If you’ve spent any time on TikTok, YouTube, or listening to comedy podcasts while avoiding emails, you’ve probably encountered Hannah Berner. The Brooklyn born comedian, podcaster, and former tennis player has become the internet’s reigning queen of relatable chaos. Her humor is sharp, her delivery is unbothered, and her ability to tell the truth in the most entertaining way possible is the exact energy New York requires.
So who better to help people survive the city than someone who treats NYC like both a muse and an opponent in a never ending cage match? For this cheat sheet, we asked Hannah to get brutally honest about tourist traps, starter packs, bodega dependence, and the emotional gym that is everyday life in Manhattan. Consider this your no nonsense guide to the city, served with a side of sarcasm and a bacon egg and cheese from your local bodega.
Interview with Hannah Berner
What’s one NYC “tourist trap” you secretly love even though you’d never admit it on your NOT-To-Do List?
Hannah tries to keep her New Yorker street cred intact, but she cracked immediately when talking about holiday season Manhattan. She told us, “I hate lines, people, waiting, overspending, but I really do love shopping on 5th avenue in November and seeing the Rockefeller Center Tree. Let me be clear, I would never ice skate in that little public rink, I would fight for my life and lose an extremity.”
If you had to create a “starter pack” for surviving New York like a true local, what’s in it?
Hannah didn’t hesitate on this one. According to her, “Find your local bodega to get your bacon egg and cheese, fun drinks, random snacks, and late night sweets and make friends with the guy behind the counter and tell him all your problems.”
This is the most accurate NYC starter pack in existence. The bodega guy becomes your unofficial therapist, nutritionist, and crisis manager. He knows your order, your emotional state, and your preferred level of salt on a breakfast sandwich.
What’s something every tourist does that immediately gives you ‘I’m not from here’ vibes?
Hannah explains that tourists “stand in a group in the middle of the sidewalk looking at their phones and block everyone from getting everywhere.” She added that “They also actually do wear fanny packs, it’s not a stereotype.”
What’s a classic NYC spot or experience that’s actually worth the hype?
Hannah kept it real with a list that every local can agree with. She said, “Katz Deli, Peter Luger’s Steakhouse, Halal food on the street, and driving past the Brooklyn Bridge.”
This is the holy trinity of real New York experiences plus the world’s most famous photo op. Katz is a rite of passage, Peter Luger is a beef pilgrimage, and halal carts are basically a love language. As for the Brooklyn Bridge, even jaded New Yorkers have a moment when they pass it and go, “yeah… this place is insane in the best way.”
If someone had only 24 hours in NYC, what would your brutally honest itinerary look like?
Hannah offered a surprisingly practical one day itinerary. “It has something for everyone, but I recommend eating breakfast at a diner, exploring downtown Manhattan, and seeing a Broadway play at night. After running around all day, stay at a Motto by Hilton. With locations in Chelsea and Times Square, it launches you into the heart of each neighborhood.”
A diner breakfast is an essential cultural experience. Exploring downtown gives you a mix of history, food, and extremely fashionable people who walk too fast. And of course Broadway is peak New York.
What’s the biggest life lesson New York has taught you?
“Nobody cares about you (in a good way). For more NYC life lessons, check out my NOT-To-Do List that comes for the city’s most overrated spots. I teamed up with Motto by Hilton to create a New Yorker-approved survival guide.”
This might sound harsh, but she’s absolutely right. In New York, no one is judging you because everyone is too busy trying to live their own chaotic little life. It’s liberating. You can wear anything, do anything, trip on anything, and no one will remember you five seconds later.
What’s next for you? Any new projects or ideas you’d like to tease?
Hannah is in full hustle mode, telling us, “I’ve been auditioning for some acting roles and about to film my new stand up special in February! Come see me on tour at hannahberner.com/shows.”
