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6.08.2011

TOURIST'S TOUR OF NEW YORK CITY



over the weekend we hosted some guests, and i got to take them on what is becoming my signature "tourists tour of new york city" tour. it was the perfect weekend, the weather was lovely, we saw just about everything worth seeing and ate just about everywhere worth eating, and about halfway through i thought like maybe i should make this something official? 

so here is the official post to make it official. here's what i do when friends visit the city and want to see all the good stuff and skip all the lame stuff and i am in charge of making all of their dreams come true:








day one
DOWNTOWN/BROOKLYN
0. start the day off with a bagel.
1. subway down to battery park and wave to old lady liberty. 
(ferry to ellis island if you' were feeling really touristy.)
2. walk up broadway, past wall street and ground zero, on to city hall.
3. walk across the brooklyn bridge.
4. wander around dumbo, down promenade, around brooklyn heights, after first stopping at the juliana's for some pizza.
5. get some chocolate chocolate chunk ice cream at the brooklyn ice cream factory after you've had pizza. (my very favorite)
6. maybe walk to clark street for a monkey roll at iron chef sushi.
7. take the 2/3 train at clark street to wherever you're calling home base. call it a day.

day two
MIDTOWN/VILLAGE
0. start the day off with a bagel.
1. eat them at columbus circle inside the shooting fountains.
2. walk east on central park south. see the plaza and stop in at fao schwarz.
3. walk south on 5th avenue. see st. patrick's cathedral, st. thomas cathedral, all the shops. and then wonder with me why the abercrombie is such a tourist spot because i can never figure it out.
4. hang a rightie at 30 rock and ride to the top. see the rockefeller stuff and radio city music hall while you're at it.
5. back to fifth avenue and on south to the public library cause it's lovely.
6. keep going south to the shake shack for lunch under the flatiron and gelato at eataly.
7. walk to washington square park and people watch.
8. roam the west village till your feet hurt. pizza at kesté for dinner.
9. take the subway home from the west 4th station.

day three
CENTRAL PARK/UPPER WEST/EAST SIDE
0. start the day with a bagel! i like sesame seed. no, don't toast it! 
1. american museum of natural history to say hi to the whale (or, if on the east side, the met to say hi to george washington crossing the delaware)
2. w a n d e r through the park. 
3. picnic at sheep meadow (i like to get a salad to go from the le pain quotidien right at the entrance)
4. walk to the met/walk to the natural history museum, depending on where you started from
5. pizza for dinner at patsy's (there's a patsy's on both sides of the park!)
6. dessert at magnolia on the west side (banana pudding) or sprinkles cupcakes on the east side.

OPTIONAL AWESOMENESS
wait wait--did you come here for shopping? 
soho for the madewell, h&m, zara, and topshop
times square for the giant forever 21 (why not)

47 comments:

  1. I was in NYC two weeks ago (staying with Erica and Spencer from your ward) and we went to Patsy's my last night there and. . . I died. How can any other pizza ever compare? I seriously am ruined for life.

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  2. I have been to NY for one afternoon and did not enjoy it. This makes me want to try again. Goo bad you don't know me from Eve ;)

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  3. I just had my first visit to the big apple a couple weeks ago. My husband is there for an internship and the city was a total dream come true! I'm glad I hit up most of these stops because I was looking like a guide like this on your blog and could not find one...until today! Great advice. By the way, I'm Ariel. "Long time follower, first time commenter, blah blah" Nice to meet you :)

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  4. Ha! I was just there, and even though I've been there so many millions of times, I STILL did almost this exact same thing.

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  5. ok, i seriously want to come visit!! but can we skip the sushi?? cuz i'm growing a couple of babies at the moment :) (yayyy!!)

    xo, em

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  6. I'm saving this for future use. Muchas gracias.

    North Meets South

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  7. AnonymousJune 08, 2011

    Girl! Sometimes you are just out of control! Love it!

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  8. My best friend lives on Long Island, so visiting her often includes trips into The City (capitalized on purpose, obvs). But let me tell you, people from Long Island generally going into The City for Broadway shows and to do exactly what they could do at home, i.e. eat at TGIFridays. I can't wait to impose your NYC tour on her!

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  9. AnonymousJune 08, 2011

    Natalie,

    I'm moving from PDX to NYC at the end of the summer and bookmarking all your posts about things to do. Nothing makes me feel more 'If I can make it theeeeeeeere, I'll make it anywheeeeeeeeeere!'

    Thank you!
    kristy

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  10. We're coming to NYC next year as the hubs' grad school present. (lucky duck).
    I'm so printing this off right now and adding it to our itinerary. Woot!

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  11. I've always always wanted to go to NYC! Soon soon. This tour sounds perfect and amazing and I want to go on it. Please take me? K thanks <3

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  12. AnonymousJune 08, 2011

    this is a GREAT NYC guide!

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  13. Wish I had a NYC vacation planned!...I've been having NYC relocation fantasies lately.

    What would really compel me to make a NYC vacation would be a You've Got Mail tour. Someday.

    Another first time commenter here. Yours is the only blog I do read. :)

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  14. I so wish you had posted this a couple days earlier. I am in the city and going home tomorrow morning. It looks like we hit most of the stuff you recommend, but there are lots of things I wish we could have done!

    I hope you have air conditioning now...its so hot! I'm 34 weeks pregnant and I think I'm glad to be going back to the dry heat in Utah.

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  15. i will pay big money for this tour as long as it involves spending the day with huck.

    and you, too, so we can just quote YGM dialog.

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  16. Yes! This is perfect! I'm from NY but live in California now. My boyfriend and I are going to visit next week and it's his first time in the city! I've been trying to figure out how to cram all the good stuff in without being touristy. And also eating copious amounts of food along the way. Love this, thank you!

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  17. this is a great tour! however, while i am also a sesame seed bagel girl (no other will do), i get it DOUBLE toasted because i love it so crisp and tasty. but the rest of your tour i'm totally down with.

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  18. i know it doesn't make me a true new yorker, but that bagel has to be TOASTED.

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  19. Abercrombie is really popular. I think I may know why! In Europe it is REALLY REALLY expensive. I just got back from Italy and there is about only one A&F there so it is like seen almost fancy, shocking. Our tour guide travels to the good ole USA a lot and stalks up on stuff and sells it for double the price back in Florence. Just thought you'd like to know why it may be so dang popular!

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  20. This post is written with some super great timing. I am meeting my hubby in NY in late August. He will be there for a work thing. Then we will celebrate our anniversary a couple weeks early. PLUS!! I love bagels:)

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  21. This is awesome! Thank you so much! :)

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  22. Magnolia's banana pudding is my hands down favorite! Mmm. I'm getting some in my belly the minute I step off the plane in a few weeks.

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  23. This makes me want to get to New York soooo much! It's at the top of my list.
    Just quietly, Huck is looking super cute in sunnies :)

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  24. oooh thanks for this I have bookmarked this for our trip to the US including NY in March next year! Did you take Huck along with you to all of these places? We will be travelling with our baby girl who will be 18 months! I am so excited!

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  25. Nat if i ever happen to get my little South African bum all the way to New York... pretty pretty please will you take me on this tour?!?!

    love amy
    @ http://www.amykeevy.blogspot.com/

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  26. I have never been to New York City! I am fairly positive that this tour would make me fall in love. If you ever want to come visit Boston, I will take you on the amazingly fun touristy tour complete with throwing tea in the harbor and eating your way through the North End. Did I mention the eating part? That's important. P.S. How do you keep from chewing on Huck's cheeks all day long?
    http://kindlykate.blogspot.com/

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  27. you are making me miss life in new york in a bad way. and that is a great 3 days - especially the BK bridge/central park portion. i would ask you to take me to cafe habana for some of their corn on the cob or gitane for the avocado toast as well though! pretty please?

    so happy to be a part of this styleathon with you. it is so fun to get introduced to so many other awesome mamas and babies!

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  28. Oh oh oh me, i wanna come visit next! I'd love the natthefatrat special please.

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  29. AnonymousJune 09, 2011

    Last time we were in the city, Dash in SoHo had a line worse than Abercrombie. Seriously, American Apparel next door has nicer stuff!

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  30. Ren HolowatyJune 09, 2011

    I am all about the sesame bagels!!! But more importantly, how freakin' cute is your little guy in that top picture!

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  31. AnonymousJune 09, 2011

    i am SO happy you posted this. i will be in NYC in a couple weeks and needed a schedule planned. i will be using most of this and then some from your other post about visiting NYC.

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  32. I definitely need to try that banana pudding sometime soon! And I work right next to a Patsy's but have yet to go there. But I have to say that I was NOT a fan of the alexander mcqueen exhibit, except for the "national romanticism" part - if I remember it correctly. The most I'll say to avoid being too critical is that he perpetuated what he tried to expose.

    Hah, other than that thanks for the suggestions!

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  33. Im in. I'll round up a group and you will most def be our tour guide.

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  34. will be there in october. TAKE ME SHOPPING!

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  35. YES PLEASE. I've been dying to go back to New York ever since my trip in 2003. Stupid money is stupid and hard to save.

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  36. Great tours, you bet!!...but...one of these days you're gonna believe me and the other couple of folks who have commented on this too: you must...must, i tell you, take the double decker bus tour one day. You will fall in love with the city in a whole new way...and see some fantastic things you can never see from street level. AND, it's "hop on, hop off" so you can do both.

    i'm just sayin...you'll whack yourself in the forehead and say "why did i wait so long to do this?"

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  37. sounds great! when i finally get to spend time in nyc, i'd like to see the high line, too. do you ever go there?

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  38. planning my visit now and i definitely want to take the rats tour of NYC

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  39. i just booked tickets to new york for 4 days in september and am SO excited (i'm from sydney, australia). i've printed this post off and am totally doing nathefatrat's tour of new york (without the chubby baby unfortunately).

    did i mention i am SO excited? thanks for the info!

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  40. I somehow missed this post, but I'd like to say that the next time I'm in NYC, I am taking your tour. And the husband can come if he likes, but that's what I'm doing, so there.

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  41. This sounds absolutely amazing! Definitely doing this the next time I find myself in New York!

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  42. not sure if you actually comment back, but maybe (hopefully!) lots of people have asked you this and you'll write a post on it or something- buuutt, i am visiting NYC this summer and i have been looking for a place to stay, but we can't seem to find one that we really like (price, location, and cleanliness). could you suggest any to those who want to do go on these tourist adventures but need a place to rest our heads at the end of the day? thanks and love your blog!

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  43. Thanks for the post and great tips..even I also think that hard work is the most important aspect of getting success..
    St.Thomas Taxi

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