It looks like My Beloved and I will be celebrating our 25th anniversary in New York City in May. We’ll probably stay at the Hilton Homestead Suites across the river from the Manhattan skyline in Jersey.
Is there anything to do in New York? Any good restaurants? Any nightlife to speak of?
Google “greenwich village food tour.” Took this in '09, it was great. Guided tour to area restaurants and shops, where prepared samples were waiting for us. Along the way the guide was a font of information on the history of the area. We’re going to NYC next month, and will probably be doing one of the other food tours.
Naaah. The restaurant changed chefs, and the nightclub is only open till 11:00. Sam Drucker down at the General Store got in the new issue of Police Gazette, though!
We’ve already decided to pick up a couple of Citypasses, but the Greenwich Food Tour(and the Chinatown Tour) look pretty good.
The Hooterville Cannonball still makes an evening run though, right? I’d hate to get stuck on the wrong side of the river when they roll up the sidewalks.
If you want to see Book of Mormon on Broadway, hurry and get your tickets! We’re going to NY in November, and foolishly thought August would be soon enough to book them. 
If you want to go up to the crown on the Statue of Liberty, plan ahead (buy tickets online and ahead of time–two weeks was not far enough in advance for Mid-September.) And be prepared for Airport-style security.
I’m more or less neutral on whether it was worth it–we didn’t go to the Crown, but I’d been there back in the good ol’ days, when mobs of people were allowed to spend all day standing in line on the stairs rather than the paltry few they permit through security now, but it isn’t actually expensive, and it is kind of neat.
Is the Carnegie Deli worth going to?
It’s been ages since I lived there, but even back then the Carnegie Deli was a cultural landmark so worth a trip, but there are far, far better delis scattered through NYC that are also far, far cheaper. After eating at a good deli in NYC, you are spoiled for life and no other deli outside of NYC will ever compare.
Same goes for Sardi’s- historically relevant and fun to see, but you pay for that experience more than the food is actually worth.
A walk through Chinatown and, directly across the street, Little Italy will provide a wealth of small, great restaurants. Plus it is fun to experience both neighborhoods!
Seriously - just toss out every list you make and wait until you get to NYC - time flies, too much to see and do, you are on overdrive all day and night and just go with the flow. Unless there is something you absolutely have to, must do, must see - just wing it. Yes - buy those Broadway theater tickets in advance if you want to see a specific show - but the TKTS booths offer great 1/2 price tickets for some shows on the day of the show, so if you ain’t picky, that is the best way to go. You can also ask at some theaters if they have standing room tickets - usually a nice place to stand and see a show for a fraction of the original ticket price.
Lots of comedy clubs, lots of jazz and blues clubs, lots of cabarets, lots of dance clubs - so night life will be full. Pick up a copy of Village Voice and see what is going on while you are there.
But as I have said in other threads about NYC, take suitcases full of money, as you will spend it faster than you can believe!
Much better food and atmosphere is the Old Town Bar: http://www.oldtownbar.com/ . The chili is amazing, and it is one of those old New York hangouts that’s been around forever.
I don’t want to over-generalize here, but most of the places in NYC that you’ve heard of, aren’t really the best. I haven’t been down there lately, so I hope some of those condemned to life there can give you some good ideas.
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