Arielle Shorr

Sure, speed dating in NYC might sound like a relic of the '90s, but hear us out. If you've tried Hinge, Bumble and even the more obscure (though intriguing) dating apps but still can’t seem to swipe yourself in love, it’s time to think outside the app. NYC may be a city for singles, but when you’re surrounded by romantic restaurants and perfect date ideas, it’s impossible not to long for something more than the one-night stands you find at hookup bars eventually. When you’re open to finding a deeper connection but don’t want all the pressure of a blind date or setup, dip your toes into New York’s dating pool with the city’s best speed dating events. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best date ideas in NYCRECOMMENDED: The best matchmakers in NYC

Even when it’s not oyster season (that’d be any month that ends in R, FYI), New Yorkers are always down for an oyster happy hour. After all, what’s a better romantic date idea than sharing sensuous oysterswith your bae at one of the city’s best seafood restaurants? The next time you’re craving something indulgent that won’t break the bank, get out to one of the best oyster happy hours in NYC. After all, the city is your oyster. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in NYC

Ice-skating is undoubtedly great fun for the little ones, but do not mistake ice-skating lessons for kids-only territory. Whether you’re looking for things to do in the winter or for some romantic date ideas, it’s time to thaw out your skating dreams. Whichever level you're starting from, these are the best lessons for learning at the finest ice-skating rinks in NYC. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to things to do in winter in NYC

You probably knew that the Cronut was created here in NYC, but you might be surprised to learn about a few edible inventions that hail from Gotham well before the age of social media–induced food frenzies. And, because we know that just reading about food will make you hungry, we’ve included the best places to find each one. From Italian restaurants’ classics to staples of the best brunch in NYC to the universally beloved best desserts, these foods are the products of different influences but never fail to bring people together. And knowing the backstories will help you appreciate the foods invented here in NYC that now and forever taste like home. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to best restaurants in NYC

Adopting an animal from pet adoption and foster centers in NYC is the ultimate win-win: You get a pet aka a best friend on four legs, and an animal gets the chance to live a full life with a loving family. Especially in a big city, where so many pet owners give up their pets for adoption, anyone looking to buy a puppy or kitten should first stop by a rescue shelter to see if they click with an animal in need of a home. Most of these shelters prep the animals for adoption by vaccinating and neutering them, so all you have to worry about is which of the best NYC parks to take your new pup to, where you’ll go for brunch at dog-friendly restaurants in NYC or which pet store in NYC to go to buy your kitty the cutest accessories. So stop fawning over bodega cats you can’t take home with you and get to one of NYC’s best pet adoption and foster centers to rescue your own. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to pets in NYC

New York City’s architecture is famously eclectic and beautiful, and these impressive rooms in NYC prove just that. Sometimes those stunning exteriors of beautiful NYC buildings are nothing more than a pretty façade, but they contain some very ordinary interiors. So we gathered this collection of the best-looking bars, restaurants, public spaces, libraries and New York attractions that have some of the most jaw-dropping and breathtaking indoor areas. In a crowded city full of cramped offices and tiny hole-in-the-wall eateries, these spaces evoke awe and inspiration. Brilliant in their architecture and design and reflective of New York’s diversity and history, here are the most impressive rooms in NYC.

What’s a New Yorker got to do to get a little peace and quiet in NYC? Here’s what to do: Check out one of the city’s precious little pockets of serenity. Whether you need date ideas for a place where you can carry an audible conversation or the best NYC parks for some introspective meditation, here are the perfect places. They’re also a great substitute for when you can’t afford the time or money for weekend getaways but desperately need a break from the city’s nonstop people-shouting, car-honking, siren-wailing commotion.

Searching for the spiciest dishes in New York and facing a few near-death experiences, I think there may be a caveat about eating spice in moderation. For what it’s worth, I can handle my spice: You’ll notice some trendy spicy dishes and cuisines missing from this list, and it’s because I don’t find them that hot. (Sorry—none of the best ramen, folks.) Listed below, from notoriously spicy Thai food to surprisingly spicy soul food, are the dishes that forced me to pause between bites. They made me sweat. They made me question my life choices. If you do go ahead and try them, best of luck to you. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in NYC

Co-working spaces in NYC are genius whether you’re a freelancer, entrepreneur or just an industrious New Yorker who likes to get shit done. Sure, it seems romantic to work at local coffee shops, but there’s only so much unreliable Wi-Fi, noisy side conversations and packing and unpacking your things every time you go to the bathroom you can take until you start actually missing an office. At these places, you can work and network with temp agencies, and often you can attend some very cool events—some options even offer a yoga break so you can refocus and reenergize in a fitness class. Customized for different needs and interests, these NYC co-working spaces let you do your best, most inspired work.

At a Haitian restaurant, the food is fusion food and a gastronomical guide to the country’s history—as is the case with many other kinds of West Indian food. It shares ingredients and cooking traditions with Cuban, Trinidadian, Dominican and Jamaican restaurants, all originating in places the indigenous Taíno people once inhabited. On top of that, you find influence from Spanish, French and African restaurants, all reflective of Haiti’s colonial past. Today, these NYC cafes and bakeries serve up authentic flavors, so venture out for griot, patties and some good old grilled meat. After all, it was from the Taíno word barbicu that the Spanish coined barbacoa, aka BBQ! RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in NYC

Chances are, most New Yorkers haven't had the chance to try the cuisine at an African restaurant outside of Ethiopian restaurants, if at all. But luckily for foodies looking to expand their epicurean horizons, the city is home to restaurants that reflect some of the diversity of the second-largest continent in the world. You might recognize some common elements of Middle Eastern restaurants’ dishes when it comes to Northern African fare or notice the French influence on food from formerly occupied countries of West Africa. But the more you explore, the more you might find yourself craving comfort food dishes in the form of injera, tagine or fufu. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in NYC

The design of the five-floor Neuehouse New York branch is stunning and feels more like a chic hotel than an office space. In exchange for its gourmet food options, a private library, a screening room, a recording studio and its all-around air of sophistication, members pay some of the highest fees for co-working space in the city. Naturally, this attracts a particular clientele: polished, affluent and working in artistic-leaning industries like fashion, film or media.

Besides getting to feel like Batman by loudly announcing, “I’m off to the Bat Haus!” Bat Haus offers a number of other enticing perks. The Bushwick co-working space heavily emphasizes a community vibe by having no single offices. The building’s high-ceilinged 2,000 square feet are entirely open and filled with long tables beneath string lights, and it easily converts into an event space after 7pm. There’s a backyard where you can stretch your legs in the summer, as well as a kitchen and a lounge. You also get two hours of daily access to conference rooms and daytime bike storage, and given the shared open space, it’s more welcoming of dogs than of people taking phone calls.

The Farm takes inspiration for its warm, rustic interiors from, you guessed it, actual farms! Long tables are made of salvaged wood illuminated by bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling. A projection screen can be lowered to display a PowerPoint at the front of a small presentation area with wooden bleachers. The atmosphere is designed to make you feel like you’ve left the city for the countryside in search of some fresh ideas, and the space is repurposed for events after working hours.

As more and more people are coming around to the idea that healthy people make better workers, Primary is ahead of the game in creating a co-working space where wellness takes a prominent role. Primary does more than just offer juice bars and granola bars: It has classes for yoga, mediation, boot camp and cardio workouts. Featured events can be anything from your basic networking luncheon to a class on perfume making. It also has a Stumptown Coffee Roasters on site, and, oh, its 70 offices and 100-plus co-working spaces are open 24-7! Which makes sense, because why would anyone want to leave?

WeWork can often feel like the Starbucks of co-working—it’s the name that pops up most frequently. It’s landed on a solid formula: lots of locations all around the city, all of which have free fruit-infused water, glass offices, phone booths and fun networking events. The number of WeWork spots means you can connect with a large number of members through its online community. Plus, if you make a reservation, you can work at any of the locations that have hot desks. The West Broadway building also has a uniquely designed, naturally lit lounge area with a forest wallpaper that makes it feel like you’re working in a tree house. It’s a breath of fresh air in this urban jungle.

Founded by an SVA animation graduate, The Productive is a co-working space that caters to the specific needs of creative professionals and entrepreneurs. The one and only Midtown location is open 24-7 for members, who have access to desk spaces, conference room time, a kitchenette and even weekly figure-drawing art classes. More important, The Productive is a dream come true for digital creatives. Computer workstations have dual monitors and tablets and programs such as Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Dreamweaver and more. You can get a full-time or nights-and-weekends membership, a new option to work there for free in exchange for volunteering and day rates for only $30.

Given the current drive to bring wellness into the workplace, New Love City, a Greenpoint-based co-working space meets yoga studio, feels like an inevitable outcome. For access to its brightly lit, minimalist designed working spaces and unlimited yoga classes, you can pay $40 a day, $100 a week or $300 a month. And the fact that frequent stretching throughout your workday will bring long-term benefits to your posture and bones makes this concept all the more genius.

I have eaten at my fair share of Korean restaurants (I lived in Seoul for two years), and to be honest, I never found the food to be that spicy. Delicious, to be sure, just not super hot. But Yuppduk’s “EXTREMELY SPICY” rice cakes, called topokki (or ttoekbokki or teokbokki or ddeokbokki—the English spelling options are endless!), deserve a place at the bottom of this list. If you have never tried topokki, they’re extremely chewy little pasta-like logs (or slices) made out of pounded rice. They come served up in a sweet, red spicy sauce, often with some fish cake and cabbage, and are one of Korea’s most popular street foods. These had a nice kick, which had my nose running and my lips tingling.  If you’re a spice-addict roaming around K-town, these are good bet.

Grandchamps provides a spacious dining room, warmed up by yellow ceramic tiles that line the walls. It’s a hybrid of a restaurant and street fairs and sells some of the ingredients found in its dishes. Chef Shawn Brockman channels his mother-in-law’s homestyle cooking, serving some of the tastiest, crispy-on-the-outside, miraculously juicy griot (fried cubes of pork), as well as a number of Haitian classics converted into sandwich form. Just promise us you won’t leave until you try the pain potate, which is a coconut-y sweet potato bread pudding. So good.

Grab one of the few seats at this adorable little brick-walled bake shop in the heart of Bed-Stuy. It used to be just a breakfast spot where locals got their fix of Haitian drip coffee and patties with buttery, fluffy pastry dough that melts in your mouth, giving way to perfectly spiced meat or vegetable filling. Luckily, however, it’s recently expanded its menu to include dishes like jerk chicken, Diri Djon Djon (black mushroom rice) and coconut curry shrimp, along with lunch and dinner options. By the way, the decorations are all hand-made, totally purchasable artwork.

This is the only non-Brooklyn spot on our list, but that’s because it’s the only restaurant left over from what used to be Manhattan’s Haitian neighborhood in the 1960s. Today its menu is split into two parts: The first covers the classic Haitian staples, griot (fried chunks of fatty pork) tassot (fried lamb) and lambi (spicy stewed conch). The second part is the daily specials, so check before you go to see which days are serving up rich and savory oxtails or the cabrit en sauce, goat meat cooked in a Creole sauce.

Patties with a perfectly flaky crust—and the heavenly smell that goes with them—fill this little bakery and Haitian grocery store. Each patty, or pate (pronounced pah-tay), only cost about $1, so when in Flatbush, do as the locals do and stock up on as many as your stomach will allow. You can also grab ingredients for your own Caribbean cooking adventures, and don’t miss out on trying some of the uniquely Haitian homemade bottled drinks, such as AK-100 (a corn-flour drink) and Phoscao (a chocolate syrup drink).