The true guide to New York City’s bagels.
The bodega around the corner most likely has “bagels” 24/7, but nothing compares to a true, fresh-out-of the-oven NYC bagel. Back in CT, I find myself craving these all the time so now that I’m back, it’s hard to stop eating them! Here’s my list of the top places to hit up (and places to steer clear of).
- Hudson Bagels– Far and away the best bagels you will find in New York City. Luckily, this small, family-owned bagel shop isn’t super trendy and never has outrageous lines like many of these other places (a major + in my mind).
- Murray’s Bagels– Overhyped and not worth the wait for a crunchy bagel. They do, however, have a very wide variety of cream cheese flavors.
- Tompkins Square Bagels– Always incredibly crowded here. The line wraps around the store and out the door. That being said, their bagels are to die for.
- H&H– One of the most famous bagel shops in the city. I don’t think they are worth the trek uptown, but if you’re in the area, may as well check it off your list
- Bagels on the Square– First of all, it’s actually a bit of a walk from the square, unlike the name suggests… That being said, these bagels are just .. blah. Go to Hudson Bagels.
- Bagel Bob’s– This is the NYC Freshman bagel headquarters. It’s right on University so it’s easy to stop in and grab something to munch on on the way to Stern. Unfortunately, the line can get very long during passing time.
Now in the images, the bags were all Chanel, Dior, Dolce Gabbana types – types poor college children like me don’t just have lying around. However, I still have a lot of shopping bags (nice ones…that I collect…and my friends think I’m a hoarder). This made the wall design perfect for me. I selected the bags largely because of their colors and design. I ended up with bags from Bebe, Dear New York (Zara), Promod (Paris), J.Crew, Birchbox, and the MoMa. I stuck each one into a glossy white frame and they were ready to hang!
The bedside table was something I’ve had lying around for ages that I just spray painted the same glossy white as the frames and it looks brand new!
After typing all this out, I’m starting to realize that I may seem like a crazy lady for putting so much effort and planning into decorating a room that I’m only going to live in for nine months, but it’s kind of compulsive for me. I couldn’t not decorate and plan it all out. I know some people who bring their bedspreads, lay it out, and are all finished. I don’t think I could do that. Why not make a space as pretty as it can be, no matter how long or short a period you are there for?
Rae Hersey 
