Some of our favorite things to do in New York City
Eat.
Near Hotels
Amali
The Johnson family’s history with Amali runs deep. Louise worked here right after college, Woody and Britaania hosted their engagement party here in 2017, Diane sold James (the owner) his apartments, and Blake has been doing business with the restaurant for years. The food is great. Pop in for lunch or dinner (and brunch on the weekends!)
P.J. Clark’s
This restaurant has been around since 1884, and it has some of the best burgers and fries in NYC.
Hutong
A Johnson family fave for upscale Chinese food. Highly recommend the soft shell crab.
Peking Duck House
Another upscale Chinese spot for Peking Duck. It’s also BYOB!
Flex Mussels UES
Flex has a few locations throughout the city, but if you love a big pot of mussels, this is the place. Get the thai curry ones with a side of fries!
Mermaid Inn
One of the best happy hour deals in NYC, the Times Square location is right across the street from Louise’s office. Stop by for some oysters and drinks for HH or stay for the whole damn meal!
Nerai
This Greek restaurant is excellent and an account of Blake’s! If you need reservation help, don’t hesitate to reach out!
The Modern
An iconic Danny Meyer restaurant at the MoMA. This is definitely a splurge meal, but one you’ll never forget. Pop into the MoMA before or after!
Near City Winery
Mel’s
A great pizza spot directly across the street from City Winery (where welcome drinks will take place). We’d recommend if you’re looking for a place for dinner before the party!
Hav & Mar
This is a Marcus Samuelsson restaurant that marries Ethiopian and Swedish cuisine. The space is incredible and the food fab. Highly recommend!!
Don Angie
Don Angie is one of the harder restaurant reservations in NYC, but lucky for you, you have an in… if you need reservation support, feel free to reach out to Blake. He’ll see what he can do :)
L’Artusi
One of Louise’s favorite restaurants in NYC and another Blake connect. You MUST get the olive oil cake for dessert.
Semma
This restaurant group has a lot of awesome Indian restaurants across NYC. We haven’t tried Semma yet, but can say wonderful things about their other locations. Recommend if you’re looking for something spicy before Welcome Drinks!
Cookshop
Conveniently located near City Winery, this American restaurant is known for their delicious, simple food.
Chelsea Market
Walk through Chelsea market on your way over to Welcome Drinks! There are lots of fun shops, good food, and cute vendors inside.
Pier 57
The new food court on Pier 57 is fantastic, and also the same location as our Welcome Party at City Winery! Pop in for a quick bite or just meander through to see what they’ve got!
Manhattan Wide
Union Square Cafe
Union Square Cafe has a special spot in our hearts — it’s the spot we made it Facebook offish back in 2021. Aside from the sentimental reasons, the food is great. Order a ‘tini for Uncle Steve.
Katz’s Deli
Louise has a Katz’s trip down to a science. Work in pairs, one person waits in line for a pastrami sandwich, while the other grabs appetizer hot dogs for the pastrami line. Split one sandwich between two people (they’re enormous, and you already had a hot dog!). Bring cash, and don’t lose your ticket!
Los Tacos No. 1
If you’re brave enough to venture through Times Square, Los Tacos has some (if not the) best tacos in New York City. The line will look long and intimidating, but it moves fast. This is a standing only spot, so if you’re looking for a leisurely meal, maybe go somewhere else.
Brooklyn
Cobble Hill
Brooklyn has a lot of restaurants – way too many for us to list out here. We live in Cobble Hill, and there are some fantastic places that we frequent. La Vara, Saint Julivert, Bar Bete, and Lucali are just a few. If you’re looking to explore Brooklyn further, please feel free to reach out to us, and we’re happy to help!!
Other Half
Some of the best beer New York City has to offer. The original location is in Gowanus, but they’ve conveniently opened a few locations across the city, including Rockefeller Center. Pop in for a Green City or Forever Ever IPA.
Talea
A Cobble Hill neighborhood spot, Talea has a special place in our hearts. Plus, it’s the first female-owned brewery in New York! Check out their locations in Williamsburg and Cobble Hill for a little Brooklyn adventure or the West Village for something a bit closer.
See & Do.
Picnic in Central Park.
Shaun & Louise have independently and together spent many, many hours in Central Park. Shaun particularly loves the road bike routes for weekend laps around the park, as well as the roller disco on East 72nd street. Louise enjoys the running paths and open fields for gourmet picnics with friends.
Take a pizza tour.
Ask Shaun about the March Madness-style Pizza Tour his brother Brian and Uncle Tom created in 2003 and still hold annually (now incorporating Tom’s sons Justin and Cooper). After many pizzerias visited, miles walked and slices eaten, we have deeply held opinions on where to find the City’s best pizza. Bonus points if you also eat a family pack of Double Chocolate Pop-Tarts beforehand, Uncle Tom’s chosen breakfast for a 12- and 10-year-old Brian and Shaun the morning of the inaugural tour.
Juliana’s - The undisputed Pizza Tour champ. After 10 Pizza tours, are we biased? Yes. Is this the pizza I will forever dream about? Also yes.
Ignazio’s - A very serviceable pizzeria around the block from Julianna’s.
Pizza Park - The neighborhood slice shop located next to Shaun’s previous apartment. If you chat up the pizzaiolos, they’ve been known to throw in a few free garlic knots.
Brooklyn Pizza Masters - The slice shop near Blake and Diane is under-rated and amazing. Highly recommend the square mushroom truffle slice or the grandma slice.
Robertas - This is an iconic Brooklyn pizza restaurant with amazing food. The original location is in Bushwick, but they’ve since opened up several locations across the city. If you have time, make the trek out to Bushwick. It will not disappoint. We will forever try to replicate their Bee Sting pizza any chance we can.
Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.
There’s a reason it’s so crowded. Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge is spectacular. (Just don’t bring an 8-year-old Shaun who proclaimed he could walk no further in the exact middle of the mile long bridge). End your walk on the Brooklyn side and head to Time Out Market for beers + snacks or finish on the Manhattan side and head to Chinatown for dumplings (more on this below).
Eat dumplings in Chinatown.
Dim Sum Go Go, Great NY Noodletown, Golden Unicorn, and Joe’s Shanghai are some of our faves. Go for dumplings or go for the whole damn meal. It’s a must! While we hope for a lovely fall weekend for our wedding, hot soup dumplings on a cold day are one of our favorite meals.
Go Mets!
Get out to Citi Field to catch a ballgame. The weekend Shaun’s parents got married in October 1986, the Mets defeated the Astros in the NLCS, on their way to winning the World Series. While you’re likely reading this website before the 2024 MLB Season even starts, Shaun and Betty-O (Louise’s late grandmother who was a huge Mets fan) are willing another postseason run into existence.
Union Square Farmer’s Market
Diane and Blake tackle the Union Square Farmer’s market every Saturday. It’s the largest farmer’s market in NYC, and in our opinion, the best one. It’s open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and it’s an easy stroll through on your way to Eataly or downtown Manhattan.
Visit the MoMA.
Louise was a member at the MoMA for many years, and has spent many hours wandering the ever-changing galleries. Check their site before heading there to see what’s on exhibit, but don’t miss the top floor for some post-Impressionist art.
Laugh your butt off at Comedy Cellar.
Iconic comedy club located in Greenwich Village. Big name acts have been known to drop in for a set unannounced on the regular. Reservations can be made in advance on their website, or put your name on the list, walk around and grab a bite to eat.
Broadway
We’ll shamelessly plug some Stephen Sondheim here. Go see Merrily We Roll Along or Sweeney Todd.
LGR
“Let’s Go Rangers” for those from out of town. The Johnsons are HUGE Rangers fans, and even have season tickets. The Garden is always electric. Grab a bacon onion jam burger from Daily Burger (located opposite sections 107, 116, 210, and 305), fries and a beer before puck drop.
Need to get your nails done? Hair blown out?
Issa Nail on 2nd Avenue between 55th and 56th street is the best nail salon in the world. Name drop Diane + Louise.
DryBar is located on 56th between Lex and 3rd avenues, and there are generally plenty of appointments available!