So
you are going to NYC. I’ve done many of
the touristy things, but I keep going back. I’m addicted, what can I say?
Things I Do
Nearly Every Time I Visit
Walk on a bridge. My fav is the Brooklyn
Bridge - lower east side of Manhattan. Almost any of the bridges will provide a
breathtaking view of the city. Lots of great photo opps.
One
of the more famous restaurants in the Brooklyn Bridge area is Grimaldi’s
Pizza. They only take cash and there is
often a line. No, they don’t do take
out. 1 Front Street, Brooklyn
11201. And no, I don’t go there
often. In fact, I have been to the one
in Arizona more. But the NYC one is the
real Grimaldi’s, and you should go at least once.
Enjoy the skyline view at a
more leisurely pace. This may be done from Brooklyn, Queens, or Jersey. I suggest Brooklyn
Promenade if you walk the Brooklyn Bridge. On this tree lined walkway you see
lower Manhattan.
Or
you can take a Path train from WTC to Jersey City and go hang out at the Hyatt
for a minute and see the lower west side. Easy and cheap. If you don't go in
the Hyatt, it's cheap. There is a deli closeby. Not as cheap as the ones in
Manhattan but you can escape for less than $10 pp for lunch and sit outside if it is
a nice day. Here is the view.
Queens
has some amazing views of midtown also. More
expensive view alternatives are Empire State Building (definitely worth it). At
5th Avenue and 34th Street.
Go to Chinatown. I buy scarves (always) and
purses (occasionally). Bring cash, shop
fast, and save a bit of room for some Chinese yummies. My fav is Mei Li Wah
Bakery, 64 Bayard Street (between Elizabeth and Mott). Fast and cheap (cash)
and you can order dim sum all day so no need to get big meals - just a snack.
As far as shopping, fake purses are everywhere. I have the best scarf collection
in Utah as I get more of these colorful swirls of fabric every time I go. They
should be no more than $5 each and sometimes less. Sometimes you will see live
fish jumping out of the bins at the neighborhood fish stores. And there are
cheap NYC souvenirs but those can be found other places that take credit cards.
Hear some free music
underground.
I recommend the 42nd Street station or maybe Union Square. You can get into the
vibe for about two songs, then move on and hold on so you don't get swept up by
the current of people. There is often free music in parks on the weekends or
evenings.
I
love Union Square (14th Street at 5th Avenue) by the way and it's down by the
Village. Another cool place to go is the Flatiron Building (21st Street at 5th
Avenue).
Break the bank on at least
one really nice restaurant. If you get down there and happen to have about $35-$100 a person for
dinner (or more, it depends on how much alcohol and dessert are involved), I
HIGHLY recommend Gotham Bar & Grill (12 East 12th Street). I don't consider
myself a foodie and I don’t part with cash easily, but this place is worth it.
Great tuna tartare. It is a dress up
place, but last time we went, the guy next to us was wearing a sweat suit (yes,
his date was quite mad about it and we heard their drama, but it made our
dinner more interesting).
Another
good place is Nougatine in the Trump Tower (1 Central Park West - so basically
at 59th Street and about 8th Avenue). I saw Gwyneth Paltrow there once. I love
everything on their menu and it was my fav restaurant til I went to Gotham Bar
& Grill. But both are excellent, really!!!
You
may need reservations so call ahead or use opentable.com.
Go to a deli. There are all the big name
touristy ones (Katz Deli or Carnegie Deli), but the reason they are so popular is
they put wayyyyyyyy too much meat on the sandwiches (a lethal amount in my
opinion, but … any amount would be a lethal amount, in my opinion). So just go
to a deli possibly lower Manhattan, upper west side, off Broadway. The delis
are great for any meal, including breakfast and usually they make everything
while you wait and will customize on request, including lovely vegetarian wraps
or other healthy options to counter some of the calorie-rich dinners in which
you may indulge. Just smile and you will have your way with them. No tip
required either. I once had a delicious
Cajon chicken sub for $2.99 delivered to my son’s apartment after traveling all
day to get to NYC. It was like manna
from heaven. There are delis on every
block. I’d pick one that has a good
restaurant inspection rating and doesn’t look like a franchise.
Go to a park. My unequaled favorite is
Central Park because it has everything including rock climbing and a zoo. Wear
tennis shoes (in fact I recommend that for your entire visit, but you may want
to carry a bag with more classy shoes to change if you are going to dinner).
Start at 59th Street at about 5th Avenue. I like the stuff on the east side
best, but if you want to see the John Lennon memorial that is at 72nd Street on
the west side. Be sure to go to the Conservatory (105th Street near Central
Park East) to see beautiful flowers and walkways. In the summer, there are free
concerts and music festivals.
Another
great park (and not too far from Central Park) is Riverside Park which
overlooks New Jersey and the Hudson River. All parks in NYC have such beautiful
foliage. Riverside Park is where we had
to stand squished to watch the Fourth of July fireworks.
Bryant
Park (at 42nd Street) is smaller but pretty and there may be a festival set up
with shopping.
The
Highline is very cool. A redo of a
freight rail line, converted into a park.
Shop. If you want the "name
brand" experience, 5th Avenue from 42nd Street all the way up to Central
Park at 59th is best.
I
like Union Square. Same stores, less crowded. Fashion Avenue runs down 12th
Avenue to 5th Avenue and 34th Street to 39th Street. TONS of great shopping. My son painted me a picture of Union Square as
a gift once. That’s how much I like it.
You
will find lots of little boutiques in the Village and Soho but they're more
expensive. You will find that the stores you have at home are there, but with a
way better selection. My most shopped store is Nordstrom Rack in Union Square. This is not to be confused with the same
store here in my hometown of Salt Lake City. And you can have "street meat" in
the park and watch some random entertainment if you’re not a shopper. You can
also shop underground at 42nd Street subway station (another great reason to go
there).
After
shopping, there’s a fun little restaurant, The Grey Dog, 242 West 16th
Street, NYC. In the winter months, they
have great spiced warm wine. As I
recall, I also had a great salad there.
Walk on Broadway. If it were me, I’d at least start at FDR Drive
and head all the way up Broadway to 110th Street. And I have many times. Good shopping,
boutiques, inexpensive (or expensive) food. It's actually a fabulous way to get
an interesting slice of the city as it changes so much from lower Manhattan to
the upper west side.
Brooklyn-ish
Stuff
Greenpoint. My son lives in Greenpoint, which is a Polish
neighborhood. About half or more of the
businesses and restaurants have Polish names and you’ll hear plenty of people
speaking Polish when you walk down the street.
And you will see Polish magazines and books in the store windows.
I
like the Manhattan Inn, 632 Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint, for Sunday
brunch. Order the French toast. There is a piano player on duty much of the
time.
Smourgasburg. This is a fun thing to do on the
weekend. An amazing array of food
vendors gather and bring out every type of street food imaginable. Bring cash.
·
Saturdays in
Williamsburg at East River State Park (where Kent Avenue meets N. 7th Street)
·
Sundays at
Brooklyn Bridge Park (Pier 5)
Williamsburg. Williamsburg is hip and is bustling with boutiques,
cafes, and people walking their dogs. My
son has recruited me as a volunteer for BARC (the local dog shelter) so I end
up walking stray dogs on the streets of Williamsburg on Sunday mornings.
Bedford
Avenue is the main drag, between 1st Street and 12th
Street, at which point you’ll run into McCarren Park. At the park is a very distinguished Russian
Orthodox Cathedral, 228 North 12th Street, Brooklyn 11211.
The
Wythe Hotel, 80 Wythe Avenue at 11th Street, Williamsburg 11249, has
a bar at the top that has a to die for
view of the city. You MUST go. Promise.
If
you are hungry, Mables BBQ, 44 Berry Street, Brooklyn 11211, has fantastic southern
food and the ambiance is right out of Texas.
The owners have Southern US roots.
And the Brooklyn Brewery, 79 North 11th Street, Brooklyn
11249, is not far away. Kids may go if
accompanied by an adult.
Brooklyn Bazaar. Located at 165 Banker Street, Brooklyn 11222. This is shopping, art, live music, and food
under one roof on Friday and Saturday evenings from 7 pm to 1 am. It’s free to get in, but you may need bucks
nonetheless. Depending on the bands
(there will be several each night), it can be amazingly crowded and fun.
Other Places,
If You Have Time (in no particular order)
Take the Staten Island ferry
at sunset.
You can catch the ferry down by Battery Park and go to Staten Island. As I
recall it's either really cheap or free and the view at sunset will be
spectacular. You will see the Statue of Liberty.
There’s
a great Italian restaurant on Staten Island, 27 Hyatt Street, Staten Island
10301. The cooks are Italian
grandmothers (nonnas) who take turns cooking for each of the days the
restaurant is open. It’s just a short
walk from the ferry port. They’re open
Wed – Sun, from 3 pm on.
Go to the WTC memorial. There may not be as long a
wait in the evening, and it's way more beautiful at night. I've heard tickets
are required but we just walked right in on a Sunday night.
Go to a diner. Okay, I don't always but a
good one is clear up by Columbia. It's the one that they used in Seinfeld. West
112th Street and Broadway. But diners are everywhere. The ones near Times Square are very
expensive, and I’d avoid all of them, except Juniors, and then only for the
official cheesecake.
Go to Grand Central Station. This famous train station
is located at 42nd Street to the EAST of 5th Avenue (there are three streets
that are named, not numbered, Park Avenue, Lexington, and Madison). You needn't
spend a long time there, but the beautiful historic building is a must see. You
definitely will want to photograph the ceiling.
Times Square. It's insane there, and if I
go, it’s usually to go to a movie or a play, but you must go see it (also at
42nd Street - midtown). If you go to the Marriott Marquis, there is a lounge up
a couple floors where you can see the view and take pictures from a few floors
up (at no charge). Be sure to get a
picture of yourself to put on Facebook.
In my opinion, the cowboy and Hello Kitty down in Times Square are way
creepy.
47th Street. This is the "diamond
district." It’s worth going, even
if you are not in the market for jewelry.
I once went there wearing my grandma’s star sapphire wedding ring and a
sapphire ring that daughter and son-in-law had given me and all the dealers
thought I wanted to trade. Like NO WAY!!! But seriously, it's very close to
Times Square and you will see Hasidic Jews in traditional dress. It's only a
block so an easy walk if you want to look around. 47th Street between 5th and
6th Avenues.
Statue of Liberty/Ellis
Island. The
tour takes about a half day or more by the time you wait in line and go through
everything, so keep that in mind. You and your kids will learn a lot if you go.
If you don't, be sure to hit the Staten Island ferry as I recommended, because
then you'll get a good glimpse of Lady Liberty.
Citi Field. The home of the Mets is in Queens so it’s a
short subway ride. The ballpark is gorgeous.
So fun to sit and watch a game and sometimes there are concerts
afterwards included with the ticket price (which isn’t too expensive,
really). And you can see the home of the
US Open at the same time. I guess there's Yankee Stadium but since my son is a
Mets fan, I've never been to see the Yankees.
St. Patricks Cathedral. Very big, it was very
beautiful except now it’s covered in scaffolding in and out. Free. On 5th
Avenue at 53rd Street. There are masses all day on Sunday. Shopping at Saks is out the side door.
Take the tram to and from
Roosevelt Island. You use your subway pass and it goes from 59th street & 2nd Avenue
over the water to Roosevelt Island. There's not anything so exciting at
Roosevelt Island except the view so chances are you will want to head back into
town, but it's still pretty fun (inexpensive) thing to do.
Madison Square Garden. This is where lots of
famous sporting events are held. Billy Joel does concerts here once a
month. It's between 7th and 8th Avenues
at 32nd Street and it's always crowded on the streets nearby.
While
you are down in this area, go to The Vu, 17 West 32nd Street, 14th
floor of LaQuinta, NYC 10001, in K-Town for a drink and an amazing view of the
skyline from the middle of the city.
Wall Street. The most tiny, powerful street in
America. Trinity Church is an
unmistakable landmark. Cemeteries are nearby
also and you’ll find the graves of some famous Americans.
Other stuff to
do.
Theater. Broadway
plays are almost always worth the $, but not necessarily waiting in line half a
day for tickets, at least that’s not my rodeo.
Museums. They're good but you can get sucked in for an entire
day, so keep that in mind.
Movie theaters. It’s fun to
go see a movie in Times Square if you have time.
People watching. Subways or the Village are my favorites for
that.
Best unhealthy cheap food. Shake Shack (burgers and shakes) or Gray's Papaya
(hot dogs and smoothies) meet this criteria.
United Nations Building. I got the employee tour of the General
Assembly, so I can’t really give any idea what the public tour might be
like. FYI … the General Assembly room is
under construction, so not sure if it would be worth seeing, but the outside of
the UN is quite spectacular with all the flags and such.
Rockefeller Center. One of the most photographed and videographed
spots in the US, Rockefeller Center has a certain ambiance if you go on
Christmas Day and watch people ice skating.
Well, you and several thousand others, that is. I haven’t been to Top of the Rock, only
Empire State Building, plus a bunch of other random tall buildings for me.
Hells Kitchen. As far as unique places to eat, I really like
Hells Kitchen (midtown west from 34th Street to 59th
Street). I’ve eaten a couple times at
Balkanika Restaurant, 691 9th Ave New
York, NY 10036. Always a great reminder
of the foods we ate in Croatia.
Little Italy. I usually end up walking through Little Italy because
it’s close to Chinatown, and as noted I almost always stop in there. Little Italy is very touristy, not to say the
food is bad the few times I’ve eaten there.
It's just that it's not the best Italian food in town. So keep that in
mind. But it’s a good place to stop for
gelato.
Queens. I love all the ethnic neighborhoods and foods,
ie Indian, Columbian, Irish, and more. I
have had to twist arms to get to Astoria as it is less accessible by MTA, but
as far as Greek cuisine, it’s at the top of my list.
Harlem. Costco is in Spanish Harlem. If you are a connoisseur of fine cheeses,
it’s worth a trip. Not like the Costco
at home. There’s also the Apollo
Theater, definitely go on Amateur Night and you will love the array of musicians,
plus in front of the building you can see gold stars on the pavement with the
names of the musicians that have performed there. There are several streets with quite
beautiful row homes and brownstones.
Long Island. Jones Beach is a great destination in the
summer. You take the subway to the Long
Island Railroad and get off at Freeport, then bus to Jones Beach. I cannot say enough good things about the
wonderful and amazing Jones Beach Amphitheater.
I saw Matchbox 20 and Goo Goo Dolls there. The seats not only have a great view of the
stage but also an amazing view of the bay and the ocean. It’s beautiful at dusk.
Other To Do’s
and Tips
Add subway lines to your
phone. Okay
this is something my son taught me. The MTA has a website with all the train
maps. There are some you will use a lot to get to/from your hotel. At a minimum
download this to "offline reading" on your phone and you won't have
to rely on getting close to the maps at the subway station or on the train.
Add a map to your phone. I don't think the city is hard to navigate,
but just in case.
Plan your potty breaks. If you are at a restaurant
they will have a nice restroom, but most apparel stores or grocery stores
don't. The least number of restrooms seems to be in the Village by NYU. I don't
know why. I rely on hotels, and I have a secret list of all the best ones. The
best ladies room in the city is the Waldorf Astoria - 301 Park Avenue between
49th and 50th. You should see this famous hotel (and ladies room, if you are
one) even if you don’t need to go. I’ve
heard they have great hamburgers, too. Bergdorf
Goodmans on 5th Avenue has lovely hand printed towels in their ladies room.
Safety. The city is pretty safe but
probably best to do what you can to look local. Don't dress flashy. You will
see an amazing array of creative clothing and it's not unusual to see people
wearing costumes around town. I have taken the subway and walked around late at
night. But be cautious. You won't be alone if you are out after dark.
Cash. You will need cash for the street vendors. I always stock up on $5 sunglasses when I'm in the city.
Cash. You will need cash for the street vendors. I always stock up on $5 sunglasses when I'm in the city.
Price fix. A lot of restaurants have
this three course special for $x. It depends on how much you like their menu
items and you will always be extra full if you have dessert.
Umbrellas. You will need one if rain
is in the forecast, but I'd chance it and buy them there for $5 if needed.
Airplane mode. You may want to turn your phone to airplane
mode when you are on the subway or you will lose battery quickly.
Phone chargers. Phone signals suck with all
the buildings and people. You may be able to plug in at a Starbucks (they are
ubiquitous). Another thing to carry with you at all times.
Shoes. Tennis shoes. And carry
bandaids, too.
Foursquare. I have never used my phone
to identify the places nearby, but my daughter said she used Foursquare a lot
in NYC to let her know where nearby coffee houses were. She was working remotely
and always looking for a cup of Joe and wifi.
I have used my Foursquare check ins as a way to remember all the places
I have been on my NYC and other travels.
Yelp. Get the phone app so you
can find good food easily.
Enjoy. It’s so easy to get caught
up with the “must see’s” that you lose sight of the fact that in every square
block lies an abundance of American history and culture. The architecture is captivating. Even the fire stations are beautiful! Oh and the graffiti … just open your eyes and
be amazed. So many scenes are photo
worthy.
I'm
sure that I forgot something but this is a good start.
Have
a great time.
Sorry the pictures are not a perfect match to the text. It's my first blog post in nearly two years, so cut me some slack please. Also please keep in mind, I'm far from a "real" New Yorker. From what I have read, that is a status which takes years to achieve. :)
