A Not-Too-Touristy Guide to New York City
Written by Brenna
If you’re planning a trip to NYC, you’re probably a bit overwhelmed with just how many famous things there are to do, and trust me we get it. How are you supposed to pick a rooftop bar out of the near-hundreds of recommendations? Which observatory is worth the big bucks to catch the city views from? A trip to New York City is not for the faint of heart. I love the controversy around NYC ‑ how some people adore the bustle and find the endless opportunities magical, while others find it overcrowded and overwhelming. During our trip we faced moments of both, but overall had a wonderful experience. I think the key to having a great New York trip is really just to plan ahead. In our opinion, New York City isn't necessarily a trip you’d want to “wing-it” with. Luckily, this guide is here to help by providing a list of all the spots we loved ‑ a lot of classics, but some lesser‑known spots. Now don’t hold me too tightly to the title, I said not too touristy, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy some famous spots. We are just visitors, after all, so we’re here to tell you what we loved during our visit.
The guide will be in this order:
Attractions
2. Restaurants
3. Coffee
4. Bars
Plan away, and be sure to head over to Instagram - @travelbybrenna to tell us about your trip!
Hotels
Hotel 50 Bowery
Our lodging area of choice for a trip to NYC is lower Manhattan. We prefer proximity to the food and nightlife scenes of the East and West Villages as well as the Brooklyn Bridge, over the over-touristy Midtown. Hotel 50 Bowery (Book on Expedia) in Chinatown features some incredible views from the higher‑up rooms, a rooftop bar, and a very thoughtful staff. We booked this stay with by transferring our Chase Sapphire points to Hyatt for a great value (Sign up for Chase Sapphire)
hyatt centric wall street
If you're ok with no frills but looking for a clean, spacious, sound-proofed room, and great service, check out the Hyatt Centric Wall Street (Book on Expedia) in the financial district. We also booked this stay with Chase points transferred to Hyatt at a great deal (Sign up for Chase Sapphire) for a last-minute trip and were totally pleased with the accommodations we got for points spent. Spacious rooms are hard to come by in NYC, and their double queen bed room easily fits four people with bags.
Attractions
The Basics ‑ Times Square, Central Park, The Met
Times Square (open in Google Maps) is worth stopping by during one of your nights in NYC. We recommend visiting on your first night to feel the fun city energy. However, you only need about 20 minutes to walk through the area. The shops and restaurants nearby are all chains, and the area is filled with tourist traps. However, if you’ve ever dreamed of shopping at American Eagle at 1am, this is your chance (far be it from us to judge, live your dream!)
Strolling through Central Park (open in Google Maps) is something you can’t miss. I can’t imagine a local or tourist who couldn’t enjoy this lively yet peaceful, iconic park. The views of the midtown skyline are gorgeous, and after a few days in the city you’ll be very happy to see some trees!
The Met (open in Google Maps) is truly incredible. You could spend a whole day checking out the Monet’s, Van Gogh’s, and Picasso’s. Even if your trip is short, be sure to budget at least a few hours to see the highlights. We had visited the Louvre only a few months prior, and while of course nothing can quite compete, all of the work exclusive to the Met still certainly makes a visit worthwhile.
One World Observatory
If you’re going to pay the big bucks to visit an observatory, it makes sense to choose the tallest, and perhaps the most historically significant building in the western hemisphere. The views from the One World Observatory (open in Google Maps) are pretty spectacular, and the educational experience on the ride up is unique and interesting. It’s certainly worth visiting, but be sure to book ahead of time and be ready for lots of crowds. We recommend booking one of the first time slots, as we visited for sunset and the amount of people was pretty overwhelming.
Brooklyn Bridge
Walking the Brooklyn Bridge (open in Google Maps) is such a fun and iconic experience. The views are immaculate. However, I cannot stress enough how important it is to be sure to do this early. I’d recommend waking up for sunrise, otherwise you might be wading through a crowd the entire way and hardly be able to take a picture.
D.U.M.B.O
DUMBO ‑ the “Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass” neighborhood (open in Google Maps) holds plenty of restaurants, coffee shops, shopping, a seasonal vintage market, and amazing photo opportunities if you get there early. We recommend stopping through after or on your way to your Brooklyn Bridge walk.
SoHO
The buildings in the SoHo neighborhood (open in Google Maps) really are beautiful. It’s easy to see how all the NYC fashion influencers rose to fame walking around the area in those outfits with an impossible number of layers. When we visited, it was not too crowded, but I’ve heard it can get quite busy and become “the Gen-Z Times Square” on the weekends. Even so, it’s definitely worth walking around the area for some shopping and great pictures.
Little Island + The High Line
A new park in Hudson Yards, Little Island (open in Google Maps) is an architectural delight with fun musical features, an amphitheater, and great views of the city. Make it your first stop before walking the High Line.
The High Line (open in Google Maps) has such a good ring to it. In the words of one of our favorite artists, Justin Vernon,
“We met up at The High Line. Great Park.”
I’d have to agree. It’s an elevated walking path with incredible views of the skyline and Hudson Yards area. Start near Little Island and end at The Vessel. It’ll probably be crowded no matter when you go, but we enjoyed it regardless of the busyness.
Washington Square Park
The Greenwich village area is packed with history, music, and some very famous pizza joints. We recommend taking a stroll around and ending at Washington Square Park (open in Google Maps) to people watch. It’s hard to say exactly what it is about Washington Square Park that’s so cool, but it just is. Enjoy the skaters or get stopped by TikTok street interviewers - all a part of the New York experience at this point, right?
2. FOOD
Prince Street Pizza
This pizza from Prince Street Pizza (open in Google Maps) was the first thing we ate in New York. It was the first “New York Slice” either of us had ever tried, and I went into it thinking “how good could it really be, it’s just pizza”, but oh MAN did this blow us away. The spicy pepperoni slice with the zing of their fresh tomato vodka sauce and crispy, chewy crust was absolutely delectable. I’ve heard the line can be quite long, so I’d try to go at off‑peak hours. We only waited about 15 minutes at 8pm on a weekday. I think it could be worth up to a 45 min wait if you have the time.
Russ & Daughters
Being lifelong West-coasters, it was high on our list to try a real East Coast bagel on our NYC trip from Russ & Daughters (open in Google Maps). We grabbed a number at this famous Appetizing shop (note this spot actually does not want to be called a deli) and waited about 20 minutes to be called. We got everything bagels with lox, tomato, capers, and schmear and it was indeed the best bagel we’ve ever had.
L’Artusi
NYC is known for it’s hard‑to‑get‑in Italian spots and we managed to snag a reservation at L’Artusi (open in Google Maps) a couple weeks ahead of time. We sat at the bar and had a fabulous selection of appetizers (we particularly loved the focaccia and tuna tartare), and pastas. It was a lively nighttime vibe with great service and would be perfect for a romantic date night or girls night out.
Momofuku Noodle Bar
We’ve loved every David Chang Netflix series and were so excited to finally try one of his restaurants. Momofuku Noodle Bar (open in Google Maps) was a packed house on a Friday night and of course, the pork buns and ramen did not disappoint. A perfect spot if you want to dine in but are still looking for something on the more casual side.
L’industrie Pizzeria
After trying a couple more pizza spots, we thought nothing could beat Prince Street, but we were wrong. L’Industrie (open in Google Maps) had different, but equally as perfect slices with unique toppings ‑ my favorites were the burrata slice and the Mike’s hot honey slice.
Crown Shy
Warning - this is a pricey one. Crown Shy (open in Google Maps) is one of the hottest new restaurants in NYC. It specializes in what I would say are familiar favorites but done perfectly ‑ think truffle ravioli and caramel apple sticky toffee pudding. If you’re looking for a splurge on some Michelin‑starred, innovative, yet approachable, small‑plates, you’ll love this. It was the best meal we had all year.
wayan
If you're looking for something unique and packed with flavor, stop by Wayan (open in Google Maps), an Indonesian fusion restaurant serving up share plates and chic evening vibes. The interior matches its trendy Soho location, and the lobster noodles will blow you away. Prices are high (sigh, this is a pattern in NYC), but if you're going to splurge it may as well be on something you've never had before. This is a fun one!
Moono
This gorgeous and lively upscale Korean spot totally blew us away. Great for a celebratory night out or a fun date night, Moono (open in Google Maps) is a perfect New York take on Korean classics, with plenty of innovative dishes. The salmon appetizer was one of our all-time favorite bites, if they have it, don't miss it!
katz delicatessen
Have you ever wanted to eat a pastrami sandwich at 3am? A late-night stop by Katz Delicatessen (open in Google Maps) is a new essential for us for every New York trip. Walk in here any (and I mean ANY) time of day and you'd think it's dinnertime with how packed this institution is with black-clad 20 and 30-somethings of New York. The $27 might just be worth it for mouth-watering high-quality brisket absolutely PILED onto this sandwich. Don't forget the fries for those late night munchies. Be aware, this place is a system. Grab your ticket, order different things at the different counters, pay your ticket after you've sat and eaten, and don't lose it as they'll validate it on the way out.
3. Bars
Kobrick Coffee
I can’t speak for the coffee as we only stopped in for drinks, but we had a lovely happy hour in the back room of this aesthetic cafe before dinner in the West Village. While Kobrick Coffee (open in Google Maps) made for a great happy hour, the coffee shop looked to be a beautiful study or reading space as well.
The Dead Rabbit
The Dead Rabbit (open in Google Maps) is consistently rated one of the world’s top 50 bars. This historic Irish joint features a pub and a famous cocktail lounge. We visited the cocktail lounge on New Year’s Eve and we can confidently say the cocktail creations will blow you away. It’s a spendy experience, but you’ll have a great time chatting with your talented bartender.
Employees Only
Employees Only (open in Google Maps) is also on the top 50 bars list (this ends up being an unintentional theme here). Here you’ll find craft cocktails in a bustling, classic cocktail lounge-style space. We didn’t get a reservation and waited in line for about 20 minutes around 9pm. It’s the perfect type of spot to start or end a lively, classy night out.
Double Chicken Please
Double Chicken Please (open in Google Maps) is yet another NYC bar on the top 50 bars list. We wish we could have made it here for the food, but the cocktails were fascinating. They were all served on draft, but that didn’t make for any lack of flavor. We had some of the most unique drinks and house shots I’ve ever tasted. From what we could tell, the back room had more to offer as far as food and traditionally made cocktails, but you’ll have to be pretty on top of it to get that reservation.
The Immigrant
A super cute hangout in the East Village, The Immigrant (open in Google Maps) serves up natural wine, brews, and cocktails. We sipped a glass of orange wine at happy hour before heading to Momofuku Noodle Bar and felt right at home in the cozy brick space.
The Crown at 50 Bowery
If you’re near downtown and looking for a cool rooftop bar, The Crown (open in Google Maps) is a perfect spot. It hosts epic views of both the downtown and midtown skylines and serves all the classics. We only popped in on a weeknight, but it appears to turn into more of a club on the weekends. We were staying in the hotel below so a visit only made sense for us, but we liked it enough to recommend in general if you’re in the area.
4. Coffee
La Cabra
Famous for its beautifully crafted pastries and modern design, La Cabra (open in Google Maps) certainly lives up to the hype. We actually have visited the original locations in Denmark, but the NYC one is even better. Grab an espresso and milk and a cardamom knot and you’re on your way to an incredible day.
Ludlow Coffee Supply
A cute stop at the base of Hotel Ludlow, Ludlow Coffee Supply (open in Google Maps) has some fun flavored drink options, quality espresso, and quick service. This was the first coffee we had in New York, and it made us super excited for all the other coffee that the city had to offer.
%ARABICA - DUMBO
Even though it’s a Kyoto‑based coffee chain with over 100 locations worldwide, this location of %Arabica (open in Google Maps) is worth mentioning due to the incredible views of the Brooklyn bridge and high‑quality espresso roasted on-site.
SEY Coffee
SEY (open in Google Maps) is famous for its beans served in coffee shops all over the world. As Seattle locals we’re familiar with bags of SEY sitting for sale in our local coffee spots. It’s fun to visit the original SEY location, featuring unique decor, great coffee, and intentional service with information about the roasts.