A Dog Person’s Guide to a Winter Weekend in Manhattan 

One of the best parts of being a dog person is seeing the world through your dog’s eyes (and nose). And we’ll take that notion a step further: To us, getting to know a new place with your dog is the best way to get to know a new place, period. That’s why we’re creating travel guides for dog-friendly towns around the country. Last stop: Boston. Next stop: Manhattan.

In this article: 

• Can I bring my dog on the New York City subway? 
• Can I bring my dog to restaurants in Manhattan? 
• What is there to do with my dog in Manhattan? 

The big city is maybe not an obvious place to travel to with your dog (All those people! All that noise!) But it really is a dog town. I set out with my Scottish terrier Bonnie one weekend in December to prove it.

There’s famously so much to do in Manhattan, and Bonnie has famously short legs. There’s no way we could get to everything in a single weekend. So we stuck to below Central Park this time around, and zeroed in on a few of the borough’s signature strengths: art, shopping, coffee, and very interesting sidewalk smells.  

But first: How to get around NYC with a dog.

Bonnie is under 20 pounds, so she easily abides by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) rule for dogs on public transportation. The rule is, and I quote, “On the subway or bus, your pet must be in a bag or other container and carried in a way that doesn’t annoy other riders.” 

What annoys your average New Yorker? You never really know until you really know. So I asked fellow passengers, “Are you okay with dogs?” before I sat down with Bonnie in my lap. 

For you and your dog’s sanity, avoid traveling at peak times. These tend to be roughly 6:30am to 9:30am and 3:30 to 8:00pm on weekdays. Weekends during holidays in Manhattan can be slammed as well. Bonnie and I traveled in December, which is a peak tourist season, on a Friday at midday. It was definitely packed, but she’s used to riding the subway, so everything was OK. Do whatever is right for your dog’s comfort level. And keep in mind that I’ve designed the itinerary below to maximize another New York (and canine) pastime: walking. 

And second: restaurant rules

Here are some more city policies to consider. Dogs are welcome on patios and in outdoor dining areas if the business owner allows it. Non-service dogs are not allowed inside establishments that serve food. And, under the latest new outdoor dining rules, street dining cabanas shut down after November 20 (and won’t return until April 1), while permitted sidewalk dining can stay. This made for an interesting limitation as we traipsed about a frigid Manhattan streetscape, searching for a place to enjoy a crust of bread and water. For that reason, I focused mostly on walk-up windows and a restaurant that is entirely about dogs. 

The usual disclaimer stands: As you consider your own itinerary, remember that you know your dog best. At the end of this list, I included some activities for dogs who are more adventurous than Bonnie. Less-adventurous dogs might want to take more or longer breaks (or even do just one thing from the list per day). And should you need an assist on deciding whether to bring your dog to various places, head here. With that, here is a Dog Person’s Guide to Manhattan. 

Friday 

12:00pm, Midtown East: On Fridays, the AKC Museum of the Dog welcomes dog and human visitors alike, so we trundled via the 4 train up to Grand Central and made our way over to 40th Street between Park Avenue and Lexington. 

I bought my ticket while Bonnie barked at projections of dogs running across the wall. She eventually realized it was movie magic (or at least that the wall dogs didn’t concern her) and moved on. We took in some of the paintings in the exhibit The Life of a Showdog: Celebrating 150 Years of Westminster, which included the absolutely fetching painting of the windswept dog above. 

Bonnie enjoyed sniffing some life-size dog statues, before we moved on to the floors above where there was more artwork—along with interactive games for the humans. I was thrilled to find at Bonnie’s height a pen-and-ink drawing entitled “A Feast of Fat Things” depicting three of her fellow Scotties tucking into a dish. I was more taken with the picture than she was, but she still gamely posed for a photo in exchange for a treat. 

2:00pm, Hell’s Kitchen: We walked (and walked and walked) over to the Barking Dog in Hell’s Kitchen. It’s a restaurant chock full of more dog art that enthusiastically welcomes your best friend, providing a respite for you and your dog smack in the middle of the city. The best route to maximize sightseeing while minimizing dog stress is west to Bryant Park and north on Sixth Avenue, avoiding Times Square entirely. It can take 25 minutes for a fast walker, but it took us about 45 minutes to make it over. We took a break in Bryant Park to people- (and dog-) watch—plus Bonnie had important smells to smell. 

Barking Dog’s patio is enclosed, which makes it a rare spot in New York where you and your dog can technically be outside, but dine with the comforts of shelter and temperature control—especially vital during the winter season. Sometimes it even has dog-themed events like a pet-portrait paint and sip.

Saturday 

10:00am, Soho: We started our day at Fellini Coffee on Thompson Street. It features a walk-up window that is, by nature of walk-up windows, dog-friendly. 

Now, there will likely be a line unless you go very, very early. This is fine because, if you’re waiting in line, you’re just participating in classic New York pastime: line waiting. And if you’re going to do some line waiting, it’s best to do it on a beautiful street with your dog as company. I got a cappuccino and Bonnie smelled a delicious spot on the sidewalk for ten minutes. Everybody was happy. 

10:15am, Soho: Walking north, we dropped into The Pet Bar, which is on the next block up. It’s one of those perfect New York independent specialty shops that packs a lot into a tiny footprint. I let Bonnie pick a chew, which is on a shelf that is dog-height.

After sniffing around for some time, we paid (I footed the bill) and got out there—but not before the shop cat made himself known. Bonnie handled the big feline with curiosity, but those with cat-reactive dogs should exercise caution. 

10:35am, Greenwich Village: Generation Records was not on my original list, but we walked by it and dipped in. I asked if dogs were welcome and the woman manning the cash register asked if she could give Bonnie a treat, presenting a large bag of dog treats almost immediately. I declined on Bonnie’s behalf because she’d had many treats that day and would be getting more later, but we both appreciated the hearty welcome. 

The shop is enormous, with two floors and a great selection (that includes T-shirts and CDs for all your analogue needs). It has a distinctly bygone feel to it; I was thrilled to tell Bon about how we used to live. 

11:15am, Greenwich Village: Bonnie was patient as I browsed records, so the next stop was totally for her: Washington Square Park’s dog run. This dog run is on the south end of the park, and it’s actually spacious for being in the middle of the city. It has some great seats, which I took advantage of while Bonnie chased and was chased. 

The run is not sorted by dog size, though, so something to note if your dog doesn’t play well with dogs of different sizes or if it’s a concern for any other reason.

12:00pm, Greenwich Village: I didn’t want to drag Bonnie along on all my shopping—this was her day after all! So I wanted my visit to a real shoppy shop to count. After calling to check that it was okay for her to come through first, we headed to The Locavore Variety Shore, a narrow retail store that sells items made within 100 miles of New York City. 

When they say “variety,” they mean it. There are city souvenirs aplenty—ceramics, children’s toys, jewelry, wiffleballs, dog treats (!), human treats, and more. This is maybe the only non-big-box store where I could get a treat for my dog, body glitter for my friend’s birthday the following week, Mike’s Philly Fluff for dessert that night, and some drain opener for my drains. New York, what a town! Last thing: Over the holidays, actor and comedian Amy Sedaris had a craft corner in the store and $9,820 of the proceeds went to Animal Care Centers of NYC—so they support our best friends as well.

12:35pm, West Village: L’Apartment 4F is an excellent French bakery that found a grateful audience in its original location in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn before opening a window in the West Village. These Big Apple croissants, people say, rival those of the City of Light. I can neither confirm nor deny this chatter because, when we popped over and queued up for lunch, I got the Jambon Beurre sandwich. I had worked up quite an appetite, and it was a great sandwich. There was a short line when I stopped by in the afternoon, but the baristas were friendly and Bonnie seemed happy to pass the time smelling (but not eating) some ham. 

We’d covered a lot of ground, so it was time to head home for some respite. Bonnie ate and slept great that evening. 

Sunday

12:00pm, Meatpacking District: Pier 57 on the Hudson River side of Manhattan contains two stops in one: an indoor food hall that’s curated by the Beard Foundation and welcomes dogs and a 2-acre rooftop park that does too. From above, you can see the architectural gem Little Island (which sadly doesn’t allow dogs, though it holds an outdoor amphitheater—wouldn’t it be fun to see some experimental theater with your best bud?). Also in view: Lower Manhattan, Upper Manhattan, and New Jersey. Head here to take 360 degree scenic selfies with you and your darling dog.

1:00pm, Flatiron: Once you’re lunched out, head due west. Housing Works Thrift Shop’s Chelsea outpost is on 17th between 7th and 6th Avenues. This historic New York shop, which now has many locations all over the city and in Brooklyn, allows dogs. It carries books, clothes, and even furniture. It’s all used, so your dog will have a ball sniffing while you shop. 

This is just a stopover before the main attraction though, which is just a few more blocks west: Fishs Eddy is another classic New York store that offers up mainly kitchen supplies. But on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4pm in a nook in the back, artist Ben Lenovitz will paint your pet’s portrait. 

Lenovitz told me that he only does six pet portraits a day, so arrive at 1pm if you know you want one. He can paint live, or work off of a photo while you shop. 

At $350, or $400 framed, they are not cheap. But they are a unique, personal way to remember your best trip ever with your favorite friend. 

Other stops that we did not get to, but sound fun for humans and dogs alike: 

Governors Island Dog Days: From November 1 through April 30, dogs and their people are welcome on the island in New York Harbor. You can bop around the island’s huge acreage without worrying about cars (though dogs must still stay leashed). While dogs are still not allowed in restaurants, there’s a Winter Dog Park on the island. 

This is especially great because one of the best ways to see the city is from the sea—and, thanks to this promotion, you’re able to buy a ticket for your dog on the Governors Island Ferry. Follow the ticketing prompts, and you’ll see an opportunity to add your dog.  

Dogs are allowed on the various ferries in New York, including the Staten Island Ferry and NYC Ferry, but carriers and/or muzzles are required on those lines. With a ticket for the Governors Island Ferry, on the other hand, your pal can accompany you sans muzzle and carrier.

South Cove Dog Park on the Battery: This is a fairly large dog park available to you at the southern tip of Manhattan. Take in the sea vapors while your dog does the same.

Stone Street: Walk over to this historic (pedestrian-only!) street. It might not be the most pleasant thing in the world to grab a bite here during the worst of winter, but if it happens to be a balmy day then you get to eat and enjoy a street that will make you feel like you’re Moby-Dick’s own Herman Melville (who historians believe had a Newfoundland dog).

Lead image courtesy of the AKC Museum of the Dog.