After getting married in New Hampshire, my (new!!) husband and I were off to New York to attend another wedding on the following weekend! We’re both lucky that our jobs are fairly flexible when it comes to working remotely, so we worked from New York (he in his company’s NYC office, and me from coffee shops, libraries, etc) for a few days.

I’ve been to New York probably between a 15 and 20 times, but this trip marked a bit of a turning point for me, in that I finally feel fairly comfortable exploring and navigating the city. Coupled with Adventurous Kate’s newly published Solo Female NYC Travel Guide (that I seriously read every square inch of and was psyched that a lot of my can’t-miss items were on it, but have definitely added a lot from it to my “see these next time!” list), and I definitely now have a list of “my recommendations” for anyone traveling to New York!

Here are 5 of my favorite finds in New York:

• Brooklyn Bridge Park, Dumbo: This is a new-to-me area and I so loved exploring it. All of the quaint shops and restaurants felt so neighborly and the many diagonal-direction streets coupled with lots of cobblestones have a very European charm. The park is super newly renovated and provides a lovely waterfront stroll. I recommend a stop at 1 Hotel for a rooftop drink, too!
• Indulge in a Bagel, Pizza, Deli, or Cheesecake: Obviously you can’t go to New York on vacation and not overindulge. There are so many amazing restaurants to try, but I always find myself harkening back to some NYC basics: a bagel at Ess-a-Bagel, pizza from Lombardi’s, and deli at Katz’s. Added to my “must-have” list from this past trip? VESELKA. Go. Eat borscht.
• New York Transit Museum: A new one to me recently, this is now one of my favorite things to recommend to NYC visitors, especially if there’s rain or snow during the forecast while you’re there (or, let’s be honest, excessive heat or humidity 😉). The Transit Museum has something for everyone with in-depth historical exhibits focusing on 9/11 and how the subway was built and repaired over the years, as well as an extensive collection of restored trains in their “Vintage Fleet” from as far back as 1907!
• Coney Island: A bit cliché, but in the best way, I love heading down to Coney Island for an afternoon of hot dog-indulging, people-watching, and boardwalk-walking. It’s very relaxing during the off season and a lovely spot to get some sun in the warmer months!
• Take the Ferry: We had such a blast hopping on and off the ferry on a trip to NYC in September! Probably not as good an activity for winter visits, but if you’re there with the sun I highly recommend getting a different perspective of the city. There are a handful to choose from — we really liked the South Brooklyn and East River routes of the NYC Ferry, and have heard great things about the Ikea Express operated by New York Water Taxi and the (soon to be!) Soundview route.

Anyone else been to New York City recently? What are your can’t-miss things that you recommend to new comers?? Let me know in the comments!