I need some New Yorker help!!
 

Hi, <BR>I'm going to NYC on 13th Jan, and backing to my country on 15th March. I've already known all those tourist points, and they are really Grand, as everything there : ) but, I'm truly looking for the NYer way of living. And I mean, places to go, to buy, to sightsee, to spare time, those hiden places to eat and specially the up places to dance. <BR>Thank you very much!! <BR>Candice

Dear Candice ,for your shopping needs go to Soho/Chinatown,5th ave. and Broadway.You could even take a helicopter tour of Manhattan Island.There are several tour buses that wioll show you much of New York,and its best sights,and then decide where you want to go next. <BR>Instead of going to the top of the Empire State building,try the top of the Twin Towers.Don't forget Central Park(a lot safer than people think.) <BR> <BR>If need any more help or recommendations <BR>Send me an E-mail. <BR> Chris.

Candice, get a copy of the weekly magazine Time Out New York when you get here, and in the meantime check out their website. Also check the Village Voice, a weekly newpaper that also has a website. They both cover the kinds of activities you're interested in, and both are aimed at a local audience. <BR>

One time when I took my teenage daughter to NYC, we spend a good hour and a half eating horrible stale pretzels, drinking bottled water and thoroughly entertained watching the people exercise their dogs in the "dog-park" at Washington Square. Obviously you'll want to do this on a sunny afternoon. If you like to make your clothing different from anyone elses, you might enjoy spending several hours visiting the button and trims shops in the garment district.

Candice: <BR>Try a weekend Dim Sum lunch at a Chinatown restaurant. Have dinner there too; just look for restaurants filled with asians and almost NO caucasians, and you are assured an authentic chinese meal. (There are virtually <BR>NO AUTHENTIC chinese restaurants in Manhattan outside of Chinatown - You can also try the Chinatown in Flushing, Queens too, for a larger variety of authentic asian cusine) <BR> <BR>I love to walk around Battery Park City. <BR>The promenade there gives a great view of Ellis Island And the Statue of Liberty. <BR> <BR>After a tour of the financial Dsitrict, make susre to Check out The skyscraper Museum on Wall St. opposite the Stock Exchange. Also don't miss the Museum of The American Indian at The historic Customs House at Bowling Green in lower Manhattan. <BR> <BR>You then MUST go shopping at Century 21 department Store, On Cortlandt St. in the Financial District. <BR> <BR>If you are going to be here for a couple of weeks, consider a car/bus trip to Woodbury Commons Outlet Center, in upstate New York. <BR> <BR>Spend an afternoon in the Chelsea neighborhood. Window shop the boutiques on 8th Ave. between 23rd St & 14th St. This is the new heart of 'Gay' <BR>NYC, but the stores and the many wonderful restaurants welcome everyone. Further west in the same neighborhood, try the Belgian bistro 'Markt' on 14th St & 9th Ave. <BR>A meal of Mussels steamed in wine with fries and a glass of Belgian beer; Wonderful! Afterwards, stop by Chelsea Market serveral blocks uptown from the restaurant. Formally a Nabisco biscut Factory, this huge building now houses many gourmet wholesale food businesses and many sell retail too! There are several wonderful bakeries, florist, butcher, fresh produce, fish monger, and housewares. <BR> <BR>If you want some more ideas, or have any questions, email me! <BR> <BR>

You'll find that everyone on the Planet has no recommendations whatsoever because they've never been out and about in their own surroundings. Get the Cadogan Guide.

Go to Zabar's on the Upper West Side (west 70s?) -- huge store for foodstuffs and all sorts of gourmet provisions. Fun even just to look. <BR> <BR>And definitely check out SoHo and the Village.

Candice-some more tips: <BR> <BR>For shopping (mainly of the women's clothing variety): <BR> <BR>E. 9th street between 2nd and Ave. A for great boutiques (tiny shops run by the designers of the clothes sold therein). Also NoLIta (Mott, Mulberry, Elizabeth, etc. below Houston and above Grand) for more of the same. These locations are where the young, hip, beautiful (in the case of NoLIta, somewhat Euro) scene is. <BR> <BR>Pearl River Dept. Store, on the corner of Canal and Broadway (a Chinese department store in Chinatown, great deals on clothing, slippers, accessories, kitchenware, food, and more). <BR> <BR>For going out at night, the Lower East Side is a good bet because you can wander in and out of so many different bars. Temple Bar is the pricy, flashy, Euro one. Bob and Sapphire are both like a party at a friend's house; small, very casual, very mixed crowd, with great music and lots of dancing. Arlene Grocery has great up and coming bands. Baby Jupiter is very in. Max Fish and Pink Pony have been around forever. Tonic has a wild variety of things going on. Meow Mix is possibly the most relaxed of the city's lesbian bars. If you need refueling at an ungodly hour there's a 24-hour turkish food joint on Houston, I don't know the name, but you'll see lots of people there. <BR> <BR>If you want more of a large club scene for dancing, I can't really help you, but I do know Nell's and Limelight have been in in the past, and there are some very popular DJ's to look out for, such as Junior Vasquez.