I’ve been eating here for many years and especially when I’m in the Chelsea Gallery district. It’s your basic Greek owned New York City diner. You can’t go wrong with breakfast and that’s exactly what I usually have there. It has a homey feel to it and apparently it’s still open 24 hours a day.

Chelsea Square Diner - 368 West 23rd Street 212-691-5400

McNally Jackson now has a new location in Soho about 6 blocks west of the old store.

McNally Jackson is another fabulous independent bookstore in NYC. I love this bookstore! And the musician Beck loves it too! When I find 2 books that I want I immediately go to the cash and pay! Sometimes that only takes about 15 minutes. I need to restrain myself when I'm here. Their selection of poetry, literature, art books and nonfiction books is amazing. As well they sell books about New York City, chapbooks and much more. They also have a very busy café and the food and café lattes are really good. They are situated next to Soho and just above Little Italy. If you love books this store is highly recommended. And if you love to support local businesses like I do. . .

McNally Jackson - 134 Prince Street near West Broadway

So I love diners and Waverly is no exception. It is often packed when I go. They have a basic diner menu with breakfast being the specialty as well as burgers. I've been eating here off and on for years and I'm always happy to see their big neon signs on the corner. Long live diners. By the way, they're open 24 hours 7 days a week! They are cash only and they don't accept reservations.

Waverly Diner - 385 6th Avenue at Waverly Place

Johny's Luncheonette is an old school diner style restaurant. It's been in business since 1994 and has a look that goes back even further than that. It is a standard greasy spoon style restaurant with basic American cuisine and a few Greek items on it. A counter runs almost the length of the restaurant with the food being prepared in front of you. I continue to go back and I'm always happy that they are still there. Johny owns and still works in the restaurant!

Johny's Luncheonette, 124 West 25th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues

Forget all the other famous candy stores in NYC! They are more hype and high prices than anything else. Economy Candy is the place to go! They have old school candy that isn't easy to find anymore. They are a family run business which opened in 1937!

Also they carry a lot of imported chocolates and candies and Kosher candy as well. They have a Pez collection that is out of this world as well as merchandise that is based on candy brands. It's a very cool store indeed.

Economy Candy, 108 Rivington Street

Open since the 1970s. I love NYC diners! Most of them are owned by Greeks. So not only can you get standard American fare. They also serve some Greek food. I've eaten at Cozy Soup 'n' Burger many times over the years and they don't disappoint. They are open 24 hours a day and you'll see a few photographs of famous people on the wall. 

Cozy Soup 'n' Burger, 739 Broadway Near East 8th Street. 212-477-5566

Good News - Yes they are open. You know the drill - masks and social distancing.

Dave’s New York is one very cool store indeed and without the typical fanfare of hipster stores. It is a family owned and operated business for over 50 years, Instead of me raving about it, I’ll include a paragraph from their site.

“Family owned and operated for over 55 years, Dave's New York features branded "Americana" rugged and casual clothing. Interactive American icon brands such as Levi's, Carhartt, Red Wing, Dickies, Schott, Alpha, Woolrich, Ben Davis, Timberland Pro, The North Face, Columbia, and Chippewa are offered in a wide selection of models at very favorable pricing.”

It’s in a neighborhood with much going on and it’s rather easy to miss it with all the other stuff going on. But it’s definitely worth it! You can also order online.

Dave’s New York - 581 Avenue of the Americas between 16th & 17th Streets

Good News - they have outdoor dining. I have eaten here quite a few times recently. They’re fabulous. Updated 10 July 2021

Joe Junior is your basic greasy spoon diner style restaurant. They boast that they make the best burgers in town. So far I've only had breakfast there and it was really good. But many people will back up their claim of making the best burger. The decor is traditional old school with a counter, tables and booths. I am unable to determine at this point how long they've been in business. But it's easily been 40 years. They've had to fight to keep their lease in the past and I hope that they stick around. The crowd at Joe Junior's is mostly locals and the atmosphere is cozy. This is a real gem in a city overrun with trendy expensive and chain restaurants. Sorry, no website.

Joe Junior Restaurant, 167 Third Avenue at 16th Street.

Update: I ate here a few weeks ago and they were open and the food was fabulous. They were however a little short staffed but well worth the wait. Long live NYC diners! Updated 13 July 2021

I've discovered a new favorite diner! They aren't new. But I don't know how long they've been around. The breakfast was fabulous. They were really nice and very efficient I might add. That is not always true of other diners. Also, I found that their quality and prices were really good. I will be returning there soon. It has a very traditional diner look as well!

Comfort Diner - 214 East 45th Street near Third Avenue