Maman is an incredible cafe for breakfast or lunch! There are a few locations around the city but this one is near the Hilton. Also, don't leave without a cookie :) https://www.mamannyc.com/locations
If you're looking for a place for lunch or dinner, this is a great french restaurant that's near the hotel. Sean and I have had many delicious meals at their various locations.
You can't come to NYC and not eat a bagel (or two!)
Ample Hills (ice cream shop) has several locations as well but the two in Manhattan are: West Village and Chelsea All the flavors are delicious but some faves: Ooey Gooey Butter Cake, PB Wins the Cup, Nonna D's Oatmeal Lace, Cookie au Lait
The high line is a great place to go for a walk and see the newly built Hudson Yards, the gorgeous apartments in Chelsea and finish off near the Whitney in the West Village. We highly recommend starting the High Line near Hudson Yards and walk downtown towards the West Village where it ends. Plus, there is an Ample Hills right at the end which is a great way to treat yourself afterwards.
We would come to this museum frequently when we lived in the West Village. It always was bustling and had a cool artist being featured. There may be some cool Andy Warhol exhibits going on :) This is a great place to visit and it's also very close to the High Line and Ample Hills.
While Magnolia Bakery isn't unique to NYC, this particular location will allow you to live out your Sex and The City dreams. It's a very small location and you may run into Sarah Jessica Parker as she does live in the area! Make sure to grab a container of Banana Pudding :)
Hands down the best pizza in NYC!!
As your walking down 5th avenue, you'll spot the iconic arch that looks very similar to the one in Paris :) Washington Square Park is bustling and you'll certainly get your fair share of NYC in this little park. Lots of artsy NYU students and other folks just living their life. There sometimes is a man playing the piano and some sort of dance crew!
The Empire State Building is a great way to view NYC from above! You can get a full 360 view and it's particularly great because you can see so much of midtown and downtown. The Empire State Building is extremely iconic to New York City and it's also where Allie worked for 9 years. This place brings her joy for so many reasons and is a must do for anyone who hasn't been to NYC before. Recommendation: Make a reservation in advance as it can be very busy on the weekends!
Another iconic building/area to visit! Top of the Rock is another great way to view NYC from above. It's got amazing views and this time, you can look at the Empire State Building. Some of your favorite shows are filmed inside this amazing building and you may see a familiar face, Sean! Sean gets to work in an iconic building as well and has spent many days working here while getting to look at the beautiful Christmas tree in the winter months. For anyone visiting St. Patrick's, this is right nearby! If you want to go to the actual top, we recommend booking a reservation in advance as it can be very busy on weekends.
Beautiful and historical landmark to visit! If you want to go inside, we highly recommend looking up tours in advance.
Classic NYC, old New York bar! Great place to grab a drink, walk around the Carlyle and maybe even see a celeb. Very close to the Boathouse if you’re looking to grab a drink before the wedding.
Great place to grab a drink and maybe bump into some Met Gala stars :) if you’re looking to grab a drink before the wedding, this is close to the Boathouse
We love coming here on the weekends with Hudson! It's a cute coffee shop that has outdoor seating as well.
Another great restaurant for breakfast or lunch, near the Hilton Hotel. This place has delicious food and is right across the street from Central Park!
If you time, plan to go to the Museum & Planetarium.
This is a must eat, but come hungry as portions are HUGE!
Great to walk around or even see a performance!
You can't go wrong with anything from here! All of the breads are fresh and delicious. There are a few locations but this is close to Central Park.
Great for some shopping, a bite to eat or to take a break after walking around on the Upper West Side.
Great area to walk around - Madison Square Park is right across the street. There's a Shake Shack in Madison Square park as well :)
We highly recommend walking across the Brooklyn Bridge into Brookyln. It's an amazing way to see Manhattan.
We love candy, particularly Sean loves his gummies! Economy Candy is one of the coolest candy stores. It's not big by any means, but it has almost every candy you can think of. You can walk around the Lower East Side eating your candy and checking out the scene.
If you're heading to Economy Candy, this is a great place to pick up a pastrami sandwich or Reuben!
Chinatown is incredible to walk through and we highly recommend stopping here (or anything with 4+ stars on google). The soup dumplings are absolutely amazing along with everything else on the menu!
For those of you who know Allie, she has quite the sweet tooth and loves baked goods. This bakery has delicious cakes and baked goods!
Frozen S'mores, Cookie Shots and Cronuts...need we say more?
This place is great for a glass of wine on the water, after walking along the Hudson Riverfront!
Spend some time downtown walking around Wall Street, where you'll bump into the Fearless Girl Statue and the Charging Bull.