Jordan’s Local Recommendations
In addition to having an amazing NYC walk and experience, here are other great things to do and places to go that most visitors don’t know. New recommendations are added regularly.
Eat
Westville
Westville is like an upscale diner with delicious, healthy-focused and reasonably-priced food. The always have numerous daily vegetable dishes, lots of salads, and meat as well. The service is cool and excellent, and Westville has a bunch of locations including in Dumbo, FiDi, SoHo, Chelsea and the Upper West Side.
Buvette
Everything about this French bistro/cafe is lovely: the space, the feed and the street it’s on (Grove). I especially recommend it for breakfast and lunch during the week when it’s less crowded. I also recommend their French toast which is the best I’ve ever eaten.
Bar B
This compact, standing-room-only Chelsea spot serves Italian wines by the glass, bruschetta and pasta. There are a few seats outside if you can snag them. It’s a cool tase of Europe on Seventh Avenue between 16th & 17th Streets.
Nizza
I love this modern Italian bistro for its great food, lively atmosphere and location just to the west of the Times Square theater district. Whether or not you want dinner before or after a show, Nizza is a great choice.
Moustache
Inspired by Lebanese bakeries, this no-frills, reasonably priced gem has been making really delicious entrees, small pitzas and tapas for a long time in the West Village.
Hudson Clearwater
This cozy, seafood-focused spot is near the Hudson River in the West Village and has it all: great food, service and ambience, including this quiet patio out back.
Suprema
The menu is small, the food is varied and outstanding, and the open atmosphere is cool and low-key. Hint: if you’re a party of two and you’re also hungry for great Village street dining, ask for an outdoor table on the Bleecker Street side of the restaurant.
Buceo 95
If you’re on the Upper West Side, or even if you’re not, go to this completely delicious, neighborhood tapas and wine bar. If you are there on Monday or Tuesday, tell they owner’s Courtney and Jim that Jordan sent you.
Hang Out
Washington Square music
For most of its life, Washington Square in Greenwich Village has been an informal performance venue for quality musicians, some of whom have gone on to become big stars. I highly recommend sitting on a bench near a musician, enjoying their art, and supporting them when you move on to a nearby cafe or restaurant.
Manhattan’s only beach
Take in a breeze or sunset behind Jersey City on this new small, sandy strip in Hudson River Park at Little W. 12th Street. There are some chairs, umbrellas, and food options nearby. This isn’t a ‘day-at-the-beach’ kind of place, but it is a cool way that NYC is expanding its outdoor offerings.
Meatpacking Square
That’s my name for this surprisingly chill and sizable plaza on the eastern side of the Meatpacking District in Greenwich Village (Hudson and Ganzevoort Streets). For some reason, it’s rarely crowded and there’s free wifi if you can get it. There are also restaurants close by which makes it a nice casual lunch or dinner spot.
Union Square Farmer’s Market
This is NYC’s largest farmer’s market and there’s something wonderful about it. Maybe it’s the colors, that it’s food-only, the hustle-bustle, or that you can eat what you bought in Union Square Park which the market surrounds. It’s open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays all year long.
Picnic Performances
Bryant Park is a beautiful Midtown oasis and hosts a free, high-quality live arts series throughout the summer. The picnic is on you, but the park has a huge lawn and terrace with lots of tables, chairs and shade.
TWA Hotel
It’s not actually in New York City, but if you’re flying in or out of JFK Airport, hang for an hour or two in the former and infamous TWA Flight Center, now a trendy hotel. Designed by Eero Saarinen in 1962, it is a Midcentury Modern masterpiece with endless curves, lounges, restaurants and a bar in a plane out back.