I need New Yorkers advice and expertise...
Nov 1st, 2002, 08:13 AM
#1
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I need New Yorkers advice and expertise...
I go to New York about once or twice a year for a long weekend. This will be my 9th trip. I love the city. But I want to be able to see and do things that I have not done or do not know of yet. I have done all the normal important tourist things (Statur of Liberty, Ellis Island, Natural History Museum, The Met, etc.). We have a few specials dinners (Le Cirque, Chanterelle, Aureole, etc), and I never miss the Bubble Lounge. This should give you an idea of what we like to do. Last year I really enjoyed the Tenement Museum.
Anyway, give me some ideas from the locals. What am I missing?
Anyway, give me some ideas from the locals. What am I missing?
Nov 1st, 2002, 08:22 AM
#4
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What about a walking tour through a neighborhood you haven't fully explored? Last Thanksgiving, we took a "noshing" tour of the Lower East Side through Big Onion tours http://www.bigonion.com/ It was great! The tour guides are all grad students or PhD's in history, they give you some real insight into some interesting or historical neighborhoods and it's relatively cheap.
Nov 1st, 2002, 09:31 AM
#5
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Such kind words from you people ;-)
Christen:
As others have mentioned, there is so much to do in NYC beyond midtown and the typical tourists traps. However, there aren't too many specific "attractions" in the outer boroughs. Most of what you will find is neighborhoods where people live and shop. They can be VERY interesting, especially if you enjoy shopping at small stores, eating in ethnic restaurants and generally exploring the city.
Here's a list of some "attractions" that you may not have known about, mostly in outer boroughs.
You might want to visit the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM - http://www.bam.org) which gets very good reviews. I've never been, so I can't say much more.
Also, Prospect Park is Brooklyn was designed by the same people who designed Central Park. Frederick Law Olmstead actually considered it his better work
Also, in the same general area is the Brooklyn Museum of Art. (http://www.brooklynart.org/)
If you like modern art, the Museum of Modern Art has moved to Queens for a few years (http://www.moma.org/)
A lot of people recommend the Bronx Zoo, if you like that sorts of thing (http://wcs.org/)
There are a surprising number of museums even in Manhattan that do not get a lot of attention. The Museum of the City of New York (http://www.mcny.org/) is located on Fifth Ave at 103rd Street and its name pretty much describes its function
El Museo del Barrio (http://www.elmuseo.org/) works to "represent the diversity of art and culture in all of the Caribbean and Latin America." - quoted from the website.
If you're just looking for some interesting areas to walk and people-watch/window shop, I'd recommend the Carroll Gardens neighborhood in Brooklyn. Take the F train to Bergen or Carroll streets and walk along Smith St.
There are some fabulous Art Deco buildings and surprising views in the "Hudson Heights" neighborhood in Manhattan. Take the A train to 181st or 190th Streets and walk along Fort Washington Ave or Cabrini Blvd.
For a taste of "Little India", take the #7, E, F, R or V trains out to 74th - Broadway/Roosevelt in Queens. Right next to the station is a huge section of Indian restaurants and stores selling Indian jewelry and other wares aimed at the Indian community.
I hope any of this is useful. I've posted some pretty detailed reports of some of my trips to NYC. Just search for the word "berkeley", since I always use the same (fake) email address when I post.
Christen:
As others have mentioned, there is so much to do in NYC beyond midtown and the typical tourists traps. However, there aren't too many specific "attractions" in the outer boroughs. Most of what you will find is neighborhoods where people live and shop. They can be VERY interesting, especially if you enjoy shopping at small stores, eating in ethnic restaurants and generally exploring the city.
Here's a list of some "attractions" that you may not have known about, mostly in outer boroughs.
You might want to visit the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM - http://www.bam.org) which gets very good reviews. I've never been, so I can't say much more.
Also, Prospect Park is Brooklyn was designed by the same people who designed Central Park. Frederick Law Olmstead actually considered it his better work
Also, in the same general area is the Brooklyn Museum of Art. (http://www.brooklynart.org/)
If you like modern art, the Museum of Modern Art has moved to Queens for a few years (http://www.moma.org/)
A lot of people recommend the Bronx Zoo, if you like that sorts of thing (http://wcs.org/)
There are a surprising number of museums even in Manhattan that do not get a lot of attention. The Museum of the City of New York (http://www.mcny.org/) is located on Fifth Ave at 103rd Street and its name pretty much describes its function
El Museo del Barrio (http://www.elmuseo.org/) works to "represent the diversity of art and culture in all of the Caribbean and Latin America." - quoted from the website.
If you're just looking for some interesting areas to walk and people-watch/window shop, I'd recommend the Carroll Gardens neighborhood in Brooklyn. Take the F train to Bergen or Carroll streets and walk along Smith St.
There are some fabulous Art Deco buildings and surprising views in the "Hudson Heights" neighborhood in Manhattan. Take the A train to 181st or 190th Streets and walk along Fort Washington Ave or Cabrini Blvd.
For a taste of "Little India", take the #7, E, F, R or V trains out to 74th - Broadway/Roosevelt in Queens. Right next to the station is a huge section of Indian restaurants and stores selling Indian jewelry and other wares aimed at the Indian community.
I hope any of this is useful. I've posted some pretty detailed reports of some of my trips to NYC. Just search for the word "berkeley", since I always use the same (fake) email address when I post.
Nov 1st, 2002, 10:37 AM
#6
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Christen, how about approaching yor trip thematically. For example, a food lover's tour could take you into all 5 boroughs or let you explore neighborhoods only in Manhattan. Are you interested in different (or your own) religious or ethnic groups)--lots of choices there. Gardens? architecture? sculpture?...
Nov 1st, 2002, 10:40 AM
#7
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I would pick a neighborhood, and spend most of your time in it. Get a paper, find a small museum, hit the local "must-see" shopping joints, etc.
If you haven't done the Upper West Side yet, you could consider that. There are some lovely hotels, so you can stay in the 'hood you're visting. You could visit Riverside Church or the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, walk a little in the park, got to Zabars and Citarella, maybe see something at the Symphony Space. For museums you have the NYC Hisotrical Museum on 77th, the Bard Decorative Arts Museum on 86th, or the Studio Museum in Harlem. There are many great restaurants around, including Ouest, Celeste, Avenue, Les Routiers, Gennaro, Pampa, Aix, Calle Ocho and Sabor to name a few. Two of my favorite cafes are Cafe Lalo and Cafe Mozart. If you want to linger and hang out with artsy grad students, go to the Hungarian Pastry Shop on 112th. Also, if you like Bubble try Potion Lounge. Not as upscale, but it does have the youthful crowd and some great drinks. Have a great trip!
If you haven't done the Upper West Side yet, you could consider that. There are some lovely hotels, so you can stay in the 'hood you're visting. You could visit Riverside Church or the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, walk a little in the park, got to Zabars and Citarella, maybe see something at the Symphony Space. For museums you have the NYC Hisotrical Museum on 77th, the Bard Decorative Arts Museum on 86th, or the Studio Museum in Harlem. There are many great restaurants around, including Ouest, Celeste, Avenue, Les Routiers, Gennaro, Pampa, Aix, Calle Ocho and Sabor to name a few. Two of my favorite cafes are Cafe Lalo and Cafe Mozart. If you want to linger and hang out with artsy grad students, go to the Hungarian Pastry Shop on 112th. Also, if you like Bubble try Potion Lounge. Not as upscale, but it does have the youthful crowd and some great drinks. Have a great trip!
Nov 1st, 2002, 11:43 AM
#9
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The Frick Collection is amazing. We found a visit to the New York Historical Society last weekend very rewarding, as well as walking all over the Upper West Side admiring some fantastic architecture (Apthorp, Ansonia...) and the murals at the Met (Opera).
Nov 1st, 2002, 12:10 PM
#10
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A couple of my friends living in New York spend tons of time going to free lectures, shows, and forums. These are held all over the place by clubs and organizations but open to the public, in libraries, churches, etc.
Topics may range from book discussions, to theatre reviews, to travel shows, to staged play readings, to political discussions and forums.
By the way, I also found the Museum of the City of New York to be really interesting, but most of my friends had never heard of it.
Topics may range from book discussions, to theatre reviews, to travel shows, to staged play readings, to political discussions and forums.
By the way, I also found the Museum of the City of New York to be really interesting, but most of my friends had never heard of it.
Nov 1st, 2002, 04:11 PM
#11
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If you enjoy music, I'd highly recommend seeing "Movin' Out" (music of Billy Joel). I saw this over the weekend and thought it was marvelous. It was certainly something different! I'd highly recommend it. Another musical that is also outstanding and different is "Dance Of The Vampires". I try to see lots of plays and of those I've seen in the past few months...these two really stand out as fantastic, and probably different than anything you've seen. Very Memorable! Enjoy your stay in our city.
Nov 2nd, 2002, 07:41 AM
#13
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Christen,
For the past two years, we've been using a book by Ruth Humleker (she lives in Manhattan and from her picture, she looks like a nice Jewish grandma), called "New York for the Independent Traveler," which we've found to be really helpful for discovering interesting places in the city. Like you, we've already done the touristy stuff and now we're enjoying searching out new places. The neat thing about this book is that it has mini-tours of areas based thematically, like "Romantic New York," "Shopper's New York," "Jewish New York," "Gardens of New York," etc., and then figures out the most interesting ways of getting from one place to another. She includes maps, diagrams, directions, etc. Some guide books already do this, but they usually only plan for the usual sites. This book includes a lot of quirky places that you might otherwise miss. Of course, you're not going to find the latest hot spots, but she gives you the confidence to try new things. We've enjoyed shopping in Soho and little Italy, the Bridge Cafe, Fraunces Tavern, the promenade walk in Brooklyn in the evening to gaze at the N.Y skyline and dinner at the River Cafe, drinks at Chumley's, etc. Oh, I almost forgot, pizza at Grimaldi's.
For the past two years, we've been using a book by Ruth Humleker (she lives in Manhattan and from her picture, she looks like a nice Jewish grandma), called "New York for the Independent Traveler," which we've found to be really helpful for discovering interesting places in the city. Like you, we've already done the touristy stuff and now we're enjoying searching out new places. The neat thing about this book is that it has mini-tours of areas based thematically, like "Romantic New York," "Shopper's New York," "Jewish New York," "Gardens of New York," etc., and then figures out the most interesting ways of getting from one place to another. She includes maps, diagrams, directions, etc. Some guide books already do this, but they usually only plan for the usual sites. This book includes a lot of quirky places that you might otherwise miss. Of course, you're not going to find the latest hot spots, but she gives you the confidence to try new things. We've enjoyed shopping in Soho and little Italy, the Bridge Cafe, Fraunces Tavern, the promenade walk in Brooklyn in the evening to gaze at the N.Y skyline and dinner at the River Cafe, drinks at Chumley's, etc. Oh, I almost forgot, pizza at Grimaldi's.
Nov 2nd, 2002, 03:42 PM
#14
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Saw a new sex museum on CNN. It looked interesting. That and the 911 art gallery. www.hereisny.org
Nov 4th, 2002, 07:15 AM
#15
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Thanks for all of your great suggestions. I will start planning the details of this trip today. I'll post a trip reprt and let everyone know how it goes. Thanks!
Lisa, We actually did a walking tour a couple of trips ago. Our tour guide was a grad student and knew so much about the city. Our tour was in Manhattan, but a tour through another burrough would be a great idea.
Lisa, We actually did a walking tour a couple of trips ago. Our tour guide was a grad student and knew so much about the city. Our tour was in Manhattan, but a tour through another burrough would be a great idea.
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