New York City
New York City is truly the city that does not sleep but captivates so much energy and iconic skyline. NYC is a melting pot of cultures, rich diversity, dazzling city flashing lights of Time Square. NYC has so much to offer tourist such as world-class museums, art, culinary globe restaurants/bars, Broadway theaters, Empire State Building, immersive journey’s and human creativity.
Airport & Transportation
Set out on your next adventure effortlessly with curated itinerary suggestions on askWhitney, guiding you to the best places to stay, dine, and explore. Whether you seek luxurious accommodations, hidden culinary gems, or thrilling activities, let askWhitney be your trusted companion in crafting unforgettable travel experiences.
Transportation
Subway, Taxi, Uber or Lyft
(cheaper to buy a 5 to 7-day Subway pass for unlimited train rides)
Main Airports
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- Newark International Airport (EWR)
Bloggers Disclaimer — Please Be Advised Some Tours or Locations/ Restaurants Are Subject to Change or Close. I Recommend Double Checking Available Times and Spots for All Locations Listed.
Where to Stay?
Best Known NYC neighborhoods: Upper East Side, Greenwich Village, Soho, Manhattan/ Times Square, Dumbo Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Chelsea District, Meatpacking District, Midtown).
Times Square/Manhattan Hotels
Note: Time Square is a touristy and popular area, which often is very noisy/lively.
Luxury NYC Hotels
Where to Eat?
Note: Suggest booking reservations ahead of time through OpenTable App or Web (you can also, earn reward points for booking dining reservations), please note some restaurants may not be listed on the Web/App, so I suggest calling ahead to book reservations directly with restaurant before traveling.
Café’s and Sweets
- Aubi & Ramsa (luxury upscale Ice Cream Bar)
- Taiyaki NYC (serves ice cream + Japanese Souffle’ Pancakes every weekend)
- From Lucie (Bakery-known for decorative cakes)
- PlantShed Café (Bouquet Flowers + Cup of Coffee)
- Eat Off Beat (Angelina Jolie café)
- Little Ruby’s West Village (café)
- Bibliotheque (Bookstore + Café’ by Day | Wine Bar by Night)
- Isla & Co. (Australian Café- they offer a secret $8 Espresso Martini Bar’)
- Afternoon Tea (inside the Baccarat Hotel)
- Ralph’s Coffee (Madison Ave.)
- Je t’aime Patisserie (popular Brooklyn- black-owned bakery)
Starbucks Reserve Roastery (1 9th AveNew York, NY 10011)
Restaurants
- Tatiana
- Sei Less (Chinese- Unique/cool)
- CloverHill
- Rolfs German Restaurant (Holiday- Festive)
- RH Guesthouse, The Dining Room
- NOMO Kitchen (Great Unique Brunch Spot- SoHo)
- La Grande Boucherie (popular-beautiful Interior)
- STK –Midtown (Steakhouse, offers Happy Hours)
- La Pizza & La Pasta – Eataly (NYC Downtown)
- Dos Caminos (Mexican- best margaritas)
- Philippe Chow (Chinese- Upper East Side)
- Pepe Rosso (Italian Charm/ Butcher and Pasta Store/Restaurant)
- Pietro Nolita (The PINK- Italian restaurant, popular)
- Guest New York (Italian- Book reservation on Resy)
- IL Cortile (Italian Neighborhood Gem- Little Italy)
- Fiaschetteria Pistoia (from Tuscany, homemade pastas)
- Jean’s (farm-to-table bistro Restaurant – MUST)
- The Blue Mezze Bar (Mediterranean)
- Lido (Harlem, offers Happy Hours)
- Catch New York
- Dirty French
- Parm Upper West Side (5 locations)
- CARBONE (popular)
- Veronika (upscale restaurant bar)
- Mono+Mono (Korean Cuisine + Nightclub Kitchen)
- Meduza Mediterrania
- Genesis House
- Ma.de’
- Twenty Three Grand
- Tsukimi (Michelin Star Sushi Restaurant)
- Negril Bk (Brooklyn)
- Kokomo (Lit)
- Panorama Room
- Mamo Restaurant
- Cipriani Downtown
- Burger Joint (hidden, inside Thompson Hotel)
- Bird Box (Famous Chicken, Times Square)
- Time Out Market (food hall in Brooklyn, Clinton Hill Baking Co. inside)
- Ikigai (12-seat Kaiseki Inspired)
- Team Kasa (handroll bar)
- Reyna (Mediterranean Tapas + Drinks)
- La Lanterna di Vittorio (Italian restaurant)
- Canto Restaurants (Italian Restaurant known for their frozen expresso)
- Other Suggestion: Must visit “Little Italy” and “Chinatown” (lots of various restaurants to try).
Must- Go Brunch
- BLVD Bistro (Harlem, live brunch spot- best for Saturday & Sunday)
- Little Ruby’s Café (always a long line)
Late-Night Uber Eats
- Pink Tacos (chicken & fish is the best)
- Empanada Mama (must)
- Brown Bag Sandwich Co. (best classic sandwich shop)
Top 5 BEST NYC PIZZA SPOTS
Additional Suggests (Sourced by: TimeOut) –The Best Restaurants in NYC
Top 5 BEST NYC PIZZA SPOTS
- Chrissy’s Pizza (popular spot-book early; hard to get reservations)
- Roberta’s (Bushwick)
- Juliana’s Pizza (Brooklyn)
- Joe’s (Brooklyn)
- Prince Street
- Lucali (very popular, usually wait in line for reservations)
- Rubirosa (SoHo- Must Try-Tye Pesto Pizza)
- L’Industrie Pizzeria (Brooklyn & West Village)
- Lombardi’s Pizza (Little Italy)
Bars, Speakeasies, Lounges
Bars + Lounges
- Record Room (Hunters Point-popular)
- The Django
- Eaves Drop in Greenpoint, BK (Listening Room)
- Las Lap
- Little Sisters
- Dumbo House
- Sip and Guzzle (well-known best bar in Tokyo)
- Pergola
- Nubeluz (inside the Ritz- Carlton, Nomad Hotel)
- Harbor
- Schmanski
- 1 Hotel
- Little Sister Lounge
- RH guesthouse (The Champagne & Caviar Bar room)
- Elsewhere
- House of Yes
- Club Lamba Brooklyn
- Virgo
- Jean’s
- The Carnegie Club Cocktail and Cigar Lounge
- Butterfly SoHo Room
- cloudM -New York Bowery (Hotel + City View Bar- Must)
- Mezzrow (Jazz)
- Bar Pisellino (highly anticipated bar/café)
- Jungle Bird (cocktail bar, very CUTE)
- Pergola (black-owned, offer hookah)
- Roxy Bar + Oyster Bar (inside the Roxy Hotel)
- Tabu (a vibe, Tulum inspired—tequila & mezcal bar)
Speakeasies
- Little Branch
- Beauty & Essex
- Blue Quarter
- Please don’t tell
- Angel’s Share
Rooftop Bars
- The Crown
- West Light
- Mr. Purple
- 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar (Largest Rooftop)
- Dear Irving on Hudson
- (vintage vibes on the 40th & 41st floor of the Aliz Hotel Times Square)
- Bar Sixtyfive at Rainbow
- Panorama Room (360 view)
- Elsie Rooftop (25th floor)
- Bar Cima (inside Grayson Hotel)
- The Ready Rooftop Bar (backyard cozy garden style)
- Spyglass Rooftop at the Archer Hotel
- The William Vale Rooftop Bar
- STK – Rooftop
- Interlude Rooftop Lounge (Luxury)
- The Skylark
- Haven Rooftop
- Roof at Park South
- Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge
- Glass Ceiling Rooftop
- Msocial Rooftop
- The Fleur Room 35th floor (inside the Moxy Hotel)
- Darling Rooftop
Design + Architecture - NYC must visit spots
- Quarters
- Grand Central Terminal
- Path Station
- Guggenheim
- Empire State Building
- Albertine Library
- Gilder Center
- Bethesda Terrance
- Little Island (listed below, under unique cool islands).
Explore / Things to do?
Best Known Places & Buildings
- Cruise on the Hudson River (enjoy North River Lobster company food specials)
- BathHouse (restaurant + luxury spa)
- The Empire State Building
- The Greens (Seaport Cinema Movie Outdoor Movie Nights + Eat & Drink Cocktail Bar)
- Little Island (must see public park located in the Hudson River Park. A unique urban Oasis– reservations required)
- Statue of Liberty (Tickets)
- Edge (360 Observation Deck)
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- Ice Skating (during winter holidays- sourced by TimeOut)
- New York Fashion Week (Tickets + Dates)
- The Vessel
- Atelier Jolie (Women’s Clothing Store + Fashion Art Gallery + Angelina Jolie café’ + Basquiat’s old home)
- Thanksgiving Macy’s Day Parade (hosted during the holidays. Nov.)
- Brooklyn Flea Market – (Vendors open Saturdays and Sundays only in Dumbo Brooklyn)
Airbnb Experiences
- Speakeasy and Secret Bar Tour
- The Full-Day “See It All” NYC Tour
- Brooklyn Bridge Cinematic Photo Walk
- Dumbo/ Brooklyn Bridge Photo Walk
- The Ultimate New York City Street Food Tour
- No Diet Club – Amazing street food in Brooklyn
- The Ultimate Insider’s Brooklyn Bridge Tour
Want to explore more? Click link: NYC AIRBNB Experiences
Museums
- MoMA -The Museum of Modern Art
- American Museum of Natural History (Top 3 Exhibits below)
- Invisible Worlds Exhibit (inside the amnh museum)
- Gilder Center (Science, Education, Innovation- inside the amnh museum)
- Butterfly Room (inside the amnh museum)
- The Morgan Library & Museum (Free on Fridays 5pm-7pm book online only)
- New York Public Library
- 9/11 Memorial & Museum
- Brooklyn Museum
- Whitney Museum (360 sky deck view)
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
- Fotografiska New York (world-class photography + Chapel Bar Speakeasy)
- Museum of Broadway
- Jean-Michel Basquiat King Pleasure
- The Met -Metropolitan Museum
The Cloisters (Photo Shoot, Hidden Spot)
Other Suggestions
Best Weekend Getaways/explorations near NYC (2 to 5-hour drive)
- Spend a weekend in the Hamptons (Boat Ride, Coopers Beach or Main Beach, Montauk Point Lighthouse, The Parrish Art Museum, The Wolffer Estate Vineyard, The Hampton Classic Horse Show, The Pollock Krasner House, The Shinnecock National Cultural Center & Museum, The LongHouse Reserve, The Madoo Conservancy, The Bridgehampton Museum, Sag Harbour Whaling & Historical Museum. (Eats: “Golden Pear” (breakfast), The Lobster Roll (Lunch), Nick & Toni’s (dinner). Sunset watching at Montauk Point.
- Catskill Mountains (suggest renting a car)
- Scribner’s Catskill Lodge
- Mohonk Mountain House Resort (all-inclusive resort for adults and kids)
- MayFlower Inn & Spa Auberge Resorts Collection (90 min drive from NYC)
- Winvian Farm (luxury farm nearby Bantam Lake)
- Sherwood House Vineyards (Napa Valley of the East Coast)
- Montauk Point Lighthouse
- Easton’s Beach (Newport, Rhode Island)
- Dia Beacon (art museum)
Unique-Cool Islands in New York – MUST Check-Out
- Heart Island (Tourist spot to view the Boldt Castle, perfect for photographers. Can book through Boat Tours and the best time to visit is from May 13th to October 9th).
- Dark Island- Singer Castle (can stay at the Royal Suite, inspired by Game of Thrones. Book through Uncle Sam Boat Tours.)
- Rock Island Light House (book through Clayton Island Tours)
- Three Sisters Island
- Fire Island (Prime Vacation Spot- Jones Beach- Things to Do)
- Little Island (Must see public park located in the Hudson River Park. A unique urban Oasis -reservations required)
Travel Tips
- Be aware of your surroundings, always!
- Ladies carry smaller cross-body handbags w/ zipper, low heels and or sneakers (lots of walking)
- Do not stand too close to the subway tracks (suggest standing in the middle)
- New York is known for pickpocketing, for both men and women. I suggest walking with your handbag in front of your body and wallet in the front pocket with your hand positioned to the pocket when walking on busy streets.
- Uber Ride can get expensive and I wouldn’t suggest renting a car in NYC unless you’re planning a day-trip getaway outside of NYC. (prepare for 30-40 mins ahead of time due to heavy traffic, always).
- I highly suggest buying a day or week subway pass to get around NYC, in my opinion, it’s much cheaper to purchase a 5 to 7-day pass if you’re going to explore more areas in NYC.
- I recommend travelers stay in one area daily to avoid long commutes, as NYC neighborhoods are spread out. For example, on day 1, we’re planning all activities in Brooklyn, and on day 2 all activities in Greenwich or Manhattan.
- Book museums, speakeasies, and restaurants way in advance before traveling.
