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My Favorite Places in New York City

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When I was 22 I moved to New York City, and I loved every second of it. At times the city seemed overwhelmingly big, and expensive, but I was determined to make it my home, and for two years it was. I went from feeling like an outsider to knowing how to weave my way through the crowds with ease. I found friends, discovered restaurants and bars where I would spend my time, and got a master’s degree. One year after I moved, my sister, Kelly, followed, and when I moved to Chicago, she stayed.

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When Kelly and I went to Costa Rica, we flew from New York, and I tacked on a few extra days in the city before going home to Chicago. I had one day all to myself to explore my favorite places in NYC before my mother arrived (more about that in another post).

My first order of business was to go shopping in Soho. I love the mix of high end and affordable retailers, and the vibe of the neighborhood.

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When it was time of a snack I headed over to the Chobani Café (152 Prince St). If you think they just serve up yogurt, you are wrong. Then use their famous yogurt to create an inventive menu of dining options. While there I tried both a sweet and savory options, and was blown away. The Mango + Avocado is made with jalapeños, olive oil, lemon zest, cilantro, and lime juice over plain yogurt and served with blue corn chips. The flavor pairings might seem unconventional, but this was one of the best things that I ate while I was in NYC. I want to recreate it at home.

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I tried the Pistachio + Chocolate from the sweet section of the menu, this combined pistachios, dark chocolate flakes, diced orange, mint, and honey with yogurt. It was a successful healthy version of a dessert.

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I grabbed coffee (well, it was really an iced Chai Tea Latte) with a friend at Maman (239 Centre St), the most darling little independent coffee shop with a big selection of fresh pastries.

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I spent lots of time walking around taking photos of architecture and murals.

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The blue fire escape caught my eye.

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And I liked this tree lined cobblestone street.

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I discovered the cutest little house on the top of a building.

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I came across the most fun housewares store called Mondiale (20 Clinton Street), and I wanted to buy everything.

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I had lunch at Clinton Street Bakery (4 Clinton St) at 3pm. My sister says that it gets crazy busy on weekends, but I walked right in. While they are famous for their blueberry pancakes (Kelly loves them), I had to try the Chicken & Waffles, and a Strawberry Bellini.

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As I walked around, I passed some of my favorite hangouts from my time living in NYC. Schiller’s (131 Rivington St) is a great bar (you might recognize it from the SNL opening credits). It’s a bit of a hang out for people in the food and beverage industry.

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Spitzer’s Corner (101 Rivington St) is a fun place to grab a beer, and the long tables accommodate groups well.

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And I remember hanging out with friends at Gatsby’s (53 Spring St).

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Then I headed back up to my sister’s place on the Upper East Side and walked by The Met, where I spent lots of time when I was in grad school. My professors at Sotheby’s Institute of Art are curators at the American Wing, and we often had class there on Mondays when the museum was closed.

That evening Kelly and I went to Barn Joo (893 Broadway) for bibimbap and dumplings. It was super dark inside, so photos were a no-go, but the food was excellent. The fried beef dumplings were fantastic.

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After dinner we popped into the most darling kitchen store, Fishs Eddy (889 Broadway) where I bought a couple of new food styling props – and a hilarious plate that says, “Here is your snack dumbass.”

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Kelly loves Holy Cream (796 9th Ave), an ice cream parlor so much that she insisted that we go 30 block out of our way, to the other side of town to get it. The peanut butter vs. cookie dough favor was worth the trip.

Finally, we ended our night at the Irish pub near my sister’s apartment, Phil Hughes. It’s a no frills place with a good beer selection, sports on tv, and a pool table. It’s a neighborhood hangout.

*Note – I walked 25,000 steps this day, so keep that in mind if you consider this itinerary.

Packing my Suitcase

Wednesday 10th of August 2016

Ohh I miss NY, can't wait to return someday! So many great insider's tips, I just noted down some of the recommendations for when go again :D

Thank you for joining #MondayEscapes ;)

Different Shores

Thursday 4th of August 2016

Oh this makes me want to go to NY. I love those fire escapes! That peanut butter vs. cookie dough icecream alone looks worth the air fare from Ireland...

Vanessa Brune

Thursday 4th of August 2016

I have to agree - I'd definitely go to New York just for that ice-cream!

Kit Graham

Thursday 4th of August 2016

Haha. That ice cream was pretty epic. I think there are lots of reasons NYC is worth the trip from Ireland!

laurenonlocation

Wednesday 3rd of August 2016

This post made me seriously homesick! It's been so long since I was able to just spend a day wandering around NY. I have to say after being away for a while, NYC seems more intimidating now, but there is still something just so exciting about the city! I can't wait to get back soon. I also had no idea that Chobani had their own restaurant in Soho?! I LOVE Greek yogurt and always miss it so much while living abroad! Definitely going to have to try this place out when I get home!

Kit Graham

Thursday 4th of August 2016

It had been so long since I had visited, but it was so amazing to go back. And the Chobani cafe was amazing - I hope they open up more cafes in other cities!

Marcella ~ WhatAWonderfulWorld

Wednesday 3rd of August 2016

So much colour, and delicious looking food! I need to get back to NYC soon and it through my adult eyes as I've only seen it as a child and it's appealing to me more and more!

Kit Graham

Wednesday 3rd of August 2016

Thanks Marcella. I hope you get a chance to visit NYC soon. It's magical in the summertime.

Stephanie Robinson

Tuesday 2nd of August 2016

Loving the pics and the info - am bookmarking this as I'm hoping to get there soon #mondayescapes

Kit Graham

Wednesday 3rd of August 2016

I hope you do get to NYC soon!

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