The Ultimate New York City Guide

– updated May 2025

Don’t hesitate to reach out via IG @antrieu – DM me with any questions or travel requests if you have. I’m happy to send over any specific recommendations that best fit your interests and NYC itineraries!

1. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Spring and fall are the best times to travel to New York because of the cooler weather. It’s hot and humid in the summer, and PLAN ACCORDINGLY if you don’t want to be in lines for hours, especially for hot viral places in Manhattan.

If you love walking and taking public transportation, I’d recommend walking everywhere and wearing comfortable footwear. It’s the city to dress up and go on solo dates, and you don’t need to have a lot of money saved to travel here!

Always have a plan B, just in case there’s a long wait, something is closed, or because of bad weather.

TRANSPORTATION

There’s no need to drive in Manhattan since parking is impossible to find and expensive. Note that there’s congestion surcharge if you do drive, which is 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 to get around the city daily!

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

Biking around the city is also so much fun, and I’d highly recommend if you want to explore the city on bikes. Download the CityBike app! It costs more to rent a bike vs. to hop on the train, of course!

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!

Central Park, summer 2022

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

Here are a few notes (common sense!) that work anywhere (not just in NYC) when you’re in public settings or traveling to big cities.

• 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 take pictures. Don’t block traffic, bike lanes, etc.

• Public bathrooms are available at most hotel lobbies (I’d recommend just walking in as if you’re a guest staying there, just be nonchalant and confident!), public libraries, department stores, and parks.

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

FUN FACTS

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 Little Italy)

3. NYC HOTELS & STAYS

I don’t have a huge list to share since I live here. But here are some popular recommendations that I often see people I know and follow on social media come and stay at when they’re in the city and have a nice budget. I’d love to stay at these places one of these days! 

• The Carlyle – Upper East Side (Uptown)
• PUBLIC Hotel – Lower East Side (LES)
• Ludlow Hotel – Lower East Side
• Walker Hotel – Tribeca 
• ACE Hotel – Nomad
• The Beekman – Fidi (Downtown)
• The Bowery Hotel – SoHo
• Four Seasons – Downtown

I’d prefer hotels over Airbnb for privacy and convenience reasons. I typically book with Expedia whenever I travel to a new city because they’d refund me if anything goes wrong. Booking with my favorite travel card, Chase Sapphire, helps add another layer of security and peace of mind.

Note or mark down all of the places and things you want to do on your Google Maps and choose a place to stay that’s within walking distance from most of them. Make sure it’s within a few short blocks from a train station, and again, know that you can always change hotels! 🙂

Panca, a Peruvian restaurant in West Village, summer 2021

4. NYC RESTAURANTS & MARKETS

CUISINES

French – Buvette, Balthazar, Raoul’s, La Mercerie, Cafe Chelsea, Pastis, Bobo, Lauduree, Lucien

Irish – The Dead Rabbit – Fidi, Sunday Roast, live Irish music

Italian – Don Angie, Torrisi, Via Carota, Misi, Lilia, Bar Pitti, Al Di La, Roscioli, I Sodi, Carbone, Frankie 457 Spuntino

Japanese – Rule of Thirds, Davelle, Kura, Blue Ribbon Sushi Izakaya, Taku Sando

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, CheLi, Mala Project, East Harbor Seafood Palace

Vietnamese – Mam, Bánh, Banh Anh Em, Ha Noi House, Sao Mai, Banh Mi Sai Gon, Madama Vo, Saigon Social, Pho Grand, Lucy’s, Di An Di, Van Da, Em Vietnamese Bistro, La Dong

SKIP: Nha Minh, High Lua Vietnamese Kitchen, Money Cat

American – Bubby’s, Peak, Maison Pickle, Sadelle’s, Russ & Daughters Cafe, JG Melon  

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

Mexican – Taqueria Al Pastor, Birria Landia, Taqueria Ramirez, Los Tacos No.1

Thai –  Saranrom Thai, Soothr, Fish Cheeks, Thai Ros Thip

Other ok places I’ve been – Tong, Pure Thai Cookhouse, Thai Villa, Top Thai, Klom Klorm, Up Thai, THEP Thai Restaurant, Thai Diner 

Malaysian & Indonesian – Nyonya, Taste Good, Makan House

Ukrainian: Veselka 

BEST IN FOOD CATEGORIES

Best Dim Sum: East Harbor Seafood Restaurant

• Runner-ups: House of Joy, Tim Ho Wan, Nom Wah Tea Parlor, Golden Unicorn Restaurant 

Best Chinese: Cheli, Noodle Village, Din Tai Fung, uluh, Szechuan Mountain House, Café China, Jian Nan (Flushing!)

Best Chinese noodle shops: 1915 Lanzhou Hand Pulled Noodles, Spicy Village, Maxi’s Noodle, Xi’an Famous Foods (hand-pull dry lamb!)

Best hot pot: Haidilao, Dolar Shop, Xiang Hotpot, LaoJie

• SKIP: Chongqing Lao Zao, Da Long Yi Hot Pot 

Best Chinese BBQ duck & crispy pork take-out: Bamboo Garden, Hay Hay Roasted (duck is better than pork!), Roast 28

Best Hainanese chicken: Nyonya, New Belacan, Eim Khao Mun Kai 

Best Thai: Fish Cheeks, Soothr, Saranrom, Ugly Baby

Best Taiwanese: OK Ryan, Legend Chicken, Win Son (bakery)

Best Pizza: Chrissy, Lucali, L’Industrie Pizzeria, Mama’s Too, Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop, Finni Pizza, Scarr’s Pizza, Roberta’s, Ceres, Joe’s Pizza

Best Ramen: Ramen Ishiki, Okiboru House of Stukemen, Tonchin, Momofuku Noodle Bar, TabeTomo, Ramen DANBO, Ippudo NY, Ichiran

• SKIP: Mr. Taka, Ivan Ramen

Best Udon: Raku, Okiboru House of Udon

Best Sushi: Nami Nori, Kura, Kazunori: The Original Hand Roll Bar, DOMODOMO New York

Best Korean: Daesung Korean Noodle, Cho Dang Gol, Jongro, Jeju Noodle Bar, Atoboy & Atomix, BCD Tofu House, Mr. Dak (fried chicken), Double Chicken Please (chicken sandwich and cocktails), COCODAQ (chicken nuggets with caviar and champaign)

Best Hotpot: Haidilao, The Dolar Shop, Shoo Long Kan, Chongqing Lao Zao

Best Natural wine-focused restaurants: The Four Horsemen, Le Dive, Frog

On my list: Cherry On Top, The Ten Bells, Anfora, Niche Niche, Wildair, Rhodora

Oysters: Grand Central Oyster Bar, The Ten Bells, Maison Premier

Mediterranean: Cafe Mogador, Miss Ada

Salad bowls: Sweetgreen, ThisBowl

Vegetarian/Vegan: Planta Queen, Superiority Burger, Double Zero, Seitan Rising Vegan Cafe, Public Records, Jajaja Mexicana

Best Brunch: Sadelle’s, Maman, La Cantine, Bubby’s, Buvette, Russ & Daughter Cafe, Chez Matante, Rule of Thirds, Pastis

Best Pancakes: Chez Matante, Rule of Thirds, Golden Diner, Bubby’s, Clinton St. Baking Co, Flipper’s, Breakfast by Salt’s Cure

Best Bagels: Frankel’s Delicatessen & Appetizing, Russ & Daughters, Ess-a-Bagel, Tompkins Square Bagels, Apollo Bagels, Brooklyn Bagel, Murray’s Bagel

Cafes/delis – bakery + grocery & gifts and dry goods: Poppy’s, La Cabra, Postcard, Katz’s Deli, La Cantine

outfit shot in Central Park, fall 2023

5. NIGHTLIFE – WINE BARS & COCKTAIL BARS

Bars, dancing places, & more

COCKTAIL BARS

Clemente Bar, Angel’s Share, Dante, Bemelman Bar, The Nines, Katana Kitten, LunAtico, The Dead Rabbit, Attaboy, Double Chicken Please (back room), Fresh Kills Bar, schmuck.

NATURAL WINE BARS

The Four Horsemen, Frog, GEM, Le Dive, Parcelle, Skin Contact, Cervo’s, The Ten Bells, Cherry on Top, Rhodora Wine Bar, Sauced, St Jardim, Place des Fêtes, Bisou, Black Mountain Wine House

House of Yes, Elsewhere, The Red Pavillion

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 occasions when I know that the place can do it well, and I like it strong, well-balanced with chocolate notes, and not bitter! My usual order is either a cortado, cappuccino, flat white, or sometimes an iced oat latte if I’m feeling like having it cold with milk.

Hungry Ghost Coffee

Loveless

Nako

787 Coffee

Ralph’s Coffee – uptown for the nyc vibe

Felix Roasting Co

Odd Fox Coffee

Corto

Sawada

Homecoming

Everyman Espresso

Coffee Project New York

Partners Coffee

Lazy Suzy Cafe & Shop

Butler Bake Shop & Espresso Bar

Kobrick Coffee

Cafe Leon Dore

Le Phin

Milk & Pull

Che

Cafe Regular

Rhythm Zero

LAPTOP-FRIENDLY CAFES 

HERE!

SKIP: Blank Street, Starbucks

7. BAKERIES, DESSERTS, & TEA DRINKS

TEA & BOBA/FRUIT TEA SHOPS

HEYTEA

Molly’s Tea

Ten Ren’s Tea – sells tea leaves!

Chicha San Chen

Chun Yang

TP Tea

Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea

Xing Fu Tang – the best brown sugar boba

Nana’s Green Tea

MID-TIER/OK SPOTS

FIFTYLAN

Teazzi Tea Shop

Tiger Sugar

Boba Guys

Coco Fresh Milk Tea

Kung Fu Tea

Miss Du – does an excellent mango sago drink in the summer

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

outfit shot in soho, summer 2021

8. CLOTHING STORES & SAMPLE SALES

Browse my IG & TikTok for outfit ideas and personal style references!

CURATED SECONDHAND DESIGNER & VINTAGE SHOPS

Front General Store & FGS Outpost – DUMBO

TOKIO 7 – East Village

10 ft Single by Stella Dallas – great men’s

Stella Dallas Living – textiles & period clothing

Sobara’s

Designer Revival

Mirth Vintage

DUO NYC

The Break

The Vintage Twin

2nd Street Vintage

Desert Vintage – HIGH ENDS!!!

Lara Koleji – the best in LES!

James Veloria

Seven Wonders Collective

Beacon’s Closet – love the Bushwick location

CONSIGNMENT SHOPS

The RealReal – higher ends + I do at-home and in-store consignment

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 THRIFT SHOPS IN NYC

L Train Vintage

Urban Jungle

Awoke Vintage

Housing Works

Grand Army Plaza, summer 2021

9. KITCHEN, DESIGN SHOWROOMS, HOME DECOR & FURNITURE SHOPS

FURNITURE & HOME DECOR SHOPS

ESPASSO

FORM Atelier

Noguchi Museum Gift Shop

Knoll

Design Within Reach & DWR Outlet

CB2

Framebridge

Humble House

Crate & Barrel

West Elm & West Elm Outlet

abc Carpet & Home

VITSOE

BEAM

Lichen

@homeunion

@comingsoonny

@hawkinsnewyork

MDFG

Nordic Knots

1st Dibs Gallery

BDDW

USM Modular Furniture

Kartell

Thuma

Michele Varian

RH New York

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

10. MARKETS, GROCERY STORES, & SPECIALTY STORES

MARKETS

NEW CONCEPT GROCERY STORES

• Happier Grocery

• Pop Up Grocer

• Rigor Hill

• Mason Jar

FARMERS’ MARKETS

• Union Square Greenmarket

• Fort Greene Farmers’ Market

• Prospect Heights Farmers’ Market

FOOD MARKETS

• Chelsea Market 

• Time Out Market, DUMBO 

• Queens Night Market

• Eataly

FLEA MARKETS

• DUMBO Flea

• Grand Bazaar

• Chelsea Flea

• Artists & Fleas Chelsea

GROCERY STORES

VIETNAMESE GROCERY STORE

• Tan Tin Hung Supermarket

KOREAN GROCERY STORE

• HMART – LIC!!!

CHINESE GROCERY STORES

• SkyFoods

• Hong Kong Supermarket

• HL Supermarket

• Fei Long

• Jmart

• US 1 Supermarket

• Great Wall Supermarket

• Good Neighbors Supermarket

OTHER GROCERY STORES I FREQUENT

• Citarella Gourmet Market

• Butterfield Market

• Food Bazaar – Bushwick location has a great Asian produce section!

• Whole Foods

• Wegmans

• Trader Joe’s

• my local bodegas & street fruit vendors

JAPANESE GROCERY STORES

• Sakura-Ya

• 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

SPECIALTY STORES

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

STATIONERY SHOPS

niconeco zakkaya – Japanese stationery, lots of cats

Global Table – pottery

Goods for the Study

Yoseka Stationery – watch my Tik Tok HERE

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

Yours Truly, Brooklyn

Measure Twice

Muji

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

12. NYC PARKS & BRIDGES

• Domino Park

• Battery 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 & ART GALLERIES

MY TOP FAVORITE 7 MUSEUMS

1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET)

2. The Noguchi Museum – read my blog post HERE

3. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

4. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum 

5. The Frick Museum

6. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

7. The Morgan Library & Museum

OTHER MUST-SEE MUSEUMS IN NYC:

8. American Museum of Natural History

9. The Whitney Museum of American Art

10. Brooklyn Museum

11. Brooklyn Botanic Garden

12. New York Botanical Garden

13. The Met Cloisters

14. 9/11 Memorial & Museum

ART GALLERIES

Chelsea

• David Zwirner

• Pace Gallery

• Gagosian

• Marianne Boesky Gallery

• Gallery Henoch

• Lisson Gallery

Lower East Side, SoHo & TriBeCa – HERE

Upper East Side – HERE

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 & WEEKEND TRIP IDEAS IN & FROM NYC

• Coney Island – watch my Tik Tok HERE

• Upstate New York

  Day Trip to Dia Beacon – Travel New York

  UPSTATE NEW YORK GUIDE – PART 1

  UPSTATE NEW YORK GUIDE – PART 2

NEW ENGLAND

• Connecticut & Rhode Island Weekend Trip

• New England & New York Fall Foliage

• New York to Maine Road Trip – Acadia National Park, Lighthouses, & Lobsters

• Cape Cod & Martha’s Vineyard Weekend Trip

• 3 Days in Maine Road Trip – Plymouth July 4th Fireworks, Portland Head Light, Maine Puffins & Lobsters

• New York to Rhode Island – a Weekend Road Trip

Portland Head Light

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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