What To Do in NYC!

Hey guys! I thought it would be fun to do a post about what to do if you’re looking to visit New York City! Now that I’ve lived here for about 8 months, I feel like I’ve found some slightly “under the radar” ways to go do things that not a ton of people may know about from a quick Google search. (Also included a lot of free/budget friendly ideas!) Here are some unexpected fun activities to do if you’re planning a visit:

1. Shows– One of my absolute favorite things to do in New York City is go to shows. Broadway, comedy, or live TV tapings are one thing that is super unique to New York, so I would highly recommend it if you’re visiting! For comedy shows, I have only been to New York Comedy club but it was excellent. I really want to go to the Comedy Cellar as well, it’s a club where a lot of big comedians got their start. OK, so for broadway shows here is a big tip. Go to Times Square (even though it’s super crowded and annoying) and go get your cute picture on the steps or whatever. Then go UNDER the steps to the TKTS booth and tell them what broadway show you want to go to (for the night of) and they will give you the best deal they can find. I’ve been to Phantom of the Opera and Chicago and they were both amazing, and I got great deals at that ticket booth. They also hold lotteries on a daily basis to win free broadway tickets, so maybe you’ll get lucky! As for live shows, they are TOTALLY FREE if you can snag tickets. I got tickets to Live with Kelly and Michael (rip) and Megan Kelly and it was so fun. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of the show, it’s still so cool to see how filming a talk show goes into production. Sometimes you’ll even win free things! This website is where I always get my free tickets to live shows.

2. Foods– I one thousand percent suggest eating your way around New York City as best you can. I wrote this blog post about some of my favorite NYC food spots that I would still totally recommend. Since then, some other places for a quick bite/snack that I’ve come to love include Pressed Juicery (I really like the juice and the pressed freeze) Georgetown Cupcake in Soho (name the flavor of the day from their website and get it for FREEEEEE!) and Cookie DO in West Village for a scoop of edible cookie dough (get a lot so you can save for later, it lasts days!) I also went to Junior’s Restaurant near Times Square for some incredible cheesecake with my family (We got the original with strawberries or something? I don’t even love cheesecake and it was to-die-for). Thought those would be some fun ideas for a quick fun bite around the city!

3. Walking– This sounds silly, but I personally don’t think that you get the full “New York City experience” unless you just walk around and take it all in! One thing that I didn’t realize before moving to New York was how beautifully unique each part of this city is. There are little quirks to every area of even just Manhattan itself, and I swear you’ll feel like you’re in a different city just from walking through the different neighborhoods (see map below!) My favorite things to walk to in each part of town are: Wall Street & Southstreet Seaport in the Financial District (I live on Wall st. if you want to check out my apartment tour here!), World Trade Center/Brookfield Place in Battery Park, walk by Taylor Swift’s place in Tribeca don’t judge me, go to Washington Square Park & Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment in West Village, shop everywhere in Soho, Glossier showroom in Chinatown, walk the streets of Little Italy, walk the High Line & through Chelsea Market in Chelsea, Bryant Park & Grand Central in Midtown, and walk along 5th Ave in the Upper East Side (I like starting at E 78th or so and walking down and then going through Central Park starting at the Loeb boathouse and then ending at Central Park South at the Plaza!) There is so much more but this is getting lengthy so I will leave it at that! ❤

Best New York City Eats

Whether you live in New York or are just stopping by for a visit, it’s always fun to find those “under the radar” food spots that won’t be completely tourist packed. These are my top five places I’ve eaten at in NYC that I’d never heard of before moving here, but would highly recommend!

1. The Doughnut Plant– Featured on The Food Network some years ago, this doughnut shop is a hidden gem tucked away into the Lower East Side. It has super unique doughnut flavors which is a draw, but honestly their doughnuts are so moist and flavorful that this is what keeps me coming back. I would recommend the black & white, the blueberry, or any of the cake doughnuts!

2.  Hotel Chantelle– While expensive, we actually got a Groupon to go here and had the most amazing meal! I would highly recommend the giant pretzel and the sangria with white wine. Both were amazing! We also ordered two entrees and it was a lot of food, so I’d recommend getting drinks and apps at this spot. The roof and atmosphere are also outstanding!

photo credit to gilt.com

3. Sticky’s Finger Joint– I know this sounds silly, but if you get sick of the whole Shake Shack scene but want a quick junk-food bite, I love this NYC joint for chicken fingers/nuggets and fries. Side note, their honey mustard is impeccable.

photo credit to trycaviar.com

4. Black Tap– This one goes against the whole “not tourist packed” thing, but if you are visiting New York and are willing to wait in a long line, this burger joint has the most incredible milkshakes (tasty and insta-worthy). The line can take anywhere from 30 min. to an hour, but if you want to get in faster then go with a small group during a non-peak time, and sit at the bar instead of a table! The location in Soho also tends to be a little less packed than the one in Midtown.

photo credit to blakelynewyork.com

5. Bubby’s– Another one that will be a bit of a wait, but SO worth it. This was seriously one of the best brunches I’ve had in the city! Located right by the high-line in Chelsea, this one does tend to attract tourists, but if you wait near the bar the seating is first come first serve, so we walked right in and sat down! Their mimosas were super bubbly and their brunch menu is seriously to die for. Go get the biscuits!

photo credit to yelp.com

That is all for my food blog post! Do you have any other places you’d recommend eating at in New York City? Obviously I’m not on a health kick at the moment, so I’m open to any and all suggestions (lol). Comment with your favorite food spots!