NYC Diaries #3 Everything I did in July and it's worth sharing
A post with 10 personal recs of things and places in New York City that wouldn't make it to Google search results.
A day at Rockaway Beach
It was the 4th of July, and since we had no plans to watch the fireworks, I agreed to go to Rockaway Beach - my husband really wanted to enjoy some time there. Yes, it's not the closest place to get to when you live in Upper Manhattan - but I'm so glad we did it! After spending some time at the beach reading and relaxing, we headed to The Rockaway Rooftop for drinks and food - I highly recommend it; it is a beautiful bar and restaurant with stunning views. I know New York State is not famous for its beaches - but hey, if you are not traveling for a beach destination this year and don't have a car, Rockaway is a decent getaway, considering you can get there by subway or ferry.
Changing my look
A little before and after of my hair cut - and hair color. I did this some days before my birthday, and it feels so good to change, right? Dani is the professional I've been trusting for years. I've been doing highlights with her, and I absolutely love her attention to detail and her professionalism. Dani is also amazing with haircuts.
A Vegan Mexican Restaurant - Sentir
I've been to almost all of the restaurants from Guy Vaknin - he owns a couple of Vegan restaurants in the city - and I always get positively surprised by the creativity of the dishes and how they are rich in flavors. Sentir is a Vegan Mexican spot and, again, we were surprised by how flavorful the food was. Love the empanadas and the "birria" tacos. The lime dessert is also a must-have. Also love my cocktail!
A Mexican spot in the UWS - Taqueria 86
You may have noticed - I love Mexican food! We discovered this spot in one of our strolls around the Upper West Side. It's an authentic Mexican place and we had the guac and chips, tacos and a burrito - that was my favorite, so flavorful!
A 4DX movie experience at Regal Times Square
I'd never heard of 4DX until watching Twisters in 4DX at Regal Times Square some weeks ago. It's a completely immersive experience - 4DX is a movie theater experience that uses motion-enabled seats and environmental effects to create an immersive, multi-sensory cinematic experience. So, all those action scenes that make you feel the adrenaline are enhanced with these effects. You feel like you are inside the movie. It's so cool, I definitely recommend watching an action movie in 4DX.
A rooftop in the UES - Casa Cruz
I was curious to check this spot - it's, apparently, the first rooftop restaurant on the Upper East Side - so I made reservations to have drinks and celebrate my birthday with a friend. We stopped there before heading to dinner in another place, and we ordered one cocktail each. Love the environment - don't expect views, but the place is super charming and a delight for a summer day or night.
A Spanish Tapas restaurant in Williamsburg - MyMoon
How had I never heard of this spot in Williamsburg before? Such a hidden gem! First, the environment is absolutely stunning. There is a lovely outdoor area - but the indoor area doesn't disappoint, it's gorgeous. I love Spanish Tapas, and I couldn't be happier here. We had the croque as, patatas bravas and the octupus. We also had the seafood paella and the meat paella - sooooo good! I really appreciate it when a restaurant offers mocktails - and I love the fact that the mocktails are not boring; they really have a complexity of flavors. And I couldn't forget the dessert: the cheesecake with Manchego cheese is absolutely delicious!
A hiking trail accessible by train
"We should go for a hike!" - my husband suggested some days before the last weekend. After some research on hikes accessible by train from NYC, we decided to go to Cold Spring to complete "Bull Hill Short Loop". It was such a pleasant experience!
Cold Spring is a lovely town in the Hudson Valley and the train ride takes around 1h10 (you can take the train from Grand Central or 125th St in Harlem). When you arrive in Cold Spring, you follow the signs to the hiking trails - it is a pleasant 15-minute walk until the start of the trail, and there are a lot of signs. Make sure to bring water and some snacks, don't forget your sunscreen and wear comfortable clothes and shoes. I can't wait to go back in the Fall.
The hiking trail is moderate and it took us 2h45min to finish - with some stops to drink water and taking pics, of course. So many beautiful views! I highly recommend!
After the hiking, we had lunch at Le Bouchon (a French spot in Cold Spring), and we also grabbed a delicious ice cream at Moo Moo's Creamery (I didn't have high expectations, but this ice cream was delicious!). We also stopped by Rincon Argentino to grab an iced coffee and an alfajor. And since we were in Cold Spring, I also stopped by Cold Spring Apothecary to buy my favorite candle - Tonka Bean + Birch.
The new Trader Joe's in Harlem!
I absolutely love Trader Joe's and they just opened a store in Harlem! I wish it was closer to me, since we are on the East Side of the neighborhood and it takes around 20 min walking to get there, but, still, it's such a great addition to the neighborhood. It's really spacious and well stocked!
123 W 125th St.
A spot for delicious bagels - PopUp Bagels
The famous PopUp Bagels opened a store in the UES and a friend of mine told me it was worth the hype, so we decided to check. And oh yeah, it's definitely worth the hype. I'm not obsessed with bagels - but oh boy, you can tell how fresh and delicious these bagels are. Make sure to try if you have a chance. They have some locations in the city.
A “non-rec” - Celebrating my birthday at Eleven Madison Park
Seven years ago, my husband and I had our first fine dining experience—and it was at Eleven Madison Park, which had been crowned No.1 in the World's 50 Best Restaurants. It was a memorable and unique celebration.
We never thought we would be back - but after knowing the restaurant had become vegan, we decided to go back to celebrate my birthday.
I know fine dining is not only about the food - it's about the experience. The environment, the service, the fact that everyone knows your name, the invite to check the kitchen in action (which is always amazing!)… but, at the end of the day, it is also about the food. And honestly, the food was underwhelming, unfortunately. There were 2 or 3 delicious courses, but other than that, it was not worth it (especially considering it's a very expensive experience).
PS: by the way, we are not vegan, but we are very enthusiastic about the vegan cuisine and we drastically decrease our meat consumption over the last years.
PS2: my NYC Diaries are about the tips worth sharing - I'm not in the game of writing bad reviews about business, but considering this is a famous restaurant offering an expensive tasting menu, I thought it was worth sharing my POV.
And that's it for today! Hope you are enjoying these monthly recs!
HELP: We are thinking about getting a ZipCar membership. There are so many amazing places in NY State that, unfortunately, are not accessible by train. Renting a car through Turo is so expensive - and the only rental company near our house closes at noon on Saturdays. Please drop a comment below and let me know your thoughts if you are a ZipCar member!
Hi Laura. I’ve been a Zipcar member for a long time. Even though I don't rent cars very often (maybe 4-5 times a year) I found it valuable to have the membership. My piece of advice is to book cars ahead of time and cancel if you don't need them. Last-minute reservations are hard to come by, particularly on weekends and holidays. Rarely have I had problems (like Zipcar canceling my reservation). If that happened they called me 2 hours ahead of time to give me alternatives. Cars are not always super clean like regular rentals, but for a day or a couple of hours (like an Ikea trip) is more than ok.