Jonathan & Rebecca
Things To Do: NYC & JC
Statue of Liberty National Monument
For people staying in town a little longer, our lady in green is a must see! You can access the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island via ferry service from both lower Manhattan and Jersey City.
The Oculus
The Oculus is a beautiful, bright, and open transportation hub in downtown Manhattan with great shopping and delicious restaurants that connects the subway to the 9/11 memorial. It's easy to spend all day here, but we recommend lunch at Eataly on the top floor!
The High Line
Running along NYC's Chelsea neighborhood (where FIT is located!), this elevated park is filled with art and located on an abandoned above-ground subway line. This is one of our favorite places in NYC! We suggest stepping off right at Chelsea Market for lunch.
Chelsea Market
An awesome lunch option for a day in the city, Chelsea Market hosts TONS of restaurants, kiosks, shops, and bars that cater to the foodie scene. You can grab lunch, a drink, and lots of hard to find ingredients here.
The Best Bagel in NYC: Brooklyn Bagel (Astoria & Manhattan)
Don't worry- it isn't in Brooklyn. We've been going here since Becca went to FIT and haven't had a better bagel since. If you're looking for a true New York bagel, this is the spot. And, don't forget to try the cream cheese flavors! They've got a huge selection. You can find them in Manhattan or Astoria.
Chip Cookies
Chip opened on our street in Astoria and we've been happily gaining weight ever since! They are known to serve specialty cookies like, smore's, oatmeal-applepie, chocolate-peanutbutter, nutella-seasalt, blueberry cheesecake, and, of course, chocolate chip, among so many others. Check out these amazing cookies at one of their locations in Manhattan, Astoria, or Long Island City. They're worth the long line, trust us.
Jersey City
Becca and Jon moved to Jersey City in March of 2018 and it's easy to understand why, due to its convenient location to Manhattan via the PATH Train and gorgeous views of the Statue of Liberty and NYC skyline. There is so much to do on this side of the Hudson. We recommend biking through Liberty State Park, grabbing a bite to eat at Ani Ramen (or any of the other amazing eats on Newark Avenue), ice cream at Torico's, and/or taking the ferry to Ellis Island, The Statue of Liberty, Manhattan, or any combination thereof.
Astoria, Queens
We lived in Astoria for 4 years and loved every minute of it! We suggest taking the N or W trains to the 30th Avenue stop for some of the the best food you've ever had. Astoria is known as a traditionally Greek neighborhood and you can't go wrong if you're craving the cuisine. We recommend Zenon Taverna (remember to bring cash!), Taverna Kyclades (the wait is long, but they hand out free wine!) and MP Taverna. For dessert, pop over to our favorite cookies from Chip or stop into the most decadent bakery you'll every come across, Martha's Country Bakery. Grab a slice of anything, it's heaven; though, we recommend the chocolate mousse cake with coffee or Mexican hot chocolate. If you're still hungry, we suggest Seva for Indian, Enthaice for Thai, and Vite for handmade pasta. If it is beautiful out, you can also walk over to SingleCut Brewery for live music and games along with your brewery tour or visit Astoria Park, a much loved park where Jon and Harley would run every morning.
New York Botanical Garden
Surrounded by beautiful flowers, tall trees, and exquisite art installations, it's easy to feel like you've escaped the hustle and bustle of the city. You can understand why it's one of Becca's favorite locations in New York. If you plan on checking it out, we highly recommend grabbing a bite to eat on Arthur Avenue - NYC's REAL little Italy.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Check out the Egyptian wing for some of the oldest mummies ever found! Becca & her Mom, Linda, love visiting the Met to check out new exhibits every year! Currently showing: Heavenly Bodies and the Catholic Imagination. Heads up: They've discontinued their pay what you can program and general admission is now $25.
Citi Field
You can't talk about Jon without talking about the Mets! Check out the Noah's much loved team play at Citi Field. Their favorite section? 515.
161 Street - Yankee Stadium Station
New York's other favorite baseball team, check out Stubhub for last minute tickets to see the Yanks!
Broadway Theatre
If you've got time, we love any chance we have to check out a broadway show. We recommend downloading the Today Tix app for great deals on week-of tickets. Our current favorite is Waitress, bring tissues!
The Museum at FIT
A free museum for fashion and history lovers at Becca's alma mater, and the place where Jon & Becca's relationship started.
Bryant Park
Jon worked in a nearby building over-looking the beautiful park for 2 years. There is so much to do, but make sure to stroll through the historic New York Public Library. We also recommend sushi at Koi, which has been a favorite anniversary, birthday, family dinner place for us!