Bowsprit

yep, I've got kids, grandkids, in-laws, dogs, horses, parents, a husband, siblings, etc. I've got them all. They keep me young. I am lucky. I am also cool and hip. Too cool and hip to use the words 'cool' and 'hip', btw!

I have a son in law who is in his 30's. Does that count?

Elainee

Did not read this really long thread but....the costume museum at FIT is ia must see for your daughter. IMHO better than costume exhibits at the Met. Of course the current costume at Met is also must see.

Bowsprit

Elainee: What is the current costume exhibit at the Met?

tamaraten

Bowsprit- son-in-law in his 30's counts big-time....and add in horses...wow, especially if you ride. I love that you appreciate it all, so inspiring!

Elainee-just yesterday I was on the FIT website- got linked there on a site about free museums. Showed it to dd, she flipped and said we have to go! Thanks for suggestion. We'll go to the MET too.

Btw, I told dd about the trip yesterday!! Couldn't keep it a secret any longer when she saw me for days and days sitting at the computer and researching and I also wanted her to get in on the planning. She started sobbing and screaming at the same time! She was so moved. This has been a dream of hers since she was small. She completely flipped out and is beyond thrilled!

Bowsprit

You are going to have a blast. Take lots of pictures.

musicfan

You're a good mom! I had wanted to go to New York from when I was little (I blame the tv series "That Girl"), and I didn't make it until I was 38!

tamaraten

Musicfan, I LOVED That Girl!

ncounty

It was just wishful thinking on my part, Adu.... I am in Paris right now, heading to London, then Dublin. I am eating up this town and doing justice to the culinary effort though. I just thought your NY list was great.

ncounty

Reporting back with tidbits from my last 2 days in NY with my teenager:

-Staten Island Ferry was fantastic!
-My son, who never liked shopping before, loved shopping in SOHO. He wanted to go back the same day. We had a great time at FCUK; they were having a great sale.
-Sunset at Battery Park was lovely. We are going to go out to brunch soon at North End Grill, a Danny Meyers restaurant.
-We found Katz's deli overpriced ($15 for a sandwich alone, and they only take cash..... it was a near calamity; my meal was exactly $24 and that was exactly all I had on me). It was not in a great area and we had walked from SOHO (Houston st. subway stop) on a very hot day to get there. It IS quite the scene and the sandwiches themselves are very good but not the size I expected (their website says they dare you to finish one). I did not like their knish; preferred the knish place 2 blocks west that features the owner in a photo with Woody Allen. You should stop in to see the Katz scene if you are nearby but don't go out of your way.

Aduchamp1

Ncountry

We live 10 minutes from Katz's and it is a fine area. There are some housing projects to the east that are dicey. But in fact one of the colleges just erected a dorm a few blocks from Katz's.

It certainly has a gritty feel which might make one think it is unsafe but the nights are teeming with under 30's.
And yes for a long time it was a tough neighborhood, but it has changed dramatically in the last 20 years.

There are scores of restaurants and bars in the area and now there are expensive shops.

As far as Katz's is concerned, if it is your first time there are many surprises including the price and size of the sandwiches. Two can share a sandwich and have a side dish and get by nicely. Their pastrami is at the town of meat food chain.

bspielman

Re Warren's (Aduchamp1's) post about Cacio e Pepe, you can join Savored.com for free and get up to 30% off food and beverages.

nytraveler

Sorry - the area arond Katz's is fine. This is a city, not a suburb - and you will see all kids of people - inclding some very colorful, wherever you go.

I do remember when that area was not the best (people used to joke not to go without your own personal bodyguard due to the denizens in the drug culture - but that was MANY ywars ago).

And $15 is a bargain considering the size of the sandwich and quality of the meat. (This is like complaining that you can;t get a steak for $10). Sorry - this is NYC and a real deli - not a fake Deliland at Disney (where they would probably charge more than this anyway) or a chain "deli" in CA.

ncounty

We dined at North End Grill for brunch this morning and loved it. If you go to Battery City, you could combine it with this.... it is right there. The Irish Hunger Memorial is right across the street and is worth a stop as well.

We had the best sticky bun ever and Bostock which is hard to describe (a sweet pastry) but it is sublime. We definitely will add those to our must dos on every NY trip from here on. My son had the shrimp and bacon cake burger with chili crusted fries which were unique and delicious. The lemon meringue pie was the best we have ever had and their coffee was as good as it gets, for me.

Aduchamp1

Thanks Burt, I always forget to use it. Last Staurday we had a wonderful meal at Gnocco and could have saved a few bucks.

NCountry
No problem. The Lower East Side has been a tough neighborhood for the longest time. I think this year was the 25th anniversary of when the NYPD brought in a tank to clear out the drug dealers and squatters from Thompkin's Square Park. And now it is filled with families and kids playing.

sf7307

Did you tip the meat person in advance? If not you probably got a skinny sandwich. If you do, a sandwich is easily enough for two!

kansasmom

This is an amazing thread and full of great advice. RE the Brooklyn Bridge discussion -- we did the walk from Brooklyn to Manhattan. We took the subway to Brooklyn (doing nothing else in Brooklyn first) and followed some very exact and correct directions in finding the stairs to the bridge. Probably they are the same "idiot-proof" directions you found because I think I found them from a link here on this forum. The walk was hot (July), but not particularly long (a mile or a bit more total), but it's just cool to able to say "I walked across that" anytime you see a picture of the Bridge or see it in a movie, etc.

I did a trip report a few years ago. We traveled with kids also. Anyway, have a wonderful trip. I'm looking forward to going back soon.

ncounty

I did, sf, I had read all the advice and tipped him well. He called me "sweetheart" thereafter. It was a good sandwich but I've had bigger, much bigger. I must have a big appetite; I could definitely have had a full sandwich all on my own. When their website says they "dare you to finish one", it set up an image or expectations that it just didn't meet for me. The falafel and schwarma sandwiches I had at L'As du Falafel in the Marais in Paris, now those made my eyes widen.

I didn't mean that the area around Katz's was unsafe or "bad"; just that it is not an intrinsic draw in and of itself.

tamaraten

kansasmom - how long did it take you to walk from the subway in Brooklyn to the bridge?

kansasmom

tamaraten - I don't remember how long it took, but I know I didn't think that it was particularly long to get there or particularly confusing. We just followed those directions. Sorry, it was a few years ago when we were there. Our kids were 11 or 12 at the time and had no problem (of course they weren't just recovering from a broken leg).

kansasmom

I believe this link will take you to the directions we used for the Bridge.

http://tinyurl.com/4rvrah