NYC Local Edition

Talk about a whirlwind! These last two weeks since you’ve heard from me have been full of summertime goodness. I made the executive decision to close up shop for a couple of weeks so I could do a little end-of-summer battery recharge with my fam. While our cutie pie was away at camp, my hubby and I had the chance to sneak away to New York, and then we squeezed in some family time in Dallas for the rest of the week. Talk about laundry overload! We absolutely loved NYC—even though we had to limit our trip to 3 nights. Of course, that isn’t nearly enough time to “see everything,” but when you know that going in, it actually makes the whole thing pretty relaxing. We got lost in neighborhoods, ducked into quaint little shops, took lots of selfies, and ate and drank our way through most of the city.

GO METS GO!
GO METS GO!

I’m sure my husband, a 30-year NY Mets fan, will tell you that his favorite part was getting to see his team play at their home field, but mine was simply wandering the villages without a tourist’s agenda. That’s the thing about a long weekend—with a little strategic planning, you get to enjoy a place like a local. This was such a great experience that I think we’ll be doing it more often (and of course reporting back with our findings!). Curious how we got such a great local experience in a short period of time? Read on for my tips—all totally applicable to just about any city you visit.

How to #GoLocal in {any} Big City

 

1. Dodge the major tourist zones. This was our “downtown trip.” We plan to return with our daughter to do more of the mid and uptown family-friendly things, so we chose to spend 90% of our weekend below midtown. Let me tell you—when we sojourned up to  Times Square on our way to a little restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen, we thought we were in a whole other city—and not in a good way. It amazes me that this is the area most people choose to stay in when they visit. World: you are completely missing New York by bunking in Times Square. If you want to play with the locals, you can’t hole up in tourist town.

TIMES SQUARE
TIMES SQUARE. JUST. NO.

 

2. Run errands. What do your Saturdays look like? A trip to Costco, shlepping your kids to baseball practice, and cleaning house? Let me introduce you to the downtown New York version of this: put your dog on a leash, your baby in the stroller, and bring your bags to the Union Square Greenmarket—the biggest and best in the city—and pick up some meats, breads, desserts, and cheeses for the week (all local, of course). We walked the market, found breakfast (coffee and pastries for about 1/10 the price of Starbucks), and enjoyed people watching from one of many adorable green park tables.

BUYING BREAKFAST AT THE UNION SQUARE GREENMARKET
BUYING BREAKFAST AT THE UNION SQUARE GREENMARKET

 

3. Park it. New York City may be the concrete jungle, but that only makes the parks all the more precious. We stopped at several during our neighborhood strolls and saw kiddos squealing in the playground water features, puppies racing ‘round dog runs, neighbors chatting over coffee or ice cream, street performers, book readers, and community. We saw New Yorkers being New Yorkers in the city they love, and we were privileged to get to join in.

 

4. Break the chains. We spent our cash at exactly 4 “chain” businesses—Shake Shack at the Mets game (I mean….you gotta do it), CVS for cold medicine, the W Hotel in Union Square where we stayed (I wanted the not-so-chain-y Standard Hotel, but got voted down by the guy who knows I have shopping & expensive wine issues), and Panera one morning when I legitimately needed a Cobblestone. For the record, I have zero problem with chains (restaurants, shopping, whateves), but those places are usually there for the tourists, not the locals. If you want the local experience (and the best souvenirs), skip 5th Avenue and instead ring the bell at a basement shoe store in the West Village or a funky-smelling vintage window shop in Chelsea.

THAT DID NOT COME FROM PIZZA HUT.
THAT DID NOT COME FROM PIZZA HUT.

 

5. Eat in small, loud rooms. Trust me on this: the celebrity chef fine dining establishments aren’t the only places with good pasta and osso bucco. I’ve eaten at Batali & Bastianich, Lagasse, Michael Mina, Wolfie, Colicchio, Nobu, and many other big name celebrity chefs, and I can honestly tell you that I had a comparable meal at little Osteria Morini in SoHo.

What I missed out on: (1) snooty waiters, (2) spending an extra $300, and (3) seeing my husband in a tie.

What I gained (aside from a bigger shopping budget): (1) a daringly fascinating menu (Parmigiano Gelato(see below)…for starters), (2) gentle and attentive service, and (3) a fun (not stuffy) atmosphere.

Maybe I’ve been dining at Chick-fil-a for too long, but there is an energy that builds in a restaurant that is unafraid to play music loud enough that its patrons have to talk over it—I think it actually makes the food taste better. I’m not saying I’ll never again be checked in to Craft or Spago, but I think I’ll save my celebrity chef sightings for Vegas and NOLA. New York is a place for good, local vore that reflects the neighborhood and its diners just as much as its chef.

THAT AIN'T ICE CREAM. OSTERIA MORINI GAVE ME A WHOLE NEW REASON TO EAT BREAD WITH THIS DELIGHT.
THAT AIN’T ICE CREAM.
OSTERIA MORINI GAVE ME A WHOLE NEW REASON TO EAT BREAD WITH THIS DELIGHT.

 

Our weekend in NYC was, in my opinion, the best kind of tourism—the kind that gives your eyes a slice of life and local culture, the kind that makes you want to return. Sure, with more time, we would have dug deeper into the history, the arts, and the attractions…but this long weekend was like the perfect first date: it left us totally satisfied, genuinely intrigued, and looking forward to the next time.

CIAO CHOW,

..AUTUMN