In March 2023, I traveled to NYC for a week of apartment-hunting with the intention of keeping a healthy routine. In an effort to avoid my typical dinners-out and back-to-back social plans that inevitably arise when I’m in New York, I planned to repeatedly slip unannounced into the Greenwich Village Equinox (this did not work) and explore what could become my new wellness destinations. My findings were grim on both fronts. More so than my vexing gym rejection, the lack of GOOD, HEALTHY, CONVENIENT food astounded me. New York is a city-on-demand; yet, it’s nearly impossible to find consistently high-quality and abundant groceries and prepared food, even if you’re willing to pay top dollar for it.
For busy professionals with demanding schedules and/or less-equipped kitchens, finding time to prep healthy meals to take on-the-go isn’t always possible. Unlike in LA, where almost everyone has flexible hours and can spend their weekdays loitering around Erewhon or making dinner all afternoon. Of course, it’s a little unfair to compare anything health-related to LA (despite the New York Times’ recent attempt to do so).
After living in NYC for almost a year now, this hasn’t gotten any easier. I can walk to Whole Foods (delivery requires 24+ hours notice) and Trader Joe’s (no delivery at all, plus lines through the entire store) in 20 minutes. The closer options—Gourmet Garage, Westside Market, Brooklyn Fare, Citarella—are pricier than Erewhon (gasp, correct; grocery guide coming soon), and they rarely have everything on your list. Organic is a fairytale. Places like Wegmans are available short notice on Instacart, but with a considerable upcharge for the platform. Instacart’s “in stock” data is chronically unreliable though, so be prepared for your order to arrive without the most important item because it turned out to be out of stock. Cue regret for ever placing the order in the first place. I like the local natural foods stores (Lifethyme, Elm Wellness, East Village Organic, Health & Harmony, etc.), but they’re no bargain either, and we still face the issue of limited selection. The list goes on. And that’s just groceries!
Suffice to say, I was bewildered that someone hasn’t yet figured out how to capitalize on all the healthy, smart, busy, rich, and hungry people in New York. Stay tuned for my next business venture (with or without Erewhon’s help).
Despite New York’s current wellness shortcomings, not all is lost. There have been improvements, and with more time in the city, I have refined and added many new recommendations and gems that I’m excited to share. I have also crowd-sourced and compiled resources from other lists, including “Green Books” from prolific Substack writers and industry people with great taste that I admire.
Below, find a breakdown of my favorite spots organized into “nice” restaurants, lunch/fast casual, grocery/grab & go/markets, juice and smoothies, natural wine and NA spirits, clean treats, meal delivery, detoxes and cleanses, shops, fitness, and beauty/detox destinations. As always, please tell me if I’m missing anything essential! I will continue to update this post as I go so it is an ever-evolving resource.
Last Update: 3/13/24.
But first, what makes a restaurant “healthy”?
The below conditions (1, 2, but ideally both) should be met.
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