The
Batemans
Emily and Spencer
4 May 2024
New York City
Our New York City Guide
Photo by Ethan Barber
We could not be more excited for you to join us in New York City! More than anything, we’re excited to share a piece of what we love about living here with the people we love most. We have compiled this list of recommendations of places we love in New York. Thank you to everyone who is traveling from out of town to celebrate with us. We’re so excited to share our special day with you.
Love,
Spencer & Emily
Visit
Our favorite museums and parks..
Elizabeth St. Garden
211 Elizabeth St.
Garden
A tucked away sculpture garden where Spencer asked Emily to marry him.
Directions
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Bridge
It's totally worth doing, even if it's busy! Especially amazing views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Statue of Liberty at dusk.
Directions
Noguchi Museum
9-01 33rd Rd, Queens
Art Museum
Emily's favorite museum. Isami Noguchi is known for his sculptures and paper lanterns. Spend a while in the garden if it's warm and (of course) check out the lanterns in the museum gift shop.
Directions
The High Line
820 Washington St
Park
Old elevated train line transformed into a park and walking path connecting Hudson Yards and the Whitney. A perfect Sunday is eating breakfast at La Bergamote and walking the High Line.
Directions
Neue Galerie
1048 5th Ave
Art Museum
20th Century German and Austrian design museum located in an Upper East Side mansion. Worth going for the Vienna Seccesion art, the mansion's architecture, and the cafe.
DirectionsEat
Come to NYC hungry. Whenever people come to visit, we plan the entire trip around meals.
Blame the Italian in Emily (not the Brit in Spencer).
Gem Wine
116 Forsyth St
Wine Bar
Emily’s favorite restaurant. Chef Flynn McGarry transforms simple ingredients into once in a lifetime experiences. Always delicious, always unexpected - like oysters served in tomatoes or an unexpected asparagus soup that you'll be thinking about for weeks.
Directions
Il Posto Accanto
190 E 2nd St
Neighborhood Italian
Spencer’s favorite restaurant. Amazing Italian food, that doesn’t leave you feeling like you can never eat again. Get a Farmer’s Market salad and the scatiatelli (or lasagna if it's Sunday!)
Directions
Russ and Daughters
179 E Houston
Jewish Appetizers, Bagels
"Russ & Daughters occupies that rare and tiny place on the mountaintop reserved for those who are not just the oldest and the last-but also the best." - Anthony Bourdain
Directions
Katz's Delicatessan
205 E Houston
Jewish Deli
Where Harry *met* Sally... Across from our first NYC apartment - the perfect 2AM meal of giant pastrami sandwiches, fries, and pickles. Honorable mention goes to Spencer’s favorite, the Katz’s hot dog.
Directions
Tang Pavillion
65 W 55th St
Shanghainese
Our top Chinese spot. Ask to sit in the back. Amazing decor, outstanding food. It's an experience. Get the lionshead meatballs.
Directions
Cafe Mogador
101 St. Mark’s Pl
Moroccan
Another East Village mainstay. The best brunch place, but might be even better for dinner. Emily gets the Chicken Tagine (Julian) Casablancas style.
Directions
Scarrs Pizza
35 Orchard St
Pizza
Good for a takeaway slice or sit down. Reminiscent of Pizza Hut, with arcade machines and all. Lovely salad with nutritional yeast, hot honey topping on a slice, or their best: The Grandma Slice.
Directions
7th Street Burger
173 Orchard St
American
Spencer's favorite burger in NYC. Pickles, onions, cheese.
Directions
Jongro BBQ
22 W 32nd St
Korean BBQ
If you're in midtown - past the doorman, take the elevator to the second floor.
Directions
V-Nam Cafe
20 First Ave
Vietnamese
The definition of hole in the wall. Amazing lunch bahn-mi sandwiches.
Directions
Il Laboratorio de Gelato
188 Ludlow
Gelato
Fior di latte, brown bread, birthday cake, pistachio. Espresso shakes, affogato. A favorite of both sets of in-laws.
Directions
Drink
Find us at any of these locations on any given Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday night... wait.
2A
25 Ave A
Dive Bar
Old school New York dive bar that is the reason we survived the pandemic. Many of our friends were made here. Thank you, Tom and Charlotte.
Directions
Big Bar
75 E 7th
Neighborhood Bar
Our favorite cocktails in NYC, great music, great people, lots of red, Cash Only.
Directions
La Cabra
152 Second Ave
Coffee Shop & Bakery
Danish coffee company serving amazing coffee and pastries. Get the hand pour (it's worth the wait), and a bun with cheese.
Directions
Caffe Vita
124 Ludlow St
Coffee Shop
Seattle coffee roaster with great espresso based drinks.
Directions
Book Club
197 E 3rd
Coffee Shop & Bookstore & Wine Bar
It's a coffee shop. No, it's a bookstore. No, it's a wine bar. That's their thing. We're there to play chess.
Directions
Abraco
81 E 7th St
Coffee Shop
Good coffee, fabulous olive oil cake. Get something baked.
Directions
C&B
178 E 7th
Coffee Shop & Bakery
If you want and upgraded corner store breakfast sandwich, this is the spot!
Directions
Decibel
240 E 9th St.
Sake Bar
Underground grungy sake bar with Japanese snacks. If you can’t do loud, best avoid.
Directions
Shop
The Lower East Side has the best local shops for all the essentials - from vintage cookbooks to plum-coated sesame seeds.
John Derian
25 Ave A
Home Goods
A favorite shop in our neighborhood for unexpected home goods, Christmas Ornaments, and decoupage. Emily visits whenever she's in need of inspiration. Check out Il Buco Vita right next door too.
Directions
Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks
75 E 7th
Cookbooks
The loveliest little space with rare and used cookbooks, magazines, and antiquarian dining items. Perfect gifts - Spencer gave Emily a set of antique dessert forks in a blue velvet case for Christmas last year. Bonnie is the sweetest (and she loves Wales!). While you're there, stop by Ergot Records and Salter House next door.
Directions
SOS Chefs
104 Ave B
Spice Shop
Maybe Emily's favorite store in the city. Every spice you can imagine, soy sauces from Japan, olive oils from Italy. The owners are so kind, and don’t forgot to say hello to Congratulations, the shop cat.
Directions
A-1 Record Shop
439 E 6th St
Record Store
Where Spencer finds the good stuff. It might not look like they know where everything is, but they do.
Directions
Pillowcat Books
328 E 9th St,
Book Store
Very fun animal themed book store. Say hi to Pillow, the shop cat. Best merch in NYC.
Directions
Tokio 7
83 E 7th St
Vintage Clothing
Tokio 7 is the vintage store where you either find nothing, or you find the best piece of your life. Also features a life size replica of The Predator , made out of motorcycle parts. Unless you want to have a mental breakdown, don't try on the women's pants.
Directions
Mast Books
83 E 7th St
Bookstore
Best curated bookstore with a focus on art books. Always fun to peruse.
Directions
Army Navy Bag
177 E Houston
Clothing Supply
Great bags. Good stop while waiting for your Russ and Daughter's number to be called. Say hi to Henry. Favorite apparel store of Lil Uzi Vert, Post Malone, and Gwyn Bateman.
Directions
Rudy's Music
461 Broome St
Music Store
Spencer's favorite guitar store in NYC. Great for windowshopping.
Directions
Rock and Soul
49 W 37th St
DJ Equipment & Records
One of the oldest and most famous DJ shops in the world.
Directions