Welcome to my NYC guide for first timer’s!

Hi there and welcome to my travel guide to NYC! I am a born and raised New Yorker and know this city like the back of my hand. Even though I moved away from New York a few years ago this city is always in my heart and I will always be a true New Yorker. I visit at least once a year as well. It is virtually impossible to do everything you want to do in NYC on a quick trip or even a week or two (or years) in NYC but I recommend making a list of the top 5 most important things on your list. Check out some of my favorite places and things to do in NYC!

Where to Stay

The first thing you will want to do when planning your trip is to decide where you would like to stay. That includes what hotel and what neighborhood. Choosing which neighborhood to stay in can be daunting, but I recommend also making a list of your top activities and stay close by to where those places are. It is very easy getting around NYC but can also be overwhelming. So pick a place where you are not going to be jumping from here to here all the time. Midtown is the usual place for tourists to stay, and for a good reason. It is close to Times Square and many other attractions. If you are looking for a quieter area I recommend the Upper East Side, Upper West Side, The South Street Seaport, West Village, Lower East Side, or Brooklyn. Hotels in NYC can be very expensive but splurging is definitely worth it if you can. The rooms will usually be smaller than you are used to, but if you have a great view it makes up for it.

Favorite Hotels I have stayed in

The Mandarin Oriental- If you are looking for some of the best views in the city, this is the place to stay. The location cannot be beat as well. You are close to Midtown, Times Square, Central Park, Hell’s Kitchen and the Upper West Side. It is however very much away from the hustle and bustle, incredibly private and quiet.

Mr C. Seaport- For a quiet stay, Mr. C Seaport is such a nice boutique hotel. Located in the south street seaport, you are close to Tribeca, the West Side, and the World Trade Center memorial site. Some of the rooms have beautiful terraces and you can get a great view of the Brooklyn Bridge. When you check in they serve you a complimentary famous Bellini.

The Ludlow- If you are staying on the Lower East Side this is a fantastic hotel, along with the Bowery hotel. Fantastic views of downtown Manhattan. Walking distance to the Lower East Side, The Bowery, Nolita, and Soho.

Hotel Rivington- Another amazing lower east side hotel. More beautiful views of downtown, as well as a beautiful rooftop bar with floor to ceiling windows. Walking distance to the Lower East Side, The Bowery, Nolita, and Soho.

The New York Edition- A beautiful modern luxury hotel located near in the Flatiron Neighborhood. I love this neighborhood and you are within walking distance to tourist attractions such as the Flatiron Building and Empire State Building. Madison Square Park is also right there and one of the best parks in the city. Stop in to the original Shake Shake for lunch in the park and then grab dinner at Eataly.

Ink 48- If you are looking to be close to Times Square I recommend this hotel. It is located a little bit out of the way on the west side but you are out of the way from the craziness of Times Square but still within walking distance. You are also within walking distance to Hell’s Kitchen which has amazing restaurants and nightlife. They have a huge rooftop with great views of Times Square as well.

The Hotel Eventi- A great hotel that is incredibly close to the Empire State building and midtown. I don’t totally love the direct area but the hotel is wonderful and you are very close to the Flatiron Neighborhood.

TWA Hotel- If you have a layover or just want a fun experience, check out the TWA Hotel in JFK Terminal. This hotel is seriously like no other- a renovated terminal from 1962.

Where to Eat

It is so hard to choose all the incredible places to eat on your trip especially if it is a short trip. My recommendation is to try a lot of different cuisines and do both high and low. If you are on a budget, I still think you can splurge on one incredible meal that is totally worth it. For the upscale definitely choose a classic NYC restaurant that has been around forever. The cheap eats are also some of the best in the world as well! It all depends on what you are looking for. I also do not recommend standing in line for those super trendy places, there are so many amazing spots, do not waste your time especially if you do not have a lot of time to spare.

The Upscale $$$

Le Cou Cou (pictured)

Le Bernadin

ABC Kitchen

Balthazar

Gramercy Tavern

Keens Steakhouse

Minetta Tavern

Carbone

Eleven Madison Park

The Palm

Marea

The 21 Club

Daniel

The Spotted Pig

Joel Robuchon

*If these restaurants are out of your price range, some of them have lunch specials which are less expensive. I also love eating lunch at a fancy restaurant. Better lighting for photos, and less crowded.

The Cheap but Amazing $

Grey'‘s, Nathan’s and Papaya King- NYC’s best hotdogs! Go to Coney Island to try the original Nathan’s Famous.

A salted pretzel from a stand.

A Bagel From Russ & Daughters, but if the line is too long any bagel place is pretty great.

Any slice of NYC Pizza. The best sit down pizza place in my opinion is John’s pizza. Also $1 pizza is still incredible.

L & B Spumoni Garden’s- A trek out there in Brooklyn but amazing Sicilian slices.

Artichoke Pizza- Expensive for a slice but still on the cheap side of places.

The Halal Guys stand in midtown. (if the line is too long really any Halal in NYC is awesome)

Kat’z Deli- The biggest and best sandwiches.

Shake Shack- Visit the original located in Madison Square Park

Coffee Shops/Bakeries

Magnolia Bakery

Dominique Ansel

Sullivan Street Bakery

Clinton Street Baking Co.

Stumptown Coffee

Cha Cha Matcha

Happy Bones

Ralph’s inside Ralph Lauren

Birch Coffee

La Duree

Saint Ambroes

Le Pain Quotidien

Maison Kaiser

La Columbe

Blue Bottle

Toby’s Estate

What to do

Museums

What to do again depends on what your interests are. I think no matter what you should choose a few places to sight see, after all you are in NYC for a reason! Even if you are not in into museums, you have to see at least one here in NYC, they have some of the best in the world! I recommend only doing one or 2 museums if you have a short stay because they are huge and can take up a whole day just to see one. My favorite is the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This museum is famous especially for the Met Gala and Costume Institute.

The Metropolitan Museum Of Art

The Guggenheim

The MoMA

The Frick Collection

The Whitney

American Museum of Natural History

The Brooklyn Museum

SightSeeing

Even as a born and raised New Yorker, I still sometimes do touristy stuff. NYC is incredible, so here are my top suggestions:

Top of the Rock Observation Deck

This is my top choice for a fun touristy activity. You get the best views in NYC and can also walk around Rockefellar center as well. During Christmas time make sure to visit the ice skating rink and Christmas Tree.

Central Park

This park is my absolute favorite place to walk through in NYC. It is great for both tourists and locals alike.

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge

his is a must do in NYC! I often do not find myself in other boroughs but Brooklyn has become very popular in the past few years. I recommend doing the walk in the morning to avoid the crowds.

Brooklyn Bridge Park and DUMBO

do not usually go to Brooklyn but I have found myself going across the bridge so many time to visit this incredible area. I recommend actually walking across the Manhattan Bridge and then it will take you right to DUMBO and then walk to Brooklyn Bridge Park.

The Highline

The Highline has become super touristy over the years and was originally I think way more of a local spot, however it is a beautiful places to walk and see New York from above the street.

Times Square

OK so first of all I will say that I detest Times Square. I used to live just a few blocks away in an area called Hell’s Kitchen so I was really over it. That being said i think as a first time visitor you just HAVE to see it. It is like the Vegas strip, you cannot go to NYC and not see time square if you have never seen it. It is really fun to walk around during the day or at night. I also recommend seeing a broadway show on your first trip, so of course you will be coming here anyway. If you are going to eat around there, either go more east or west to find a restaurant, PLEASE do not eat in a chain restaurant in Times Square!

Oculus and 9// Memorial

This one is tough for me because I was growing up in NYC on 9/11 and experienced it firsthand. It is a beautiful memorial however, I just feel that people now really do treat it as a tourist attraction. Please no “selfies” here all smilies and happy. It is a very sad place. The Oculus however is a beautiful structure, indoor mall, and train station. It is also a tribute to 9/11 but in a different way and I definitely recommend checking it out.

Things to skip ( if you do not have time for)

Any type of water cruise or boat ride. They take way too much time and are a meh.

Going to the Statue of Liberty, Will take of the whole day and you can see the statue from downtown.

Top of the Empire State Building- It still has very nice views but Top of The Rock is better.

Hudson Yards- UGH I am sorry but the Vessel is ugly no?

Where to Shop

New York is the fashion capital of America, if not (maybe) the world. The best shopping is here and I recommend a few really great areas for the best shopping.

5th Avenue- From about 57th street down to 49th street, this is a must for luxury shopping. I highly recommend a stop into the famous Bergdorf Goodman. Unfortunately a lot of the older luxury department stores are now gone, so make sure you stop in here on your trip. For more affordable options you can still shop on 5th avenue as there are also a ton of larger chain stores.

Madison Avenue- The shopping on Madison avenue goes all the way from around 57th up to 86th on the Upper East Side. It is the ultimate luxury shopping avenue for the ultra rich.

Oia is probably the most famous part of Santorini and I definitely recommend staying a few nights here, don’t just visit for the day. I loved Oia and honestly liked it a lot better than Fira. It is really more picturesque and beautiful. Fira was cloudy the majority of the time we were there and Oia was sunny. That might have just been the forecast but either way it was nice to finally see some sun. We stayed at the incredible Mystique resort. The resort was perfect and of course had an amazing infinity pool overlooking the sea. It was still way too cold to swim but we tried. The only drawback was that it was about a 20 minute walk from the main part of town. Our room was in a cave and we got the best sleep! We did a fantastic private wine tasting as well in their wine cave. I would still very much stay here again.

We would usually wait until before sunset to walk into town because it was pretty warm, plus we had to see the famous cliffside sunset in Oia. To get to the famous cliffside spot, just follow all the tourists walking and you will find yourself at the Oia Byzantine Castle ruins. I recommend either getting there VERY early to secure a spot on the castle, or what we did which I think is better, is to just go a little bit after sunset when everyone is walking back. The sunset will still be going but most people would have “gotten the shot” and left. We had so much room to enjoy the view. Don’t forget to stop along the way to the castle for other gorgeous views. The view is also beautiful in the daytime or the early morning when there are no tourists. I will also say that maybe because we went in April, I did not find there to be that many tourists, at least it didn’t take away from my enjoyment.