New York Travel Guide | Part III

Destination
New York City, New York
Sleep
Courtyard Marriott New York Downtown Manhattan/World Trade Centre
Eat
Mr. Taka Ramen | Kossar’s Bialys | Augustine
Shop
Le Labo | L’Appartement Sezane | Mejuri
See
Grand Central Station | Top of the Rock

The list of things to see and do in New York is practically endless. This is my third guide to the city and my list of recommendations, compiled over five years, remains far from exhaustive. At best, I can tell you about the places we love best, while acknowledging that there is much of the city we still have not had the opportunity to see or experience. (Which is not to say we won’t keep trying – we definitely will.)

Our most recent visit to New York was a relatively short one, but we still found ourselves with plenty of opportunities to make new discoveries…

Sleep
Courtyard Marriott New York Downtown Manhattan/World Trade Centre
We typically prefer apartments to hotels, but when travelling for a short time, we’ll choose a hotel to avoid dealing with complicated check-in/out procedures. And when we choose a hotel, we generally choose whatever property is most affordable because really, if you aren’t staying at a Fairmont or Ritz-Carlton, most hotels are about the same. The Courtyard Marriott near Wall Street offered what we needed in terms of amenities, the location was convenient and the rooms were quiet (which is a real luxury in New York.) If you’re traveling on a budget, this property is a great choice.

Eat
We often joke that our vacations are just trips from one snack to the next. Since Ian is a chef, finding good food wherever we go is high on his priority list. And I admit, I am not far behind…

Mr. Taka Ramen – 170 Allen Street
There are about five restaurants in the entire world that I like enough that I will willingly wait for a table. Mr. Taka Ramen is one of them. The ramen is the among the best I’ve ever had, and the ube fries are a must. I would line up for days for the ube fries.
Kossar’s Bagels & Bialys – 367 Grand Street
A trip to New York isn’t complete without a bagel – or ten. But if you can only have one, get it from Kossar’s. I’ve already waxed poetic about their bagels this week and I promise, you won’t be disappointed.
Augustine – 5 Beekman Street
I confess: I like a beautiful restaurant almost as much, if not more, than I like good food. Augustine offers both – delicious plates in the most breathtaking vintage Parisian inspired setting. If you’re lucky, you’ll be seated in the quiet corner booth that offers a view of the whole restaurant so you can watch the world go by while sipping a cocktail (or two…!)

Shop
I’ve often said I don’t typically do a lot of shopping when I’m on a holiday. But there are notable exceptions to that – cities I plan to visit at least in part because of the stories they offer. New York is one of those exceptions and the list of reasons for that is lengthy.

Le Labo – 233 Elizabeth Street
As a former fragrance girl, I’m still a sucker for a beautiful perfume – and there really is no experience lovelier than having a scent made just for you. New York offers multiple Le Labo locations, but I loved the design of the Soho shop best of all. It’s petite and intimate, the perfect spot to take a leisurely browse the different scents Le Labo offers before choosing your favourite.
L’Appartement Sezane – 254 Elizabeth Street
When your favourite Parisian brand opens a New York outpost, paying it a visit is mandatory. While the New York Sezane shop is much smaller than its Parisian counterpart and offers a much more limited selection of merchandise, the beautiful design of the shop alone makes it worth a visit.
Mejuri – 43 Spring Street
I love online shopping just as much – okay, probably more – than the average person. Even so, I acknowledge that there is something wonderful about seeing items you’re contemplating purchasing in person before you actually make a purchase. The Mejuri store in New York allows shoppers to browse their entire collection, which is otherwise only available online. I’m a longtime devotee of the brand, and I loved seeing their entire collection in one (beautifully curated) place.

See
We spent most of our recent visit to New York just walking around the city, stopping at cafes and shops that caught our eye. We did almost nothing truly touristy. But there were a couple of things we just couldn’t miss…

Grand Central Station – 42nd Street and Park Avenue
I love architecture, I love vintage anything and I love trains – so Grand Central pretty much offers everything I love in one place. Even if you don’t love all of those things, you really can’t missing stopping in at Grand Central when you’re in New York. Bonus points if you actually buy a train ticket at the old ticket counters while you’re there!
Top of the Rock – 30 Rockefeller Plaza
The Top of the Rock is pretty much everything I loathe in a tourist attraction – expensive, constantly crowded and highly regulated. But the views from the top are so stunning that it’s worth ignoring all of that. We didn’t visit this time because it was cold and windy, which would have made standing outside at the top of a skyscraper even more unpleasant. But in sunny weather, Top of the Rock is an absolute New York must as far as I’m concerned. (Seriously – if you’re planning a trip to New York, get your tickets in advance. It’s worth it.)