Urban Lawn Party This Saturday in Greenwich Village

via urbanlawnparty.com

This Saturday we will be heading downtown with one of our CitySights NY double-decker buses to hang out with the businesses of the Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce at their Urban Lawn Party, and you should come, too!

Whether you’re coming to the city for the first time or just want to get to know the local small businesses a little better, the Urban Lawn Party will be the perfect afternoon. There will be food, music, performances, puppies, yoga classes and much more. We will be opening the doors to the top deck to serve as an Instagram station since we are firm believers in “pics or it didn’t happen.” This way you can brag to your internet friends about how awesome of a day you’re having while they sit inside at their computers wondering what they’re doing with their lives.

So come on out this Saturday from 11-5 on Charlton Street between 6^th and Varick, bring your cameras, and don’t forget to always use the hashtag #UrbanLawnParty!

8 Summer Shopping Destinations in NYC

Where to shop in New York City

Are you ready for the summer? Well if you haven’t shopped for some new summer clothes yet, what better place to start than New York City! Summer is quickly approaching and if you need some retail therapy, or are just curious to see all of what New York has to offer, we have a couple of popular suggestions for you.

You can hop-off the Uptown Treasures and Harlem Tour or the Downtown Tour as you travel and shop to all eight of the following locations in one weekend!

Times Square

Whether as a couple, alone, or with family there’s a lot to do in Times Square. Why not check out the biggest Forever 21 I have ever seen with four floors! Oh and it gets better, the kids will love Toys R Us, especially when they see the Ferris wheel inside. Yes I said, it!

South Street Seaport

Okay, here’s one of my favorite places of New York. If you want to shop, eat, and fill a cool breeze by the harbor too, hop off at South Street Seaport. You can be able to shop at Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch and Coach while listening to a live band by the water. Starting on Memorial Day weekend they will be offering a variety of new activities, diverse food, outdoor films, and cultural experiences throughout the whole summer.

SoHo

Do you want to stand out at that party you just got invited to? SoHo is known for their trendy boutiques filled with clothes that you might not see in an average clothing store. You can also find stores such as Guess, Bloomingdales, and Prada.

Macy’s on 34^th Street

If you want to find a gift last minute, or want to be somewhere where you can find just about everything, hop off at Macy’s. You can always trust the most popular department store of NYC! This Macy’s on 34^th Street has always been known as one of New York’s landmarks.

Union Square

If you love shoes, especially inexpensive shoes, try DSW. Union Square is known as the most popular places to shop with stores such as Banana Republic, Victoria Secret, and even a food market called Whole Foods.

Chinatown/Canal Street

Can’t find a souvenir for your friend back home? Chinatown has plenty of vendors filled with souvenirs, stylish shirts, hats, bags, shades, clothes, pretty much anything you can find for cheap prices. Oh, and if you ever wondered where to find knock-off designer clothes or bags, Chinatown has it all.

Greenwich Village

Is your heart in high-scale clothing stores? Greenwich Village is filled with designer labels such as Marc Jacobs, Micheal Kors, Ralph Lauren, etc.

Harlem 125^th/Harlem Market

Are you a bargain shopper? Harlem is filled with stores with trendy clothes and urban wear for cheap prices. You can also find MAC, American Apparel, and H&M. You can also check out The Malcolm Shabazz Harlem Market where they have African-style hand-made clothes and jewelry for women, men, and children.

It’s a lot to choose from, but that’s the beauty of New York City! Hop on a double decker bus tour and shop as much as you want.

3 Places in NYC That Are “Actually” Haunted

Haunted?

Halloween is little more than a week away and you’ve probably already began making your plans.  You know which haunted houses you want to go to and have some activities planned for the whole family, but now it’s time to get even creepier.  Yeah, haunted houses are scary, but what about places that are actually haunted?  Places where ghosts have really been sighted in NYC?  Do you dare pay these places a visit?

The Dakota

The world famous apartment building is known for being the home, and the death place, of John Lennon.  The former Beatle was shot outside the door in 1980, but he is not the ghost who supposedly haunts the grounds.  It’s two turn of the century children who have been spotted by guests and workers at the Dakota.  If you want to stop by and see for yourself, hop-off the uptown tour, where this NYC treasure has its own stop.

Algonquin Hotel

In the early 1920’s, the Algonquin Hotel became the meeting spot for a group of writers known as the Round Table Group.  They would meet and eat lunch every day, and some say that they haven’t stopped.  People claim to still see the group hanging around the hotel to this day.  If you want to join a few ghosts for lunch at the round table, hop-off in Times Square and walk over to 6^th Avenue.

Washington Square Park

Washington Square Park is Greenwich Village’s most popular hangout spot for lazy afternoons.  Tourists, locals and NYU students alike will gather with their lattes and relax in the shade of one of the many large trees that the park offers.  This sounds like my typical Saturday morning, But 200 years ago I probably wouldn’t be bringing my Starbucks there.  That’s because it was being used as a Native American burial ground when the yellow fever epidemic broke out.  Still to this day, 20,000 bodies are buried under the park.  To visit this famed (and beautiful) haunted park, hop-off the downtown tour at our Greenwich Village stop.

So, what do you think, haunted or just myth?  What NYC landmarks have you heard to be haunted?  Tell us in the comments!

(Editor’s Note: I can neither confirm, nor deny that any of these places are actually haunted.  I have never seen a ghost, nor have I ever been able to prove that there aren’t any ghosts at any of these locations.  I can only report the urban legends as they have been told to me.)