For those of you who will be spending some days before and/or after the wedding exploring NYC, below are some of our favorite things. Regardless of what you pick, one requirement is the same – bring comfortable walking shoes! The best way to see the city is on foot.

Pizza

Our favorite pizza in Manhattan is Lombardi’s at 32 Spring St. in the NOLITA (North of Little Italy) neighborhood. If you are willing to head to Brooklyn, then it would be a tie between Juliana’s under the Brooklyn Bridge and Di Fara’s in Midwood.

Brunch

Brunch is a BIG thing for New Yorkers on Saturdays and Sundays. Jonathan’s favorite place is Maialino at 2 Lexington Ave. at the Gramercy Park Hotel. Amie can’t decide… she would recommend Almond at 12 East 22nd St.,  Morandi at 211 Waverly Place in Greenwich Village , and Hearth at 403 East 12th St.

Cheap Meals

The great thing about NY is that you don’t have to spend a ton of money to get an awesome meal. New York Magazine has an entire issue dedicated to the best “cheap eats” in NYC. Make sure you download the Yelp! application to your smart phone device and it will help you find good meals in any price range. Jonathan flips for “street meat”, and you can find some of the best at the corner of 53rd St. and 6th Ave. Amie likes to treat herself to a “ham-egg-and-cheese on an everything bagel” for breakfast. Order it in the morning at any NY deli you see cooking hot breakfast.

“Splurgey” Meals

Eleven Madison Park will be the splurgiest recommendation we make, but if you’re willing to treat yourself, the food and the experience are worth it. More reasonable “splurge” picks would include Annisa at 13 Barrow St. in the West Village, Hearth at 403 East 12th St. in the East Village, L’Artusi at 228 West 10th St. in the West Village, and Marc Forgione at 134 Reade St. in the TRIBECA (Triangle Below Canal St.) neighborhood.

Museums

There are seemingly infinite museums in NY (here is a list of all of them), but Amie’s favorite will always be the American Museum of Natural History at 79th St and Central Park West. Jonathan prefers the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 1000 5th Ave. They’re on opposite sides of Central Park, so if you’re in the mood to see both of them, go to one in the morning, then break for lunch, stroll through Central Park, and spend the afternoon at the other one.

Shopping

The Flatiron District has a ton of your traditional nice chain stores (J.Crew, Club Monaco, Anthropologie, BCBG); just walk down 5th Ave. from 23rd St. to 14th St. You may have heard people talk about shopping in “SOHO” (South of Houston St). Start at Houston St and West Broadway and walk down West Broadway until you reach Grand St. The other North-South streets in that area (Wooster, Greene and Mercer) and the other West-East streets (Prince, Spring, Broome) also have great stores and boutiques. In SOHO you will find more one-of-a-kind boutiques and luxury stores than you will find in the Flatiron. If you’re seeking mostly high end/luxury stores (Louis Vuitton, Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, Cartier, Fendi) head to 59th St. and 5th Ave. and walk down 5th Ave. until 42nd St.  Even if you don’t buy anything, the window shopping is very fun. =)

Walking

Amie and Jonathan LOVE walking around the city on weekends, and are always finding something new. We highly recommend you do the same. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Get lost in Central Park for an hour…or two. Take a seat in Washington Square Park and people-watch. Check out the latest art installation at Madison Square Park and grab a burger at the Shake Shack. Walk up Riverside Park on the Upper West Side and visit Grant’s Tomb. Whatever you do, keep your eyes open and enjoy it!