Union Square guide: The best of the neighborhood

This park is named after neither the Union of the Civil War nor the labor rallies that once took place here, but simply for the union of Broadway and Bowery Lane (now Fourth Avenue). Even so, it does have its radical roots: From the 1920s until the early ’60s, it was a favorite spot for tub-thumping political oratory. Following 9/11, the park became a focal point for the city’s outpouring of grief.

These days, stroll through the park and admire the vast amounts of public art, see cute pups in the dog park and grab a table for an al fresco snack. 

Here you’ll find yourself shopping elbow to elbow with top chefs for all manner of regionally grown culinary pleasures. Shop year-round for seasonal fruits and vegetables, farmstead cheeses, artisanal breads, fresh-cut flowers, wine and much more. In addition to shopping, visitors can watch or partake in cooking demonstrations or other weekly events and activities.

Head over on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 8am to 6pm year-round.

After a two-year, $100 million glow-up, the W New York – Union Square has officially reopened, reclaiming its role as the brand’s global flagship and showing off the kind of over-the-top personality only this neighborhood can handle.

The Beaux-Arts landmark on Park Avenue South has been scrubbed, polished and reborn, from its iconic grand staircase (now wrapped in a splashy, color-drenched carpet) to the city’s newest perch in the sky: Union Square’s only rooftop bar. Designed by AvroKO, the indoor-outdoor space tips a wink to downtown’s art-and-nightlife heyday, channeling a little Warhol Factory glam while serving up golden-hour cocktails with skyline views.

For the past several summers, Torch & Crown Brewing Company has taken over part of Union Square Park for its summertime pop-up: Torch & Crown Beer Garden.

The brewery brings its lineup of locally-made beers and bites to the square in summer months. Commandeering the historic Union Square Pavilion and the square surrounding it, the indoor-outdoor space welcomes all (even dogs!) to enjoy the festivities no matter the weather. The seasonal venue is the brewery's only offshoot outside of its operation in SoHo. Enjoying a Tenement Pilsner while people-watching in Union Square is peak NYC summer.

Every winter, wooden chalets pop up in Union Square for an alfresco, European-style winter market with more than 175 local and national vendors. Expect lots of great shops, plus excellent food vendors to fuel your shopping spree.

This is the oldest holiday market in the city—and a study by Yelp calls it the best in America. The market is so popular that it typically draws two million visitors each year to shop its unique vendors. 

The team behind the Michelin-starred Musket Room and Raf’s lead the charge here, including sisters Jennifer and Nicole Vitagliano, alongside executive chef Mary Attea and executive pastry chef Camari Mick. The menu travels through chef Attea’s Lebanese heritage, on the plate with dips and spreads and Moroccan spiced mains to sumac-dusted and arak-forward cocktails.

Not far from Union Square, this independent-owned bookstore is truly a bibliophile’s happy place. With more than 2.5 million books–used, new and rare–stacking up the Strand’s four floors, the selections are purely mind-blowing. From architecture to travel guides, browsing for the right book will be just as fun as buying it. Strand also has some cool totes, calendars and NYC souvenirs, along with audiobooks, CDs and DVDs.

The newest outpost of Mission Ceviche is also its biggest yet. Clocking in at 5,000-square-feet, the 155-seater restaurant wows with a mosaic of an octopus and an art piece made of 4,000 fish-shaped “scales.” But even with new flashy digs, chef Jose Luis Chavez continues to pay homage to Peruvian fare with a focus on Nikkei—a culinary style that blends Peruvian ingredients with Japanese techniques.

Lovers of the Peruvian hotspot will still find their favorite signature staples, including the Lomo Saltado, Seco Norento and the restaurant’s claim to fame, the Ceviche Clasico with tiger’s milk, Peruvian corn and sweet potato. But with new environs comes new menu items like the vegan Watermelon Ceviche with edamame, pickled daikon and crispy quinoa furikake and Pulpo al Olivo or octopus tiradito swimming in a traditional botija olive tiger’s milk.

Reboots are risky business—for every The Force Awakens, there’s a The Phantom Menace. Remakers have the punishing task of satisfying two audiences simultaneously: the established fan base, those who experienced the original run, and the new demographic, the young’uns looking for fresh twists among the familiar beats.

Luckily, the force is strong with the updated incarnation of Union Square Cafe, the beloved flagship of the formidable Danny Meyer empire that stood on East 16th Street since 1985, long before a Shake Shack patty ever sizzled on a griddle top. A rent spike at the original location prompted a move three blocks north to a 10,000-square-foot two-story space that’s nearly double the size of the bygone room; where the old boasted cramped low ceilings and a head-scratching multilevel layout, the new is a light and lofty setting designed by architect David Rockwell. Today it’s every bit as beloved as it once was.

According to history buffs, in 1904, O. Henry wrote “The Gift of the Magi” in what was then a quiet Gramercy pub. Today it’s three deep at the bar, and O. Henry would have a hard time parking it anywhere. Though Pete’s—a Civil War–era survivor—draws its share of tourists, you’ll also rub shoulders with neighborhood types who slide into the wooden booths to snack on affordable Italian eats with standard suds (16 beers on tap include a hoppy house ale) bubbling in frosty mugs.

A noodle’s only as good as its slurp, a notion Japanese udon chain TsuruTonTan stands by. Its name breaks down the sloppy audio of the noodle experience: tsuro means “the sound of slurping noodles,” ton is the “sound of kneading and shaping udon,” and tan is “the sound of cutting the strands.”

The chain’s first international location, set in Union Square, features 36 rotating udon options, including creamy mentaiko made with cod caviar, a curry udon and a kitsune with deep-fried tofu. The 128-seat space’s minimal design is punctuated by three artful walls: One is made of stucco bowls, another of wooden rolling pins and one of a custom fabric collage that mimics udon.

Looking to treat yourself? Head to 15 East @ Toqueville where you can book reservations in The Omakase Room. The rom offers a 20-course sushi and sashimi experience with seven seats at the counter. Or if you’re looking for a more everyday experience that’s still elevated, check the menu for seasonal French-American cuisine with Asian touches in a three-, five- and seven- course tasting menu format.

Walking into this Flatiron spot feels as if you’ve just stumbled upon the best stall at the flea market. Worn-wood shelves support stack upon stack of assorted rainbow-colored dishes ($1–$17), mismatched vintage china ($5–$23), toile teapots ($15–$39) and other kitschy kitchenwares.

The amazingly reasonable price tags make it worth battling the often-pressing crowds to stock up on assorted flatware and glassware, including oversize stemless martini glasses, elegant champagne flutes and Italian-style painted wineglasses. If you’re in need of a serious discount, plunder the sale section in the back for never-before-used castoffs from restaurant and hotel suppliers. But there are plenty of affordable, freshly minted kitchen goods too.

Many an author touches down at Barnes & Noble’s citywide branches, and the Union Square flagship offers an especially varied schedule. Keep an eye open for its “Upstairs at the Square” series, which pairs notable writers and musicians for a well-rounded cultural evening.

Sneaker fiends flock to this footwear utopia to buy and sell every type of kicks imaginable, all on consignment (with 80 percent of the profit going to the seller and 20 percent to the store). Around 10,000 pairs of never-worn, plastic-wrapped shoes are stacked in 15 rows that run the entire length of the mammoth store.

Though the inventory changes daily, it is so abundant that even vintage styles usually come in multiple sizes (including some for women, though it’s very hit or miss). All of the typical brands are represented: Converse, Vans, Adidas, Puma, New Balance, Reebok and, of course, Nike, which dominates about two thirds of the wall. Surveying the selection is almost dizzying but well worth it if you’re in the market for a pair. True ballers head to the back of the store, where several dozen extra-exclusive pairs are protected by glass panels—presumably to catch the drool. 

If you're looking for a shop with an alternative feel that still delivers a vast selection, than the NY-branch of this UK cult megastore is sure to make you happy. While you browse new comics, ranging from big-ticket publishers like Marvel and D.C. you may find yourself picking up manga DVDs and books, anime and sci-fi toys and action figures, offbeat horror and imported magazines like Gothic Beauty, role-playing games and quirky character T-shirts. 

Three floors of equipment and clothing for almost every activity, from the niche (badminton and kayaking, for example) to the everyday (they offer a slew of gym gear, plus essentials like sunglasses), make this the prime sports-gear spot in the city.