One of New York’s (and perhaps the world’s) most iconic sites, the Empire State Building stands over Midtown Manhattan and Koreatown like a well-dressed bouncer, its sheer power and size not being able to take away from its elegance. The surrounding area is busy and bustling like only New York City can be, and (as with much of the big apple) making the most of your time here can be downright intimidating. That’s why, after struggling to make the most of my day in the neighbourhood, I’ve put together this simple one day itinerary to this action-packed area. Hope you enjoy reading!

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1. Coffee
2. Tannen’s Magic 📌
3. Empire State Building 📌
4. Brunch/Lunch
5. Kosher
6. Other must see sites
7. Museums
8. Dinner
9. Grab a Drink at:
10. Or…
11. Stay the Night:

Coffee

As a self-diagnosed coffee addict, I always make a point of discovering the best spots to quench my thirst for some liquid energy. Luckily, you’ll find no shortage of cafes here. My favourite here is Stumptown Coffee 📌; though I’m usually not a fan of cafe chains, Stumptown has something really cool going for it; it’s connected to the Ace Hotel Lobby, making it quite a comfy place to enjoy your cuppa. The cafe itself has very little seating, but just use the door under the sign reading “good luck”, and you’ll find yourself in Ace’s modern and inviting lobby space.

Some alternative coffee spots:

Seven Grams Caffe 📌

787 Coffee 📌

Capital One Cafe 📌

Tannen’s Magic 📌

Before heading to the star attraction of this area (next up), let’s take a few minutes to check out an institution in the magicians’ community. New York’s oldest magic shop acts as a makeshift museum, housing some of the most iconic items in magic history, including props and posters from none other than Harry Houdini himself! The staff here are all incredible magicians in their own right, and they’ll entertain you with some mind-blowing tricks. There’s no better way to sell a magic trick than to utterly bamboozle your potential buyers. (Please don’t ask me if I bought a magic trick I’ll never learn to do 😅).

Tannen’s can be quite hard to find; Located at 45 W 34th Street, there won’t be a street sign telling you where to go. Head into 45, take the elevator to the 6th floor, then walk left out of the elevator to the end of the corridor, where you’ll find the elusive Tannen’s. They told me they like to keep their store a little secretive so that people have to work to find it (or be in the know), so I hope they don’t send some sorcerers after me for revealing it to the… ten or so readers I have 😭 (Guys, I’m trying to reach 100 Subs by summer, if you like this guide, as they say; “Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe 😉

Empire State Building 📌

On to the star of the show, the main attraction, the centrepiece; the Empire State Building. A building so iconic you’ll recognise a picture from it’s construction. In fact, you know that famous picture of the construction workers having lunch on a steel beam way up over a city? That’s right here.

There are a few ways to experience this behemoth skyscraper. You can of course admire the building from ground level, where it’s at its most recognisable. You can also see the grand interior of the ground floor by using the entrance on 5th Ave. Last, but definitely not least, you can shell out to see NY from the sky at the Empire State Observatory. The observatory isn’t cheap, but you’ll be rewarded with some of the most expansive city views you’ll see in your entire lifetime! You can book tickets to the observatory here

Brunch/Lunch

Gazing up at the Empire State Building is bound to work up your appetite, so make your way to the nearby Slate Cafe NoMad 📌, a chic cafe with a great menu for either breakfast or lunch. If you fancy something a little sweeter, or you’re longing for a dessert, Grace Street Coffee and Deserts 📌 serves an array of scrumptious pastries, hot drinks, ice creams, and basically any other dessert you can think up.

Other must see sites

Flatiron Building 📌 Not many buildings can still catch your eye after you’ve just seen the Empire State Building itself, but this ultra iconic triangular building, which you’ll recognise from nearly as many movies as the Empire State Building, just might. Oh, and it’s the home of the Daily Bugle in the Spiderman series! Seriously!

Madison Square Park 📌 A small, simple green space with great views of the surrounding skyline, including one of the most famous views of the Empire State Building.

Museums

There’s nowhere in the world with more museums than New York, and two of it’s most unique offerings are right here; The National Museum of Math, and Poster House.

The National Museum of Math 📌, or MOMATH as it’s called, is a highly interactive museum that shows how math is both instrumental in everything around you, and how interesting it can be. The museum is constantly hosting an ever changing mix events and workshops to add to your experience.

Poster House 📌, is an art gallery dedicated to the art of posters; with exhibits from Nike and the Olympics to purely decorative posters, the museum keeps its exhibits changing so that each visit is interesting with new things to see.

Dinner

NYC is a foodies dream city, and there are countless offerings for you to stuff yourself with in the area, especially along Broadway. The Empire State Building is situated right next door to Koreatown so why not make the most of it?! Here are just a few recommendations¹:

Jongro (Korean BBQ) 📌 – Reservations needed.

Tuntable Chicen Jazz 📌 – Reservation – On busy days.

Her Name is Han 📌 – Reservation – Not necessary but there may be a line.

STATE Grill and Bar 📌 Reservations – Recommended but usually not necessary.

Grab a Drink at:

Patent Pending 📌 A sleek speakeasy hidden behind Patent Coffee with a unique Nikola Tesla theme. Drinks are top quality but by no means cheap.

Nubeluz 📌 A sophisticated bar with an excellent skyline view. The drink here are pricey even on New York standards, though that is to be expected from a bar inside the famous Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

230 Rooftop Bar 📌 If you want skyline views without breaking the bank, look no further than this Broadway bar. Though not exactly cheap, for a rooftop bar in the centre of Manhattan, the prices are definitely a welcome surprise! Though reservations aren’t necessary and entry is free, check their website here to see if they’re hosting a ticketed event when you want to visit (even these often have free entry before a certain hour).

Or…

“Serve” at Space Ping Pong Sports Bar 📌 An energetic ping pong bar and lounge with an arcade and extensive menu that’s open from 5 p.m (2:30 on Sat-Sun) until late, I’m talking 3 a.m kind of late! Ping Pong isn’t the only pong here, you can also get a table for beer pong, though I personally am way past my beer pong days²

Sing your heart out: At one of Koreatowns seemingly infinite Karaoke bars and lounges. I always knew karaoke was popular in Korean culture, but until I never realised just how popular it is until walking down 32nd street (between 5th and 6th Avenue). There must be at least a dozen karaoke spots in that one block! I haven’t seen that many karaoke in one place since Northern Vietnam³ . (In case you were wondering, and I hope no-one is, my go-to karaoke song is Summer of 69! “ME AND MY BABYYYYYY!!!!“

Escape the Room 📌 The “original escape room of NYC”, this state of the art collection of escape rooms stays open late, with the latest sessions at 10:40 p.m. You can still play the original room (and the first in NYC), “The Office”.

Stay the Night:

Though this is a one day guide, if you plan on staying the night in the area, expect steep prices, and book well in advance.

Alright folks, that’s all for this short guide. Of course, New York being New York, there are many things to do and dishes to eat that I haven’t been able to mention (I’m trying to keep these guides quick after all). Let me know in the comments if I missed any of your favourite spots, maybe I’ll make a part two 😉

1. As I keep Kosher, these recommendations are either from what people have told me, or online research ↩︎
2. this is an outright lie to trick my parents. Hit me up if you want a game, as long as you play with return ball trick shots 🤪 ↩︎
3. Shout out to all my Bong Loop readers!! ↩︎