New York City Recommendations & Travel Advice

I moved to the Big Apple from Sunny Southern California in Aug 2021 and also visited a handful of times prior to my official move. I have been taken around by locals and have also spent many solo days around the city. There always seems to be a large interest in visiting NYC from all of my friends and family… I mean it is the largest city in the United States. Did I mention all the good food around? Anyways, let’s dive into my favorites along with general tips that can help build your New York City itinerary! 

How to get around:

Walk. It is extremely common to just walk from one destination to the other in NY as the city’s not as big as you think it is. There are many pedestrians all around the city (just be careful of the traffic out there!).

Another convenient and cost-efficient way to get around New York City would be by utilizing the MTA Subway. Subway stations are easy to locate with their signage (will be either a letter or number) on major streets. Google Maps can easily direct you to which station (and specific entrance) you will need to enter and which train direction you need to take to get to your destination. Single-way tickets cost $2.75.

If you plan to be in NY for a longer time period, I would recommend purchasing weekly or monthly MTA passes instead so you can save some cash (that you can use for food instead - nice!). You can tap to pay or purchase a MetroCard at any station for $1 in order to fill up your card.

If you don’t want to walk or take the subway, ubers and taxis are also extremely common in NY (from my experience taxis are cheaper than ubers). I will say that they are not cheap and will definitely add up so I’d recommend the ‘local’ way with walking and taking the subway when you can!

Places to see/ walk around:

• Time Square: Be prepared for lots of people but also if it’s your first time “the lights will inspire you” (Thank you ‘Empire State of Mind’) will surely come to reality because there are a lot of lights down 7th Avenue and they will easily capture your attention. You can check out the M&M store, Line Friends store, plenty of chain restaurants and bars, and of course the iconic Broadway theatres nearby.

• SoHo: I started to hear that SoHo started to become the youngsters’ Time Square. And I can actually agree - it can be just as busy in SoHo, especially on the weekends. I would definitely recommend checking out the 5-floor Nike Flagship Store and just browsing your favorite brands down Broadway.

• Dumbo / Brooklyn Bridge: You can easily spend half a day walking/biking along the bridge to take in some breathtaking city views. I’d recommend bringing a light jacket (for the spring/summer season) and some sunglasses - it can get windy out there.

• Little Island (Chelsea)

  • Pro tip: Online reservations are recommended especially during peak times, and they are free!

  • Just a short walk away from the Chelsea Market where you can explore many shops and small eats and check out the High Line.

• Central Park: Beautiful all year round, great for a stroll, bike ride, boat ride, or even carriage ride if you’re really feeling fancy. 

  • Some of my favorite spots include: Sheep Meadow, The Ramble, and the Reservoir 

  • Pro tip: Put on a pair of comfortable tennis shoes and bring a book, journal, or headphones to take some time to reflect in nature (great spot to get away from the city, even while being smack dab in NYC ironically).

• Chinatown: 

  • Pro tip: Bring cash as most stores are cash only and you won’t want to miss out on these delicious (and affordable!) eats. 

Viewpoints: 

Rooftop Bars are always a top choice for me especially because with the $ you ‘pay’ for the view, you are also able to get some food & drinks out of it!

• Mr. Purple (Lower East Side)

• Panorama Room (Roosevelt Island)

• Public Hotel (SoHo)

• Westlight (Brooklyn)

I also really enjoyed my visit to Summit One in One Vanderbilt (see photo above) as it has enormous floor-to-ceiling windows that really give you an epic view along with additional rooms that you can tour and interact with for the ultimate skyscraper experience. 

Other classic viewpoints include Top of the Rock Observation Deck and Edge NYC.

Must Eats:

Here are a few I consider NY ‘staples’:

• Halal Guys Cart (The OG One)

• Joe’s Pizza (Multiple locations)

• Katz's Delicatessen

• Prince St. Pizza*

• Olio e Piu 

• La Pecora Bianca (Multiple locations)

• Los Tacos No. 1

• Rubirosa*

• Tompkins Square Bagels*

• Xi’an Famous Foods

Favorites include… *drumroll please*

Japanese:

• Benemon

• Kame Ramen

• Mokyo 

• Nami Nori

• Rule of Thirds*

• Tonchin Ramen

Omakase:

• Genki

• Matsunori

• Shinn East

• Takumi*

• Tanoshi Sushi Sake Bar

Chinese:

• Antidote

• Cafe China

• Chili

• Mala Project*

• Mei La Wah Bakery

• Shu Jiao Fu Zao

• The Dolar Shop

• Uluh*

Italian:

• Don Angie*

• Gnocco

• L’artusi*

• Lil Frankie’s

• L'Industrie Pizzeria

Korean:

• 8282

• Cote*

• Cho Dang Gol

• Her Name is Han

• Jeju Noodle Bar

• Thursday Kitchen

Thai:

• Soothr

• Fish Cheeks*

• Pranahkon

• Thai Diner

Michelin:

• Carbone

• Jua

• Tsukimi

Dessert/ Coffee:

• % Arabica

• Abraco

• Baked by Melissa

• Devocion*

• Dominique Ansel Bakery

• Grace Street

• La Cabra*

• Le Phin

• Magnolia Bakery

• Semicolon Cafe

• Spot Dessert Bar

Cocktail Bars:

• Attaboy

• Dear Irving Gramercy

• Death & Co.

• Double Chicken Please*

• Please Don't Tell

• Goodnight Sonny

• Ye’s Apothecary

With Live Music!

• Back Room

• Django

• St. Tuesday

• Tomi Jazz*

Hope those are enough food recommendations to keep your stomachs full and happy. I starred the ones that are my all-time favorite ones!

Please message me if you ever have any questions. Safe travels!