It’s no secret whatsoever that spring is my favorite season in New York— in fact, I love it so much that I choose to spend as much time here as possible in April and May, trading traveling for being a homebody. I just cannot miss the best season ever in the best city ever.
To me, nothing beats the first warm day of the season, when people scamper to the parks to sunbathe, when a glass of white wine enjoyed on a restaurant patio feels like a post-winter palate cleanser, and when there’s signs of life to be seen all around, from the cherry trees to the neighborhood dogs rolling around in the fresh grass.
When I am home for months at a time, I make sure to really load up on doing and seeing as much as I possibly can. Here’s how I’ve spent the past few weeks and weekends in New York.
Eating and Drinking
Enjoy a meal at Theodora
I cannot stop raving about Theodora to anyone who will listen. It’s one of the best restaurants in the city, and it happens to be in Fort Greene (my neighborhood)?! This meal makes me feel lucky to be alive. The flavors are fresh yet nuanced, the ambience is on point, and everything feels so well balanced. Must orders include the wood fired beets with salsa macha, the sourdough with whipped ricotta, the wood fired sweet potato, the lamb, and the chocolate cake (which I’ve had thrice in the past two weeks). The cocktails are incredible too— the La Cigua is the closest I’ve come to having a spiritual experience recently.
You need a reservation if you want to eat at a normal time, or if you show up 20 minutes before it opens, you can walk in and sit at the bar. I won’t deny that I’ve pulled this move for a drink and the chocolate cake alone…
Grab a cocktail at Portrait Bar
No need to look further, I’ve found the best cocktail bar in Manhattan! Located in the Fifth Avenue Hotel, the Portrait Bar is cozy and feels very intimate with its plush velvet interiors and wood burning fireplace. They have some of the best bar snacks I’ve consumed — the marcona olives and french onion dip are scrumptious, and perhaps the dip was served with some of the best and sturdiest potato chips I’ve ever had? I am imminently planning a return trip on the next rainy spring day to take the hot dog au poivre for a spin…
Dine in the Eleven Madison Park bar counter
If you want an introduction to Eleven Madison Park’s fantastic and innovative plant-based dining but don’t want to commit to spending time or money on their full tasting menu experience, I highly recommend enjoying their abbreviated menu in the lounge area. Mark and I went for drinks and small snacks the other day, and ended up accidentally eating a (not so) light dinner consisting of a selection of their new spring menu items.
I didn’t get a photo of my favorite course (the ramen) but the broth and buckwheat noodles were absolutely fantastic and so incredibly flavorful! As always, we were treated to a glimpse of the calm and spotless kitchen, where one of the chefs made us a fantastic sorbet and vegan meringue dessert.
Grab a leisurely lunch at Red Hook Lobster Pound
I’ve been on a hunt for the perfect lobster roll in NYC for two years now, and I have a new frontrunner — the Maine style roll at Red Hook Lobster Pound. It’s simple and rather straightforward, and the roll is perfectly buttery. If you come here, sit outside and don’t mess around and waste your time with any other menu items, the lobster roll and fries will do. After we ate here, we journeyed to Strong Rope Brewery for a drink on the water, with a view of the Statue of Liberty.
If you’ve never explored Red Hook before, I highly recommend you do this sometime Thursday - Sunday, as most of the local shops are closed Monday - Wednesday. We made the mistake of going earlier in the week, so there are many places I want to go back to!
Dinner on the patio at Oxomoco
Oxomoco isn’t new, but it’s been my favorite Mexican food in NYC for three years now, and I recently went back to make sure it stood the test of time (for research purposes). Thankfully, it does!! You cannot go wrong here, but the thing I dream of most is the tuna tostada with salsa macha (a powerhouse of the condiment world). Make sure to really enjoy the extensive salsa spread they provide, preferably with the guacamole, and don’t forget dessert.
Hot take (it shouldn’t be): Mexican desserts are truly the best and they don’t get enough love and appreciation!
Activities
See Human / Nature at Fotografiska
If you’ve never been to Fotografiska, you must add it to your list. As a photography lover, it’s my favorite museum in the city. There’s a cute cafe with fresh pastries in the lobby, and you can actually buy any drink you want and take it through the whole museum with you, whether it’s a latte or a glass of wine. This exhibition (through May 19) explores the complex relationship between our planet and the humans that inhabit it. It’s the perfect display to peruse on an overcast spring day, bringing flora and fauna inside for your viewing pleasure.
I’ve been dying to visit Japan, and although the Japan Society isn’t a substitute for experiencing the country itself, it’s fascinating to pay it a visit and immerse yourself in four centuries worth of zen paintings created by Bhuddist monks.
Zen Paintings from the Gitter-Yelen collection is being displayed through June 16. This activity pairs perfectly with an afternoon visit to the MoMA— they’re only a 25 minute walk apart! We opted to visit the MoMA first for lunch at The Bar Room, and then we beelined over to the Japan Society for our fix of zen.
Walk from the top of Manhattan to the bottom
I’m rather late to the party, but I recently started watching (bingeing) Broad City. In one of the episodes, the two main characters, Abbi and Ilana, walk from the “tippy top” of Manhattan (Inwood) to FiDi. I’d been dying to do this ~15 mile walk for awhile, and there are truly so many ways you can do it, but we incorporated the following stops that I believe aren’t to be missed:
Sylvan Terrace, a charming hidden street in upper Manhattan, is a picturesque row of 20 wooden row houses flanking a cobblestone lane, originally the carriage drive to the Morris-Jumel Mansion, exuding a quaint, historical ambiance right in the heart of the city.
Morris Jumel Mansion, Manhattan's oldest house, is a grand Colonial-era residence nestled in Washington Heights, renowned for its rich history, including serving as George Washington's headquarters during the Revolutionary War.
Hamilton Grange National Memorial is the historic home of Alexander Hamilton, a meticulously preserved Federal-style house that has been relocated to St. Nicholas Park in Harlem.
Trinity Church Cemetery is a serene and historic burial ground that serves as the final resting place for many notable figures, including Alexander Hamilton, and features striking Gothic Revival architecture amidst its peaceful, green landscape.
Lunch at Red Rooster in Harlem
Morningside Park, nestled between Harlem and Morningside Heights
Cherry trees in Central Park — the best ones in my opinion are around the Reservoir, and as of this being published, they’re still in bloom!
Sadly, we only made it to Colombus Circle before it started raining and we gave up, but we ended up walking around 5 hours to cover ~150 blocks. I’d love to do this again and finish the whole length! In the end, I was stunned by the many gorgeous landmarks I had never even heard of, and I believe that I would have never seen them had I not done this walk.
Spend an afternoon at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
As a self-proclaimed flower fanatic and spring lover, BBG in April is the place to be! They have so many varieties of cherry trees, so between March and May, something spectacular is always in bloom. A few weeks ago when I visited, the cherry trees around the Japanese garden were pregnant with blossoms, and as of this being published, the whole cherry esplanade is now in peak bloom. I’m actually going back tomorrow, because I can’t keep away.
Ok, that’s it for now, but happy exploring!
See ya next week,
Bella