Four Manhattan Musts in New York City

by Marika Flatt on February 20, 2024 in Travels,
Share
FacebookXLinkedInEmail

If you’ve only got a few days in The Big Apple, check out these fab finds!

 

Like a Local Tours

Like a Local Tours gives a chance for their guests to explore Manhattan in a more intimate fashion while simultaneously supporting local businesses. Photo courtesy Like a Local Tours

Dedicated to connecting tourists with local small businesses and community-based organizations, Like a Local Tours strives to provide immersive experiences through food, art, and history. Each tour is uniquely tailored to offer a chance for tourists to positively impact those businesses and communities, and with their Affiliate Program, members receive a 10% discount to offer to followers which gives members a 15% commission for each ticket sold. An additional 2 complimentary tickets per month will also be provided.

We recommend the Chelsea Market, High Line & Hudson Yards Food & History Tour. A knowledgeable guide, such as Chris, will dish all the most interesting trivia you can scoop up! We learned the history of the original Nabisco plant which was beautifully turned into the thriving Chelsea Market. You’ll nibble on yummies such as a brownie sample, slice of thin NY pizza, a dumpling, a beautiful doughnut and other goodies in this 3-hour tour. You’ll wrap up with a one-mile walk down the famous High Line. 

 Legacy Records

Legacy Records provides an upscale design that allows guests to dine in a modern yet traditional setting. Photo Douglas Friedman

Despite its name, Legacy Records is not a recording studio, but rather a unique dining experience. The building, near Times Square, was once a busy recording studio for the likes of Madonna, Mariah Carey, and Brittany Spears (go ladies!). Legacy Records features crunchy delicious Legacy Bread (go ahead and carb up here), rich pastas (small servings), and we recommend the Farm Chicken! Pair this with a bottle of chardonnay or cabernet for the perfect rockin’ dinner. 

Go City 

From museum visits to must-see tourist destinations, Go City allow tourists to travel around the city with ease. Photo courtesy Go City.

We’ve told you about this tourist hack before because we love the convenience. Found in various cities throughout the U.S. and even Europe, reserve a Go City for the ease of exploration. Whether you want to tour the Holocaust Museum, go up to the top of the Empire State Building (hello, Meg Ryan!) or venture into a borough you’ve not discovered, the pass is easy to purchase and download on your phone. Just scan it and you’re in like the VIP you are! 

Ocean Prime Grill

Ocean Prime Grill offers various options to make your dinner night special. Seafood or steak, you can’t go wrong. Courtesy photo.

Texans will find this A++ seafood and steakhouse in Dallas, also. Simply one of the best dinners we’ve ever tasted in NYC, Ocean Prime will leave you stuffed as a happy clam. Of course, you’ll start with a beautiful cocktail or robust glass of red. The Chop Chop salad, busting with flavor (to include salami and cheese) will be a starter with staying power. Whether you enjoy one of their signature steaks or seafood such as their Chilean sea bass, pair with a side of truffle mac n’ cheese, brussel sprouts, smoked gouda tater tots (yes, please!) or jalapeno au gratin, you can.not.go.wrong! Dessert will put the sweet in your step with a chocolate peanut butter pie to die for. 

BONUS: Hilton Times Square

At Hilton Times Square, tourists can enjoy the daytime and nighttime sights of Manhattan from the comfort of their hotel rooms. Courtesy photo.

Stay in the heart of busy Times Square with the consistent service of the Hilton brand. Spacious rooms that stretch all the way up to 44 floors high, sink into the comfort of your room after a busy day of sightseeing. 

Hilton New York Times Square is undergoing a public space renovation that will elevate and reimagine the hotel’s lobby and food and beverage offerings. This will include enhancements to the property’s exterior with a newly transformed 41st Street entrance as well as its iconic Times Square, 42nd Street entrance. Expected to debut in late Q2 2024, the design is inspired by old and new NYC, The Gilded Age meets MoMA in the heart of Times Square.

The Hilton has an Aladdin suite – Hilton New York Times Square Unveils Aladdin’s Times Square Palace Suite, which is perfectly timed to Disney’s Aladdin the Musical’s 10 year anniversary on Broadway in March. And for an even more Broadway-fun stay – multiple properties across our Hilton portfolio in NYC have a special Broadway offer – Hiltons of New York | Hilton Hotels in New York City (hiltonsofnyc.com) where hotels can save up to 40 percent off on participating shows.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 Cover Photo courtesy Hilton Times Square

Marika Flatt, Outstanding Austin Communicator 2021, is the Travel Editor of Texas Lifestyle Magazine. She began her travel writing career in 2002, and can be seen as a contributor on TV shows across Texas, such as KVUE, Daytime (FOX), San Antonio Living, Good Morning Texas, and KXAN!  Marika spent five years as the voice of the “Weekend Trip Tip” on NPR’s Texas Standard pre-Covid. She enjoyed trekking around The Big Apple to attend the IMM conference.