Michael and I had the opportunity to visit New York recently to attend Alt Summit, and were fortunate to spend our time almost exclusively in lower Manhattan – in some of the neighborhoods we’d flirted with and loved on past visits. Here are a few of our favorites from this most recent trip.
Mondrian SoHo
After reading this glowing review of the Mondrian SoHo on the Elements of Style blog, my mind was made up and we happily scored a pretty good deal via Jetsetter. We loved the crisp, bright, clean nature of our room & bathroom, and the chic details (like the arched ivy entrance pictured above) carried throughout the hotel. Had we known that we needed to make reservations at the rooftop bar, Soaked, I’m sure we would have raved about it as well!
Back Forty West
We have a running list of restaurants in Manhattan to try, but Back Forty West was not one of them; we simply happened upon this SoHo restaurant while hungry, were drawn to the branding, and popped inside for a quick bite to eat. Our cocktails and order of spring mussels were one of the tastiest reminders that a little spontaneity is can be a welcome, relaxing change to all of the planning that goes on behind the scenes for Map & Menu.
Gentleman Farmer
Friends, Helen & Ken, live near and know the owners of this Lower East Side French-American restaurant, and have more than once raved about it to us. After spending an evening there ourselves, we’re now great fans too! My tuna tarar & red snapper, and Michael’s onion soup & wild boar were deliciously prepared, and the cozy atmosphere was the perfect setting to step away from the crazy hustle and bustle of New York.
Peels
For me (and I assume Michael too), no trip to New York is complete without a meal at Peels in the East Village! Our leisurely al fresco southern breakfast (shrimp & grits for me, biscuits & gravy for Michael) left us pleasantly stuffed, ready to tackle another day in the city.
The Butcher’s Daughter
The branding of The Butcher’s Daughter was what first put this cafe & juice bar on my radar (it definitely seems to be some sort of Pinterest/Tumblr sensation), but this post from The Fresh Exchange cemented our plans for a breakfast visit. Our Brazilian Blast & Brass Monkey smoothies were delicious & refreshing, but the highlight of the meal was spending time in the beautifully decorated space – a must see for pretty much anyone who takes the time to read Map & Menu!
Haus Interior
I feel the same way about this darling Elizabeth Street shop as I do Peels – having discovered it on our last visit, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to visit Manhattan without a stop at Haus Interior. We had the most delightful chat with the manager, Meghan, who happened to recognize the name of our blog from our December trip and picked up a Cassandra Smith dipped monkey’s fist knot for our living room wall!
Saturdays Surf NYC
We were familiar with the Saturdays Surf brand from their collaboration with J.Crew, so we were happy to pop into the coffee/surf shop located just a block or two away from the Mondrian. I picked up a copy of Saturdays Magazine for the Eric Cahan feature and Michael grabbed a cup of their tasty coffee.
John Derian
Michael enjoyed browsing the decoupage collection in John Derian’s East Village shop, while I loved seeing the work of Hugo Guinness in person. Had we been allowed to take photos in the shop, there would be plenty to share here!
MoMA Design Store
Michael & I could have spent hours at the MoMA Design Store in SoHo. We browsed the massive collection of art books and tested out various Eames chairs (can’t hurt to dream!), but Michael ended up walking away with something from his pinterest wish list – the Obsessive Chef Cutting Board.
Gasoline Alley
Meghan at Haus recommended stopping by here for coffee, so while I was away, Michael made sure to grab a cup from this awesomely-branded coffee shop.
2 thoughts on “New York – Lower Manhattan”