Check In: New York City Travel Guide

Checking into New York City? Here is a list of some of the places I was recommended to do and eat in New York City (through a friend who was interning there as well as friends of friends)! As the list is pretty long and I was only there for a few days, the bolded ones are those I actually got the chance to visit.

To Do

Attractions

• Times Square
• Rockefeller Center $$
• Chelsea Market & The High Line
• 9/11 Memorial
• Wall Street
• Coney Island
• Grand Central Station
• New York Public Library

Live Entertainment

• Sleep No More – interactive show $$$$
• Broadway musical $$$+

Museums

• The Guggenheim $
• MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) $
• The Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) $
• Whitney Museum of American Art $

Parks

• Central Park – bike $+
• Gantry State Plaza – beautiful unobstructed view of the skyline
• DUMBO Park/Brooklyn Bridge Park
• Washington Square Park
• Battery Park
• Four Freedoms Park

To Eat

Burgers/Cheap Eats (<$)

• Shake Shack – burgers & shakes
• Unami Burger
• Halal Guys

Pizza

• Lombardi’s Pizza $+
• Juliana’s $+
• Grimaldi’s $+
• Artichoke Basille’s Pizza <$

Breakfast/Brunch

• Boozy Brunch $$ – bottomless drinks
• JAMS NYC $$$
• The Smith $+
• Black Seed Bagels $+

Other Western/Specialty Foods

• Peter Luger Steak House $$$$
• Kat’z Deli $ – deli meat sandwiches; cash only!
• Russ & Daughters $ – lox sandwiches
• The Grange Bar & Eatery $+ – locally sourced food & craft beers
• Ellen’s Stardust Diner $+ – singing waiters

Eateries

• City Kitchen NYC $+
• Hudson Eats (in Brookfield Place) $+ – Black Seed Bagel & Unami Burger are here
• Chelsea Market
• ABC Kitchen $$$ – locally & organically sourced (opened by Michelin star chef)
• Eataly $+ – Italian marketplace

Asian

• Totto Ramen $+
• Joe’s Shanghai $+ – dumplings; cash only!
• Momoya $$+ – sushi
• Sushi Nakazawa $$$$ – high end sushi (opened by Jiro’s apprentice)
• Morimoto $$$$ – high end Japanese (opened by Iron Chef)
• Golden Unicorn restaurant $+ – dimsum
• Spice Market New York $$$ – southeast Asian; make a reservation

Coffee Shops

• Chalait $ – matcha
• Blue Bottle $+ – cold brew

Rooftop Bars (best around 32-36th street)

• The Press Lounge $$$
• The Met
• Standard Hotel $$$$ – group of girls is key to get in

Ice Cream/Desserts

• The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory $ – cash only!
• Big Gay Ice Cream Shop $
• Dominique Ansel Kitchen $+ – frozen smore/ice cream
• Wooly’s (in City Kitchen NYC) $ – shaved ice
• Snowdays $ – shaved ice
• Grace Street $$ – shaved ice/Korean desserts
• Lady M $$ – cakes & crepes
• Levain Bakery $ – cookies
• Spot Dessert Bar $+
• The Doughnut Plant $
• Dough (in City Kitchen NYC) $ – doughnuts
• Il Laboratio de Gelato $
• Grom $ – gelato

See something that should be on the list? Visited one of these places and want to write about it? Have some more questions? Leave us a comment below!

–

Stone & Fern is a travel and lifestyle blog started by friends who have a passion for exploring cities, capturing moments, and trying new food. This is part of our Check In city guides series. To see more of North America, click here.