New York. I have a near continuously changing attitude towards New York City. New York City has always been this pinnacle or apex of what a City should or could be. I've wanted to live here. I've not wanted to live here. I've thought it's inspiration. I've thought it's boring. New York City's status begs it to be compared with other cities; and not just the obvious Londons, Parises, Romes, Tokyos, Los Angeles, and Chicagos, but also every second tier city and rural small town in-between. For me the New York City comparable has traditionally been Philadelphia. There were times I wished Philadelphia was more like New York. And times I'm glad it isn't.
In addition to the comparisons, New York City falls prey to various stereotypes - this is lazy because the reality is the City is the most diverse place in the world. I try to find themes that make a city distinct from others...I'm at a loss with New York. The City has some very New York, only in New York experiences, but otherwise there's no overarching theme that pulls the City together, other than diversity.
The diversity makes New York a very tricky city from a tourist's perspective - there's classic places, there's new places, there's your favorite neighborhoods that you frequent every time you visit the city and then they change, there's areas you don't even know exist and then they become your new favorite place. The City is overwhelming and just planning a day or weekend trip can become a marathon of an exercise. Do you want to see sites or do you want to see New York?
In addition to the comparisons, New York City falls prey to various stereotypes - this is lazy because the reality is the City is the most diverse place in the world. I try to find themes that make a city distinct from others...I'm at a loss with New York. The City has some very New York, only in New York experiences, but otherwise there's no overarching theme that pulls the City together, other than diversity.
The diversity makes New York a very tricky city from a tourist's perspective - there's classic places, there's new places, there's your favorite neighborhoods that you frequent every time you visit the city and then they change, there's areas you don't even know exist and then they become your new favorite place. The City is overwhelming and just planning a day or weekend trip can become a marathon of an exercise. Do you want to see sites or do you want to see New York?
When I plan a trip to New York I try to find new areas and use more defined search terms like "Iconic Manhattan Bars" or "Coffee Roasters New York City" instead of the more generic best bars or best coffee, respectively. These searches may bring up lists from Thrillist, Eater, or the New York centric Gothamist, however, I try to skip through these and try to find a local blog. The Village Voice is also a good source and provides lists on all New York topics.
I've had some luck with iconic bars - McSorley's is awesome but usually packed while the King Cole Bar is a surprisingly quiet midtown oasis. I've had no luck with coffee shops. Usually one of the top choices is Stumptown...which is based out of Portland. The rest of the coffee shops follow a similar trend - they serve well known brands like Intelligentsia, Counter Culture, La Colombe, etc. There's very few roasters in NYC. Sometimes it works better to Google Best Coffee Shops in the US and find the New York places on the list. Hence why I started searching for "Coffee Roasters".
DINING
Why pay hundreds of dollars for a meal when you could have a hot dog for $1.50 or a slice of pizza and a Coke for $3? It's a serious question in New York. I think that New York's high end dining delivers on price but not quality. New York's medium tier dining is waaaaay to expensive for what it is. But the cheap stuff. Not only is it good but it's cheap. And not just cheap by New York standards but cheap anywhere standards. Plus it's classic New York dining. The only New York meal I'm willing to pay a New York premium for the breakfast bagel, cream cheese, and salmon combo, and only from a few places like Russ and Daughters. There's great ethnic cuisine. There are Hong Kong style food courts in Flushing and all types of Latin and South American cuisines dotting neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens. But high end, fancy dining. Not worth the price.
HOSTELS
Hostels will run anywhere from $60 - $100 a night based upon if it's in Manhattan and it's proximity to a metro station.
I've had some luck with iconic bars - McSorley's is awesome but usually packed while the King Cole Bar is a surprisingly quiet midtown oasis. I've had no luck with coffee shops. Usually one of the top choices is Stumptown...which is based out of Portland. The rest of the coffee shops follow a similar trend - they serve well known brands like Intelligentsia, Counter Culture, La Colombe, etc. There's very few roasters in NYC. Sometimes it works better to Google Best Coffee Shops in the US and find the New York places on the list. Hence why I started searching for "Coffee Roasters".
DINING
Why pay hundreds of dollars for a meal when you could have a hot dog for $1.50 or a slice of pizza and a Coke for $3? It's a serious question in New York. I think that New York's high end dining delivers on price but not quality. New York's medium tier dining is waaaaay to expensive for what it is. But the cheap stuff. Not only is it good but it's cheap. And not just cheap by New York standards but cheap anywhere standards. Plus it's classic New York dining. The only New York meal I'm willing to pay a New York premium for the breakfast bagel, cream cheese, and salmon combo, and only from a few places like Russ and Daughters. There's great ethnic cuisine. There are Hong Kong style food courts in Flushing and all types of Latin and South American cuisines dotting neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens. But high end, fancy dining. Not worth the price.
HOSTELS
Hostels will run anywhere from $60 - $100 a night based upon if it's in Manhattan and it's proximity to a metro station.