Guidebook for New York
Food Scene
Sit at the counter for a glass of wine and oysters. Old world New York.
42 locals recommend
Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant
89 East 42nd StreetSit at the counter for a glass of wine and oysters. Old world New York.
Yama 49
Our favorite local reasonable Japanese restaurant.
Sipsak
928 2nd AveGood local turkish restaurant. Try the lamb and smoked eggplant. Very good.
Good place for a simple lunch or breakfast or a coffee just round the corner from us
247 locals recommend
Le Pain Quotidien
861 Lexington AveGood place for a simple lunch or breakfast or a coffee just round the corner from us
Starbucks
405-409 Union AveCoffee.
Wonderful new cafe that serves in the old style traditional jewish smoked fish potato pancakes etc. Great for brunch after going to the tenement museum on the lower east side.
181 locals recommend
Russ & Daughters Cafe
127 Orchard StWonderful new cafe that serves in the old style traditional jewish smoked fish potato pancakes etc. Great for brunch after going to the tenement museum on the lower east side.
Very good choux pastries. Get a batch and enjoy them back at the duplex. The coffee is extra strong a bit like diesel.....
6 locals recommend
Choux Factory
865 1st AvenueVery good choux pastries. Get a batch and enjoy them back at the duplex. The coffee is extra strong a bit like diesel.....
A taste of old New York. Good place for a burger and a drink. Just try and avoid the hours right after work when all the businessmen grab a drink and the bar gets busy.
80 locals recommend
PJ Clarke's
915 3rd AveA taste of old New York. Good place for a burger and a drink. Just try and avoid the hours right after work when all the businessmen grab a drink and the bar gets busy.
Pampano
209 E 49th StHigh End Good Mexican food. Nice roof top terrace for an evening drink or meal.
Our local inexpensive Chinese take away. You can can eat in too though we like to order out and eat in the garden.
24 locals recommend
Sammy's Noodle Shop & Grill
West 4th StreetOur local inexpensive Chinese take away. You can can eat in too though we like to order out and eat in the garden.
Our favorite place for Dimsum.
Make sure to get there on Sunday morning by 11 am otherwise you will have to wait an hour to get a table. Very good chinese dumplings/dim sum and very reasonable
70 locals recommend
Jing Fong Restaurant
380 Amsterdam AvenueOur favorite place for Dimsum.
Make sure to get there on Sunday morning by 11 am otherwise you will have to wait an hour to get a table. Very good chinese dumplings/dim sum and very reasonable
Morimoto
88 10th AveWonderful high end Japanese Restaurant with a contemporary twist.
The last of traditional little Italy. Catch a wonderful coffee and cannoli after having dimsum in Chinatown.
7 locals recommend
Caffe Roma
385 Broome StThe last of traditional little Italy. Catch a wonderful coffee and cannoli after having dimsum in Chinatown.
Trendy but fun restaurant on the lowereastside. Surprisingly good food. You enter the restaurant through a pawn shop!
235 locals recommend
Beauty & Essex
146 Essex StTrendy but fun restaurant on the lowereastside. Surprisingly good food. You enter the restaurant through a pawn shop!
Very good German food. Can get very crowed and noisy on the weekend Try the Haxen and of course their pretzels and good beer.
128 locals recommend
Zum Schneider NYC
107 Loisaida AveVery good German food. Can get very crowed and noisy on the weekend Try the Haxen and of course their pretzels and good beer.
The Modern
9 W 53rd StMOMA's high end restaurant.
Arts & Culture
The Museum of Modern Art
11 West 53rd StreetGreat museum 15 min walk from us.
Hosts a range of musicians. Look at timeout to see who is playing and you might find someone to your taste.
95 locals recommend
Mercury Lounge
217 E Houston StHosts a range of musicians. Look at timeout to see who is playing and you might find someone to your taste.
The big museum..... ! You can pay what you wish to enter which means that you can pop in briefly to catch one show and then go back another day. Closed on Mondays like most museums.Open late Fridays.
2653 locals recommend
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 5th AveThe big museum..... ! You can pay what you wish to enter which means that you can pop in briefly to catch one show and then go back another day. Closed on Mondays like most museums.Open late Fridays.
Wonderful old building and museum with plenty of old masters=paintings and drawings.
307 locals recommend
Frick Collection
1 E 70th StWonderful old building and museum with plenty of old masters=paintings and drawings.
Wonderful museum located in a grand old fifth avenue mansion specializing in Austrian art. Also has a good restaurant- cafe zabarskie. good for afternoon cake and coffee
176 locals recommend
Neue Galerie
1048 5th AveWonderful museum located in a grand old fifth avenue mansion specializing in Austrian art. Also has a good restaurant- cafe zabarskie. good for afternoon cake and coffee
Jazz Bar. Check and see who is playing. You can also just sit at the bar for a set. Check prices and drink minimums.
44 locals recommend
Birdland Jazz Club
315 W 44th StJazz Bar. Check and see who is playing. You can also just sit at the bar for a set. Check prices and drink minimums.
Small Lower East side music venue. Very mixed bag but again look online or check out the music listings to see who is playing. Sometime you can discover someone new and good playing.
21 locals recommend
The Living Room Bar
154 Ludlow StreetSmall Lower East side music venue. Very mixed bag but again look online or check out the music listings to see who is playing. Sometime you can discover someone new and good playing.
Everything Else
United Nations Secretariat Building
The United Nations.
Lovely elevated walkway and park built on a disused old train track. Great views onto the Hudson River. Nice way to see the city. You can get on at 34th and walk until the meat packing district.
2323 locals recommend
The High Line Park
Lovely elevated walkway and park built on a disused old train track. Great views onto the Hudson River. Nice way to see the city. You can get on at 34th and walk until the meat packing district.
Turtle Bay Chemists
901 2nd AveOur local pharmacy. Conveniently located round the corner from us.
Standard drugstore. Located conveniently near our local uptown 6 train.
230 locals recommend
Duane Reade
2864 BroadwayStandard drugstore. Located conveniently near our local uptown 6 train.
Exquisite Cleaners
49 1st Ave.Our local drycleaner and tailor.
Sightseeing
Good views over the city. Make a reservation for early morning to avoid the crowds or at sunset for the view.
423 locals recommend
Top of the Rock
30 Rockefeller PlazaGood views over the city. Make a reservation for early morning to avoid the crowds or at sunset for the view.
Interesting museum that gives you a taste of what it was like living in the city on arrival.
603 locals recommend
Tenement Museum
103 Orchard StInteresting museum that gives you a taste of what it was like living in the city on arrival.
Count on a day or at least half a day to see this museum specializing in the immigration history of our country.
178 locals recommend
Ellis Island
Count on a day or at least half a day to see this museum specializing in the immigration history of our country.
Essentials
Our local wine store. Just round the corner on second avenue between 49th and 50th street
Diplomat Wines
933 2nd AveOur local wine store. Just round the corner on second avenue between 49th and 50th street
Morton Williams Supermarkets
908 2nd AveOur local grocery store. Open 24/7.
Whole Foods Market
95 E Houston StGood organic produce. Not too far from us.
Not cheap but lots of choice of beautiful veg and fish meat fruit and cheese and bread.
752 locals recommend
Grand Central Market
89 E 42nd StNot cheap but lots of choice of beautiful veg and fish meat fruit and cheese and bread.
Lots of good if not cheap food. Bakeries, Butchers coffeeshops and restaurants all in one converted warehouse building. Not to mention very good icecream stand!
1123 locals recommend
Chelsea Market
75 9th AveLots of good if not cheap food. Bakeries, Butchers coffeeshops and restaurants all in one converted warehouse building. Not to mention very good icecream stand!
Drinks & Nightlife
Bar with beautiful view over the water and out onto lower Manhattan. Make sure to make a reservation 15 mins before sunset. The view is worth the pricey cocktail. No jeans or sneakers allowed.
58 locals recommend
The Top of the Standard
848 Washington StBar with beautiful view over the water and out onto lower Manhattan. Make sure to make a reservation 15 mins before sunset. The view is worth the pricey cocktail. No jeans or sneakers allowed.
Camp piano bar in the west village. Been there forever. Go on Sunday after 11 pm. Kitch but can be fun.
45 locals recommend
The Duplex
61 Christopher StCamp piano bar in the west village. Been there forever. Go on Sunday after 11 pm. Kitch but can be fun.
Beautiful old bar located in Grand Central station that had been the old station masters apartment. Avoid the hours right after work as it is full of businessmen and can get too crowded.
45 locals recommend
The Campbell
15 Vanderbilt AveBeautiful old bar located in Grand Central station that had been the old station masters apartment. Avoid the hours right after work as it is full of businessmen and can get too crowded.