EAT . STAY . SHOP . PLAY .
PLAY
Go for a Mani / Pedi and purchase a few of their signature polishes as stocking stuffers .
See a play — The Winslow Boy , The Jacksonian , and Betrayal are all on my list .
Spend hours perusing with an in-house Stumptown coffee to keep you going .
Hop over to the Morgan Library and view the original handwritten manuscript of Charles Dickens ’ A Christmas Carol . His quill scrawl on yellowed parchment is legible enough , and it is such fun to see his handwritten edits . It feels as if the Ghost of Christmas Past is lingering in John Pierpont Morgan ’ s Murray Hill manse .
Ruzwana Bashir
Ruzwana Bashir is cofounder and CEO of
Peek . com , a travel company that offers insider tips on the best things to do , places to see and restaurants to visit . She is a self-proclaimed travel junkie .
LOWER WEST SIDE ( GREENWICH VILLAGE AND TRIBECA )
EAT
Incredible private dining rooms and amazing service . My Japanese friends insist that it ’ s the best Japanese food outside of Japan .
The specialties include delicious tuna ceviche , fish tacos and blue cornmeal-crusted calamari .
This neighborhood bistro on the corner of Bedford and Grove Streets always delivers on comfort food . I love the kale ribollita with chicken broth and white beans .
STAY
Crosby Street Hotel 79 Crosby Street This hotel has an incredible afternoon tea . It ’ s the sister hotel of the Soho House in London so it provides a little English
PHOTO YBNYC . COM
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