My Favorite Spots in My New Neighborhood!
I am officially back in New York after a year abroad and I just moved in to my very own first apartment! Technically my family will use it when they visit, but it is a one bedroom and it definitely feels like my own space and my home style for sure shines through. For years we used my grandmother's apartment in the Upper East Side, and while I treasure that apartment and neighborhood along with all the memories I created there, I've moved on and it was time to move downtown.
I love my new location! Originally I wanted to be a little lower, like the center of Greenwich Village, but what's great about my new spot is that it's so centric and close to everything. Technically it's East Village, but it's more towards the center of Manhattan, so only three blocks from Union Square, and just as little from Greenwich Village and around a 15-20 minute walk from SoHo. I love that on any given day I can just choose a neighborhood and walk there and always switch it up! If the day is pretty it's even nice to walk a little bit more up to West Village and it's really close to Flatiron too.
Now that I am officially settled in and gotten the vibe and explored the new neighborhood more, I thought it was the perfect time to get back to my NYC blog posts and share with you guys the places I've been going and loving that are all 10 blocks or less from my apartment!
Everyman Espresso
@everymanespresso | 136 E. 13th Street
Finding a good coffee shop was crucial for me. I love the low-key, hipster vibe from this one and the people are super chill and cool.
Chloe's Soft Serve Fruit
@chloesfruit | 25 East 17th Street, 10003
This is what I was talking about my new location. This place is not part of my new neighborhood but it's still like five blocks away! Having this place so close is one of my favorite things about my new neighborhood. It's called "Soft Serve Fruit" because it's literally soft serve but only made out of water, fruit and a little bit of sugar. It sounds strange but I promise it is so good and close to the real thing. My favorite is the Salty Crunchy (banana and dark chocolate soft serve, pretzel, banana and dark chocolate chips and syrup).
The Bari
This place just opened a month ago! The space is beautiful, they offer Japanese and Korean fare and sushi as well. I loved that the menu was so varied and you have so many options from what to eat to price points.
Tim Ho Wan
@timhowanusa | 85 4th Ave, New York, NY 10003
You guys may or may not know that I am obsessed with dim sum. This place is originally from Hong Kong and it's actually the cheapest restaurant to have 1 Michelin Star.
Spa Blue
Of course it's important to identify where you'll be getting your nails done! This place is super nice and simple, small but with a tall ceiling. It's the perfect place to relax after work.
125 4th Ave, New York, NY 10003
Angel's Share
@angelssharenyc | 8 Stuyvesant St, New York, NY 10003
Finding a good bar is also super important. Although there are a ton of bars around me, this one is special. It's actually a speakeasy in the second floor of a Japanese restaurant. The drinks are awesome and it has the perfect amount of noise and good ambiance.
Cava
@cava | 143 4th Avenue, New York, NY 10003
There are multiple locations of this place around the city but I'm glad that there is one near me! This place is awesome because it's Mediterranean/Middle Eastern but it's fast casual. You can create either a bowl, pita, wrap, etc. using things such as falafel or lamb and add different dips (hummus, tzatziki, red pepper...) so the yummy possibilities are endless (and healthy if you want!)
Metropolis Vintage
@metropolisnycvintage | 43 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10003
I love having a good vintage store close to me because it's the perfect place to go get a fun, last minute outfit when you don't know what to wear. This place also has a huge t-shirt collection which I love that I can easily pick one up whenever and grow my collection.
Gotham Bar and Grill
@gothambarandgrill | 12 East 12th Street, New York, NY 10003
This is one of the nicer restaurants in the area but a New York classic. It's the perfect place to go with your family or if you're in the mood for a nice meal where a strong NYC vibe will be present.
Il Cantinori
32 E 12th Street, New York, NY 10003
Another nice, New York classic, but you know I had to include an Italian place. My mom has been going there since her post-college years living in the city and I love to think of all the times she would go at my age, the people that have been there in the 30 years they've operated and obviously their amazing pasta.
I am so looking forward to getting back to my NYC groove, trying new places, art exhibits, parties, and of course, eating my way through the city and telling you guys all about it!
* All images have been found through location's Instagram and/or website.
