Pam1951

We are in NYC this week. Tomorrow may do Big Onion walking tour of Harlem That will take about two hours. Would appreciate some advise as to where to eat - (inexpensive to moderate pls) and what else to do either in Harlem or south of there. We are considering going to Central Park as the weather seems great (I realize that isn;t that close to Harlem but thought we could visit on the way there or back) Could anyone recommend a specific area of the park to visit we are two mid 50's adults and I have never been there. Or would like some other recs for north of Central Park

Another day we would like to go to eat in Chinatown - what else is there to see and do in Chinatown or is it primarily a place most people visit to eat? Again, this is all new to me. Any suggestions of other nearby places to visit - we are not into mainstream department or chain store shopping but could be interested in quaint boutique or small shops. And we would like just to walk in interesting neighborhoods

I know this is a little vague but would appreciate any advise. Thanks so much!

Pam

DebitNM

This won't exactly answer your questions, but read what this father and son did...sounds great. Might help you with some ideas:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34918220

Hope this helps...
Debi

nytraveler

If you're looking for things really uptown you coulod try the Cloisters (part of the Met - but built high on a hill overlooking the Hudson).

Or from Harlem you could have a lookin in at St John the Divine (near Columbia University)

And Central Park runs from 110th St down to 59th - with tons of different spots to stop in - besides the Met (in the east Park from 84th to 79th) and the Natural History Museum (west Park from 81 to 79). As well as Strawberry Fields, lunch at the Boathouse and the zoo at the south end.

Go to the web site of the Central Park Conservancy for a map and many more details.

Margo_Chester

I would ask the tour guide from Big Onion for some suggestions as to where to eat and what to do in Harlem - they are leading your tour and I am sure they would have some excellent suggestions.

Enjoy NYC!

mdn

There's a wide variety of restaurants in Chinatown - from the somewhat conservative to the truly "authentic"/weird. These are some of the best, IMO. All restaurants in Chinatown are very moderately priced.
For Cantonese food I'd try Chatham Square Restaurant (6 Chatham Sq.).
For dimsum, I'd give Jing Fong (18 Elizabeth St.) a shot.
For Shanghai area food, Joe's Shanghai or Joe's Ginger are good bets (9 Pell St. & 25 Pell St.). Finally, if you want peking duck, I'd go to Peking Duck House (28 Mott St.).
There can be a lot of bargains to be found in Chinatown and I know a lot of people go there to buy faux designer bags/purses or "FauxLex" watches.

ekscrunchy

Apart from eating, Chinatown would be interesting for just walking around and taking in the sight of bustling markets and street life. This would not be of as much interest to someone who has spent time in a large Asian community, either in the US or in Asia. If you have never visited a Chinatown before, I would recommend it highly; you can walk into almost any restaurant and find good things to eat..most of them post the menus on the front window, along with any reviews or articles in the local press. From there it is not too far to the WTC site or to the Lower East Side. The most "real" and less touristed part of Chinatown is to the east of Bowery, along East Broadway and the intersecting and parallel streets.

mclaurie

Here's a website on Chinatown
http://www.explorechinatown.com/Gui/...hinatown2.aspx
These days people go to Chinatown (Canal St.) more for shopping (cheap accessories and ILLEGAL knock off handbags)than for eating. On the website I gave you above, there's info on some stores for fashion and food. If you have a teen or pre teen girl, there are some fun places. Here's a LONG list of stores in Chinatown/lower east side from NY Magazine. It includes more than just the Asian shops.
http://tinyurl.com/whsl2

Some shops on the lower east side will be closed Fr. afternoon and all day Sat.

Once in Chinatown, you're not far from the lower east side Tenement Museum, but if you go, make a reservation.

Nolita (north of little Italy) also has some great fun shops. Here's the link for Nolita from NY Mag.
http://tinyurl.com/vg777

One of the prettiest and most popular neighborhoods to walk around in is Greenwich Village. Many people like to do a food walking tour of the village. I think Big Onion offers one and foodsofny.com does too. There are some self guided walking tours online if you're interested.

ellabella

I suggest New Green Bo in Chinatown. Its also right across the street from a well known ice cream place (although I can't recall the name).

ekscrunchy

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory?
And across the street from New Green Bo, Yeah Shanghai is also excellent.

jansa19

We love to eat at 69 Bayard which, I believe, is next to or almost next to the ice cream place. The food there is great.

wantsomesun

What area of Harlem are you visiting, if you are a bit further up, in my area, 145th St, there is a VERY good Cajin restaurant on 145th between St. Nicholas and Convent. There is also a wonderful sandwich/coffee house on the corner of 147th and St. Nicholas (that's my block). This area of Manhattan is one of the fastest gentrifying and all the brownstones on my block are being bought and rennovated. Lots of interesting history here, and St. Nicks Pub for Jazz is just a block away, some of the best Jazz in the city.

I'd also suggest heading up to the Cloisters for a visit. Take the A train up to 190th St and walk up through Ft. Tryon Park. After your visit, walk down Ft. Washington AVe to 187th St to Kismat one of the BEST Indian (cheap and GOOD) restaurants in town.

Chinatown is so much fun and will be CROWDED this weekend. One of my favorite spots for Dim Sum is Mandarin Ct. on Mott ST, a few doors south of Canal St. Or as someone else suggested the Peking Duck House has the BEST Peking Duck, and a bit more ambiance then most of the restaurants in the area.

Have a GREAT time and enjoy your time here.