• DKK
NEW YORK

by

KATHRINE HOUE

NEW YORK

‘The Big Apple’, ‘The city that never sleeps’, ‘Fun City' - New York is known for its many names. Here, Kathrine Houe, Danish freelance writer, creative consultant and photographer for fashion and children’s clothing brands, lives with her husband and their three daughters in Brooklyn, New York. Read about her favourite spots in the city with endless possibilities.

 

What makes New York so special?

I fell in love with New York back in 1997 when I first visited the city with my old high school friend. Since then I have visited the city as often as possible. One thing is of course the cultural repertoire here; the museums, the concerts, a reading by a famous author, the restaurants and all the amazing buildings. But after moving here, what I’ve come to love the most, is the mentality of the people living here. The positive and supporting atmosphere and peoples’ belief in everything being possible.

Where should you stay?

Accommodation is always hard and expensive in New York, and renting a private apartment is probably the best option for most. If you’re not into this solution, the city is full of great hotels. Consider getting a place close to one of the neighbourhoods in which you will be spending a lot of time, otherwise you can easily end up wasting a lot of time on transport. Brooklyn neighbourhoods like Park Slope, Green Point, Carroll Gardens and Williamsburg are good if you’re traveling with kids and want a bit more space around you and a playground in walking distance.

Must-sees?

If it’s your first visit to New York, all the things listed in any guidebook, is of course a must. But when you’re done with that, go to some of the off-radar places. Governors Island is a small island just a short boat ride from Manhattan where residing New Yorkers will go during the weekend to get away from the city buzz. Visit at least one of the big museums – they are all amazing. I personally love The Whitney and my daughters love visiting Guggenheim because of the spiral ramp. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, hang out in Brooklyn Bridge Park and Dumbo and take a ride on the beautiful Jane’s Carousel.

Check out some of the amazing book stores. My personal favourite is Books Are Magic, which not only has a great selection of children’s and adult’s books and cool merchandise but also arranges a lot of great events (like Patty Smith reading / concert in a local Brooklyn church and Saturday evening readings in the shop with a glass of wine in your hand). Visit Green Point, an up and coming Brooklyn neighbourhood, that are slowing turning into the new hipster-area after Williamsburg has become overcrowded and pick up a cup of coffee and a flower from another favourite of mine, Homecoming.

JANE’S CAROUSEL // 45 MAIN STREET

BOOKS ARE MAGIC // 225 SMITH STREET

HOMECOMING // 107 FRANKLIN STREET

Best places to eat?

New York is packed with good food, and the best places are in my opinion not the big and popular places mentioned in the guidebooks. I like Takahachi for sushi, Án Choi for a quick Vietnamese lunch, Oficina 1M for rich Italian food, The Butcher’s Daughter for vegetarian and Maman for a work lunch and a coffee. Or go check out Smorgesburg, the largest weekly food market in all of America. 

TAKAHACHI // 145 DUANE STREET & 85 AVENUE A

ÁN CHOI // 85 ORCHARD STREET

OFICINA 1M // 371 BROOME STREET

THE BUTCHER’S DAUGHTER // 581 HUDSON STREET & 19 KENMARE STREET

MAMAN // 239 CENTRE STREET

SMORGEBURG // 90 KENT AVENUE

Great spots for a break?

Go to one of the many small parks and gardens around the city. Bring a coffee and sit on a bench and take in the scenery and the people passing by. My absolute favourite is Elizabeth Street Garden, but you need a little luck to find it open. Visit one of the more conceptual cinemas in the city like Metrograph, which is always showing a great selection of old classics and underground films. Personally, I’m not a big fan of ice cream, but my daughters are, and one of our favourite pit-stops is Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream.

ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN // ELIZABETH STREET BETWEEN PRINCE AND SPRING STREETS

METROGRAPH // 7 LUDLOW STREET

MORGENSTERN’S FINEST ICE CREAM // 2 RIVINGTON STREET

Insider tip to the city?

Everybody always tells you to look up when you’re visiting New York. But I would say look down. The city is full of the most amazing floors in beautiful patterns and colours. And skip the subway and the yellow cabs and go by New York ferries instead.

NEW YORK FERRIES // FERRY.NYC

And best shops?

New York is great when it comes to shopping, and the city is full of small, independent stores with a unique selection, but to find those places, you need to leave the more touristy areas. If you want to visit one department store, go to ABC Carpet & Home. Other shopping favourites of mine are Oroboro Store, Tictail market, CW Pencil Enterprise (who only sells pencils, erasers and stickers) and Regular Visitors on Smith Street in Brooklyn. The latest in shopping trends is a combination of café and market place. Maman Café in Soho has experienced a great success with their Marché Maman, where you amongst others find the cute children’s shop Merci Bisous and La Mercerie, which is a French café where everything is for sale, including the flowers on the tables.

ABC CARPET & HOME // 3906 2ND AVENUE & 888 BROADWAY & 881 BROADWAY

OROBORO STORE // 217 MOTT STREET

TICTAIL MARKET // 90 ORCHARD STREET

CW PENCIL ENTERPRISE // 15 ORCHARD STREET

REGULAR VISITORS // 149 SMITH STREET

MAMAN CAFÉ // 239 CENTRE STREET