WORK IN PROGRESS....
STAY The High Line Hotel [small boutique hotel in Chelsea by the high line - great location] The Marlton [tiny rooms, but charming hotel in Greenwich Village just a couple of block from Washington Square] The Standard High Line [also a great location in the Meatpacking District with beautiful views of the area, but it is a party hotel and it can get tacky pretty fast, specially over the weekend. Not my favorite]
EAT Don't even know where to start.....will categorize it by neighborhood.
NOLITA Uncle Boon's [small funky space serving very creative Thai food] Ruby's Cafe [petite Australian diner-like restaurant] DeMaria [open for breakfast/lunch/dinner, serves delicious healthy food]
WEST VILLAGE Buvette [tiny & cozy bistrot that serves tapas-style French food - LOVE this place] Bar Sardine [also a very small charming space great just for drinks or casual dinner] Little Owl [seems to be a trend of mine with small, cozy spaces - here is another one serving Mediterranean/American food] Joseph Leonard [continuing on my trend of tiny spaces, this is another great option for dinner] Via Carota [Italian trattoria, same owners as Buvette] Charlie Bird [great bar that plays 90's hip-hop and serves an Italian-American fare with very good wines & creative cocktails]
GREENWICH VILLAGE Springbone Kitchen [casual spot for breakfast or lunch, really delicious bone broths]
GRAMERCY PARK Casa Mono [tiny Spanish tapas restaurant - one of my favorites. Don't miss the wine bar just around the corner for a pre or post dinner drink] ABC Kitchen [beautiful chic space that serves American cuisine with fresh and local ingredients - not cheap!] Maialino [inside the Gramercy Park Hotel, it serves classic Italian food]
CHELSEA/MEATPACKING DISTRICT Chelsea Market [great food market, not as much for fresh produce, but more for gourmet purchases or great spot for lunch] El Quinto Pino [tiny Spanish tapas & wine bar - love this place!] Untitled [modern design with glass from floor-to-ceiling inside the Whitney Museum, it serves seasonal American fare]
FLATIRON DISTRICT Upland [spacious Italian brasserie, chic & casual vibe at the same time] Eataly [if you love everything Italy, this is your place. You can get coffee, ice cream, fresh produce, meat & seafood, chocolates, cook books, cooking utensils, and great spots for lunch or dinner. Generally packed though!] Sweetgreen [if you're in the mood for a great salad] Cosme [upscale Mexican food; good food but not what you typically expect to pay for Mexican food; be prepared] O Ya [very creative & high quality Japanese spot; one of the best Japanese restaurants I have been to] Union Square Cafe [classic restaurant at a new location; refined but casual and the food as solid as ever. Great wine selection]
BOWERY Bohemian ["secret" bar and restaurant in the back of a Japanese butcher shop, with great Japanese food in what feels like someone's dining room] Rebelle [industrial style space that serves modern French cuisine] Il Buco [Mediterranean/Italian food served in an old-school rustic space full of charm. Always a favorite!] Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria [right next door to Il Buco; similar concept]
EAST VILLAGE Huertas [delicious Basque cuisine; weather-permitting, ask to have a drink or dessert in their tiny backyard]
BROOKLYN Olmsted [great food; a vegetable garden in the backyard where a lot of the ingredients used at the restaurant are grown; there are benches in this tiny urban farm where drinks and snacks are served] Lilia [wonderful Italian food in Williamsburg]
TO DO
High Line [probably my favorite spot in NY, this is a linear public park built on an abandoned & historic elevated freight rail line. It runs from Gansevoort Street to 34th Street - 1.45 miles or 2.3km long - providing incredible views of Meatpacking and Chelsea neighborhoods. The attention to detail and creativity of its design makes this park so incredible and it will surprise you all through its length] Central Park [the most beautiful urban park in the world! Walk, bike, run around the park. A must in NYC] Judd Foundation [original home of Donald Judd in a gorgeous five story cast iron building in Soho. Judd was a minimalist artist and his paintings, furniture he designed and built as well as the work of other well known 20th century artists that he collected can be seen in a tour of the house] MOMA - Museum of Modern Art [in Midtown and my favorite museum in NYC and probably in the US. Incredible permanent exhibit of modern art not to be missed] Whitney Museum [in Meatpacking District, it's collection focuses on 20th- and 21st-century American art; offers some great views of the High Line] One World Observatory [climb 102 floors in 47 seconds to the top of One World Trade Center where the views of Manhattan and it's surroundings is not to be missed]
