thursdaysd

I have friends who will be in NYC towards the end of March. They have visited before, and seen the standard sights, and are looking for something new. They are keen on opera and already have tickets for La Boheme.

Besides opera they are interested in astronomy, ballet, art glass, costume, food and wine. I have already suggested the Merchant's House and the Rubin.

IMDonehere

Hayden Planetarium

For wines
Moore Brothers
Bottlerocket
Astor Place Wines
and for the cheap stuff Warehouse Wines on B'way and 8th
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FIT Costume Exhibits
Costumes at the Met
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Look at Time NY for what ballets will be offered.

_________

As for food, likes, dislikes, budget, etc.

volcanogirl

I don't know if this would be up their alley, but we thought the Tenement Museum tour was really interesting. We also did a great food tour of the Village - lots of stops at different restaurants and shops for little bites.

http://www.foodsofny.com/greenwichvillage.php is the link for the one that we did. It was excellent and lots of fun.

musicfan

We did both the Tenement Museum and the Greenwich Village Foods Tour and thoroughly enjoyed them--would do them again and highly recommend.

china_cat

have they done the backstage tour at the Metropolitan opera?

http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/about/tour.aspx

thursdaysd

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I have asked for more info on the food question, although I would say they eat about anything except one has a shellfish allergy.

They have done the Met tour, but are planning to do it again.

I'll make a note of the food tour for my own next visit. I haven't done the Tenement Museum yet - any opinion on which tour is better?

volcanogirl

We did a tour called the Irish Outsiders. I thought it was great, really interesting. You don't know how good you have it until you do one of those tours.

palmettoprincess

The Cloisters museum. It seems like a world away.

Shar

Loved, loved, loved the tenement museum. Have done all of them and everyone I know who is going to NYC, I tell them about it and they also thoroughly enjoy it. Makes one appreciate what our ancestors went through for a better life for the next generation. Reservations are a must as they sell out. Can be done on line. Have not done the Greenwich Food tour but sounds interesting. Why not both? Cloisters is also very interesting but it is medieval art if you are interested in that. The cloister itself is quite lovely. We found a new favorite for restaurant ISABELLA's W 79TH AND COLUMBUS. We generally stay in the upper west side so it was a few blocks for us to walk. Close to the Natural History Museum stop. CESCA was a favorite but have not eaten there the last few visits. Hopefully it is still worth a try. 164 W 75th. Good place for breakfast or coffee stop is another favorite CAFE LALO 201 W 83rd St. good desserts to..

thursdaysd

Update on the people traveling:

"We are staying in upper Manhattan near Fort Tryon Park with the 191st station number 1 subway, so we can get anywhere via subway. Food likes are usually ethnic, lower priced, and near the theater district, although if something is trendy, or exceptional we make exceptions. "

Before anyone asks why they aren't staying downtown, it's a relative's apartment.

palmettoprincess

The Cloisters will be near by then. If the weather is nice, picnic at the park overlooking the Hudson.

Fra_Diavolo

Here's a popular restaurant in Fort Tryon Park.

http://newleafrestaurant.com/

china_cat

I like Dafni for Greek food. Its not too expensive, and its near the Port Authority, so not a bad walk to most theaters. its pretty simple, but good.

volcanogirl

We also like Dafni for Greek food; it's very convenient to Broadway and affordable with a nice atmosphere.

If they make it to the Tenement Museum, Doughnut Plant is nearby and has lots of neat flavors like Creme Brulee, etc.

http://doughnutplant.com/

Tucks2828

Bookmark

IMDonehere

For Greek try Pylos in the East Village. They do not do the standard Greek fare.

dvlish

bookmark

yarrl

Barge Music http://www.bargemusic.org/calendar.html if they like classical music. There are some good concerts at the end of March. The views of the manhattan skyline while listening to great music in an intimate space make for a memorable expereince.

thursdaysd

Looks interesting, thanks!

ekscrunchy

Most of the better Chinese places are in Queens. However, I had a very good dinner at this restaurant; make sure to tell them to stick to the Sichuan dishes, not the sino-American ones. Atmosphere is much nicer than the usual. East 33rd near Madison.

http://lavieenszechuan.com/

There are at least two well-regarded Chinese places on W. 39th, between 5th and 6th. They can walk to many, if not all, theatres from there:

http://www.lanshengnyc.com/ (Must be very specific about wanting Sichuan dishes with Sichuan spicing, if they like that....). This is not one of my favorite places but many like it and it has a nicer atmosphere than many Chinese spots.

http://szechuan-gourmet.com/