I spent the weekend in New York City a few weeks back and I’ve decided to break it up into several posts. Today’s part two is about how to spend a lovely afternoon in Union Square, Flatiron and Gramercy Park. You can read part one here, A Saturday Morning in Soho and my tips on How to Walk in Midtown Manhattan.
On our walk up from Soho we hit one of the most familiar and dear places in New York City to me, Union Square. My last NYC apartment was in Gramercy, the neighborhood directly northeast of the Square, and I used to spend many weekend mornings strolling the famous Union Square Farmers Market with a cup of coffee. I would carefully select produce for the week, half of which I would use within three days, and the other half of which would go bad in my fridge as I got lazier about cooking as the week went on and succumbed to the allure of happy hour appetizers.
Regardless, you have to visit the market, and Union Square is a good jumping off point for touring these neighborhoods.
Afternoon in Union Square, Flatiron & Gramercy Pictures
Afternoon in Union Square, Flatiron & Gramercy Itinerary
Union Square, Flatiron and Gramercy have become a food lover’s paradise. Aside from the farmers market, there’s Fish’s Eddy a fantastic store for cooking tools, glassware and plates; Eataly, a high-end Italian Market; and some of the City’s most famous restaurants like Coffee Shop, Blue Water Grill, Union Square Cafe, Casa Mono and Gramercy Tavern (try the bar’s mixed nuts).
Below are some of my favorite places to visit and I’ve included a Google walking map of all my favorite places in this ‘hood: walking map.
Strolling / Sightseeing
I recommend touring the market, then head East toward Irving Place and walk north to Gramercy Park. This is one of my favorite walks in the city for it’s combo of unique architecture and street decor. You can’t get into the actual Gramercy Park without a key (highly prized by area residents), but you can peek into the gates.
Union Square Greenmarket
17th Street & Union Square West
New York, NY
Gramery Park
Intersection of East 21st, East 20th, Irving Place and Lexington Avenue
Shopping
This is a great area to shop for kitchen and household items. I highly, highly recommend Fish’s Eddy. Most of my favorite items in my own kitchen came from there, including my steak knife set, cereal bowls, and glasses, and I’ve gotten my mother many gifts there over the years as well.
Eataly
200 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Fish’s Eddy
889 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
Dining + Coffee + Cocktails
If you’re tired of walking, this is a good neighborhood to stop and get a cocktail or an afternoon snack. I love everything at Almond, from their steak frites to their entire brunch menu. They also mix a mean martini. Irving Farm’s coffee and tea are renowned, and Pipa’s sangria and calamari are both can’t-misses.
Almond
12 East 22nd Street
New York, NY 10010
Irving Farm
71 Irving Place
New York, NY
Pipa
38 East 19th Street
New York, NY 10003
Tips
If you’re meeting up with friends on trip to New York City, meet them in this area for a meal or a drink. It’s super convenient to almost all subways lines and has a ton of great bars and restaurants. Bring a large group into Balthazar seems like a nightmare, but any of the restaurants on Park Ave South are very accommodating to larger parties.
If you’re following the itinerary I laid out in the first post, I recommend walking up Lafayette from Soho to Union Square rather than Broadway.
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Location: New York
Seasons: year-round
Meal: afternoon cocktail, coffee or tea
Themes: good for groups, romantic, a good walk, shopping