NYC Diaries #9 Everything I did in February 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.
Wow! What a month! Yeah, it was a short one, but I was so busy getting back to my routine in the city + my sister spent some days with us here, and that always means doing a lot of things together. Hope you like these recs!
1. Museum of the City of New York
It took me years, but I finally visited the Museum of the City of New York and I seriously think every person living here should visit - and if you are a NYC lover, you should also visit.
This museum was founded in 1983 and it’s dedicated to chronicling and celebrating the rich and evolving history of New York City.
Some highlights:
You are here - this was my favorite part of the visit. An immersive film experience that uses a rich archive of movies set in New York, combining thousands of cinematic moments across 16 screens. The dialogues and scenes from dozens of movies are used to translate that NYC feeling and what it means to live here. FASCINATING and so inspiring.
Activist New York - this exhibition focuses on of social activism in New York City, past and present, with issues as diverse as immigration, civil rights, and sexual orientation. It will bring you hope.
The Stettheimer Dollhouse in a New Light - this dollhouse is one of the museum’s highlights - and it features furnishings handcrafted over nearly two decades by Carrie Stettheimer. The details are so impressive!
TIPS! The museum opens every day - and if you are a NY resident, you can pay as you wish. Residents of zip codes 10029, 10035, and 10037 can visit it for free with a valid ID or proof of address. These zip codes include the areas between 96th and 142nd Streets, and between Fifth Avenue and the East and Harlem Rivers. Otherwise, tickets are $23.
2. Café d’Anvers
As an East Harlem resident, I always appreciate new local businesses opening in the neighborhood. I was especially excited about this spot, since I know the owners - a Brazilian and a Belgian - and they are the owners of Bar Goyana and Mojo Mousse. Jaque and Johan have been living in East Harlem for years and they really want to help the community to thrive.
Café d'Anvers is their new restaurant, which opened over a month ago. I love the cozy environment. I HIGHLY recommend the Croquettes de Crevettes— delicious! We were familiar with their mousse, so we ordered the Belgian Waffles as dessert—but please have the mousse if you have never triedit it'ss the best mousse ever!
Take note:they'ree opening another restaurant this month next to Caféd'Anverss.It'ss called Girasole andit'ss gonna serve Italian food.
Address: 1567 Lexington Ave.
3. Symphony Space
February had a couple of first-time NYC experiences - and attending an event at Symphony Space was another one of them. This Performing Arts Center, Theater, Film is located in the Upper West Side and they promote events like talks, comedy shows, dance and so much more!
I went there to check an edition of Selected Shorts - and it was a special event to celebrate The New Yorker 100th anniversary and the launch of the book “Century of Fiction in The New Yorker”.
Cynthia Nixon and Liev Schreiber were among the guests who read - and interpreted - some of the stories featured on the book. It was insane to see these actors in real life - and it was one of those days that made me feel really grateful about calling this city home.
4. Sentir
I think I've already recommended this restaurant here, but since I visited again - this time with my sister - and we had such a great experience, I thought I should highlight it again!
Sentir is a Mexican plant-based restaurant in New York City - and, at this point, I think I've been to all - or almost all - restaurants from chef Guy Vaknin, and their creations always surprise me! The dishes are always creative and full of flavor.
We had a lot of food - you can check my post by clicking above - but the Tacos Pescado Frito (made with banana blossom which is the purple flower that grows at the end of a banana bunch. It has a mild flavor and a texture similar to fish) and the desserts Chocolate Chilli Tarte (a must for chocolate lovers, such a rich mousse texture) and the Lime Carlota (a lime pie marries a cheesecake. Vanilla crust + cashew lime cream) were definitely the highlights!
Address: 37 W 19th St.
5. The Gates
Did you know that in 2005, Central Park received an installation featuring 7,503 fabric panels? Named “The Gates”, this installation was created and financed by artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The 7,503 gates were 4.87 meters (16 feet) tall and varied in width from 1.68 to 5.48 meters (5 feet 6 inches to 18 feet) according to the 25 different widths of walkways on 37 kilometers (23 miles) of walkways in Central Park.
Now, 20 years later, you can get a glimpse of what this installation looked like. You have until March 23rd to check the augmented reality experience at Central Park that allows visitor to to view roughly five percent of the original installation through the Bloomberg Connects app. It's super cool!
You can also visit the “Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Gates and Unrealized Projects for New York City” at The Shed (Hudson Yards). This immersive exhibition includes original artworks by Christo, such as drawings, scale models, and components from the Central Park installation itself, as well as photographs and videos. The exhibition includes a virtual, animated model of The Gates on a large-scale map of the original project location, designed by technology studios Dirt Empire and Pixels Pixels. Also, until March 23rd.
6. Blind Wine Tasting
Last Christmas, I suggested to my husband that we shouldn't buy gifts for each other. Instead, each one of us should get an experience. On my next newsletter, I will share what he got for us - and I got a Blind Wine Tasting at Astor Wines.
This huge wine store - which alone deserves your visit - also promotes tons of events involving wine and other liquors and spirits, and I got two tickets for their Blind Wine tasting with Italian wines. The instructor had so much knowledge, and we learned so much! They also provide you with discounts on wine at the store. Such a fun date idea!
7. chloe. restaurant
I've always been a fan of Chloe - a fast-casual vegan restaurant chain serving salads, bowls, and sandwiches. They had a few locations in the city - but the chain filed for bankruptcy in 2020 and was rebranded as Beatnic in 2021.
in 2024, Chloe Coscarelli, the founder, opened new restaurant, chloe, in the same space where her previous restaurant, By Chloe, was located.
I was super curious about visiting the new spot. The menu features some classics from the old by Chloe and some new options. My sister and I loved our salad and bowls. Delicious and fresh!
Address: 185 Bleecker St.
8. Chocolate cookie from L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates
I had heard great things about the cookies from this place - I've tried their hot chocolate in the past, and it's delicious. The cookie didn't disappoint - so rich! I recommend it; it's delicious - but I still prefer those chunky-style cookies.
Address: 156 Prince St.
9. Birria ramen from Tacombi
I love Tacombi! I think their food is delicious and consistent. And their new creation - a birria ramen - is such a great addition to their menu.
As the name suggests, it combines the flavors from birria with ramen, featuring Pat LaFrieda brisket, Sun Noodle ramen, and their house-made birria consomé.
It's available at all Tacombi locations in NYC and nationwide through the remainder of winter — so, make sure to take advantage of it!
10. Osteria Barroca
I know that dining around Little Italy - the one in Manhattan - can be tricky cause it looks like there are a lot of non-authentic places that are just touristy traps. Well, my friends and I had dinner at this place, and our experience was great. Not only was the environment super nice, but the food was also delicious, and the staff was super friendly.
Address: 133 Mulberry St.
And that's it for today! Hope you are enjoying these monthly recs! Are you based in NYC? What are some of the fun things you've been doing? Tell me in the comments!
Loved it. Thank you 😊