Need advice for 1st trip to NYC
 

<BR>First I would like to send my prayers to all of the people who've lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks. We send our love. <BR> <BR>My friend/co-worker have been planning our NYC trip for many months, we've purchased plane and theatre tickets, and managed to get time off together for a girls only trip. <BR> <BR>We are staying near Bryant Park and NY Public Library, have tickets to Les Miserables and Lion King!!! We plan to do a bus tour and boat trip, if the are open. <BR> <BR>We would like know if there are some hidden treasures/must visit places in the neighborhood where we're staying? <BR> <BR>We also would like to go to bar with music. Does anyone have advice on a nice place that has live music in the style of Barenaked Ladies, Hootie and the Blowfish, Guster, Blues Traveler, etc? <BR> <BR>Many thanks! <BR>MariJane

Marijane: <BR> <BR>Be sure to bring along whatever it is you are smoking.

To MariJane <BR> <BR>The area around Bryant Park is fairly commercial but very centrally located. <BR> <BR>1. The Central Library sits on the park and is impressive. You should definitely take a look at the main reading room which is a soaring majestic structure. <BR> <BR>2. The Morgan Library (JP Morgan's mansion) also has a gallery that was recently exhibited famous sketches of people like Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci etc. It also has a vast collection of rare books including editions of the Bible dating to the 1400's. <BR> <BR>3. The International Center for Photography is right at the corner with great photography exhibits. <BR> <BR>4. The new hotel call "The Library" has a great new lounge downstairs with vaulted ceilings. The hotel is located in a tall almost gothic/beaux arts building on the south edge of park. <BR> <BR>5. The Fashion Institute of Technology on 7th Avenue and 24th Street sometimes has interesting exhibits. You're right next to the fashion/garment center which may be interesting for you. <BR> <BR>6. Music is pretty limited around the park. I would go downtown to the Union Square, Greenwich Village or East Village areas. Ask your concierge; that's what they do. If your hotel doesn't have one, I would just wander into any nice looking hotel and discreetly use theirs. I would also pick up a copy of the Village Voice at any newstand; it's a weekly and has all the entertainment listings and it's FREE. <BR> <BR>7. Grand Central is nearby and if you're interested in architecture, worth seeing. <BR> <BR>

Mondo Cane and Mondo Perso down in the Village (Bleeker and Thompson St) are a few doors down from each other and are where Blues Traveller and the Spin Doctors developed a following. Back then they would play on the same night and band members would sneak out of their set, to sit in for a song or 2 with the other band. <BR>So, I'd check around there. If you happen to notice that a band named "Milo Z" is playing check them out. They are a hot funk band w/ a skinny Italian guy (Milo) fronting them. He's got an unbelievable voice that you're shocked comes from him. <BR>Places he's played are the Village Underground (130 W. 3rd St.) and Chicago Blues (73 8th Ave). So, if he's not there that particular night chances are these are going to be good venues. <BR>

You may want to try Cafe Wha? on Macdougal. Get a Village Voice as soon as you get into the city and check out who's playing where. You can try but I'm not sure if villagevoice.com gives current listings.

You're getting good advice here. I second the advice to go into the Library, and urge you to check out any special exhibitions there. (I just came back from a trip to London where I stayed near the British Library and loved visiting the exhibitions, proably wouldn't have gone otherwise.) <BR> This is hardly hidden--but give yourself some time in Bryant Park, it is one of the great joys of Manhattan, really beautiful and serene. If the cafe (the one to the left as you face the back of the library) is open, so much the better. (In my experience, the more expensive restaurant in there, the indoor one, was nothing special for food a few years ago, not worth the $, though a beautiful & Parisian-seeming place to be.) <BR> For music, check out Time Out New York. Maybe buy it now to get used to finding your way around in it, it's dense with info. And--I think some music performances, or most of them, are advertised early so you might be able to make reservations. <BR> Girls only--usually have a nice time shopping in Soho, suggest you set aside time for this.