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In search of a flightless, sex-crazed, and rarely seen parrot in a land once ruled by birds.

At Salt Water Farm, students return to the land—and the sea—to learn forage, fillet, and feast.

One traveler returns to Laos.

An amateur baker apprentices with a Paris boulanger and learns the secret of artisan bread.

There are countless ways to achieve a perfect New York City day. It depends, of course, on what you’re looking for and a bit of luck—and the biggest challenge may be to pace yourself. Here’s one route that hits many local favorites, from a hearty breakfast near the High Line to an intimate evening concert below the Brooklyn Bridge. Think of it as your very own New York marathon.

It is really hard to walk past a cute bakery like Ovenly without going in. Pretty decor plus shelves and glass jars filled with homemade treats just catch my curiosity everytime. Plus, there is something very comforting about biting into a scone with a just-right crust or a gooey cookie with a hint of salty and sweet. So imagine my delight when I discovered Ovenly, on a quiet, industrial street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I tried a Cheddar Mustard Scone baked with locally-made wholegrain mustard and sharp cheddar, a Chocolate Truffle Cookie enhanced with sea salt, and Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies. Next time I’ll be sure to try the Apricot Thyme Scone, Black Caraway Bread, and Spicy Bacon Caramel Popcorn, which sounds so wrong it must be right. Ovenly was just named Best New Bakery by Time Out New York. Owner/bakers Agatha Kulaga and Erin Patinkin are young Brooklynites who infuse their treats with traditions from their Eastern European backgrounds. Grab some pastries, then stroll around the other independently owned boutiques and cafes in downtown Greenpoint.

New York City’s distinct neighborhoods offer up all kinds of shopping experiences. Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and the side streets of SoHo are hubs for designer and indie boutiques. Department stores have their flagships planted on Madison Avenue around 57th Street, and you can score bargains at downtown’s Century 21. Here are some of the most unique places to shop in the Big Apple, including flea markets and museums.

Twelve years after Ace Hotel transformed Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood into a destination worth visiting, the brand opened its second NYC property on the edge of Brooklyn’s residential Boerum Hill neighborhood and Downtown Brooklyn in the summer of 2021. Built from the ground up, the 13-story building features a concrete Brutalist facade designed by Roman and Williams. Inside, organic elements like green leather couches, wooden walls, and textile and fiber art pieces add warmth to raw concrete pillars and ceilings in the expansive lobby and throughout the 287 rooms.

Why we love it: An ultra-stylish stay that brings U.K. hospitality to Brooklyn’s most bustling neighborhood

The Highlights:
- Smartly designed rooms that come with neighborhood guides and daily breakfast bags
- An on-trend aesthetic from two U.K. design icons
- Two alfresco dining options

The Review:
The Hoxton has a knack for opening in only the coolest neighborhoods—first in London’s Shoreditch, then in Paris’s 2nd Arrondissement, and now in the hipster haven of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. At the company’s first stateside property, housed in the former Rosenwach Water Tank Company factory, the surrounding area informs much of the aesthetic. The 175 rooms are outfitted with locally made ceramics, bespoke bedding by Dusen Dusen, and books curated by neighbors.

Beyond the Brooklyn details, mid-century-meets-urban vibes prevail, from brass accents and mohair headboards to raw concrete ceilings and subway-tiled showers. It’s a stylish approach from design team Ennismore and Soho House that carries through to the public spaces like Klein’s, the lobby-level restaurant situated in the building’s original brick carriage house that serves American-inspired fare around the clock. When the warmer weather hits, guests can pay a visit to either of the hotel’s two outdoor options. Backyard offers canned beer, classic cocktails, and finger food like Meat Hook sausages, while the rooftop Summerly features lobster rolls, clam chowder, and other East Coast seafood favorites.

It’s hard not to feel hip upon entering this Williamsburg hotel. Credit those Insta-cool vibes to the always abuzz rooftop lounge Westlight, or to Leuca, where food-loving socialites flock for a taste of the Italian plates that chef Andrew Carmellini does best. Thanks to the hotel’s partnership with Brooklyn Arts Council, locally designed artworks greet guests in each of the 183 rooms, as do luxe Frette linens, floor-to-ceiling windows, and wraparound balconies with stellar views of the Manhattan skyline. Once settled in, it’s straightaway to the pool, a 60-foot stretch of water surrounded by daybeds and cabanas. If you’d prefer a private hot tub, book the Vale Garden Residence, a two-story suite complete with an open-air Jacuzzi, a fully furnished patio, and its own covetable city vistas.

You know a carousel must be quite special if it is the first to make the National Register of Historic Places. Jane’s Carousel, located in Brooklyn Bridge Park in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn, is truly unique. The fully-restored antique carousel from 1922 with 48 beautifully carved and painted wooden horses and 1,200 lights sits on the edge of the East River, nestled between the Brooklyn and the Williamsburg Bridges. In addition, the Carousel is housed in a modern glass pavilion designed by Pritzker Prize-winning French architect Jean Nouvel. The carousel originated in Ohio. In 1984, it was purchased and brought to Brooklyn for two decades of careful restoration before the pavillion opened to the public in 2011. The carousel is the perfect resting spot after walking over the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan. Release your inner child with a ride on the carousel ($2/ticket) and marvel in the breathtaking 180-degree views of Manhattan. Afterwards, hit Grimaldi’s Pizzeria up the block or the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, located in a nearby landmark fireboat house. And on weekends in the warm months, visit Smorgasburg, a Brooklyn Flea Food Market with 100 vendors. www.janescarousel.com

Outdoor enthusiasts with a penchant for luxe living will feel right at home at this Brooklyn Heights stunner, which takes much of its inspiration from adjacent Brooklyn Bridge Park—the neighborhood’s very own opportunity to commune with nature while embracing the big city. Find natural elements in details like original heart-pine beams from the former Domino Sugar Factory, walnut from the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, and pine flooring from the Old Crow Distillery in Kentucky, along with plenty of living green elements.

Brooklyn has become a dining destination in recent years, with dozens of restaurants preparing local, organic, and sustainable American dishes—and others serving everything from Korean bibimbap and Scandinavian specialties to Ethiopian stews and Mexican tacos. The borough has an overwhelming abundance to choose from, but Smorgasburg makes it easy to graze and sample a variety of Brooklyn’s dishes. From the beginning of April to the end of October, food trucks and stalls representing around 100 restaurants and other establishments set up at East River State Park, in the Williamsburg neighborhood, every Saturday; on Sundays, you’ll find them farther south, in Prospect Park. The largest weekly open-air food market in the country, it’s popular and draws thousands of visitors, but don’t be deterred by the crowds: Much of the fun is the people-watching and the general festival-like atmosphere. Even if you aren’t visiting New York in the summer, it’s worth checking out the Smorgasburg website as they sometimes have smaller off-season pop-ups, including the Winter Flea & Holiday Market.

Husband and wife team Braden Perkins and Laura Adrian opened this restaurant in the “très Brooklyn” style that’s so popular in Paris now. The food is of American influence, but is made with fabulous French ingredients. We love going here.