Now that I've praised the many virtues of my favorite borough,
Brooklyn, it's time to move over to what most consider the main
attraction: Manhattan.
There is so much to see and do
in Manhattan and there is never enough time. I mean I spent two years
plus the many trips I still do back there and I still have more to see.
My
advice for the first timer is to not worry about all the museums/sites,
etc but try to just wander and get lost (although this is very
difficult in NYC) in the many streets and avenues. You will always
discover something interesting. I also advice doing that hop-on/hop-off
bus tour - it's a super easy way to get your bearings and see many of
the sites all at once.
In no particular order, here are some of my favorite Manhattan things:
1.
Tenement Museum in the Lower East Side
I
LOVE the Lower East Side. It isn't the prettiest part of NYC, but the
history makes me think it's beautiful. And the Tenement Museum is a
perfect way to introduce yourself into the LES. 1 in 4 Americans came
through Ellis Island (and Ellis Island was only open for 32 years!) and
practically all of those immigrants who landed in Ellis Island landed in
the LES (not to mention the thousands for immigrants prior to 1892).
Needless to say, the LES was home to many immigrants who built the
United States and therefore offers a unique and interesting history.
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| Lower East Side Tenement Museum |
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| 97 Orchard Street |
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| LES back in the day |
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| Tenement Museum |
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The
Tenement Museum offers an incredible glimpse into many of these
immigrants lives during different periods. From Russian to Jewish to
Irish to German, there are various tours that show you a glimpse of what
life was like in this area. They also offer kitchen talks and a great
walking tour. I have been to all of the tours, they are all wonderful.
Even for a Canadian, it gave me such an appreciation for what my own
ancestors had to do in order to start a new life in Canada.
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| Tenement Museum |
Tours are often sold out so book in advance.
2.
The Pickle Guys also in the LES
Once
you eat a pickle from these guys, you will be ruined for pickles
forever (luckily they ship!). I didn't know pickles could be this tasty
and I already love pickles!
These guys pickle
everything. You walk in and see several barrels with all sorts of
pickled products: carrots, peppers, garlic, etc. Eating one of their
FULL SOUR pickles is like eating a garlic bomb of awesomeness. If you
take them to go, ask for them to make half-hot. It's delicious.
These
pickles are legendary. I was once carrying a container when I went to
the MET and was at first turned away because you aren't allowed
food/liquids in the museum. But when I told her where they were from,
she knew the value and let me take them in! HA!
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| Me and my pickles |
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| YUM! |
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| All sorts of pickled goods |
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| Be careful! It's closed on Saturdays |
3.
Katz's Delicatessen (LES)
When
in New York you have to eat a pastrami sandwich. So you may as well
eat the best at one of the most famous delicatessen's in NYC. This is
where
that famous scene in
When Harry Met Sally was filmed.
Take cash. And try a New York Egg Cream
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| Pastrami yumminess! |
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| Inside |
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| The famous scene |
4.
Doughnut Plant (LES)
See a theme here? I like my food!
Doughnut
Plant is DELICIOUS. They are all about filled-doughnuts which they
have shaped into a square so that with each bite, you get some filling.
Their flavours change daily (as well as their usual suspects) and you
can have peanut butter & jelly or coconut chai cream - all are
delicious!
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| Doughnut Plant |
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| Daily menu |
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| Flavours! |
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| Drool |
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| Coconut Cream |
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| Yummy bite |
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| Loving this doughnut |
5.
The Back Room (LES)
I
go here more for the novelty than anything else. The Back Room was a
speakeasy back in the day and plays up it's illegal roots. It's
unmarked save for a bouncer and often a line. You walk down some
stairs, under the building and into a sidedoor. This door leads you
into a lush room with couches and velvet easy chairs. There are several
bookcases (actual exits where people would hide from the cops) and
hanging chandeliers. Cocktails (1920's inspired of course!) come in a
tea cup and beer in a paper bag.
Definitely a fun thing to do
for a cocktail or two! Fun fact: the reason honey appears in a few of
their cocktails is that when alcohol was illegally made in the 1920's,
it was often terrible. So they used honey in cocktails to mask the bad
flavour.
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| Lush interior |
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| Not so lush entrance |
6.
Foods of New York Tours (various locations)
Hands
down one of the BEST tours I have ever done! I did the Greenwich
Village tour which literally set the Engineer and I up on what to eat
and what we now go back to. The guides are incredible (ours was
Canadian!) and the amount of food you try is definitely worth the
price. My parents did the Chelsea tour and spoke very highly of it.
What better way to learn about New York than to eat it? Which brings me to the next few places to eat . . . .
7.
Joe's Pizza
I
didn't know a simple cheese pizza could taste so good! As our Foods of
NY tour guide told us, Joe's is an institution that uses proper
semolina flour and San Marzano tomatoes. Seriously GOOD pizza. You can
eat like a real New Yorker and fold it in half. But I don't like that
because I feel like my taste sensation is over in half the time.
8.
Palma
I
love this place! I love it for the yummy food and I love it for the
lovely back garden where you sit under fairy lights and feel like you
are miles away from a busting city. They even have a perfect coach
house you can rent (at a super reasonable price) for a private dinner
party (Bill Clinton & Brad Pitt have done it!). For my 30th
birthday, my friends and I sat at the window table which was open
letting in the warm fall air and had an incredible time.
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| Lovely garden |
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| Palma |
9.
Amy's Bread
Around
the corner from Palma is this yummy bakery that sells everything a
bakery should sell PLUS this pink layer cake that I have a love affair
with. It's a perfect place to sit down for a break from all the walking
you will be doing in the village.
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| I love this cake |
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| Eat a sandwich here |
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| Cakes cakes and more cakes |
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| Layered cakes of yumminess |
10.
Murray's Cheese
What
really can I say about this place other than it is a cheese lover's
heaven? Just go in to smell it! A great place to gather a little
picnic of foods to eat at Washington Square or grab one of the yummiest
grilled cheese sandwiches you will ever eat (the one with the Murray's
secret blend is a gooey heaven).
11.
Le Gigot
Another
lovely place for dinner is this delicious French restaurant serving
some of the best duck confit I have had outside of France. Cute and
quaint, perfect for a night in the West Village.
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| Le Gigot |
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| Le Gigot |
12.
Ippudo
Across
town is the best ramen I have eaten (well, outside of Japan). The
engineer and I would go all the time, at 5:00 like old people to beat
the long waits. The restaurant itself is a fun experience of loudness
and communal eating. And the ramen is wonderful. Try the Shishito - so
yummy! Hot peppers and salt.
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| Ramen for your tummy |
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| Get there before the line starts! |
13.
The Spotted Pig
This
is a MUST when in New York and I only discovered it after we left! Now
I go back to it each time I visit and for two things: the Burger with
Roquefort cheese & shoestring fries and the Sheep's Milk Ricotta
Gnudi with Brown Butter & Crispy Sage. April Bloomfield is the
famous chef of this gastropub who refuses to allow for substitutions and
you must eat her burger (medium rare) the way she makes it. There is
always a line-up so either go early or really late. Or do what I do,
and snuggle up to the bar. You might even see Jay-Z & Beyonce or
other celebrities chowing down on the best burger ever!
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| Inside Spotted Pig |
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| Spotted Pig |
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| The menu |
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| April Bloomfield |
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| Amazing burger |
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| Gnudi will make you cry with happiness |
14.
Mad For Chicken
This
is a very random restaurant that is also a regular haunt when we go
back. You can't get this chicken in Canada! When you walk to the
address on 5th Ave you can't even tell there is a restaurant here. But
up some sketchy stairs and into this Korean haven with beer served in
lava lamps and these delicious drumsticks of double-fried chicken.
That's all you need: chicken & beer. It's delicious!
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| Lavalamp Beer |
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| Drool |
15.
Cafe Habana
There
are two locations in New York. One is in Nolita and the other is an
outpost in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. There are always lines but at least
the Brooklyn location has a ton of outdoor seating. This is my other
MUST GO when in New York. For the corn. Oh the corn. The delicious,
amazing corn that is grilled and then smothered with cheese and
mayonaise (trust me on this- it's incredible). It's so incredible that
once I took a friend here and after having one order (two cobs), she
promptly ordered more. You can't get this corn anywhere ELSE IN NORTH
AMERICA. Okay, that is a <slight> exaggeration. You can't get it
in Toronto or Vancouver. As I write this, I am seriously debating
jumping on a plane just to get some corn. It's
that good.
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| The best corn you will ever taste |
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| Fort Greene Outpost |
16.
Bryant Park
I
think this is a pretty standard place to visit but I just want to
re-iterate the need to go here. I just love Bryant Park. There is
something about it. I love it all year round too. At Christmas the
skating rink and Christmas market are perfect for filling your heart
with happy seasonal feelings. In the spring, sitting at one of the
tables and having a picnic/coffee on the first warm days of the year.
Summertime, strolling past the old men playing chess, borrowing a book
from the outdoor library, getting some much needed cool shade and
sipping on an iced coffee. Also, random fact, the public bathrooms at
this park are awesome. They are clean, play classical music and even
have flowers! So if you need to pee when around here, this is your
stop! And if you happen to be in town when they have their outdoor
movie festival, I say take part! The Engineer didn't love waiting with
anticipation and then running to a spot with our blanket hours before
the movie but I did. I loved that we sat with hundreds of other people
and watched
Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I also love that we ordered a pizza and had it delivered to the park!
17.
Shake Shack
There
are many locations and they are often really busy. I find the Brooklyn
or Upper East location to be the least busy. But if you head to the
Upper West location you <might> see Tina Fey. Not that I ever
did, but I've been told she often grabs a burger to go! They make
awesome burgers with some sort of magic Shake sauce as well as something
called 'frozen custard' that is a weird mix of ice cream/frozen
yogurt/pudding. Just go and try.
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| Drool |
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| Frozen custard |
18.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Again,
this is <probably> on your list. It's always on mine. If you
are short for time in NYC, maybe skip the museums and just walk around.
But if you do have time, go to this museum. This might be my most
favorite museum of all time. I was a member and would just go for an
hour or so at a time. Don't worry about seeing the whole place in one
day because it is impossible. I love the Medieval wing because they
make it look like you are in a Medieval Cathedral.
19.
Alice's Tea Cup
After
a few tiring hours at the MET, pop over to the Upper East side location
of this adorable chain for a spot of tea. It's just plain cute. And
yummy.
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| Cuteness |
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| Tara and Sarah with tea |
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| Yummy scones |
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| Tea! |
20.
40 Carrots at Bloomingdale's
If
you don't want tea after the MET, go for some ridiculously delicious
frozen yogurt at 40 Carrots in Bloomingdale's. It's on the 7th floor
and tucked behind the bedding. I don't know why, but it's amazing.
21. Picnic at Central Park with goodies from
Zabars
You've seen the iconic Zabar's orange & white bag on shows like
Friends,
Sex and the City, and
30 Rock.
It's a staple of the Upper West and has been serving traditional Jewish
foods forever. It's a great place to grab meats, cheeses, breads and
salads for a picnic and then head over to Central Park.
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| I could take a nap here |
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| Shopping for a Central Park picnic |
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| OLIVES |
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| Our picnic |
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| Happy in Central Park |
22.
H & H Bagels
When
in New York, you need to have a bagel. Obviously. These are some of
the best in town. And if you are lucky, you can get one hot off the
press! I also love Brooklyn's
Bergen Bagel
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| H & H Bagels |
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| Bagel goodness |
23.
The Duplex
This
is a cabaret and piano bar in Greenwich Village that is a true NYC
experience. Basically, a man plays on the piano and you give him sheet
music and then sing. Eventually, the whole bar sings along. It's
awesome! I definitely enjoyed myself on my 30th birthday but can barely
remember the night due to some
very strong Long Island Iced Tea's!
24.
Eataly
This
is 50, 000 square feet of absolute Italian heaven in the Flatiron
building. It opened just after we left much to my dismay. Each time I
go back, I spend quite a few hours eating my way through this massive
place. I love the coffee and gelato. I love the pastries. I love that
you can stand and drink wine and eat meat. I love that I saw Randy
Fenoli eating pizza (which I also love). I just love love love this
place. Out of all the eateries in Eataly, my two favorites are the
wood-fired pizza (sit at the bar and watch as your pizza goes in!) and
Manzo. Also, they have a rooftop beer garden that I have yet to go to
but have heard wonderful things. And you can never beat a rooftop in
NYC!
There
are places I am sure I am forgetting and places I have yet to
discover! New York is one of the most magical cities in the world and
part of that magic is discovering it for yourself.
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| Too much wine at our picnic makes for dancing in Central Park |
Have fun :)
- Mrs. Law
