Live Like a Local for a Day in Lower Manhattan

Lower Manhattan is full of iconic attractions that are worthy visits for tourists and locals alike. But if you want to feel like a real New Yorker, you’ve got to hit up the spots that only locals know about. This itinerary will take you on a walking-heavy tour of the neighborhood seen through the eyes of those of us who experience it every day (well, at least when we’re not in our offices writing up these very itineraries). So grab your comfiest sneakers and a pair of earbuds, queue up one of our downtown Spotify playlists, and let’s get going! 

First Stop: MCM Coffee (88 Fulton St.)

The secret to living in the city that never sleeps? Lots and lots and lots of coffee. Start your day at MCM Coffee, a charming sibling-run independent coffee shop that offers tasty Uruguayan bites and home goods in addition to really, really good brews. The space is small, so get your coffee in a takeaway cup and drink it while you stroll to your next destination, as busy New Yorkers on-the-go are wont to do.

Second Stop: Ess-a-Bagel (115 Broadway)

Now that you’re caffeinated, it’s time for some chewable fuel. It’s not not true that New Yorkers eat bagels every day, and Ess-a-Bagel, which opened its first location in Gramercy in 1976, is the realest deal of them all. Head to the new no-frills downtown outpost, which has all the classic bagels and schmears you can dream of — just be sure to get your bagel untoasted like a real Manhattanite. You can eat in or enjoy your bagel al fresco right next door in Zuccotti Park.

Third Stop: New York Transit Museum Shop (2 Broadway)

New Yorkers do a lot of walking, as you’ve likely already gleaned from this itinerary. But when we’re not walking, we’re taking the subway. With 472 stations located in four out of five boroughs, the New York City subway system is the largest single rapid transit service in the nation (and by station count, the world), and it has a storied 120-year history. You can learn about the subway and NYC’s other public transit at the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn, but if you don’t feel like crossing the East River, the downtown outpost of the New York Transit Museum Shop has plenty of merch, including posters and prints, t-shirts, mugs, books, toys and other collectibles. (And if NYC subway memorabilia sounds touristy to you, you haven’t been to enough New Yorkers’ apartments — this replica station light table lamp is so popular with locals it keeps selling out.)  

Fourth Stop: Brookfield Place (230 Vesey St.)

Speaking of walking, make like a real New Yorker and take a long one along the waterfront, winding your way up the Battery Park City Esplanade so you can enjoy gorgeous views of the New York Harbor and Hudson River. (You can also grab a Citi Bike to explore on wheels.) If you’re feeling peckish or need another caffeine jolt to keep you going, make a pit stop at Brookfield Place. The 14-acre, five-building complex on the Hudson River in Lower Manhattan is home to some of the world’s most innovative companies and one of New York’s most celebrated experiential, culinary and shopping destinations. You can grab a coffee or snack at Brookfield’s Hudson Eats food court, do a little window (or actual) shopping or just grab a seat at an outdoor table on the patio to rest your legs for a minute. 

Fifth Stop: Poets House (10 River Terrace)

Once you’re ready to get going again, get back onto the Battery Park City Esplanade and walk up to Poets House, the neighborhood’s much-loved poetry sanctuary. Founded in 1985 by poet Stanley Kunitz and poetry advocate Betty Kray, Poets House is a library and meeting space that “invites poets and the public to step into the living tradition of poetry,” per its mission. Over the years, it has cultivated a 70,000-plus collection of poetry books, chapbooks and other related material that visitors can browse online and in-house. It’s also a beautiful space, outfitted with comfy seats, reading tables and big windows that reveal thickets of trees outside. You can curl up with a chapbook or anthology like you did in your academic glory days, or do some of your own writing if you feel inspired. There’s also a gorgeous outdoor area to sit in if the weather holds.

Sixth Stop: Rockefeller Park (75 Battery Pl.)

Step outside Poets House and you’ll find yourself in Rockefeller Park, a large slice of green space on the banks of the Hudson. Lie down on one of the park’s wide lawns, stop and smell the flowers in the park’s gardens and check out public art pieces like Tom Otterness’s “The Real World.” You can even pay your respects at the Irish Hunger Memorial, which honors the one million people in Ireland who perished in the Great Famine that started in 1845. The memorial mimics the Irish countryside and contains the reconstructed remains of an 1820s stone cottage from County Mayo.

Seventh Stop: Century 21 (22 Cortlandt St.) 

No trip downtown is complete without a visit to Lower Manhattan’s legacy department store, located just a 10-minute walk from Rockefeller Park. You can peruse sunglasses, bags and other discounted luxury designer goods in search of a bargain, like real New Yorkers have been doing for generations. 

Eighth Stop: Schilling Restaurant & Bar (109 Washington St.)

Chef Eduard Frauneder’s Austrian standout is one of the best tucked-away spots in the neighborhood. Chef Edi’s signature wiener schnitzel with potato salad and cucumber salad is a must-have, as are Austrian classics like spätzle — made with hay roasted carrots, garden peas, farmhouse cheddar and crispy onions — and the house burger. Pair your meal with a cocktail or a Bavarian brew, and be sure to cap your meal with the apple strudel. 

Ninth Stop: Cedar Local (25 Cedar St.)

It’s got local right in the name! Cedar Local serves up fantastic craft cocktails in a sleek and intimate spot that’s perfect for unwinding and socializing after work, so you’ll find plenty of locals here before or after dinner. Plus, if you stick around after midnight, the bar’s Closing Bell deal will save you money after midnight, with $12 cocktails, house cocktails and beer-and-shot combos.

Tenth Stop: Laissez Faire (10 Theatre Alley)

New Yorkers stay out late, and if you’ve got the stamina to close the clubs down with the best of them, Laissez Faire is your spot. This sexy downtown club hosts top-tier DJs from across the globe who keep the tunes going until 4 a.m. on the weekends. And sure, that’s past your bedtime, but there’s a reason why Lower Manhattan has plenty of coffee shops to perk you back up in the morning.