-- West Village: Known for its quaint cobblestone streets, brick townhouses, upscale boutiques and chic watering holes, the West Village is the perfect neighborhood to spend a morning or afternoon wandering. We recommend starting on Bleecker Street, visiting favorites like Doen, Magnolia Bakery, Bookmarc, and Hudson Grace. You'll also find great bars and restaurants for lunch or an early afternoon cocktail. Some ideas: Petite Boucherie, Rosemary's, Pisellino, Little Ruby's, or Ofrenda (where we had our first date!) --Union Square/Flatiron: Union Square is the heart of the city, with easy access to the West Village, East Village, and Gramercy Park. The Union Square Greenmarket is always a great place to start (open M/W/F/Sa), then make your way north on Broadway to pop into ABC Carpet & Home, Crate & Barrel, and Fish's Eddy (if you are addicted to homewares). You can then continue towards Flatiron for more stores/restaurants and Madison Square Park.
--Soho: The best shopping, if you're willing to brave some crowds :) Pretty much every major brand has an outpost here. We especially recommend stopping into Housing Works Bookstore on Crosby Street or The Real Real on Wooster St. If you are looking for lunch spots, we recommend Balthazar (reservation recommended), Rubirosa Pizza (nearby in Nolita), La Esquina, Ruby's Cafe or Cafe Select. --Tribeca: Tribeca is up and coming, just ask Jessel Taank! Tribeca is a fun neighborhood to wander to see beautiful apartment buildings, small boutiques and art galleries. If you need a place to stop for a drink or a bite, we recommend Bubby's, Puffy's Tavern, The Odeon, Tiny's, or Brandy Library.
--Upper East Side: Our neighborhood! The Upper East Side is HUGE. For the full Gossip Girl UES experience, we recommend sticking to Madison Ave from 59th St to to 79th Street, then crossing over to 5th Avenue to sit on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Most wallet-friendly restaurants and bars will be further east on 2nd or 1st Avenue. We like Jeremy's, Amarena, Five Mile Stone, J.G. Melon, and Flex Mussels. --Upper West Side: The UWS is filled with fun "local" spots if you want to spend time like a real New Yorker. Try Fred's, our favorite local bar, and let us know who your favorite dog picture is. We also recommend the Museum of Natural History - it's worth it to pay for the Planetarium! :) Walking from the UWS to the UES through Central Park is also a nice way to pass the time, and on Sundays, we love The Grand Bazaar, one of NYC's best flea markets.
Some of our favorite places to stop for coffee: - La Colombe (there are many locations throughout the city. Maddie's favorite is an oat milk black and tan) - Ralph's Coffee (located inside the Ralph Lauren store on Madison Ave. and on 5th Ave at 21st St.) - Devocion (many locations throughout the city, they have the best cold brew and banana bread) - Intelligentsia Coffee (located inside The High Line Hotel, which is connected to our wedding venue!) - Maman (many locations throughout the city, very instagrammable!) - Bibliotheque (part coffee shop, part bookstore in Soho)
Our favorite bookstores include: - The Strand (with locations near Union Square and just off Central Park on the Upper West Side) - Three Lives & Company (the sweetest bookshop in the West Village) - McNally Jackson (there are many locations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn and we love them all, but the Seaport location, located at the southern tip of Manhattan, is a must-see. Best book curation and ambiance to sit and get lost in a book for the afternoon)
If you'd like to squeeze in a little culture, you can't go wrong with any museum in New York, but here are some ideas: - Metropolitan Museum of Art (the big kahuna and closed on Wednesdays, just FYI) - Whitney Museum of Art (modern and contemporary art, fairly close to our wedding venue) - MoMA (modern and contemporary art in Midtown, close to shops on 5th Avenue) - Neue Galerie (German and Austrian art in a beaux arts mansion on the Upper East Side) - Fotografiska Museum (contemporary photography and infamously the building that Anna Delvey almost got away with purchasing.)
New York is filled with places to spend $30 on a martini, but these are our favorites if you're looking for a swanky night out: - Monkey Bar (mostly a restaurant but they do have a bar that takes walk-ins. For a table, make a reservation 2 weeks in advance on Resy) - Bemelmans Bar (located inside The Carlyle Hotel - dress to impress and be prepared to wait in a line. There is a cover charge on the weekends) - Dear Irving (speakeasy in Gramercy, make a res!) - Bathtub Gin (classic NY speakeasy near our wedding venue) - Lobby Bar at Hotel Chelsea (Hotel Chelsea has a very cool history and the newly reimagined Lobby Bar is very chic!)
A few more casual options: - J.G. Melon (both burger joint and bar - bring cash!) - Tom & Jerry's (just north of Soho, bring cash!) - Papatzul (the site of many margarita nights in Maddie's youth, located in Soho) - Mother's Ruin (cocktail vibes in Nolita) - Spring Lounge (classic downtown dive in Nolita/Soho) - We have lots of additional recs on request if you're looking for a specific neighborhood or vibe! Unfortunately no pull tabs, sorry Greg.
A few of Maddie's favorite places if you're in the mood to shop: Home Decor - John Derian (6 E 2nd St.) - William Wayne and Co. (40 University Pl.) - Fishs Eddy (889 Broadway) - Roman and Williams Guild (53 Howard St.) - ABC Carpet and Home (888 Broadway) - Vintage Thrift (286 Third Avenue) Clothes + Bags + Accessories - Bergdorf Goodman (754 5th Avenue) - The Real Real (Multiple Locations) - Designer Revival (324 E 81st St) - 260 Sample Sales (check online for sample sale date and locations) - Catbird (multiple locations) - Tiffany and Co. (727 Fifth Avenue - great for wandering and enjoying cool art, or buying stuff! Live your life!)