Karl-Anthony Towns Shares 5 Places to Visit in NYC

The birth certificate may read New Jersey, but the origin story of Karl-Anthony Towns, the seven-foot star for the New York Knicks, extends to New York City.

Growing up in nearby Piscataway, N.J., Mr. Towns and his parents would routinely make the 37-mile commute to the city to experience parks, museums, New York Yankees games, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and, of course, to watch the Knicks — the favorite team of his mother, Jacqueline Cruz — play at Madison Square Garden.

“To now be playing in that kind of place is pretty cool, to see life coming in a full circle,” Mr. Towns, who was traded to New York from the Minnesota Timberwolves in October, said in a recent phone interview.

Mr. Towns, 29, has been one of the most dominating forces in this young N.B.A. season, averaging 24.7 points, a league-leading 14 rebounds and 3.3 assists for a (24-12) Knicks team which, as early January, is third in the Eastern Conference. He is already a fan favorite in the five boroughs, recently earning the nickname the Big Bodega, a clever play on his size, and his New York and Dominican roots.

“You know you’re stepping into holy ground,” he said of playing at the Garden. “It’s called the Mecca for a reason.”

His tenure so far in New York has not been all business. Mr. Towns and his girlfriend, the model Jordyn Woods, enjoy eating their way around Manhattan, stopping at Nobu Downtown or the Corner Store in SoHo, or grabbing postgame takeout at Joe’s Pizza, Little Ruby’s Cafe on Mulberry Street or his guilty pleasure, Empanada Mama.

“Shout-out to Big Mama, holding it down at night,” Mr. Towns said.

Here are five of Mr. Towns’s favorite places in New York City (sadly, no bodegas).

1. Yankee Stadium

Just as nostalgic as the Garden for Mr. Towns is another iconic city sports cathedral, Yankee Stadium. Some of his most cherished childhood memories are of the outfield bleachers of the old Yankee Stadium with his parents, wearing pinstripe uniforms and eating popcorn (still his go-to snack at the ballpark).

“They didn’t have a lot of money, but my parents made life special for me with the money we did have,” Mr. Towns said. (His mother died in 2020). His favorite moment at the stadium? When the Yankees legend Bernie Williams tossed him a baseball, which he still possesses, from the outfield in the early 2000s.

During this year’s playoff run, Mr. Towns was a fixture at the stadium, though with slightly better seats. “To watch the Yankees go…