What to do in NYC
 

My husband and I live 3 hours from NYC and go there a lot for one or two nights at a time. We are always looking for different things to do or to see because we have done all the touristy things. We'd like to eat in cute and cozy non touristy restaurants.
We love to walk and we love jazz. In February we are going to stay in financial district where we never stayed before. Any suggestions for two days?
Thank You

Try eating at Joe's Shanghai on Pell Street in Chinatown - communal tables, no atmosphere, but the soup buns are amazing (crab and pork wontons with the soup in them; eating them is an art); as is their shanghai beancurd with spinach (also has pork in it, fyi). The food is an adventure and truly delicious. Have fun.

If the weather is nice, you should take a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. There is a pedestrian walkway starting right near City Hall, which is near the financial district. You are above the traffic and will get wonderful views of the city. It's about a mile or so to the other side in Brooklyn. From there you can walk back or continue on to Brooklyn Heights, which has quite a few small, nice restaurants. You could also take a subway or cab from there to the Brooklyn Museum, about 10 minutes away, which has some wonderful exhbits and is much less crowded than the Met in Manhattan. If you get that far, you are adjacent to Prospect Park and the Brookly Botanic Garden, both good in nice weather. If you want you could also stroll from the Museum to Grand Army Plaza and then on to Park Slope, which is a lovely residential area with many well kept brownstones. Prospect Park West has the most spectacular homes, 7th Ave is the main shopping/restaurant street. All in easy walking distance from the Brookyln Museum.

The E. Village is a great neighborhood for cute, cozy, non-tourist restaurants. Check out Lavagna, Le Tableau, 26 Seats, I Coppi, Five Points to name a few (that come to mind anyway). You can also reference menupages.com for some good restaurant info.

There are also some great restaurants in the tribeca area, not to far from the financial district.

There's not a lot in the financial district, but you could check out the RISE bar in the Ritz Carlton Battery Park City (right near the financial district) and is on the 14th floor...glorious views of the Statue of Liberty and the Harbor. I'd go into the East or West Village for dinner and jazz. Lupa is a great non-touristy spot, as is 'ino and you might also like Frankie's Spuntino on Clinton Street. Try the Bar Next Door at La Lanterna for jazz.

For jazz, check out the Zinc Bar on Houston. I'd especially recommend their Brazillian Jazz nights...Sunday I believe. www.zincbar.com

I've caught a couple of great jazz shows at 55 Bar too. The last one I was at did sell out---so arrive at least 20-30 minutes before show time for most acts... http://www.55bar.com

Both are in Greenwich Village.

Another vote for Lavagna for dinner (try the rigatoni) and Rise @ the Ritz for drinks.

Enjoy!

walking across the Brooklyn Bridge is a great idea, but if you only walk it one way, do it going back towards Manhattan, much better views.

If the New York Water Taxi is running from South Street Seaport area across the East River, that's an option. Take the H20 taxi across and then walk back.

http://www.nywatertaxi.com/

Maybe a strange question but do people walk across the bridge from Brooklyn at night?

You must go to Brooklyn. If you are interested in food, try Smith Street in Carroll Gardens just south of Brooklyn Heights. A standout restaurant is The Grocery but you have to make reservations. It is a quick ride on the F train. If you go during the day, it is a great neighborhood to walk around in, lots of boutiques and character.

I walked across the brooklyn bridge at night this past weekend on Saturday with a friend. We took the train to Brooklyn, got off at the Brooklyn Bridge stop, and then walked back across the bridge. The bridge wasn't packed but there were definitely people. This was about 10 p.m. I feel that it is pretty safe- especially in groups of 2 or more.

I would second the Carroll Gardens recommendation. Grocery is great---I'd say definitely better than Saul, which is a Michelin-starred restaurant a few blocks away. If you do think of going to Grocery, definitely make a reservation. They generally have one "walk-in" table for two. Last time I went there without a reservation I waited at a bar nearby for a reservation table to finish their meal. We sat down at 11pm.

Porchetta is also in Carroll Gardens and was reviewed favorably in today's times.

I love Frankie's Sputino on Court and 2nd. It's a quick walk from the Carroll Street stop on the F line.

If you do go this route, pop into the bar Brooklyn Social (near the Grocery) for expert martinis.

Like wine? Slip into Sample (also on Smith) a wine/small snack bar.

Bar Tabac (also on Smith; seriously there are a lot of bars and restaurants on this street) has boche ball I believe. Good times!

Thanks Fraggle for the night bridge walk info. I will be alone but it sounds as though it will be ok.

I think you will definitely be fine. I'd recommend that you time it to see the sun setting. It's often pretty amazing.

You can check sunset times here:
http://tinyurl.com/2socht

I've also walked across the Manhattan Bridge--- I like this bridge solely because the view of the the financial district and the Brooklyn Bridge is nice---I wouldn't really recommend it to tourists really but if you've been there/done that...

For a great photo, walk from the Manhattan side about a 1/5 of the way across the bridge just before you're actually over water (the bridge starts pretty far inland in Chinatown). You'll get a great shot of JFK, the bridge, and downtown... This might be more info than you wanted but... but maybe it will help somebody out.

For great Jazz try the Village Vanguard or the Blue Note...great venues!

not long ago I had asked about jazz clubs in NYC, here is the link to that thread, where I rec'd many great responses and ideas for dinner too.

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34921697

Make it a Brooklyn night - see if there is something going on at BAM (bam.org) that might interest you. The restaurant there has a great atmosphere, good food and live music. Or you can eat on Court or Smith Street and go to a show there after. There is a a place called Sweet Melissa on Court that has great deserts. There is also a pub in that neighborhood called Ceol that has traditional Irish music on Wed and Sunday.