New York Visiting Guide

I used to live in New York, and from time to time, people ask me for my recommendations and thoughts on the best things to do in the city. I’m always sort of hesitant, since a city like New York is so big and there are so many things to do that recommending things really only seems to me to be an exercise in describing myself. If you’re me, I say, then this is what you would do. Nevertheless, I am here going to give some recommendations for things to do in New York, divided by category.

Good restaurants to eat at

A slight caveat, before you get started: I’m a vegan, so these are going to be vegan and vegan friendly restaurants. Apologies if that isn’t super helpful to everyone. Another caveat is that I became a vegan after I left the city, so my list of recommendations has sort of warped and shrunk as time has passed.

jajaja - Mexican - Vegan only, $$, Lower East Side, Manhattan jajaja This place is great for lunch or brunch or dinner. Everything on the menu is plant based as well.

Screamer’s pizzeria - Pizza - Vegan only, $, Greenpoint, Brooklyn Screamer’s Pizzeria

Mamoun’s falafel - Falafel - Vegan options, $, Multiple locations, Manhattan Mamoun’s

Orchard Street Grocery - Deli sandwiches - Vegan only, $, Lower East Side, Manhattan

Avant Garden - Fine dinning - Vegan only, $$$, East Village, Manhattan Avant Garden

Dirt Candy - Fine dinning / Experimental - Vegan only, $$$, Lower East Side, Manhattan Dirt Candy

Nakamura - Ramen - Vegan options, $$, Lower East Side, Manhattan Nakamura

Ivan Ramen - Ramen - Vegan options, $$, Lower East Side, Manhattan Ivan Ramen

Places I liked to drink

anywhere around - everywhere in the city I did have a neighborhood bar, but, honestly, I don’t want anyone making any trips out to anywhere special for a drink. The truth is, the best bar is the one that’s close to you that you can tolerate. Personally, that typically means a dive bar of some kind.

Things I liked to do

Museums

Whitney Museum - Manhattan - Fine art museum, on the Highline park on the west side of Manhattan. Great for a whole afternoon. (Whitney)[https://whitney.org/]

MoMA - Manhattan - the classic Modern art museum. Does not really need my recommendation. [MoMA] (https://moma.org/)

MoMA PS1 - Queens - the experimental gallery of the MoMA, where the real modern art is. It’s great! PS1

Metropolitan Museum of Art - Manhattan Met museum

Brooklyn Museum - Brooklyn - Fine art / history Brooklyn Museum

Sports

Nets Game - Brookyln - I just like basketball, but I don’t want to pay to go to Madison Square Garden

Mets Game - Queens - I like baseball, but I don’t like the Yankees

Plays and such

I haven’t seen any currently running plays or musicals in New York. I mostly saw smaller and off and off-off broadway stuff when I did go and see things, as I didn’t like spending money on the big shows. There is a lot of good stuff in those two categories though. These links are good places to start: Off Broadway Off-Off Broadway

Parks

Central Park - Manhattan Elizabeth Street Garden - Manhattan The Highline - Manhattan

Random Tourist Stuff

Staten Island Ferry - Manhattan / Staten Island It’s free, and it gives you the best view of the Statue of Liberty

Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge - Manhattan / Brooklyn Imagine what it must have been like to see it built and then to walk across it

Movie Theaters

Alamo Drafthouse - Brooklyn Alamo Brooklyn

Village East Cinema Village East Cinema