NYC Travel Guide: Best Places To Eat, Shop & Go in New York City

New York City holds a special place in my heart. It’s the city I lived in straight out of college, having moved hundreds of miles away from home. It’s the city where I landed a job in Trend Forecasting. And it’s the city that taught me how to find my authenticity and what ultimately led me to pursue a career in Style Coaching. It’s now where I frequent for both work and play, and as you would guess, it’s quite nostalgic for me when I visit.

My most recent trip to NYC was for a branding photo shoot for my business. My husband and I extended our time there and enjoyed a long weekend eating our way through the city. When helping my Style Coaching clients get ready for their wonderful trips, I often get asked for my top recommendations for food, shopping and more so I thought you might enjoy a list of my go-to NYC spots.

Below are my favorite places to shop, eat and play in NYC. And I think it’s only fitting to start with one of my favorite pastimes, shopping!

Checkout the New York City Travel Guide Below!

Places to Shop in NYC

• SOHO (Broadway Street, and surrounding streets)
• Upper 5th Avenue (start at 50th & 5th Avenue at Saks Fifth Avenue & walk up to 58th & 5th Avenue at Bergdorf Goodman)
• Bleeker Street (from 7th Ave S to Hudson St)
• Meatpacking District (W 14th St x Hudson area)

Places to Eat in NYC

Lunch/Dinner

During my recent trip, we ate at Le CouCou, Lafayette, Mission Chinese and a few others.

• Le Cou Cou – Fine French dining with an updated, elegant, and just cool atmosphere. Barnett and I ate here on our last trip and loved it!

 

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Tout de lapin. “All of the rabbit” prepared three ways- as an elegant, gourmet roulade, roasted with mustard sauce, and bubbled in a meat-and-vegetable stock. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Photo by @grubstreet⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #lecoucou #starrrestaurants #michelin

A post shared by Le Coucou (@lecoucou_nyc) on Jun 19, 2019 at 12:45pm PDT

• Lafayette – Lafayette is a French inspired café and bakery at the corner of Lafayette Street and Great Jones Street just south of Union Square. It is a favorite spot of mine as I love sitting outside on the terrace and people watching!

I have many favorites! What can I say? I love great food, and am thankful my husband does too!

• Palette at Bergdorf Goodman (for a ladies lunch break when shopping)
• Mission Chinese
• The Spotted Pig
• Balthazar
• La Grenouille
• Locanda Verde
• Fred’s at Barney’s
• The Standard Grill (at The Standard Hotel)
• Cafe Gitane

Places to Go in NYC

• • Metropolitan Museum of Art -The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from every corner of the world, and is one of the world’s largest and finest art museums.

 

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We have had THE BEST time in NYC this weekend, staying at The Bowery Hotel, brunch at abc kitchen (which also happens to be a gorgeous home store and I had to stop myself from buying EVERYTHING in there!) and then going to the MET to see their new costume exihibit with the theme ‘CAMP’. ? This evening, we had dinner at Le Coucou, something I’ve been looking forward to all week! I love this city – there is always so much to see and always something fun to do… Let me know in the comments if you’d like a NYC travel & style guide from me? . . . . #thatsdarling #datenight #nyc #metmuseum #darlingweekend #flashesofdelight #sundayfunday #memorialdayweekend #oneofthebunch #igfashion #instastyle

A post shared by Megan LaRussa Chenoweth (@megan_larussa) on May 26, 2019 at 7:50pm PDT

 

• Frick Museum – Both the mansion and the works within it serve as a monument to one of America’s greatest art collectors. View its current exhibitions HERE.
• The High Line – NYC’s elevated park is certainly one of more popular New York attractions everyone needs to check off their list. The urbanite playground features wildflowers, greenery and outdoor art installations in addition to killer views of New York’s skyline.

• DUMBO – The Brooklyn neighborhood of DUMBO sits right where its acronymed name suggests: Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, where its narrow cobblestone streets, stunning views, and artistic vibes give it an all-season beauty and an energy unlike anywhere else in New York City.
• National September 11 Memorial Museum– The Museum’s 110,000 square feet of exhibition space is located within the archaeological heart of the World Trade Center site – telling the story of 9/11 through multimedia displays, archives, narratives and a collection of monumental and authentic artifacts.

What to Wear

When it comes to packing for a trip, it is about comfort, versatility and style, of course. I always recommend taking a stylish sneaker that can be paired with many outfits like a great pair of jeans or dress. In addition, a pair of dark wash jeans and other items that can be dressed up or down are musts. See below for my shopping selects and favorite brands.

Looking for more guidance when it comes to creating outfits for travel without over packing? Join me in the SYC Society and receive the exclusive shoppable guide on How to Create a Travel Capsule Wardrobe. To learn more, click HERE or the image below.