I try to spend most weekends trapzing around NYC. Sometimes I hear about things I want to explore and sometimes I happen upon them by accident. I got offered a spot on Urban Adventures Beyond Broadway tour.
It is a brand new tour offered by this interesting little company who truly love New York. My tour guide for the day had actually helped design this new walk and they were taking out for a test drive.
Everybody knows Broadway and Times Square. In fact it is probably why most people travel to NYC. At least with the intention of standing in Times Square at least once and possibly catching a show. This tour is a great way to see a different side of the touristy area.
It starts at Grand Central Station, I can’t tell you the last time I was in there. Maybe ten years? I forgot how beautiful the architecture is. The murals on the wall, the marble on the floor and the amazing food court downstairs equipped with a Juniors and a Magnolia bakery.
We stopped at a really great store inside that sold all local goods wines and beers from Long Island, jams made in Brooklyn and more. It was interesting to find such a cute little store nestled in a corner far from the craziness of the crowds.
Even though I am all about off the beaten path experience I always like starting with a tour. NYC is no exception to this rule. There is so much of the city I know nothing about. Did you know the lions outside the famous NYC library are named Patience and Fortitude? I did not. Ive been in that gorgeous building countless times and walked by with out ever even thinking about it.
Right off of Times Square on a busy side street is Untamed Sandwiches.A store that boasts using only local tri state area ingrdients with no hormones or anticbiotics usd in the meats. The bread is baked fresh everyday. The pork shoulder sandwich i had was out of this world. I would have never have known this small shop existed if it wasn’t for Urban adventures and I can’t wait to go back.
We also made a point to stop at Bryant Park which has always been one of my favorite parks in the city. I love sitting with a coffee people watching. It is a serenity in the center of a loud city. I love that all over the city they have these little parks to escape how crazy the city can be.
Our final stop was City Kitchen. The 3rd floor of an office building has been turned into a food court. Offering anything from Indian food to donuts. Dough is a fairyly well known bakery that makes, you guessed it: donuts. Over the summer I went to Smorgusburg which is an outdoor food festival in brooklyn and tried their Hibiscus donut. AMAZING. This time I got a chocolate hazelnut. Decadent and huge it is worth every calorie one ingests. Also a really inexpensive way to grab lunch in an area that can often be over priced.
I loved this tour. It made me feel like I was seeing a side of Broadway that I didnt know existed. Locals often avoid this area and try to spend as little time as possible there. This made me feel like maybe I shouldnt hate so much on Times Square.
I would like to thanks Urban Adventures for hosting me on this tour. If you are interested in the tours they offer please check out their website here.