Shop and Eat Your Way Through Nolita, NYC
On our most recent trip to NYC, we spent a lot of time in a cute little neighborhood named Nolita. Smack dab in the middle of some other great NYC neighborhoods such as Bowery, NoHo, SoHo, Chinatown and Little Italy, this Lower Manhattan neighborhood was in a perfect location to stay and explore.
Where to eat
Food is one of the best parts of vacations, and Nolita did not disappoint. Several of the meals we ate while in NYC were in Nolita and were delicious.
Eggshop | website | 151 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10012
One of the most photogenic cafes we visited was Eggshop. It was a block or so away from our hotel and sounded good. I had an egg scramble, the husband had the closest thing to resemble a BEC (bacon egg and cheese bagel, popular in NYC)
Bluestone Lane | website | 19 Kenmare Street New York, NY 10012
Cute interior, the food wasn’t quite what I would normally enjoy but if you are looking for a super healthy and trendy spot for brunch, check it out.
Cafe Habana | website | 17 Prince St, New York, NY 10012
A mix of Cuban and Mexican food, this teeny tiny cafe has some delicious food. My favorite, of course, is the grilled corn, Mexican style as they call it.
Lombardi’s | website | 32 Spring St
New York, NY 10012
America’s first pizzeria and pretty tasty. Worth the stop.
Prince Street Pizza | website | 27 Prince St A, New York NY, 10012
Small shop, delicious pizza, standing room only.
Pietro Nolita | website | 174 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10012
This is the famous Pink AF Italian restaurant and we decided to go here for our anniversary dinner. To my surprise my favorite dish, pappardelle bolognese was on the menu and it was memorable.
Milk Bar Mini Nolita | website | 246 Mott St New York, NY 10012
I’ve been obsessed with Milk Bar ever since I got their cookbook and made that amazing layered birthday cake so of course when we saw a mini shop we had to stop and get some ice cream – mmm, cereal milk.
Little Cupcake Bakeshop | website | 30 Prince Street New York, NY 10012
They boast having the best chocolate cake, but I think the yellow cake with chocolate frosting was pretty incredible. We shared a slice of this decadent cake and it was sooooo good.
Where to shop
Nolita has an abundance of shops for big and small brand names throughout the neighborhood. I was excited to be able to visit brick and mortars for shops I’ve only ever known online presences for. While our trip was short, we didn’t have a lot of time to visit all the shops I wanted, I still did some good window shopping. We packed a lot into our short trip so we didn’t have a lot of time to shop, but that didn’t stop me from window shopping and visiting as many shops as I could. Below is a list of some of my faves.
Everlane | website | 28 Prince St, New York, NY 10012
I’ve loved visiting this shop online – their transparency is refreshing, their brand ethics are commendable, and they create a great collection of basics.
Cuyana | website | 29 Prince St, New York, NY 10012
Minimal, beautiful leather and clothing goods for women. I loved their shop and their embossing station in the back. (I work for a personalization company, this stuff stands out to me!)
Soludos | website | 25 Prince St, New York, NY 10012
Really cute and stylish shoes and accessories for men and women. Sneakers, sandals, boots, and bags.
Bulletin | website | 27 Prince St, New York, NY 10012
A curated marketplace of trendy clothes, accessories, and home goods.
Marine Layer | website | 20 Prince St, New York, NY 10012
Soft and cozy clothes designed in San Francisco.
Malin + Goetz | website | 235 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10012
Face, hair, body, and fragrance shop. I first heard of them when I stayed at a hotel that had their shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in their bathroom and loved it. Love their simple, typographic packaging, too.
L’Appartment Sèzan | website | 254 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10012
Not sure what kind of blogger I am that I did not get a picture of their storefront but I assure you, it’s beautiful. A very Parisian shopping experience full of clothing and accessories with a sustainable ethos
Aesop Nolita | website | 232 Elizabeth St, New York, NY 10012
Skincare at its best in beautiful, minimalistic packaging.
Mejuri | website | 43 Spring St, New York, NY 10012
Fine jewelry sans markups. This is one of those brands I’ve seen online for so long and was excited to see.
Fjällräven Nolita | website | 262 Mott St, New York, NY 10012
Loved visiting this shop and learning they sell a lot more than just that bookbag, you know the one. Lots of cool outdoor goods, bags, and other accessories inside.
Diptyque | website | 242 Mott St, New York, NY 10012
Another Parisian shop of the candle every Instagrammer has in their home.
Coclico Nolita | website | 275 Mott St, New York, NY 10012
Luxury minimalistic shoes with environmental integrity.
REI | website | 303 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012
Just love this shop, if it isn’t their #OptOutside campaign during Black Friday it’s the awesome outdoor goods.
What To Do
Nolita has more than just great restaurants and lots of shopping.
Elizabeth Street Garden | website | Elizabeth Street between Prince and Spring Streets, New York, NY 10012
While strolling down Elizabeth Street you can find Elizabeth Street Garden, a community garden in the city. As of our last visit the park was in danger of being torn down and developed, check out their website on how to help.
Street Art
Nolita has no shortage of street art, it’s embedded throughout the entire neighborhood. Some murals are more obvious and some others sneak up on you. My favorite unexpected mural was Princess Leia in Elizabeth Street Gardens
Visit Little Italy
You’re basically there already so why not take a stroll through Little Italy, get some Italian food and some gelato – yum! Don’t forget to get a photo of the Little Italy sign before leaving!
You May Also Like my post on Citizen M Bowery, an awesome nearby hotel – read more here
Visit Chinatown
Right around the corner is Chinatown and it’s pretty huge. It’s worth a visit to see the shops, signs, and architecture and of course the food if you like Chinese food.
Visit The Bowery, SoHo, NoHo, etc.
Nolita is seriously right in the middle of so many cool neighborhoods! We stayed at a hotel in the Bowery called Citizen M which was right next to Nolita and easy walking distance from surrounding neighborhoods.
Nolita was an awesome neighborhood and I can’t wait to come back and visit and do all the things we didn’t have a chance to with our first visit. Nolita should definitely be on your list when visiting NYC! Hope this post inspires you to visit.
Have you been to Nolita? Tell me about your favorite spots below!