city dwellers // finding paris in new york

Imagining you’re exploring a new country isn’t difficult when you’re in New York. The first summer I lived in Manhattan, my apartment was down on Broome Street. Sandwiched between Little Italy and Chinatown, my commute was a daily dose of culture shock.

Now, I work around the corner from Eataly, and my tri-weekly walk through the Union Square market always transports me to a small town in some far-off place. Most recently, I’ve been finding little pieces of Paris all over Manhattan.

1. Laduree // Sure, this one is super obvious, but can you blame us? A few weekends ago, along with B, we finally made the trip. It doesn’t quite compare to eating macarons in Paris, but it’s pretty close. As soon as we stepped inside, I was back in the city of love and light and perfect pastries.

2. Cafe 3 at The Guggenheim // I went to the Guggenheim for the first time ever in September, and though modern art isn’t generally my taste (except for maybe the Hirshhorn in DC), we loved walking around.  Cafe 3, complete with espresso, wine, and little sandwiches, is set up on the third level, next to the windows. But with a little imagination, Cafe 3 could just as easily be tucked away in the Pompidou.

3. The American Wing, The Metropolitan Museum of Art // I took my parents to the Met a few weeks ago, and something about the lampposts and the lighting in this wing makes me feel like I’m sitting in front of the Hotel de Ville.

4. Heavenly Rest Stop, The Church of the Heavenly Rest // Completely randomly, the hubs and I were walking home from Central Park when we stumbled across this little cafe. Situated inside an annex of the church with sidewalk seating to boot, the cafe could not have felt more Parisian. Followed by a quick duck into the church itself, and we could have been exploring any side street in Paris.

Other recommendations for finding Paris in New York:

• Relais de Venise L’Entrecôte // The hubs and I stumbled upon one of its Parisian counterparts when staying in St. Germain. Though we haven’t been, we can’t imagine its New York sister could be bad.
• The Paris Theatre (NOW CLOSED) // Though I’ve admittedly never been, with daily showings of French movies, how can this not be the perfect escape?
• D’alsace – Ahh, the decor, the bar, the smell of fresh frites. Close your eyes and you’ll almost forget you’re on the Upper East Side.

bon chance!

xo,

the romantic

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