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Upper East Side Guide: The Best Things to do in Upper East Side New York City

Upper East Side

I’m so happy today to finally be sharing my Upper East Side Guide!  I’ve lived up here since I moved to the city in November of 2010 and I’ve been wanting to round up all of my favorite neighborhood spots for a while now. The thing is, every time I…

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Mermaid Inn

West 10th between 23rd and 24th

Mermaid Inn is one of my favorite seafood restaurants. The food is consistently fresh and delicious and the happy hour is great too! The decor is great and I love the laidback vibe. Definitely get the fish tacos! Note – the pic is from their iconic UWS location which sadly closed recently, but I heard they’re hoping to reopen. So check out the Chelsea location!

The Morgan Library and Museum

36th and Madison Avenue

I recently visited The Morgan Library after many years and rediscovered how wonderful it is! The museum began as the personal library and collection of financier Pierpont Morgan, built in the early 1900s. Morgan collected an incredible amount of rare books and manuscripts, and it’s incredible to see them together. Just the architecture of the library is amazing – it’s three stories of inlaid walnut bookshelves accessed with balconies and hidden staircases. It feels cozy and intimate, yet expansive and soaring. The ceiling in adjacent rotunda is stunningly beautiful. The gift shop is great too, have to throw that in there! I actually discovered the work of an artist named Deana Sobel Lederman there and I’ve become a huge fan! I bought a print of a painting she made of The Morgan Museum for my gallery wall 🙂

The Met Cloisters

99 Margaret Corbin Dr.

The Met Cloisters is a second location of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, located in Upper Manhattan, that focuses on European medieval art. The museum is partially comprised of four actual French cloisters that were disassembled, brought to New York, and painstakingly reassembled here. How cool is that? Perched high atop a hill and overlooking the Hudson River, the Met Cloisters is a peaceful and tranquil place to wander and take in the beautifully maintained gardens, the original European medieval architecture, and the many incredible pieces of art on display (the unicorn tapestries are one of the most famous examples!).

 

Fairfax All Day Cafe

Corner of West 4th and West 10th

Is there anything better than an all-day cafe? I love it. Fairfax has come in handy several times when I just want to grab a coffee or sit down and relax for a few minutes in the middle of the day in the West Village. They have wine as well, and it’s just a lovely and charming spot.

Frame Coffee

Second Avenue between 73rd and 74th

I love an independent coffee shop, and Frame is a new favorite! I thought the coffee and food were fantastic, the decor is really nice, and it just had a great vibe. Highly recommend!

Bar Pisellino

52 Grove St.

Bar Pisellino is a really charming Italian coffee bar in the West Village, which also serves cocktails. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, so it’s great for relaxing with a drink or a coffee…feels very European!

Bobo

181 West 10th Street

Bobo is one of my favorite West Village restaurants. It’s in this lovely 1930s-era townhouse and is meant to evoke the feeling of being in a French country home. Yes please! The decor is charming and I love the food. It’s great for brunch and super cozy for dinner.

Emmy Squared

E. 81st and Third Avenue

Just hands down my favorite pizza on the UES. It’s Detroit style – so it’s thick, super super crunchy on the edges, and pillowy in the center. Absolutely delicious.

The Photography Shop

The perfect finishing touch for any room, or a memorable gift they’ll treasure! Shop new photographs from Jackie’s travels around the globe.

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