flatiron in Dec 2011
 

my wife and I are staying @ 31st and 7th december 4-8.....we like fine dining and shopping (music especially), and photography. this is the flatiron district, yes? tell us what to do.....thanks

This is not the Flatiron district in my estimation, which centers near 23rd St at 5th Avenue. Your hotel is opposite Penn Station, a somewhat unpleasant location. Your hotel is near lots of shopping available at U.S. chain stores (not really "fine" shopping). You will need to walk about 10 minutes to find fine dining. You will need to take subways and taxis to get to the better shopping districts and finer restaurants.

The flatiron area is generally considered to be east of Broadway there, so no, 31 st. & 7th ave. is not the flatiron district but the Madison Square Garden area or the south end of midtown west. I hope you're staying at the Affinia Manhattan which is on 32 st. and not in a potentially illegal apt. rental.

In truth the immediate area doesn't have too much to offer in the way of fine dining. There is lots of shopping along 34th st. (Macy's, Victoria's Secret, Gap, Old Navy etc.) but it sounds like you want to shop for music?

32 st. is known as little Korea and there are some very good Korean restaurants there. I like Mandoo Bar but there are plenty of others. http://www.tnooz.com/2010/07/24/news...rental-owners/ The closest decent restaurant is Ayza, a nice French bistro. http://www.menupages.com/restaurants...chocolate-bar/ Keen's is a classic old NYC steakhouse known for their mutton chops. http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/keens-steakhouse/

Ai Fiori is a newish restaurant inside the Settai hotel on Fifth ave & 36-37 st. that's gotten rave reviews (have not been).

If you head over to 10th ave. & 30th st., you'll be a the newest section of the Highline Park which you should definitely visit. http://www.thehighline.org/about/park-information

If you head further south of the hotel into the 20's and teens, you're in Chelsea where you'll find loads of good restaurants. Del Posto (Italian), Co. (pizza), Cookshop (American), Scarpetta (Italian), Tia Pol (tapas);, Morimoto (Japanese/sushi) are some of the well known highly rated places there. Menupages.com is a good source for researching what's where for restaurants. urbandaddy.com will have info on the new hot places and the nymag.com/nightlife search engine is pretty good.

Don't feel tied to the area around the hotel though. There's good subway connections there that will take you wherever you want to go. Hopstop.com and maps.google.com are 2 of the programs for getting public transport directions.

Don't know if you're into taking photos or looking at them or both but the Inernational Center for Photography is not far from where you're staying. http://www.icp.org/

There's a new photo exhibit of Cecil Beaton work at the Museum of the City of New York (all the way uptown on Fifth ave. & 103st.) http://www.mcny.org/exhibitions/curr...ork-Years.html

If you clarify your interest in music we can offer some more ideas.

When you say photography are you the photographer or do you want to visit galleries and museums?

we like to take photographs, architecture, etc....i like old record stores, used cd's and vinyl....thx

For old vinyl, you should go to Bleecker Street in the West Village and its cross streets...quite a few shops there catering to vinyl. For example:

Bleecker Records at #239 Bleecker St.

Bleecker Bob's on West 3rd Street, at #118.

oh, and yes, we're staying at the affinia. any thoughts?

The Affinia Manhattan is newly renovated so rooms/suites look very nice but as was already said, the immediate surrounding area is lacking in charm or a neighborhood feel, but certainly convenient.

Academy Records

Gimme, Gimme Records East 5th

East Village Books and Records-St Marks

Glad you are staying at the Affinia. (There are a few notoriously bad hotels nearby, so you made a good choice.)

anyone know anything about Fishs Eddy??

Fishs Eddy is great fun if you are interested in retro dishware

I just posted a LONG response - and lost it.

FE is my favorite store in the city. I'll write more later.

Be sure to go to the Union Square Greenmarket -
http://www.grownyc.org/unionsquaregreenmarket

It's been a few years since I've been here but I really loved the Blue Water Grill -
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/blue_water_grill/

If you are interested in architecture and photography, take a stroll through he cast iron district (soho area), and just look up at the buildings (in fact do this anywhere in Manhattan). They are easy to miss because of all the commotion at street level, but there are some stunners out there. I also enjoy the low-rise charm, cobblestone streets and hidden private streets of the village area.

anyone been to ABC Kitchen (or other recommended spots in the area, flatiron)? thx

anyone been to the Breslin for breakfast??

You were offered a few ideas here; are there none that appeal to you?

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...n-flatiron.cfm

I think he's looking for breakfast ideas now.