“One belongs to New York instantly; one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years.” – Thomas Wolfe.
NYC: Endless miles of steel and concrete puncturing the sky. The cacophony of sound surrounds you yet at the same time you could almost reduce it to white noise. Diverse crowds from all walks of life provide endless opportunities to meet some of the most fascinating people in the world. No matter where you are from, New York will make you feel at home. A city so nice they named it twice, New York is the most populous city in the United States with over 8 million residents! This number does not take into account the 40 million tourists (both domestic and international) it receives annually.
The city of New York is divided into 5 boroughs: Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Each borough has unique characteristics that separate it from the others. You could almost say that each has a certain “look and feel” to it. Even the neighborhoods within the borough differ from each other. Manhattan is often referred to as “the city” by locals and is the most recognized borough to travelers.
The list of things to experience in New York is quite literally endless. Visit some of the world’s most famous museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Guggenheim, or the Museum of Modern Art. Be swept away by the view at the Empire State Building or Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center. Take in a game at Yankee Stadium or Madison Square Garden. Be moved by the music and theater of the Metropolitan Opera or those of Broadway. Satisfy your love of shopping at all the wonderful boutiques in Soho or the Fifth Avenue Stretch. And when it comes to food, Michelin starred restaurants to food trucks, we have it.
Welcome to the city! Come grab a drink with me!
Local business etiquette and customs
Welcome to the city that claims its favorite color is black. Dress code for the business professionals in NYC really depends on each company’s culture. Finance and banking industries tend to be more formal (A suit ensemble, blouse and pants/skirt, or dress in professional colors like black, navy, and white) whereas creative or tech industries are a little more casual. You can never go wrong with a little black dress. I’m also a stylist too so if you have any questions definitely private message me!
Travel and transport
We do not wish to “toot our own horn” (pun very much intended) but our Mass Transit is the most complex and extensive in North America. Whether you wish to travel by car, plane, train, subway, bus, bicycle, foot, ferry, or horse, we have it all! Most of our Mass transit runs 24 hours a day, giving full right to the description of “the city that never sleeps.”
There are two main airports in the city of New York. La Guardia Airport (LGA) located in East Elmhurst, Queens and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) located in Jamaica, Queens. Both offer easy transportation to Manhattan and the other boroughs.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is responsible for the public transportation in the state of New York. Subways, buses, or yellow cabs (taxis) are the preferred method of transportation for most people. Subways are easy to navigate and are accessible in almost all areas of New York City. Buses are a bit more difficult as the routes are not quite as defined and do not run as often as the subways. However, buses are great for when you want to get across town, particularly in Manhattan, and most of the other boroughs use buses for areas that are further out.
All transportation systems run on a different schedule over the weekend and holidays so it is very useful to go to www.mta.info to help you plan your visit. The New York taxi is one of the most recognizable vehicles being bright yellow, but as of June 6th, 2013, Mayor Bloomberg announced a new fleet of taxis to join the well -known “Yellow Cabs”: the Boro Taxis, which are bright green in colour. The Boro taxis were designed to meet the demand for taxis in the northern region of Manhattan and the other boroughs. In Manhattan, the Boro taxis are only able to pick up and drop off patrons above 110th Street on the west side and 96th Street on the east side. All licenced taxis have the NYC logo with a black circle and a T in the middle.
Other car services have also risen in popularity like UBER and LYFT. These car services at times can be useful and may sometimes be a cheaper option to the NY taxi but one must use it at one’s discretion as companies like Uber have surge pricing depending on the demand.
Dining
You could literally eat at a new restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every single day and you would still not begin to make a dent in the endless amounts of restaurants here.
Most of us New Yorkers love the app “Yelp” as it assists in finding what is around your location and has many filters to help you narrow down the choices.
Because it is quite a daunting task to tackle the restaurants in NYC, I will be listing several of my favourite go-to spots in some of my favourite neighbourhoods. If you ever need a recommendation for a specific part of the city, for a specific cuisine, or for a specific atmosphere, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Without further do and in no particular order here are my recommendations:
Upper West Side:
Southern/ Comfort Food. Recommendations: Biscuits & Fixins and BBQ smothered pepper jack chicken sandwich. Rustic feel. Very busy at Brunch and dinner. Accepts Credit Cards!
Kefi
Greek, Mediterranean food. Recommendations: Sheep’s Milk Dumplings and Grilled Octupus. Open, rustic feel. Accepts reservations and Credit Cards!
Japanese Sushi Bar. Recommendations: Everything! My favorite is the Umi No Sachi (Chirashi). Gorgeously minimalistic. Accepts Reservations and Credit Cards!
Lounge/Morrocan. Recommendations: The cocktails, the flatbread, and the bacon-wrapped dates are to die for!. It’s almost a speakeasy! Just follow the rose petals! Cozy and intimate. Accepts Credit Cards.
Vegetarian, Middle Eastern Recommendations: Shakshuka and EVERYTHING on the menu. Seriously. You can’t go wrong here! And save room for dessert and order the Kadaif!. It’s a tiny cozy restaurant. It gets quite busy very fast! Accepts Credit Cards.
Midtown West:
Italian Recommendation: They have unlimited 3 style pasta table service! Delicious!. It’s a cozy restaurant and because it is in the theater district, you get the theater crowd! They do full service at the bar and it’s great to sit and chat with the bartender. Very attentive! Accepts Credit Cards.
Lillie’s Victorian Bar and Restaurant
American (Traditional) Recommendations: Their Shepard’s pie is delicious and small plates to share are great. It’s beautifully decorated with pieces from a famous actress’s home. Accepts Credit Cards
Ramen/Japanese Recommendations: Miso Paitan ramen all the way! It gets crowded QUICK. There are lines. But I believe their broth is the best out of all the ramens I have tried in the city. Cash only!
Mediterranean, Italian Recommendations: This place changes their menu seasonally but I have never been disappointed. Wonderfully rustic and with a backyard garden for seating as well! Accepts credit cards!
Gluten-Free, Salad, Vegan friendly lunch place that I adore. Some seating upstairs and downstairs midtown lunch space. Accepts credit cards!
Koreatown:
Korean Food court with a variety of types of Korean/Japanese/Chinese food you can try! Modern décor and quite busy. Accepts credit cards!
Korean Fried chicken! The best kind of fried chicken! Modern, dark décor. Accepts credit cards!
Wine Bars, American food. Really wonderfully cozy décor with a gorgeous outdoor space that is open year round. Accepts Credit Cards!
Korean BBQ!! By far the best around! Delicious. Although it is better to go with more than one person! Wood design and a bustling atmosphere! Accepts credit cards!
West Village:
Wine Bar, New American. DELICIOUS PLACE! Bone Marrow is a MUST TRY! Lovely cozy décor, wood and marble. Accepts Credit Cards!
Westville (Various Locations)
American (Traditional) Vegetarian friendly! Delicious sides that you can make into a full meal. This place gets busy VERY fast. Bar seating! Country home and sunny mood. Accepts Credit Cards
If you have something specific you’re looking for, definitely let me know and I can assist in finding something for you!
Beauty and fitness
If you’re in town and you’re looking to do a workout while you’re here, I would highly recommend SOUL CYCLE, an indoor cycling class that is super fun! With several locations in the city, SOUL CYCLE offers a pay as you go system so you’re only purchasing classes that you actually use (IDEAL for a traveler) The instructors are super awesome and the staff very accommodating. Check out their website to learn more! (www.soul-cycle.com)
Women’s network and events
Maiden Voyage’s partners, IWant2Network offer membership for the best professional networking groups and meetings, locally, nationally and all over the world. See what’s happening in New York and join IWant2Network here.
Safety and emergency services
Despite the tremendous number of people residing and visiting New York, the city is one of the safest of all the largest cities in the United States. New York Police and Fire Department are very present and work round the clock in all boroughs. Most police departments offer translator services in various languages for those who would feel more comfortable speaking in their native language. But with all metropolitan cities, one must always be aware of one’s surroundings. Common sense applies. Always be sure to keep your personal belongings near or on you at all times. Avoid certain areas at night that appear to be desolate or unfriendly. If it feels like a scam, it most likely is. Make sure to take only licenced New York Taxis. You can visit www.nyc.gov , the official website of the city of New York, that will provide you with information regarding safety, precinct locations, how to report a crime, and much more.
