy, Greenwich, etc.)
The best days I’ve had in New York have been just walking around and exploring! Take some time and explore, shop and really enjoy the city!
Areas we liked :
Soho
Lots of options for shopping ranging from vinatge to exclusive deisgner. The coffee and food is very unique and trendy as well.
Chinatown
really good food and can be on the cheaper side as well.
Little Italy
Washington Square Park
The best people watching; you can find any type of person here.
Union Square Park
Greenwich Village
Close to NYU, very nice area to walk around, and you can find good food and coffee here.
Garment District
Very active and closer to the more popular areas.
Madison Square Park
Shops we liked:
Village Revival Records
So many records and CD options all managed by this one sweet old man Jamal.
Golden Inferno
Super funky jewlery shop with unique pieces at good prices.
Resturants
Lafayette Bakery
Home of the famous spiral croissant and many other baked goods. The pastries were good but NOT worth the price and there is better in the city.
Order: Rasberry Maple Spiral Croissant, Earl Grey Tea Cake, and Maple Doughnut.
Location(s): Noho
Return?: No.
Ole & Steen
I love love love Ole & Steen. The pastries are always so good and it just reminds me of London which makes me so happy. We always get the cinnamon social or some sort of swirled pastry and it is always so amazing!
Order: Chocolate Cinnamon Bun
Location(s): Tribeca, Flat Iron District, Midtown South, Midtown East, Yorkville
Return?: YES!
Red Gate Bakery
Cute little location with lots of options. The chocolate toffee cookie was AMAZING and the coffee cake was delicious as well. Not the nicest service but would go back 100%.
Order: Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookie and Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Location(s): Bowery
Return?: YES!
Pop Up Bagels
The hype was real and these bagels were so good. Not only does Pop Up Bagels have the nicest workers but, their bagels surely deliver. Warm and soft bagels with whipped and delectable schmear is a recipe for a perfect morning!
Note: You cannot order just 1 or 2 bagels; there are combos for orders. You can get 3 bagels + 1 schmear, 6 bagels + 2 schmears, etc.
Order: Everything, salt and sesame.
Location(s): Greenwich, Redding, Downtown
Return?: YES!
Lady Mendl
The CUTEST tea house that has perfected the combination of classy yet a bit funky. The decor and plates were all different yet worked. The tea was perfect and always refilled which I surely appreciated. All the sandwiches were delectable along with the sweets that followed. This was one of my favorite afternoon tea experiences I’ve had.
Order: Coconut Oolong tea + Set afternoon tea menu
Location(s): Flat Iron District
Return?: YES!
Le Pain Quotidien
Nice breakfast spot around the city with a yummy pastry section and lots of breakfast options as well. The matcha was actually good and I loved the croissant and omelet. This was the perfect casual, balanced sweet, and savory breakfast spot.
Order: Matcha Latte, Almond Croissant, and a Goat Cheese and Mushroom Egg White Omelet.
Location(s): Financial District, Tribeca, Flat Iron District, Midtown South, Bryant Park, Diamond District, Central Park, Lenox Hill, Lincoln Square
Return?: Yes
Citizens of Gramercy
The banana bread french toast has me DREAMING of it still. A smaller more casual place yet it had such an amazing breakfast. If I lived in this neighborhood, I would for sure be a regular.
Order: Golden Latte, Banana Bread French Toast, and Cheddar Buiscuit Sandwich.
Location(s): Gramercy
Return?: YES!
All’Antico Vinaio
Oh my god, I am DREAMING of this place. The best sandwich I have ever had with crunchy focaccia bread and fresh toppings. The workers were so kind and passionate and the food just reflected their passion for it. Both sandwiches were great but, The Paradiso was the best (I was skeptical because of the pistachio but just trust me and get it). I love this place so much.
Order: La Schiacciata del Boss and La Paradiso
Location(s): Greenwich, Flat Iron District, Hells Kitchen, Upper East Side
Return?: YES!
Bleker Street Pizza
Honestly, I’ve had better. You buy by the slice and can enjoy the NYC pizza shop vibe however, it is fine. It’s pizza so it’s not bad of course but it is just your average pizza.
Order: Slice of Cheese and Pepperoni
Location(s): West Village
Return?: Not on purpose
Hen House
A small place with only about 3 tables and ran but what seemed to only be a few employees. This is a perfect spot for a casual yet delicious lunch. The chicken plate was amazing and flavorful and the salad was refreshing and acidic. This was casual, not breaking the bank and delicious; the perfect lunch spot!
Order: Chicken Plate with Potatoes and the Fattoush Salad
Location(s): East Village
Return?: Yes
Petes Tavern
The very definition of an old tavern; Petes Tavern had people, music, beer, and food. There were many people there and it created quite an active establishment. The food was good but you wouldn’t come here for the food. I would return here to eat after work or to drink and wind down a week with someone here.
Order: Zucchini Chips and a Burger.
Location(s): Gramercy
Return?: Maybe
Beccos
A very big and crowded restaurant, it seems Becco catches most of the before-show crowd. I was skeptical at first after being given two dirty plates and the tables very smushed together but the food was not bad. We were able to try many different types of pasta with the beet ravioli being my mom’s favorite and the pesto being mine. I would not go out of my way to return however, if I needed a place before a show maybe I will return… maybe.
Order: Pasta Sampler (starts with a Caesar salad and we received beet ravioli, bolognese, pesto fettuccini, and one other)
Location(s): Hells Kitchen
Return?: Maybe, probably not.
LumLum
The decor created such a cool vibe and I loved it! The drinks were tasty and the food was so good as well! This hit the mark exactly for what you expect of a good restaurant; good interior, good food, good drinks, nice employees, and not too expensive. Overall, a win.
Order: Thai iced tea, Chicken Pad Thai and, the Crying Tiger.
Location(s): Hells Kitchen
Return?: Yes
Gogi 37
Authentic and tasty Korean bbq! This is exactly what you want and expect when you imagine Korean BBQ. The bulgogi was super good and the tteoboki was perfect. No complaints.
Order: Marinated short ribs, marinated bulgogi, and tteobki
Location(s): Midtowon
Return?: Yes!
miss KOREA BBQ
Once again super good Korean bbq! This place was super good and authentic as well however, I will say Gogi 37 beats them slightly in quality. miss KOREA BBQ is also open 24 hours which is SUPER great.
Order: Marinated short ribs, marinated bulgogi, and japchae
Location(s): Empire State Building
Return?: Yes
Tao Downtown
The decor and vibe were so unique and pretty. The food was different, higher-end, and amazing! I will say it is a bit nosy and on the pricy end but worth it.
Order: Spicy Tuna on Rice, Bao Buns, Chicken Wing Lollipops, Fried Rice, Beef Mongolian, Tuna Nigiri, Yellow Tail Sashimi, Salmon Avocado Roll, Angry Dragon Roll
Location(s): Chelsea
Return?: Yes!
Magnolia Bakery
I dream of the banana pudding. It is hyped up FOR A REASON. I am obsessed and dream of this pudding so do not leave NYC till you try it.
Order: Bannan Pudding
Location(s): West Village, Hudson Yards, Grand Central, Rockefeller Center, Central Park South
Return?: YES!!
Levian Bakery
These are the BEST cookies (especially if you get ones fresh from the oven). The cookies are a big, chunky, and gooey bite of heaven. DEFINETLY recommend.
Order: Walnut Chocolate Chip and Coconut Caramel Cookie
Location(s): Noho, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Harlem
Return?: YES!!
