My 3 Favorite NYC Businesses (List for Locals)
My 3 Favorite NYC Businesses (List for Locals)
I'm reluctant to share, but feel like I'd be doing you a disservice if I didn't!
I think we can all agree that one of the toughest things about moving somewhere new is re-establishing the order of your life.
Take, for example, the task of finding a dentist in a new city.
Seems simple enough, no?
I moved to NYC from the PNW, where I had a dentist I absolutely adored. So much so, that I would have gladly paid out-of-pocket if insurance didn’t cover (seriously, that good).
So, one of my biggest challenges after moving to NYC was finding a new dentist. After going to 2-3, I felt frustrated enough to call my old dentist and fly 3,000 miles for a cleaning.
Nuts, I know. I didn’t end up doing that, but I was tempted. Then you throw in doctors, haircuts, facials, etc. and you’ll find yourself searching for a good year or two.
Anyway, this is a (very) long way of saying this: There’s 3 businesses I’ve discovered that other locals may enjoy knowing about, and I’d love to spread the word (giving you a shortcut, of sorts).
Note: Longtime readers know that we don’t accept sponsorships at New York Simply (never have, never will). It’s imperative to our team that we only offer honest firsthand experiences, free from biases and temptation. So, we pay for everything out of pocket and kindly/politely decline requests for “sponsored opinions.”
The businesses mentioned below are places we genuinely love and go to time and time again, simply spreading the word (even if that means longer wait times for us!
Kee’s Chocolates (UWS)
I discovered Kee’s Chocolates innocently enough. My husband hosts bi-weekly whisky tastings with friends at our home (every since returning from Scotland, he’s taken to the hobby quite seriously).
To spice things up, we researched ideal pairings for whisky tastings and came across chocolate.
So, we googled a few places nearby and landed on Kee’s Chocolates because we’ve never heard of it before and it was close to the apartment. Little did I know, I’d be ditching the whisky tasting altogether for some alone time with these perfect little chocolates.
Heaven help me. The chocolate is some of the best I’ve had (really). The chocolates on offer are hand-made every single morning by a woman named Kee Ling Tong. The flavors change daily based on season, but don’t sleep on the coconut & almond truffles when offered.
Price: $4 per truffle (I believe?). Steep, but completely worth it for those that love chocolate.
Avani Beauty Inc (Little Italy)
There’s two types of people in this world:
Those that love a relaxing and lavish spa experience
Those that want the damn pores cleared, even if there’s no lavender-scented candle in sight
I happen to fall into the second category. I don’t need to be wooed, I need to see results. After a few months of trying out various facials in the city, I was nothing short of frustrated with skin congestion (sorry if this is TMI, but some folks have this!).
So, a friend cheekily recommended Avani, making it clear that the place cares more about deep cleaning than lighting candles, and wow — she was right.
Helmed by the kindest woman you’ll ever meet, Annie has been in business for 40+ years. She mentioned that some of her current customers are the adult children of women who were seeing Annie when they were pregnant with them. I can see why.
I’ve been seeing Annie for 6+ months know (visiting once a month) and notice a huge difference. I’ve had a lot of facials over the years, and nobody does a deep clean like Annie (she does all the pore extractions herself).
Who I recommend this to: This is a brass-tacks operation. Don’t expect a spa experience. The place is immaculately clean and the gals running the show are an absolute delight to see, I enjoy my monthly facials. Highly recommend for those that need a deep cleansing facial.
Price: $60 + tip (cash only).
Haircuts at QB House (Various Locations)
Similar to the last statement, I’m not keen on spending $75 for a simple trim every 6 weeks, which limits my options in NYC. After a bit of digging, I came across a place called QB House.
Hailing from Tokyo, QB House offers express haircuts only (no other services like color, shampoo, etc.) on a walk-in basis for $30.
I’ll admit, I was a bit reluctant at first, considering their haircuts are half the price of local salons. However, I didn’t have anything to worry about, the haircut was great! So much so, that I’ve been coming here for haircuts for the past 2 years now (and I’ve only had to wait 30+ minutes once due to a long line).
Cool Souvenir Idea:
One of my friends recently visited me in NYC and just surprised me with the coolest (and most thoughtful) gift! She sent me this delightful print, commemorating our fun girl’s trip in NYC. Needless to say, I was touched.
So, if you’re visiting NYC for the holidays and want to commemorate the trip, highly recommend checking out this Brooklyn-based artist’s etsy shop.
Hope this list helps other locals, if you have any recommendations you’d like to share, please do so in the comments! I’m still looking for a dentist and would love some suggestions!