What would you miss if you left NYC?
 

My family (three 30-something adults, one 11 year old boy) will be traveling to New York in mid May. We've got four or five days, and don't really want to do the typical tourist thing. I'm looking for ideas... the little, everyday things that you'd miss if you left NY. Like bagels. Bookstores. A special neighborhood. A great grocery store or market or hardware store.<BR><BR>We're pretty handy with public transportation, and we can walk with the best of them.<BR><BR>Already on the list: a Yankee game, the library, Natural History museum, MoMA, lots of time in Central Park. <BR><BR>Would love to hit one-of-a-kind stores or galleries that are design related, especially home furnishings design (furniture, housewares, lighting, textiles, etc.) Anything we can't get locally (Seattle.)<BR><BR>Same thing for ethnic foods -- we get alot of good Asian food, but not much with Eastern European influence, for example. <BR><BR>Mostly, I just see us wandering around the city. Is there a local experience we should not miss?<BR><BR>Thanks!

<BR>Since we usually play the game called &quot;what if we moved&quot; around this time of year,(I hate the cold and snow) these are the things we talk about missing:<BR>the ballet<BR>the museums, I love getting lost in the Metropolitan, never get tired of it.<BR>Central Park, my Pup loves Central Park, and the small dog parks by the Natural History museum where I sit and watch him play with the other dogs and I make friends with their humans:)<BR>Shopping, boutiques on Elizabeth St in Soho, Prince St, China Town for art supplies, you can get something to eat at any time of the day or night.<BR>So far, we haven't decided on a new place to live, nothing lives up to New York:)

What a great question. And a great answer. :-)

If you are going to Moma (now in Queens), wander around one of the nearby ethnic neighborhoods such as Astoria or Jasckson Hts and have dinner. Astoria is knows for great greek food, Jackson Hts has great Indian and many other types as well. <BR><BR>If you work your way down to the Greenwich village area, stop at the Strand bookstore (Broadway and 12th Street), it's like no other (a huge &amp; varied selection of used and new books jammed into this space). On any weekend day from morning until evening you can also find a little league game happening in the West Village at Clarkson St. (at Hudson ST 1 block west of 7th av/Varick St). It's amazing the number of tourists that just stop and watch these games (I have a little leaguer). Also in the area, check out the Forbes Gallery (5th avenue at 13th St). It features many of the collections of M. Forbes (toy soldiers and boats, historical docs, monopoly boards, faberge eggs, etc.). Walk around Washington Sq park where there is always some form of street entertainment. As far as great grocery, on the upper west side you have fairway. Downtown Balducci's is closed but Citerella's is moving in (hopefully by May). That's at 6th Av and 9th St. Bagels, try Bagels on the square where 6th av, carmine st and bleecker st intersect. ALso on the same block is Joe's pizza, one of the best slices around. A block west on Bleecker is John's pizza (restaurant, not by slice), which is one of the best in NYC and has been around forever. Accross from John's is Zito's bread bakery, also been around forever. Only sells different varieties of Italian bread. In general, Bleecker st between 6th and 7th av is one of the best food streets around with little specialty markets, many of which have been there for years.

Gokatgo<BR><BR><BR>You are getting some great ideas! I work in NYC and I want to go to these places myself!<BR><BR>As far as a really high end Textile domestics store check out &quot;ABC Carpet and Home&quot; on 19th and Bdwy. I go there for ideas, never to buy!!<BR><BR>If you need good recs on eating ethnic check out www.chowhounds.com. Here is some savy NY'ers give out there best finds!<BR><BR>Now what would I miss if I left NYC..Hmmm Well I left to live in the beautiful state of New Jersey! I really would miss my commute if I moved further away...NOT! 1.5 hrs to get to NYC...but once I get there I get energised!! I would rather work in that town than any other place in America!<BR>JOHN

Oh I would definitely miss the food without question! If you like Eastern European things like blintz, borscht, pierogis - I highly recommend Veselka on 2nd Avenue and 9th Street. It's basically a diner so not expensive - huge selection of the foods I mentioned above and then some! Also not far from there - Katz's Deli on Houston - considered the best pastrami on rye in town. Also on Houston about 2 blocks away is Yonah Shimmel knishes - around since 1910 and the best knishes, yummy!For dim sum in Chinatown try the Nice Restaurant on E. Broadway - it's huge and always crowded on weekends. <BR>Have fun - May is a good time to be here.

Orchestra seating for the ballet at Lincoln Center. <BR><BR>I think I would miss City Bakery downtown on 17 or 18th street between Broadway and 5th Avenue<BR><BR>A stroll down Madison Avenue from about 57th street to 80th. Nice to window shop maybe stop off in fuchon<BR><BR>I have lived outside of NY and find that most cities even many grocery stores carry similar bagels. Sure they are warm and puffy when they are just made but not something that I would go out of my way for. Not something I have not found in other cities.Unless of course you know you are going to have some excellent smoked white fish (that you can’t get at home), Scottish Salmon that you know you can’t get at home. Still Danal’s down at 10th and 3rd avenue will serve up an incredible gourmet breakfast that my guests have remembered two years after their trip in, for about $12 dollars.<BR><BR>For me I would miss more the European foods available in NYC. We have stores like Fauchon at 57 and Park you can buy cookies/candies here flown in from Paris. Fun store just to walk around. Also Zabars 77 &amp; Broadway (my number streets might be off, I just walk in don't pay attention to address), Vinegar Factory 92nd and York, Eli's 81 and Third. Last two have yogurt from Paris that tastes like a custard dessert. All have a wide selections of cheeses and many many other gourmet foods that you won't often find outside of NY. <BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>

Fauchon is at 56th and Park

I would miss the strand also half priced books!<BR><BR>Fortunately they are also online<BR>http://www.strandbooks.com/home/

if you're looking for a beautiful neighborhood that's reflective of everyday life in New York, check out my old neighborhood, Park Slope (Brooklyn). It's filled with beautiful brownstones, a great park built by the same people who built Central Park, and plenty of little shops to keep you entertained. <BR><BR>Take the F train to Seventh Avenue in Brooklyn. You'll exit on 7th Ave., a main shopping area. If you go uphill 2 blocks, you'll end up at the park. On Saturdays, there's a farmer's market in Grand Army Plaza (which is at the base of the park). It's simple and local. The Brooklyn Museum is nearby, and so it the Brooklyn Botonical Garden (if you come out to Park Slope, don't miss this). <BR><BR>Anyway, I loved living in Park Slope, and if you're looking to be off the beaten path, it's a great place to see New Yorkers just going about their business. <BR><BR>Look for a home store called Artesana, on 7th Avenue and 1st Street - beautiful indonesian furniture at reasonable prices.

Four or five days in NY is not enough time...<BR>If you come to MOMA you can walk a few blocks up on Queens Blvd. and hit some pretty darn good Eastern European grocery stores. I live in the area and I can tell you that they are amazing.<BR>For a treat go on 40th st. and Greenpoint ave.(the S (MOMA) side of Q blvd), it's a small european bakery, the pastries are absolutely amazing, everything is baked on premises. Chocolate pastries, whipped cream pastries, buttercream... Sweet bread and small-flaky-warm patees..I always go nuts in that store. And it puts Fauchon to shame, taste and price wise (pastries, $1.50)<BR>On the N side of Q blvd, you have 2 turkish restos, Hemsin and Nazar, at 39th and 42nd I think, an eastern european cold cuts store (home made)at 43rd st. and 43rd ave. that will leave you drooling (you can buy stuff to take back to your hotel), and around the corner on 43rd ave, Masis, an armenian store where you can stock up on halvah, european chocolates and too many other wonders. and the big fluffy bread for your cold cuts. ;) They also have an assortment of backgammon games with mother of pearl inserts and middle eastern hookas(?) or narghile (the water filled smoking devices) - they make beautiful decorations.<BR>Another few blocks from there my favourite romanian restaurant, Romanian Garden (mind you, not really for vegetarians) where you should have delish cabbage rolls, polenta with feta cheese and sour cream, and a wonderful donught style dessert called &quot;papanasi&quot;. Oh, and &quot;mici&quot; (sort of a small sausage without the casing, grilled)<BR>Can you tell that food is what I would miss most if I left NY? especially my neighborhood.<BR>Let me know if you want more details.<BR>Hint: a small mapquest print of the area would be helpful. everything I mentioned is within walking distance, but in adition to MOMA I would give this trek a whole day.<BR>In Manhattan I second ABC Carpet and Home, Katz and Veselka (here I go, food again). Chelsea market on 9th ave, Union Sq.market on mondays, fridays, saturdays and sundays (it's steps away from ABC)just for the atmosphere eventually. But don't miss the pretzel stand :)<BR>ok, I'll stop.

The people.<BR><BR>The buildings.<BR><BR>The obvious and not so obvious wealth.<BR>The pretzels.<BR><BR>The diversity of people. The feeling of equality and acceptance among strangers.<BR><BR>The 'air' of the people; This IS the center of the world.<BR><BR>The pace.<BR><BR>*****Some neighborhoods have walking and house tours. Not much help here, but I STRONGLY recommend one - any one. Amazing to see how people have their little own communities where they don't need to travel more than a couple of blocks and can do everything by walking. Very much small town-like. Perhaps other Fodorites know of walking tour companies. <BR>

This is great info -- Thanks! I can't wait to go. We'll have to stretch the trip longer if at all possible, and start training now so we can eat all that food!<BR><BR>A follow-up question... does anyone know of a place to stay with more of a residential feel? (Like you're staying in a real neighborhood, not in the middle of a zillion other people from out of town.) Anywhere in the city, maybe Brooklyn or Queens. We can commute in with everyone else. :-) We're not fussy as long as its clean.<BR><BR>Thanks again!

Stay in Manhattan IMO, you'll be in the middle of everything and a short train ride everywhere else. For example, to go to MoMA it'll take you 10-12 min. on the 7 train from midtown.<BR>There is a hotel (inn?) that is decent and a couple of other Inns in Queens, but too far in and they don't have the residential feel that you're looking for. Maybe some small hotel in Chelsea? Check them out. <BR>As for Brooklyn, there's a Holliday Inn I think, but I'll leave it to somebody else to give you an opinion on that.

I would definately miss my wife and two kids. However, I don't think that'd be up there on your list of tourist sites.<BR><BR>That aside, I'd miss the occassional lunch in Bryant Park on a nice spring or summer day. (My favorite is a sandwich to go from Cosi on 42nd &amp; 5th.) <BR><BR>I'd also miss the meandering walk through Central Park with no real destination in mind. The same can be said for the Village and Soho. <BR><BR>I'd also miss the view from the Staten Island Ferry (the old boats, of course!) as you stand on the stern when the boat pulls away from New York. <BR><BR>I'll add that a cannolli at Ferrera on Mulberry Street or a quick bite at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central are a nice way to enjoy some aspects of NY that have been around forever. <BR><BR>If you'll indulge me for a minute, I definately miss the occassional cocktail at the World's Greatest Bar in the WTC. The martini and the view always made me feel like an adult. <BR>

I'd miss the culture of the city that you can feel everywhere you go: diversity, style, culture-consciousness.<BR>When I visit most other American cities there is always a moment when I realize that I have been hearing only English.<BR>Whenever I go to anything at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, I am glad to be in New York and to be part of that audience -- I really encourage you to hunt around on the Internet and see what will be there during your stay, and book now.<BR><BR> Right now the Donmar Warehouse productions of Uncle Vanya and Twelfth Night are there, but I doubt they'll stay that long.<BR><BR> And -- important -- there is an inexpensive bus to BAM from Manhattan, and back. I usually go there on the subway or in a taxi, and go home on the bus. It's fun, too as you're with your fellow audience members!!<BR><BR>

I've never stayed in these places but live in the neighborhood, Mini Suites of Minetta and the Bleecker St. Hotel. I believe they both are apartment style arrangements (w/ kitchen). They are in the heart of Greenwich village. It's a residential area also with a college town feel (NYU). It's loaded with clubs, cafes, and restaurants and easy subway access. A hotel, in the area is the Washington Square hotel, right off Washington Sq park.

Go down to the Lower East Side, around 2nd Avenue. Lots of ethnic restaurants &amp; bakeries. Also the Tenement Museum shows a side of old NY.

ABC Carpets is fabulous for hoursewares and so is Fishes Eddie, a great shop for dishes, right across the street. There are several other houseware places in this neighborhood. Union Square, a couple of blocks down, has an open air market that is fun. <BR><BR>I LOVE Dean and Deluca and always take out of town visitors to the little cafe off Rockefeller Center, although the SOHO grocery store location is more impressive. <BR><BR>My favorite &quot;neighborhood&quot; place to take visitors is Park Slope in Brooklyn. 7th Ave has great shops and restaurants. Prospect Park is also pretty, especially the botanical garden.<BR><BR><BR><BR>

Having lived in Manhattan for a number of years, I'm somewhat tempted to recommend a touristy thing anyway like the Circle Line tour. Always a favorite with visitors and I liked it too.<BR><BR>However, I can almost guarantee that you will have the type of experience you describe no matter where you stay if you engage people in conversation. Ask the guy at the neighborhood hardware store for the best place for a sandwich. Ask the flower seller on the corner for the best textile place. You can basically play connect the dots around the city in this way and will probably pick up some great stories along the way.