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The Ultimate Self-Guided Walking Tour of Lower Manhattan: A Local’s Guide

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A self-guided walking tour of Lower Manhattan including Tribeca, the Hudson River park, the 9/11 Memorial, Battery Park, and the Bloody Angle.
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New York City: Home of delicious bagels, excellent pizza, the Statue of Liberty, a lot of people who all walk very fast, and today’s guest post contributor! Jeremy and I visit New York City frequently to see our family, and we’re often overwhelmed by its sheer size. Coming from little San Francisco, where you can literally walk from one side to the other in a day, it’s hard to know where to even start to explore this gigantic city.

So, we asked an expert: Steph from Jet Set Steph, who has lived in New York City for 6 years. Steph recommends tackling just one section of New York at a time. She broke the city into one, manageable, bite-size chunk: Lower Manhattan. And thus, the self-guided walking tour of Lower Manhattan was born.

This self guided walking tour of NYC covers 4.6 miles and takes you through Tribeca, the Financial District, the South Street Seaport, and a smidge of Chinatown! And because we’re literally never not eating, we also included brunch, dinner, drinks, and even dessert 😉

Hey, want a printable version of this post? We’ve created a printable map of our self-guided Lower Manhattan walking tour! It’s formatted and shortened to fit onto one easy to print page: directions on the front, map on the back. Super handy! Get your FREE New York walking tour printable map by entering your email below:

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Hey, will this be your first time visiting NYC? Our friends at Two Wandering Soles have an excellent first-timers guide to things to do in New York City and check out these New York tips for ensuring a smooth trip!

OK, ready to start your tour?

Brunch in Tribeca

Your self-guided walking tour of Lower Manhattan will start in Tribeca, an upscale neighborhood where celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Beyonce & JayZ live. But sadly, not Alex Trebek. And the neighborhood isn’t named after him, either. Disappointing.

If I’m being honest, I treat every trip to Tribeca as an excuse to low-key stalk Twsift. If you see her, tell her I said hay girl and that I forgive her for her latest song and her white feminism, because I can tell she’s really trying to do better. By the way, one of my favorite Beyonce music videos, 7/11, was filmed at her apartment in Tribeca. So cool!

  • Stalk Tswift | Address: 155 Franklin Street, New York, NY
  • Stalk Bey | Address: 195 Hudson Street, New York NY

I’m kidding, those aren’t actual stops. We haven’t even started the tour yet! So put down your all-black outfit and your paparazzi camera and don’t call the cops on me because I’ve definitely never tried to sneak into a building by putting on my most fashionable outfit and my “I belong” face/lipstick and walking directly behind anyone who enters and giving a quick “Morning” to the security guards like we already know each other. Never.

So let’s start the tour, shall we?

What’s a day in New York without brunch? Begin your day at Two Hands on Church Street in Tribeca with some of the best #basic fancy toast you can find. Fuel up with an avocado toast on sourdough with chile and lime, smashed peas with ricotta, or mushroom toast with cashew cream and arugula pesto. As an important bonus, this is the perfect spot to post your first Instagram photo of the day. (Ps: tag us! @practicalwanderlust 😉 /shameless plug)

  • Two Hands | Address: 251 Church St, New York, NY
A self-guided walking tour of Lower Manhattan including Tribeca, the Hudson River park, the 9/11 Memorial, Battery Park, and the Bloody Angle.

Discover New York City with this self-guided walking tour of Lower Manhattan including Tribeca, the Hudson River park, the 9/11 Memorial, Battery Park, and the Bloody Angle.  Original photo credit: “New York City – Lower Manhattan” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by James Willamor

Hudson River Park

From the restaurant, head west until you reach the waterfront of the Hudson River. Take a right on Leonard, a left on Hudson, and a right on Harrison and you’ll hit pier 25.

Running along the west side of the island is a 550-acre riverside park called the Hudson River Park. Spaced throughout the park are piers that offer fun (and often free!) activities, like rock climbing, trapeze, kayaking, or living vicariously through other people’s adorable pets (aka dog parks). Check out this sweet interactive map to explore all of the rad activities in the park, and be sure to check the events calendar to see if there’s a pop-up dance party or free movie playing.

Walking along the river is a great way to enjoy some open spaces and greenery, which helps us New Yorkers sometimes forget we live in a concrete jungle.

Continue south along the river for about 15 minutes, until you hit Vesey Street.

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One World Observatory

Exit Hudson River Park onto Vesey Street and head to the One World Observatory at the One World Trade Center. Here, you’ll find some of the best views in the city, 102 floors up.  Here is a fantastic post about what you can except (with some amazing pics to boot)!

Purchase tickets online to save a few dollars – adult prices start at $34. You know what they say about Instagram photos: the best things in Instagram aren’t free. Or something.

9/11 Memorial & Museum

Visiting the 9/11 Memorial & Museum is my #1 recommended thing to do for tourists and locals alike. This sacred space has tackled the difficulty of capturing the history of the attacks while honoring the victims in the most perfect way. From the One World Observatory, head southeast on Fulton St  and turn right on Greenwich Street.

After the museum, take a moment to visit the Memorial and the twin reflecting pools.  

Tickets can be purchased in advance here, which we recommend as it will save you quite a long wait in line. 

Snowy Battery Park in the chilly New York City winter. You'll walk through Battery Park on this self guided New York walking tour.

Snowy Battery Park in the chilly New York City winter. You’ll walk through Battery Park on this self guided New York walking tour. Original photo credit: “Battery Park in the snow” (CC BY 2.0) by Willip Von Ree

Trinity Church Cemetery

I often find it difficult to pick back up into the hum of the city after my experience at Ground Zero, and if you feel the same way, continue south down Greenwich towards the very tip of Lower Manhattan.

If you want to add a bit more morbidity to your day, swing by the Trinity Church Cemetery by hanging a left off of Greenwich at Cedar Street. Then, turn right at Trinity Place and head towards the giant steeple.  You can’t miss it: the building looks out of place by about 400 years. Look for the cemetery, located within the trees of the church grounds.

This gorgeous old church, built in 1697, is a beautiful respite from the bustling city and a great place to sit and think about death for a while. The cemetery is the only remaining active cemetery in all of Manhattan.

Also, it’s home to some of the most famous graves in New York. There’s the oldest: five-year-old Richard Churcher, who died in 1681. And then there’s the weirdest: James Leeson, an innkeeper and mason who died in 1794. His stone has a bunch of weird symbols carved into it that everyone figured was probably some cult or satanic thing, but it turns out it’s just a Masonic Code that means “Remember Death,” which I find almost more unsettling.

You’ll also find the graves of Alexander Hamilton (of Broadway fame. You guys, I’m kidding!), John James Audubon, Alfred Tennyson Dickens, and a lot of Astors. Also, Cuba Gooding Sr, who died this year :(. Here’s a full list of some of the most notable and historical figures buried here.

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Battery Park

After your brief graveyard visit, continue south on Trinity Place until it becomes Greenwich. Then, keep going until you reach Battery Park on the most southern tip of Manhattan.

The gardens and flowers of the Battery Park City Parks make for a perfect place to stroll and reflect.

  • Battery Park | Address: State Street and Battery Place, New York, NY

There are a couple of excellent museums around Battery Park if you’d like to cool off (or warm up, depending on the time of year) while learning some things about some stuff.

Ellis Island & the Statue of Liberty

Battery Park is where the majority of the ferries pick up and drop off for visits to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, so feel free to hop on a boat if you’d like to interrupt your walking tour with some sightseeing!

We love this tour that combines a 30 minute tour of Battery Park with an audio tour of Ellis Island & the Statue of Liberty, or this hour long ferry tour around the islands, or this fully guided 4-hour shabang. Or, save some cash and just buy entrance tickets + an audio tour for $25 here.

If you’re not in the touring mood, just snap a picture of the Statue of Liberty from afar! 

The Fearless Girl statue is a controversial response to the patriarchy. It's controversial because the creator of the Charging Bull statue was like "um, it is NOT about the patriarchy," and then created a dog statue to pee on the little girl statue, because his fragile masculinity was clearly not at ALL threatened. You can see both of them on Wall Street in our Self-Guided Walking Tour of Lower Manhattan!

The Fearless Girl statue is a controversial response to the patriarchy. It’s controversial because the creator of the Charging Bull statue was like “um, my statue is NOT about the patriarchy,” and then created a dog statue to pee on the little girl statue, because his fragile masculinity was definitely not at ALL threatened. You can see both of them on Wall Street in our Self-Guided Walking Tour of Lower Manhattan! Original photo credit: “Fearless Girl Statue by Kristen Visbal N” (CC BY 2.0) by Anthony Quintano

Wall Street & The New York Stock Exchange

From Battery Park, head north on Broadway until you see the infamous Charging Bull statue, which represents the spirit of hardworking and determined Americans. Or the patriarchy. Art is in the eye of the beholder, so I’ll let you decide.

You’ll also see the much newer but just as infamous Fearless Girl, standing up for women everywhere. Up until recently, she was joined by the contentious Pissing Pug statue, which represents the fragility of masculinity and was sculpted with the tears of privileged white men.

Anyway, contemplate these various statements on today’s society, take a picture for the ‘gram, and keep doing.

Continue along Broadway and you’ll soon see the façade and entrance of the New York Stock Exchange. Here it is: Wall Street.

Pretend you are important enough to be ringing the bell that day and do a few “harrumphs” and “indubitably’s” to fit in with the other suits.

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South Street Seaport

Take a right onto Wall Street and walk east towards the East River. Turn right on South Street and head north until you reach the South Street Seaport, a historic area that was recently renovated after the destruction of Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

With events and markets popping up every week, the Seaport has long been edging its way towards becoming the next “it” neighborhood. 

Walk the picturesque cobblestone streets before checking out the recently opened Garden Bar, a flowery oasis that will transport you from New York to The Secret Garden. Or, enjoy happy hour specials at local favorite Fresh Salt.  Or how about searching for Seaport’s hidden speakeasy, Mr. Cannon? I can’t tell you where it is, because it’s secret. Ssh!

  • Garden Bar | Address: 19 Fulton Street, New York, NY
  • Fresh Salt | Address: 146 Beekman Street,  New York, NY
  • Mr. Cannon | Address: It’s a secret! Just kidding, it’s 206 Front St, New York, NY
The Statue of Liberty is a short ferry ride away from Battery Park! You'll see it in the distance from the waterfront in Lower Manhattan during the self-guided walking tour.

The Statue of Liberty is a short ferry ride away from Battery Park! You’ll see it in the distance from the waterfront in Lower Manhattan during the self-guided walking tour. Original photo credit: “Liberty Island and Lower Manhattan” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by James Willamor

Fancy Dinner in the Financial District

While you could no doubt spend the rest of the evening at the Seaport, there’s an incredible French restaurant that has transformed the dining scene in this area. It’s well worth a trip for dinner.

Walk north on Fulton, take a right on Nassau and a left onto Beekman to visit the restaurant, tucked into the fancy schmancy Beekman Hotel. Augustine offers high-end French dishes in a polished interior that is surprisingly not stuffy, considering that it’s in the heart of New York’s Financial District! That said: it is not cheap. If you want cheap, hit up a Halal cart down the street.

But what’s a day in New York without splurging on something truly delicious? This is one expense that’s worth it.

Be sure to try the beef tartare, the roasted leg of lamb, the polenta with roasted peaches and elderflower, or the bone marrow.  Yum.

  • Augustine | Address: 5 Beekman Street, New York, NY
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Doyers Street, The “Bloody Angle”

You’ll walk off your dinner by turning right off of Beekman onto Park Row. Continue for 15 minutes. You’ll pass City Hall on your left.

Continue past the courthouses. Take a right onto Worth Street, a left onto Chatham Square and a left onto the tiny Doyers Street.

This odd little street is one of New York’s oddities: it sits at a 90-degree angle, for starters, which defies New York’s rigid grid system. But its the history of this little street that makes it so weird. You see, Doyers Street is known as the Bloodiest Street in America. Like, the streets used to be stained red with blood. Human blood, mind you. Ick.

The history of the street is rooted in the history of the local immigrant population in Chinatown, rival gangs, and that early-1900’s grit. More murders were committed on Doyers Street by warring Chinese gangs than anywhere else in America, and the corner of Doyers Street became known as “Bloody Angle.” To make it even more fascinating, there are tunnels running beneath the Angle – allowing the then-warring gangs to move around under the city in secret, or escape the scene of a murder.

Here’s some gruesome imagery to guide you on your path down Doyers Street:

Gangsters carrying hatchets would wait around one side of the Bloody Angle until their victims blindly turned the corner. Then they would pounce, slash, and escape via the underground tunnels, leaving the cobblestone street soaking in the victim’s blood. (Source)

Yikes. Oh, but there’s more:

“Law-enforcement officials say more people have died violently at Bloody Angle, the crook at Doyer Street near Pell,” Jane Lii wrote in The New York Times in 1994, “than at any other intersection in America.”

But don’t worry: there hasn’t been any gang violence here for years. At least, since the 1990’s. Things are all good now. You’ll be fine. 

Drinks at a Cocktail Apothecary

You’re actually heading to the scene of the old Chinese Theatre for your 2nd to last stop on the walking tour. Here, you’ll find an absinthe den/apothecary themed cocktail bar, Apotheke. Get a drink to soothe your frazzled, hatchet-wielding-gang-member-addled nerves.

From its tucked-away location to the Belle Epoque theming and events like Prohibition Wednesdays and Absinthe Sundays,  Apotheke delivers a true NYC nightcap experience. Your expertly crafted drink will be created in front of you like a theatre performance, poured into a drink vessel that you might have passed right by in a thrift store, and presented to you as if it were a medicinal tincture rather than a delicious cocktail. As a giant bonus, you can take a mixology class here and learn to create your own mustache-twiddling concoctions!

  • Apotheke | Address: 9 Doyers St, New York, NY

If you’re feeling brave, pop into one of the famous post-murder escape tunnels to make your own getaway.  It’s a lot less scary than it sounds: there are pretty much just businesses there now. But still, cool, right?!

You’ll find an entrance to the tunnel in the middle of Doyers Street, next to the shop Coco Fashion. The tunnel will take you out onto Chatham Square on Bowery.

Dessert in Chinatown

If you’re not feeling up for wandering through the tunnels, how about some ice cream to cap off a long day of exploring Lower Manhattan? You’re in Chinatown now, so end your tour with a lychee, black sesame, or durian (really? durian??) ice cream from the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory! You’ve earned this ice cream, dammit. It has been a day.

Congratulations! You’ve walked 4.6 miles and seen the hits of Lower Manhattan in Tribeca, the Financial District, the South Street Seaport, and a touch of Chinatown on our self-guided walking tour of Lower Manhattan. I hope you enjoy your visit in NYC!

This is going to be you! Jaywalking in New York City just like a local. We should call this the Self Guided Jaywalking Tour of Lower Manhattan.

This is going to be you! Jaywalking in New York City just like a local. We should call this the Self Guided Jaywalking Tour of Lower Manhattan.

Get the Printable Lower Manhattan Walking Tour PDF!

Finding a detailed self-guided walking tour of New York city online is great and all, but pulling out your phone to check every step isn’t a good idea (in fact, we advise against it – that’s how everyone we know has had their phone stolen, including us. Basic travel safety 101).

Instead, we’ve made a printable map of the self-guided Walking Tour of Lower Manhattan! It’s formatted and shortened to fit onto one easy to print page: directions on the front, map on the back. Super handy!

Get your FREE New York walking tour printable map by entering your email below.

Get the Lower Manhattan Walking Tour PDF!

Subscribe below and we'll send you the FREE Lower Manhattan Walking Tour printable map!

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

About Our Guest Post Contributor:  Steph is the blogger behind Jet Set Steph. She was bitten by the travel bug at an early age growing up in Singapore and hopes to share her experiences to encourage more people to book their next adventure. Currently working a full-time job in New York City, Steph takes every chance she gets to hop on a plane and touch down somewhere new – and to share it with all of you! You can follow Steph’s adventures on her blog, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Looking for more things to do in NYC outside of Lower Manhattan? Check out the post!

If your check-in and check-out times don’t sync up with your need to roam the streets and you need a place to store your bags check out LuggageHero, a service that helps you find a safe place to keep your luggage while you’re running around! Use the code PRACTICALW for 2 hours of free luggage storage on us.

Psst: Interested in writing us a guest post? Click here.

What are you most intrigued by on this New York self guided walking tour? Leave us a comment below!

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A self-guided walking tour of Lower Manhattan including Tribeca, Hudson River park, the 9/11 Memorial, Battery Park, the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, the Bloody Angle, and a smidge of Chinatown. PLUS a downloadable map! The best way to see New York City is by foot! New York Travel | USA Travel | #NYC | NYC Walking Tour | United States Travel Destinations | New York City on a Budget

Pinterest photo credit: “New York City – Lower Manhattan” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by James Willamor

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15 Comments

Comments

  1. Shannon says: September 22, 2017 at 11:46 pm

    Any day that starts with brunch and ends in desert sounds good to me! I love a good walk around a city, especially one with so many icons like the big apple. Would love to visit the fearless girl statue before she disappears. Great itinerary guys!

    Reply
  2. krista says: September 22, 2017 at 11:54 pm

    what a great list! I have always wanted to visit New York before!

    Reply
  3. Tanya says: September 23, 2017 at 4:10 am

    Love the practical lists. This looks doable and fun!

    Reply
  4. Danielle says: September 23, 2017 at 7:01 am

    I wish I had this list when I was in New York last Christmas! I’ll definitely be checking some of these out when I go back!

    Reply
  5. Aimee says: September 23, 2017 at 8:34 am

    This is such a great list. I’ve never been to NYC before but this is going to come in so helpful when I do! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
  6. Amanda Koh says: September 23, 2017 at 10:33 am

    I just returned from NYC and never got to do so many things!! We did the free ferry to see the Statue of Liberty but would have love to visit the cemetery and 9/11 memorial too. Plus we love walking so this would be the perfect guide for when we return to NYC in the future 🙂 (although it’s 20 hours from Singapore, I’m definitely going back!)

    Reply
  7. Kate says: September 23, 2017 at 12:20 pm

    What a great tour! Lower Manhattan is so concentrated with sights. One place I’d recommend adding is Fraunces Tavern, a downtown pub that dates back to the 1700s. And it sounds crazy, but they play the COOLEST music on Friday nights! You wouldn’t expect it in a place like that, but I swear it’s true! They have great food, too.

    Reply
  8. Alex says: September 24, 2017 at 4:34 am

    This is amazing and so detailed! Im planning to go to New York for my 30th birthday (still 2 years to wait!) So have saved this for future reference!

    Reply
  9. Britt says: March 30, 2018 at 12:59 pm

    Thank you for taking the time to help those like me and my boyfriend who have no clue what to do or where to go. We are totally looking forward to doing this together!

    Reply
  10. Sandy says: November 6, 2018 at 8:28 am

    Great list. I didn’t see a place to enter an email address for the printable map so hopefully this will do the trick. I would love to receive a copy!

    Reply
    • Lia Garcia says: March 5, 2019 at 8:17 am

      Hey Sandy, to get the map you’ll need to enter your email address in the subscription box and hit subscribe. Then it will be sent straight to your email.

      Reply
  11. george cruz says: November 9, 2018 at 3:17 pm

    great tips!
    thanks

    Reply
  12. Bernie and Jess Watt says: February 2, 2019 at 7:18 am

    As locals too, this is a pretty good selection. There are so many hidden treasures down in the Financial District that you’d never know were even there as a tourist – like the Trinity Bar which is set in a 1920s bank vault. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

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  • There's nothing that a good hair day, some bright red lipstick, and a cold beer can't fix, amiright?? OK - maybe not, but they certainly don't HURT.⁠ Bright lipstick is my go-to confidence improving trick - AND it works even on bad hair days 💄⁠ .⁠ But can we talk about the good hair day I'm having in this photo though?! For the first time in my entire life, I've finally figured out how to have Good Hair. Until this year, I was insecure AF about my superfine, extremely thin hair. It wasn't straight and it wasn't curly - it was just like a frizzy, thin, halfhearted flyaway thing with no real shape. When I straighten it you can tell how incredibly thin my hair is - like, the end of my braid is about the width of a pencil, y'all.⁠ .⁠ And then I discovered the Curly Girl Method, and everything changed. Turns out that frizz is just a thirsty curl, and with the right combination of products & application technique (and a little bit of magic ... and some science), you can turn frizzy, wavy hair into luscious, bouncy CURLS! Now I have shiny, fabulously curly hair, and it feels like my hair finally matches my personality in a way it hasn't since it was 1/2 pink (college Lia was perfectly suited for pink hair). I no longer feel like I need to wear clip-in extensions to have a good hair day, like I used to. Sure, I now tote around a bunch of hair supplies like a silicon diffuser and a tiny blow-drier and a hair towel and like 3 back-up containers of gel, but LOOK AT MY HAIR. Look at it! It's so worth it.⁠ .⁠ I'm still learning about what my hair likes & doesn't like and I don't really understand all the science behind curly hair just yet. But if you're curious, I use lightweight DevaCurl shampoo & conditioner, plus this bright blue LA Looks sport gel that's hella cheap from CVS or Walgreens and looks like the kind of gel a middle schooler in the 90's would use to spike their hair. You'll find all kinds of information by googling the Curly Girl Method or reading "Curly Girl: The Handbook." (This post is in no way sponsored, I just really wanted an excuse to brag about my good hair day.)⁠ .⁠ Do you have go-to moves to boost your confidence?
  • "Wait, Salt Lake City has BEER?" #ad We've heard this question from pretty much everyone we told about our trip to Salt Lake City to cover their beer scene, and we're here to say: y'all. YES. 🍻While it's true that the laws surrounding beer in Utah used to be quite restrictive, they've recently changed and given way to a blossoming craft brewery scene full of innovative thinkers who are paving the way for beer in Utah!⁠ .⁠ We spent the weekend drinking our way through 11 craft breweries, exploring this stunning city ringed by mountains, and learning all about Salt Lake City's fascinating Pioneer history. In total, we tasted 32 beers (and 1 beer-tini). It was a LOT of fun, even though my body straight gave up around brewery 9 and we had to make a pit-stop at a juice place for a wheatgrass shot. (Yes, it's all in our story highlights, and yes, I realize that's one of the most Californian things I've ever done). But although I tapped out in the last stretch, Jeremy picked up the slack and we finished strong! 💪Well, you know ... as strong as you can be after spending 2 days straight tasting beer.⁠ .⁠ Now we're hard at work sorting through all the photos we took and working on a brewery guide to Salt Lake City, with a few suggestions from friends (thanks to @wayfaringviews, who has a fantastic SLC beer guide on her blog, and resident SLC blogger @culturetrekking). This marks our 2nd visit to Salt Lake City (we covered their amazing ski resorts last year) so now we're officially SLC fangirls - can't wait to come back for visit 3!⁠ .⁠ Drop us a comment and tell us about a place that surprised you the way Salt Lake City's beer scene surprised us!⁠ .⁠ Our trip was sponsored by @visitsaltlake⁠ .⁠ #visitsaltlake #saltlakecityutah #beautahful #exploreutah #travelislove #globecouples #streetartaddicted #streetartistry #craftbeerlife #beeroftheday #beertasting #seeyououtthere #couplesofig
  • 🎵Whooo is that girl I seeee, staaaaaring straight, baaaaack at me? When will my REFLECTTION SHOOWWWWW, WHOOO III AMMMMM . . . 🎵INSIIIIIIIIIDE!!!!🎵 . Welp now that we're all singing Mulan at the top of our lungs and I have your attention... I'm gonna talk about sustainability. (HA! Gotcha.) One of the ways Jeremy and I try to make a positive impact – along with things like carbon offsetting our flights and working towards a zero-waste household – is through conscientious consumerism. Cuz yes, y’all: we tree-hugging granola-eating flower children love shopping, too. We try to vote with our wallets and support businesses who have the same priorities as we do. Businesses who care about the world and the people in it, who are working to fight climate change, who pay their employees a fair living wage, who are aligned with our values, and who agree that Mulan is the best Disney movie of all time (DO NOT @ ME). . So when @REI asked us to create a sponsored sustainable gift guide, we were thrilled! REI is one of our absolute favorite earth-friendly, responsible, and sustainable companies. They truly walk the talk, with a plethora of impactful business practices that prioritize everything from wilderness conservation, to making the outdoors more accessible and diverse, to developing products with sustainable materials, to reducing waste in their stores and supply chain. (#ad but also like, we genuinely love them and have been members for yearsss!) You can even filter REI’s online search results by sustainability. It’s one of their regular menu filters, like color/price/sizing. Isn’t that rad? . The eco-friendly gift guide we created is not only full of sustainable products, but they're sold by a sustainable retailer. So you can truly feel good about treating your loved ones (ahem: or yourself) this holiday season. Or just like, whenever. Check it out in the link in our bio, but fast because the Gear Up Get Out sale ends on MONDAY along with up to 30% off! . Who's your favorite sustainable company or retailer and why do you love them? We love discovering new ones! (Sustainability shoutout to @prana, whose outfit I'm rocking in this pic - we love them too!)
  • What's your relationship like with your body? Does someone close to you feel differently about their own body? How does that affect you?⁠ .⁠ Jeremy and I have two very different relationships with our bodies and ourselves, which can be difficult to navigate - especially when one of us feels more confident and comfortable than the other. Over the years, things have evolved and shifted, so we've done our best to be a constant source of love and stability to each other no matter what may be happening internally. But amazing and supportive loved ones can't always affect your relationship with yourself - that's a personal journey that only you and yourself are on. Y'all in that together.⁠ .⁠ What we've learned is that communication and empathy between us is key. Our relationships with ourselves are as important to foster, nurture, develop and grow as our relationship with each other. And its just as important to treat ourselves with love, kindess and support as it is with one another. On the days when one of us feels more confident than the other, we strive to lift up those positive feelings and try not to let them affect us negatively - not always the easiest thing to do, but so, so important!⁠ .⁠ Do you struggle with your relationship with yourself? Or is there somebody in your life who feels differently about themselves than you do about yourself? How do you navigate that?⁠ .⁠ Psst: Lia is rocking an organic cotton dress (with POCKETS) gifted to us by @wearpact, one of our favorite Fair Trade Certified & sustainable clothing companies! They make super comfy and affordable organic cotton clothes ethically and responsibly, and we love them.⁠ .⁠ #responsiblefashion #consciousconsumer #shopethical #plusisequal #allbodiesaregoodbodies #autumnishere #fallingforfall #sanfranciscolove #bayareablogger #effyourbeautystandards #bodypositive #globecouples #sustainabletravel #staycurious #couplesofig #travelislove #marriedtomybestfriend #lovegoals #couplestravel #seeyououtthere
  • It rained a LOT during our trip to New Orleans. But I actually didn't mind at all, because California has turned me into the kind of person who gets REALLY excited about rain. Rain in California means fire season is over and winter has begun. It's my favorite sound to listen to while falling asleep. Y'all, is there a song that's the exact opposite of "I Can't Stand the Rain?" Because that would be my song!.⁠ .⁠ I also didn't mind the rain because I was exploring a beautiful city with 2 of my best friends (@witchieriche and @cass.love.creativity) and our partners, and that's a rare luxury that overshadows any kind of discomfort. (Even though we all definitely got cranky from time to time because it is literally impossible to spend 4 days traveling and NOT get cranky at some point, and that's just facts.⁠)⁠ .⁠ To capture this photo, I dragged my beloved friend Richie and his darling, patient husband @lucasmeyerstyle to City Park to visit the NoLa Art Museum, which is called NoMa. We made fun of historic art for like 2 hours (like, we appreciated it too, but we definitely made fun of it as much as we appreciated it) and then spent another 2 hours wandering around a giant, lush statue garden in the pouring rain looking for this exact bridge (for the 'gram). We kept crossing over not-as-good bridges and being like "is this it??" but I was like NO IT HAS TO BE THE ONE WITH THE REFLECTION because I am definitely that screechy, extra AF friend.⁠ .⁠ We were all about ready to give up on our search when we stumbled by complete chance upon a Cafe Du Monde, somewhat randomly sitting in the middle of this gorgeous rainy park. And then, while enjoying 3 fluffy, powdery beignets (each) we finally found The Bridge - hidden in the trees right next to the cafe!⁠ .⁠ If that's not the most New Orleans thing you've ever heard, just wait until I tell you about the rest of our trip, because it involves everything from Voodoo Rituals to Jazz Funerals to a Pirate themed absinthe bar.⁠ .⁠ And, by the way, I am sorry I haven't yet posted my stories from that trip - I was too busy savoring the time with my beloved friend muffins. My heart is so, so full.⁠ .⁠ Do you love the rain too?
  • 'Tis the season of cheerful cold weather, eating a ton of food, and buying things. Lots of things. Oof, was that your wallet I hear whimpering?⁠ .⁠ I wanted to give y'all some tips to keep in mind when the inevitable shopping overwhelm starts creeping in later this month. Save this post for when you're about to spend more than you have in your bank account!⁠ .⁠ 🎁 Don't buy things hoping they will make you happy. Things & stuff may bring you a little joy, but they won't solve all your problems. If you're feeling down, go take a walk, spend time with a loved one, play with a cute animal, or make an appointment with a counselor for a little mental health check-up. (See also: travel. We love travel a LOT, but it also will not solve all your problems. Or make you a different person. Trust us, we've tried!)⁠ .⁠ 🎁 Shop local when you can. It supports your home community! See also: supporting small business owners, such as Etsy creators, your friendly local blogger (hayyy!) and that sweet old lady who sells creepy dolls and weird-smelling candles at your local craft fair. Support her, too.⁠ .⁠ 🎁 Consider buying from fewer online stores to conserve packaging waste. If you can get most of your shopping done in one big order from a single store, instead of buying 1 small thing from 20 different online stores, you'll be saving bubble wrap, boxes, and the gas it takes to ship all those boxes to you. Plus, returns will be easier and require less packaging, too!⁠ .⁠ 🎁 Don't feel guilty for buying stuff. I know, I sound like I'm contradicting myself here. But listen: give yourself a damn break, especially if you sometimes find it harder to spend your hard-earned money than NOT spend it. Buy a few items you truly think will bring you - or a loved one - a little joy, or make things easier. Don't feel guilty for treating yourself or those you love. Just do it responsibly. Shop mindfully, vote with your wallet, and make choices that you feel genuinely good about.⁠ .⁠ Are you planning to do some shopping this month? (We'll be stocking up on stuff for our new house!) Drop us a comment about what you're genuinely excited to buy - or your favorite tips for thoughtful consumerism!

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