The Ultimate New York City Guide | Lower Manhattan (Part 2)
This post is Part 2 of my New York City Travel Guide! New York is such a big city with so much to see and do and a plan is important…otherwise, you’ll spend your time crisscrossing the city, trying to figure out what to do next. Staying in close proximity to the sights you want to see and planning to eat at restaurants that are close by will allow you to spend less time traveling from place to place and more time enjoying the sights! I hope you enjoy this post! My daughter Rebecca painstakingly put together both of these guides and they are very comprehensive!
Image from nycgo.com
Lower Manhattan
Soho/ West Village/ Gramercy
Stay
The Mercer
Located in the heart of Soho, the Mercer Hotel is one of the most famous hotels in New York. With only 74 rooms, this hotel is on the smaller side but the accommodations are beautiful with neutral modern rooms that are warm and spacious. On any given day you’ll likely see paparazzi waiting outside the entrance to snap a photo of a famous actor or singer as this hotel is favored by celebrities.
The Broome Hotel
The Broome is a charming 14-room boutique hotel in Soho. The space is beautifully furnished with a contemporary feel and is centered around a charming courtyard, a rare find in NYC. If you love the Soho area and are looking for an intimate and charming hotel, the Broome is the perfect stay!
Imaged below from thebroomenyc.com
The Bowery
With one of the coziest lobbies in all of NY, complete with woodburning fireplaces and big leather chairs you won’t want to leave in the cold winter months, the Bowery is one of the city’s most luxurious hotels. The rooms are warm and inviting with a sweet teddy bear on each bed to make you and your family feel at home. There is also a beautiful restaurant and bar located in the hotel. I have stayed in this hotel and it is lovely!
Images below from theboweryhotel.com
Nine Orchard Hotel
Housed in a building that was originally the Jarmulowsky Bank and built in the early 1900s, the building has been meticulously restored to its former Neo-Renaissance splendor. The lobby features grand, arched windows and ornate ceilings; pink Tennessee marble floors, and Botticino marble walls, this is a stunning hotel to stay at in lower Manhattan.
Images below from nineorchard.com
Eat
Commerce Inn
The Commerce Inn is a Shaker Inspired Early American restaurant located in the West Village. They feature delicious yet simple recipes that you would find in someone’s home like pork chops with plums, green beans with bacon, and warm fruit cobblers. The interior honors the history and architecture of the 1900s West Village and is a cozy and homely atmosphere to enjoy mouthwatering comfort food.
Images below from thecommerceinn.com
I Sodi
Owned by the same chefs as Commerce Inn, I Sodi is named after Rita Sodi who grew up in Italy. I Sodi crafts some of the best Italian food in the west village in a warm and cozy restaurant. This is a wonderful spot for a delicious italian meal downtown.
Images below from theinfatuation.com, isodinyc.com
Frenchette
A beautiful French restaurant in the west village, Frechette offers delicious French dishes and amazing wine. This a wonderful place to stop in for wine and frites while shopping or to make a dinner reservation for a special meal.
Images below from guide.michelin.com, frenchettenyc.com
Balthazar
An iconic Soho brasserie, Balthazar opened in 1997 and has been a bustling NY eatery ever since. Serving French fare from breakfast through dinner every day, and brunch on weekends, this is a great spot for a meal while shopping around Soho.
Images below from instagram.com
Estela
One of the most celebrated restaurants in the United States, Estela holds one Michelin star and is serving up signature dishes that are now considered New York City classics. The environment is intimate and cozy for dinner, brunch with friends, or a cocktail late at night. Estela is the perfect downtown New York restaurant!
Images below from estelanyc.com
Jacks Wife Freda
An all-day bistro that invokes the memories of being welcomed home again by loved ones, Jack’s Wife Freda is the perfect spot for lunch or weekend brunch when bopping around the Lower East Side. The interior is bright and charming and the food is delicious and comforting. They have locations in the West Village, Soho, Chelsea, and Williamsburg.
Images below from jackswifefreda.com
Buvette
With tiny tables and a bustling atmosphere, Buvette feels like the perfect neighborhood spot for a true New York City meal. Offering French classics such as ratatouille, coq au vin, and cassoulet, Buvette is always bustling and fun any time of day, they have a particularly wonderful brunch!
Images below from ilovebuvette.com
Le Coucou
Acclaimed chef Daniel Rose shares a fresh approach to classic Frech food at Michelin star restaurant, Le Coucou. The food is stunning and delicious and the space is beautiful and sophisticated. The perfect spot for a fine dining experience in the city!
Images below from guide.michelin.com
Drink
Mace
Named one of the World’s 50 Best Bars for three years in a row, Mace is a unique cocktail bar on W 8th St in Greenwich Village. The bar was opened in 2015 by acclaimed French bartender Nico de Soto and Cocktail Kingdom’s Greg Boehm and is now a know destination in Lower Manhattan. Mace serves cocktails based on individual spices and ingredients. Think Makrut Lime Leaves, Batak Pepper, and Dill. A truly unique experience and an unforgettable drink.
Images below from macenewyork.com
Shop
Hudson Grace
We stopped in Husdons Grace when we visited New York and December and loved everything in the shop! They have beautiful tableware, home decor, candles, gifts, and more! Be sure to stop in!
Image below from hudsongracesf.com
Jenni Kayne Home
Many of us know Jenni Kayne for their buttery soft cashmere sweaters but they also have a beautiful home line of luxury furniture, home accessories, and kitchen and dining wear, all in their signature neutral color palette and full of texture and warmth. Check out their beautiful Green Street location next time you are roaming around Soho.
Image below from jennikayne.com
ABC Carpet & Home
The meca of home goods and artisan gifts including ceramics, fine jewelry, books candles, and more, ABC Carpet & Home is a must-visit. They also have a wonderful restaurant, abc kitchen that serves delicious new American fare.
Aesop
Found across the world and known for its amazing hand soap, Aesop is a luxury skin and body care brand founded in Australia. Each store is meticulously designed by a different architected and the products are of the highest quality and smell and feel amazing on the skin. Highly recommend stopping in just to experience the space. Each store is different and all are beautiful! Have a cup of their signature rosehip mint tea and wash your hands with their luxury soaps. There have locations across Manhattan and Brooklyn!
Photos below from Aesop
What Goes Around Comes Around
Opened in the early 90s, What Goes Around Comes Around has grown to be one of the best luxury consignment stores in the city. The shop is beautiful and the inventory is even more fabulous! Be sure to stop in, you’ll find things you won’t find anywhere else!
Photos from What Goes Around Comes Around
Joanne Hendricks Cookbooks
Tucked away down one of the cobblestone streets in the West Village is Joanne Hendricks Cookbooks. This independently owned bookstore sells rare, vintage, and out-of-print cookbooks, along with classic cocktail books, unique menus, old photographs, and collectible tableware. This a great spot to find something special and unique for your favorite cook. Be sure to call ahead as the shop hours are a bit unpredictable.
Photos below from atlasobscura.com
Experience
The Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney - located in the West Village, focuses on 20th and 21st-century American Art. The permanent collection offers more than 25,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, films, videos, and new media by more than 3,500 artists. The museum places an emphasis on exhibiting the work of living artists as well as maintaining an extensive collection of important pieces from the first half of the last century. The Whitney is a great way to spend an afternoon taking in some art!
Tenement Museum
Located on the Lower East Side, the Tenement Museum is a unique experience that shares the stories of early immigrants in New York. On a guided tour you will see the building these families lived in and learn what their lives were like as New York formed into one of the most booming cities in America.
Images below from tenement.org
Village Vanguard
This iconic jazz club opened in 1935 and began as a venue for folk music and beat poetry. As jazz grew in America, specifically New York, the venue shifted to a more jazz-focused club hosting some of the most renowned musicians in the genera including Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Mingus, and Stan Getz. The venue is recognized as launching many of these well-known musicians’ careers and it to this day one of the most iconic jazz venues in the country.
Image below from npr.org
CAMP, A Family Experience Store
If you happen to be traveling with children I highly recommend visiting the CAMP store. CAMP is the ultimate play and shopping experience. With themes that change often and countless activities for kids, this is such a fun spot to take your littles. And it’s free!
Image below from camp.com
Eataly
With several locations across the globe, Eataly is a giant Italian marketplace for Italian goods. The market not only has specialty food items but a variety of restaurants, bars, a coffee shop, gelato, a bakery, and even a cooking school. Eataly is such a fun place to visit! You can grab a glass of wine and stroll through the store, have a meal in one of the many restaurants, or pick up a few items to take home!
Images below from timeout.com, www.cntraveler.com, thepinnaclelist.com
