After growing up in NYC, here are some must sees imo. Some expected, some a little but off the beaten path.
Map
Sections
4
Manhattan
Brooklyn
Queens
Bronx
Manhattan
outside, free, worth seeing!
9/11 Memorial & Museum
You already know!
Aimé Leon Dore
high end foodcourt + shopping
Brookfield Place
Mexican/Cuban food, order a cuban sandwich
Café Habana
SO FUN, a bunch of little shops and restaurants you can explore from inside, great for a day with bad weather, close to High Line
Chelsea Market
historical & contemporary design, has one of the most diverse/comprehensive design collections with > 215k design objects across 3000 yrs
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Order a papaya smoothie and a couple of pastelitos (puff pastry filled with sweet or savory flavors)
DisFruta Juice Bar 207
I grew up going here and the same two ladies have been here my whole teenage years to now. Get a relleno (bread stuffed with cheese and ham) and a morir soñando (orange juice, evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla) or jugo de chinola (passionfruit)
Dyckman Bakery (@dyckmanbakery)
Dominican food, ROTISSERIE CHICKEN, order half a chicken with yellow rice and tostones for 2 people (ask for extra green sauce, mojito sauce)
El Nuevo Caridad
streetwear
Extra Butter
must order lomo saltado! Yellow rice with beef
Flor de Mayo Restaurant
Some of the best views perched high above Manhattan over the Hudson river. Cloisters Museum is in here and there’s a flower garden too.
Fort Tryon Park
Alexander Hamilton’s house
Hamilton Grange National Memorial
. Long lines, worth it, don’t lose your ticket they give you at the door! Order pastrami lean on rye with mustardThe oldest deli in New York (1888), famous "mile-high" sandwiches, deli classics, servers with bad attitudes and cash only.
Katz's Delicatessen - Since 1888 - NYC's oldest deli
Aaron Burr’s house
Morris-Jumel Mansion
Favorite museum, all things living past and present, dinosaur bones, stuffed dead animal, little scenes recreated from history, planetarium
American Museum of Natural History
Rose Reading Room is gorgeous, free to visit, great place to rest your weary dogs
New York Public Library - Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Amazing sandwiches with boar’s head meats and cheeses, robusttt chip and snack selection - take your sammy to Inwood Hill Park to eat and enjoy the views
Park Terrace Deli
HUGE italian sandwiches, authentic italian cured meats + vibes inside
Pisillo Italian Panini
humble gold jewelry reseller, popular with celebs, walk the rest of canal st to check out other gold resellers if you’re looking for something specific, negotiating is allowed!
Popular Jewelry
NYC icon, jewish deli, smoked salmon, other smoked fish, bagels, bagel sandwiches, long lines, worth it
Russ & Daughters
smoothies, supplements, crystals, vibes
The Alchemists Kitchen
beautiful grounds to walk on a nice day, explore the outside terraces for views of the Hudson
The Met Cloisters
American food, squid ink pasta and the gnocchi are our favs, nice to sit outside with the heaters when it’s cold
The Smith
Brooklyn
Cozy sushi in Williamsburg, order the white tuna nigiri + toro dynasty roll
Ako
The best vintage/used clothing in the city, long lines to try stuff on, worth digging for a couple of hours, GO WITH A PLAN of what you need (shoes, sweaters, tops, etc)
Beacon's Closet
Boutique bookstore with dope branding and a great kids section if you’re into that
Books Are Magic
elevated walkway/greenspace, flowers + views, Gansevoort St - 34th Street
The High Line
Vegetarian and vegan food in bright beautiful spaces filled with plants!
The Butcher's Daughter
Queens
built for the world’s fair, featured in MIB
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
South Indian food underneath Ganesh temple
Hindu Temple Canteen
Bronx
Beautiful produce, bougie groceries, yummy prepared food options for lunch and dinner
Garden Gourmet Market - Supermarket
Don’t go during the day, it’s a salsa dance club/bar at night, usually with live bands
Gonzalez y Gonzalez - SoHo | Greenwich Village, New York, NY
Order a Jamaican beef patty and a plain slice (they don’t call it a cheese slice over there!)