I’m planning to make a trip to New York City in October for my 30th birthday! I should be able to save up a fair amount of money before then, assuming everything goes according to plan. I’ve never been, and it will probably be a less insanely pricey trip than suddenly running off to London or Paris or Rome or something similar.
I’m definitely planning on seeing as many museums as I can. I’d love to see a show – my main theatrical interest at the moment is Shakespeare, but that won’t limit me in seeing something amazing. I’ve been told the textile district is amazing and I’ve always wanted to visit their Chinatown.
I was considering putting this in MPSIMS, but I’m curious about people’s experiences, favorite/least favorite places, recommendations, all that. I’m also a little nervous about going to the big big BIG city as a lone single woman, so there’s that…
Well, Jude Law will be starring in **Hamlet **in October, so you may want to check that out providing you can get a ticket. I’d also recommend both **Next to Normal **and Billy Elliot.
We’ve had about a hundred and ten threads asking for general advice on what to do in NYC. Do a search. Please. Get back to us if you have further questions or need clarification.
Don’t even worry about it. Manhattan, NYC is one of the safest big cities around these days. If I can figure out how to share my Google Map of Manhattan, I’ll do so. The map is only good if you like museums, dive bars, classic bars, and cheap but delicious food.
Gee, that was… friendly. It’s not like I just registered yesterday. Things change, especially in a big city, and if I looked at a thread six months ago I wouldn’t have heard about a play I’d very much like to see – one I didn’t find with an admittedly cursory Google search. Have you ever noticed that not every thread asking the same question has the same answer every time over the past decade this board has been around? This is not a concrete question with a factual answer.
That, and I don’t relish doing a SD search for “new york city”. I’d spend 90% of my time combing through everything I don’t care to read.
The rest of y’all, thanks. Darryl Lict, that looks like an excellent place to start!
LPN–There’s a difference between asking “what should I do in NYC” and asking for information specific to your particular visit. The general “what to do” has been covered ad nauseum, and you should put in the effort to take a look at those threads before asking others to put in the effort of typing up responses that will be effectively the same as all the other responses before. (I just searched “visit new york city” in IMHO, and found stacks of relevant threads on the first page.) Things do change, but the basics stay the same. It’s not like they’re gonna roll up Central Park and move it to Hoboken.
Anyway, I didn’t mean to sound unfriendly. Don’t worry about being alone in the big city. It’s as safe as anyplace if you’re not a moron, it’s easy to get around, and you’ll find New Yorkers will be very friendly and helpful to tourists. Even if they’re not “friendly” in the way that you may be used to. I’ll be glad to show you around, if you want.
You’re right – specifically I am interested in “What’s up in NYC in the last two weeks of October that I mustn’t miss?” – things like particular exhibits, plays, productions, openings, closings, ‘X Iconic Restaurant is going to be closing in November but if you’re quick you can still experience a REAL bagel/kosher hot dog/stuffed lark’s tongue’. I am pretty sure that however much it charges the Met will always be there, the top of the Empire State Building will give an impressive view, and New York charm will remain unique.
I am well-acquainted with that one: I have worked closely with a New Yorker or two and I have dealt with many of them professionally. I actually find New Yorkers easy and fun to deal with. For the most part, they’re blunt and honest and interested in a quick, efficient answer to their questions. They have no time nor inclination for BS. I might take you up on that, by the way – the only real downside to this trip, apart from the expense, is spending my birthday effectively alone in the big city. I am reminded by friends that Houston has museums and is closer and more convenient for a weekend outing, heh.
First time I was there a table of Scotsmen were drunkenly singing Scottish pub songs. Other times it’s been more stuff like people taking their shirts off and drunkenly dancing on tables or chugging half a dozen mugs of beer at once. Certainly fun if you like that kind of atmosphere but it’s not for everyone.
Brandy’s is worth checking out. It’s a piano bar and pretty chill if you get there early and get a table. It’s a gay bar (as if being a piano bar weren’t a giveaway) but not ostentatiously so.
Honestly, I wouldn’t really bother with Chinatown. The touristy parts are extremely crowded and mostly just filled with crummy shops. I go there a fair amount for cheap food and dim sum, but the former probably isn’t important for a short vacation and the latter is really only worthwhile if you go with someone who knows the cuisine. If you still want to go, try to get into Joe’s Shanghai, not to be confused with the variety of very similarly named restaurants nearby. They don’t take reservations and the wait can be long, so be prepared to walk around for a half or or whatever. Oh, they also add on a 15% gratuity, so don’t get caught by that.
If you have any fondness for ramen and happen to be in the East Village, I’d recommend going to Ippudo. The wait for dinner time can get absurdly long, though. Much better if you can go for lunch. I wouldn’t bother with the other menu items. They’re not bad, but the ramen is why the place if good.
Unless something surprising happens, employment wise, I’ll be at loose ends then myself and I’d be happy to take you around. In fact, my birthday was kind of a drag, I’d definitely be up for a “do-over” if you want company.
I am female, and a native New Yorker. NYC is a very safe city – one of the safest large cities in America.
I grew up in Brooklyn, and I live in Queens, so if there’s something you want to see in the Outer Boroughs - Little Odessa maybe (the Russian neighborhood in Brighton Beach) or real dim sum in Flushing - I’m your woman.
October – how lucky! Try to get out of city and really see some trees. The nearest serious leaf-peeping is probably around West Point, up the Hudson River about 1 hour from Manhattan. You could take a train from Grand Central! (Hudson Line to Beacon should do it).
Also, consider taking the Circle Line, the boat that goes all around Manhattan Island. You get on at the west end of 42nd Street.
I’ll be glad to show you around, if you want.