New York City! So much to see! So much to do!
The Big Apple Tips:
Have cash on you! Lots of places are cash only or have a high minimum for cards
Use the Subway to get around, it is super easy and convenient. Each ride costs $2.75, just get a card from any station and refill it as you need.
NYC is massive, plan to spend a good chunk of time in the city if you want to be able to truly explore.
La Guardia is a bit of a pain to fly in/out of because only cars/buses can get you there and it’s in the northeast corner of the city, plus they are doing a massive renovation right now making the traffic atrocious. At JFK you can take the Subway and therefore not have to worry about traffic. You can also fly into Newark as an option. From Newark you can take the train into Penn Station and then subway from there. Rideshares from Newark are particularly expensive because there are a lot of tolls to cross into the city.
Per usual I will remind you that it is much nicer to visit when it is warm outside and not in the dead of winter so that you can actually enjoy walking around the various boroughs.
Want a more slow paced and scenic adventure while you’re in the area? Head up to the Hudson Valley area! Check out my guide here.
Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations:
Other Half Brewing: A fantastic brewery with phenomenal beers. They are mostly an IPA brewery but they also make great Lagers and Stouts. Other Half has 3 locations in NYC:
Center Street: This is their original taproom. It is a small space and can get packed but it is a fun atmosphere.
Domino Park: A beautiful, modern taproom located right across from the river. Domino Park itself is across the street and is a beautiful park with great views.
Rockefeller Center: A small taproom in the heart of Manhattan. They have a beer garden in the summer months as well!
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway: AMAZING! So magical. Highly recommend. If Harry Potter isn’t your thing (you’re crazy), I would still recommend seeing a show on Broadway for the experience.
Empire Fulton Park: Grab a bagel and a coffee and sit by the water admiring the skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge!
Torst: A killer beer bar with chill vibes and an insane tap list. Very sleek space with extremely nice staff and a small food menu. Pricey but worth it!
Fifth Hammer Brewing: Delicious beers, frequent food trucks, dog friendly. Located in Long Island City.
Beer Street: A great beer bar with two locations: the OG is located between Williamsburg and Greenpoint and Beer Street South in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. Beer Street is a small beer bar with a killer tap list, reasonable prices, and chill vibes. Beer Street South is much larger than the original space and has even more taps.
Proletariat: A small unassuming beer bar with 12 taps, some of which are local, some of which are not. They also have some cans and bottles to choose from.
Grimm Artisanal Ales: Tasty beers in a vibrant setting. This is a popular spot so it can be very packed and loud as a forewarning, but the beers are worth it!
Evil Twin Brewing: A top-notch brewery with two locations in NYC—Ridgewood and Dumbo. Ridgewood has a nice airy taproom and patio space but it is definitely a hike from most spots in the city. The Dumbo taproom has great views outside and both have similar tap lists.
Finback Brewery: Another great brewery with two locations—Glendale and Brooklyn. The Glendale taproom is their original spot and definitely off the beaten path. Their newer spot in Brooklyn is within walking distance of a bunch of other breweries and a cool space. They have a huge tap list at both spots full of great beers. In Brooklyn they also have a small food menu via Dumpling Up
Grimm Artisanal Ales
touristy nyc things worth doing:
Central Park: The absolute “must” in NYC, but be forewarned it is absolutely massive! Plan ahead if there is something specific you want to see/do in the park. The Central Park Zoo, The Met, dog parks, and more are housed here.
Liberty Bagels is a touristy but delicious bagel spot nearby Central Park
Walk the Brooklyn Bridge: If you do it on a weekend mentally prepare yourself for hoards of people, but a must!
The Met: A fabulous art museum located in Central Park. Tickets are $25 and you can buy them online ahead of time to skip the line. The museum is massive, so plan to spend a good chunk of time here.
Bryant Park: It’s just another park, but it’s pretty and a nice place to sit and relax
Times Square: Honestly just walk through it once on your way from point A to point B to see the giant signs and shops, otherwise you don’t need to spend time here.
The High Line: An elevated park with tons of greenery. Beware it gets very packed!
The Standard is a beer garden on the High Line with limited hours.
Staten Island: Take the free ferry to SI—you don’t need a ticket or anything, just line up and board. On the way to SI you’ll want to be on the right side if you want to see the Statue of Liberty, left coming back. The ferry ride is ~25 minutes each way.
9/11 Memorial and Museum: A somber visit to the World Trade Center recognizing the victims of 9/11.
Grand Central Terminal: A rail station that is absolutely beautiful inside!
Tenement Museum: Immigration museum with various exhibits and experiences. Buy tickets in advance or you might not get in!
Empire Fulton Park
Other NYC Things To Do:
Threes Brewing: A Lager-focused brewery making quite delicious beers. They have 5 taprooms across the city: Gowanus, Greenpoint, Governors Island, Huntington and Moynihan. The Gowanus taproom has a full food menu from their onsite kitchen The Meat Hook. They also have several guest beers and wines.
Talea Beer Co.: I visited their Williamsburg taproom which is a cute little spot with good beers. They also have a Cobble Hill taproom and a Grand Central space.
Wild East Brewing: This brewery is in the heart of Brooklyn and makes a wide variety of beers. They have a nice space and solid beers.
Interboro Spirits and Ales: A chill brewery with good beers and a small food menu. They are right around the corner from Grimm.
Devocion Coffeeshop: Several locations in NYC filled with plants and delicious coffee!
Kills Boro Brewing: They are on Staten Island and have super delicious beers. They have more dive bar vibes than brewery inside and a cute outdoor space.
Chuko: A solid spot for Ramen in Brooklyn. Right across from Bier Street South!
Baba Cool: A cute spot for breakfast, lunch or coffee! They have two locations: Fort Greene and Williamsburg.
Flagship Brewing: Another brewery on Staten Island with lots of games and a very chill space.
The Bushwick Collective: Located at 427 Troutman Street, there is a ton of street art and some nice bars and restaurants in the area as well.
Bridge and Tunnel Brewing: A small spot with lots of taps and funky vibes.
Queens Brewery: Another brewery option with a large space, frequent live music, arcade games, and a coffee bar.
Sey Coffee: A cute coffee shop with skylights, plants, and delicious scones!
Circa Brewing: Their lunch special is a great deal—pizza, salad, beer for $15! They have outside seating in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn. Their menu is mostly pizza but they have a few other things along with wine and cocktails. They have happy hour and weekend brunch specials as well.
The Bronx Brewery: Extremely nice staff and a backyard to hang out in when the weather is nice. A small tap list but solid beers.
King’s County Brewer’s Collective: A dog-friendly brewery with board games and chill vibes. Pricey, average beers.
The Wheelhouse: A yummy grilled cheese restaurant!
Fifth Hammer
Wander East Village: Lots of cute bars and restaurants to explore here!
Boris & Horton: A cute little dog-friendly café.
Tompkins Square Bagels: Super touristy and packed bagel shop with a plethora of options. Don’t get your bagel toasted—they are freshly made. You can also order online!
Chelsea Market: Food hall/shopping combo in an old warehouse.
Big aLICe Brewing: In Long Island City, this is a small brewery with average beers.
Rockaway Brewing: A small brewery near Fifth Hammer with 11 taps. They have a second location at Rockaway Beach.
East Harlem Bottling Co.: A beer bar and restaurant with a decent draft list, stop by if you’re in Harlem!
LIC Beer Project: A small brewery in Long Island City with solid beer options.
Pier 66: Frying Pan is a bar on the pier that has cute nautical vibes but is a bit pricey. It moves with the water so if you get seasick I would not advise it.
Skip:
The Charging Bull: it’s surrounded by tourists most of the time and nearly impossible to actually see. When you do catch a glimpse it’s not as exciting as the hype.
BierWax: A beer bar with two locations in Brooklyn and Queens. I was not super impressed here—they served my beer in a plastic cup, the staff was rude, they only offered 16oz pours and everything was very over priced.
Keg & Lantern: A brewpub with average beers and mediocre service. They have specials every day and a full food menu.
As Is: A beer bar in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood with mediocre service and mediocre food.
Strong Rope Brewing: Pricey, average beers.
