The Most Instagrammable Spots For Basic Bitches: Nolita/Soho New York Edition

Stateside for this edition of Instagram Tips in New York’s favorite area of the fashion set — calm down West Village, we love you too, but with over 13 million people in New York, covering the city in a short amount of time to maximize your feed, can take laser planning. It also helps you enjoy your time with your dog versus spending hours traveling between spots.

 

By now, you’ve been able to navigate color (London pink edition) and content (Edinburgh edition), as well as themes (dogs and flowers.) New York combines all, with the added bonus of now being a helluva lot more dog friendly than it was pre-Instagram.

“For the gram” hangs in the air as you see influencers lined down Crosby Street’s cobblestone near NOMO Hotel. All winter we witnessed humans during the Polar Vortex in athleisure wear and sleeveless gowns, from Chicago in swimsuits to holding aloft a giant bottles of rose on Water Street in Brooklyn, after pushing a tourist “accidentally” to get their shots for the gram.

 

As always, what’s in style is your dog’s safety and your own.

Please don’t step onto active streets near Flat Iron to get a shot. New York traffic gives zero fluffs about your perfect city shot. Now our disclaimer is out of the way, let’s get into our tips…

 

For those of you who don’t know, Soho stands for South of Houston. Houston is pronounced HOUSE-ton. If you call is Houston, like the Texan city, you’ll be marked by a local with a “T” for tourist and you won’t get into any of those fashion shows you were able to blackmail an invitation to, no matter what your follower count.

And you can forget about rubbing it off because a black light, standard at NY hot spots and fashion shows, will reveal it, as trained and approved by Fashion’s first son, Derek Blasberg.

 

Don’t be one of those people who has a yapping dog who bites, clutching a note that your pooch is an emotional service animal from a therapist who wrote it to get away from your whining.

Service Animals are being cracked down for fraud in 19 states. Airlines including Delta, United and American Airlines are changing their rules to include more documentation. Does that stop the flight of the modern day furbabe? Hardly.

The flight we took from LAX to JFK had six dogs and one cat on it.

A crew member told me he was deathly afraid of the large mutt at the back in his own seat. He wasn’t aware of most dog policies but relieved to hear if an EMS dog is seen eating off the train table, the passenger will be fined and won’t be allowed to bring that dog again.

Ask yourself, in any situation: although I can bring my dog, should I?

Alright, you didn’t come for a lecture, you came to get down with where to take photos. The rules are murky, and depend upon each venue. For instance at NY dog cafe, Boris & Horton, there is a doored hallway which separates the cafe where the human food is made, while other restaurants welcome dogs to sit inside.

Down a few blocks from there, the always dive bar dba, rejects participants from Santacon (aka Halloween Part Two; think Mean Girls’ Santa outfits), but welcomes dogs.

You won’t get great photos here — not the kind we know you want to grow your IG following, yet your stories will become STORIES and laughter and good times roll out back a plenty. This is a place to celebrate with your friends and stop worrying about main feed perfection.

 

New York is a town you walk around,

So break out those sustainable VEJA’s you bought after seeing Meghan Markle in a pair in Australia and get comfortable. NY is also one dirty ass city so be prepared with a stain remover kit, knee pads (like The Dogist), wipes, water, a portable bowl and hand sanitizer.

 

 

 

But first, a coffee.
373 Broome Street (larger!) + 327 Lafayette Street

CHA CHA MATCHA. I love you so matcha. Our enduring favorites @honeyidressedthepug glammed up this fabulous pink vegan cafe. It’s dog-friendly and I’m obsessed.

When I was working in Soho it gave me life in a dreary winter. The Matcha Latte is fabulous, and beware the queue for the loo — it means an influencer is getting changed inside.

Made famous for their sold out collaboration with fashion darling, Virgil Abloh (Off-White’s founder and Louis Vuitton’s Creative Director for Mens Wear), this spot is for all of you who would #travelforpink. Plus mmm, matcha was the drink of choice for Japanese Empresses.

 

 

 

35 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

Blue Stone Lane serves up thick sourdough toast with toppings like salmon, poached eggs, avocado and bananas on thick sourdough bread that make you forsake the need to give up carbs forever.

The coffee is damn good though and they have partnered with Bark to produce a very cute coffee cup toy. Pop in for a warm up as we transition to spring for that blue and white cup.

 

 

 

3 Crosby Street

MAX BONE. A must for any dog, as if you needed an excuse to go in there. They do sell candles for the humans. Aside from the gorgeously designed poop bag holders (bring back the elephant, darlings), the Max Bone has a dog house they cover in flowers.

 

 

 

9 Crosby Street

NOMO HOTEL. Slide down a few steps from Max Bone for bonus shots at NOMO. This hotel has a cool wall with street art, a covered trellis to the entrance and outdoor seating with heat lamps. The influencer watching is amazing from high school students to women in gowns. Not. To. Be. Missed.

 

 

 

123 Lafayette St

 

GLOSSIER. Yes, the pink palace of Millennial success. The staff love dogs; they even have their own instagram @dogsofglossier.

Inside their HQ, while Byredo candles burn, wander to the back mirrored room. There are massive ‘boy brow’ props that filled me with delight. This is my favorite Glossier product until they gave me a sample of their face wash and I was blown away by how soft my skin felt. But not an ad; it’s fun, things are pink, you can buy make-up and dog-friendly.

 

 

 

42 Crosby St

GREATS. Not to make you do all your shopping but if you forgot those aforementioned VEJA’s, pop into my fave sneaker makers: GREATS. I met with the co-founder, Ryan Babazien, when they were a staff of four. He’s a disrupter, dog lover and got so much energy. I’m really inspired by him so again, not an ad. The store is great if you don’t have an IG perfect set-up at home.

 

 

 

106 Kenmare Street

 

THE CORNER/LA ESQUINA. The neon “CORNER” in bright pink is an institution of Soho. A doggy window if all the walking around is giving you some hanger.

Pop to the shop, grab some food and then people watch while you refuel in the park across the street from it. This colorful food joint reminds me of old school New York. Pop-by and you won’t regret it. For a date night (minus your pup, La Esquina, the formal restaurant inside is a sexy night. MMM.)

 

 

 

174 Elizabeth St

PIETRO NOLITA. All pink everything. The owner, Pietro, is Italian and loves dogs. What he doesn’t love is people who are not self aware enough and take 10-15 minutes of photos without contributing to his charity fund for the Susan G. Komen foundation, thus the stickers that say “Pink As Fuck.”

So please, go inside (yes, he will allow your furbaby) and give a contribution when taking photos here. It’s one of the most photographed spots, so you may have to wait but it’s worth it for the love.

 

Little Italy Bonus: head into Little Italy. The Audrey Hepburn street art is worthy of getting that perfect snap together. We know you dressed to twin and this is the perfect spot.

What are other spots in NYC are we missing?