Re-blogging so I can take note for my next trip to NYC. :o)

soupsoup:

twentysomethingtales:

I sometimes get e-mails from both Twentysomething and Cosmo blog readers who say they’re coming to New York to visit, can I tell them some awesome places to go?

Because I love making lists, I’ve spent a few days thinking about all my favorite New York City things to do and places to go. For now, I’ve limited the list to Manhattan, and for the New Yorkers reading, it will probably seem basic and even done. Well, screw you. I kid. Kisses!

BARS - Romantic, or good for dates

• The Park (Chelsea) - Feels like a greenhouse with what is essentially an indoor park.
  
• The Bourgeois Pig (East Village) - Cozy, plush wine bar with excellent fondue.
• Little Branch (West Village) - Dark with sexy candlelit booths. Incredible, inventive cocktails made with fresh juices

BARS - Friend IMs you at 5 p.m. and says, “Let’s get a drink”

• Loreley (Lower East Side) - Beergarden with outdoor area
• Lolita (Lower East Side) - Free wireless and you can also have food delivered. Fresh margaritas, and if you go on Tuesdays, a cute bartender named TJ.
• Sweet & Vicious (Nolita) - Seasonal patio and frozen margs. Afterwork for the media peeps.
• Black and White (Union Square) - Small bar that tries to be indie. Trivia nights are fun, though.

BARS - OMG we rrsuuoooo drunk what now?

• Home Sweet Home (Lower East Side) - Anything with taxidermy and a deejay when thoroughly intoxicated is okay in my book. You’ll probably leave after one drink, however, when you realize everyone there is a douche.
• 115 (Union Square) - Tries to be a dive bar with its grody couches and sticky linoleum. Usually filled with regulars who are faux-hipsters on the younger side.
• Winnie’s (Chinatown) - Karaoke bar that you probably won’t find if you’re trashed. Song catalogue is impossible to navigate, but the special punch or whatever it is has (supposedly) 7 different types of alcohol in it.

RESTAURANTS - Cute & Cozy

• Little Giant (Lower East Side) - Farm fresh menu. Get whatever the swine of the day is. Not cheap, but not outrageously expensive.
• Piadina (Greenwich Village) - On one of those gorgeous blocks lined with brownstones. Amazing pasta. Cash only.
• Epistrophy (Nolita) - This is my go-to resto. Good for eating alone, a light snack, late-night meal, or date. Paninis and wonderful charcuterie. Cash only.
• Freeman’s (Lower East Side) - Don’t even try to brave the line for brunch on the weekends. Any other day, however, it’s a lovely, homey place.

RESTAURANTS - A step up

• Pure Food & Wine (Gramercy) - Think raw food and think bark-flavored god-knows what that is? Pure,a high-end raw resto, will make you think twice. Get the lasagna. And don’t skip dessert. One of my best friends is the pastry chef. I’m constantly impressed by her creations.
• Village (Greenwich Village) - French bistro that’s consistently delicious.
• Fatty Crab (Meatpacking District) - Malaysian food that’s fatty, messy, but still manages to be classy and full of flavor. It’s small plates meant to be shared, so the bill can pile up quickly before you know it. Last time I was there, a dinner for 6 was over $400.
• Balthazar (Soho) - A classic.
  

SHOPPING

• Steven Alan (Tribeca and other locations) - Overpriced? Usually, but a wonderful range of standard designers (Philip Lim, APC) and the ones that are just about to be on everyone’s back (Sunshine & Shadow, Myne, Sea).
• Oak (Soho) - Nice range of concept pieces, usually in subdued tones of black, white, gray, etc.
• iHeart (Nolita) - Sometimes I think the actual store is cuter than the goods in it. Count on quirky, colorful imports like Sonia Rykiel jumpers that might take a bit more courage to sport.
• Plum (Lower East Side) - Good, girly lines like Dallin Chase and Chloe & Reese
• Opening Ceremony (Soho) - Can’t afford anything. Want everything. NYC’s closest thing to a concept boutique, but nowhere near as brilliant as Paris’s Colette.

BEAUTY

• Bliss Spa (Various locations) - Bliss is sort of like Starbucks for facials. They pop up everywhere and keep expanding their business. Pricey, but a one-stop source for any treat - facials, massage, body wraps, waxing, etc.
• Tamago Skincare (East Village) - I’m reluctant to divulge my secret facial place. It’s a teeny space that can only accommodate two customers at a time. Authentic Japanese treatments at low prices. A basic facial is $50.
• Sally Hershberger (Meatpacking District) - Pretty much the best facial you can ask for. Incredibly basic skincare, yet performed with exacting care.

STUFF TO DO

• Catch a concert (classical) at Barge Music, a boat in Brooklyn Heights.
• Union Square Farmers Market (weekends).
• Walk up and down Central Park West. Don’t forget to stop at 72nd Street to peek at The Dakota, the building where John Lennon was shot (happy thoughts), and where Yoko still lives.
• Have a boozy picnic in Central Park with goods from Fairway and Zabar’s (Upper West Side grocery stores on Brodway and 74th and 83rd, respectively).
• Go to the Natural History Museum on a Friday evening when it’s almost empty. The adjoining Planetarium shouldn’t be missed, either.
• Metropolitan Museum of Art, duh.
• MoMA, duh.
• A lot of tourists overlook the Cooper-Hewitt and Frick Museums, but they’re my two favorite.
• Get lost in the West Village. Check out Jane and Perry Streets.
• Skip the New York City Ballet (well, actually don’t), instead check out whatever awesome modern stuff is going on at Dance Theatre Workshop.

That’s all for now. I’m sure there’s more that isn’t coming to mind. Feel free to leave your NYC loves in the comments!