New York, New York
View from the Brooklyn Bridge.
*Cue Frank Sinatra*
I apologize – I am definitely the five thousandth person to use that as an intro to a blog post covering this beautiful and massive city. But it’s hard not to hear those four repeating words as a song in my head when I see them written out. I have been here countless times throughout my life, as my grandparents lived right outside the city and we would visit multiple times a year. It is a place that sometimes overwhelms me, simply because there is so much to do and see and so many people living their lives. But at the same time it always feels so familiar and so much like a homecoming to be on these streets. The way I navigate the world is not through directions or even really an understanding of the big picture of the place I am in – my navigation while traveling is based on landmarks and recalling where I have walked or driven before. It always confused my husband that I can bring us to where we need to go without knowing street names or compass orientations, because he travels with a map of the city in his mind (#cantrelate). When I’m wandering the streets of New York, I love to be taken aback by turning a corner and finding out I am somewhere I have been many times. Or, turning a corner to make a new and beautiful discovery.
For this post, I challenged my directional skills by focusing on a North to South overview of the city, specifically Manhattan. I have certainly missed many locations, places, stores and sights that are all a wonderful part of the city – and there is so much more to see in the other boroughs of the city as well! But these are some of my highlights from many trips and experiences. I hope you enjoy wandering the streets of New York with me.
First, I have a few locations that are ‘chains’ throughout the city. I would highly recommend a stop at one of their locations if you have time during your visit! Milk Bar is a bakery and dessert chain, with a variety of delicious options including Milk Bar pie. Beyond Sushi is a fast casual vegan sushi restaurant chain with fresh and inventive options that will not disappoint. Van Leeuwens has super creative ice cream flavors, I found it to be pricy and potentially not worth the hype, but I feel like my one experience might not have done it full justice! A meal that 100% lived up to the hype was Ivan Ramen. We had some great appetizers and I absolutely loved the vegan ramen. During a recent trip to New York, we had recently viewed Alex Delany’s review of 36 pizza shops throughout New York. We visited Joe’s Pizza, as it was one of the locations he recommended.
Central Park runs through about 50 blocks of the city. There are many locations to visit inside of the park, and it is well worth taking the time to wander through any section you are close to. One location on my list of places to visit is Neue Galerie, which sits on the edge of Central Park. There are pieces by the Austrian artist Gustav Klimt here, and I have been inspired to visit ever since viewing the film “Woman in Gold”. Someday it will be safe to travel back to NYC and we will visit here! Another popular spot to visit on the edge of Central Park is the American Museum of Natural History. This is a staple of the city, especially worth it if you have kids or are interested in any of the many exhibits or the Hayden Planetarium! Within the park itself is Belvedere Castle, which is a beautiful structure overlooking Turtle Pond. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is right next to this. One of my favorite places in the park are Bethesda Terrace and the Loeb Boathouse. And a cherished childhood memory I have is visiting Tavern on the Green for a meal with my family and grandparents to celebrate some special occasion – I believe it may have been Easter? It is a classic location with high quality service and good food. I also enjoyed visiting the Central Park Zoo, as it is a small and natural-feeling location. I think my opinions on zoos have changed pretty drastically over the years, so I do not necessarily endorse supporting the institution. But if you have kids or are very interested in zoos yourself, it can definitely be a quick visit and a beautiful location.
If you know anything about New York City or about theater, you know Broadway. This famous street includes a few theaters that host some of the best musicals in the world. From my perspective, I honestly never enjoy musicals on film or television. But the experience of being immersed in a performance full of talented live actors is unparalleled. Some of the shows I have seen include Wicked, Hair, Jersey Boys, Spamalot and Lion King. We also saw War Horse at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. This location is beautiful and unique.
Here are a few favorite and classic tourist spots as we continue to travel down Manhattan island: the Plaza Hotel, the Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum, Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue, the Museum of Modern Art, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. If you happen to be visiting between Thanksgiving and New Years, the Rockefeller Christmas tree (as well as the other seasonal decorations) are definitely worth a visit.
Miniature replica of a New England building at Gulliver’s Gate.
Times Square is essentially always packed with people. If you aren’t interested in any of the shops or restaurants, it is definitely worth at least stopping by the perimeter to see the iconic lights and locations. The one place I was going to absolutely recommend a visit to in Times Square was Gulliver’s Gate – but, in doing some research for this post, I found out that it is now permanently closed!! This is such a disappointment and it sounds like landlords with outrageous rent are once again at fault (I see this way too often with places that I love locally and when traveling). In case it is ever able to come back to life in a new space, I will explain that it is essentially a museum of miniature landscapes. We purchased our tickets through Groupon and I was completely overwhelmed and obsessed with all of the exhibits. The details of the scenes would have kept me entertained for hours on end. There is even a ‘New England’ feature, which included some iconic locations like the Clam Box in Ipswich and Motif #1 in Rockport. I hope that someday this place can come to life again. I will highlight more of the exhibits on my Instagram stories as well!
Bryant Park is a small but well maintained and sophisticated park in the city. The buildings surrounding it offer a variety of architecture that contrasts well with the park and it’s restaurants. The park is essentially the backyard of the New York Public Library, another New York staple that is absolutely worth a visit to see the lions guarding the stairway and to enter in and view the stunning architecture. Grand Central Terminal is a couple of blocks from here as well.
The Empire State building is worth at least walking by to see, but I also have always enjoyed a trip to the top for a birds-eye view of the city. You will likely wait in a decent line to be able to do so, but if you enjoy experiences with a view, it is worth it. We recently visited Food Gallery 32 to eat our way through a variety of snacks, meals and desserts.
If you head towards the Hudson River from here, Chelsea Pier includes a waterfront park, many businesses including a driving range, and it is also the launching point for a few different boat cruises. A little north of here is the Vessel, which you can visit and then walk along the High Line to Chelsea Market. I love walking along here and visiting the Market, although they will definitely always be quite crowded with people. Heatonist has a small location in Chelsea Market and a bigger shop in Brooklyn. If you like hot sauce at all, the opportunity to sample a variety of delicious sauces (and inevitably walk away with a new bottle to take home) should not be passed up.
Heading back to the center of Manhattan, you can visit Junoon for stunning, delicious and Michelin star rated Indian cuisine. The Flatiron building is another classic New York sight to see. One of the best meals I’ve had in my life was at abcV, a vegan restaurant that elevates plant-based food unlike any other. For some classic fish and chips and a variety of other fried delicacies, I recommend a visit to A Salt and Battery. We have had brunch at Nix on a couple occasions, and the food and service are absolutely excellent. I also enjoy visiting Washington Square Park and its famous arch and fountain.
We visited Hearth for dinner and loved the food, with my recommendation being the gnocchi (which should surprise no one). Tompkins Square Park is nearby, and I had never visited before but heard of it thanks to a Mumford & Sons song. New York also has Little Italy and Chinatown, where you can unsurprisingly find great food and goods from Italy and Asia.
One World Trade Center includes a memorial and museum commemorating the September 11, 2001 attacks. With my grandparents living so close to the city, I vividly remember this day and visiting the wreckage shortly after the attacks. The memorial is a beautiful tribute to the lives lost through water features at the footprints of the two buildings. I have not yet visited the museum. Also located here is the Oculus, a unique and somewhat intense piece of architecture which also houses a train station and shopping mall.
Trinity Church and Wall Street are nearby, where you can find the Charging Bull statue at the Bowling Green. On a recent trip, I wanted to see the Fearless Girl statue that was erected in front of the Charging Bull. I love the imagery of this piece, but I’ll be honest that I learned a bit more about how and why it was commissioned in researching for this post. As with much in life, the imagery and reality behind the hedge fund that created it involve a lot of nuance and even some problems. But the message and the artists’ creation are impressive. Evidently there was a lot of drama around the statue and its location, so it has been moved elsewhere in the Financial District with a plaque at its original site near the Bull.
On the Brooklyn Bridge.
The last couple of sites I would recommend that are contained mostly or entirely within Manhattan are the Brooklyn Bridge and Battery Park. The Bridge had been on my bucket list for a while, and I was happy to finally be able to visit it and make the trip across it. The views from the bridge as well as its history are fascinating.
If you have the time to make a trip via boat out to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, it is an important piece of history that you do not want to miss. The trip via boat is also worth it for the views of the city. This is definitely something that could be saved for a longer trip, since it will likely take up the bulk of your day. Viewing the names of individuals who traveled through Ellis Island is sobering and brings great perspective.
Another favorite memory I have was the opportunity to take a sailboat along the Hudson River one summer with my grandparents. It left from Chelsea Piers, and the view of the city along with the experience of sailing the River was wonderful.
New York is a place that holds many memories and also never fails to offer new, exciting experiences. If you are ready for a trip packed with things to do, so many options for food to eat, and iconic sights to see, New York is your answer.