Seeking New York City Recommendations 11/09

"weather? Rain, snow, temps"

Check forecasts

Stay somewhere other than mid-town, like the Upper West Side, Solita or Chelsea. Visit the Tenement Museum, or the Frick, or the Whitney, or the Cooper-Hewitt. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Take a walking tour of Greenwich Village, or Central Park. Visit Prospect Park in Brooklyn, or the Bronx Zoo.

See Slash and Madeline Albright's pin collection at www.madmuseum.org -- Take a quick trip through NYC greenery at the Joel Meyerwitz photo exhibit at www.mcny.org and see the waterfront photos upstairs and find out more than you ever expected about Saarinen the architect while you are there.

East TurDucHen at Delta Grill on 47th and 9th.

I rec researching the bazillions of recent posts on this forum re: "restaurants, historical sites, smaller museums, tours, etc. I'd love to do some "local" things, too, especially food-wise".

Food-wise, avoid the Times Square/Midtown tourist areas, and of course chains. E. Village, Upper East Side, Lower East Side, and most other non-midtown neighborhoods are loaded with 'local' fare.

As far as weather, it could be 60 and sunny or 30 and snow (althouh snow is very unlikely). You just have to check the extedned forecast right before you loeave town. Bring layers, scarf, gloves and umbrella to be safe.

Temps are chilly but not yet bitter (40s and 30 s at night - but lows in the teens or below are unlikely). Rain is always a possibility, but snow is unlikely that early in the year - perhaps an inch or so at most.

Other great museums:
Natural History
the Frick
Museum of the City of New York
New York Historical society
Asia Soceity
(plus dozens of others for every taste)

free ride on the Staten Island Ferry

Top of the Rock, Rock Center, St Pat's

Explore some residential areas (upper west side - several of those museums plus Columbia University and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine - huge and gorgeous); upper east side (Gracie Mansion - yes there are tours - Mayor Mike lives elsewhere) and a host of interesting buildings along Fifth and Park Aves; lower east side (history and current), Greenwich Village (charming, lots of casuale place to eat with music), trendy Chelsea and soHo.

Have a look at New York Magazine online which lets you search for event by date and category - and there are many hundreds.

As for restaurants stick to residential areas and you will find a plethora of inexpensive and moderate places of every possible ethnicity. If it's crowded the food will be decent.

There are scores of galleries on the 500 blocks in the West 20's. You can start on the top floors and work your way down.

Get lost in the Strand book store.

See the residential architecture in the West Village including 9-12 streets between 5th and 6th.

Go to Astoria or Flushing for lunch.

Check out some of these we ate at during our last visit in Ocotber 09:

The Little Owl
Dell'Anima
Perilla

all in the village and all very good. They all have websites

Check out:
The Museum of the City of New York in East Harlem(on 5th Avenue)

Walk the High Line between Chelsea and the Meat Packing District

Go to Grand Central and stare at the ceilings, have a drink in the Campbell Apartment and check out the Transit Museum.

Follow the kitsch and check out Radio City Music Hall.

See "God of Carnage" if you can.

Have a pastrami sandwich(not lean) at Katz's deli in LES. Sample Nova Lox or Gaspe Salmon at Russ & Daughters in LES


Wander around Zabar's on the UWS and buy lots of things to take home with you on your last day. The blintzes are worth the trip.

Attend the 12:30 brief prayer service for peace and reconciliation at St Paul's Chapel near the WTC site.

Give my love to the greatest city on Earth!

In Sept we enjoyed a Foods of NY tour of Chelsea Market and Meatpacking district which included a walk along the High Line. The Tenement Museum is a must. I wish we had gone for a dim sum meal or at least a bahn mi sandwich but I was with friends who won't do dim sum anymore. We stayed in the Best Western Hanbee right in Chinatown and next to Little Italy so I was able to explore a little bit of Chinatown by myself. I love Chinese pastries and picking up ingredients for cooking at home.

Head to your library. consider looking for a walking tour book of the different neighborhoods. I used to live on LI, and have been to NYC, countless times, but with these books, I always find something new. I especially like the various buildings and their history.

A visit to the New Museum on the Bowery is worth while - cutting edge contemporary art and nearby Daniel Boulud - one of the world's great restaurateurs - has opened an informal, modest priced cafe - DBGB Bowery at corner Houston.