I still don’t know whether it’s their texture, their flavor, or their size that makes these chocolate chip cookies so good, but they’re undeniably one of the most popular baked goods in NYC. Read more.
The Beacon was home to the Tony Awards, and their line-up is a good mix of “your parents music that you actually like” and “your music that your parents actually like”, which is definitely good thing. Read more.
You really need to go for the chickpea fries, which taste like a cross between a falafel and a crispy stick of deep-fried hummus. Read more.
843 acres of park in the middle of a sprawling metropolis? Not a bad thing to be able to walk to (or through) every day. Read more.
Riverside Park boasts bike and pedestrian paths along the Hudson river, plus tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts. Read more.
The Smith is an NYC mini-chain, but this is its best location by far. It’s huge, with tons of outdoor seating and a great view of Lincoln Center. Read more.
It’s hard to go wrong with anything on a Daniel Boulud menu, but maybe the smartest thing to do at Bar Boulud is to order wine and charcuterie and just people-watch. Read more.
Celeste doesn’t accept reservations (or credit cards), but it’s worth the wait. Their pizza is the best in the neighborhood; wood-fired, with a crust that’s not too thin. Read more.
Plenty of people stand by the fact that The Sensuous Bean serves the best cup of coffee on the UWS, but what’s really special about the store is the international variety of coffee and tea. Read more.
This two-story wonderland has all the supermarket essentials plus pretty much everything you’d find in a specialty food store. Read more.
The silver dollar pancakes are everything you want them to be, and you can’t go wrong with any of the smoked fish offerings. Read more.
TJ’s can get crowded, so go early in the morning on weekends or in the middle of the day during the week. The store is well-stocked and the long line always moves pretty quickly. Read more.
The underground Whole Food’s at Columbus circle is smaller than many outlets, but there’s a decent grocery selection, a big prepared food bar, a sushi counter, a coffee bar, and a juice shop. Read more.
Citarella is the place you’re guaranteed to find whatever high-end item you randomly find yourself needing, be it fresh truffles or a whole rabbit. Read more.
A Manhattan landmark, Zabar’s is part Jewish deli, part specialty store, and part home goods retailer. Go for the cheese, olives, and SodaStream carbonator refills (and the free rugelach samples). Read more.
We know froyo is annoyingly everywhere, but hear me out: Tasti D-Lite isn’t frozen yogurt. It’s “frozen dessert.” Tasti’s product, is a fluffy, not-too-sweet combination of dairy, sugar, and air. Read more.
Tickets here are a little more expensive — $20 for adults, as opposed to $15 most other places in the city — but it’s worth it for the huge comfy chair and footrest. Read more.
The restaurant started in 2007 and has since earned a Michelin star and plenty of great reviews, but it flies far enough under the radar that a celebration dinner that doesn’t feel trite. Read more.
Whatever it is you’re looking for, you’ll be able to find it here. There’s so much inventory that they even have one of those sliding ladders that you thought only existed here. Read more.
This three-block stretch houses strip mall staples like Whole Foods, Sephora, HomeGoods, Modell’s, Michaels, and TJ Maxx. Read more.
You order at the counter, then find a seat and get your food whenever your buzzer buzzes. The system is blessedly uncomplicated, which means everyone can just chill the hell out and focus on the view. Read more.
The vibe is very relaxed, everything is always fresh, and their lamb burger rivals even the city’s most fabled versions. Or get the Greek salad with salmon, which is also perfect. Read more.
It wouldn’t be NYC if there wasn’t a Shake Shack around. Like every location, this one is crowded. Unlike every other location, you can walk a block and eat your burger in Central Park. Read more.
This is a place where you can get a heaping plate of spaghetti and meatballs or a heaping plate of seasonal salads, which makes it perfect for a big, group. Try the chicken meatball! Read more.
This place doesn’t overcook the chicken, gives you a choice between salad and mac and cheese, and serves baked potatoes and sweet potatoes that are soft and hot and wonderfully plain. Read more.
Skip the rowdier, frattier bars a couple blocks down and go to e’s. There’s a good amount of seating, a ton of board games, and you won’t feel ridiculous being over the age of 25. Read more.
Everything is good, nothing is blow-your-mind great, which frankly is exactly what you should want on a (slightly hungover?) Sunday morning. Read more.
Come here for the kind of restaurant food that doesn’t taste like restaurant food at all. The eggs and pancakes are unpretentiously good, but the biscuits and strawberry butter totally steal the show. Read more.
The right thing to do at Barney Greengrass is to order eggs scrambled with onions and sturgeon, which is the house specialty. If you hate white fish, the smoked salmon is also really, really good. Read more.
