From farmers markets, art vendors, live dance performances, and people playing chess games, there’s always something going on at Union Square Park. If you want to take a stroll or spend your afternoon reading a book or just people watching, this is the perfect place to go. The streets surrounding Union Square have some of the top-rated restaurants, bars, and cafés in the city. Conveniently located, it is also a popular meeting spot and cultural mecca as it brings together many different types of people from all walks of life.
The Union Square Greenmarket is the largest open-air food market in NYC. From fresh fruits and vegetables to meats, award-winning cheeses, specialty breads, honey, jams and local wine, they offer a wide variety of fresh produce from New York and New Jersey. Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s fun to just take a stroll, listen to music, and try some free samples. We’d recommend you go early if you want the best possible selection or go late to get end-of-day bargains.
ABC Kitchen has everything that a great restaurant should have – decor, ambiance, service and delicious food. With quaint chandeliers and rustic white furniture, ABC has a romantic countryside feel, created partly by its exposed wood beam ceilings. Try the roasted carrots and avocado salad, crab toast, black sea bass and salted caramel sundae with caramel popcorn, but there really is no wrong choice at ABC Kitchen.
ABC Kitchen, 35 E 18th St, New York, NY, USA 10003 +1 212 475 5829
With a huge selection and helpful staff, The Strand Bookstore has new, used, and some of the rarest books curated carefully enough that you see the best of everything. Any bookworm will easily get lost in this bookstore for hours. It is probably everything you could ask for in a bookstore – floors of books organized by genre, category and author, numerous new releases and various in-store events. Even if you’re not a bookworm, you’re bound to have a great time at The Strand.
The Strand Bookstore, 828 Broadway, New York, NY, USA 10003 +1 212 473 1452
Irving Plaza is a 1,025-person music venue in the Union Square neighborhood. Unlike the other big venues in the city, the front row at Irving isn’t too far from the stage. With great acoustics and a number of bars scattered throughout the plaza, the venue allows visitors to enjoy their favorite bands and maximize their experience.
Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Pl, New York, NY, USA 10003 +1 212 777 6800
