Before getting into this post, I want to offer a quick disclaimer. The present moment is an uncomfortable time, as a Canadian, to be promoting and sharing travel to the US given the current geopolitical climate. I want to make it clear that this trip was booked well before the trade and sovereignty threats against Canada, and as is often the case with travel, once bookings are made, they are often not refundable. We decided to make the best of our trip, and I can only hope that the situation improves in the near future. To my core I love to document my life and my travels, and would hate to one day regret not having a record of this trip in my catalogue, so I’ve opted to share a little recap for those who are in the process of planning a trip (now or in the future) and for my own posterity.
We arrived in New York on a sunny but blustery Friday morning, landing in Newark and taking the train into Manhattan. I’m unsure how it happened, but it had somehow been a whole decade since my last visit to the city, just a not-yet-nineteen year-old having just completed my first year of university, and on a little girl’s trip with my mom. This meant that this was my first visit to the city as a full-on adult, now with a much stronger sense of myself and the things I like to do, and (importantly) a bit more disposable income to spend on shopping, restaurants, and hotels than I had as a university student. It truly felt like the city was my oyster and there was so much to explore, and explore we did.
In case you’re planning a visit anytime soon, here is a little recap of everything we got up to over our 4.5 days in the city that never sleeps.
TO STAY
The Marlton: The perfect little hideaway in Greenwich Village, the Marlton felt like a little slice of Paris in New York City. A fully wood-panelled lobby space, with rich furnishings and cozy touches, is contrasted by light and bright rooms with the most beautiful mouldings and quaint details. I was particularly fond of the bathroom, with its black and white checkered floors, baby blue tiled walls, and stunning aged brass fixtures by Waterworks. I must admit to taking way too many photos of the sink because it was truly perfection, and will be a heavy source of inspiration for any bathroom renovations that happen to be in my future. We booked the Queen room, and while small, it was perfectly functional for two people with ample storage space and room to maneuver.
The location was truly the cherry on top, tucked just behind Washington Square Park on a quiet street just a short walk away from the shops and restaurants of the West Village. It was my favourite little pocket of the city that we visited during our trip, and I’m so glad that the hotel’s location afforded us the time to explore the neighbourhood. I’d recommend the Marlton wholeheartedly and would stay there again in a heartbeat.
TO EAT
I feel the need to preface this section by saying that this list is by no means exhaustive of all the incredible restaurants in New York City. These are simply the spots we went to that I would recommend and that I would be happy to revisit myself!
Bobo: An adorable little dinner spot in the West Village for our first night. I got the tagliatelle and Jonah got the burger — both were absolutely delightful.
Bleecker Street Pizza: The perfect spot for a slice and a sit break on our first afternoon.
St. Jardim: A cute spot for coffee and breakfast sandwiches during the day, and natural wine come nighttime.
Regina’s Grocery: We were feeling a little peckish (and slightly crowd-weary) on our afternoon in Soho, so we stopped in to share a sandwich. It was shockingly good, super fresh, and made for the perfect little mid-afternoon snack in a setting that felt like stepping into nonna’s house.
Soho Diner: Pancakes and matzo ball soup for dinner, the perfect meal in my books! The food was solid but the real draw of this place was the interior, which truly felt like stepping back in time.
Miss Ada: We ventured out to Fort Greene for this Mediterranean spot which came highly recommended, and it turned out to be the best meal of the trip. Get the hummus with lamb shawarma and thank me later!
Leon’s Bagels: We have some pretty solid bagels here in Toronto so we weren’t expecting to be blown away, but the sandwiches at Leon’s were extremely good. We got the smoked salmon and the sausage, egg, and cheese to share, but the smoked salmon won out for me.
Magnolia Bakery: The banana pudding is as good as they say!
Bar Pisellino: Another coffee shop-wine bar combo, Bar Pisellino feels like a little slice of Italy in New York. The coffee here was a favourite and the sweet treats looked heavenly.
Roey’s: We went during happy hour which definitely drew a younger crowd, but it was worth it for the deals. Personal sized pizzas were $7, and cocktails were $5. It was a super cute, casual little neighbourhood spot — perfect for a light bite to eat.
Russ & Daughters Café: We’ve enjoyed a lot of matzo ball soup over the years, but this spot was perhaps the best. The café is a sit-down outpost of the original Russ & Daughters appetizing shop, which was opened by a Jewish immigrant and has remained in the family for generations. Although the café is on the newer side, it’s maintained a ton of charm that was no doubt inspired by the over 100-year old original location. Clearly I love a restaurant that goes beyond good food and offers a transportive experience, and this one succeeded on both fronts.
TO SEE
Since we had each been to New York multiple times in the past and were on a bit of a short timeline, we decided to skip out on some of the more touristy activities like museums (although I would have loved to have had time for an afternoon at the MET or MoMA!), and instead chose to explore a bit more aimlessly. Here were a couple of our favourite areas to wander around.
The West Village: I honestly could have spent the entire trip just wandering around the West Village, with its tree-lined cobblestoned streets, historic homes, and quaint wine bars and coffee shops. The shopping in the area was also excellent — from Dôen, to Leset, to Buck Mason, to Diptyque — and I wish I had more time to peruse!
Washington Square Park: Just a short walk away from the heart of the West Village (and around the corner from our hotel) is Washington Square Park. It’s smaller in size, but was so lively on the balmy early spring afternoon we sat in the park. Jazz musicians played in the background, daffodils were blooming in the flower beds, and dogs were playing in the dog run. It’s the perfect little spot for a mid-day break or a picnic.
Lower East Side: Home to some excellent shopping (Sandy Liang, Coming Soon, Beverly 1975, Bode Men’s, etc.), and slightly less hectic than neighbouring Soho, we loved wandering around the LES. Start your exploring off with some nourishment at Russ and Daughters, do a loop around Ludlow & Orchard Streets for the shopping, make a little visit to the International Centre of Photography if that’s your thing, stop for some sweet treats at BonBon, and end on a trip to Old Friend photobooth at 145 Allen St.
Fort Greene: We ventured to Fort Greene in Brooklyn for our dinner at Miss Ada, and I wish we had more time to explore the neighbourhood during the daytime. The streets were lined with truly stunning historic homes, and there was a great selection of little shops, restaurants, cafés, and bars. Getting off the subway from the LES at Lafayette Ave, you could instantly feel the difference in the energy — it felt like a breath of fresh air after the congestion and slight chaos of Lower Manhattan.
Central Park: It goes without saying, but no trip to New York is complete without a visit to Central Park. We entered the park from the south via 6th Ave, meandered north to Bethesda Terrace, and then west to Strawberry Fields, before doing a little bit of wandering around the Upper West Side.
TO SHOP
Once again, this list is by no means exhaustive! Just a couple of stores I was able to squeeze in, although I could have easily filled an entire weekend with slipping in and out of shops. The options felt literally endless (obviously!) but unfortunately our time was not!
Salter House: I needed to make sure I fit in a visit to Salter House, and lucky for me, I got two! Salter House make quite possibly the prettiest pyjamas known to man, and they also sell the cutest home goods. It’s a very quaint little shop in the heart of the busy city, and walking in there felt like taking a big deep breath. While I didn’t leave with any pyjamas, I did get one of their in-house candles (it was nearly impossible to choose but I went with Burned Garland) and a stunning embroidered linen placemat.
C.O. Bigelow: The purveyor of the iconic Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy tortoiseshell headbands, C.O. Bigelow has been in operation for nearly two centuries. They sell all sorts of personal care goods from brands you might find at Sephora, but their in-house line of products is the real draw. From body lotions to lip care to the most beautiful toothbrushes I’ve ever laid eyes on, C.O. Bigelow is a must-visit if you love beauty and luxurious-feeling products.
Dôen: Somehow my first experience shopping in-store at Dôen after years of being a devoted customer, and it was everything I hoped it would be. The staff were so friendly and helpful, and it was nice to be able to try out a few pieces I’ve had on my wishlist. The entire end-to-end customer experience has never let me down with Dôen, and the store was yet another touchpoint to fall in love with.
Buck Mason: While the women’s line is a little bit tomboy-ish for my own personal style, my boyfriend loved the men’s stuff and actually left with a pair of poplin chino pants and a cotton-hemp t-shirt (an unlikely occurrence for a man who rarely buys clothes). I was really impressed by the fabrications and the thoughtful details in both the men’s and women’s lines, I found the prices to be super reasonable, and the staff in the various locations we visited were all extremely helpful and kind.
Goods for the Study: From what I could gather, Goods for the Study is a McNally Jackson-owned shop specializing in office supplies. These aren’t just your normal office supplies however; this shop is heavenly for the nostalgic, sentimental girls like myself. The most beautiful paper goods, an entire wooden cabinet full of pens, and the cutest little decor bits for your desk — I’m lucky there was a location close to our hotel because I had to pop in multiple times to peruse the shelves.
Sézane: It’s impossible for me to visit a city with a Sézane shop, and not pop into said Sézane shop (even if, in this case, it required me to wait in line). Although it was a weekend and the store was slammed, the staff were all super helpful and attentive. I’ve mentioned this already in this post, but it really is such a treat to see and feel and try on pieces you’ve been admiring online, and the in-store experience always just helps to bring a brand to life for me.
No. 6 Store: A multi-brand boutique in lower Manhattan selling an incredible selection of ready-to-wear (think &Daughter, Deiji Studios, Hereu, St. Agni, Martiniano, etc.) along with their own in-house line (including some amazing clogs). I spotted the most incredible Suzanne Rae patent opera pumps in-store, and now I unfortunately need a pair of opera pumps.
BonBon: The iconic Swedish candy store that I fear is worth waiting in line for. The shop feels a bit like stepping back in time, with its wooden shelves lined with candy containers. It was a playful and fun shopping experience, but most importantly, the candy was by far the best I’ve had the pleasure of tasting in my life.
There were so many other shops on my list that we didn’t have time to get to, including:
– Beverly 1975: homewares, some clothing, and unique finds
– Coming Soon: vintage furniture and contemporary design objects
– The Six Bells: a country store in the city
– Bode: oh to have had time to admire their senior cord pieces IRL
– Quarters: a concept store in Tribeca selling lighting, vintage furniture, and books
– Sea NY: the most whimsical of clothing brands
– Loeffler Randall: go for the shoes, stay for the ready-to-wear
– J. Press: one of the original purveyors of that classic Ivey style
– Teak New York: Scandinavian furniture, lighting, and decor
– The Analog Stationer: the kind of old-school stationary shop I could spend all day in
– Porta: beautiful, unique home goods
And that’s it! Thank you as always for reading! xx
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