Tourist in Your Hometown: NYC

Hi everyone! This is Jackie from York Avenue and I'm thrilled to be here on Jess's blog today, sharing  some of the places that I love in my current hometown of NYC. Ever since moving here almost five years ago, I've had a blast searching out restaurants, shops, and things to do, while documenting my favorites on my blog. I feel so lucky to live in New York City because it seems I could live here for my whole life and never be bored. There are always new places to discover and tons of things to do, even if it's something as simple as taking a stroll in Central Park or trying a new bakery. While I would love to travel to various places in the future, like Paris, London, or Italy, I have a hard time working up the motivation to plan trips because I'm so content to just explore NYC! Here are some of the places that keep me enjoying my city:

The West Village is one of my favorite neighborhoods in New York City. I live on the Upper East Side, and while I wouldn't trade that for anything, I love getting the chance to go downtown on the weekends and explore. The West Village has a charm and character all its own, and is also home to some of my favorite bookstores, restaurants, and sweet shops.

Speaking of bookstores, the Strand inside the Club Monaco flagship on Fifth Avenue is always a favorite spot to pop into. The little shop-in-shop has a wonderfully curated selection and decor that makes me want to move right in! 

Also inside the Club Monaco flagship on Fifth Avenue is Toby's Estate Flatiron, one of my favorite coffee shops in the city. They have great lattes, gorgeous decor, and they also stock Doughnut Plant doughnuts (another NYC favorite!). You can see my full post on Toby's Flatiron here. 

Another New York City favorite is, of course, Central Park. However, my very favorite place in the Park is the lesser populated Conservatory Garden, all the way uptown. This is the only "quiet zone" in the Park and is truly a peaceful, serene, and beautiful place to walk around, in all seasons. You can see my full post on the Conservatory Garden here. 

I'm a total sucker for a bright and colorful candy shop, and NYC keeps me well-supplied in that area! Sockerbit's bright and happy Swedish candies are always a delicious little Scandanavian treat, and I can't help but stop in whenever I find myself in the West Village! 

New York City never gets boring because you just never know what new shop is going to open. Case in point: Stick With Me Sweets, a new chocolate shop downtown which really just blew me out of the water. The bonbons are little works of art which are hand-crafted out of the finest quality ingredients. They're truly some of the most delicious chocolates that I've ever had the pleasure of tasting. See my full post on this amazing shop here. 

Last but not least, you just really can't beat springtime in New York City! I'm certainly looking forward to it after surviving this extra brutal winter that we're in the midst of currently. 

Thank you so much to Jess for having me today! For more NYC favorites be sure to check out my blog, York Avenue, where I'm always sharing my newest finds and favorites. Have a great week!

all photos by Jacqueline Clair