do you want to know how i can tell when someone is a liar? they promise you an extensive guide of New York City - what to do, where to eat, and what to see. the truth is: this is an impossible task. i think there’s a statistic that it would take you your entire (long) life to eat at every restaurant just in Brooklyn.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fef306ba5-6522-4ef1-86c9-feda5f85d7f8_3024x4032.heic)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F21ea8627-e220-44ea-9583-a230bf97ba8b_3024x4032.heic)
i have a complicated relationship with New York City - my dearest friends live there, every street i walk down & person i meet inspires me, yet i feel emptied out by the constant chaos and pay-to-play culture. i knew that spending 3 weeks in the city would give me the time i needed with my people yet simultaneously exhaust me enough to miss my home by the time i was set to go home.
because we work remote and don’t own an animal or a single plant (that needs to change), living in a different city for 3 weeks is possible. for some reason i have this daunting feeling that life will not be the same next summer (cough cough: Thomas if you’re reading this i want a dog!!!!), so i really wanted to soak up the freedom i have while it exists.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F479074ba-fd72-426c-b10a-25ec97ee65ad_3024x4032.heic)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F58b56501-bb6b-44b8-88fc-29a5620fec01_3024x4032.heic)
i ate, i drank (non-alcoholic bevvies), i played. but OOOOOH, did i eat. NYC is (so far) the only city that can keep me up hours past my bedtime for a dinner reservation on a weeknight. i am embarrassed and proud to report that i tried 55 food/drink spots, saw 2 musicals, went to 1 Yankees game, and spent time training for my race throughout the various parks and gyms in the city.
what makes New York so special is that we all have our own beloved version of how we experience the city. mine isn’t the best - i don’t think anyone’s is - it’s just my favorite.
below is my 3 week New York City guide - it’s not a guide for what you should do if you’re in New York City for 3 weeks; it’s a list you should reference and use in conjunction with the many other (fantastic) guides that live on the internet. i ate at tons of old favorites, tried some new (& overhyped) hot spots, and even hit a few places that you would only really know about if you were a local. aside from food, i’m sharing a hack for $40 broadway tickets, clothing shops, daily activity ideas, as well as the house swapping app that made the first part of my trip possible.
enjoy this guide and use it to its fullest! and if you’re heading to New York City anytime soon, have so much fun.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00e9d89a-5daa-4cd7-96d1-a7642da96af6_3024x4032.heic)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc50c777a-7708-4e45-afcf-3e61a6bb0437_3023x3023.heic)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cf6f7da-b6e6-4ef7-aed2-ec79e8b777f2_3024x4032.heic)
how i was able to stay 6 nights in the West Village for $200:
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to On The Rocks to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.