[3 min read]

I’ve been working on Part 2 of my New York trip report, but having a hard time deciding what to include and what to leave out (it's coming next week).

That trip was a little unusual, because I felt like both a local and a visitor at the same time. A former resident who knows the city well, but there for a specific reason and a limited amount of time.

Which got me stuck on something I've been thinking about for a while: What makes a good recommendation?

Because sometimes I see "local recommendations" and it's stuff you would never do.

Like: “There’s this restaurant we go to all the time,” but it’s in some inconvenient suburb. And I’m thinking, “You go there all the time because it’s near where you live—but that’s not near where most visitors are.”

Of course, it’s a fine line.

Just the other day, I was recalling a restaurant-slash-party-spot my husband and I went to that was a 45-minute drive outside of Bogotá, Colombia. Super inconvenient, but local in the best way, really fun, and somewhat of a destination in itself. (That restaurant has now spawned several additional locations around Colombia and even one in Miami—I’m telling you, it’s a spot.)

Or I’ve seen movie theaters recommended on these "local lists," but again, I just don’t see myself taking several hours out of a short trip to watch a movie in the dark*—and I’m a pretty big movie nerd.

For example, one of my favorite ways to spend a New York evening is to catch a movie at IFC or maybe Film Forum and then get a slice at Joe’s afterwards (or a pie at John’s if I’m feeling like I want to sit down).

And while I'd absolutely recommend Joe's as a quintessentially New York experience, I wouldn't suggest the whole evening. It's something I did because I lived there.

Meanwhile, on this trip, I spent a morning with a dear friend that started with a lox bagel from Zabar's, which we ate in Central Park on our way to the Frick; afterwards, we walked over to Breads for their delicious black-and-white cookies (the only ones I like). Some pretty local experiences, but a great combo that I'd absolutely recommend.

I think about this as a Paris resident now, too.

There’s a place in our neighborhood that I like for Sunday café mornings, afternoon apéro, or a casual meal. I took some visiting friends for lunch the other day, but felt I needed to make it clear that it’s just a neighborhood spot, not a destination. Close to home, pretty solid food, but not the kind of place I’d tell someone to go out of their way for.

On the other hand, we tried a new restaurant with those same houseguests that I would ABSOLUTELY recommend. It’s not on the typical tourist circuit, the food and wine were both awesome, and it had a great neighborhood-but-better vibe.

So all this to say:

People say they want local recommendations, but they don’t.

Like my neighborhood café, local recommendations are the ones that come with caveats.

Locals go to places because they’re convenient, because they have time at their disposal, because they don’t feel the need to maximize every meal or experience. If a place is a dud, it’s not a big deal, they can just try something else next weekend.

But here’s the thing, Reader: you’re not a local—and that’s okay.

When you’re traveling, the goal isn’t to pretend you live somewhere, it’s to feel like you connected with the place you visited.

Which is why what you actually want is insider recommendations.

Insider spots are more curated—filtered for what a visitor would actually find worthwhile. They’re more unique, something you can’t get just anywhere. They’re memorable.

Because when you travel, your time is limited. The juice has to be worth the squeeze, as they say.

And that’s where the discernment piece comes in. Because knowing a place is one thing, but knowing what to recommend to whom is another.

This is exactly what I do—in fact, it’s my specialty.

If you’ve got a trip on your mind and you’d rather skip the guesswork, book a Destination Discovery Call and let’s talk about where you’re headed.

*P.S. One exception to my no-movies-while-traveling tendency: The first time I saw The Third Man was in Vienna because there was a theater that played it every afternoon. But it was very memorable, and very Vienna. I was 20, and every time I see that movie, I think of that trip!