guide to NYC

the big apple..it's pretty hard not to fall in love.

you could come here a million times and never get enough.

i fall harder every time i visit this city!

• the well-traveled wife's 

guide to new york city •

dining

Grimaldi’s: #1 rated best pizza in NYC ... and well-deserved. can't go wrong here!

Extra Virgin: best brunch in the world, and very local in greenwich village. i have eaten here while celebrities have also been having brunch, and no one makes a big deal since it's local and laid back. get banana french toast or eggs benedict!

Magnolia Bakery: known for their cupcakes, but the best thing is the banana pudding!! see our feature here!

Serendipity 3: frozen hot chocolate = happiness. i always have to go here when in NYC.

Dylan’s Candy Bar..candy shop started by ralph lauren's daughter. every kind of candy you can imagine! love getting gifts here to take home...and for getting a big bag of white chocolate covered gummy bears..yum!

Carnegie Deli: a famous NYC spot you have to visit! huge deli style sandwiches, the best new york cheesecake, and they seat you by strangers so it's a fun experience! there are signed pictures all over the walls from countless celebrities who have dined at carnegie's.

Norma’s- you'll never think of breakfast the same again..basically like dessert for breakfast. * it is pretty expensive, so know that going in.

Rice to Riches- GO HERE!!! every kind of rice pudding you can imagine with the best toppings. so unique and so amazing! one of my faves.

'Wichcraft- if you just want to grab something quick, definitely go find a 'wichcraft and get the best gourmet sandwiches in the world! also, be sure to try the peanut butter creamwich for dessert. i recommend getting their cookbook too, it has supplied some yummy paninis at our house. we featured them here!
Popbar- our latest {and favorite} discovery. this is hand crafted gelato, on a stick! the flavors are to die for, and then they dip it in your choice of milk, dark or white chocolate and roll it in hand made toppings. the best. we featured popbar, and you can see it here.

Rice- this is such a good, unique restaurant...a little mix of thai and indian food, and they have so many different types of rice you can choose from..right above SoHo. 
City Bakery- best hot chocolate and homemade marshmallows in New York!!!
Shake Shack- another MUST. this place is famous in NYC, and has a few locations. the burgers and shakes are on another LEVEL. so yummy. craving this place now!
Pie Face- i love this australian chain that came to nyc! there are a few of these throughout the city, and they are great to stop in for a quick lunch or a treat. they have both sweet and savory pies. go for a stack and a pear-ricotta mini pie! see our pie face feature here!
Doughnut Plant- famous donuts. worth going in just to see how they decorate them and how fun the place is. flavors are so unique, like toasted almond, peanut butter + banana cream, etc. i'm not usually a major doughnut fan, but this place is worth it.
Eataly- lovers of italian food need to come here! amazing italian market + food.
Levain Bakery- okay..i dream about these cookies all the time. best ever. this is a little basement bakery, but they have perfected the cookie. get one of each!
Jacob's Pickles- fun new place on the upper west side. they are famous for "beer, biscuits and pickles," but the brunch is our favorite. get a biscuit sandwich or biscuit french toast. gorgeous interior. see our feature here!
Cafe Un Deux Trois- yummiest crepes for after a broadway play.
Alfredo- literally the best fettucine alfredo i have ever had, including in italy! it's expensive, but oh-so-good. right off rockefeller center. 
Good Enough To Eat
ABC Kitchen
Max Brenner- good food, and famous for the dessert and CHOCOLATE. best hot chocolate and desserts. go in just to smell the chocolate! GET THE COBB SALAD on a waffle. best meal of my life. you won't regret it. see our feature here!

Clinton street Baking Co.- such yummy brunch, but beware of the long lines! cute and delicious place owned by a husband/ wife team.
Joe's Pizza- in west village, cheap NYC slices of pizza. go next door to popbar for dessert after!
Cafe Lalo- this is the most darling cafe, made even better because of the fact that it is the cafe they go to in my favorite movie..you've got mail :)
Chelsea Market- some of the very best food, all packed into one. also cute shops and one of my favorite areas next to the high line!

MUSEUMS

Metropolitan Museum of Art on the upper east side. sit on the famous steps!
i love the met and the natural history museum on the edge of central park...they are classics and need no explanation. 
MoMa- Worth seeing if you like modern art. I love the Andy Warhol there, and there is some great Picasso + a huge Monet that I love. See the art and craft museum which is just next door. 
The Whitney Museum of American Art- 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street
lots of modern art, sometimes a few bizarre things, but this museum is really amazing and not everyone knows about it.
The Guggenheim- 1071 Fifth Avenue (at 89th Street)
it just got remodeled, and it's amazing. the building + the art inside is worth every penny!
Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum- 91st Street and Fifth Avenue
right down the street from the guggenheim in an amazing, historic building. 

SHOPPING

Purl Fabrics/Yarns- love this fun store in SoHo. come here to peruse the prettiest fabrics ever!
Brooklyn Flea Market- this one at fort greene really is amazing. go on saturday between 10 AM- 5 PM...better the earlier you go!

The Market NYC -this place on mulberry street is amazing...it's like a big fashion market where local designers come and sell their clothes. check into the times, as it's normally open on saturday.

5th Avenue- classic shopping street, you must walk down it for the best window shopping of your life. be sure to go into sak's fifth avenue!

SoHo- so many fun shops, art galleries and cafes in this area...wander the cute cobblestone streets and find treasures!

Century 21- the mother of all discount department stores..you can get some good finds here!

FAO Schwartz- So fun if you have kids with you, or if you are a kid at heart!

Greenwich Village- cutest boutiques, bookstores, antiques etc. love strolling here. go to bleeker street for sure!

Meatpacking District- it doesn't sound like it, but this place is now home to some of the best shopping. old meatpacking buildings have been converted into boutiques and lots of designers set up shop here. also, chelsea market always has some fun sample sales going on.

SIGHTS

High Line Park- this is an old elevated train rail line that was turned into a public park on the west side. it's so pretty because you are up high, taking in views of the city and strolling around. great place to bring a lunch. 

Empire State Building-  everyone needs to go to the top at least once. make sure to watch an affair to remember...or sleepless in seattle before you go to the top! :) best right before closing time. if it's a clear day, you can see forever.

Walk the Brooklyn Bridge- this is one of my favorite things to do in NYC. if it's good weather, walking across the bridge to brooklyn is so fun. if you don't feel like doing both ways, you can always take the subway one way and walk the other way.

Central Park- a classic. i think it's impossible to be unhappy when in central park! i love to run here, but there is so much to do. it's so fun to rent rowboats and then eat lunch at the boathouse when it's warm. when it's cold, you can go ice skating in central park. there's a zoo here, a marionette theatre, and so much more. make sure to check ahead of your trip to see what events are happening in the park! in the summer there are lots of free performances here. you can see sculptures, john lennon's tribute, etc. it is the most filmed location in the WORLD, so you're sure to see something you recognize.

Rockefeller Center- fun area to go inside the NBC store, and of course ice skate in the winter! you can come here early to see the filming of the today show!

Broadway- in my opinion, you can't come to new york without seeing at least one broadway show. they can be expensive, but they are always worth it. if they are too pricey, you can wait in the TKTS line in times square for discount rates, or check with theatres the day of the show about standing room seats-- these cost around $20 and you stand at the back and lean on a cushy bar! not bad for the price. i love pretty much every broadway i've seen, from les mis to lion king to phantom of the opera to mamma mia to jersey boys to memphis..but aside from the classics, i really recommend in the heights and newsies, which are both showing now! make sure you check broadwaybox.com for the cheapest online tickets if you want to buy in advance.
Late Night Shows: you can also get tickets to see the late show with david letterman, jimmy fallon, SNL, etc.
9/11 Memorial- this is such a somber place to visit, but it's amazing to be there at the site of the 9/11 attacks and see the recovery effort. the memorial is beautiful, and it's sacred ground to stand on and think about all those we lost that day.
Grand Central Station- even if you aren't taking the train, come in here just to see the beautiful building..and stare at the ceiling.
Radio City Music Hall- fun to see a show here. also, around here are lots of the studios for late night shows like david letterman..so stand in line & try to get in!
Yankee Stadium- my dad took us to one of the last games in the old yankee stadium, but the new one is great too and it's always an experience to go to a yankees game. any sporting events are fun in NYC, and we especially love going in august for the US Open.
Staten Island/ Statue of Liberty- you can no longer go up the statue of liberty, but i remember going up it and being amazed when i was young. it is still worth going out on the ferry to staten island and seeing lady liberty up close! i haven't done this for a long time, and with new security i'm not sure how it works to go out there- so check ahead of time!
Chinatown/ Little Italy- both great, both worth going to. self- explanatory. :)

Washington Square- probably my favorite place in all of NYC. it's right by NYU campus, and i love sitting here and eating lunch on a sunny day. there are usually great street performers, and it's just relaxing to sit and people watch and look at the beautiful arch. {it must remind me of the arc de triomphe or something, i don't know why i love it so!}
Times Square- so touristy, but you have to come here when in NYC. whenever i'm standing in times square, i feel like i'm in the center of the world. it is always bustling, bright, lit up, and lots is going on. take in the lights, sit up on the stairs, and try to find the naked cowboy! ;)

until next time, new york!
XO