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New Year's in New York

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by three_bags_full, Apr 5, 2008.

  1. three_bags_full

    three_bags_full Well-Known Member

    We're both pretty similar, when it comes to tourism, at least. We both love food, baseball, off-the-beaten path bars and restaurants. We like dive bars, mom-and-pop restaurants, neighborhood bars, etc. She only likes the really good museums. I like 'em all.

    I thought of something a few minutes ago. We could pick a neighborhood and just stay there all day. Shop, eat, walk, see a show. Just do everything without leaving it all day. How would that work?
     
  2. Central Park was still full of people, but it's a cool feeling and there's a pretty sweet fireworks show. Just make sure you go to the bathroom before you head out on New Year's Eve ... there are NO open bathrooms anywhere. The McDonalds' bathrooms near Central Park were conveniently "out of order" New Year's Eve.

    My fiancee isn't old enough to drink, so we didn't really get to check out "off the beaten path" bars, etc., although she did drink champagne at the restaurant New Year's Eve.
     
  3. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    TBF, are you bringing baby TBF?
     
  4. BTExpress

    BTExpress Well-Known Member

    That may be the best "oh, by the way . . . " tip I've seen.
     
  5. Smasher_Sloan

    Smasher_Sloan Active Member

    Lotta places either close on New Year's Eve or are otherwise restricted to private gatherings.

    You tend to think because it's NY you'll have a million choices. It's actually more limited on Dec. 31 than it is on a normal evening.
     
  6. Frank_Ridgeway

    Frank_Ridgeway Well-Known Member


    Of course there's Greenwich Village, and 125th St. in Harlem is interesting. If you just want an enjoyable day in a real neighborhood without any hassles and far fewer tourists, try the Upper East Side. The upscale shops and museums are for the most part on Madison Ave., but if you head east along 86th St., you'll find everyday shopping for East Siders, and there's an interesting array of restaurants in all prices on Second Ave. in the 80s and 70s. It's a relatively safe neighborhood, bland compared with others in Manhattan and more purely residential than most. There's a Chinese restaurant called Pig Heaven that's very good. Over on Madison at 92nd there's Sarabeth's, which women generally like a lot.

    http://pigheaven.biz/

    http://www.sarabeths.com/restaurants/
     
  7. Three: The best Italian restaurant in the world outside of the mother country is Rao's, up on 114th St. in Spanish Harlem.

    Good news: You'll love it. Food is outstanding. There's no menu. Chef or waiter comes out and says, "Uh, this is what I cooked tonight." It's intimate, not a lot of seats. Lots of places say it's a 'family' atmosphere, but this one is the real deal, like you just sat down at Uncle Tony's for Sunday dinner. It's authentic, not a celebrity hangout, not a celebrity chef-style place. It's owned by Frank Pellegrino, who no doubt you've seen on TV. Last major role: The head FBI guy on The Sopranos (not the balding guy who gave Tony the whereabouts of Phil, but his boss).

    Bad news: You gotta know somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody to get in. I mean, it's tougher than tough. You could call right now for your trip, 7 months down the road, and they'll tell you 'No.' BUT, they love it when you're persistent. Call every week. Introduce yourself each time at the outset. "Hey, it's three bags full again, how you doin' today. C'mon, you know you'll make me a hero with my wife if I can get her into Rao's." You know, turn on the charm after a while, but be persistent. Like clockwork, actually.

    Good luck! Trust me, you'll enjoy it.
     
  8. trifectarich

    trifectarich Well-Known Member

    It's not worth the trouble, or, I should say, if you're in the City on New Year's Eve, make sure you stay far away from Times Square. Too many drunks and idiots to contend with. With the exception of that one night, you can have a blast.
     
  9. three_bags_full

    three_bags_full Well-Known Member

    Nah, we're not taking the baby on this trip. At that point, she'll be almost a year old and can spend the week at the grandparents'.

    Thanks for all the tips, guys. The Rao's sounds like it'd be an interesting find.
     
  10. Frank_Ridgeway

    Frank_Ridgeway Well-Known Member

    Not in Rao's class, but much easier to get into and reasonably priced, is Lanza in the East Village. Been around for a century. Not a tourist place.
     
  11. Smasher_Sloan

    Smasher_Sloan Active Member

    But he <i>is</i> a tourist.
     
  12. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    Take the Mrs to one of NY's bondages clubs for your offbeat day. I read about one on the NY post a few weeks ago call The Nutcracker Suite( perfect for the Christmas Holidays)

    http://www.nypost.com/seven/02092008/news/regionalnews/hangy_spanky_414490.htm

    It might be a good extension of your survival training.
     
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