Guidebook for New York
Food Scene
Nice cafe around the corner with great food, good coffee, and wifi. The chef and owner, Tomas, is really friendly and always in the kitchen.
25 locals recommend
CC's Cafe
41 Monroe StNice cafe around the corner with great food, good coffee, and wifi. The chef and owner, Tomas, is really friendly and always in the kitchen.
12 Corners
121 Mott StCoffee shop on the way to the F train if you enter at East Broadway.
Alphonso’s Pizzeria Trattoria
525 Grand StMy favorite pizza delivery spot. Try to Vodka sauce pie.
Very affordable, very good soup made with hand-pulled noodles. There are vegetarian options. Around $6 for a giant bowl of soup.
30 locals recommend
Tasty Hand Pulled Noodle
1 Doyers StVery affordable, very good soup made with hand-pulled noodles. There are vegetarian options. Around $6 for a giant bowl of soup.
Really great food! And nice brunch (with $5 Bloody Marys and Mimosas). CASH ONLY.
99 locals recommend
Cafe Petisco
189 E BroadwayReally great food! And nice brunch (with $5 Bloody Marys and Mimosas). CASH ONLY.
Great happy hour! Outpost of the West Village location. Southern style food, lots of vegetarian options, BIG portions.
20 locals recommend
Cowgirl SeaHorse
259 Front StGreat happy hour! Outpost of the West Village location. Southern style food, lots of vegetarian options, BIG portions.
I've never seen it closed. LOVE this place, especially for late-night Chinese. Cash only.
50 locals recommend
Wo Hop Next Door
15 Mott StI've never seen it closed. LOVE this place, especially for late-night Chinese. Cash only.
Basic, local diner serving a lot of different types of food - breakfast, sandwiches, Chinese food, pizza... and they have beer! Open til 10pm.
Multi Tastes Diner
23 St James PlBasic, local diner serving a lot of different types of food - breakfast, sandwiches, Chinese food, pizza... and they have beer! Open til 10pm.
Great food! Can get crowded on weekends but a great place for breakfast or lunch during the week. This location is for to-go orders; the main location is on Canal and Orchard (around the corner).
212 locals recommend
Dimes
49 Canal StGreat food! Can get crowded on weekends but a great place for breakfast or lunch during the week. This location is for to-go orders; the main location is on Canal and Orchard (around the corner).
Little Chair
47 Monroe StreetCLOSED. Nice place for coffee and snacks.
Sandwiches and good coffee, right next to an entrance for the F train
39 locals recommend
Little Canal
26 Canal StSandwiches and good coffee, right next to an entrance for the F train
It's more a fancy Italian grocery with places to eat inside, but some great food (and usually samples around).
46 locals recommend
Eataly NYC Downtown
101 Liberty StIt's more a fancy Italian grocery with places to eat inside, but some great food (and usually samples around).
Forgtmenot
138 Division StGood prices, gets crowded sometimes (especially weekends).
Pizza by the slice. Only a few places to sit/stand. It's very good, one of my favorites.
337 locals recommend
Joe's Pizza
7 Carmine StPizza by the slice. Only a few places to sit/stand. It's very good, one of my favorites.
Mediterranean-ish restaurant, 49 Monroe, opened late winter 2017. Beautiful inside with a lot of plants and trees. The bar in the back is a nice place to sit; also good for groups (though probably with a reservation). Good prices ($12-25 average) but check their menu online because it may vary. Serves food pretty late. It's a really beautiful place to eat or get a drink.
16 locals recommend
49 Monroe St
49 Monroe StreetMediterranean-ish restaurant, 49 Monroe, opened late winter 2017. Beautiful inside with a lot of plants and trees. The bar in the back is a nice place to sit; also good for groups (though probably with a reservation). Good prices ($12-25 average) but check their menu online because it may vary. Serves food pretty late. It's a really beautiful place to eat or get a drink.
Small coffee shop with good espresso. They have a to go window and one table inside. They sell nice art and fashion magazines as well.
22 locals recommend
Oliver Coffee
5 Oliver StSmall coffee shop with good espresso. They have a to go window and one table inside. They sell nice art and fashion magazines as well.
It's more of a small sandwich shop than a restaurant. I love this place. New Orleans and southern ish. Good sandwiches, they have beer, and it's pretty cheap.
97 locals recommend
Cheeky Sandwiches
88 Orchard StIt's more of a small sandwich shop than a restaurant. I love this place. New Orleans and southern ish. Good sandwiches, they have beer, and it's pretty cheap.
It's a pizza joint. Old school feel, owner wanted to open a place that felt like the pizza shops he went to as a kid in Queens. Good pizza, and they have beer and wine at a bar in the back. Order in the front for the pizza, get the beer and wine in the back. Don't ask to buy either thing from the other place if you don't want to get yelled at.
66 locals recommend
Scarr's Pizza
35 Orchard StIt's a pizza joint. Old school feel, owner wanted to open a place that felt like the pizza shops he went to as a kid in Queens. Good pizza, and they have beer and wine at a bar in the back. Order in the front for the pizza, get the beer and wine in the back. Don't ask to buy either thing from the other place if you don't want to get yelled at.
Everyone always says something is the best ice cream, but this is really the best ice cream. If you like traditional flavors, you can still be happy here, but go for the crazy ones (even the one with pickle in it). You can try them all, flavors change seasonally, and they make it all in the back. Do not look for a calorie count, they don't have one, and you won't care.
27 locals recommend
Ice & Vice
221 E BroadwayEveryone always says something is the best ice cream, but this is really the best ice cream. If you like traditional flavors, you can still be happy here, but go for the crazy ones (even the one with pickle in it). You can try them all, flavors change seasonally, and they make it all in the back. Do not look for a calorie count, they don't have one, and you won't care.
Essentials
O'Henry Laundromat
37 Henry StLaundry I like best in the neighborhood.
CTown Supermarkets
330 Graham AveSmall supermarket about a 5 minutes walk from the apartment.
Whole Foods Market
95 E Houston StTrader Joe's
130 Court StEverything Else
Knickerbocker Station post office. As far as post office service goes in NYC, this one is pretty good.
85 locals recommend
United States Postal Service
271 Cadman Plaza EKnickerbocker Station post office. As far as post office service goes in NYC, this one is pretty good.
Chase Bank
975 Bedford AveChase bank with ATM.
Good sized supermarket with a lot of great produce, delicious Chinese snacks and frozen foods, and reasonable prices.
9 locals recommend
New York Marts
75 E BroadwayGood sized supermarket with a lot of great produce, delicious Chinese snacks and frozen foods, and reasonable prices.
Shopping
24 hour Rite Aid. They have some grocery selection, a pharmacy (not 24 hours), bath products, etc. And really good sale/discount prices if you get the Rite Aid card.
43 locals recommend
Rite Aid
7 Madison St24 hour Rite Aid. They have some grocery selection, a pharmacy (not 24 hours), bath products, etc. And really good sale/discount prices if you get the Rite Aid card.
They sell candy and it is somewhat economical. Old school, longstanding candy shop on Rivington Street. Located next to (Toys in) Babeland so you can conveniently get candy and toys to tickle your fancies.
47 locals recommend
Economy Candy
108 Rivington StThey sell candy and it is somewhat economical. Old school, longstanding candy shop on Rivington Street. Located next to (Toys in) Babeland so you can conveniently get candy and toys to tickle your fancies.
Arts & Culture
Only a 20min walk. Free on Thursday nights. Check their website for info on events and talks.
629 locals recommend
New Museum of Contemporary Art
235 BoweryOnly a 20min walk. Free on Thursday nights. Check their website for info on events and talks.
Chinatown Fair Family Fun Center
8 Mott StArcade!
Museum of Modern Art. Let me know if you're going - I'm a member and you can use my card. It will get you in for free, and an additional guest for $5. You can also use it to see films.
2114 locals recommend
The Museum of Modern Art
11 West 53rd StreetMuseum of Modern Art. Let me know if you're going - I'm a member and you can use my card. It will get you in for free, and an additional guest for $5. You can also use it to see films.
Tenement Museum
103 Orchard St
New York Public Library - Seward Park Branch
192 E BroadwayMuseum of Chinese in America
215 Centre StDrinks & Nightlife
Affordable cocktails, nice beer selection. Pretty mellow early in the evening (they open at 5pm) but turns into a louder scene on most nights. DJs on weekend nights.
93 locals recommend
Mr. Fong's
40 Market StAffordable cocktails, nice beer selection. Pretty mellow early in the evening (they open at 5pm) but turns into a louder scene on most nights. DJs on weekend nights.
Good happy hour, food served (including delivery from Mission Chinese next door).
183 locals recommend
169 Bar
169 E BroadwayGood happy hour, food served (including delivery from Mission Chinese next door).
$3 shot/beer before 5pm. $5 after. Punk rock bar. (Please don't social media this place - we like it low key)
18 locals recommend
Clockwork Bar
21 Essex St$3 shot/beer before 5pm. $5 after. Punk rock bar. (Please don't social media this place - we like it low key)
Whiskey Ward
121 Essex StWhiskey. All the whiskey you could want.
Sort of a bar, but also a store with a huge selection of beers and ciders. They always have at least 10 beers on tap. Light bar snacks available, but it's really a place for trying beer and buying beer.
45 locals recommend
Top Hops Beer Shop
88 Essex StSort of a bar, but also a store with a huge selection of beers and ciders. They always have at least 10 beers on tap. Light bar snacks available, but it's really a place for trying beer and buying beer.
Parks & Nature
East River Promenade
East River PromenadeEast River Greenway
East River GreenwayGreat place for bike riding.
Seward Park
Essex StreetIt's a haul, I know, but it's one of my favorite parks. It's just north of Fort Tryon Park (where the Met Cloisters is located), so if you plan a visit there, I suggest also checking out Inwood Hill Park. There are hiking trails and it's very wooded. It's the highest natural point in NYC and also its oldest native forest. The views of the Jersey Palisades are great, and you can check out the Harlem River or cross into the Bronx.
146 locals recommend
Inwood Hill Park
Seaman AvenueIt's a haul, I know, but it's one of my favorite parks. It's just north of Fort Tryon Park (where the Met Cloisters is located), so if you plan a visit there, I suggest also checking out Inwood Hill Park. There are hiking trails and it's very wooded. It's the highest natural point in NYC and also its oldest native forest. The views of the Jersey Palisades are great, and you can check out the Harlem River or cross into the Bronx.