I Love NY
New York, NY is Home Sweet Home, so this article is a list of our hometown favorites. With new developments occurring all the time in the city that never stands still, we’ll update it as we explore new places and restaurants.
Dream
Of course, we don’t need a hotel room but if we ever planned a staycation, the following hotels would be our top choices:
Crosby Hotel, SoHo: Colorful outpost of the Firmdale Group of hotels based in London and founded by Kit and Tim Kemp, comprising 10 hotels and 8 bars and restaurants in London and New York, each individually designed and eclectically decorated by Kit Kemp.
The Greenwich Hotel, Tribeca: Celebrated celebrity hangout, part of the Robert De Niro empire and location of the ever-popular Locanda Verde restaurant. Elegantly decorated and with a bucolic interior courtyard, the perfect escape from the frenetic pace of the city.
Dine
We believe New York is home of probably the world’s finest, fastest moving dining scene. Here are our recommendations for New York restaurants you should visit:
Any/all Andrew Carmellini Restaurants; Locanda Verde (Tribeca), Bar Primi (Lower East Side), The Dutch (SoHo), Carne Mar (Seaport): The Cleveland born chef has built a New York empire of upscale eateries in Lower Manhattan, and has two new locations in Brooklyn: Leuca Restaurant and Westlight Bar, both at the William Vale Hotel, Williamsburg.
Gjelina a Venice, CA favorite makes it way to NYC. If feels like we’ve been awaiting this arrival for at least four years. And finally Gjelina has opened its doors on Bond Street. Farm to table focus and some of the best pizza we’ve ever had keeps us coming back for more. Tragically, this location had a fire but I am hoping they will be back stronger.
Pasquale Jones, Little Italy: Fantastic appetizers, pastas, pizzas and other wood-fired favorites on Mulberry Street. Some seating at the chef’s counter, where you can see the magic happen. Accepts a small number of reservations but mainly walk-ins with a wait-list. One of our favorites!
Marc Forgione, Tribeca: Rustic, candlelit uber-chic dining room and bar area with two large high-top communal tables. Great food, including an incredible chicken for two, and very good house wines. The Iron Chef himself is frequently in attendance, which is an added bonus.
Il Cantinori, Greenwich Village: Like stepping into a traditional Italian ristorante, this Tuscan eatery, now in its fourth decade, brings memories of Italian soirées flooding back! The Italian saying: “Use the best possible ingredients, and do as little with them as possible” continues to be part of its secret, and you can taste it! Great food, great wine, and great service.
Manhatta, Financial District: Danny Meyer restaurant on the 60th floor of the 28 Liberty Street tower, serving a three-course prix fixe New American dinner menu.
Loring Place, Greenwich Village: New, upscale, highly-rated farm-to-table restaurant with a casual atmosphere. Described as a celebration of New York and all things local, and using ingredients from farms and farmers found at the Union Square Greenmarket.
Eataly NYC Downtown: Latest NYC outpost of the Italian food superstore and restaurant chain, located on the 3rd floor of the World Trade Center 4 Building, within sight of the Memorial Fountains.
Bubby’s, Tribeca, and Meatpacking: Visit for brunch! The very best pancakes in NYC (choose the James Beard version).
Upland, Gramercy: California-inspired cuisine at this upscale brasserie from restauranteur Stephen Starr.
Charlie Bird, SoHo: Sister restaurant of the newer Pasquale Jones, this hip eatery serves a colorful menu (literally) of Italian-influenced American food with a fine wine list.
Lombardi’s, Little Italy: The best pizza in the city at this casual pizzeria, founded in 1905, making it the first pizzeria in New York City.
Greca, Tribeca: Casual Greek neighborhood restaurant/coffee shop/bar with a great lunch menu.
RH New York, Meatpacking: Glittering six-story Meatpacking outpost of the high-end furniture chain, with a spectacular indoor/outdoor rooftop restaurant and wine bar, with glorious views over Manhattan.
New Italian Favorites: iSodi, Rezdora, Saint Theo’s, One Fifth, Lupa and Babbo.
Coffee Time!
In New York, it seems there is a Starbucks on every corner. But if you want to look beyond that, the city also boasts many other smaller chains of high-quality specialist coffee shops. Here are some of our favorites.
Kaffe 1668 (North & South), Tribeca: first-rate coffee in a rustic environment with sheep; try the fantastic latte-macchiato!
Laughing Man Coffee and Tea, Tribeca: Tiny Tribeca coffee shop backed by Hugh Jackman with outdoor seating on Duane Street in the summer; second location in Battery Park City.
La Colombe, NoHo: This national chain has eight New York locations. We stopped off at the NoHo café on Lafayette Street and sampled the draft latte on tap!
Blue Bottle Coffee, World Trade Center: New chain location born in Oakland, California.
Bluestone Lane, West Village: Influenced by the coffee culture of Melbourne, Australia, Bluestone Lane currently has four Manhattan locations ready to serve you a great flat white.
Intelligentsia Coffee, Chelsea (inside the High Line Hotel): Your chance to try this fine coffee, originally from Chicago, in the only Intelligentsia café in NYC.
Rapha Clubhouse, Soho: NYC location of the retail outlet for road-cycling enthusiasts with a café offering fine food and coffee.
Do
Manhattan is a jigsaw puzzle of different neighborhoods, many with their own unique individual flavor, waiting to be explored. Here are some of our favorite spots to seek out.
Walk the High Line: The 1.45 mile-long elevated linear park created on former railroad tracks on the west side of Manhattan, has been one of the city’s most popular visitor attractions since it opened in 2009. Runs from the Meatpacking District in the south to the Hudson Yards development in the north. As well as the beautiful landscaping, there are many architectural highlights on route including the immense Hudson Yards development, Zaha Hadid’s 520 W28th condo building with its organic curves, and Frank Gehry’s IAC building shaped like an iceberg rising from the West Side Highway.
Run, bike or walk the Hudson River Park: Fabulous urban riverside park on the west side of Manhattan stretching 4.5 miles from Battery Park in the south to 59th Street in the north. Beautiful landscaped gardens, riverside boardwalk and a dedicated cycle path sandwiched between the Hudson River and the West Side Highway. For cyclists, the cycle path extends further north for several miles reaching beyond the George Washington Bridge at West 179th Street.
The Oculus, World Trade Center: Santiago Calatrava’s magnificent structure perched like a dove with outstretched wings beside the 9/11 Memorial Fountains. The building contains a double-level mall, with two below-grade levels of shops arranged around the circumference of a huge cathedral-like hall. These shops are part of the Westfield World Trade Center Mall which also extends out underground below the National September 11 Memorial Plaza, and into WTC buildings 2, 3 and 4.
Brookfield Place, Battery Park City: Another mall, which can be reached direct from the Oculus using the underground passageway which runs under the West Side Highway. There you will find some high-end retailers, Saks Fifth Avenue, upscale food hall Hudson Eats, and Le District – like a French version of Eataly. Stepping outside towards the Hudson, you can enjoy seasonal drinks with a view of the marina and the Statue of Liberty, in a relaxed setting.
Grand Banks, Tribeca: A historic wooden schooner built in 1942, moored at the end of Pier 25 in the Hudson River Park, with a seasonal seafood restaurant and two bars. Great place to sip cocktails floating on the Hudson with spectacular views of the Statue of Liberty, WTC1, the Empire State Building and other New York landmarks.
Shopping in Soho: Chanel, Tiffany, Apple, Bloomingdales, Celine, Stance, Niketown, Adidas and any number of high-end independent boutiques, all conveniently arranged in a concentrated area around the historic streets of chic Soho.
Run in Central Park: Exercise while experiencing quintessential New York City sights and sounds in arguably the world’s most famous park. Various routes make it possible to go for a short casual jog up to a full 10k loop of the park.