doug_stallings

My partner's neice is visiting, so we played tour guides for the past few days. I wanted to share a few experiences since they aren't the usual kinds of things I do. More like the kinds of things I avoid like the plague.

1. Top of the Rock: We visited at 6:45 on Friday evening. Can I even begin to say how much better this experience is than the Empire State Building? We arrived about 10 minutes early because we had to exchange tickets (more on that in a bit), walked right in, and had our pictures taken. 15 minutes from arrival to the top. Nice views, even if it was a little crowded (though not uncomfortably so) Compare that to the ESB, where you're almost guaranteed a one-hour wait even if you buy tickets in advance. The experience itself is certainly not worth $20, so look for discounts, which are available (a combo with a ticket to MOMA for $30 is a good deal because you'll then be able to bypass the ticket line at MOMA and the TOTR will cost only $10). U learned that if you make advance reservations, they are completely refundable 24 hours in advance and changeable (without fee) as long as you call the morning of. We ended up cancelling our original time because the forecast showed rain on Thursday (there was no rain, however). But the exchange was flawless.

TIP: Bring 50 cents in quarters so you can use the telescopes and watch the tourists on the ESB and see the Statue of Liberty. Head straight up to the very top for a view unobstructed by glass panels.

2. Mary Poppins. In a million years, this isn't the kind of Broadway show I would ever go to see. Yet I enjoyed it tremendously (well, the actor who played Bert wasn't the best singer I ever heard). But the cast over all is tremendously talented, and I just loved the actress playing Mary Poppins. I was never in love with the movie Mary Poppins, so I was somewhat skeptical about the show, but we had excellent seats (Row G on the right), so who can complain? Well, I can. The sound quality of this production left something to be desired and may be one reason why I didn't love the actor playing Bert; there seemed to be something wrong with his mic. And the orchestra had a tinny quality that I haven't often heard at musicals. But the quality of the dancing and performances more than made up for these flaws.

TIP: We booked our tickets about 3 weeks in advance and got excellent seats. Plus we got a discount from Playbill.com. There are so many discounts out there now that it's well worth it to buy your tickets in advance if you know what you want to see. Much much better seats that way for a little more than TKTS.

3. Pre-theater dinner at Etcetera Etcetera. OK. This is not a tourist experience but rather a place I like to go and actually a place we visit relatively frequently. But I'm reminded at how good this little offshoot of Viceversa has become, with flawless service and constantly improving food. It's also quite a bit cheaper than Viceversa if you order a la carte (the prix-fixe is the same $35, so you can do quite a bit better if you order a la carte carefully and get two or three really good courses for about the same price). Pastas here shine, and the appetizer portions are a value. The desserts are also really good, especially the sundaes (though a tad expensive for what you get). You do get the cookie plate that I love from Viceversa if you order coffee.

TIP: The wines by the glass here were mostly $9 to $12, which I think is a little steep for what they serve, though that's the case almost across the board in NYC these days. However, we got a half-bottle of El Coto Rioja (red) for $15, which gave us a little more than 2 generous glasses (we were only 2 wine-drinkers). That's a real bargain if it's still offered.

4. Dinner at L'Ecole. On Friday night (after TOTR) we had dinner at L'Ecole, the restaurant of the French Culinary Institute down on Grand and Broadway. Although the price of the prix-fixe menu went up a bit last year to $42.50, I think this is still one of the best deals in NYC for the quality of food you get. Service is not always as polished as the food, but if you eat at 8 or later you get 5 courses (yes, five) for that price, including an appetizer, dessert, and both meat and fish plus a post-main course digestive salad (this time with some goat cheese sorbet and a little frisee salad, which was really really good and not the throwaway course the digestive can often be). If you eat before 8, then you get only 4 courses (no separate fish course), but the portions are bigger. The food quality was excellent, as always. I had some gnocchi as a starter then halibut with Bearnaise sauce, followed by a really excellent lamb dish, and then a plum and hazelnut Napoleon for dessert.

TIP: If you are a party of two, ask to sit in the windows. If you are a larger party, you might be lucky and be seated in the large, round front-window table. The wine list here is pretty extensive and well priced, with several options below $50. We had a red burgundy (a pinot noir) for $38, which is just fine for me.

And a request: I'm consistently disappointed by tourists who dress slovenly when dining out and going to the theater. I realize that it's August and really hot out, but it's just not appropriate to wear a T-shirt and shorts to dinner or the theater. I realize I'm rigid, but I'm not one of those "dress however you feel comfortable" kind of people. If I'm spending $40 or $50 for a nice meal, I don't want to be seated near smelly, sweaty tourists in T-shirts and sneakers (or worse, Crocs). I won't apologize for that. Leave time to go back to your hotel to clean up and change before the theater. You don't have to dress up (jeans and a polo are just fine in the summer for either the theater or a casual restaurant).

NeoPatrick

Great report, Doug, but I'm curious about the last comment. I've often been aware that it is clearly many locals who dress slovenly in many restaurants. I say locals because I often see them coming out of a nearby apartment building, or chatting with neighbors or being greeted like regulars in the restaurants themselves. Granted they seldom wear the "tourist" white trainers, but dirty feet in sandals or broken down dark shoes, filthy t-shirts, and smelly jeans are not unique to tourists by a long shot!!! I'd suspect that at least most tourists have brought clean clothes, but some locals seem to avoid going to the laundramat like the plague. I've actually had to move to a table further away from some smelly diners who were pretty clearly locals!

GoTravel

I'm with you Doug. Dress like you weren't raised in a barn tourist or local.

JJ5

Doug_, good report. I enjoyed reading this. I, too, but in Chicago, have had to do the tourist route on occasion with visitors. And have always noted that the experience has taught me something and let me look with somewhat "new eyes", as well. And pushed me into agendas I would never pick myself.

I agree about your clothing opinion. And also agree with NeoPatrick's. We seem to live in a much more informal age to clothing for these types of surroundings and also for the workplace, IMHO. A larger percentage of people- and urban as well, native or visitor feel the way they are dressed for the day, is "it". And in context to place and motif, it certainly "isn't".

doug_stallings

In the summer, I see a sadly increasing number of people (both locals and tourists) wearing flip flops in all kinds of inappropriate places, and their dirty feet are quite an unwelcome sight for me. But I don't think most of the people who dress down too far in restaurants or at the theater are locals (some certainly, but not the majority). This might be a bit different in more residential parts of the city, where locals outnumber tourists dramatically. I'm open to being convinced, but that's not my experience.

Oh ... and we had to park to go to the theater. Boy, what a rip-off the garages are in Midtown ... $40 to park for 5 hours. My tip here would be to use the open lots. They tend to be about $10 cheaper, and there are still a fair number of them in the theater district.

jroth

Doug - you touched upon one of my pet Broadway peeves. The amplified sound at musicals. Too often this canned sound has a distorted and false quality to it. The voices do not come from the actors but from some strange place in the theater. It seems as though with the advent of the rock music era - sound - became a central focus of producers. Sound technology. Loud sound technology. This phenomenon can frequestly be heard at dramas, also. Whatever happend to the days when you went to the theater and actually heard the voices of the actors and singers - directly with no electronic intercession? You will note that the Metropolitan Opera - a huge house - would never even think for a moment of putting in amplification - the audience comes to hear the voices of the singers - not something coming out of a loudspeaker (although the City Opera introduced a very subtle sound enhancement system being very careful not to give any impression of amplification).

Aduchamp1

To the fashion police:

I wore a suit for the last 30 years of work, including summers on the NYC subways. So if my appearance frightens you or offends your sensibilites or sense of style, I did my time. I am a free man and do no longer wish to adhere the capracious dress codes.

rncheryl

My first Broadway show was Chorus Line. Bought a new little black number, made DH wear suit and tie. Fast forward: still wear dress/skirt and top/ pants and nice top,. and DH wears open collared shirt and jacket to our local theater here; would certainly do the same on Broadway. Great info about dining. Thanks.

ciaony

Here in SoHo, people that are poorly dressed get lesser treatment in the local places than people who dress with some style or class.
It's just the way it is.

travelenthusiast

Thanks for the report. Isn't it fun being a tourist in New York? Sometimes I think that people who are lucky enough to live there forget how magical it can be to those of us who only get to visit occasionally. L'Ecole sounds interesting. I've been to the Restaurant at the Restaurant School in Philadelphia and it sounds similar.

Aduchamp1

I have a friend who is player with a major symphony and I asked her whether she cares what the audience wears. She said not only can't she see what they wear but she is happy they are attending the concert.

Ciaony, maybe that is why I eat on my side of the neighborhood.

ac291

oh i couldnt agree more - i'll be there in a months time and trying to plan my wardrobe - i know Americans love their casual wear so do Australians but im going to make sure I look nice like ive made an effort...no crocs or sneakers here!

Skiergirl

I'm with you, Doug. Aduchamp1, no one is asking you to wear a tux. I just think it shows a sign of respect that you look nice for the theater. I recently went to 2 shows and wore a nice summer dress. Nothing too fancy, but not jeans and a t-shirt.

BTW Aduchamp1, you always have great recs that I keep meaning to try here in NYC so I'm not picking on you but your comments just read that dressing down is no big deal. That's all!

nanabee

There is a difference between wearing casual clothing and being smelly, dirty and sweaty whether they are tourists or locals. And both are guilty.

In Southern California - you will see people in flip flops and jeans at the nicests of restauants. That's because we don't own anything else. We do take showers daily - that counts for something in my book.

Aduchamp1

Understood and no problem at all Skiergirl.

The last Broadway pefromance I attended was Osage Counrty, an exceptional piece of writing and acting. In front of us were out-of-town doctors and their spouses, and I know becasue they were loud enough for me to hear. And boy did they say stupid things at intermission about the play but they were well dressed.

I worked for years in a company where suits were required. There was drug use, cheating on spouses, sheer arrogance, anti-women undercurrent, and scandals that made the company, a punch line for comics.

Respect has little to do with the way one dresses.

Rhea58

Knowing that you adore ViceVersa, am glad that you enjoyed your repast @ EtceteraEtc.
They have been most generous allowing two groups I attend to have meetings in their upstairs room w/no room fee & a specially-produced menu for these occasions...and the waiters are so nice,too.

nytraveler

I couldn't agree more with the dressing like an adult at theaters and dinner. If you're sitting in an outdoor cafe - well then I guess it's OK.

But when we go for dinner I don;t want to be next to someone who's been trekking around in 90 degree heat and hasn't showered or changed. I also don't want to have to avert my eyes to avoid having my dinner spoiled by some guys' fat, hairy legs or some woman's bare, bulging midriff. If you want to eat in an actual restaurant - wear actual PANTS and appropriate top.

jroth

Warren - nobody is claiming that those who wear suits or something a bit up the scale from jeans are in any way morally or behaviorally "better" than those who could not care less about their appearance at concerts, theater, or restaurants. It's just about a bit of respect for your surroundings and those also attending these events.

sf7307

We all have our own "standards", of course. I can't bear the sight of a man in a tank top -- it would ruin the show or the meal if that was in my sightlines -- but casual clothes, including jeans, do not bother me at all so long as they, and the person wearing them, are clean and not smelly. I don't see anything disrespectful about wearing clean clothes on a clean body to the theater or dinner.

Aduchamp1

My clothes are clean, at least before I eat. And unless it is a special occasion or someone else's event, I will not go to a restaurant if my jeans and shirt are not enough.

And if I am present at an exnhibit at which I am showing, the viewers could be naked for all I care, I am flattered they are interested in my work.