For the last four years, Tribeca has been my home—or maybe half my home, since I am right on the border of the Financial District. And it really feels like home to me, more so than any other place I’ve ever lived so I’m delighted to take you on a walking tour of my favorite spots and under-the-radar gems.
Photo credit: Sheraton Tribeca New York Hotel
Starting Point
Take the 4/5/6 to Brooklyn Bridge or the 2/3 to Park Place. Once you get above ground, head toward the Brooklyn Bridge for one of the best walks the city has to offer. Since I promised under-the-radar gems, I should acknowledge that this is obviously not one of them—but it is one of my favorite things to do in the neighborhood, and probably the one that makes me feel the luckiest to live where I do. Make sure you stop to take pictures of both the Lower and Upper Manhattan skylines when you get closer to the Brooklyn side—they are quite stunning.
On any other day I’d tell you to follow the bridge all the way into Brooklyn and get yourself a slice of pizza. But since my job today is to take you on a neighborhood walk I’m going to tell you instead to turn around when you get to the other side and come back into Manhattan. Once you’re on concrete again, head to Pisillo on Nassau and Ann Street to pick up what I assure you will be one of the best sandwiches you will ever have. Pisillo is an authentic Italian panini shop—meaning, they don’t use a press, just fresh bread and ingredients—and all of the ingredients and condiments are imported from Italy. The sandwich menu is ginormous—over 30 different varieties—and there is something for everyone. I myself am partial to the Firenze, made with roasted chicken breast, provolone, roasted peppers, and arugula–but really, you can’t go wrong with any of the options.
Make sure you get your sandwich to go, because now you’re going to head to Rockefeller Park for a picnic lunch. Rockefeller Park is one of my favorite places in the neighborhood. I can’t tell you how many nice days I’ve spent there laying in the sun, with a good book and some podcasts, totally oblivious to the craziness of the city. With that said, it’s also probably the only place in the city where you can view the Empire State Building, the Freedom Tower, AND the Statue of Liberty all at once. For some reason this makes me very happy, and I think it will do the same for you.
On a warm weekend day the park is filled with a mix of families, couples, and groups of friends having parties or picnics, laying out, playing sports, or doing something else that is equally fun. I leave it to you to decide your activity—my only advice would be to stay for a while after you eat and do something. To get there, walk up Broadway from the sandwich shop and turn west onto Warren Street—if you keep on walking you’ll run right into it after about 10 to 15 minutes.
After you’ve had a chance to relax and re-energize, you’ll want to celebrate with a nice cocktail. And Weather Up is the perfect place for that. Located on Duane Street between West Broadway and Hudson, it’s an easy walk from the park—no more than five minutes if you head back down Warren. Even if it were further away though, I’d still suggest it—the cocktails are not only delicious, but beautifully crafted.
Now, for your next neighborhood stop I’m going to go a little off script and suggest something you’ll have to plan ahead of time.
By now your stomach is probably growling, so let’s end the day at The Greek on 458 Greenwich Street for a Michelin-recommended meal. As you can deduce from the name, it’s a Greek restaurant, and a lovely one at that. Situated on a cobblestone street a little off the beaten path, it’s quieter and more serene than most other neighborhood restaurants. In fact, you might not even know you were in New York City if you were taken there in a blindfold and earplugs. It’s also just…well, charmingly authentic, down to the Greek wine-only wine list. I’d suggest trying to snag a table out front if it’s warm—and ordering a bunch of small plates to share. It’s the best way to appreciate all the great dishes the restaurant has to offer.
Contributed by Reagan Daly
Jessica Tiare Bowen lives in the juicy Big Apple with her adorable pink-nosed chihuahua, Gillman. He’s the inspiration for her first published children’s book, “Park Avenue Pound Puppy.” The book is the combined result of her two greatest passions: pooches and penning stories.
Her passions include art, urban hikes through Manhattan, drinking coffee with 3 creams and 6 sugars, making extremely detailed itineraries and traveling to far away places, singing along to Broadway shows, Netflix movie nights, discovering incredible treasures at Goodwill and thrift stores, and listening to stories from little people under 7 and big people over 70.
She started her career as New York City Teaching Fellow, teaching elementary school and theater arts at a special education school in the South Bronx for 6 years. She is now a Special Education School Improvement Specialist working in public schools throughout New York City. She is the Editor-In-Chief of the online New York City travel magazine, Used York City. The magazine focuses on finding the best of New York…as used by New Yorkers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and an ASPCA Ambassador.
