nyc

The guide

The studios, parks, tea houses, bookstores and jazz bars in New York I keep going back to.

studios

Mats and blocks laid out under tall windows and potted plants

A lounge full of plants, with an arched doorway glowing amber

Yoga Space

Greenwich Village · all levels

A calm studio on University Place with 15-plus class styles, from vinyasa to yoga nidra.

Saniya in a backbend on the glass-walled deck at Edge

Sunrise yoga at Edge

Hudson Yards · sunrise yoga

Sunrise yoga on the outdoor sky deck at Edge, 100 floors up. Highly recommend.

Saniya balancing with arms raised at a floor-to-ceiling window high above the city

Yoga mats laid out in a bright room with floor-to-ceiling windows

Yoga at the top of One World Trade

Financial District · yoga with a view

Yoga on the 102nd floor of One World Observatory, with the whole city below you.

Rows of marbled mats and cork blocks under sheer curtains, with arched mirrors

A sunlit corner with sheer curtains, a sound-bath bowl and candles

Indigo Tribe Yoga

Financial District · yoga and sound healing

A new studio on Broadway offering Dharma yoga, yin, breathwork and sound healing.

A warm wooden studio set with mats, blocks and bolsters before class

The lobby, with arched windows, a vase of branches and a tea station

Humming Puppy

Chelsea · yoga and sound

An Australian-founded studio on West 23rd Street built around sound and resonance.

A studio glowing orange from its Himalayan salt wall

A lounge with a living plant wall, wooden benches and woven stools

Sui Yoga

SoHo · infrared hot yoga

An infrared-heated studio with glowing Himalayan salt walls and a cafe downstairs.

An empty studio with honey-colored wood floors, rolled mats and a plant by the window

Sunlight through tall window blinds onto a warm wooden studio floor

Spirit Lab

Midtown · hot yoga

My favorite NYC yoga studio to this day. Hot vinyasa and traditional hot classes, plus a cold plunge at the 39th Street studio.

An empty studio with sheer curtains over tall windows and a warm wood floor

ID Hot Yoga

Financial District · hot yoga

A hot yoga studio on Fulton Street, part of a small group of studios across the city.

A bright studio with patterned orange mats laid out for class

Free People studio

SoHo · pop-up classes

The FP Movement studio under the Free People store on Broadway, which hosts pop-up classes.

Aerial yoga hammocks hanging in a sunlit studio

Om Factory

Union Square · aerial yoga

An aerial yoga studio on Broadway, known for its hammock classes.

coffee and tea

Iron teapots, cups of tea and a slice of cake on a green marble table

Paquita

West Village · tea shop

A tiny loose-leaf tea shop with around 100 teas and no laptops, made for slowing down.

Cups of tea poured for four around a teapot on a stone tray

A cup of tea and a clay teapot on a wooden table in the tea room

Floating Mountain Tea House

Upper West Side · tea house

A hidden second-floor tea house and gallery. Ring the bell at the street door to go up.

Two lattes with leaf latte art on a gray marble counter

Coffee Project New York

Hell's Kitchen · coffee bar

A specialty roaster's coffee bar on Ninth Avenue, with pour-overs and creative signature lattes.

A latte with heart latte art in a classic blue and white New York coffee cup

Deploy Coffee

SoHo · coffee shop

A specialty coffee shop on Canal Street that grew out of a much-loved coffee cart.

A latte with leaf art on a white saucer on a wooden table

Remi Flower & Coffee

Financial District · coffee and flowers

A plant-filled flower shop and coffee bar, a calm break from FiDi's glass and steel.

Two lattes beside sesame bagels and a tub of cream cheese

Sote Coffee + PopUp Bagels

Upper West Side · coffee and bagels

My ideal Upper West Side combo: a latte from Sote Coffee Roasters and a fresh bagel with schmear from PopUp Bagels.

An iced osmanthus latte topped with tiny yellow flowers

Dialogue Coffee & Flowers

Lower East Side · vegan cafe

A vegan cafe and flower shop known for botanical drinks. Get the osmanthus latte.

A latte in a red cup, held next to a red leather bag

Gotan

Tribeca and Midtown · coffee bar

A bright coffee bar serving breakfast and lunch alongside its espresso drinks.

The Lost Draft's green sign and coffee banner on a brick building

The Lost Draft

SoHo · coffee shop

A film-themed coffee shop on Broome Street, made for screenwriters and crews.

bakeries and sweets

Two flaky croissants next to a L'Appartement 4F coffee cup

L'Appartement 4F

Brooklyn Heights and West Village · bakery

Croissants from a bakery that started in a Brooklyn apartment and now has a West Village window.

A box of laminated pastries, from fruit danishes to a sesame bun

Radio Bakery

Greenpoint and Prospect Heights · bakery

The Brooklyn bakery everyone lines up for. Go early, before the pastries sell out.

Two hot chocolates topped with toasted marshmallows

Kerber's Farm

West Village · hot chocolate

The Bleecker Street outpost of a Long Island farm. Get the hot chocolate.

Bolo Bolo's name painted on the cafe window behind lace curtains

Bolo Bolo

Cobble Hill · cafe and bakery

A cafe and bakery on Court Street that also hosts small food and creative events.

places to eat

A Greek breakfast plate of fried eggs, grilled halloumi, potatoes and tomatoes

Baby Blues Luncheonette

East Williamsburg · Greek diner

A modern take on the Greek diner. Order the Greek breakfast plate with halloumi.

A brunch spread of French toast, a breakfast sandwich, shakshuka and lattes

In Common NYC

Hudson Yards · brunch

An Australian-style cafe near Moynihan Train Hall that does a great brunch.

Honey butter pancakes with berry compote next to a breakfast sandwich

Golden Diner

Two Bridges · diner

A modern diner whose honey butter pancakes are worth the hype.

Plates of oatmeal pancakes with butter, eggs and sausage patties

Breakfast by Salt's Cure

West Village · breakfast

A walk-in spot famous for its oatmeal griddle cakes with cinnamon molasses butter. No syrup needed.

Sukh's red storefront with arched gold-trimmed windows

Sukh

Fort Greene · Thai

A Thai restaurant on Fulton Street, set in a dining room styled like a train car.

third spaces

The library's grand reading room, with long wooden tables under a painted ceiling

New York Public Library

Midtown · library

The reading room at the Fifth Avenue library, quiet for reading, work and everything in between.

A table covered in paints, brushes and a half-finished painting

A wall of notes, sketches and polaroids pinned up by visitors

The Drawing Room

Chelsea · creative space

A cozy living room for making art, with a day pass and supplies. A great third space for creatives.

A table set with paints, brushes and ceramic pieces ready to paint

Happy Medium

Two Bridges, Greenpoint and Williamsburg · art cafe

An art cafe with a menu of art projects instead of coffee, from painting to ceramics.

parks and nature

A yellow house and weeping willow on a green lawn beside the Hudson, with mountains behind

Cold Spring

Hudson Valley · day trip

A Hudson River town with mountain views, only a train getaway from the city: just over an hour on Metro-North from Grand Central.

Sunset over the Hudson River from the lawn at Pier 84

Pier 84

Hell's Kitchen · Hudson River Park

My go-to pier to read and picnic on, with sunsets over the Hudson.

Skaters on the rink at Brookfield Place at sunset, with the river behind

Brookfield Place ice rink

Battery Park City · ice skating

A seasonal outdoor rink by the Hudson, beside the Winter Garden.

A leafy garden path lined with stone statues, with people sitting on the grass

Elizabeth Street Garden

Nolita · sculpture garden

A little sculpture garden tucked between buildings, and my favorite park to be alone with my thoughts in.

books and music

A small jazz club stage with a grand piano and an upright bass

Mezzrow

West Village · jazz bar

A cute, intimate jazz club on West 10th Street.

A dim listening bar with big speakers, framed jazz photos and armchairs

All Blues

Tribeca · listening bar

A Tokyo-style vinyl listening bar with a vintage JBL sound system.

The glass storefront of the Center for Fiction bookstore

Center for Fiction

Fort Greene · bookstore

A cute bookstore and bar-cafe across from BAM, devoted entirely to fiction.