I remember the first time I came to New York: I was with my parents, I was 13, all I wanted from the experience was a “Little Brown Bag” to show off at school. All the cool girls – the ones who had been on holiday to New York – had one. When I got there, I went straight to Bloomingdale’s to pick one up (I don’t think I bought anything else), I went up the Empire State Building, I went on the Staten Island Ferry. For six days I remained wide-eyed, feeling like I was on the set of 40% of all the films I’d ever seen as I shuffled around tourist sights with my parents. Then I came home. Unfortunately my Little Brown Bag didn’t transform me, but on some level, the rest of the experience did.
How to do NY as an adult, though? It can be daunting to visit as a tourist if you don’t have any friends in the city and find that a copy of Lonely Planet has done little to narrow your options elsewhere in the past. Last time someone checked (in 2009) there were 8,000 restaurants and (in 2016) at least 270 hotels in The Big Apple. So how are you meant to know which to go to? Where are you meant to shop now that a Little Brown Bag isn’t going to make your friends jealous anymore? And finally, now that you’re of legal drinking age (that’s 21 in the US), where do you go for a Cosmopolitan? That’s still what people drink in New York, right?
Ahead is an up-to-date guide for what to do when you’ve ticked off the obvious tourist fare and the pricey experiential stuff – a grown up’s guide to New York City.
Stay Somewhere Cool
If you’re looking for somewhere that’s got everything you need in one place and has a satisfying aesthetic, look no further than the Ace Hotel in Midtown. Its lobby bar is full of freelance creatives tapping away during the day, and party people at night (I mean, what could be a clearer sign of a trendy hotel than it being full of visitors who aren’t even staying there?). It’s situated between Central Park and lower Manhattan, meaning that location-wise it gives you the best of both worlds – uptown and down. As well as window views of the Empire State Building and a dangerously attractive room service menu.
If you’re feeling heavier in pocket and you want to try something a little extra, look up Public Hotel, the latest glamorous hotel from Ian Schrager, the entrepreneur behind Studio 54. As you walk in you might recognise the luminescent escalators or neon blue corridors from cool New Yorkers’ Instagrams. The hotel’s in-house club hosts performances and live music during the week, making it a destination, again, for people who aren’t even sleeping there. Book early, though; rooms fill up fast.
Photo: The Ace Hotel
Stay Somewhere New
The turnover of hotels in New York means that every year a few brand-new will-be staples open across the city, and often they spring up in areas that are upcoming or reviving. Take The Frederick Hotel, a sleek and chic new Tribeca hotel near the financial district where the new One World Trade Centre sits and close to the new Westfield World Trade shopping centre (hello Sephora). For something more minimal and less classic, there’s also the Arlo NoMad, a sleek design hotel in a tower block situated right by the uber-cool area of Koreatown.
Uptown a little, The Moxy Times Square is a more affordable option and is big enough not to book up too fast. If you’re put off by the bustle and crowds of the area, its cocktail bar, rooftop club and seafood brasserie, Legasea, mean you barely have to leave the hotel. And if you do, it’s right by Penn Station, which is good news for transport links. There’s also karaoke in reception, which is sure to be a deal-breaker (for me, in the affirmative).
Photo: The Moxy Times Square
Stay Outside Of Manhattan
Anyone who’s been to New York on holiday more than once will tell you that there’s life outside of Manhattan. To make sure you fully enjoy it, stay a night or two of your trip in Brooklyn, Queens or Harlem. The Williamsburg Hotel is a new boutique hotel near Bedford Avenue, a one-stop-shop for great bars, shops and restaurants. As of spring 2018, The Williamsburg will have an open rooftop bar and pool from which to gaze upon views of the famous Manhattan skyline… views that you’re not going to find if you stay in Manhattan itself.
Other top tips: In Harlem, try the 255West Guesthouse (a few blocks from the world-famous Apollo Theatre) and as for Queens, try Z Hotel NYC, in the rapidly developing area of Long Island City – a boutique hotel that will cost you less than those in the city but only a quick subway ride into Midtown. Both areas have a different feel from the bustle of the main island, worth exploring if you’ve travelled to New York previously and are interested in expanding your impression of the place.
Photo: The Williamsburg HotelGet Off The Beaten (Museum) Track
There are obvious museums to tick off the list when you visit New York: MoMA (brilliant but huge and frankly, a little overwhelming), The Met (you know, NYC’s version of our National Gallery), the Guggenheim (the famous white spiral design) and the Whitney Museum of American Art. To tell you not to go to any of these would be a crime but if you have the time, throw in a slight curveball; the Brooklyn Museum is an incredible home to a sprawling collection of world art, as well as famous works of feminist art in the permanent collection, like Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party.
The New Museum on the Bowery is my favourite, however – curating thought-provoking group shows on themes like gender expression and running solo exhibitions by some of the world’s most exciting established contemporary artists (recent examples include Pipilotti Rist, Kahlil Joseph and Rosemarie Trockel). There’s also a viewing deck called The Sky Room with a really good view of the city, and a bookshop that will cover all your gifts-to-take-home needs.
Check Events Programmes
For dedicated art enthusiasts, or those who have trodden all the usual tourist routes, there are always one-off events. New York is – arguably – the performance art capital of the world; look at the programme at MoMA PS1 and The Performance Garage if this sounds like your cup of tea. Brooklyn Academy of Music aka BAM is always worth checking out for the events programmes.
Think about it: You could pay $50 for a Broadway show or you could go to a talk by your favourite artist or an intimate gig by your favourite musician (but more of that in the “drinking” section). If you’re feeling adventurous, try visiting a friendly neighbourhood open mic night on the Lower East Side at Pete’s Candy Store or Nuyorican Poets Cafe. It might not be good but it will be entertaining.
Alternative Parks Of New York
Central Park is the obvious choice and there’s no denying its wealth of seemingly endless beautiful vistas, topped by the city’s skyscrapers. But there are smaller and more underrated parks in Manhattan that are well worth checking out: Tompkins Square Park for basketball and people-watching, the four-acre oasis that is Bryant Square Park behind the Public Library (and just a stone’s throw from the mayhem of 5th Avenue), and Battery Park for views of the Statue of Liberty from the southern tip of Manhattan.
Photo: Bryant ParkGet To Know Your History
An immigrant hub for centuries, New York plays home to generations of people from different countries and cultures. This is reflected in the vast range of museums across the city. The Jewish Museum in situated on the eastern edge of Central Park and looks at the intersection of art and Jewish culture. Then there’s the Studio Museum in Harlem, dedicated to African American artists of the 19th and 20th centuries (often including the work of local artists made famous in the Harlem Renaissance).
For anyone interested in LGBTQ+ art and history, look at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art near Canal Street. Volunteer-run, over the last decade it's held shows with famous queer artists like Del LaGrace Volcano and Barbara Hammer and is an excellent starting place for bettering your understanding of NYC’s rich LGBT legacy.
See New York From A Different Angle
There are the familiar tourist views: from the Empire State Building viewing deck (expect long queues), The Rockefeller Centre (expect longer queues) and the Staten Island Ferry (expect wind). Then there are the other views. Take a walk along the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, which looks out on the East River and gives you a view of the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline all at once. You might recognise the view from Woody Allen’s film Annie Hall. You can also try a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge in either direction (takes about 30 minutes and there’s a walkway).
Do As Locals Do
Here are some of the best value restaurants in NYC, as voted by locals:
Lovely Day
Cheap mostly Thai, but kind of everything, in Lower Manhattan
Takahachi
Authentic Japanese in Tribeca
49 Monroe
A great value Mediterranean restaurant in Two Bridges with affordable wine and decor that looks like a botanical garden
An Choi
Tasty Bánh Mì near Essex Street
Paulie Gee’s
A pizza spot in Greenpoint that does pizzas with “hot honey” on them (as good as it sounds)
Cafeteria
Chelsea hipster diner, good for people-watching
Scarr’s Pizza
Locals' favourite near Canal Street
The Smile
Mediterranean restaurant on Bond Street that does a bangin’ breakfast
Ukrainian East Village
A New York bastion, ft. famously good borscht
Lil Frankie’s
Top-notch pizza in the East Village
And The Same For Bars…
Some of the coolest and more comfortable places to drink, by locals:
Von Bar
Just off the Bowery – fine wine and cocktails, hit it at happy hour
St Mazie
Cute Brooklyn bar and supper club venue
The Rosemont
A friendly queer bar off Lorimer Street in Brooklyn
Botanica Bar
Dark, casual and cosy bar in Nolita
Bossa Nova Civic Club
Bushwick live music venue and club (plan ahead or arrive early)
Beverly’s
A trendy neon-lit spot off Essex Street
Baby’s All Right
Williamsburg musical institution (check the calendar first)
Dick and Jane’s
Speakeasy drinking hole with two Brooklyn locations
The Roof
Public Hotel’s bouji cocktail roof bar, off East Houston Street
Ramona
Craft cocktails in Greenpoint
Bar Belly
Vintage decor cocktail bar near Two Bridges
Sel Rrose
Posh little Parisian-style bar in the East Village with an oyster happy hour
Elsa
Reliable cocktail bar on Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn
Mr Fong’s
Low-key bar with a jukebox fashionable crowd on Market Street
The Woods
Spacious Brooklyn venue with a taco truck outside and regular gay nights
Book In Advance Or Face The Wait
For the best restaurants in New York, you often can’t book, you just have to turn up and wait (yes, it makes them look important). Lucien – a French bistro and model hotspot in the East Village, Roberta’s – a famous pizza spot in Brooklyn, Kiki's – a popular Greek tavern by East Broadway, Five Leaves – Greenpointers' favourite brunch location, and the steak and burger restaurant Peter Luger (established in 1887) are examples of restaurants that will have a queue because they deserve to. Stick it out, the hour will go fast (or if it doesn’t, I can personally vouch that it will be worth it).
Photo: LucienGo Off The Guidebook
Wander around neighbourhoods for authentic food. Spend long enough in Chinatown and you’ll figure out where the busy, neon-lit food market is. Wander around Sunnyside in Queens to find the Korean seafood hot pot karaoke place (no really), or Astoria in Queens until you find the Greek restaurant with the best ambience. Get drunk basically anywhere in Manhattan and you’ll end up eating a $0.99 slice of pizza, or go out walking late at night until you hit a diner with cheesecake. You get the idea. And then there are New York City’s famous dive bars – try within three streets either side of the Bowery (parallel, that is). Planet Rose karaoke, Welcome to The Johnsons and Otto’s Shrunken Head bar are cheap fun (but seriously, only for the brave).
Well-Kept Secrets
Anybody will tell you that Beacon’s Closet (Greenpoint branch, but there are four), an expansive secondhand clothing store that requires a good hour of dedicated research time, is the home of great New York vintage. But there’s also 10 Ft Single off Metropolitan Ave., a smaller and more dense vintage emporium that actually resembles a closet, and About Glamour on Grand Street in Brooklyn, which specialises in rare secondhand Japanese designs. Think Junya Watanabe, Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto at affordable prices. And in Manhattan, there are three glorious branches of selective vintage garment store Reformation – a favourite to locals, not so much to outsiders. You’re very welcome.
Photo: Beacon's Closet
New York Specials
No fashion lover’s trip to New York is complete without a trip to Opening Ceremony (if you’re staying at the Ace Hotel, you might well be bankrupted by the branch downstairs). The NYC fashion house has a flagship branch on Howard Street in Soho and carries everything from streetwear like X-girl and adidas Originals through to Jacquemus, Issey Miyake and Dries Van Noten. Dangerous! Streetwear fans should also try Richardson around the corner (clothes and books). Then there’s VFiles a couple of streets away – a carefully curated store full of edgy upcoming designers like latex brand Meat and jewellery brand Hanger. At the lower end of the price scale, NewTop Jewelry in Chinatown is affordable and seemingly endless in its selection.
Photo: The Ace HotelDepartment Stores
And finally, if you insist on the New York department store experience, without too many stress-inducing crowds, hit Saks over Macy’s and Barneys over Bloomingdale's (yes, I said it).
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