What did you do on your last visit to New York?
I have started a company called Move for Your Mind, encouraging exercise for mental health, rather than weight loss. Walking is by a mile my favourite fitness activity, but I don’t feel safe doing it by myself at night after work, which is when I most need it. Most women I know feel the same, so I decided to throw an event at Racket NYC, in Chelsea, where we had a member of the Secret Service come and teach hundreds of us some basic self-defence, then we all went for a long, late-night walk. We went uptown on the High Line, crossed over to Hudson River Park, then went just past the Vessel and continued down all the way to Little Island. Hundreds of women, empowered, having the most fun pounding the pavements. I realised it was the first time I’ve ever felt truly, fully safe on a walk and it allowed me to relax and take in the city.
My lasting memory of New York is...
I was on a stress walk through Manhattan after the 2020 election. We didn’t know who had won and the air was thick with this grey, tense, sombre atmosphere. Suddenly the sun came out, cars started honking, and people burst out onto their balconies to bang pots and pans, and everyone started dancing and singing together in the street. It became clear Joe Biden had won. It felt like a very on-the-nose scene in a musical. I had never seen New Yorkers so smiley, and jubilant. They normally present as very stoic, tough and nonchalant. I will never forget that. I cannot even imagine the scenes on the same day four years later. I am glad I wasn't there. This day is how I wish to remember New Yorkers.
The best thing about New York is…
The food. I only ever travel there with loose clothes because I always plan to come back a dress size bigger. Everything is sensational. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
The best place to stay is…
Greenwich Village. You really get a sense of the NYC you see in old sitcoms and movies when you’re there. It’s a lovely atmosphere, you’re close to the Hudson River, the architecture is iconic, the restaurants are fantastic, and everything good is walkable. Never, ever stay in Midtown. It will make you despise the city.
The best place to eat is…
19 Cleveland, in Soho. It’s hands-down my favourite brunch spot in America. The eggs, falafel, chips and the sandwiches will change you forever. It’s my first recommendation whenever anyone tells me they’re going to NYC. It’s a beautiful little spot, the staff are lovely and the menu is all killer, no filler. 10/10 would recommend.
What would you do if you only had 24 hours there?
I would head to Chelsea Flower Market first thing, to grab a coffee and a pastry, and eat it while walking on the High Line, listening to the Nora Ephron movie playlist on Spotify. Then stop at 19 Cleveland for brunch.
I would walk across the bridge to Williamsburg and go window shopping. I’d get the ferry back, because it’s so fun to see the NYC skyline from the water.
I would go to the Museum of Modern Art in the late afternoon, and then head to Broadway to see a show, and on the way home, I would head to the Lower East Side’s Upside Pizza to grab a slice of their insane sourdough pizza, and then pop by my favourite late-night bakery The Little Bake Shop for a muffin and a cup of tea.
If you still have energy, head to La Esquina on the corner of Lafayette, and see if you can access the secret bar, which is underneath what looks like a very ordinary taco shop. The DJ is always amazing, the vibe is always so fun, the food is great and it makes for an unforgettable end to the evening. I don’t take cocaine, so I’m afraid I don’t know what there is to do after that other than take your bloated old arse home.
What’s the one unmissable thing to do, in your opinion?
Go to the Comedy Cellar in Greenwich Village. It's so fun, it's so intimate, and every time I have gone, some of the biggest comedians on earth have just popped by unannounced and done a surprise set for a room of about 40 people. I've seen Ali Wong and Chris Rock there. Also, there is so much great food to grab anywhere on that street, it's all open till late, it's a buzzing atmosphere of people of all ages and backgrounds, and it feels super safe.
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Favourite date spot?
I enjoy a day date. I love going to the little food hall under the Plaza Hotel, that very few people seem to know about. It feels very locals-only, grabbing some food to go, and taking it across the road to Central Park to have a stroll and a picnic by the gorgeous lake. It makes me feel like I’m in When Harry Met Sally.
The best views are at...
I love the rooftop of the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn in the evening, because I'm deeply basic and obsessed with the NYC skyline by night.
How do you wish your home city was more like New York?
I wish London had a more diverse choice of nightlife. I wish everything was open a little later and we had more places where people of all ages could socialise. In Soho NYC there is a late-night café (The Uncommons) where you can pick one of about 1,000 board games and play with your friends, drinking tea, instead of having to go out to a bar. London needs more things like that!
A hidden gem I’m willing to share is…
I already gave you 19 Cleveland! What more do you want from me?
Favourite wellness spot?
New York is not somewhere I go to get well. I go there to get bloated. I don’t care for wellness, sorry.
The one thing I’d bring home with me as a souvenir is...
The no-bulls**t attitude of New Yorkers. They seem impolite, but they’re not, they’re just very blunt and they don’t have time for your dilly-dallying nonsense. I love their directness. It makes me feel very safe. Failing that, who doesn’t love an “I heart NY” classic white T-shirt? I have several. I am extremely basic and I don’t care.
Where do you let your hair down?
In Brooklyn and Harlem there are amazing vogueing events, hosted by the Ballroom community. It’s a safe space for LGBTQ+ people where self-expression and freedom are celebrated. Some of the most fun nights of my life have been at these events. Jack Mizrahi is the master of Ballroom, running supreme events. It's a tight community, so show up with enthusiasm, warmth and mind your manners.
Who do you call to have a good time in NYC?
My good friend Beyoncé. Naturally.
Favourite shops?
Brooklyn is very fun for vintage shopping or finding the clothing and jewellery of young up-and-coming artists. You find things there that you won’t find anywhere else.
A song that reminds you of the place?
A Wink and A Smile by Harry Connick Jr from When Harry Met Sally. I’m a Nineties girl, and those NYC rom-coms were a lifeline when I was a kid.
Your dress code for the city?
Practical and fabulous. You can wear anything you like, and the more you peacock, the more you are celebrated. But you must always wear something you can still walk 30,000 steps a day in. I have a baggy black sequin Rick Owens tracksuit that seems to go down a treat whenever I’m there. I would feel like a magician on the run if I wore it anywhere else.
Have you ever had an emergency incident there?
I was almost shot once! It was my fault. I was late to speak at the United Nations (women’s conference) in 2019, and was very flustered, and being chased by a wasp crossing the road (this happens to me a surprising amount).
So I was a tall, brown woman, running and screaming, flailing her arms in the direction of the UN — where I didn’t realise Donald Trump, the president at the time, was speaking — and was cause for alarm for the very armed security at the gates. My (white and calm) colleague saw the machine guns go up in my direction, grabbed me and started smiling and waving down the guards, explaining I was not a threat, and just running from some wasps. Imagine dying over Trump!? Cringe.
Which building would you like to live in?
Again, disgustingly cliché and utterly unaffordable, but of course I want to live in a brownstone on the west side of Manhattan. I love a classic NYC mid-century apartment with big, beautiful windows. I want to step outside onto those beautiful cobbled streets in the winter sun and walk my dogs with a coffee and a bagel, and have a man driving a yellow taxi scream at me and give me the middle finger. The New York fantasy.
As told to Hayley Spencer.
For more from Jameela, find her on Substack. jameelajamil.substack.com.
