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7 Terrific Things To Do In Little Tokyo, Manhattan
We’re not denying you can find delicious Japanese fare all over NYC, but what you may not know is that Manhattan’s East Village is home to probably the closest NYC comes to having its own Little Tokyo neighborhood.
Little Tokyo is roughly enclosed by East 10th and St. Marks Place between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, and contains many gems filled with Japanese groceries, snacks, prepared food, teahouses, gift shops, and more. Plus, there’s even karaoke!
Here are some of the best things to do in Little Tokyo, Manhattan:
1. Grab a tea at Cha-An BONBON
Serving Japanese teas and desserts since 2004, Cha-An BONBON is a tucked haven and perfect for lovers of tea and Japanese treats. Resembling a little piece of Japan with its wooden tables, tatami benches, and washi-paper lamps, Cha-An features not only matcha and senchas from Japan, but an extensive list of teas from all over the world as well.
Cha-An also specializes in desserts, and while some are traditionally Japanese, they also blend the tastes of Japan with sweets of the West.
238A E. 9th St.
2. Pick up a little treat at T-swirl Crêpe
T-swirl Crêpe began thousands of miles away on the shores of Japan where they perfected their 100% gluten free rice flour batter before bringing it to the U.S.–and we couldn’t be happier that they did! Whether you’re a sweet or savory person you can’t go wrong with any of there crêpes (though in our opinion you can’t go wrong with the strawberry Nutella option!)
19 St Marks Pl.
3. Pair a fruity drink with a Banh Mi at N25 Nitro Tea
N25 Nitro Tea is actually a collaboration between them and My’s Banh Mi. So that means not only can you order a deliciously refreshing drink, such as the Passion Fruit Nitro Fruffee, you can also pair it with a Banh Mi! And that sounds to us like the perfect lunch.
27 St Marks Pl.
4. Dig into Japanese hot pot at Kimura
Kimura is a Japanese restaurant specializing in motsunabe–a traditional Japanese hotpot composed of a rich broth made of beef or pork intestines. Hotpot isn’t the only thing you can dig into here, though. Kimura also serves sushi, a wide selection of Japanese beer and sake, and traditional Japanese snacks.
31 St Marks Pl.
5. Head underground to sip on sake at Sake Bar Decibel
Sake Bar Decibel is an underground sake bar offering a large list of varietals along with Japanese snacks such as takoyaki, ebi shumai, and kurobuta sausage. They host happy hour from 6 – 7 pm during which time they offer $6 Sapporos, $8-9 cocktails, $38 lychee martini pitchers, and discounted sake!
240 E 9th St.
6. Peruse the beloved Asian grocery chain H Mart
Beloved Asian grocery chain H Mart has several locations sprinkled around NYC, and one of them is in Little Tokyo! Head here to peruse a broad variety of Asian groceries, everyday essential needs, and upscale products.
39 3rd Ave.
7. Belt out your favorite songs at Sing Sing
Sing Sing exudes grungy, dive bar vibes but we can’t deny it’s a damn fun karaoke spot. You don’t need to book a private room to sing though you can if you tend to get stage fright–though in our *expert* karaoke opinion the drinks will loosen you right up in no time! This is the spot to show up, order a sake bomb, and start belting your pretty little lungs out.
9 St. Marks Pl.
The post 7 Terrific Things To Do In Little Tokyo, Manhattan appeared first on Secret NYC.
I learned to ride a bike at 36 years old thanks to Bike New York
For years, a secret has plagued me, an embarrassing admission that I’ve shared only with the closest friends and family. It’s a confession that has made me avoid cycling tours on vacation, one that’s made me feel jealous of 5-year-olds whizzing past me on the river trail sans training wheels. At 36 years old, I don’t know how to ride a bike.
So when I heard my colleague Jaycee Ramson say in the office recently that she didn’t know how to ride a bike, my ears perked up. Another coworker, Gloria Kim, chimed in that she didn’t either. At last, kindred spirits. I finally felt free to share my cycling secret. We all yearned to fill this gap in knowledge, so we agreed to take a learn-to-ride class for adults with Bike New York. Here’s how it went.
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On a humid Tuesday morning two weeks ago, I set off from my apartment to the Bike New York outpost near Pier 76, a concrete patch that would become the equivalent of an Olympic training ground for me. Despite the fact that the class description promises, “whether you are 18 or 80, we’ll get you rolling in no time,” I still felt pretty apprehensive.
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When I arrived and saw my coworkers, I noticed that we all wore long pants despite the heat; we were all scared of ending up with cuts and scrapes. You see, the last time I tried to ride a bike a few years ago, I ended up on the ground along a paved trail with a bruised ego and scraped skin.
Once as a kid, I’d once biked on a wooded trail in a park, but I was probably 12 years old then, and it was the only time I’d successfully ridden a bike. Despite the old adage, “it’s just like riding a bike,” the skill doesn’t naturally return if you’ve only done it once for a few hours two decades ago. Given that history, I was anxious going into the Bike New York class. If I owned elbow and knee pads, I would’ve added those to my Barbie pink exercise ensemble.
The last time I tried to ride a bike, I ended up on the ground along a paved trail with a bruised ego and scraped skin.
My fears started to subside once I met our teacher, Rich Conroy, the director of education for Bike New York. He was so legitimately excited about cycling, I started to feel excited about the prospect of learning.
First, we found helmets and bikes that were the right size for each of us, then walked our bikes over to the practice area. Keeping the bike upright while walking it was already tough—not an encouraging sign.
Rich removed the pedals from our bikes and lowered each seat so we could keep our feet on the ground while we learned. He told us to sit on the seat and try to scoot the bike forward, lifting our feet as often as possible. Already this class was going differently than I’d expected. There were no training wheels and nobody holding onto the back of the bike seat who’d eventually let go.
This unconventional method helped us learn to balance on our own. Eventually, we were encouraged to lift our feet even more frequently. And then Rich put the pedals back on, taught us to “find the pedals” without looking down, and had us scooting along once again.
Finally, he said, in the most nonchalant way as possible: If you can put your feet on the pedals and start pedaling, go for it.
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With less than an hour of instruction and without a single tear, much to my surprise, I was doing it. I was riding a bike. A smile broke out across my face as I made loop after loop across the concrete expanse.
Eventually, Rich lifted the bike’s seat to a more proper level, taught us about braking, and encouraged us to keep practicing. All three of us—Jaycee, Gloria, and I—successfully got the pedals moving. True to Bike New York’s class description: “Most people learn to ride in one session, but even if they don’t, they’ll leave equipped with an easy, low-stress way to teach themselves—or, they can join us for another free class!”
With less than an hour of instruction and without a single tear, much to my surprise, I was doing it.
After one session, I’m by no means a pro, and I’m certainly not ready to take a Citi Bike onto the bike lane. But I’m feeling a lot more confident on two wheels. I’m also feeling incredible gratitude to Bike New York, which offers free (and judgment-free) Bike Skills 101: Learn to Ride classes for adults and kids. Whether you’re 13 or 36, the incredible teachers at Bike New York are here to help. There are also free practice sessions, so you can keep your skills sharp.
If you don’t know how to ride a bike, I hope you’ll give these classes a try, no matter your age. If I can do it, you can do it. See you out there on the trail.
Your $2 Bill May Be Worth Thousands
Though it’s still in circulation today, it’s quite rare you’ll see someone pull out a $2 bill to pay for something. However, if you’re one of the people still carrying around a $2 bill, you might want to hang on to it!
Certain uncirculated $2 are selling for upwards of $4,000 at U.S. Currency Auctions, as reported by USA Today. Someone in possession of an uncirculated $2 from 1890 could earn up to $4,500 for it and those who have uncirculated $2 bills from 1862-1917 could make at least $1,000 for theirs. Even $2 bills from 2003 have sold for $2,400 in recent years.
After a failed attempt by the U.S. Treasury to publicize the $2 in the early 20th century, the printing of the bill was temporarily halted for some time. Eventually, by 1976 they were reintroduced into circulation. However, they’re still not a common bill you see amongst transactions.
So just how rare are $2 bills? Well, as of 2022, there were 54.1 billion notes of currency in circulation. But of that, only 1.5 billion were $2. To further clarify, there were 18.5 billion $100 bills in circulation that same year.
Yet, jut because you may have a $2 in your wallet, doesn’t guarantee you’ll be making thousands off of it. The value of a $2 bill depends on the time it was printed and whether it was uncirculated.
What does uncirculated mean? This would be defined as a bill that has never been used to pay for something. Therefore, it is in the exact same condition as it was right from print. Otherwise, sometimes unique serial numbers or misprints can make it worth more than its $2 value. That previously mentioned $2 bill from 2003 was eventually resold for $4,000 because of its low serial number.
Not sure if what you have fits those requirements or might have any additional rarities or quirks? It’s recommended you get a specialist’s opinion from a certified coin expert.
In other news: Here’s What Your $100K Salary Is Worth In NYC
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7 Stunning Flower Farms Near NYC To Pick-Your-Own Blooms
With only a few weeks of summer left and fall quickly on the horizon, there’s still time to add a little splash of color to your life! Just a quick day trip outside NYC, there’s plenty of picturesque flower farms that are still blooming and ready to be picked! Whether you’re looking for a breath of fresh air, your latest hand-picked collection of sunflowers, or maybe a refreshing whiff of lavender, there’s so much beauty to be discovered just a short ways from the Big Apple.
For all you flower lovers out there, bookmark these incredible farms and their u-pick programs for the next time you want a little floral in your life.
1. Hudson Wildflower Co
A mere 2 hours from NYC, Hudson Wildflower Co. brings all the freshest blooms you can find, ranging from zinnias to cosmos, amaranth, and more! Their wildflower fields are some of our absolute favorites, thanks to the shear variety you can go home with. With the flowers officially in bloom now, visitors to the farm can select their size to u-pick ($22 for a small mason jar, $32 for a large mason jar and $45 for a gallon bucket) and have a field day!
They also offer a 2024 flower picking subscription for those who plan to visit the field multiple times throughout the season (through October). The subscription costs $150 and includes a bucket at the beginning of the season plus four refills. Farm hours vary depending on the month so be sure to check their website before planning a visit, which you can do here!
Where: 444 Old Indian Rd, Milton, NY
Distance from NYC: 2 hours
2. Lavender By the Bay
With two different locations on Long Island, Lavender By the Bay is the spot to pick lavender near NYC. The family-owned farm has been growing the delicacy for over 20 years and the multi-acre farms boast over 80,000 lavender plants ready to be picked! Both locations operate daily, and you can browse their sea of purple blooms now, you just need a ticket. Learn more about the status of this year’s bloom, how to get tickets, and the history of Lavender By the Bay here!
Where: 7540 Main Road, East Marion, NY & 47 Manor Rd, Calverton, NY (2 locations)
Distance from NYC: 2 hours / 2 hours 30 minutes
3. Kelder’s Farm
Kelder’s Farm is year-round one of our favorite farms, since they have just about everything…flowers, produce, farm attractions, and much more. Their amazing U-Pick program runs basically all year (Spring – Fall), making it easy for New Yorkers to pick out some beauties. In the spring, their lovely Tulip Festival steals the show with a field of 250,000 tulips, in the summer the scenic Sunflower Extravaganza takes center stage, and in the fall – apple and pumpkin picking (not flowers but close enough!).
Farm admission and U-Pick tickets hover around $20 depending on the day, which grant you access to the Kelder’s Farms’ huge property, photo opportunities, 5 free flowers, and more. Learn more about Kelder’s Farm (and all its other goodies like the farmer’s market, petting farm, corn maze, and more) here!
Where: 5755 US-209, Kerhonkson, NY
Distance from NYC: 2 hours, 30 minutes
4. Brittany Hollow Farm
Hudson Valley’s lovely Brittany Hollow Farm is open from June – early October, allowing guests to pick from their wide-ranging types of flowers. Their roster features some of “their favorites” including ageratum, amaranthus, butterfly weed, many celosia varieties, cleome, cockscomb, cosmos, gomphrena, snapdragons, snow on the mountain, statice, strawflowers, sunflowers and zinnias.
From 7 am – dusk, you can acquire a 1 gallon bucket for $25 cash to fill to the brim with all the flowers you wish! If you wish to refill up again, it’s $20 each time after. It’s an amazing little farm and the staff is incredible too. Learn more about Brittany Hollow Farm here!
Where: 7141 Albany Post Rd, Rhinebeck, NY
Distance from NYC: 2 hours
5. Holland Ridge Farms
Holland Ridge Farm in New Jersey is set to return its popular U-Pick Sunflowers: Fall Festival running September 13 – October 14, where you’ll be able to pick flowers from 9 am – 6 pm daily. At just $1 per stem, you can pick loads of flowers including not only sunflowers but also gladiolus, calla lilies, and dahlias. Plus, there’s also going to be 20 food trucks on site, 25+ floral photo activations, farmers markets during the weekend, plus more.
They also host spring activities too, like a massively popular U-Pick Tulips: Spring Spectacular where you can browse 8 million tulip bulbs (yes, seriously). Learn more about Holland Ridge Farm’s u-pick programs here!
Where: 108 Rues Rd, Cream Ridge, NJ
Distance from NYC: 1 hour, 30 minutes
6. Waterdrinker Family Farm
This family-owned flower farm in Manorville, New York is one of Long Island’s treasured gems, and offers flower picking just about all year long. Their very notable “Sunflower Festival” in particular is u-pick during the latter half of the year, with $20 admission for entry and $2 per stem.
Alongside access to the infinite sunflower fields to browse, you can also check out their collection of barnyard animals, ride tractor pedal cars, play mini golf, and so much more. It’s super kid-friendly and pet-friendly. Their hours are Monday – Friday: 10 am – 6 pm, Saturday & Sunday: 9 am – 6 pm. Learn more about Waterdrinker Family Farm here!
Where: 663 Wading River Rd, Manorville, NY
Distance from NYC: 2 hours, 30 minutes
7. Sunflower Valley Farm
Live out your sunflower dreams at Sunflower Valley Farm, whose gorgeous and bright yellow sunflowers start their blooming season around the beginning of the August. Visitors can check out the farm on Friday – Sundays (10 am – 5 pm) and can pick 3 sunflowers for a price of admission ($10 cash, $5 ages 5 – 12, free for under 5). They also host awesome sunflower events during blooming season too, including the Sunset On the Farm events which welcome family fun, food trucks, drinks, live entertainment, and more! Learn more about Sunflower Valley Farm and how to pick-your-own sunflowers here!
Where: 366 County Rd 12, New Hampton, NY
Distance from NYC: 2 hours
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This Bed-Stuy bakery is built by the community, for the community
Chef Tony Yarema wants his ingredients to tell the story. That much is evident with breads that cross the boundary between baguette, ciabatta and sourdough and frozen coffees stirred with tahini. But more than that, Yarema and his colleagues at the new Bakery by Textbook (874 Hancock Street) want to feed the community.
Debuting on July 17 this year, Bakery By Textbook is the sister eatery to Textbook Cafe in Fort Greene. The newest location piggybacks off of the principles of the first location, meaning, Bakery by Textbook is for the community, by the community. The staff here is made up of Bed-Stuy locals, and each person is paid $20 dollars an hour with the potential to make tips. Drip refills are free and alternative milks don’t incur an extra charge. And they have a “Name Your Price for Bread” program so residents can eat even if they don’t have the means.
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“We want to build in places that, at least we feel, need some sort of fresh food,” Yarema tells Time Out New York.
Baked goods touch the world here with leanings on Middle Eastern flavors. Blending influences from Northern Africa, Europe and the Middle East is the Noon (نون) bread. Shaped like a baguette with the unmistakable tang of sourdough, this bread is ready to eat on its own or can be dragged through one of the shop’s rotating dips. Nodding to his New York roots, the head-sized bacon, egg and cheese features harissa, ketchup and Kashkaval cheese from Georgia. Vegan options are aplenty here, scribbled on a roll of butcher paper at the door. A lunchtime favorite is the beet pastrami, marinated in a mixture of orange, dill, black pepper and coriander. And while breakfast calls for a freshly made pita with an egg and a dusting of za’atar sourced from Jordan, dessert calls for Tony’s favorite: the sweet and salty olive oil cake. For refreshments, juices, not too sweet lemonade, and a full coffee menu that includes the wonderfully smooth frozen tahini cold brew.
Growing up in the Upper East Side, Yarema began cooking at an early age with his father. Together, they watched Chef John on YouTube and made eggs, pizza, and most importantly, bread. In his teens, he got an opportunity to move to London thus kicking off a worldwide culinary education. Over three years, Yarema began working in kitchens abroad, including stints at a friend’s cheese manufacturing facility in Greece to building wood-fired clay ovens from scratch in Morocco.
“I was traveling to learn from locals [and] to learn more about foods that aren’t here in America,” he says.
When he returned to New York, he continued to work his way up through the restaurant scene, holding the titles of sous chef and executive chef. However, the fast-paced nature of the scene caught up to him and he was ready for a change. Leaning on his breadmaking roots, he decided he was ready to use the medium to reconnect to his community.
“I moved into the bakery as a way to slow down and be closer to feeding people,” he says. Looking to get hired with intention, he answered an ad from the Textbook Cafe. In the community-driven cafe, he’d found the gig he was looking for.
Community feedback is taken seriously here, just take a look at its Instagram. On its social media channel, the bakery constantly engages with its followers, asking about the types of sandwiches people want to see, down to the types of cups they want to drink out of. While this type of open door policy can spell trouble (a.k.a. keyboard trolls), Yarema is willing to sift through the noise to create a bakery the community can be proud of.
“While I want to introduce new flavors to people that have never tried it, I know that it’s also important to listen to the people that you’re serving,” he says.
On the horizon, the downstairs bar, named Understudy, will open in the next few months. While it remains to be seen what will crop up there, you can be certain the bar will also reflect the community it serves.
“I really wanted to be able to connect with my community, and that’s something I felt that I didn’t have for a long time,” he says. “I’m glad it’s happening here.”