WHERE TO EAT:
Juice Press: Let’s be real, you probably came to NYC with dreams of eating pizza & only pizza. That’s great & all however trust me when I say after pizza for your second meal, your body will be BEGGING you for some sort of veggie. Any veggie. Even fruit. It’ll take whatever nutrient it can get. Juice Press will be your NYC bestie: always looking out for you, making you feel great & look even better. It was the place we started nearly every morning with. My favorites are their Mint Chip Protein drink, Ginger Fireball shot, & Acai Bowls. Oh & their kale chips. Did I mention they also have healthy soft serve too…!!
Old Rose: When carbs are the main focus of a menu, I’m a happy person. Who isn’t, right?! This chic yet cozy spot in the West Village is the true definition of a hidden gem. Located inside the infamous Jane Hotel, there is not one thing on this menu we wouldn’t recommend. From their Cashew Kale Salad to their Rigatoni Bolognese (we licked this place clean…) to their vodka & truffle pizzas, you’ll leave with both a full heart & stomach.
Maman: A shabby chic restaurant with a cozy patio & banana waffles? Yes please. Not that any further description is necessary to sell you on this place but Maman should without a doubt be a breakfast stop on your NYC trip. You’ll likely end up spending hours chatting or doing work on their patio long after your meal has ended (order their famous chocolate chip cookie during this time) as it truly feels like a home away from home, no matter where you’re coming from.
PARM: Parm is one of those spots that I’ve taken countless screenshots of & have had on my NYC bucketlist for probably 3 years now. It’s safe to say there will NOT be another NYC trip without heading here. Holy yum this place truly lived up to the hype. With food that tastes as good as it looks, you’d be a fool not to order their chicken parm (duh) sandwich, rigatoni fra diavola, & ice cream cake. You can thank me later.
Melt Shop: If you’re in a rush (who isn’t in NYC??), looking for an inexpensive yet tasty meal, or want some late night eats (most locations are open until 10pm), Melt Shop is your place. We might have gone a little nuts when ordering getting everything from both types of their chicken tenders (buffalo parmesan & hot honey) to the buffalo chicken grilled cheese & of course, cheesy tots. It’s a cheese lovers paradise & was one of our favorite spots throughout the entire trip.
Bonberi: This healthy spot not only has delicious prepared salads & smoothies but it also is the best place to shop for snacks. Their curated selection of tasty yet good-for-you treats makes it our dream place to shop for food. Make sure to get the Caesar salad & Bonberi green smoothie!
Hu Kitchen: Y’all know we looooove Hu Chocolate so it’s no surprise we love their storefront in NYC. Paleo entrees & snacks galore make this such a fun spot for lunch that will leave you energized throughout the day!
The Village Den: You’ve probably heard of Village Den due to one of their owners being Antoni from Queer Eye & like the show, everything here is perfection. The staff could not be kinder, the food is healthy yet delicious & the vibe is spot on.
Lil’ Frankies: Umm hello best pasta & pizza & bread in the WORLD. Seriously this might be our new favorite place in the whole country. Their spaghetti limone came highly recommended & truly rivals pasta we’ve eaten in Italy. If they have the butternut squash gnocchi special when you’re there make sure to get that as well! Other favorites are their Bianca pizza & garlic bread. YUM.
Sunday in Brooklyn: We love this little spot for brunch although we’ve heard their dinner is incredible too! Make sure to get the Havana Honeybear drink that comes in a cute honeybear container & is beyond tasty!
Bondst: If you’ve been to Katsuya in LA, Bondst is super similar, which says a lot as we LOVE Katsuya… Their crab crispy rice, tuna tarts, & tuna crispy rice all make our mouthes water just thinking about it!
19Cleveland: Where to even begin with this spot. The decor is a Pinterest dreamland, the food is healthy yet absolutely delicious & honestly we need to know who made their playlist… We loved the hummus & pita, avocado toast, & fatush.
Some other favorites: Carbone, Prince St. Pizza, Worlds Best Cookie (they have cookie dough stuffed cookies as seen here!!), Lure Fishbar, by Chloe, Rocky’s Pizza (for their pasta pizza!) & Serafina.
WHERE TO SHOP:
Everlane: Y’all know I loooove a good basic & whenever I’m in NYC I pop into Everlane to load up on new ones. They make the coziest yet cutest clothes & I’m especially a big fan of their jeans. They don’t look like jeggings but they feel like them which is a dream come true, am I right?!
Soho: While this might be an obvious answer, we cannot not put it on the list. With stores from Anine Bing, Zimmermann, Bloomingdale’s & more, it’s one of our favorite spots to explore within NYC.
Marché Maman: Yup, this place gets even better than we could have expressed in the ‘Where To Eat’ section. At the entrance to the restaurant is the store of our dreams filled with shabby chic home decor, adorable kids clothing & baked good. Dreamy, right?
Meatpacking District: Another area that we love for shopping however this one is less obvious. Over the past 10 years, the Meatpacking District has been on the up & up. Now with stores such as Jeffrey’s, DVF, the entire Chelsea Market, the new Restoration Hardware & the Gansevoort Market, you can easily spend a day (& lots of $$$) getting some goodies in this area.
LoveShackFancy: Bleecker Street is home to some of the best boutiques in the country including the newly opened LoveShackFancy! This whimsical wonderland has the cutest decor & clothing making it one of our favorite spots in NYC.
WHERE TO WORKOUT:
Studio B: My two favorite fitness instructors are NYC based & both happen to teach at Studio B aka workout heaven. Amanda Kloots & Megan Roup also teach at other studios around the city but Studio B is my favorite for it’s central location & incredible boutique, Bandier, located downstairs!
Walking: Whether it’s through neighborhoods or across the Brooklyn Bridge, walking in NYC is such an easy way to feel & look great.
Dance Body: This upbeat workout makes the time fly by which is something workout classes typically do the opposite of. You’ll feel sore in your entire body the next day from their dance cardio + weighted toning workouts making it the perfect way to get in shape asap!
New York Pilates: Aside from their absolutely stunning locations – no seriously, it’s what we want our dream home to look like – these classes are equal parts strengthening & soothing. The combination of stretching mixed with toning leaves you long, lean & sore!
Private Classes with Megan Roup: Megan is not only one of the best trainers in the world, she’s also one of the sweetest humans ever! She works with you to ensure you have the best workout for what you’re hoping to target & work on. We can’t recommend workouts with Megan enough!
HOW TO GET AROUND:
Lyft: Ali & I would not have survived this trip to NYC without Lyft. We were going from meetings uptown to showrooms downtown, back uptown for interviews & back downtown to meet up with friends nearly every single day of the trip. Being in Lyft meant we had a guaranteed safe trip to our destination with a driver who actually knew where they were going all while we could either explore out the windows, get emails done (majority of the time we did this & it kept us from coming home at night to more work — maaaajor lifesaver), or as Ali did… NAP! 😂
By Foot: When weather, & time permitting, being able to explore NYC by foot is such a dreamy experience. You’ll likely wander upon shops, people, & of course, lots of pizza places that you didn’t know existed.
WHAT TO PACK:
Everlane Jeans: As mentioned above, Everlane makes some of the best jeans EVER. They’re cozy, practical, can be dressed up or down, & last a lifetime. I wore a pair of their jeans the majority of our trip & was so happy about that decision.
Sneakers: Chances are you’ll be walking a ton in NYC, planned or not. Having a cute pair of sneakers that were comfortable, kept your feet clean from weather, & looked great with any outfit was a major packing win.
Layers: The fun part about NYC is you never know what the weather will be like. One day it’s raining & cold, the next a heat wave & by the end of the day it’ll be snowing. Ok so maaaaybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration BUT having layers is a must when traveling to NYC.
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