The Best of NYC | Summer Edition

While I am no local, having spent just two months now in the city that never sleeps, I’m sharing the BEST of what I’ve found thus far while perusing the streets of NYC this summer!
OVERALL:
BEST NEIGHBORHOOD | Nolita, meaning “North of Little Italy.” This charming area is packed with trendy restaurants and independent shops
BEST SUMMER TREND | Frozen everything, from Cha Cha Matcha’s soft serve to frosé at Santina 
BEST MUSEUM | The 9/11 Museum is incredible and a must, but I also adored The Frick Collection in the Upper East Side

BEST MARKET | Chelsea Market, but don’t miss the smaller, less-crowded Gansevoort Market a block over. Oh, and Eataly Flatiron of course!

BEST PARK | Bryant Park – grab a drink at Bryant Park Grill & Cafe, be a yogi on the lawn or rent a few board games and relax
BEST FERRY DESTINATION | Island Oyster on Governors Island
ACTIVE:
BEST WALK | The Highline, a beautifully landscaped, elevated path 1.5 miles long on an old railroad track
BEST JOG | Hudson River Greenway Trail
BEST BIKE RIDE | Tie between Central Park and cycling from The Whitney  to the Williamsburg Bridge on the East River and back (see 10 mile cycling map here)
EATS:
BEST CLASSIC | Buddakan and Le Bilboquet
BEST ITALIAN | Barbuto and Peasant
BEST SEAFOOD | The Mermaid Inn and Seamore’s
BEST MEXICAN | As a Texan, I can’t list just one Mexican spot, so here are my top 3… okay 4: La Esquina, Rosie’s, Los Tacos No. 1 and Tacombi (Bleecker or Nolita location)

BEST CHEAP SLICE | Joe’s Pizza
BEST FANCY BRUNCH | Claudette and Cherche Midi (owned by Balthazar)
BEST FAST-CASUAL CHAIN | Asian: Mimi Cheng’s, Mediterranean: Mamoun’s Falafel, Healthy Indian: Inday, Salads/Bowls: Sweetgreen, BBQ: Mighty Quinn’s
BEST SCOOP | Van Leeuwen, hands-down. One word – honeycomb

BEST INDULGENCE | Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding and Dominique Ansel’s cronut
SIPS:
BEST COFFEE | La Colombe. Order a pure black or a black & tan (half pure black, half draft latte)
BEST HOTEL BAR | The Crosby Street Hotel or The Standard East Village’s Summer Garden because of their intimate settings
BEST ROOFTOP BAR | PUBLIC or The Peninsula’s Salon de Ning for a view, otherwise Refinery Rooftop

BEST DAY DRINKING | The Standard Biergarten (if the line is long, head to the Brass Monkey roof nearby) and Grand Banks, on a ship in the Hudson
BEST HOLE IN THE WALL BAR | If the bar is crowded, it must be good right? There are plenty of great hole in the wall bars in the city, but I loved historic McSorley’s and Randolph’s Cocktails the most
With 117 spots still on my “Want To Go” list, I’ll be updating this post at the end of the summer with any noteworthy discoveries I make during my last 3 weeks here.. so stay tuned!
How did I find these spots? Beyond recommendations from friends, I love to discover new places by constantly walking, running or biking around different areas; which, if you know me, probably comes as no surprise. As I run around, I log places that peak my interest in my Google Maps app’s “Want To Go” list. Then, as I conquer my “Want To Go’s” one-by-one, I switch them over to my custom “NYC Summer 2017” list. This is a great feature you should be taking advantage of when traveling to keep track of everything for yourself or to share with others (learn how to here).
XO, HUTTON B.