I will be in NYC from Dec. 25 until Jan. 2. I’m trying to make the most of it - what I’m interested in is art, food, and music.
I’ve been to the Metropolitan, Guggenheim and MOMA several times and I will probably visit them again. I know, they should be enough to keep me busy for the duration - but what other “must see” places are there?
I’ve done some research on the Net and I couldn’t find any interesting concerts but I find it kind of hard to believe that there is nothing worth seeing. Classical music and theater are also OK but ONLY IF they’re really worth the money (tickets tend to be expensive, especially this time of year).
For food I’m thinking about “landmarks” such as Peter Luger. (Nice, but not really worth that much hype). Wine cellars? Beer houses? You tell me.
I also like music clubs/cafes if the music is good.
If you are in the mood for a snack or a cheap meal or something, you should check out Dumpling Man! It’s on St. Mark’s Place (aka East 8th Street) between First Avenue and Avenue A. They pretty much just have dumplings, as well as mango ice, red bean latte, and one or two other items. It’s really all about the dumplings, though.
Of course, if you don’t like dumplings, you should avoid the place like the plague. The new ground beef dumplings in black sesame wrappers sure are wondrous, though…
Have you been to The Cloisters, the museum in northern Manhattan (at Fort Tryon) that houses the Metropolitan’s mediaeval European collection? I enjoyed it when I was in New York in February.
You do know that MoMA just reopened in Manhattan with their new space. I haven’t been yet, I may go this weekend, but I hear it is fantastic.
The Gugenheim just opened a new Kandinsky gallery.
There are tons of small galleries around town you can find online and check those out. There is also tons of public art on display.
You may want to check out the new Jazz place at Columbus Circle.
For food, I’d suggest not doing “landmark” restaurants as much as taking the opportunity to try some new cuisines. You don’t have your location listed, so I don’t know what might be available where you are, but have you had Ethiopian? Tibetan? Polish? Korean? Turkish? Vietnamese? If you don’t know what to order, the waiters will always be happy to suggest some things that Americans new to the cuisine tend to enjoy. And if you hate the food, you can just pick up a slice of pizza later.
Another fun food-related activity is to have dinner or dim sum in Chinatown, stroll around there for a bit, then walk up to Little Italy for dessert and coffee. Yum!
As far as museums and things–one of my favorite places is the New York Public Library on 42nd St. You know, the one with the lions. Ever been inside? It’s absolutely breathtaking. You don’t have to pay to get in, so stop in, go upstairs, check out the reading room, and just look around. It’s really grand.
If you’ve already been to the major museums, please try some of the smaller ones. Have you been to the folk art museum at Lincoln Center? I’ve actually never been, but I hear it’s really nice. There are so many little museums and things around. I was at the Forbes one recently, and it was fascinating. Also, the Brooklyn Museum is amazing, and I hear wonderful things about the Newark Museum.
A non-art museum that I’d consider a must-see is Ellis Island.
Zebra: Thanks for mentioning the Kandinsky gallery. I saw the huge Kandinsky show at the Guggenheim…must have been 20 years ago. Amazing. I’ll have to see the new gallery.
I’m not as much into exotic cuisine (even though I’m not against it) as much as I like to taste the best of “classic” Western cuisine e.g., best pizza, best steak (why I went to Pater Luger) etc.
I’ve been to Ellis Island 3 years ago - certainly worth seeing. I found a name identical to my great-grandfather’s. The period also was a match, but unfortunately there wasn’t enough info to know for sure it was him. Did they improve their database?
Thanks for the info on Kandinsky! I’ll surely check it out!
Also, thanks to everyone for their input. I still have a few days to fill, so keep’em coming!
