NYC Like a Local
Freeby Sébastien Couix
19 Spots
Russ & Daughters
The Lower East Side appetizing shop since 1914. Take a number, order a bagel with Gaspe Nova, scallion cream cheese and capers, and eat it on a bench on Houston.
Veselka
East Village Ukrainian diner feeding night owls since 1954. Get the mixed pierogi plate, boiled and fried, plus a bowl of borscht.
Joe's Pizza (Carmine St)
The benchmark New York slice: thin, foldable, no frills. Order a plain cheese slice at the counter and eat it standing on the corner like everyone else.
Mamoun's Falafel
A cramped MacDougal Street hole-in-the-wall serving cheap falafel since 1971. Add the hot sauce, carefully, and take it to Washington Square Park.
Dante
A century-old Greenwich Village cafe reborn as one of the world's best bars. Go for the Garibaldi, fluffy orange juice with Campari, at a sidewalk table.
Attaboy
No sign, no menu: tell the bartender what flavors you like and they build you a drink. Ring the buzzer on Eldridge, and arrive early since they don't take reservations.
The Elevated Acre
A hidden rooftop park tucked above the Financial District street grid, reached by an escalator at 55 Water St. Great East River and Brooklyn views with almost nobody around.
Little Island
A park floating on tulip-shaped concrete pillars in the Hudson. Skip the busy weekend afternoon and come near closing for the sunset over New Jersey from the southwest overlook.
Roosevelt Island Tramway
The cheapest skyline ride in town: a MetroCard or OMNY tap gets you an aerial cable car over the East River. Sit on the downtown side, then walk to Four Freedoms Park at the island's tip.
Brooklyn Heights Promenade
The locals' Manhattan skyline view, a quiet cantilevered walkway above the waterfront. Wander the brownstone streets behind it, like Willow and Cranberry, afterward.
Washington Street, DUMBO
The cobblestone street framing the Manhattan Bridge with the Empire State Building in the arch. Come at dawn for the shot without the crowds, then get coffee along Water St.
Domino Park
Williamsburg's waterfront park built around the old Domino Sugar refinery, with Williamsburg Bridge and Midtown views. Grab tacos at the Tacocina kiosk and a spot on the lawn.
House of Yes
Bushwick's wild, inclusive nightclub with aerialists, costumes and themed parties. Check the calendar and dress up, since effort is half the fun here.
Green-Wood Cemetery
A 478-acre Victorian cemetery that's really Brooklyn's quietest park, with monk parakeets nesting in the Gothic main gate. Climb Battle Hill for a harbor view toward the Statue of Liberty.
Sunny's Bar
A longshoremen's bar on the Red Hook waterfront that's been in the same family for over a century. Come for the Saturday bluegrass jam, then walk to the pier for the Statue of Liberty view.
Di Fara Pizza
A Midwood pizzeria since 1965, famous for its olive-oil-drizzled, fresh-basil-topped pies. Get a square slice and a regular slice to compare, and plan for a wait.
L&B Spumoni Gardens
A Bensonhurst institution since 1939. Order the Sicilian square slice with sauce on top of the cheese and a cup of spumoni, and eat at the outdoor picnic tables.
Gantry Plaza State Park
Long Island City's waterfront park with restored railroad gantries and the classic Pepsi-Cola sign. It has one of the best straight-on views of Midtown and the UN, and it's rarely crowded.
Sripraphai Thai
The Woodside restaurant that made Queens a Thai-food destination. Order the crispy watercress salad and the green curry, and ask for it Thai spicy if you mean it.