Sean Davidson
Reporter
Whenever I get bored with New Canaan I hop on a train to New York City, the problem is I get bored often. I expect I’m not the only New Canaanite who gets bored either, and it’s a shame that many people don’t really know their way around the city.
To a lot of people NYC is mis-labeled as a collection of tourist attractions and tall buildings. This is a misconception that I’d like to eradicate from everyone’s mind. NYC is indeed a melting-pot of ideas and cultures that you don’t really get to see if you hang out around Time Square or Fifth Avenue. There is always something thrilling to discover, even hidden down a seemingly boring street. Everyone should be getting more out of NYC, and I’m here to help.
Here are some of my discoveries as a NYC explorer:
Shopping:
First and foremost, the shopping: I read Kaitlyn’s blogs on thrifting and she hit just about everything. However, the real secret to affordable shopping, at least in my experience, is consignment shops. The only difference between a consignment shop and a thrift store is that the original owner gets a cut if it is sold.
In NYC, a lot of kids spend way beyond their means on cool cloths and are often forced to jettison some off to pay the rent. Thus, you have shops filled with barely worn designer clothing. It isn’t hard to find several designer items for under $50 at any consignment shop.
-My favorite is Tokio 7 in the East Village. They sell men’s and women’s clothing, including shoes, sunglasses, and other accessories. You can find any brand you can think of (and discover new ones) and pay prices similar to a Macy’s sale.
- Across the street there is a tiny coffee shop called Abraco. The cramped space manages to make normally isolationist New Yorkers mingle with each other. It is a great place to meet and talk to New Yorkers over a great coffee.
- Around the corner is Kim’s Music, one of the best record stores I know. They’ve got CDs, Vinyl, Cassettes, and Movies. The staff will help you find new music, which is uncommon for NYC record stores.
–Opening Ceremony. Hipster Heaven. It is the ultimate showcase of hipster fashion, and the sales are legendary when they happen.
Where to Stay:
Basic room at the Ace Hotel
-If you are staying in NYC, the place to be is the Ace Hotel. The rooms are probably the most creative you will find in NYC, and though they aren’t large or luxurious, they come with a guitar, and are filled with amusing original artwork. The restaurant there, the Breslin, is a fantastic April Bloomfield creation (try the lamb burger). There is also a small Opening Ceremony store in their lobby!
Food:
Bar style restaurants alongside produce
-If you are in the Ace Hotel area, you must must must go to Eataly, a huge market created by famous chef Mario Batali (of Del Posto, Lupa, Otto, etc.). It includes several restaurants and Costco style samples being handed out at every corner.
–Prune, which I am lucky to have been to. It is one of the foodie meccas that you hear your mom talking about. In my experience, it is a steal for lunch.
–Momofuku Ssam, or Momofuku noodle bar, are both among the best restaurants in the country. Ssam is the LEAST expensive restaurant ever to be featured on the 50 best restaurants in the world list by San Pellegrino. I have been there three times, and Noodle bar a couple of times as well. They are actually pretty American despite the names. Each of them has a “Milk Bar” that is worth a visit, even if you aren’t eating there.
Make sure you know how to navigate the Highline (although it is probably a fun place to get lost)!
-If you walk the Highline in Chelsea, make sure to take advantage of the mega-cluster of great restaurants. The Highline is an old above-ground rail-line that was recently converted to a park that runs through the Meatpacking District and Chelsea. Spice Market is an awesome place to have lunch as well as Artichoke Basille, Morimoto, Colicchio and Sons, Cookshop, and much more.
-Other than restaurants near the Highline, there is the legendary Chelsea Market; a tasteful ‘mini-mall’ with an eclectic collection of restaurants and stores.
What to do -Check out the New Museum, which displays some of the most cutting-edge new art from all corners of the world. The last time I went there the exhibit was on ‘the anatomy of dreams’. It made me cry, it was so beautiful…
The sign out front changes routinely. It has been a massive 20 foot tall rose, and was recently an actual sail boat.
-Two blocks away from the New Museum is Gimme Coffee, a coffee shop I discovered in Ithaca while looking at Cornell, because I heard it was a student favorite. We are lucky to have one here in NYC (and also in Brooklyn)! It is also a prime place for people watching.
Warning: The blend I just bought is so strong that it I have trouble falling asleep at midnight from the cup I have in the morning.
Avoid:
-If you want Chinese stuff, don’t go to Chinatown! Go to Flushing in Queens, because it is less touristy and has an equal Chinese population. I know a good place to get fried jellyfish, although I couldn’t possibly remember the name or spell it.
-If you want Italian food, do not go to Little Italy! It no longer really exists. It is being consumed by Chinatown and is now only about a block or two. Instead, go to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx to get all your Italian goods. I get insanely strong contraband espresso from Italy that is not available elsewhere in America.
Good luck on your trip!
Now it is time for you to go on an NYC adventure and make discoveries of your own. I could tell you about what to do in Brooklyn, Harlem, or even Jersey City, but I’ll save that for another time.
We wanna hear back from your NYC adventures comment your favorite city spot!
