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Input on Big Apple vacation

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by pressboxramblings07, Dec 17, 2007.

  1. deskslave

    deskslave Active Member

    And the price can't be beat!
     
  2. She's not too ... uh, cultured ... when it comes to food (and neither am I). She's eclectic with music.

    We've already got reservations New Year's Eve at BLT Steak on 57th Street. Heard nothing but good things about that place.
     
  3. Frank_Ridgeway

    Frank_Ridgeway Well-Known Member

    Ride the subway at least once. You could get killed, but that can happen anywhere. If you go between 5 and 5:30 p.m. on a weeknight, you'll get the full effect of what it's like to be a New Yorker.

    If your future wife likes shopping as in buying, go to Century 21 department store across the street from the World Trade Center site. Great bargains. If she likes shopping as in looking but not buying -- Macy's is just immense, it really is worth a walkthrough. Lots of cool shops scattered throughout Greenwich Village, especially Bleeker Street, and you should eat at John's Pizza there. Fifth Avenue from 42nd Street to 57th is mostly pricey stores, but while you're there, St. Patrick's Cathedral is worth a look and so is Rockefeller Center -- I would guess the big Christmas tree will still be up. There are cool upscale stores on Madison Avenue from 72nd to the low 90s. In that neighborhood (92nd) there is a restaurant that women usually love -- Sarabeth's. Great breakfasts. They have other locations, but I've only been to the one at 92nd. Here's a menu:

    http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/sarabeths01/menus/breakfast.html

    Another good place is Popover Cafe on the West Side, Amsterdam at 86th:

    http://www.popovercafe.com/htmls/popoverFrames.htm

    Really, you can find less touristy, regular New Yorker, reasonable-by-New York standards kind of restaurants by taking a walk on Second Avenue in the 80s or the low 50s/high 40s and just seeing what calls you. Those are relatively safe neighborhoods with diverse offerings.

    Some will undoubtedly recommend Little Italy or Chinatown, but I won't. I always felt filthy just walking there, much less eating there.

    It's been awhile, but I like the ribs at Brother Jimmy's in the 70s on Second Avenue. It's Carolina-themed, so there's ACC hoops on the TVs in season:

    http://www.brotherjimmys.com/menufood.aspx?location=1&tab=All+Thangs+BBQ


    If you want something expensive, this is romantic and the food is very good, and it's in Greenwich Village:

    http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/one-if-by-land-two-if-by-sea/

    The Harlem Gospel Choir is at BB King's Blue Club on the 30th. I see from your posts that you like church. If it were me, I'd try to score tickets to Gov't Mule at the Beacon Theater.
     
  4. Sam Mills 51

    Sam Mills 51 Well-Known Member

    Neither the view nor the price can be beat.

    I'll also echo Frank's recommendation to ride the subway. Good experience, especially if you didn't grow up in a thoroughly urban setting.
     
  5. imjustagirl2

    imjustagirl2 New Member

    We're relying on the subway during our trip, for the places we won't walk to. But we're staying in Times Square, so I'm guessing we'll walk to a lot.
     
  6. Smasher_Sloan

    Smasher_Sloan Active Member

    Get yourself a copy of the magazine Time Out New York. It lists all the shows (Broadway, Off Broadway and Off Off Broadway), plus all the other cultural/entertainment happenings for each week. It's amazingly comprehensive.

    You could try the half price booths for show tickets. Some of the "Off" and "Off Off" fare is interesting, and sometimes the tickets are as low as $20.

    Do NOT go to the Stage Deli. If you want an authentic NY deli experience, hit Katz's on the Lower East Side or the newly-reopened Second Avenue Deli (now on 33rd Street off 3rd Avenue and open 24 hours). In a pinch, the Carnegie will do.

    Buy a sidewalk cart hot dog, but don't pay more than a dollar for it. Stay away from the pretzels. Find a cart that's selling chestnuts and get a bag.

    Whatever you do, don't do things or visit places you could do at home. Don't eat at Olive Garden or Applebee's. Stay off 42nd Street from Broadway to Eighth Avenue. It became Guiliani'd into an outdoor Mall of America.
     
  7. fleishman

    fleishman Active Member

    someone on another messageboard that i post on a regular basis, said "young frankenstein" was really good. and if you want to see a place with a lot of cool sports items on the walls, go to foley's on west 33rd between fifth and sixth.
     
  8. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    If you're going to see a Broadway show - see Wicked. It's fantastic.
    Check out Grand Central Terminal and if you want to go ice skating do it in Central Park instead of Rockefeller Center (which is a rip-off). But enjoy hanging out in mid-town. If you like microbrews, check out Heartland Brewery.
    And if the strike is still going, join the WGA picket line. You might meet someone famous.
     
  9. spnited

    spnited Active Member

    Heartland Brewry is way overrated rated. Decent beers, awful food.

    I prefer the Metropolitan Museum of Art to MOMA.
    And the two best things you can do for free is walk in Central Park and ride the Staten Island Ferry.
    If you're staying in midtown, you can walk to a lot of things and get anywhere via subway.
     
  10. Boomer7

    Boomer7 Active Member

    Ess-a-Bagel. Definitely Ess-a-Bagel.
     
  11. Twoback

    Twoback Active Member

    Go see Wicked. If you can scalp off of StubHub or something like that, it's a tremendous show, and I'm going to guaran-dam-tee you it'll turn out better than Mermaid.
    I'd recommend Rent, Spamalot, Avenue Q, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, A Chorus Line, The Drowsy Chaperone, Hairspray, Les Mis, Sunday In The Park With George and even Songbird is a fun night at the theater.
    But if your girl's tastes suggest Mermaid, I'm sure she'll dig Wicked.
     
  12. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Wife and I did NYC just before Thanksgiving. Broadway strike was going on so we saw an off-Broadway show, which was great. Little 70-seat theater, good show, actors visited with guests in lobby afterward. Tickets were about $20.

    Loved the subway; our first day we went to the Greenwich Village/NYU area and just walked around. That's our thing in new cities, trying to discover our own sights, stopping along the way for coffee/cookies, etc.

    Found two interesting bars, one on the Upper East Side that happened to be an alumni bar for my midwestern U.; and another just off Times Square that had very cheap drinks. I forget the name but it had a boxing theme and it was next to a BBQ joint. Four of us drank quite a bit and the bill was $65. Didn't think that was possible one block away from the bright lights.

    Also had several pretzels with no ill effects. I'm all about the big pretzels!
     
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