New York City is surely an overwhelming place to not only visit, but also live. Raquel Paiva, a Personal Style Blogger from Brazil, currently living in Brooklyn, share 14 top spots to prevent you from FOMO.
We all know how New York City can be overwhelming with places to go, things to do, interesting people to meet.
This might give you the constant feeling of “Am I missing out on something today?!”
Hence, the expression “FOMO”, or Fear Of Missing Out.
Our Contributor Laura Peruchi interviewed Raquel Paiva, a Personal Style Blogger from Brazil that is currently living in Brooklyn.
She moved here 3 years ago to attend Fashion school and ended up creating a blog to share a little bit about everything she was experiencing in this amazing city.
I’m not sure if you all know, but New York is always ranked as the Top 3 Destinations for Brazilians, so talking about New York (with style), is surely a definite success!
Take a look at Raquel’s great list of hot spots in the city:
Barraca
“I love Barraca, in the West Village, because they have amazing tapas and sangria! Their happy hour is also a must-go.”
If you love an authentic Spanish Cuisine, Barraca is surely a place for you to visit.
They have a “Sangria Lab” that features 8 regional sangrias. Their Paella is to-die-for and the environment is very relaxed and welcoming.
Plus, come on, they’re located in the West Village – one of our favorite neighborhoods in Manhattan.
Just the perfect combination!
Oh! They are opened until 1am, so it’s a great spot for the night owls.
Location: 81 Greenwich Avenue, West Village
Simple Café
“Simple Café serves super fresh and delicious French Algerian food, and they also have an option of breakfast buffet, which I love to eat on Sundays when I wake up starving Haha.”
This coffee shop is located in Williamsburg.
They offer amazing French-Algerian lunches, brunches and French-Algerian dinners.
Chef Samia Behaya founded the place in 2006 and it became a neighborhood gem.
They bake daily all their delicious breads and all ingredients are locally sources from the Hudson Valley Harvest.
Location: 346 Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg
10 Degrees Bar
“Why I love 10 Degrees Bar? Just because they have the BEST Mojitos, plus their Happy Hour is also amazing!”
We love the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It’s a neighborhood that is growing so much and we love to explore and #uncover.
10 Degrees Bar is a cool place to go, with delicious cocktails and a great crowd! They are open 7 days a week, from 12pm – 4am and it’s a great place to meet friends for drinks in the City!
Super low profile, chill place with beautiful people.
Location: 121 Saint Marks Place, Lower East Side
The Jane Hotel
“The Jane Hotel usually has great DJs and the atmosphere is super fun.”
The nightlife in New York City can be very overwhelming, specially if you’re not from around.
There is just so much going on and new places opening, that knowing what’s trending now and hot, hot can be a hard task.
The Jane Hotel was inaugurated in 1908 and was originally built to host sailors, hence the tiny cabin-like rooms. Lastly, the hotel hosts great events, so it’s a place to always check what’s going on.
Location: 113 Jane Street, Greenwich Village
Beauty & Essex
“I love Beauty & Essex, even though I am not a big fan of fancy places! The decoration is gorgeous, cool crowd, and their BBQ fries are so tasty!”
A restaurant, a lounge and a pawn shop.
That’s Beauty & Essex, located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
The place has 2 floors, dining and lounge areas, delicious tapas and small bits that are perfect for sharing. All created by the talented chef and owner Chris Santos.
And the cocktails? Outstanding cocktails. All of this in a 10,000 square foot space.
Location: 146 Essex Street, Lower East Side
Troupe Fit
“Troupe Fit is like an Uber, but instead of cars they offer personal trainers to go to you, so do your workout wherever you want.”
Sometimes it’s hard to schedule fixed hours with a personal trainer.
Work hours can get quite crazy and when you noticed, it’s Friday and you didn’t exercise or cancelled every class you had previously booked at your neighborhood gym.
If you’re never certain of your schedule, this is a great tip!
Troupe Fit has a great team of personal trainers focused on general training, yoga and pilates that you can book when you want and where you want.
Individual classes start at $49. #JoinTheTroupe.
Take a look and download the app.
Joanna Vargas Skin Care
“Joanna Vargas Skin Care offers great facials using natural products that make your face feel so clean and healthier. Plus, you have a chance of running into Karlie Kloss while there.”
Known for being the Esthetician of countless gorgeous celebrities, super models and New York’s most breathtaking women, Joanna Vargas is a beauty guru in New York.
She works with non-invasive techniques and has her own all natural and organic skin care products.
Totally up our alley of treatments we enjoy exploring.
Location: 501 5th Avenue, Midtown
RPZL
“You can go to RPZL to get extensions, blow dry, or even just a cool braid.”
We love braids, but it’s just so hard to make a cool one of your own! If you do have the coordination, congrats! It’s amazing!
But, if you don’t, RPZL will change your life.
You don’t like braids? That’s fine too. You’ll be able to get a great natural blow dry with soft waves, a very strait and smooth one or anything in between.
Plus you can even get some extensions on, to wave around and show off in the streets of New York!
Location: 27 West 20th Street, Midtown
Pop Physique
“I am a fitness enthusiast and I went a class at Pop Physique thinking it would be easy for me, and it turned out to be a great workout…and even a bit challenging. Their instructors are super nice and the class works with muscles that I didn’t even know existed.”
An Artistic Approach to Exercise.
Pop Physique was founded in Los Angeles by Jennifer Williams, a former ballet dancer (very good professional one!) and pilates instructor and her husband.
The workout is a one hour ballet barre-based class.
It’s an “all in one” workout since it burns fat, strengthens, stretches and works on the importance of the correct breathing techniques.
Location: 31 West 26th Street, Midtown
Brooklyn Bowl
“Brooklyn Bowl is not just a place to see cool live bands and listen to great music, but you can also play bowling at the same time.”
Yeah, you all do know that we love Williamsburg, even though tourists are now migrating more to this side of the Bridge.
There is just so much to do and explore, and news spots open all the time.
But, some of the oldies, continue strong and are on the top of our list.
If you’re looking for a fun, low key, neighborhood vibe place to go with a little of rock’n’roll, you’ll love Brooklyn Bowl.
Location: 61 Wythe Avenue, Williamsburg
McCarren Park
“McCarren Park is super clean and has a nice running track. I’m there almost every day.”
For some indescribable reason, our Founder is completely in love with McCarren Park, in Williamsburg.
When she’s working from Williamsburg, she walks to a further subway station, just to walk through this Park.
Over the weekends it’s super lively, with baseball games, families having picnics, friends playing frisbee games and talking for hours.
You can also find countless people just laying, alone, on the grass having some down time. But, everyone is doing one thing: having fun!
Location: 776 Lorimer Street, Williamsburg
Bedford Avenue
“No matter what direction you walk on Bedford Avenue, you will always find good options of places to eat, drink and shop.”
The main street that crosses through the neighborhood of Williamsburg is a bit touristy, we have to confess.
Specially during weekends when visitors migrate from Manhattan into Brooklyn, but they do have great places to go.
Remember our Founder, Fernanda’s, story of how “Behind the Scenes NYC” started and how she left everything to move to NY?
Well, the restaurant where she decided she was really going to go for it and move to New York City, is also on Bedford Avenue.
Location: The first stop off the “L” line when you arrive in Brooklyn is already Bedford Avenue.
Pioneer Works
“Located in Red Hook, Pioneer Works is a huge space where they always hosts beautiful and interesting exhibitions.”
Pioneer Works is a beautiful art and music space in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
As they explain it (better than we do):
It is a center for research and experimentation in contemporary culture. Through a broad range of exhibitions, performances, arts and science residencies, and educational programs, Pioneer Works seeks to transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries, foster community, and provide a space where alternative modes of thought are supported and activated in tangible ways.
We’ve also written about them before in a post by a NYC art expert, so you can see more pictures.
Location: 159 Pioneer Street, Red Hook
“Home Cooking with Jean-Georges”
“Home Cooking with Jean-Georges has simple and vibrant foods that you can find at his restaurant ABC Kitchen.”
Are you into cooking?
Many people we know in New York are, and so are we!
Sometime it can be hard to vary dishes daily and be creative, if it’s not a natural gift you have, right?!
Well, Home Cooking with Jean-Georges is a great book to test your culinary abilities.
You can buy the book and see a great list of other outstanding NYC Gifts too.
And, if you go to his restaurant, ABC Kitchen, they also sell it there.
Location: 35 East 18th Street, Midtown
To finish off the interview, here are a few quick fun questions we asked Raquel:
What does NYC mean to you?
“As it was already said: Concrete Jungle, where dreams are made of.”
What would you tell someone that is in NY for the 1st time?
“Congratulations! You are in an incredible city, so go enjoy every minute of it.”
Tell us a thing that proves that somebody is a true a New Yorker?
“Ordering coffee at Starbucks super fast. When I see people taking a while to order their drinks, making questions, and then still looking for their money to pay, I know that they are from out of town. We are always in a very fast pace here.”
Thank you Raquel, for sharing with us this fantastic list of spots around New York.
Photo Credits: Courtesy of https://guillaumegaudet.photoshelter.com and all the venues
*Last Update on March/2020.*
And I highly recommend visiting spas and soundbaths- that’s simply needed in NYC. 🙂