"I love coming back here. I feel at home in a way." - Top seed and defending champion Daniil Medvedev
Same Daniil, same. Although Daniil is out of the tournament, having lost to Nick Kygrios, his feelings toward New York are the same as mine. As an American, it is our home tournament, and there's nothing like being in New York the the US Open!
My trip to New York this year was actually two fold. My daughter started her first year of university studies in New York, and I moved her into her dorm on August 20th. Since I was there before the open started, I had lots of time to explore the city and I found some great new spots to add to my New York City Guide!
Restaurants to try in New York City
Crompton Ale House
I love a good pub. This one was very close to my daughters campus, and I visited there a few times. They have very nice staff, great food, and lots and lots of TV's. Even when tennis wasn't on, they changed it to ESPN for me no problem. I loved their steak cesar salad and Magner's English Cider.
The Three Monkeys
This lively bar is located right in the heart of the theater district. We popped in here for a few drinks and nibbles. Their cocktail list is very fancy with lots of creative combos. We had wings and flatbread pizza, both were great! The atmosphere is young and fun with lots of TV's for sports watching. They also have a speakeasy comedy club!
Friedmans
Friedman's is another restaurant in Chelsea that we loved. We had breakfast one day and my daughters avocado toast was amazing! They have several locations throughout the city.
KazuNori
The Original Hand Roll Sushi Bar has a location in NOMAD that's very popular. It's bar seating only, and you sit right in front of the sushi chef preparing your rolls. There's usually a wait, we waited in line for about 20 minutes before seats came available. What I wish I knew? The rolls are quite small, maybe the equivalent of 2-3 normal pieces of sushi. My daughter and I started by ordering only one roll each, which wasn't enough for our dinner appetites. We ended up having to wait another 30 minutes for the chef to make us more rolls. My suggestion is to order 3-4 rolls per person when you sit down, then you're not stuck waiting. The chef prepares the rolls as they are input by the wait staff. If lot of people are ahead of you, you'll be waiting a while and may get hangry.
Dos Caminos
Although we always try new places when we visit New York, it's always nice to squeeze in a little taste of home. This Mexican Food restaurant has several locations in the city. We've been to the one in Meatpacking and Soho, both very good.
Quality Italian
For a nice dinner out, we ate at this classy Italian restaurant in midtown (just a short walk from Park Hyatt). I had the loveliest fresh pasta with shaved cheese, it was divine. My husband had Vodka lobster pasta that was prepared table side, it was very fancy.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
Sure, I've been to Central Park several times, but never walked far enough north to the Jackie O. Reservoir. It's a large body of water on the northern end of the park and it was so nice to walk along and take photos. There are lots of runner, walkers, and joggers on the path, enjoying a little nature in the middle of the concrete jungle.
Central Park Tennis Center
Like the Reservoir, I had never walked up to the Central Park Tennis facility. A crime, right? It's awesome! With 30 tennis courts, it's the perfect place to play if you're visiting. Like anything, the earlier you can reserve the better.
Wilson Columbus Circle
Last year, Wilson and Racquet Magazine had a pop up store in Soho showcasing Wilson tennis clothing, racquets and history. This year, on our way to find a JCrew for my husband, we came across the Wilson shop in Columbus Circle Shopping Center. The store is super cool, very modern and the clothing reminds me of Ralph Lauren, even Tory Burch tennis attire, at a much more reasonable price. I picked up a few pieces and I can't wait to wear them on the court!
Cafeteria
A very chic restaurant along 7th Avenue in Chelsea with a nice patio for people watching. It's more popular for lunch and dinner, but we had breakfast there and it was very good!
SPIN NYC
This is probably the best find of the trip! SPIN is a ping pong lounge with full bar, lots of TV's and a super fun atmosphere. It wasn't very busy when we visited, but it would be so fun to go with a large group, a birthday party, or US Open watch party!
Like Daniil, New York feels more like home each time I visit. Now that my daughter is living there, I imagine I'll spend even more time there. New York is fun to visit throughout the year, but late summer can be quite humid. I personally love visiting in December when the holiday window displays are shining brightly and the city feels magical. If you're planning a visit soon, make sure to check out my New York Guide for great recommendations on how to plan your trip.
Love & Tennis,
Valerie
Scan the QR code for my NYC guide with all my favorite spots to stay, eat, drink, and play!
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