In this new King Chill column, I will provide opinions about what you "should" and "shouldn't" do while touring a region. Feel free to comment things you agree with, things you don't, or provide additional guidance.

*Do not take this guide as 100% valid. 

This began as a list of NYC-area winter adventures I wrote for my sister in 2016. There were some minor revisions made in 2017..

I broke this down into sections based on full day adventures. It doesn't include all of New York area. I just don't know enough about Harlem or the Bronx to advise on those areas. Adventures are listed somewhat North to South, but not really.

Anticipate at least an hour+ commute anywhere you go. There's no way of telling during winter if a trip is going to be 20 minutes or hours. And rest time can be vital for your adventure.

Adventures:
1. East Queens - The most ethnically diverse place on Earth. 
2. Astoria - Where the hip people are.
3. Upper East Side  - Mostly housing + museum area, near central park.
4. Midtown - Touristy Stuff.
5. East Village - Hipsters + history.
6. Lower East Side and Soho and Noho - Shopping.
7. Lower West Side and Chelsea.
8. More Touristy stuff.
9. Jersey.
10. Williamsburg Day (Hipster).
11. Berg'n Day.

1. East Queens - Focus on the diversity of Queens. Take the F train to the R train for these stops. You'll need to walk around a lot; don't go when it's snowing. Each stop is an hour away.
- My advice is to plan what you want for dinner, and schedule two/three stops before. Like I'd do Jackson Heights 11-4, eat lunch there, Elmhurst (4-5), then have dinner in Flushings (5-8).
- End the day with dinner and a long ride back to Manhattan. There's karaoke and fun stuff in these areas, but you'll prob want to go out elsewhere at night.
- A ride back to Manhattan is pretty and passes major landmarks. Look out the window!

Flushings - The real 'China Town' with more diversity. It's the last metro stop, so it takes a while to get to.
- Right outside the metro there is the New World Mall. Check out their basement floor (food court) and top floor (supermarket). I like to buy candy from the supermarket and frozen treats from the food court. There's a ton to look at there, for free. 
- A few blocks from New World Mall there are a few small, underground malls, and one modern Americanized mall.
- There are also some cool shops and a great Asian library.
- The original "Xi'an" (Korean spot) is inside one of the underground malls. There are actually 4 locations (1 in Manhattan's china town), but this one feels special. Get a lamb burger (very greasy) and salad. The noodles and dumplings are also good in this mall.
- The dingy spot next to it sells $3 peanut sauce noodles. There's also hot pot and pho down there.

Jackson Heights - The most ethnically diverse area in the world. Filled with great South Asian food. I love a few Indian and Nepalese restaurants in that area. This area is between Elmhurst and La Guardia; beautiful area to walk around, with beautiful parks, but some creeps. Check out the Indian and Mexican and Columbian shops. A lot are in basements. 
- Jackson Diner has a great buffet for LUNCH. I've gotten in a food coma there before flights from LGA.
- Butala Emporium and nearby shops have Indian presents worth checking out
- There is also the Botanical Garden and Queens Museum of Art (I haven't been to either)

Elmhurst - Diverse Asian area. Great place for Asian/Indian food too. Nice parks, but in winter may keep this stop short.

2. Astoria - Astoria is traditionally the Greek area of Queens, but has a lot of Spanish and Irish influence too. In the summer, it's a great place to go to beer gardens. It's also becoming really trendy, since it's close to Manhattan. I recommend eating a sub there for lunch; I'm not into Greek food. If you are, there's good Greek places (for dinner). BRING CASH!
- Check out bodegas and Greek Supermarkets. The Greek markets are great places to get varieties of feta cheese. The bodegas have extremely cheap food and snacks.
- Some sub shops can feed 4 big men per sandwich, no exaggeration. I've seen it! Check out the Irish bars and try to not get into a bar fight. Or do, no judgement.
- Museum of Moving Image is awesome! It's a museum where they talk about the history of TV, video games, and movies. I've been 4 times and always enjoy it. It's also across from Kaufman-Astoria Studios, where they film some movies. I don't know if/how you can get a tour of Kaufman Studios though.
- Socrates Sculpture Park is nice. Less so in winter.
- Mostly an area for beer gardens and outdoor activity, but all the places have some contingency for winter. Look up which beer gardens are open. Some have live (German) music and giant pretzels.

3. Upper East Side and Central Park
There is very little to do in our area. So I'm combining it with Central Park and 5th Ave. You'll wanna take a cab at least one way, but can walk the other if it's nice out.
- Cornell and a hospital is near 70th. They have a Hallal truck by there that is great $5, 3AM munchies.
- Bagelworks is the best bagel place on Earth. It's on 1st ave between 65th and 66th.
- Across the street is the only grocery store that's affordable in upper East side, Gristedes. If you're staying in Upper East side, do your shopping here. 
- Also on 1st: Liquor store, 16 Handles (Froyo) on our block, some OK Thai and Indian spots, and of course The Ritz (diner).
- The tram to Roosevelt Island is nearby. Right when you get on the island, there's a lil memorial.... but that's about the only thing on the island. Quick bucket list item but def can pass this if you have a short trip. 
- Where midtown ends and upper east side begins is a little ambiguous. So there's a shopping area I'm including here, but I'm sure people will say is a different area.
- I suggest taking a cab to Uniqlo 5th ave (on 5th and 53rd street), cause thats MY main shopping destination. They tailor pants (>$20) for free!
- From Uniqlo walk uptown till central park, and check out random shop windows along 5th ave. The windows have really beautiful displays (of Capitalism and Americana). 
- Trump Tower is on 5th Ave between 56th/57th. Just west of that, on 56th, is Momofuku Milk Bar. I prefer to check out the latter. 
- On 5th Ave, between 58th and 59th on the west side, there is The Plaza. That's a very famous hotel, right across from an iconic entry to Central Park (think Home Alone). Again, the department store windows in this area are very cool. The Plaza Hotel has a beautiful basement  food court. Don't ask me why I like food courts. 
- From the Plaza Hotel, go up Central Park. Central Park has ice skating, zoo, Summer Stage and random fun things. Some people do the horse carriage thing; I don't. I don't think horses should be in NYC. 
- There are a bunch of museums along 5th ave and Central Park. The Jewish Museum is on 92nd.There's a floor with tons of free stuff to take home. Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum is on 91st. It's a cool museum. Guggenheim is on 89th. It's a modern art museum designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Neue Galerie is on 86th, with German and Austrian art. The MET is between 80th and 84th, which gives you an idea of the size of it. You could spend a week in the MET and not see 1/2 of it.

4. Lower Midtown (Time Square, Rockefeller Center, and other Tourist stuff)
I'm the worst person to give advice here. Generally, I'll drive through here (or take a cab through it) but not hang around here, unless I'm going to a club or bar.
- Time Square and Broadway. Time Square has an M&M Store and overpriced chain stores. Broadway has plays. Off Broadway has low production plays, way cheaper but 'you get what you pay for.'
- I love a pizza place called Artichoke Pizza [its a chain and also in Miami]. NY pizza is basically just foldable pizza — lame! Artichoke has amazing white sauce pizza.
- If you are going to get NY pizza, find a local place. Many people say Brooklyn is the best place to get NY pizza, but I'm not convinced it really differs from other parts of NY. 
- You probably heard of MoMA. It's cool! Don't hate. They have rotating exhibits. It's worth checking out, even if you've been before. 
- I'm basically lumping a huge area together here. Reality is, like, you can walk from Time Square to Penn Station, but wanna cab over to Rockefeller unless you have a ton of energy. Everything in New York is walkable, but Uber and Lyft can be a few bucks and save tons of time and energy. 

5. East Village
St. Marks (and this area) used to be a famous punk scene, but the only remains are Search and Destroy. Around it is a beautiful Jewish and Chinese area. Some stores have Hebrew and Chinese on them. Check out the architecture. 
- Start with brunch somewhere. Look up a list of places and see what suites you. Then explore the shops and events nearby. There's often lil festivals just east of Chinatown. You can find out about these events from Time Out New York.
- St. Marks is a small street with headshops, an amazing barcade, and a cool thrift store (Search and Destroy). There's tons of hipster restaurants all around it, and some cool shops.
- Bauhouse is one of my favorite restaurants. It's on 13th. The pork is the specialty, but it's all really great IMO. Nearby is Momofuku's Milk shop, for ice cream and Crack Pie, and Momo's ramen shop. [Warning, if you're not used to pork, dont try it for the first time in a little New York shop. You will get a tummy ache!]
- [redact this cause WH closed - Webster Hall was a massive music venue with mixed reviews. I loved it for the sheer size. Off season, they had big names free with RSVP.]
- There is a UCB Theatre here, and other comedy clubs.

6. Lower East Side, Chinatown, Lil Italy and Soho
You can do East Village and this section together, depending on how much energy you have. East Village is better for brunch and drinking. Lower East Side, Soho, and Noho are primarily for shopping. 
- Chinatown, I'm sure you know. Great place to get a massage. Fay Da bakery and cheap 'coffee tea' (exactly what it sounds like). Don't eat anywhere with a B or C grade; you'll get sick or may find weird stuff in your food.
- The people sell fake bags and rolexs from magazines now. It's illegal, but everyone knows about it. You can barter with them heavily. But it's tougher to get a good knockoff than it used to be. May need to linger a while until someone picks up what you're trying to get. 
- My favorite restaurant in the world is the Peking Duck house (Mott street) but it's expensive. I've had the best fish I've ever eaten in my life there. It came with the Peking Duck and was like $100 for 2 people.
- Next to Chinatown/Mott Street is Columbus Park, a beautiful park where people play Go. Please respect the people here if you go. 
- A little north you have Lil Italy. I usually just buy a full sized cannoli in Lil Italy, not one of those lame little ones. If you want to go to a nice Italian restaurant there, make a reservation. Any place worth their salt, that makes fresh pasta, will have an hour wait without reservation.
- Then there's the nearby Soho and Broadway, which is Shopping Mecca. I usually just check out sales. I recommend the Pearl River Mart (3 floor Asian store with random gifts. I love their rain boots! They're great for winter and cheap) and Yellow Rat Bastard (skater style store) if you go shopping.
- If you keep walking uptown you'll reach Noho, where there is... even more shopping!

7. Chelsea and Lower West Side
My fam prefers the West Side to the East. You can def see a difference between them, but they're also remarkably the same. I'd recommend starting out west and going east just cause it's Winter. I just don't like being out by the water at night, when it's cold.
- Metro to the 14th street station. Check out the little sculptures all over it. This station is the most west you can go on the L Line, which also goes to Brooklyn (if you go East).
- Walk around a lil and eat brunch. Everyone recommends a spot called Bubbies, but I thought the food was subpar and overrated. Still a cool ambiance there, so it's popular.
- Check out the Standard Hotel, which is an interesting building to quickly pop in.
- Walk to the Whitney Museum of American Art. It's an amazing museum. DON'T do coat check cause it has a great view outside top floors, overlooking the highline and Hoboken/Jersey.
- From there either walk on the highline, or walk up 9th ave to the Chelsea Market.
- The Chelsea Market (9th and 15/16th) is a lil indoor market with food and things. There's a flea market attached. It's also across from Google's headquarters. You can check out Google's innovation hub if you say you're part of a startup and signup to some program.
- Rubin Museum is great ancient Asian art museum. It's one of my favorite museums.
- The UCB Theatre is great!!! Tons of great comedians started here. If you wanna save $10 and catch a free show (Asscat 3000) then go early. People wait in line even when it's freezing cold.
- Fat Cat is a famous college-y bar in Greenwhich Village. They have live jazz, pool, and board games. There is a cover, which is cash only, but it's worth it IMO.

8. Deep South Manhattan Touristy Stuff
South of Greenwhich Village (part of the Lower West Side I just mentioned) there are a lot of areas where really rich people work. IE Financial District and Wall Street. I can't advise on this area, but if you want to go I know people who can!
- Wall Streets kind of cool
- Ground Zero/World Trade Center Sight
- If you take the Staten Island Ferry you get a free view of the Statue of Liberty. You can also drink beer on the ferry! Great pregame spot since it runs 24/7. Just take the subway to Bowling Green or South Ferry and walk to the ferry stop. 

9. Jersey - I wish I knew a lot more about Jersey than I do. It's just as built up as Manhattan and often easier to get around. You also get a great view of Manhattan from Jersey. I def recommend it, but for some reason friends never seem to go.
- You'd take the metro to the PATH to get to Jersey City. The Jersey Path is a lil confusing. PATH has an H shape. Pay close attention that the train coming is actually yours. 
- Hoboken looks awesome, but I've never been. Carlo's Bakery is super famous. It's a really great area to walk around, I hear.
- When driving to NYC, I park near Grove Street PATH Station. The bridges to drive into Manhattan are expensive. I basically just know that area of Jersey City. There's cool bars in that area, and hip shops. There's a Korean crepery that lets you bring in your own wine or beer. A few blocks South East of this station is the Colgate Clock and a beautiful NYC view.

10. Williamsburg - The hipster Brooklyn area [before that tons of Jews and gays moved there]. Best place to go bar hopping IMO. I suggest you go in the day to shop, then go to a barhop at night.
- Take the L Train to get there. Tons of cool stuff right when you get off. There's a good pizza place, taco trucks, and good falafel (Falafel Oasis) within a minute from the L Train station.
- BTW it's legal to walk around drinking in New York, unlike Florida. You can paper bag my favorite cider (Rekorderlig (pear flavor)) from a local Williamsburg bodega. They're amazing!!! You might need to look up online which stores you can get them at; they're rare. Otherwise grab some coffee from a hip spot.
- Smorgasbord and outdoor fleas are closed, but I think the artisan flea market is open. You basically want to walk there and stop along the way at random hipster stores.
- L Train Vintage is supposed to be the best thrift store in NYC. There's a few of them. You may have stopped at one of them when you were on the Lower West Side.
- There's real cool graffiti around this area. Like the stuff in Broad City and Adult Swim commercials. It always changes up.
- At night there are always bar crawls. They're fun ways to meet people, get discounts and see a bunch of places. They're great for avoiding covers.
- Bars worth checking out: the barcade one?, that punk one?, Knitting Room (bar and venue), giant venues including Good Room and Output. Bar crawl should take you to a few of these. 
- Starbucks has wine here.
- There's some decent breweries in the area and Vice News. Also great BBQ. But I wouldn't say NY compares to the rest of 'Merica with their beer and BBQ. Sorry guys - you still rock. 

11. Berg'n and more BK
- This winter flea market in Brooklyn is great. It's a lil walk from Franklin Ave. Check the hours. Lots of interesting shops and food. Highly recommend you go to this, I wish I had last weekend!
- Greenpoint has a big Polish community. It's closer to Williamsburg and shares McCarren Park with it. It's also a pain to get to, because it's only on the G train. So you'd wanna cab to get there.
- There's always warehouse raves there, and cool vinyl shops.
- I'm blanking on other Brooklyn things to do but hopefully people comment them!