The Places That Made Me Fall in Love with New York (And Still Do)

Sharing some local spots that hold special meaning to me, from an unassuming restaurant fit for special occasions to the best views on offer.

With the weather warming up, I just pulled these shoes out of retirement. Jacket | shirt | shorts

I moved to New York in the Spring—April 1st, to be exact. So is it any wonder springtime in the city makes me sentimental?

Have I ever told you how we ended up here? I don’t think I’ve shared much about our decision, mostly because it wasn’t some grand, well-thought-out plan. It was kind of accidental, actually.

Well, I guess at first it was an unhappy accident.

In the winter of 2021, the landlord of our Portland apartment decided to sell. The lease expired at the end of January, giving us two months to make a decision. Making lemonade, we asked ourselves a simple question: “What’s the coolest thing that could happen this year?”

We both love to travel, so we thought, why not seize an opportunity (we were both working remotely due to COVID). Hawaii is our version of heaven, so we booked a place for a month. Sunshine, beaches and poke — life on easy mode.

One blissful month in Hawaii, never enough time!

Then we wondered where to next? I've always dreamed of living in New York (this is no secret, everyone in my inner circle knew that about me). Meanwhile, Will’s best friend happened to have a spot on the Upper East Side. Maybe we could sublease from him for a month or two?

We boarded a Manhattan-bound flight from Honolulu, set to arrive at JFK on April 1.

Central Park in the spring

Well, three weeks into our New York stay, we went for dinner at a corner Thai place and Will goes “you know, I assumed New York would be all concrete and skyscraper, but there’s a lot of trees here too, and it’s exciting. I can see why you love it so much. I’d be open to living here for a year or two.”

Nearly choking on my spring roll, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Say less!

Five years on, still feels like a dream.

I'd been daydreaming about living in New York FOREVER—but I didn’t want to push it because I know Will’s a nature nut through and through. In hindsight, it’s not hard to see why Will fell in love with New York as well.

Here are the places that make New York so endearing.

• The neighborhood that made me fall in love with New York

• The prettiest view of the city (free and paid)

• The unassuming restaurant where we celebrate milestones

• The bagel that set the standard

• The cocktail bar I’ve visited 50+ times

• The satisfying sweet treat that I keep coming back for, five years later

The neighborhood that made me fall in love with New York