Summer Fun Part II - #DowntownNYC

This is how I feel every Friday : )  

The weather has been getting cooler the past few days. It's a reminder that fall is only a few weekends away! If you still have no plan for the weekend, don't worry! I have plenty of awesome recommendations for you TF readers : )

Last week, I have covered a few of the many activities in Brooklyn. This week, I will mainly focus on downtown Manhattan.

Let's begin:

As usual, I enjoy exploring the city on my bike instead of being in a car or subway.
Thanks to former Mayor Bloomberg, bike lanes have been created throughout the city.
Among my favourites is the route that runs parallel to the West Side Highway along
the Hudson River. This path is completely blocked off from traffic, plus you get
the river view! Let's start from the bottom tip of Manhattan - Battery Park!

I will start the day by grabbing a quick bite in Hudson Eats which is newly opened this summer in the Financial District.
Above photos: Front entrance on West Street vs back entrance near North Cove Yacht Harbour.
The front entrance offers a unique elevated view of the World Trade Center.

This place has 14 different vendors, serving a large variety of food from sushi,
burgers to cupcakes.
The interior design of the food court is modern and spacious. The best part?
It has a river view! I ordered the signature burger from Mighty Quinn. YES! They
usually have a loooooong queue in the Brooklyn food market, but guess what?
This location has NO LINE at all! (Honestly, I think their burger is a bit overrated!)

After eating, it's time to burn off some calories and start my journey.
Follow me this way.

When you reach Pier 26 which is near TriBeCa, you
can go kayaking in the River. And it's free of charge : )

If you are not the adventurous type, you can simply grab
a seat and enjoy the summer breeze... 

Continuing our journey, the next destination is West Village. Do stop by
Victory Garden for their ice cream! They are quite unique and refreshing.
Instead of regular milk, they use goat milk in their ice cream. For those who
don't like the strong taste of goat milk, not to worry! Their ice cream is quite mild.

If you ride a bike in the city, you'll notice a lot of interesting street arts.
Above photo: Banksy's painting previously seen near Cooper Sq.
Banksy is a famous British street artist who has dozens of celebrity
collectors including Brad Pitt and Christina Aguilera.

Another great thing about riding along the Hudson River - being able to
enjoy the beautiful sunset.

On to our next destination...

The South Street Seaport offers not only brick and mortar stores,
but also a rotating selection of pop-up shops housed in re-purposed
shipping containers, a food truck court, and art gallery.
Hurry and get here before they end in 30th of September.

Outdoor movie will also be shown after sun down. They even provide chairs
to the public, how thoughtful!
 There is also restaurant next to it with outdoor sittings to enjoy the movie. 

Outdoor movie has become such a popular activity that even Paris has it.
I would looove to go there sometime!
Photo from Paris Bouge

Here is the South Street Seaport movie schedule in case you are interested.
There are also outdoor movies in other locations, such as Pier 46 and Pier 63 
in Hudson River Park.

After movie + dinner, what's better than grabbing a drink in financial district!
This place is great because it has a very interesting interior with unique lights and....

This is it - the stunning view of the Freedom Tower overlooking the
outdoor terrace of The Living Room in W Downtown!
I came to check out this place the day after Beyonce had a birthday party here.

You can also gaze at the moon while sipping your drink.
Speaking of the moon, how many of you saw the super moon last Sunday?
Above photo: Super moon next to a NY lamp post.

As a word of caution, the financial district is not very safe after mid night,
so do take a cab home.
Above photo: Vintage classic New York yellow cab, previously seen in Tribeca.

Hope you enjoyed our adventure in downtown Manhattan.
Have a great weekend everyone!

And here are the lists of local fun activities if you are planning to visit Brooklyn and midtown NYC!