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 |
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
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