It’s been roughly 8 to 9 years since I last visited New York City. Yes, I was a foolish 13-year old high school student on a class trip (I don’t even remember why Indianola High School even conducted this trip). We did every tourist trip imaginable alongside my fellow foolish classmates (remember how boys acted when they were 13? Yeah… Pity me please). We went to the top of the Empire State Building, toured the United Nations, saw Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, walked through Central Park, yada yada yada…
Now that I’m “all grown up” (ehem legal drinking age), I’m STOKED to be visiting NYC for the next 7 days over Thanksgiving (thanks to my girl, @jtangerine02 for letting me stay)!
Dear “concrete jungle where dreams are made of ” –
Where should I go???
I need recommendations from all of you who have lived in or traveled to The Big Apple! Things like…
- Where to eat
- Where to drink
- Where to party
- Where to shop
- Where to spend a few hours working online (free WIFI please)
- What to see
- What to experience
- What to bring
- Which parts of NYC I should spend my time in (ie – Brooklyn, Chinatown, etc)
- Did I overlook that you live in NYC, and should look you up when I get there?
Here’s a list of places/things that have already been recommended to me. Feel free to chime in if you agree/disagree:
Eat
- DBGB in NYC (lunch)
- The Dutch (dinner)
- The Lion (dinner)
- Pastise same owner as Balthazar
- Fatty Q upper west side
- La esquina
- Brush Stroke (David Bouley) (dinner)
- Nobu 57 (dinner)
- The Smith (brunch)
- Jane (brunch)
(thanks to @JamieDeRosa for the above recs)
- Pig and Khao (thanks to Austin Haight)
- Grey Dog Cafe
- Union Square Market
- Bahn Mi Saigon
- The National
(thanks to @MarisaScime for the last 4)
- Bodhi Tree (thanks to @Alina_Daryab)
- Beauty & Essex (thanks to @GlennEbert)
Drink (thanks to @JamieDeRosa for all the below recs)
- BDT
- Double 7
- Jay bird upper east side (grand opening)
- Little Branch
- Death and Company
- Sien Fuegos (Rum Bar)
- District 36 (like LIV)
- PHD downtown Dream Hotel
- One Oak
- Lavo (also killer for brunch, off the charts party)
I’ll be staying in the East Village – heard awesome things!
Thanks in advance for your recommendations!
❤ Aub
The Aublog 
If you want to see a bunch of places in NYC in about half a day, do this. Start at the Empire State Building. Get there before 10am because it will only take you a few minutes to get to the observation deck vs over an hour if you go after 10am. After that, walk over to Broadway then north on Broadway to Times Square. Just north of Times Square on Boradway is the Letterman show. Then, go east on 49th street. When you get to Ave of the Americas you will see Rockefeller plaza. You can ice skate if they have the rink set up, see the Today show or take the NBC studios tour. If you walk about 50 yards to 5th ave, you will see St Patrick’s Cathedral. Go inside, it’s worth it. Then walk up 5th ave to central park. walk right up the middle to central park to the fountain at 72nd street. Then hit Belvedere Castle. http://www.centralparknyc.org/visit/things-to-see/great-lawn/belvedere-castle.html Don’t go to the Statue of Liberty, it is a waste of time because it takes up the whole day. Also, check out the bars and restaurants on Bleecker street in the west village.
Thanks for the tips! I did most of the tourist stuff when I was 13 so I wanted to re-visit a couple of the areas but more so see the local places… It’s been amazing!!!