Must sees in New York?

[Eevie]

Been awhile since I've posted! (End of the semester, I'm busy).

Anyway, I'm in our school choir and we're taking a trip to New York in about two weeks! I'm from a small town and so this is going to be a very new experience for me. So basically, for those who live/ know the place well enough, I need some must sees!

Since it's for a choir trip, of course we're seeing a few Broadway shows, we even have permission to go backstage and learn some things about the set!

Statue of Liberty and Ground Zero Monument are also on the list. We'll be spending a lot of time in China Town as well.

So any other recommendations?

[Dave1982]

If you're at all interested in aviation or spaceflight you should check out the USS Intrepid museum.

[KiaKat]

Yay NYC!

Where are you staying?

How long are you staying?

Are you allowed to take the subway?

What do you like to do?

What do you like to eat?

What's your food and entertainment budget?

Do you like shopping?

Do you like museums?

Do you like parks?

Things to keep in mind: New York is cold, rainy, and really grey in March. The flowers are only barely starting to come out, and the buds are just breaking. Dress for a lot of walking, with many layers and nothing too bulky. Bring a bag with a strap long enough to go across your body, and is difficult to open quickly (zippers are good, magnets are not). Keep wallets and phones in inside pockets in the bag (NEVER put anything in your back pocket). Leave the earbuds at home - you may see a lot of natives plugged into their phones/iPods/whatever, but they're also a lot more used to dealing with the weirdness of the city, so they can afford to be slightly less aware (and it's still stupid).

NYC is big, overwhelming, and slightly insane. I lived there for over a decade, and there's a lot of cool stuff, but it's also kinda scary. A few things to keep in mind:

1. NEVER give change to homeless. No matter how nice you want to be, don't do it. These days, most of the homeless in NYC have a screw loose, and will follow tourists (especially nice girls) if you even acknowledge them.

2. If you're walking in a group, DON'T take up the entire sidewalk. This goes doubly for anywhere in Midtown (Empire State Building, Times Square, etc). These are working areas with a lot of people trying to get to or from their places of business, and when you stroll down the sidewalk, taking it up and ignoring the flow of traffic, you will encounter the Rude New Yorker. The one who yells at you for being a tourist and blocking everyone.

3. Photos are awesome! Take a ton of them. Just stand either against the buildings or at the edge of the curb so as not to block traffic.

4. Cabs are terrifying beasts. But there is a pattern to them, and don't forget your seat belt.

5. Remember that the pace of NYC is very fast, and if it's overwhelming, duck into a B&N or a library for a moment of quiet. These are all over the place, and can provide a nice oasis.

Now, some off-the-beaten-path spots in the city:

1. Union Square Greenmarket. It's still a bit early in the season, but Saturday mornings, the Greenmarket is one of the best places to people-watch. Plus there's some really great food there - think about grabbing pastries for breakfast.

2. West Village: Hudson St. Most people, when they think "The Village," think about 6th or 7th Avenues. If you go a little further west, there's this beautiful cobblestone-lined area that has cute cafes, beautiful stores, and a lot of quirky people.

3. Columbia University. This is a little far uptown (116th St & Broadway), but it's an adorable area, and the university campus is really pretty. You can also hit up Riverside Park from here, as well as Riverside Church and St. John the Divine, both of which are absolutely gorgeous pieces of architecture.

4. FOOD. There is so much to eat in the city now, PLEASE don't go to any chain restaurants. Do the research beforehand (Yelp is mostly good for this, but take reviews with a grain of salt) and go to the little places. DO NOT EAT IN TIMES SQUARE. Nothing good ever came from Times Square. It's a neon-drenched tourist trap where everything is overpriced and underwhelming. A total spectacle to look at, and worth seeing once, but it's not really all that unique.

Unfortunately, you're a little early in the season for Hester Street Fair, or for any of the other street fairs. But there are a ton of little interesting places to check out in the East Village/Lower East Side. Wander around the streets (everything is on a grid) and check it out. Just because a street is quiet, does not mean it's purely residential. Some of my favourite thrift stores/secondhand stores/vintage stores are on side streets (try 10th St between 1st and A).

I can throw a lot more your way, but it depends on what you like to do or what you want to see. A tour based on history is very different from a tour based on shopping or eating.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Also steer clear of the guys selling Oakley sunglasses, "designer watches," T-shirts and the like.

[thansal]

Yes, please give us some specifics. I'm incredibly happy to recommend restaurants on the cheap, yet awesome, side of things.

The fact that you are getting to go back stage on BWay shows is pure awesome, and worth the trip in and of itself

Some food items, that while touristy, are fairly worth it are:
Serendipity (be prepared for a wait to get in)
If you aren't familiar, it's a good restaurant, specifically known for their desserts (Frozen Hot Chocolate), and kitschy decor. They are a bit expensive, and there tends to be a wait, but it's something I still enjoy, even as a NYer.

Katz's
Arguably the most famous deli there is. Their Pastrami is seriously amazing. That said, they are crazy expensive.

I would also suggest a trip through either The Metropolitan Museum of Art or The American Museum of Natural History. Both are excellent museums, and have huge collections, so if there is one thign you are interested in, you can totally just go and spend a decent chunk of time looking at it, also, AMNH always has a couple really cool rotating exhibits these are the current and the next one:
Our Global Kitchen
Butterfly Conservatory
Whales Opens March 23rd

Also, for a meal around them, check out Shake Shack. Great fast food style burgers/hot dogs.


So yah, let us know all the things Kai said. If you haven't guessed, us NYers love to show off our town

[Eevie]

Thanks guys! Once I get home I'll post my itenerary. My choir director has already given the advice of "no going into doors that look like walls" and then told about the last time she took a group to NY and they got mixed up with some knockoff purse vendors. If it says anything about the fact I have never been in any big cities, that tale alone rendered me speechless.

That aside, I've already heard from a friend that I need to go to a hot dog vendor and to get some Italian style pizza. I know we're visiting a museum, but I'm not sure which one. Something about air and space? Damn, I guess I was a little more overwhelmed than I thought.

I can tell this is going to be fun though! Especially so since I've lived in small suburb areas all my life. Should be interesting!

[Mikkel]

I know we're visiting a museum, but I'm not sure which one. Something about air and space?

I think Dave named it.

[PepperElf]

i'd suggest going to Teany but I don't know if they ever reopened after the fire.

oh never mind, it's open again

teany wiki

[Eevie]

I think Dave named it.

Maybe. I'm still not sure. Exactly why I need to to look at the itenerary again. I'm unsure about a lot of the place we're going because there are so many. The thing with my choir director is that she doesn't believe in spending time in the hotel aside from sleeping. Chances are, we'll be up and moving until 11 pm and then up and moving again at six in the morning. That way, we use up as much time as possible.

[KiaKat]

Lombardies. Best pizza in the city - wood-fired, thin, crispy crust, delicious toppings. Just time your visit carefully, because the wait can be massive.

Hot dog vendor - be careful with these. Make sure they say Kosher or Halal on the truck, or just try to find a Nathan's, though the best is still in Coney Island, and that's too far to travel for a short trip. Personally, I prefer Falafel/Gyro trucks (the lamb is freaking awesome, and you can tell them how spicy you want it).

Something else that might be fun is Rockefeller Plaza. I'd combine that with St. Paul's Cathedral and 5th Avenue, all into one afternoon.

I love AMNH, it's one of my favourite museums - but not everyone can spend a whole day at museums, and it really *needs* a full day.

Also, Thansal is right: Katz's is one of the greatest delis ever, AND that's where they filmed the famous "fake orgasm" scene from "When Harry Met Sally." There's even a sign pointing it out! Personally, I'd skip both Shake Shack and Serendipity - there are better burger places for cheaper (Telephone on 2nd Ave is my fav), and I much prefer Cupcake Stop in the old Limelight in Chelsea for adorableness and baked goods.

If you're going to be out and about all day, make sure you're drinking plenty of water. Not soda, tea, or coffee, but water. The city is dehydrating, and you won't realize how far you've walked until you start tallying it up.

[telecom_goddess]

If I ever make it to NYC (and it's a dream of mine) I want to see two things. Central Park and The Dakota. Other than that it's exploration.

[thansal]

I'll chime in on the NYC hot dog thing:
Hot dog carts are one of my least favorite things about NYC (The fact that they are mostly supplanted by the halal carts is a good thing in my mind). However, a foil grilled hot dog (or 2) from Gray's Papaya is a thing worth doing.

And, while NYers will argue endlessly over where to get the best slice, I think there is something to be said for just stopping at a random pizzeria (if it has "Ray's" in the name, all the better), grabbing a plain slice, folding it in half and walking along as you munch it, more as an experience thing then the fact that the pizza is particularly good (Because it isn't).

My suggestion on Central Park (If you wish to check it out) is to either:
a) Check out the Great Lawn or or one of the grassy areas by the lake/reservoir if you feel like killing some time people watching. Not my thing when I'm on vacation, but since I live here, they are staples for when we want to spend a day out side.

b) Walk through the park E <--> W, with specific goals on either side (the Met and AMNH are basically on opposite sides of the Great Lawn :P), because it is a nice park to walk through.


This has also reminded me of one of my current addictions:
Wafles and Dinges (During the summer they are on the South side of the Great Lawn)
If you see a big yellow cart/truck with brown trim, stop by and get your self an authentic Belgium waffle. I seriously suggest getting a Liege wafle (like nothing you have had before), with Spekuloos (basically cookie spread, kinda gingerbread like) or their chocolate sauce (my personal fave, as it's basically just really good chocolate ganache).

My personal suggestion for how to hit a city is this:
Compile all these random suggestions and generate a personal map on GMaps, tag each one with a useful icon (fork and knife/cocktail/pins of various colours for sight seeing, etc), and whenever you have some time where you are between planed events just take a look at the map, see what's near you, and hit something up. This also works for plotting out a good neighborhood that has a lot of things you want to check out.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Katz's
Arguably the most famous deli there is. Their Pastrami is seriously amazing. That said, they are crazy expensive.

Lost your ticket, didn't you?

I kinda wish we'd made a stop at Katz's when I was there on my high school band trip in 1999.

[Librarybabe]

Obviously, I've missed your trip

But, for the sake of other readers:

Central Park Zoo
NY Public Library (the one with the lion statues in front)
Museum of Natural History
Macy's Herald Square (7th & 8th floors...the ones with the wooden escalators!)

That's my list, and I haven't been to the "city" in over 20 years.

[Eevie]

Lombardies. Best pizza in the city - wood-fired, thin, crispy crust, delicious toppings. Just time your visit carefully, because the wait can be massive.

Sounds so yummy! My kind of pizza! But considering we have very little time to be waiting or lounging around, I'm afraid I won't be able to try it if there's going to be a wait. Dang. Maybe if I don't come during the lunch rush...