Shirley Chisholm State Park

Brooklyn’s Shirley Chisholm State Park was named for the first African American congresswoman and the first woman and African American to run for President, Shirley Chisholm

Book lovers can thank Bronx native Noëlle Santos who opened the borough’s first and only indie bookstore, The Lit. Bar, in the borough. The Afro-Latina-owned shop has garnered much attention, bucking the Amazon trend especially when Barnes & Nobles closed its Bronx doors, and offering an inviting wine bar where patrons came to sip and read. When the pandemic hit, Santos jumped into gear, bringing virtual programs to our homes to keep us connected and enlightened.

Plants have enlivened many a quarantine apartment over the past year and Eliza Blank has made our spaces just a bit more pleasant.  Her plant shop, The Sill plant shop, has storefronts on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and Upper West Side, and in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, but importantly, she also offers a plant delivery service. For those craving some gardening advice, she has created online workshops to teach us plant parenting.

Female chefs and restaurateurs are true survivors who know their way around NYC kitchens, enriching us with their passion and compassion.

Lolo’s Seafood Shack

Leticia Skai Young-Mohan created a Harlem favorite, LoLo’s Seafood Shack, which fuses Cape Cod and the Caribbean in a delightful mashup. Leticia took advantage of her kitschy urban backyard during the pandemic and didn’t miss a beat. She has so much faith in New York City, in fact, that she recently signed a lease for a new restaurant-concept called LoLo’s Taco Shack, inspired by her family roots in the Yucatan. We love the name: LoLo’s stands for Locally Owned Locally Operated.

Pizza Loves Emily

Emily Hyland is the co-founder and partner of the hugely successful Pizza Loves Emily restaurants, Emmy Squared and Emily. Introducing Emily’s Detroit-style pizza to NYC was a brave step given the competitiveness among pizzamakers here. Distinct from usual Italian varieties, Emily’s pies have a pan-fried crust and a crispy cheese rim. Her oversized Emmy burger is another must-try. As a result of COVID, Emily launched and led virtual cooking classes, teaching hungry New Yorkers how to make pizzas and burgers.

Kaia Wine Bar

Suzaan Hauptfleish brought the taste of her native South Africa to the Upper East Side ten years ago. Home grown with a staff that includes her mother, Suzaan’s Kaia Wine Bar is a popular after-work stop for its South African wine list, small plates and mains. During the pandemic, Suzaan pivoted and provided options for the community – from a weekend farmer’s market to meal kits and takeout cocktails. When outdoor spaces were allowed, Suzaan was ready to build a structure but there was no wood to buy. Undaunted, she bought wooden doors and created a cafe.

La Palapa Cocina Mexicana

La Palapa has been a neighborhood favorite for more than 20 years. A star when it comes to helping out those in need, chef/owner Barbara Sibley mustered her staff at La Palapa Cocina Mexicana in the East Village and her two La Palapa Taco Bar to create and orchestrate delivery of more than 17,000 meals to frontline and hospital workers through partnership with Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen and Hospitality Workers United and to The Brooklyn Hospital Center with the Gotham Organization.

Mario’s

Mario’s Restaurant has offered classic Neapolitan fare in the Bronx’s “real Little Italy” for more than 100 years. Facing community upheaval when the pandemic hit, owner Regina Migliucci-Delfino assumed her role as queen (“regina”) of Belmont, continuing the tradition of Italian hospitality and family by donating everything she could from the kitchen to her staff and community.

Bean & Bean

Bean & Bean set out to be a different kind of coffee bar. Rachel and Jiyoon Han, the BIPOC mother-and-daughter duo who run the show, are committed to lessening the gender gap in coffee. Currently, more than half of their coffee is female-powered, and their goal is to reach 100% within the year. Embraced by locals, Bean & Bean has grown from its first location in FiDi adding three more in Manhattan and Queens.

Make My Cake

Aliyyah Baylor is a baking sensation serving up signature creations like German chocolate cake, Red Velvet cake and sweet potato cheesecake from her two Make My Cake locations in Central Harlem and the Upper West Side. The pandemic hasn’t slowed her down one bit. Baylor is planning a third location and the I Like it Black Coffee Shop. If anyone has ever been called a “mensch,” that’s Baylor. She gives back to the community through organizations that improve the lives of New York City’s seniors and children including City Meals-on-Wheels and Black Women for Black Girls Giving Circle.

Women have contributed much to the design element and management of New York City’s hotels.

The Boro Hotel in Long Island City is both owned and operated by women. Owners and sisters Liz and Antonia Batalias and General Manager Mary O’Sullivan oversee the property. Their indy touch is felt in the hotel’s industrial décor and breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline.

The Lotte New York Palace, led by General Manager Rebecca Hubbard, is a hotel-palace in view of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Rockefeller Center. The landmark property has a hidden bar, a grand staircase and a Bridgerton-like presence, creating a feeling of royalty throughout.

Steps from Fifth Avenue, The Whitby Hotel is led by General Manager Kathrin Apitz with design by hotel founder Kit Kemp whose affinity for color and drama is seen in each individually decorated room and suite.

The splashy Williamsburg Hotel is owned and operated by Toby Moskovits and General Manager Julita Kropiwnicki.