the lowdown: East Village, Midtown, Upper East Side, Brooklyn, Soho, Noho, Greenwich Village, Meatpacking District, Chelsea

Why is Manhattan so fabulous? As Carrie Bradshaw said “Because it is.” Although Portland is my favorite city in the world, New York City is definitely second best! I was fortunate enough to have gone last weekend on a mini-vacation with my girlfriends and rallied for a nonstop blaze through the city. We took a JetBlue red-eye on Wednesday night and returned late Sunday…I am still reeling from lack of sleep, but I would do it again and again and again.

After spending over two hours researching inexpensive places to stay, I went with my first recommendation, the East Village Bed and Coffee . For $160/night, the three of us shared one of 4 rooms on the second floor which included a community living room, kitchen, and restroom. The common areas are cleaned daily, free coffee is available for brewing, and free wireless internet throughout the building. It is located in Alphabet City about a 10 minute walk from the F and L trains. If you are looking for clean digs in a great part of town, this is it!

Clark’s Restaurant - 80 Clark Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 | 718.855.5484 | After a spotty 2 hours of sleep on the plane, we rejuvenated at Clark’s, a classic dinner in Brooklyn. Not much in the way of vegan items but for $4.95 I had oatmeal, coffee, oj, and whole wheat toast.

Brick Lane Curry House - 308 E. 6th St, New York, NY 10003 | 212.979.8787 | Website | Our first night we were desperate to find a place to eat that would satisfy all of our dietary requirements. We settled on Brick Lane which boasted vegan menu items, but the server seemed clueless when I ordered. For $16 I had the “tandoori vegetables” which was literally a pan filled with peppers, eggplant, onions, and squash. Although quite tasty it only came with rice because the curry wasn’t vegan.

Ninth Street Espresso - 700 East Ninth St., New York, NY 10003 | 212.358.9225 | Website| This is where we picked up our first hit of coffee for the day. Make sure to order your drinks extra hot!

 

Two Boots - 74 Bleecker St., New York, NY | 212.777.1033 | Website | Perfect place to duck in and grab a bite to eat. They offer vegan pizza slices for $3.75 and they are fantastic.

Il Bagatto - 192 East 2nd Street, New York, NY 10009 | 212.228.3703 | The most amazing thing about this place is that my friend picked it out of her Lonely Planet guide and I had actually been there twice before! Regardless, this is a phenomenal Italian joint filled to the brim with hip twenty-somethings and excellent food. We started with the vegetarian antipasti which was mostly vegan, and I ordered the “penne all’arrabbiata”. The dish was light, spicy and the perfect meal to end day #2.

 

Pure Food and Wine - 54 Irving Pl., New York, NY 10003 | 212.477.7151 | Website | If you never thought you would see the words, vegan, raw, and swank in the same sentence, then you haven’t been to Pure. This is where the foodies and posh vegan go to hang. The food is out of this world, but don’t leave your wallet at home. The entrees start at $23 and desserts at $15. If you think you will get some financial relief visiting their juice bar, think again. A falafel will cost you $19.

 

Whole Earth Bakery & Kitchen - 130 St. Marks Place #1009, New York, NY | 212.677.7597 | This is the ultimate vegetarian/vegan deli. Just don’t ask them to nuke your purchase, they will get all elitist on you.