---
title: "Ross' NYC Top 5 List"
date: 2018-04-19
tags: ["Fordham & NYC"]
source: https://rossgarlick.com/writing/ross-nyc-top-5-list
---

After 7 years in NYC, I've been to a lot of places and seen a lot of things; most have been great, but some are definitely better than others. Recognizing that in a city like NYC there is always going to be 100 things I have missed, here is my NYC Top 5 list:

### Tourist Attractions

*   Walking the Brooklyn Bridge
*   The Whitney Museum (and the High Line)
*   Visiting Liberty Island
*   Smorgasburg
*   Running/cycling through Central Park
*   _Shoutout to all Broadway shows_

 

### Parks

*   Central Park (duh)
*   Brooklyn Bridge Park
*   Fort Greene Park
*   Inwood Hill Park
*   Bryant Park
*   _Shoutout to Washington Square Park, which is more concrete than greenery but full of amazing people_

 

### Outdoor Bars

*   Westlight (rooftop of the William Vale hotel - Williamsburg)
*   Brooklyn Barge Bar (Greenpoint)
*   Bar 65 (at the top of the Rockefeller - same view as Top of the Rock)
*   the Frying Pan (Chelsea)
*   1 Rooftop Bar (DUMBO)
*   _Special shoutout to drinking on the roofdeck of the East River Ferry_

 

### Sitdown Restaurants

*   Bistro Petit (Williamsburg - $$)
*   Annicka (Greenpoint - $$)
*   Cosme (Flatiron - $$$)
*   Birds of a Feather (Williamsburg - $$)
*   Nix (Washington Square Park - $$$)
*   _Special shoutout to Marlow & Sons, an all day cafe that punches above its weight (Williamsburg - $)_

 

### Quick-bite Restaurants

*   Superiority Burger (East Village - $)
*   Vanessa's Dumplings (Lower East Side - $)
*   Daily Provisions (just north of Union Square - $)
*   Bagelsmith (Williamsburg - $)
*   Delaney Chicken (Urbanspace, Midtown East - $)
*   _Shoutout to Xian Famous Foods_

 

### Pizza

*   Pugsley Pizza (Fordham)
*   Williamsburg Pizza (Williamsburg)
*   Full Moon Pizzeria (Fordham)
*   Roberta's (Bushwick)
*   L'Industrie (Williamsburg)
*   _Special shoutout to Tony & Tina's Pizzeria (Fordham) - NYC's most underrated slice_
*   _Second special shoutout to Emmy Squared (Williamsburg), which didn't feel right including as "Detroit" style pizza, but is delicious :)_

 

### Coffee Roasters

*   Parlor Coffee
*   Cafe Grumpy
*   Toby's Estate
*   Devocion
*   Birch Coffee
*   _Shoutout to George Howell as my favorite coffee roaster overall, but Boston-based_

 

### Breweries

*   Other Half (Gowanus)
*   King's County Brewer's Collective (Bushwick)
*   Grimm Artisanal Ales (East Williamsburg)
*   Sixpoint Brewery (Red Hook)
*   Greenpoint Beer and Ales (Greenpoint)
*   _Special mention to Bronx Brewery/Brooklyn Brewery, which introduced me to good craft beer and are great breweries, but didn't quite make the cut._ 
*   _Extra special mention to the Bronx Beer Hall, the OG craft beer bar of my heart._

 

### Daytime Activities

*   Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club (Gowanus)
*   Board games at Berg'n (Crown Heights)
*   Cycling the Hudson River Parkway
*   People watching in Washington Square Park
*   Watching Manchester United at Smithfield Hall NYC (Flatiron)
*   _Shoutout to all boozy brunches_

 

### Nighttime Activities

*   Comedy at Upright Citizen's Brigade
*   Jazz at Blue Note / Jazz Standard / Smalls
*   Cocktails at Please Don't Tell
*   Dancing to a band at Pianos or Baby's All Right
*   Getting in the jacuzzi at Le Bain
*   _Shoutout to House of Yes - I haven't been clubbing there but have heard ridiculous stories_