Top NYC Spots

I adore New York City. Every time I go there, I always find new places to eat and shop. I’ve already been to the city 3 times this year, and hopefully will make a couple more visits before 2017. I decided as I get to know the city more and more, to compile a list of my top NYC spots.

They may not be new or groundbreaking, and true New Yorkers and tourists alike will definitely know some or maybe even all of these, so sorry not sorry. But these truly are my 10 favorite places in the city.

10.  DUMBO – Other than eating pizza in Brooklyn, I’ve never spent too much time there until this last trip. I might love the view from DUMBO more than any Manhattan rooftop bar. Simultaneous view of the Brooklyn Bridge + Manhattan Bridge + One World Trade + all of the other buildings? You do the math.  The answer is “New York, I love you.” Beat the crowds and get there early in the morning – you’ll be able to sit by Jane’s carousel and with a coffee in hand and watch the boats go by. When people talk about the New York Skyline, to me, it doesn’t get any better than the view from here.

9. The High Line – I’ve walked this during Winter Storm Jonas and in June and I can say both are equally beautiful. Central Park is always a winner, but I love walking The High Line to get a different type of “nature” feel. Going in the winter time was such a different feel than our June trip. The snowy scenery made it super peaceful, and even though I was cold I just wanted to stay there to watch the snow fall. Now, it’s filled to the brim with amazing greenery.

8. Barney’s New York, Downtown – Sure, Barney’s doesn’t fall into the $$ section of Yelp, but the Barney’s downtown location is an instant Instagram dream. Don’t act like you haven’t seen that spiral marble staircase at least 5 times. Plus, this location particularly stole my heart on my last trip because I was able to snag a Saint Laurent bag at 60% off. I might have blown my entire “New York fund” on this bag, but it was a great purchase indeed. After you take a picture of the staircase, head over the the shoes for more gram-worthy pieces, all perfectly lined up on marble shelves.

7. Eataly – Eataly will finally come to Los Angeles next year. Until then, however, I will continue to stop by this Italian mega market/restaurant smorgasbord to feed my fat Italian food-loving self. Think of Eataly as a giant Costco, where various “deli” counters offer the likes of fresh pasta, cheese plates, mini desserts, coffee, and more. In between the aisles of each of these mini shops of amazingness you’ll find the finest imported Italian food to take home after you stuff yourself on the previously mentioned goods. If you love Italian as much as I do, you could probably spend a good chunk of your day here hopping and eating/drinking at each of the counters. I am counting down the days it arrives in LA and you will 100% see multiple Instagram shots of this once it’s here.

6. The Market NYC – It is so fun shopping local and getting to meet craftspeople. The Market NYC (to me at least) is a lesser known Chelsea Market and is mostly jewelry, but you can find the occasional candle or clothing. On my recent trip, I found the cutest handmade leather purse and met the designer of the brand Min & Mon. I also met an woman who partnered up with her mom in to make the CUTEST organic baby clothes. She designs in NYC, and her mom sews the clothing from LA for their brand, Little Moony. This place truly has one-of-a-kind pieces and every trip I find another vendor that I love.

5. Afternoon Tea at The Palm Court (The Plaza) – If you ever want to feel fancy in New York City, this one’s for you. Since I’ll probably never be able to afford an actual room at the Plaza, I always like to spring for their afternoon tea pretend for a few hours that I’m just as rich as Blair and Serena. They have the most delicious scones. Even my husband, who hates lemon flavored anything, loves the lemon curd. Let’s also not forget that Home Alone 2 may be the greatest sequel of all time and like a teenage boy, I think it’s hilarious to quote all lines from it. This is Peter McAllister, the father.

4. Levain Bakery – You have not eaten a cookie until you have had a Levain cookie. There will always be a line outside of this tiny bakeshop, so get used to it. Even in the rain, you will have to wait in line. The city does not stop the cookie love even in a thunderstorm. This place is so good, you can actually smell the cookies before you see the sign. Get over the fact that you’ll be ingesting 10x your body weight and just embrace the amazingness that is a Levain cookie. Each cookie looks like a giant rock and is half the size of my head. I am not exaggerating here. Since the cookies are so tall, when you break them open you kind of get that questionable, “is that really cooked but seriously who cares” sentence pop into your head. But then you take a bite and basically, your mind goes numb and into cooke euphoria. Luckily, Central Park is just a couple of blocks away, so you can burn off 1/48 of a cookie by walking around the lake. My favorite is their OG Chocolate Chip Walnut. Basic but awesome.

3. Prince Street Pizza – High five to this place for actually taking credit cards, but double high five and a massive hug to the people that make my Soho squares every time I’m in the city. This. Is. The. Best. Pizza. Ever. I don’t even have anything else to say about this place, other than it’s your typical tiny spot with pictures hanging on the walls of celebs who come in to try their slices. If it’s good enough for the entire cast of the Sopranos and Vinny Chase from Entourage then it’s good enough for me. Know what you want before you order otherwise it’ll get crowded at the counter, grab your slice, and bite into a pizza dreamland.

2. Aritzia – My wallet’s worst nightmare, but my heart’s best friend. Yes, I’m aware (and thus, so is said wallet) that you can shop Aritzia online, but for anyone who has ever walked into an Aritzia store, then I know you feel me on this. They have a beautiful set up with the occasional succulent with their beautifully merchandised pieces hanging there like closet #goals. My favorite part of the store is actually the fitting room. There are no mirrors in your room, but one collective mirror that everyone has to go and look at. Now while I realize that on your fat days, this might sounds like the worst thing ever, it’s actually a great confidence booster when you come out feeling average and the shopper in the room across from you tells you how good that midi dress looks on you. Ego boosted. FYI that this is not for the pattern loving girl – my poor coworker who loves a good flower print was dragged through every Aritzia in the city when I went in March and left each store with nothing in hand.

1. Sanctuary T – Although this cozy little restaurant/tea utopia is always boasting with people, I am convinced that I am the only person in the universe that knows about this gem. Literally every person who has ever uttered the words “New York City” to me will get an earful about this place. It’s in Soho just far enough away from the super touristy part, but the best thing about this place is it’s almond tea. YES. Almond tea. As in, the tea itself isn’t made from traditional herbs but from almonds and other delightful things like apple and cinnamon. You can get it as a latte, in which the tea itself turns pink. Sold. Another tip, sit at the bar and you can spend more than a few hours there talking to the awesome people who work there. This is my heaven on earth. I was in the city for only 8 hours last year and still found a way to get myself here, that’s how much I love it.

Since I plan on going back there at least once this year, tell me – what are your top NYC spots? Comment below!