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Bagels, bagels, bagels: Quick guide to NYC's best breakfast 🥯

Bagels, bagels, bagels: Quick guide to NYC's best breakfast 🥯

+ Electrolyte-slinging robots are coming to Times Square today.. 🤖

Ashley & Devin from Better Together Here
June 4th, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Hi,

“When you leave New York, you are astonished at how clean the rest of the world is. Clean is not enough.” -Fran Lebowitz

In this week’s newsletter:

♟️ Chess & Checkers House in Central Park - Free to play game sets, with quite a view

🎟️ Our Curated Collection of NYC Activities - From Central Park tours to the best observation decks and museums

🥯 NYC Bagels - Don’t get a bad bagel in NYC..

🎫 Events We Love This Week: June 4-11 - Beware of hydration robots

🍣 You’ll Have to Check It Out - Fairly priced, other worldly flavor omakase sushi

The time is now!👇

Comedy Central Reaction GIF by Broad City

Note: As always, this email was written by an actual human who lives in NYC, not artificial intelligence. 🥸

Chess & Checkers House in Central Park ♟️

After more than a year of renovations, Central Park’s Chess & Checkers House is open again!

The new updates are beautiful, and the brand-new bathrooms are always a welcome addition to the park.

With 24 chess & checkers tables, there is plenty of space to come and play with friends, family, or a date!

Games are available to borrow from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm, Wednesday through Saturday. It’s free to borrow, and all pieces and tables are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Learn more about the Chess & Checkers House here.

Quick Collection of NYC Activities via Viator

Viator offers a simplified marketplace for booking travel experiences like observation decks, Central Park tours, and more.

We’ve curated a few collections featuring our most recommended activities and things to do in New York City. 🗽

View our collections on Viator Shop here.

*Yes, we earn commissions (at no cost to you) when you book. We only recommend activities that we believe are of high quality and worth your money. This newsletter, podcast, and website are a side project that we undertake in our spare time. Booking an activity through our Viator shop helps fund our ability to do that.

NYC Bagels: Top Spots + Tips 🥯

Bagels are one of the most famous NYC foods and a MUST-have during your time here. Many people argue that New York is the capital of the world for bagels.

(Some people told me Montreal.. I wasn’t convinced. 😬)

Many people claim that the bagels in NYC are so amazing because the tap water here is considered some of the best in the world.

Some bagel experts claim that the bagels in NYC are so good because of the refined bagel techniques, including longer proofing times and specific boiling techniques before baking.

Either way, the bagels in New York City are truly second to none.

We’re letting you in on some of our favorite spots, top orders, and how to beat the lines. 👇

Events We Love This Week: June 4-11, 2025

In the city this week? Here are some fun events we’re keeping an eye on.

Liquid IV Dispensing Robots in Times Square - Today, June 4 @ 4 pm EST

While not quite an episode of Black Mirror, Liquid IV is putting on quite the technology-forward marketing stunt today.

Not only will around 50 robots deliver hydration drinks around Times Square, but there will also be a synced-up display on the digital billboards.

It’s uhh.. Unique? But indeed a bit odd. We may check it out, especially since we LOVE Liquid IV drinks.

Reading Rhythms - Tuesday, June 10th

I learned about Reading Rhythms this past week, and it’s quite a unique, community-first event.

Think book club without the “sorry, I forgot to do the reading this week”.

Reading Rhythms is taking over Hudson Yards for their largest summer reading party yet…

Experience this free, unique reading party with live music centered around social connection. Bring a book of your choice to experience silent reading periods and meet new people through facilitated group discussions, where it’s encouraged to share ideas and literary themes.

Learn more & RSVP here!

You’ll Have to Check It Out - Sugarfish

Omakase, or chef’s choice, offers an opportunity to experience a sushi chef’s ideal pairings and flavors.

Sugarfish’s mission is to “serve only traditional sushi of the highest quality based on Chef Nozawa’s style of sushi. Our passion is to carry forward his great tradition and style of food – which many believe is the best sushi there is.”

They hit it. Sugarfish is by far our favorite sushi spot in Manhattan.. Especially for the price.