Hi,
Does anyone have any ideas for some fun places to visit, eat, shop in New York City that are unusual.
We enjoy ethnic foods, unusual museums, modern and contempory art. Any ideas would be appreciated.
thanks,
Libet

1. The Tenement Museum - on Orchard St. on the lower east side is very interesting.
2. Nicholas Roerich Museum - located in Roerich's town house on W. 107 St. Roerich was a twentieth century Russian artist.
3. Mother Cabrini Shrine - see Saint Frances Cabrini's body enclosed in glass! Located on W 190th St. While youre up there, don't forget to check out The Cloister's, John D. Rockefeller's collection of medieval art.

All three places are definitely off the beaten path.

Do yourself a favor and pick up the NYC Zagat's restaurant guide which is about $10. It has a list of restaurants by food type (my suggesions), i.e. Afghani (Afghan Kebab House), Ethiopian (Meskerem), Moroccan/French (Ches Es Saada), and Egyptian (Casa La Femme, reserve a tent.)
Also, I'd recommend Markt, a terrific Belgian bistro on 14th and 9th (Go late.) There are a few new boutiques there, as well.

If you walk around Soho (ie. South of Houston St.) you'll find plenty of places to shop and art galleries.

That is a tough one because in New York City it seems like NOTHING is considered "unusual." But I'll tell you some of my faves:

Veselka is an Eastern European diner in the East Village with great food (and very reasonable prices). Particularly popular for breakfast/brunch, so you may have to wait a bit, but it's worth it. Cheese blintzes with raspberry sauce, challah french toast, kielbasa, all sorts of wonderful breads and pastries, borscht, etc. Also, friendlier waitstaff than you find in many places in New York. It's at the corner of 2nd Ave. & 9th St.

I like Holy Basil for Thai food. It's very cozy and the food is wonderful. It's also in the East Village, at 149 2nd Ave. (betw. 9th & 10th Sts.)

SoHo, West Village, & East Village are all fun & funky. For unusual art I recommend gallery-crawling in Chelsea. Also, of course, the Museum of Modern Art.

Hi Libet:

You want some 'atypical' things to do in NY? Try some of these suggestions:

1. CBGB, on the corner of Bleeker & Bowery, is "ground zero" for the New Wave/Punk movement of the 70s. Blondie, Talking Heads, The Ramones and lots of others all got their start there. The place is absolutely a dump (but a lovable dump). Unbelievable people watching. Doesn't matter who's playing...try to go in. If you don't want to pay, explain to the guy at the door that you're from out of town and could you just go in and look around for 5 minutes. He might let you. The place is amazing. Make sure you go to the bathroom -- it's a bathroom you'll never forget.

2. Go up to the Dakota, on the corner of 72nd St. & Central Park West. This is where Rosemary's Baby AND John Lennon were shot. Stand outside the gate for a few minutes and look around. That's where it happened.

3. Take a walk down St. Marks Place in the East Village. Start at the beginning, right off 3rd Avenue. Stop in Trash & Vaudeville, a funky clothing store. Further down is Sounds, a well known record store, to pick a souvenir used CD. There's lots of things to see on St. Marks Place. A few blocks east is St. Marks Bar & Grill, where the Stones filmed their "Waiting For A Friend" video. Remember that one, where they all walk in, one by one, and start playing in the corner of a small bar? That's the place.

4. On 9th Ave, b/w 40 & 41 is a small Italian Restaurant called Supreme Macaroni Company. The dining room is where the back cover photo of Billy Joel's "The Stranger" album was taken. It's pretty much the same today as it was then, down to the pictures on the walls and the tablecloths.

5. On 52nd (or 53rd) and 2nd Avenue there's another Italian restaurant called Mimi's. On Friday nights (only), the local people from the neighborhood gather 'round the piano and sing show tunes. None of them are professionals, but they take it VERY seriously. It's absolutely a hoot. You like show tunes? Get up there and belt one out yourself! It might sound corny, but this is as weird as it gets.

6. Take the #7 train out to Roosevelt Avenue (74th St.), get off, find 74th Street and look for the Jackson Diner for some of the best Indian food this side of...well...India. 6th Street in the Village also has some outstanding places.

7. Find Lucky Cheng's, on 1st Avenue around 6th St. or so, for some Asian cuisine. Don't get too attached to your "waitress" -- "she" may not be what she seems.

8. Take the 'F' train all the way to the end and go to Coney Island. Forget those modern, computer designed roller coasters -- take a ride on the Cyclone, still considered by many to be one of the scariest coasters in the world. It's very old and built with wood. It creaks and it shakes. There's a heck of a drop. Coney Island is definitely a "blast from the past", once a premier amusement park, it's now pretty old and worn. But it's still Coney Island. If you go, stop by the original Nathan's for a hot dog. And by all means, BE CAREFUL.

Anybody else out there have any funky things for Libet? Little Ricky's? Bat Boy -- The Musical?
Chinatown?

I'd recommend picking up a copy of Frommer's Irreverent Guide to NYC. Unlike your typical travel guide, it provides advice on finding some of the more unsual choices in a city.

If you'll be visiting before July 29, there's a contemporary art exhibit in the Brooklyn Bridge Anchorage (right under the Bridge) on the Brooklyn side. It's open from Thursday-Sunday afternoons and you can get more info & directions at www.creativetime.org/anch2001.

I second the Tenement Museum -- if you go in the summer, *whew*!!! It's scorching (take something to fan yourself with -- they do have chairs, in case you get woozy)!! But talk about "feeling" how those people lived! I think it's a "must."

I have to agree with Al - he is right on!! Especially Lucky Cheng's - is Libet ready for that??!! Enjoy!

Hey Al, ever consider writing a guidebook on NYC ? You got the knowledge & style baby !

Pearl River Trading Company in Chinatown, on Canal Street, at Broadway I think. Up a flight of stairs: it is a BIG Chinese department store with a lot of interesting things in it, and it's interesting just to wander around in. Clothes from China, things for your house, a Chinese pharmacy with herbs and patent medicines from China, with someone you can talk to if you want to try Chinese remedies (a Chinese pharmacist who will speak English with you).
Some women love their men's lightweight T-shirts as tops, they have scoop necks. One brand is Swan.
In Chinatown, eat at Wong Kee, 113 Mott St, near Hester Street--some of the best Chinese food in NY; lnchtime "over rice" specials can go as low as $2.75 (ask for the "over rice" menu if it's not on your table, tho it will be in the daytime--not available in the evening). Note, you aren't going here for the decor!!!
Also a restaurant called Funky Broome
at 176 Mott Street, near Broome, is new and fun, with an odd (for Chinatown) club-like atmosphere and good food.

There you go, ladyjane...that sounds like a fun time!

Lets not overlook lisa's holy basil and veselka ideas -- they're both great places.

Hey LoveNY, thanks for the compliment, but I'm nowhere near guidebook territory yet. A pamphlet, maybe...

Note to Lisa, Jen & LoveNY -- It's late as hell, but I just went to see an English band called Teenage Fanclub at the Bowery Ballroom. Really great. Even though they've been around awhile this is their first time in the States. They're playing there again tomorrow night and if it's not sold out it's worth going. They're very poppy, in the Beatles and Badfinger vein, but with a little crunch thrown in. Tix are 20 bucks.