maxima

Museums in Queens: in addition to the museum of the moving image in Astoria, there is PS 1 (now part of MOMA) in Long Island City and Nougchi museum, and the Louis Armstrong House is also in Queens. As Queens is the most ethnically diverse county in NYC and probably the entire USA, you can
eat in a great variety of places. not just Chinese and Indian.

If its not too cold perhaps you would want to take a walking tour. I like Big Onion for the variety of subjects.
I took a walking tour with the tenement museum and felt as if I knew more about the area than the tour guide.

at battery park there is a small branch of the Smithsonian museum of the American indian ..in the lovely old customs house

have you been to the Neue Gallery, the new Whitney, the Cooper Hewitt (design museum)...the Christmas market inside Grand Central Terminal?

there is a new indoor French market with restaurants and shops called Le District.. downtown near battery park.

IMDonehere

Welltravel

Basically I am an electronic ignoramus, but eventually I find what I am looking for. I assume someone who is more astute and agile than I, would find it easier to use.

IMDonehere

WellTravel

Here is a list I post occasionally. I hope you find it useful as you walk around the city.

Here is a list of many cheap ways to eat that I have posted before.

How to eat cheaply in NYC

Breakfast

Every, and I do mean every, neighborhood in Manhattan has what are euphemistically called delis. Almost all have some sort of breakfast specials that usually includes eggs, potatoes, toast and coffee. If you are not hungry or are cholesterol adverse, they also usually sell sliced fruit and yogurt. Of course there are bagels and pastries. NEVER EVER order room service.

There are many places that make their bagels. NOT DUNKIN DONUS. Some of the better one’s include Ess-a-Bagel, Murray’s Tal’s, David’s, Black Seed.

Lunch

Part of the NY experience is to avoid chain restaurants. There is an incredible variety of inexpensive foods, among them Chinese and Indian. Quality varies substantially. If you are in or near Chinatown, there are many places including Big Wong’s. If you are near the East Village East 6th Street has literally 10 Indian restaurants to choose from. (it used have two dozen.) There are also excellent Indian restaurants on Lexington Avenue in the 20’s. The East Village also offers inexpensive Eastern European cooking at Veselka for example.

No NY’er cannot resist a frank at Gray’s Papaya who also sells fruit drinks including papaya, hence the name. There are now many variations on papaya and dogs all are inexpensive. I do not think the fruit drinks have ever come in contact with real fruit, but that also is part of the charm. Nathan’s are also very good but they are more expensive.

Pizza is a long lunch standby-DO NOT go to ANY chain, the cheese is older than the kids who make it. Look for by the slice places and try a calzone as well, you will not eat for two days.

Sidewalk hot dog venders are always cheap, avoid the guys around Rock Center, you pay a premium. There are those who wonder about the hygiene, the dogs are boiled and the knishes grilled for forever. It must kill anything that lurks

Free samples are available at Dean & Deluca, Sarabeth’s, and Gourmet Garage.

It is the rare independent bakery in NYC that does not have at least one bread or pastry that is enticing.

So keep your eye out., especially pizza places and the Indian places on 6th Street

The following are inexpensive meals and desserts:

Inexpensive Italian- La Marca (3rd Ave. and 22 Street, only opened noon-10 PM, Mon-Fri), Excellent Food Value

Inexpensive Eastern European- Veselka,

Indian Food- East 6th Stret between 1st and 2nd Avenue and Lexington Avenue in the mid to high 20's.

Dessert-Veniero's, Fat Witch Bakery (brownies only) Chelsea Market

Brunches-, Turkish Kitchen, Cafecito (Ave C), Clinton Street Bakery, City Bakery,

Pizza-Motorino, they luncheon special with individual pizza is a great great buy, also Lombardi’s

Ice Cream-Cones on Bleecker, Il Laboratorio de Gelato, Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, Cones and Sundae (East 10th off Third) Davey’s on First Ave

Chinatown-Big Wong. Joe’s Ginger, NY Noodletown

Dim Sum-Jing Fung, Golden Unicorn, Nom Wah on Doyers Street

Tapas-Despana on Broome Street, Nai, La Boqueria

Dinner

When we travel we often buy different foods as we walk around the city and put them in our backpacks and have dinner in the hotel room. In NYC you will probably see foods that are unfamiliar. Bring a knife, forks, and a corkscrew. If you are using a carryon bring plastic utensils with you.

These are most of my favorite food stores. This is as highly subjective and geographically limited list you will find. The majority of stores are below 14th Street.
Stars indicate they are better than the others on the list. There are scores of excellent places that are not on the list, so exclusion is not necessarily condemnation.
Tourists can use this to put together their own food tour, buy stuff during the day for a feast in your hotel room at night or for gifts. One time we were flying back from Milan and we purchased a cake there and shared it with family when we landed.


Bagels and Bialys
Just because it is round, does not make it a bagel. There is a lot of crap being sold. A bagel must be boiled before it is baked. The ones with pimples on the bottom, like those you get at the sidewalk carts, are steamed. The ones you get at Dunkin Donuts are white bread in a circle, Rachel Ray.

*Ess-A-Bagel
My personal favorite. Ess-a bagels are yeasty while others are sweet because they add sugar. Ess-a Bagel is a bit of a play on words and means eat in Yiddish. The stores are crazy busy and there is a wide variety of spreads.

*Kossar’s Bialys (Established 1935)
367 Grand Street
What is a bialy? Originally from Bailystok, Poland and called Bialystoker Kuchen (cake). And yes, Mel Brooks stole the name for Max Bialystock. It is most and doughy, much like the perfect pizza crust but with an indentation in the middle for either bits of garlic or onion. Try their bulkas which are bialy dough in the shape of a hero or an onion wheel also called a pletzel. An onion wheel is round and thin covered with duh onions, or the other version poppy seeds. Toast it, butter it, and keel over dead.

*Murray’s
Various Locations
Murray’s knows how to make bagels, chewy and large. The lines usually move quickly.

Bakeries
Amy’s Bread
Various Locations
The breads are well prepared and my favorite is the black sesame and the potato. I have never seen the same kid behind the counter twice, thus the staff is not knowledgeable and some seem confused by an order.

*Balthazar
80 Spring Street
I guess they could have made the space smaller, but then only your hand would fit through the door. Unlike the restaurant, the bakery deserves the praise for their baguettes and croissants.

Birdbath
Various locations
Yes, it is a stupid name and the place has all the charm of a company store at a gulag but it is a sister to City Bakery. They make fabulous almost everything including a pretzel croissant. They only offer about 10% of what can be had at the City Bakery and there is no place to sit and eat.The staff here and at City Bakery has not been told that space program was discontinued.

*Blue Ribbon Market
14 Bedford Street
There is not a bad bread in the house. They are made across the street at Blue Ribbon Bakery, where you can see the ovens on the basement. (They also have a interesting bathroom.)
Pick anything.

*Clinton Street Bakery
4 Clinton Street
Not only is this bakery but a great place for brunch which is impossible to enter on weekends. They may make the best biscuits in town followed closely by their scones.

*City Bakery
3 West 18th Street
Try the hot chocolate melted from chocolate bars or the pretzel croissants or the baker’s muffins or anything laid out on the counter. Extremely crowded at breakfast and lunch. Celebrities have been spotted but unless they are disguised as spoon I have not seen any.

*Donut Plant
379 Grand Street and Chelsea Hotel
I do not know what they do but the donuts taste so much better than just about any other place. He also makes excellent churros. The valrhona chocolate is a monument to gluttony. Small storefront with bakery in back.

Eileen’s Cheesecake
17 Cleveland Place
That’s all she makes so she better make them well. Not the best but very good.

* Fat Witch Brownies
Chelsea Market
They make the fudgy type and they have a few variations. Staff is pleasant but sloooow. They have tourist buses that stop at Chelsea Market, so the lines may be long at times.

*Financier
Various locations
In the food wasteland that is Wall Street, Financier knows how to make cakes and croissants. They are often crowded but the staff doesn’t know ganache or panache.

Junior’s
Various locations
Stick to the cheesecake.

*La Bergamonte
177 Ninth Avenue and 515 West 52nd Street,
For many years this was in the middle of food nowhere. Now with the Chelsea Market and the fattening of the Meatpacking district is getting its due. Extremely fine croissants and pastries and a place to sit

Le Pain Quotidien
Various locations
A chain from Belgium which makes it Belch. The baguettes are wonderful as are the brownies and raisin whole grain bread. This is probably the best food of any chain. The staff however, is laconic and unknowledgeable and very often there are out of many of the popular items. Nice brunches.

*Little Pie Company
424 West 43 Street
Their sour cream apple walnut pie is akin to crack cocaine but only a little cheaper. The other pies are good but not in the same category. People start lining up for Thanksgiving on 4th of July, so order in advance.

*S & S Cheesecake
222 W 238 St, Bronx
Could be the best cheesecake in the city, creamy but not dense, perfect,

Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies
204-207 Van Dyke Street, Red Hook
This is place is hard to find when you are standing in front it. Fortunately the silky pies can be found at Citarella and other self-defined fine stores.

*Sullivan Street Bakery
533 W 47th Street
You have probably eaten there breads many times and didn’t know it. It is offered in scores of restaurants and markets. You can identify many of the breads by sight. They are brown and crusty will the inside is light and airy. A paradigm for carbs.

*Veniero’s
342 East 11th Street
Established in 1894 some of those people are still waiting on line. I love this place, the best inexpensive tiramisu, addictive ricotta cheesecake, moist pignoli cookies, there are scores of offerings and no losers. The take out staff is never the same and the lines are long for the café. For Thanksgiving and Christmas, the café is turned to a waiting room for take out. They use an old fashioned machine to wrap the string around the box, while quaint, adds to the interminable line. You can also call in an order.

N.B. You can take your cupcake fight outside. We have tried many but a winner has yet to be named.

Candy and Chocolates

*Economy Candy (Established 1934)
108 Rivington Street
I am not sure they make anything on premises but they do have every candy still in production at very good prices. If you are a fan of candy stores, you will want to be buried here.

*Jacques Torres Chocolates
Various Locations
For some reason people know the Brooklyn location better than the one on Hudson Street. Their truffles are exquisite as are all the chocolates and the hot chocolate. The lines are extraordinary on Valentine’s Day.

*Kee’s
80 Thompson Street
Kee was a banker or a lawyer before she started making the best truffles in NYC. Some are Asian influenced each variety is better than the next. This is a must stop for chocolate cuckoos.

*Teuscher
Various locations
Truffles are flown in from Switzerland. I once bought some for a chocolate loving friend who about to get married. While eating the truffles, this modest woman was made sounds that are usually reserved for her husband. Although she was completely embarrassed, I knew I bought the right gift.

There are many chocolate stores in midtown that make exceptional products but I have not enough experience to add them to the list. These include Richart, Maison du Chocolat, and Pierre Marcolini and Burdick. Just turn your pockets inside out for a taste.


Cheese
Alleva Diary (Established 1892)
188 Grand Street
Not as good as its neighbor DiPalo but extremely offers a fine selection of Italian cheeses.

*DiPalo Dairy (Established 1925)
200 Grand Street
One of NY’s great stores. Not only are the cheeses spectacular but their prosciutti are perfect. Their selections are impeccable. If at all possible avoid the weekend crowds, even though they have adults behind the counter.

East Village Cheese
140 Third Avenue
His cheese must fall off the truck to charge the lowest prices in the city. There is always some $2.99 per pound special. For that price you will not get the best, but at least you will be filled. The staff has become nicer over the years but not much. Cash only.

*Formaggio Essex
Essex Market on Essex Steet.
That should be enough Essexes. This is a tiny outlet from a Boston company. The cheeses are excellent but they have vats where you take a bottle and fill it with a vinegar sherry or olive oil and both are redolent and extremely flavorful. There is some rules about deposits but I am not good at rules. The Essex market is a poured concrete structure with many stalls selling veggies and Hispanic staples with a barber shop in the back. Do not be deterred that it looks like pig farm from the outside.

*Murray’s Cheeese
254 Bleecker Street and another in Grand Central
Best in show. They carefully choose only the finest quality of every variety. The staff is cheesemongers, one is even a gossip monger. The ricotta cheese cake is worth going to jail. This is a must visit for anyone who has the slightest interest in cheese.

*Russo’s Mozzarella (Established 1908)
344 East 11th Street
Cleverly they make fresh and smoked mozzarella which are excellent but they also make pastas, sauces, and there own olive varieties. Cramped but the guys know what they are doing.

Ice Cream

*Cones
272 Bleecker Street
In 1986 an Israeli newspaper sent a reporter to cover the NY Mets in the World Series because they heard there was a David Cone. He isn’t related to this place either. Sweet creamy, fresh ingredients with many varieties. Many tourists happen upon it when eating at John’s Pizzeria.

*Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
65 Bayard Street
Store made ice cream which for wimps offers vanilla and chocolate since they also serve flavors like green tea, lichee nut, and my favorite almond cookie. The kids behind the counter are always nice. There is no better way to end a meal in Chinatown. Inexpensive but cash only.

*Il Laboratorio de Gelato
95 Orchard Street
Everybody claims their gelati is the same as in Italy, blah, blah, blah. Their gelati is like Italy. It is the type you eat four times a day as you walk around Rome or Florence before you realize you have ruined your appetite for dinner. Expensive and cash only.

Sundaes and Cones
95 East 10th Street
They have nothing to do with just Cones and is a shade below, But if you are in the neighborhood, the store made ice cream is creamy and offer interesting flavors.

Grom
Various locations
An Italian gelati chain. The quality is high but so are the prices.

Davey’s
First Ave and St Marks

Ice cream for adults. The flavors are strong and it is not too sweet. Limited selection

Knishes

Yonah Schimmel (Established 1890)
137 East Houston Street
Yonah has been dead for a long time and they have not redecorated or cleaned the windows since. If they made great knishes the owners could be considered knish savants but they are not. The knishes you buy at sidewalk carts, however, are shaped like third base, taste worse, are fried and often a green patina inside. Thy make the baked variety and may or may not have the all types on hand.

Kitchen Supplies

* Broadway Panhandler
65 East 8th Street
They finally moved closer to Broadway. This is good for the semi-serious chef. There is an excellent selection of knives and pans but half the store is dedicated to stuff you use once or cutsey-poo crap.

New York Cake and Baking Distributor
56 W 22
Has what every serious amateur and professional baker needs, flour, pans, cookie cutters, etc. The quarters are Spartan and the staff acts like they just found a cure for cancer.

My favorite store Bridge Cookware has left NYC for the wilds of New Jersey.

Food Markets
Unless otherwise noted these places are expensive or very expensive.

Agatha and Valentina
A large department features hard-core Italian cold cuts like soppressata and hot or sweet cappicola, while the cheese department sports a huge number of offerings and loads of free samples. The prepared foods section also has a thick Italian accent and is among the more interesting in the city.

*Citarella
Various Locations
One of the best spots for fish from standard stuff with gills to razor clams. Knowledgeable fishmongers. Same is true for meats. Their prepared foods are universally good with outstanding soups. They collect bread and cakes from various but good places.

Dean and Deluca
Various Locations
The original food museum. The fruit is laid out to be admired, as are the cheeses, breads, and cakes. The main location on Broadway always a line at the espresso bar. Prices are higher than a stale bagel at the airport.

*Eli’s
*Eli’s Vinegar Factory
31 East 91st Street,
Eli had a fight with his family at Zabar’s and opened up a much more expensive food market. When you look at the prices, you think you are in a foreign country and miscalculated the exchange rate. On the other hand, every thing here is outstanding and it is a bit out of the way.

*Fairway
Various locations
Cheaper than the others
The fruits and veggies are outstanding as are the meats, fish, and store made breads. They also carry reasonably priced groceries. The Brooklyn store has food counters with an outdoor eating area with a view of the Statue of Liberty. But the food choices are not for the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

Grace’s Marketplace
She is the daughter of old man Balducci, who was such a difficult character and opened her own place. Physically it resembles the long gone Balducci’s on 6th Ave, but retained the good qualities such as the prepared meats and excellent meat, fish, and produce selections.

Manhattan Fruit Exchange
Chelsea Market
Best veggie value in town. Crowded, crowded, crowded. Cash only

*Russ and Daughters (Established 1914)
179 East Houston Street
A new generation has taken over with the same pride and dedication to smoked fish as their aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Sable, white fish, lox, gravlax, it does not matter they are all mouth watering. Try the chopped liver, it is full flavor.

Trader Joe’s
Various Locations
Very good on selected items, while almost everything is reasonably priced. Extremely long lines on weekends and late afternoons.

*Zabar’s (Established 1931)
2245 Broadway
Another NY institution with a well deserved reputation. The prices are cheaper than almost those above but the quality is the same or better. Large cheese selection, fantastic prepared foods, the claim to sell more coffee than anyone in NYC, store made knishes, breads and cakes from the best purveyors, Zabar’s brand spices and olive oil (this is known as one of the best buys anywhere.). The lox slicers reportedly make $85,000 a year. And upstairs is a cookware section. The staff is wonderful but the clientele is often obnoxious and aggressive. Sharpen your elbows and fight for the tri-colored pate.


Meats
*East Village Meat Market
139 Second Avenue
It helps if you speak Polish but you can get by in English. Old fashioned butcher shop where every thing is cut upon request. They also make great, great kielbasa and in many shapes and types and smoked hams. Relatively inexpensive.

*Faicco’s (Established 1900)
260 Bleecker Street
They make their flavorful sausage, rice balls, sauces. You get the old schmooze from the guys behind the counter as well. If you like old fashioned Italian butchers who know what they are doing, this is the joint.

Pasta

*Raffetto’s (Established 1906)
144 W. Houston Street
They cut fresh pasta from sheets to your specification in front of you on a machine that looked obsolete 50 years ago. Not a gimmick just the freshest, tastiest pasta yet. They have many types including saffron. Cash only.

Pickles

*The Pickle Guys
49 Essex Street
Some employee defected from Gus’s, the pickles are perfect as is the spiel. They also offer a free pickle. There are barrels and barrels of sour, new, half sour, pickled peppers just calling your name.

Spanish Provisions

Despana
408 Broome Street (Original at 86-17 Northern Blvd. Queens)
The chorizos and morcilla are incredibly tasy and tangy and are found in many restaurant around town. Their cheeses are also top notch and offer a wide selection. They also offer Serrano ham which is many respects is sweeter and more delicate than porsciutto. They serve tapas as well. There is no table service, the selection is limited as are the hours, but what they serve is excellent.

yestravel

Great list, IMDonehere. Thanks for posting it.

IMDonehere

You are welcome. Have fun.

welltraveledbrit

Wow, thanks so much for posting and so many downtown options too which are greatly appreciated.

Love this <The quarters are Spartan and the staff acts like they just found a cure for cancer. >

<Just turn your pockets inside out for a taste.> seems to apply to a lot in New York! Consequently I greatly appreciate the cheaper options.

<Bring a knife, forks, and a corkscrew. If you are using a carryon bring plastic utensils with you.> Plastic utensils, reason enough to check a bag.

Eli's <When you look at the prices, you think you are in a foreign country and miscalculated the exchange rate.> you Are in a foreign country you're in the Upper East Side!

welltraveledbrit

Grandma - I'll check out the Vivian Beaumont, thanks for the suggestions.

Maxima - thanks for the ideas. I particularly appreciate the Queen suggestions ( incl. the Louis Armstrong House) and the French Market along with the Smithsonian branch in Battery Park.


t looks like Miller's A View from the Bridge will be playing while we are visiting. it was a BIG hit in London and got amazing reviews. The stage seats are $50 for the previews which is much more than they were in London but a bargain by Broadway standards!

ElendilPickle

I hope you'll post a trip report! I really enjoyed reading about your time in London.

Lee Ann

IMDonehere

Just some suggestions.

welltraveledbrit

Thanks Lee Ann, so glad you liked reading about our time in London. I don't normally write about New York because we're usually there for such a short time and it's predominantly family. This time we are going for longer so I 'll try to do an ongoing report as we are going for longer visit.

Fra_Diavolo

You asked about the Merchant House Museum above -- in my opinion an excellent small museum. The self-guided tour booklet is outstanding. In addition to its general descriptions, it uses excerpts from diaries to lend a real sense of what upper-middle class life in NYC might have been like during the era. Highly recommended!

Elizabeth_S

Lots of great suggestions here (I'm noting them too!) What about day (or overnight) trips - is that a consideration or will you be in NYC the entire time?

welltraveledbrit

Fra_Diavolo thanks for the thumbs up on the Merchant House, I'm a big fan of historic interiors, it's moved to the must do list!

Elizabeth_S Its wonderful to get so many good suggestions isn't it? It's quite a big deal for us to get this much time in the city so we will probably focus on local attractions, though I'm not opposed to a proximal day out on public transport. We are quite lazy tourists and tend to like to settle in a place. We were in Rome for a month in 2012 and we found so much to see and do that we never left town.

Though having said that I may head up to Montreal for a weekend to see a friend who teaches up there.

Dianedancer

Definitely walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and go into Brooklyn Heights. 19th century Brownstones. Then keep walking to DUMBO - by the riverside under Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. Brooklyn Bridge Park. Wonderful.

Museum of Moving Image (agree with IMDonehere). Wonderful museum in Astoria Queens. Go, go go. www.movingimage.us

Also in Queens - Flushing for the Asian immigrant experience. Food.

Newly reopened Bridge linking the Bronx to Upper Manhattan. "High Bridge". Pedestrian. Originally opened in 1848. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/10/ny...ears.html?_r=0

Brighton Beach Brooklyn for a Russian experience.

BTW - Teuscher chocolate is incredibly expensive.

northie

It's worth doing the free tour in the NY public library - I think it's an hour .
Rubin museum - selections of Asian Art - an old department store building .
Have you done High line walk? DD and I enjoyed the vistas even in January .
Holocaust museum at Battery point has different exhibitions from time to time eg saw one on Irene Nemirovsky there.
Look at the tours offered by The Central Park Conservancy - vary according to season.
Top of the Rock has the best views and I loved it .
Morris-Jumel Mansion built 1765 - I believe it's the oldest house in NY - great history
Dyckman farmhouse museum built 1784
Gracie Mansion

welltraveledbrit

Dianedancer- many thanks for the recommendations, especially for the walking routes. I'm hoping we'll get some of those clear cold days when it's great to walk. I've never walked over the Brooklyn Bridge despite innumerable visits!

Northie - How lovely to get recommendations from you when I expect to see you on the Europe board, you obviously know NY well too. At this rate I'll be organizing a GTG! A tour of the public library sounds great. I love the Park Conservancy Gardens but I didn't realize they also offer tours. I'll look into the other places mentioned several of which I don't know.

At this rate I'm going to be as ruled by THE LIST as I was in London. I don't think ill to scratch the surface of everything I want to see, but that's all part of it you need innumerable reasons to return.

I just looked up the Morris Jumel Mansion only to see they have a Yinka Shonibare exhibition ending soon. Here's the New Yorker blurb

http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cul...n-this-weekend

I'm sorry to miss this. We saw him give a talk at SOAS and saw an exhibit of his work at the William Morris House in Walthamstow of all places. Proving there;s lots of great art a little outside of the predictable venues

http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2015/....html?q=morris

musicfan

I see you already have The Tenement Museum on your list...you'll like it. Any interest in a food tour? We enjoyed our Greenwich Village tour through www.foodsofny.com but they have others.

Very jealous of a six week visit to New York City!

marieparis

I just came back from two weeks in NYC and had a wonderful time.

I would recommend:
-Museum of Chinese in America

http://www.mocanyc.org/

- Red Hook neighbourhood in Brooklyn, you can get there with the Ikea boat leaving from Pier 11.

- AIA tour boat with Classic Harbor Line. I would actually start with that, as it gives a very good overview of the city and will give you further ideas on areas/ buildings to visit. I regret not having started with this !

Enjoy your stay!

Dianedancer

welltraveledbrit - Yes, get out of Manhattan when you can since you have so much time now you can discover some of the rest of NYC besides the usual. You'll get a feeling for how New Yorkers live not just the tourists' point of view.

So happy you're sincerely considering the Brooklyn Bridge walk. You won't regret it. So much to do and see on the Brooklyn side.

nytraveler

If you get some nice weather consider the Bronz zoo. It will take most of the day but is very rewarding.