Digital Nomad’s Guide to New York City (NYC)

Photograph of New York skyline with Freedom Tower behind Brooklyn Bridge.

I lived in NYC for four years. I spent one year in Manhattan, and three in Brooklyn (Williamsburg and Greenpoint, specifically). It’s a magical place where something interesting is always happening. But the upside/downside of NYC’s rapid development is that things come and go quickly. So, here are some great places that I’m pretty sure are still around, based on recent visits.

(Want to know what NYC/Brooklyn sounds like? Here’s a playlist of local indie acts.)

Coffee Shops

FREEHOLD

45 S 3rd St, Brooklyn, NY 11249

A cool bar at night, ideal workspace during the day. Solid coffee, tons of outlets, and lots of space. Also, everyone seems to work pretty quietly, which is amazing for calls and such (just don’t be ‘the loud person’).

Cozy interior shot of room with chairs and tables.

(Photo: FREEHOLD)

Black Brick Coffee

300 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211

When I lived in Williamsburg, this was my coffeeshop of choice. I began almost every day there. I still love it, and work out of there when I’m in my old ‘hood.

While they don’t allow laptops in the front, they have a coworking table in the back area that fits the bill.

Dimly lit interior cafe photograph with rustic design and brick walls.

(Photo: Black Brick Coffee)

Sweetleaf Coffee Roasters (Freeman)

159 Freeman St, Brooklyn, NY 11222

Sweatleaf has a bunch of locations, but the Greenpoint one is big and spacey. Perfect for laptop work or grabbing coffee with other humans. When it’s warm outside, they open the place up to let in the breeze and lots of natural light.

Black and white interior photograph of cafe with no people.

(Photo: Sweetleaf Coffee Roasters)

Also great: Odd Fox Coffee (Greenpoint)

Restaurants

Paulie Gee’s

60 Greenpoint Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222

Not 100% vegan, but my hands down favourite place to eat in Brooklyn, with an impressive selection of vegan options. I’m all about the vegan shmoogula (arugula subbed for cheese) pizza paired with a dark local craft beer.

Exterior shot of rustic, wooden doors at night.

(Photo: Paulie Gee’s)

Bunna Cafe

1084 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237

Phenomenal vegan Ethiopian restaurant in super cool Bushwick.

Delicious-looking vegan ethiopian plate of food.

(Photo: Bunna Cafe)

Jungle Cafe

131 Greenpoint Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222

Admittedly, this vegan restaurant is a little overpriced and maybe not that mind-blowing, but it’s got a great hippie vibe and I still end up there every time I visit New York.

Plate of healthy-looking food with avocado and yellow dipping sauce.

(Photo: Jungle Cafe)

Parks and Recreation

Domino Park

15 River St, Brooklyn, NY 11249

A triumph of New York’s municipal government, this amazing and relatively new waterfront park in Williamsburg is named after the old Domino Sugar factory building, around which it was built.

Colourful image of Domino Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with skyline.

(Photo: Domino Park)

MoMA

11 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019

In Manhattan, and no, it’s not the Whitney (which everyone raves about), but MoMA is my favourite art museum in New York because it has the most interesting art. Its film exhibitions are great too.

Interior photograph of Museum of Modern Art in New York with painting and sculture.

(Photo: Heidi Bohnenkamp/The Museum of Modern Art)

Spectacle Theatre

124 S 3rd St, Brooklyn, NY 11249

The weirdest literal hole-in-the-wall DIY theatre showing the weirdest movies, usually for $5. BYOB.

Exterior shot of black door and wall with movie posters.

(Photo: Spectacle Theatre)

Drugs and Alcohol

Alcohol: Legal drinking age in New York State is 21.

Cannabis: Recreational cannabis is legal at the state level (though federally, it’s still illegal). It can be purchased from licensed dispensaries by adults aged 21+, though there are also many unlicensed dispensaries around the city.

Psychedelics: Aboveground stores sell kratom, kava, and amanita muscaria products.