Last travelled: September 2015

List last updated: September 2015

Queensboro bridge from the Roosevelt Island Tramway

My second home. I studied, worked and loved in NYC for 5 years and still visit my friends, family and favourite places there frequently. You may notice that the EAT section of this page is particularly long: if you enjoy eating, visit NYC. I would advise avoiding the Manhattan trap. I visit "the city" so infrequently when I'm there - all the true gems are in Queens and Brooklyn, I think.

SEE.

A show on Broadway – there’s TKTS (much the same as London), either online or the booth in Times Square

The view from the top of the Empire State Building. Go early morning to avoid queues, it can take ages to get up to the top.

Socrates Sculpture Park and the Noguchi Museum (Queens) – they’re right next to each other and make for a lovely, chilled afternoon activity. The park is right on the water. A little out of the way to get to, but worth it.

Take the Staten Island ferry for one of the best views of the statue of liberty. It’s a free, quick ride and the journey back to Manhattan is awe-inspiring at dusk.

There’s a forever rotating program of great theatre, music, film and art at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music). Check their website for what’s on while you’re in town.

Walk the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s gorgeous and noisy and there’s such a specific New York feeling that comes with walking across it, the spokes of it’s strength above you and instead of the river rushing underneath, the whizz and whine of constant traffic. If you get to DUMBO on the Brooklyn side and want to hang out head to the water front for a wander and get some pizza at Grimaldi’s (when we argue about Brooklyn’s best pizza, this place is always one of the contenders).

EAT.

So many NYC staples. I love Black and white cookies. Get some traditionally made canollis too. Treat yourself to a bagel one morning too – Russ and Daughters/Mile End/Blackseed Bagels/any good jewish deli. I like mine sesame, toasted, scooped with lox. You can get a cream cheese “schmear” of basically any flavor your heart desires!

Momofuku Noodle Bar (Manhattan) on 1st ave & 11th street is yum yum yummy. There’ll be a wait, but it shouldn’t be more than 20 mins. The pork buns are out of this world. They’ve been open for 10 years now and the chef, David Chang, is one of the most innovative and listened-to chefs in the food world.

Marlow and Sons (Brooklyn) – my favourite spot on a Sunday night. Diner (next-door in an old Kullman dining car) is also great and owned by the same restauranteur Andrew Tarlow. Fresh, delicious, ever changing menu.

LIC Market (Queens)– The food is simple and delicious, farm to table with a great wine selection. One of those spots you can go to for breakfast, lunch and dinner and not get bored. Check out the back garden area. Around the corner from Moma PS1. If you go, tell them I sent you.

Locanda Vini e Olii (Brooklyn) is a charming, unassuming Italian restaurant in Clinton Hill. The space is a converted neighbourhood pharmacy from the 19th century and is the only restaurant or shop on an otherwise residential crossroads. Great service, delicious pasta and fab Italian wine.

If you want steak – Peter Luger (Brooklyn) has been named the best restaurant (not just the best steak restaurant) in America. Old school – men in their 50s/60s in white aprons. Make a reservation, you’ll need one. M Wells Steak House (Queens) is the new kid on the block. Very good steak. Converted garage. Fish tank full of big fish if you fancy not-cow.

Selemat Pagi (Brooklyn)– really delicious Balinese food. Restaurant is owned by the Van Leuwen brothers who also have some amazing icecream shops. Selemat Pagi is Indonesian for good morning!

Samurai Mama (Brooklyn)– best sushi and fresh made gyoza. They have a ridiculously expensive and efficient water purification system that instills in the water some health or energy or electricity that then imbibes any noodles/rice cooked in it with a magic taste.

Five Leaves (Brooklyn) – classic. On the corner of McCarren park in Williamsburg, a hipster hang out with really yummy staples on the menu – a great burger, kale salad with hazelnuts and gouda, moules frites. See and be seen and eat good stuff. Heath Ledger was a partner in it.

Cocktail bars – try to stay away from the very well known speakeasies, they are always packed and overpriced. I can highly recommend Dutch Kills in Queens.

Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. Yummmmmy fast food that’s responsibly sourced. Middleclass burgers and shakes. Shake Shack has now popped up all over the city but this is still the best spot to visit.

Mexican food! So many good spots. I really like La Esquina (translates as “the corner”). They have a place in Soho and in Williamsburg. The spot in Williamsburg is soon to be relocated due to the (over)development of the neighbourhood. Luckily, it's in an old dining car so can be picked up and popped in a new prime spot!

DO.

If you want to check out some live music your best resource is Brooklyn Vegan. They have a “What’s on tonight” page that lists all gigs in the city and does great write ups. Le Poisson Rouge’s line up is always really varied and you can count on Mercury Lounge to grab all the touring bands. Rough Trade has started doing some great in-store gigs too.

When living in LIC, my favourite walk is through my neighbourhood and over the Pulaski Bridge (which links Queens with Brooklyn) to Greenpoint. The view of the skyline over the river is amazing, and Greenpoint is one of my favourite places to spend an afternoon. Go to Belocq tea atelier (only open Friday/Saturday/Sunday) and have some lunch or get an amazing danish skolebrod at Bakeri on Freeman Street– one of my favourite places on earth. I've spent hours in WORD on Franklin Street browsing the books, talking to the staff about their picks and attending talks and events in the basement. Great bars in that hood are Achilles Heel and Northern Territory (which has a sweet rooftop area). There’s a little park by the river too with a pier for skyline gazing. Kickstarter’s new headquarters are in Greenpoint, they have a gallery space which usually has some cool stuff.

Moma PS1 (Queens) – a modern art museum housed in an old public school. Some of the best art I have ever experienced was within these walls.

If you want some improve comedy check out Harold night on Tuesdays at UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade - $5 I think) or any shows at The PIT (Peoples Improv Theatre). Both in Manhattan.

Walk down to the waterfront in LIC or Greenpoint. Once you've had you fill of the phenomenal skyline views, you can hop the watertaxi to Brooklyn or Manhattan.

One of my favourite things to do in the summer is take advantage of NYC Parks' free outdoor pools. They're open from the last week of June until Labor Day and are a great place to get some respite from the heat. Choose from Astoria Park's historic Olympic size pool or the McCarren Park pool which was refurbished a few years ago with clean and modern facilities. If you choose McCarren you can take a glimpse of the skyline between front crawls and follow it up with a scoop if delicious Van Leeuwen Ice Cream on Manhattan Ave. for a treat. Double check opening times online - they're usually closed for an hour in the afternoon.

Shop: so many favourites, almost all in Brooklyn.

...For clothes I adore Kai D. on Grand Street. Kai D. was on the corporate side of fashion for many years and launched his first independent line for men in 2009. He also stocks Hye Sun Mun whose collection for women is...let's just say I have to be very strict with myself in there! Then there's Marlow Goods. Peaking out from a perfect corner of the Whyte Hotel, Marlow Goods is a perfectly curated gem. In house produced pieces are chic and sturdy, stocked designers run the gamut from the unusually tailored (Caron Callahan your dresses make me swoon) to delightfully flouncy vacation wear. This shop is so much more than just clothes (wondering what the best mosquito repellent/candle/sandal is? You'll find it here) and I can easily say that I most probably wear or use something purchased at Marlow Goods everyday. If you're looking for vintage clothes there's no shortage in NYC. The best one stop shop is Beacon's Closet. They have a few locations - I'm partial to the massive Greenpoint mecca of second had colour and possibility.

...For antiques and home decor, nowhere has more personality than Holler and Squall on Atlantic Ave. The wonderful husband and wife owners rotate the pieces frequently and are always such a warm welcome. Word Bookstore in Greenpoint is one of my favourite places in the city. They have a wonderful selection and also hold great book signings and events, usually with independent publishers. If you're sticking around in the city, why not think about joining one of their book clubs? It's a block over from the lovely Homecoming too, a florist-cum-coffee shop where you can get a delicious Bellocq tea and a Dough doughnut while appreciating the bright, delicate bouquets.

TIPS…

Yes, tip your cab driver. A couple of bucks is fine (I’ll usually do 10-15%).

A 20% tip is expected in restaurants the same way a 10% tip is expected in London. When your bill arrives look at the tax and double it to get an idea.

When you arrive get a weekly Metrocard. You’ll be using public transport a lot and it always ends up being more economical. You’ll use this travel card on ferries and buses too.

The subways running all night is kind of a myth. Some do, and when they do it’s on a limited or changed service. If I travel home after midnight I usually get a cab, which are thankfully cheaper here than in London.

Watch out for local vs. express service on the subway! It catches everyone out once. You think you’re getting the train from 23rd street to 34th street and you end up at 59th street.

Remember that in Manhattan the avenues run numerically east to west and the streets run numerically south to north. So if you’re lost in Manhattan and you can’t see the sun, look at the number of the next street, that’ll tell you which direction is north.

Ask for directions and recommendations and talk to people. New Yorkers love talking to people.