summer love in new york city
We were in NYC co-hosting a cocktail party for one of my high-level entrepreneur clients, women leaders who were guests on the podcast I produced, and some of the gals who were in town for the Forbes Women Summit. It was inspiring to be amongst such incredible women.
Of course we had to tack on a few days for exploring our favorite coffee spots and eating all the food. For those of you who have asked I have included a list of our New York City adventures and recommendations below. Click on the photo for all of NYC gallery.
NYC GALLERY
Hotel:
Orchard Street Hotel - this place was amazing. We had a room on the 10th floor and it was wall to wall windows. The view was incredible and the bathroom was floor to ceiling marble. Easy check in, great location in the Lower East Side, good WiFi and the price won’t break the bank.
Coffee:
Black Press Coffee made the best all around best cappuccino and the staff was super nice. It was in Midtown so it was a bit of trek from LES, but it was worth it.
Cafe Grumpy made a good, consistent cappuccino but the staff is super rude. Not sure if that’s their act because it’s called “Grumpy” or what, but it was a bit much. Their logo is the best though. I almost bought a baby onesie with the logo on it because it was so cute, but I restrained myself.
Birch coffee was everywhere and they make a good cap and iced latte. We met a guy named Josh while we were escaping the heat, and we ended up camping out in Birch for almost three hours. This is one of the best things about traveling with no agenda, just allowing the space to meet inspiring people.
Food:
Juliana’s Pizza in Brooklyn was worth the 45 minutes we waited in line. Coal fired pizza made with fresh ingredients and the staff is super nice.
Top Thai in Greenwich Village, the food is good but more notable were the drinks. We got a cocktail with jalepeno infused vodka with mango purée with chili flakes on the rim and a lychee purée saketini. I don’t usually drink mixed drinks, but these were an exception, and they were incredible.
Il Corso for Cacio e pepe. We specifically went here for this dish, and it was incredible. They served it in a beautiful bowl made of parmesan. It was so delicious that it was almost exhausting to eat.
Doughnut Plant was incredible. Perry got a rose water glaze that was shaped like a rose and I got a blueberry cake doughnut. It was the best blueberry doughnut I've ever had. I wanted to try all of them, but it took me all day just to eat one so there was no way that was going to happen.
Best Bagels & Coffee was a must. You can't visit NYC without having a proper bagel. The bagels were huge and this place didn't stiff you on the cream cheese either.
Egg Shop is known for their egg-centric dishes, which are awesome. And their biscuits are to die for. Oh, and get the hashbrowns. All the carbs.
TAIM makes a killer falafel with harissa. The whole join is vegetarian which is totally my style. I wanted EVERYTHING, but settled on the falafel plate with hummus and tabouleh with super fresh za'atar pita. Great spot to grab a hearty lunch before we headed to the airport.
Gong Cha in Chinatown makes the BEST boba milk tea I've ever had. And I've had A LOT of boba milk tea. If you go, get the pearl milk tea. That's the jam.
Kubeh was like experiencing a culinary trek across the Middle East. We had a table full of small plates as we couldn't decide what to get. Every single thing we ate was incredible. And I loved the decor here. Cozy nighttime spot, too.
All the things:
Terra Blues, arguably the best blues club in NYC, and it didn’t disappointment. And they have an impressive whiskey and bourbon selection. Their open until 3am so it’s a great after hours spot. We went on a Sunday and it was only a $10 cover.
The Chelsea Hotel, iconic landmark frequented by some of the greats like Leonard Cohen, Mark Twain, Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Jean-Paul Sartre, Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, the list goes on. If you haven't heard Leonard Cohen's Chelsea Hotel #2, what have you been doing with your life? And if you haven't heard Gregory Alan Isakov's cover, you're in for something truly special. You're welcome.
Bryant Park, in the summer they play movies on the lawn. It’s free, but you want to come early because it fills up fast.
The Iceman Cometh starring Denzel Washington at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. The theater was beautiful and we could see the stage perfectly from the first row mezzanine. And DENZEL WASHINGTON. Excuse me while I have a fan girl meltdown.
Oscar Wilde themed bar + restaurant. Very extravagant victorian decor and the drinks are great. Cheeky drink titles, too. "50 Shades of Dorian Gray", yes please and thank you.
Bookmarc is a book store owned by Marc Jacobs. They carry a great selection and the store is sleek and stylish, as you would imagine.
The New York Edition, upscale hotel in midtown with killer Lobby Bar. That's where I hosted my cocktail party and it was a perfect location.
Chelsea Market is a madhouse, but worth a visit — especially the Artists & Fleas portion.
McNally Jackson is a two-story indie bookstore that I could have spent a week in.
Central Park, duh. Calm and peaceful during sunset — we could actually hear the birds. We went to the Tavern on the Green in Central Park West. We ducked in here to escape a crazy thunderstorm and the bar was very inviting. Swanky and really comfortable. The outside has string lights and lanterns, it’s very beautiful. And the staff here is great. While we were waiting for our Uber some crazy came up behind me, like right up on me and started shouting madness. Perry asked him to back up, but that just led to him getting in Perry’s face and threatening to punch him, and just being very vulgar. The doorman of the Tavern stepped between Perry and the crazy guy, and told him to leave. Another 5 minutes of this crazy guy now shouting in the doorman’s face and the cops had to be called. Our Uber finally came and the guy tried to follow us into the car so our driver had to step on it. What’s a New York trip without being accosted though right? We called the Tavern and sang the praises of the doorman to make sure he would get recognition for his bravery.
Until next time, NYC <3