Style and Senses’s (updated 2024) official New York City Guide is here, all curated by yours truly. 

Don’t hesitate to reach out to me via IG @antrieu DM with any questions you have. Happy to send over specific recommendations that best fit your interests and NYC itinerary!

1. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Spring and fall are definitely the best time to travel to New York because of the cooler weather, but there’s always something to do for everyone in NYC at any given time.

In the summer, it’s hot, so be prepared to get sweaty if you love walking and taking public transportation. Don’t forget your favorite ‘dressy’ outfits and ultra-comfy sneakers! Always have a plan B, just in case there’s a long wait, something is closed, or if the weather does not go as planned.

CHOICES OF TRANSPORTATION

There’s really no need to drive in Manhattan since parking is impossible to find and expensive. Note that there’s congestion surcharge which is really annoying these days.

The subway system is open 24/7. It’s extensive, effective, and easy to navigate. Pay attention to the signs that say Manhattan vs. Brooklyn, uptown vs. downtown, etc. I use Google Maps!

And just be prepared to walk a lot otherwise Uber is always an option. If the places are between 2 train stops or within 20 minutes, YOU WALK!

Biking around the city is also so much fun, and I’d highly recommend this option if you have time and love biking. Donwload the CityBike app!

CONTACTLESS PAYMENT

APPS TO DOWNLOAD:

• Google Maps vs. Maps: for navigation, obviously!

• Yelp – make sure to read all of the reviews including ones on Google. Don’t just trust Tiktok because you’d end up waiting in line for hours at a touristy spot. Ask a local for local spots!

• CityBike – if you’re planning to rent a bike. I think it’s a super fun way to explore the city!

• Open Table & Resy – restaurant reservation apps. A lot of restaurants do have a few spots for walk-in or you’d need to be there in-person in order to put your name down on the waitlist. I’d recommend reading reviews and what people have to say online before coming to any of the popular spots in NYC. 

• Uber & Lyft – rideshare apps. I often check prices on both and go with the cheaper one!

DON’T MAKE YOURSELF LOOK LIKE A TOURIST EVEN IF YOU’RE A TOURIST

Common sense that works anywhere (not just in NYC) when you’re in public settings:

• At the airports or train stations: Make sure to stay on the right side of the stairs or escalators and let other people pass you on the left.

• Don’t stand in the middle of the walkways, step to the side when you need to look at your map or taking pictures. Don’t block traffic, bike lanes, etc.

Central Park, summer 2022

2. NYC CLASSICS

NYC is made up of 5 boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island.

Most of the popular tourist attractions are in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

If you’re in NYC for the first time, here’s a quick list of NYC classic things you should check out. Just pick a few per day that are within the area or neighborhood you’re interested in spending time in. 

• Take a stroll at Central Park

• NYC Skyline: Top of the Rock (one of my favorites), Empire State Building (have yet to go!), One Vanderbilt (pretty good central views, but it can get crowded and loud!), The Edge (my least favorite!)

• Go see Grand Central Terminal then head to Bryant Park and New York Public Library

• Walkthrough the High Line, check out Chelsea Market, the Whitney museum, and West Village or Hudson Yards at the other end of the park

• Check out FIDI, the Oculus, and World Trade Center

• 3 big Chinatowns in NYC, one in Manhattan, one in Queens called Flushing, and one in Brooklyn 

• Walk the Brooklyn Bridge – starts from Chinatown Manhattan or DUMBO (the latter offers a better view imo)

• Take photos in DUMBO, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and the piers

• Eat and shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

• Go shopping in Soho, Fifth Avenue, and Madison Avenue

• Try a Michelin star-rated restaurant or two when you’re here!

• Stop by a Sample Sale – random pop-ups in the city or you could also sign up for 260 Sample Sale HERE or CHICMI for updates

• Go on a food tour/bar crawl/dessert hopping in Chinatown Manhattan or Flushing Queens – watch my Tik Tok HERE

• Go to a museum or do a museum crawl: the MET, MoMA, Whitney, Brooklyn, Guggenheim or Noguchi Museum

• Comedy shows, Broadway shows, concerts, your favorite artist or brand’s pop-ups

• Track down sites from your favorite movies and TV shows: Sex and the City, Gossip Girls, etc.

left: outfit shot in Upper East Side near Central Park; right: outfit shot in one of my favorite corners in West Village

3. NYC NEIGHBORHOODS

MANHATTAN

Manhattan is split into:

• “districts”- Flatiron District, The Meatpacking District, and The Garment District

• “squares” – Times Square, Union Square, Lincoln Square, and Herald Square

• “heights” – Washington Heights and Morningside Heights

Acronyms to know: 

• SoHo (South of Houston Street)

• NoHo (North of Houston Street)

• Tribeca (The Triangle Below Canal Street)

• NoLita (North of Litle Italy)

MY LESS-FREQUENTED AREAS

• Upper West Side

• Navy Yards

• Downtown Brooklyn

• Financial District

• Midtown East & West

• Hell’s Kitchen

• Times Square

• Little Italy

• Chelsea

• Garment District

• Gramercy

• Stuyvesant Town

• Astoria, Sunnyside, Forest Hill in Queens

• Morningside Heights

• East Harlem

Panca, a Peruvian restaurant in West Village, summer 2021

4. NYC RESTAURANTS & MARKETS

Again, (*) denotes my favorite or more frequented spots.

French: Buvette* (great brunch spot), Balthazar* (very popular French food spot in Soho, great as a solo lunch spot imo), La Mercerie* (cute spot to take your sister or mom to), Cafe Chelsea, Bobo, Lauduree, Lucien (great spot to grab some wine). On my list: Raoul’s, Claudette

Irish: The Dead Rabbit* (FIDI, Sunday roast, live music)

Pizza: Roberta’s* (must get the Bee Sting), Prince St. Pizza (I only like the pepperoni slices!), Joe’s Pizza (casual quick slices), Lucali (great pizza shop only in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn), Joe’s Pizza, L’Industrie Pizzeria* (my favorite slice shop in Williamsburg), Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop (my favorite slice shop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn), Finni Pizza, Scarr’s Pizza*. On my list: John’s Bleeker Street (coal-ven pizza)

Italian: Don Angie**, Torrisi**, Via Carota*, Misi, Lilia, I went to one Italian restaurant in Little Italy, and I didn’t like it and felt liek a scam the whole time. would advise agaisnt dining in Little Italy in Manhattan. On my list. – al di la Trattoria, Forsythia, Pepe Rosso To Go, Bar Pitti, Al Di La, Roscioli, Rezdora, I Sodi, Carbone, Frankie 457 Spuntino

Vietnamese: Ha Noi House*, Banh Mi Sai Gon* (my favorite banh mi shop in nyc hands down), Madama Vo, Saigon Social, Pho Grand, Lucy’s, Di An Di, Van Da, Em Vietnamese Bistro, SKIP: Nha Minh, High Lua Vietnamese Kitchen

Fried chicken: Turntable Chicken Jazz, Pelicana, bb.q Chicken Ktown, Sticky’s Finger Joint, Jollibee, Bonchon, Chirping Chicken, K Top

Ramen: Okiboru House of Stukemen*, Tonchin*, Momofuku Noodle Bar, TabeTomo, Ramen DANBO, Ippudo NY, Ichiran* (the most reliable tonkotsu), Ivan Ramen, Lanzhou Ramen

Udon: Raku***

Japanese: Rule of Thirds*, Davelle (cute cafe but the toasts aren’t worth it though!), Kura, Blue Ribbon Sushi Izakaya, Taku Sando, 

Sushi: Nami Nori (fun hand rolls), Kura (decent omakase at decent price for East Village), KazuNori: The Original Hand Roll Bar, DOMODOMO New York*. Great take-outs: Roy’s Fish and Sushi Market, Sushi 35 West, . On my list: Nobu, Sushi Noz, Shion 69 Lenoard Street, Studio 151, Sushi On Me, Sushi Kaito, Shuko, Sushi Nakazawa, Sushi Lin, Sushi Katsuei, Tanoshi Sushi, Nakaji, Sushi of Gari

Modern Korean: Jeju Noodle Bar*, YUBU, Jua, Her Name Is Han, Take 31, Hangawi, Kochi, Jungsik, Hyun, The Woo

Classic Korean: Jongro BBQ*, Hahm Ji Bach, BDC Tofu House

Chinese: Noodle Village, Wu’s Wonton King, Hwa Yuan Szechuan, Great NY Noodletown, Yin Ji Chang Fen, Shanghai YOU Garden* (Queens), Joe’s Steamed Rice Rolls*, Legend Chicken 

Hotpot: Haidilao*, The Dolar Shop*, Shoo Long Kan*, Chongqing Lao Zao, Spring Shabu-Shabu (lots of veggies and topping options, broth is mid)

Thai: Soothr*, Fish Cheeks*, Tong, Pure Thai Cookhouse, Thai Villa, Top Thai, Klom Klorm, Up Thai, THEP Thai Restaurant, Thai Diner (trendy popualr spot, but food is meh to me!), Thai Ros Thip* in Bushwick (my favorite take-out spot!)

Southeast Asian: LoveMama, Wok Wok Southeast Asian Kitchen, Pig and Khao

Malaysian & Indonesian: Nyonya, Taste Good 

Ukrainian: Veselka* (pierogi)

New American: The Four Horsemen, Estela*, Rolo’s** (burger, anything oven-fired!), 7 Street Burgers**

Natural wine-focused restaurants: The Four Horsemen*, Gem Wine*, Le Dive*. On my list: Cherry On Top, The Ten Bells, Anfora, Niche Niche, Wildair, Rhodora

American: Bubby’s (great brunch menu! love their pancakes!), Peak, Maison Pickle, Sadelle’s, Russ & Daughters Cafe, JG Melon (cheeseburger), 

Mexican: BEST 3: Birria Landia* (the best birria tacos in NYC, truck parked in Williamsburg), Taqueria Ramirez*, AND Los Tacos No.1* (Al pastor tacos)

Peruvian: Panca (great location, food & service ok), Mission Ceviche

Seafood: Dante West Village (heard their martinis are good!). On my list: Le Bernardin (fancy!), Grand Central Oyster Bar (Manhattan clam chowder)

Mediterranean: Cafe Mogador*, Miss Ada, 12 Chairs, Jack’s Wife Freda (food is mid, always busy so you’ve got to try at least once!). 

Health Food Restaurants: Sweetgreen* (always good, great lunch spot!)

Vegetarian/Vegan: Planta Queen, Superiority Burger, Double Zero (plant-based pizza), Seitan Rising Vegan Cafe (Bushwick), Public Records, Jajaja  Mexicana

Brunch: Sadelle’s, Anyway Cafe, Daily Provisions, Maman, La Cantine* (Bushwick), Bubby’s

Bagels: Ess-a-Bagel*, Tompkins Square Bagels**, The Bagel Nook, Bagel Hole, Apollo Bagels, Frankel’s Delicatessen & Appetizing**, Russ & Daughters** (bagel with lox and cream cheese), Leo’s Bagels*, Black Seed Bagels, Liberty Bagels Midtown, Brooklyn Bagel*, Court Street Bagels, Murray’s Bagel*

Cafes/delis – bakery + grocery & gifts and dry goods: Poppy’s*, La Cabra*, Postcard*, Katz’s Deli* (pastrami on rye)

MARKETS

Union Square Greenmarket* – farmers’ market

Chelsea Market (must try: Los Tacos No.1, Ting’s, visit Neighborhood Goods & Artists & Fleas)

Time Out Market, DUMBO – great spot for NYC skyline (go up 4th and 5th floor)

Grand Bazaar – flea market in Upper West Side, open Sunday only

Queens Night Market – every Saturday 6 pm to midnight (6/19-8/21 and 9/18-10/30)

Eataly, Italian markets with multiple locations

FLEA MARKETS

DUMBO Flea

Grand Bazaar – UWS every Sunday

Chelsea Flea – flea market

JAPANESE GROCERY STORES:

Sakura-Ya* – Queens

Katagiri Japanese Grocery

Dainobu

Sunrise Mart – multiple locations

Tominaga Shouten

Ten Ichi Mart & Deli

Hanamaru Japanese Mart

Hakata Market

Katagiri Japanese Grocery

Midoriya Japanese Grocery

Okonomi Market

Japan Village – Industry City, Brooklyn

outfit shot in Central Park, fall 2023

5. NIGHTLIFE & BARS

Bars, dancing places, & more

Angel’s Share* 

LunAtico* – Bed-Stuy, great drinks, tiny space, nightly live music

Frog* – Bed-Stuy, love the garden space although it gets super hot and steamy in the summer!

GEM* – one of my favorite natural wine bars in the LES

Le Dive* – LES, also great location and vibe if you want to grab a few bites and drinks

Katana Kitten* – Japanese small bites & cool vibe

Top places on my list (as of 2024):

Bemelman Bar, The Nines – both are piano bars with a dress code

Others: Joyface, Please Don’t Tell, 310 Bowery Bar* (sports bar), The Little Shop, Spring Lounge, H0L0 (Bushwick), Mood Ring, Bossa Nova Civic Club, The Brooklyn Mirage, Elsewhere, Ponyboy, Kind Regards, Butterfly Soho, Paul’s Casablanca, Union Pool

% Arabica Coffee Shop in DUMBO, summer 2021

6. COFFEE SHOPS

I have to preface this that I love my coffee strong and plain. Cold brew, Americano, or sometimes just plain drip coffee is my preferred coffee for the everyday, safe options! Espresso drinks are for special ocassions when I know that the place can do it well. Strong, well-balanced with chocolate notes! My usual order is either a cortado, cappucino, flat white, or sometimes an oat latte if I’m feeling like having it with ice.

LAPTOP-FRIENDLY CAFES 

Hungry Ghost Coffee – no outlets

Milk & Pull – Bushwick & Bed-Stuy, outlets to charge laptops

Variety Coffee Roasters – outlets

Early Yves Cafe – Bed-Stuy, outlets 

Devocion – outlets

JUST OK: Poetica Coffee

SKIP: Blank Street, General Irving (cute spot, but not a big fan of their coffee)

7. BAKERIES, DESSERTS, & TEA DRINKS

TEA & BOBA/FRUIT TEA SHOPS

Ten Ren’s Tea – sell tea leaves!

Chun Yang** – good overall!

Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea* – great fruit teas

Xing Fu Tang** – obsessed with their brown sugar boba

Miss Du – does excellent mango sago drink in the summer when mango is in season!

FIFTYLAN – Union Square

OK SPOTS: Tiger Sugar, Lazy Sundaes, Teazzi Tea Shop, Boba Guys, Coco Fresh Milk Tea, Kung Fu Tea, Wanpo Tea Shop,

SKIP: ViVi Bubble Tea, Alimama Tea, Gong Cha, I’Milky, TBaar,

MATCHA

Kettl Tea*

PPL*

Setsugetka

Sorate

OK SPOTS: Matcha Maiko, Nippon Cha, La Cabra, Blue Bottle Coffee

SKIP: Cha Cha Matcha

outfit shot in soho, summer 2021

8. CLOTHING STORES

This list includes new & popular, local boutiques, and secondhand, vintage shops that I love to frequent.

MY TOP 10 CLOTHING STORES YOU MUST CHECK OUT IN 2022 IN NYC

THRIFT SHOPS

Front General Store & FGS Outpost* – DUMBO

TOKIO 7* – East Village

10 ft Single by Stella Dallas* & Stella Dallas Living – definitely one of my most favorite shops, organized, huge selections

Chickee’s Vintage* (Williamsburg)

Designer Revival* – UES

DUO NYC

The Break

The Vintage Twin

2nd Street Vintage 

Desert Vintage* – higher ends

Thrift NYC – UES

Lara Koleji* – LES

James Veloria

Seven Wonders Collective

Beacon’s Closet – love the Bushwick location

CONSIGNMENT SHOPS

The RealReal* – higher ends

Beacon’s Closet – mid-range, unique brands

Crossroads Trading – lower – mid-range brands

Buffalo Exchange – lower – mid-range brands

Other People’s Clothes* – They do take in a lot of everything! Great spot to sell!!!

OTHER POPULAR CONSIGNMENT/THRIFT SHOPS: L Train Vintage, Urban Jungle,  Awoke Vintage, Housing Works

Grand Army Plaza, summer 2021

9. HOME DECOR & FURNITURE SHOPS

VINTAGE & ANTIQUES

Big Reuse – Gowanus

Horseman Antiques

Bedford Galleries – Williamsburg

Alberto & Sons

Out Of The Closet

Furnish Green

Dobbin St. Co-op* – Greenpoint

Dream Fishing Tackle* – Greenpoint, mid-century furniture, amazing vinyl selection & fishing bait

Remix Market – Long Island City (LIC)

FOR LOCALS: Garbage nights – strolls around streets of NY. Avoid upholstered furniture (bed bugs)

• Faceboook Marketplace
• @stoopingnyc & @curbalert – must be quick to pick things up since both pages have a lot of followers

sunset in Brooklyn, a train stop in Bushwick, my old neighborhood

10. SPECIALTY STORES

Erik Shoe Repair

Canal Plastics Center (plastic fabrication company)

Korin (restaurant supply store)

Nintendo NY (video game store)

Foster Sundry (butcher shop + cheese + dry goods)

BATHHOUSE (Williamsburg, spa)

Cherry Esplanade, summer 2023 – great spot for a picnic and to view cherry blossoms in the spring. Located inside Brooklyn Botanic Garden

11. PLANT SHOPS, BOOKSTORES, & STATIONERY STORES

PLANTS: 

• Tula Plants & Design* (Greenpoint, Brooklyn)

• Greenery Unlimited – watch my Tik Tok HERE

• The Sill

• PlantShed

• KINKA

• Dahing Plants*

• Little Shop of Soil*

• Cactus Store** (LES, open in the summer, rare cacti)

• horti PLAY

• Indoor Outdoor Gardener

• Noble Planta

• Flower District in downtown

BOOKS:

• Strand Book Store*

• Greenlight Bookstore

• Molasses Books

• Housing Works Bookstore

• Rizzoli Bookstore

• Bookoff

STATIONERY:

• niconeco zakkaya – Japanese stationery*

• Global Table (pottery)

• Yoseka Stationery* (Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Taiwanese-owned stationery) – watch my Tik Tok HERE

• Kinokuniya New York* – watch my Tik Tok at Kinokuniya Seattle HERE

left: The High Line; right: Brooklyn Bridge viewed from Squibb Park Bridge in Brooklyn 

12. NYC PARKS & BRIDGES

• Domino Park

• Brooklyn Bridge Park*

• Squibb Park*

• Brooklyn Heights Promenade*

• Stuyvesant Square Park

• Tompkins Square Park*

• Madison Square Park*

• Hunter’s Point South Park

• Bryant Park

• Astoria Park

• Rockefeller Park

• City Hall Park

• Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park – watch my Tik Tok HERE

Noguchi Museum, Long island City in Queens

13. MUSEUMS

MY TOP 5:

1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET)*
2. The Noguchi Museum* – read my blog post HERE
3. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)*
4. The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Guggenheim Museum
5. American Museum of Natural History

OTHER MUST-VISIT MUSEUMS IN NYC:

• The Whitney Museum of American Art

• Brooklyn Museum

• The Met Cloisters

• The Frick Collection*

• 9/11 Memorial & Museum

• Brooklyn Botanic Garden

• The Sex Museum

• The Morgan Library & Museum

Coney Island Beach, summer 2021

14. BEACHES IN NYC

The best beach/es in NYC has go to be in the Hamptons. However, East Coast beaches can never compare to West Coast ones. New Yorkers still look forward and actually do go to the beach in the summer. Some can get crowded, and the less-crowded and nicer ones require you to purchase an antrance ticket or a day pass, so plan accordingly.

• Orchard Beach: The Bronx’s only public beach

• Long Beach

• Robert Moses State Park

• Gunnison Beach

• Midland Beach

• Brighton Beach

• Manhattan Beach

• Bayshore waterfront Park

• South Beach

• Cooper’s Beach

• Main Beach

FIND OUT ABOUT MY FAVORITE BEACHES IN NYC HERE

READ MORE: Cape Cod & Martha’s Vineyard – a Weekend Guide

15. DAY TRIP IDEAS IN NYC AND FROM NYC

• Coney Island – watch my Tik Tok HERE

• Upstate New York

  • UPSTATE NEW YORK GUIDE – PART 1
  • UPSTATE NEW YORK GUIDE – PART 2

• Connecticut & Rhode Island Weekend Trip

• New England & New York Fall Foliage

Leave me any questions and specific request for more NYC guides and lists that you’d like me to see from me.

Thanks for reading!

An 😡

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