I am taking my first vacation in 9 years starting July 17 through July 27. We are going to my wife’s family reunion in Stamford, Conn. My plan is to skip over to NYC for a visit.
Having never been to the east coast, I could use some advice on where to go, what to see, and what to do.
I have no intention of seeing Annie Get Your Gun BTW. 
From what I hear, they really cleaned up Times Square. So you have to look elsewhere for quality entertainment. I understand that the girls in Hunt’s Point are reasonably priced.
Oh wait, since it is her family reunion you are probably taking the wife. Never mind.
I’d offer you a place to stay in Pittsburgh, but I am assuming that you will be flying.
Greenwich village is a nice place to hang out for a while, but for really GOOD, CHEAP food (a rareity in NYC, I know) you need to take the 1/9 train up to Morning Side Heights (the “Seinfeld neighborhood” and try some of the restaurants around Columbia univeristy. Great food, great service, classy places REAL cheap.
Slythe:
Okay, buddy, you’ve got a lifelong native on the line…
A couple of quick thoughts, to which I will probably add as I give this some more thought.
I notice you’re into Sci Fi. You should consider visiting our newly reconstructed planetarium (attached to the Museum of Natural History). It has gotten raves from the popular press, but I must confess I found it disappointing (“The emperor has no clothes” as a friend described it after all the hoopla). I have very high standards for museums and such, so do not take this as a red light, just a yellow one.
You can do a LOT worse than “Annie Get Your Gun” (any A.L. Webber show, for example). (HIJACK: No lip from you, Annie Xmas; once you graduate to Sondheim, Berlin, Loesser and Kander & Ebb, you’ll wonder what you were thinking all these years.) But if musicals aren’t your thing, I won’t push.
My one-stop advice for all out-of-towners on a quickie visit is the Circle Line boat tour around Manhattan Island. Sure it’s touristy, but it is a classic. It’s fun (wheeee… a boat ride!), educational and really gives a “big picture” sense of the city – something you don’t often get during a short visit. And…
Right near the Circle Line dock is one of NYC’s best sights: the Intrepid Air & Space Museum. It is a refitted aircraft carrier with boffo old planes on its flight deck (even a Blackbird!), and some great military/aviation/space exhibits inside; I believe there are other craft (sub?, destroyer?, tank?, etc.) at the dock as well, so there’s plenty to see.
If you like to do the sightseeing thing RIGHT – as in, really get to learn about what you’re seeing, not just going “Oh. Big green statue. Nice. Now let’s go to Chinatown…” there is ONE and ONLY ONE guide book to NYC that’s worth a damn: THE BLUE GUIDE (to) NEW YORK. Not the easiest book to find, but far and away the best – especially if you’re into history. And unlike other guides that are chock full of misinformation and urban legends, the BG seldom gets it wrong. If you want to keep your trip real casual and “lite,” on the other hand, the BG might be more intense than you really want or need.
Best tourist bargain in NYC: Ride the Staten Island Ferry (wheee… another boat ride!). It gives you a lovely up-close sail-by of the Statue of Liberty (twice: to and from S.I.). When I was a kid it was a nickel: great bargain! Then, when the city hit hard times, it was jacked up to a quarter: still worth every penny and more! Today: it’s free! What more can I say!
The only reason NOT to do the S.I. Ferry is if you go to the Statue of Liberty itself – which I would reccommend to every American. I’ve never been to Ellis Island, but I hear it, too, can bring tears to your eyes.
Feel free to ignore all my advice except this: RIDE THE SUBWAY! It is amazingly safe these days, and an experience you will never forget, for good and bad reasons (refrain from John Rocker remarks please). It really enhances the experience if you read up (or view some documentaries) on the history of the thing. I can recommend some books and docs if you want. Also, there is the NYC Transit Museum in Brooklyn, which can show you the history and hardware of the subways up close, including great old-time subway cars, all clean and new, for you to walk around!
Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, preferably with your wife around sunset. Bring a bottle of bubbly and a boombox playing Sinatra singing “the Brooklyn Bridge” (from the movie “It Happened in Brooklyn”); toast and kiss at the end of the song! If you’re more historically/techically inclined, read David McCullough’s “The Great Bridge” (or view Ken Burns’ BB doc) first, and marvel at this structure that was called – understatedly – the wonder of its age.
Visit Grant’s Tomb. (Who’s buried there? Careful, the obvious answer is only HALF right!) I suggest this because the story behind the place is heartwarming and not very well-known. In the first half of the 20th century GT was a MAJOR tourist attraction; but with urban blight, the site became forgotten, vandalized and ignored. A Columbia University student (CU is nearby) adopted the place as his personal cause. He lobbied, pressured and embarassed the fed, state and local pols to give the site the respect – and funds – it deserved. Today it is in pristene shape, and a must-see for all patriotic citizens and Civil War buffs.
Yes, Times Square is safe, clean and sparkley. I know this sounds snobby, but natives tend to avoid it because of all the pesky tourist traffic… so I really can’t recommend anything there because I’m not too familiar with the place. But, the bottom line is this: there is no need to avoid TS these days like you had to 10+ years ago.
I’m gonna stop now. It’s getting late and this post is long enough. I’ll send more if you want. Feel free to email me directly.
Also, I have a friend who is a volunteer “Big Apple Greeter”; if she’s free, she may be willing to take you around the town (no charge). Let me know and I’ll ask her. Tell me your travel dates and interests.
Trust me, you’ll have a blast!
Thanks for the advice so far. I really wanted to visit the historic Times Square before it was converted over to Disneyland East, but I’ll just have to make do.
What resturants and kinds of fodd should I try?
Oh, but there’s all kinds of fodd available to eat. I would go to the Iron Chef’s restaurant. He makes good fodd from what I’ve heard.
Of course you are. I couldn’t be from further away - who better to be a tourist!
The Radio City Music Hall tour was very interesting. So was the Staten Island Ferry. Did a great “Big Apple bus tour” that you could get on and off at different sites, and rejoin the next tour. It also went through Harlem, and on the south, via the “When Harry Met Sally” Deli. The tour guides were locals for each area. But the most fascinating place on the tour, and I speak as one who is deeply non-religious, was the cathedral of (I think) St John the Devine on the northside.
(Only went up the Empire State Building 'cos I’m scared of heights. Took photos to prove I’d done it and looked over each edge. Do you know if you get really really scared your fingers swell and you can’t get your rings off?).
But Museums and Galleries - wow.
The Frick was fascinating, but more on a human level than an art level - I kept imagining what it might have been like to have lived there. The Modern Art Museum was just incredible, but I didn’t pace myself 'cos of lack of time, and I burned out - “oh look. another masterpiece. That makes 497. three more and I can go get a cup of coffee”.
There is another museum a couple of streets away that specialises in craft. Some of the stuff was awe-inspiring - a more humanly accessible level of art. When I was there they had a pottery exhibition on. They were doing an outreach program to some of the less advantaged schools, and were getting the kids to go round the pottery exhibiition, and then come down to the lowest floor, (where they had covers over the display cases for protection). They had set up large trestle tables down there, gave the kids lumps of clay and said - now you try. Very interesting attempt at communication.
I’d give it and the tour a shot each if you’re short of time.
You’ll get a thousand opinions about fodd spots, so I’ll just stick to a few very classic (dare I say cliche?) NYC specialties:
Cheesecake: Junior’s in downtown Brooklyn or the Carnegie Deli a few blocks away from the famous “hall” of the same name.
Hot Dogs: The one (but not “and only” anymore) original Coney Island Nathan’s, also in Brooklyn. I had one a few weeks ago… still as great as ever. While you’re at Coney, ride one of the world’s great old wooden roller coasters, the Cyclone, and see “NYC’s Eiffel Tower,” the Parachute Jump – a mushroom-shaped steel frame structure that used to be a working ride (in the 40’s and 50’s) a la bungee-jumping, only with parachutes. (You say you wanted to sample the bad old Times Square? Well Coney Island might be just what you crave. It’s got that seedy, slightly threatening, down-at-the-heels flavor that old TS had.)
Pizza: If you like thin-crust, brick oven pizza – not Domino’s style – you’ve got a bunch of options: John’s (three locations in Manhattan – near Lincoln Center, East 64th St., and in Greenwich Village), Arturo’s (Houston St. – pronounced “house-ton” – in Manhattan), Lombardi’s (or is it Lombardo’s? – it’s been a while; also in Greenwich Village), or my fav, Grimaldi’s (in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side). If you opt for Grimaldi’s, order a bottle of Manhattan Special coffee-flavored soda; they’ll think you were born here, and you’ll get a taste treat unlike any other.
Bagels: Many swear by H&H on the upper west side (78th St.? and Broadway), so I’ll go with the crowd and send you there. Also, Zabar’s – a gourmet food/ deli/ kitchenware store – is across the street. Check it out if you want more than bagels.
Egg Cream: Another NYC-only beverage; made from seltzer, chocolate syrup and milk – believe me, it tastes better than it sounds. The best in the city is made in an unlikely little news stand with an even more unlikely name: Gem Spa, (on the corner of 2nd Ave. and St. Mark’s Pl., in Manhattan). Don’t ask me about the name Gem Spa – I haven’t a clue, and the Pakistani (or whatever) guys working there probably don’t either. I’s just a dinky little candy store that makes great Egg Creams. Go figger.
As you can tell, I like to send visitors to off-the-beaten-path spots. (Me: “The Met? Please… it’s an art WAREHOUSE! Zzzzzz…”) Another favorite of mine is a triple-play in Queens:
Shea Stadium/ The Unisphere/ the Panorama of the City of New York: Pick a day the Mets are playing, and add a couple of hours before or after the game for two more sights. See the game. (You can even get there via John Rocker’s famous #7 train.) But also check out two left-overs from the old '64 World’s fair in Flushing Meadows Park, a short walk from Shea. The Unisphere – a glorious stainless steel globe of the world – is still standing. Very impressive. Another vestige of the Fair is the NYC Panorama (inside the Queens Museum of Art, right next to the Unisphere). The Panorama is a miniature building-for-building exact scale model of the 5 boroughs. It fills a space the size of 2 basketball courts. The Empire State Bldg. is 15" tall. They dim the lights and the windows even glow! It was all built by hand and recently cleaned and updated.
I have to say that the museum at Ellis Island was one of the great times in my life to date. If you like that sort of thing, plan a whole day - there’s that much to see. I also found the subways to be a delight - easy and efficient.
Also, from Stamford, you’re only a three-hour drive away from Boston. More importantly, you’ll be less than forty minutes away from the East Coast’s most popular tourist attraction, me.
This is better than any guide book I’ve looked at!
Any good science fiction bookstores?
Where are the best news-stands?
Is Coney Island worth it?
slythe:
Definetly take time to visit Chinatown, it may seem a little tacky and stuff, but it is a lot of fun. The people are very nice, and amazingly intersting, everywhere you go, your head will be turned. It’s awesome.
Second Avenue Deli.
Pick a specific interest [art, natural history museum, hightech, Harlem whatever] and focus on that. New York is like living in the Library of Congress 'cept it’s open 24 hours.
Slythe, Buddy, can ya’ see I’m workin’ overtime for ya pal?
How’my doin’? Am I throwin’ strikes… or balls? I need a little feedback, pal, if ya’ know what I mean!
And what else do you like beside Sci Fi? Lemme know, okay? It helps.
Must-see Sci Fi store: Forbidden Planet (840 Broadway, in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, 212/ 473-1576). They stock books, comics, models, videos, etc. I’m not really into the genre, but it’s common knowledge that they are the leading Sci Fi book outlet in the city. There are many smaller comic shops too, but they’re too numerous to list and I would not know which are really the “best.”
Newsstands? You mean like with papers from around the world? There used to be world famous one in Times Square, but it may have folded or moved. Never did know the name. I’ll have to get back to you.
Is Coney Island worth it, you ask. Well, like I posted earlier, if you’re into roller coasters, the Cyclone is a MUST; it’s been on every RC buff’s list of top wooden coasters since the beginning of time. But if you’re so-so about roller coasters, than C.I. may not be worth your time. Let me break it down, and you can make the call:
Pluses: Cyclone - great; Nathan’s Famous hot dogs - also great; NY Aquarium (nearby) - good, if you’re into aquaria; Parachute Jump - great photo op (but you can’t ride it anymore!); being able to tell your buddies, “Hey I’ve been to Coney Island” - like they say in the ads: priceless.
Goes Either Way: Other rides and amusements - nothing special, some are cheesey, some pretty good; beach - not bad but the unpredictable crowd can make or break it; Boardwalk/people watching/eating salt water taffy/etc. - it all depends if you like the whole beach & midway experience.
Minuses: Ambiance - it’s not Disneyland… there are lot’s of sometimes-raucus teens… they’re more loud and posturing than dangerous (lot’s of NYPD are around) but the music, catcalls, and carrying-on can really ruin your mood if that stuff bothers you.
You make the call.
Now, regarding Chinatown: My favorite resaurant is Wo Hop (15 & 17 Mott St.), 'cause the food is good and cheap, and the downstairs section is open 24 hours; it’s big with college kids looking for a post-midnight snack. But Wo Hop won’t win any decor or cordiality awards, and there are zillions of fine Chinese places around, so feel to follow somebody else’s recommendation if you want.
But you MUST stop into the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory (65 Bayard St.) for dessert; despite their name, they are a regular walk-in ice cream parlor – but with a Chinese twist; they make to-die-for ice cream in tradional and non-traditional flavors (like Green Tea, Pumpkin, and Coconut).
Feedback, Slythe. I need feedback!
If you can only do one museum while you’re there, make it The Cloisters.
Stuyguy, your help has been invaluable!
It’s not the the rest of us Noo Yawkuhs don’t love you and care about your vacation, slythe…we’re all just stricken mute with slaw-jawed wonder at **stuyguy’s **effervescence. And he’s making damn fine calls, too.
Keep goin’, SG! Hell, I’m taking notes at this point.
“Newsstands? You mean like with papers from around the world? There used to be world famous one in Times Square, but it may
have folded or moved. Never did know the name. I’ll have to get back to you.”
—Hotaling’s. And yes, indeed, it recently closed after 70-some years in Times Square. Gosh, I miss that place! You could stop off and get your hometown paper, or check out the London Times or the Assboink Gazette; any magazine from anywhere in the world. Before I went on vacation, I used to get the magazines or newspapers from where I was going, to scout out the place.
One more victim of the Internet.
A couple of additions to Stuyguy’s vast collection…
Newstands: Grand Central Station, Penn Station, and the PanAM…oops…MetLife Building have extensive newsstands. What 'zactly are you looking for? There are a number of storefronts, including one just north of Times Square on Broadway that carry hundreds of titles.
Cheesy-tourist-restaurant-thats-worth-checking-out: The Sci-Fi themed Mars 2112 actually has some decent food and some interesting decor. Since you’re into sci-fi it might be worth at least a trip to the bar, which is pretty interesting. If you’re into it, there’s also a spaceship simulator ride on the way in.
Have a blast!
First let’s tie up some loose ends.
H&H Bagels is on 80th or 81st St., not 78th as I wrongly mentioned elsewhere.
Jayron mentioned Sienfeld in his post, and that brought to mind a recommendation. If you watched the show, they always flash an exterior shot of the diner – it’s on a corner and has big red neon letters spelling: RESTAURANT. Well, the real place is called Tom’s (“Monk’s” is the name they give it in the show) and you can find it on Broadway at about 113th Street. There are signed Sienfeld cast pictures on the walls near the register, of course. Service: gruff but efficient. Prices: reasonable. Food: Good (but we’re talking typical diner fare, here, so come with reasonable expectations); the desserts however, are far better than most NYC diners – it really tastes homemade (Stuyguy’s fave: the layer cake); the milkshakes also look awesome – never had one, but saw one being made… it looked like a meal in itself!
I forgot to mention burgers in my earlier food list. Jackson Hole is a resaurant chain here that features huge, greasy burgers with a vast selection of toppings. If you’ve got a JH where you live, you know what I mean. If not, you can’t help but be impressed with the size of those mothers. But, personally speaking, I prefer two other joints within a few blocks of each other. One is a classic NYC watering hole, the White Horse Tavern on Hudson St. Old, dark and smokey, it was the legendary hang out of poet/playwright Dylan Thomas, and there is something of a shrine to him on the walls. (UL alert: No, he did not die there as is often asserted, but he did drink and smoke there… so maybe there is some ultimate truth to the legend.) Burgers there are my favorite, especially with generous quantities of pickle slices. A girl I dated (and for whom I would have walked on broken glass, but who dumped me anyway!), thought White Horse burgers were yucky (see, no taste in food or men), and preferred the ones at the Corner Bistro a few blocks north-east. Not bad, I must admit – a little more spherical, but very sincere. Six of one, half a dozen of the other. You make the call.
Okay, on to new ground. You may have noticed that I’m not sending you to the places on the top of every tourist’s list. I figure you’re brother-in-law – and everyone else – will tell you whether to go to the Trade Center or Empire State observation deck. (Answer: ESB, of course.) Or what A.L. Webber musical to see. (Answer: none.) So, I’m going to try to get you out of Manhattan, where few tourists go. Also, I like history, so my recs will often have a history angle. That said…
I’m in a “The Bronx” state of mind. You’re probably going to need a car and a good map for these; subways and buses are doable, but not recommended for a novice.
Let’s deal with the easy stuff first:
Yankee Stadium: If you’re a baseball fan, you’ll know more about the place than I, so my only advice is to get there via the Yankee Clipper, a speed ferry (wheeee… yet another boat ride) to and from the east side of Manhattan. Great fun, and real cheap – like 10 bucks.
The Bronx Zoo & the NY Botanical Gardens: Any tour book can tell you better than I. They are both world famous, and I suppose for good reason, but I outgrew zoos a long time ago and never cared much for flowers. But hey, that’s me.
Now for three less obvious picks…
City Island: A small, quaint seafaring community off the eastern edge of The Bronx, accessable via a short bridge. Bring a good map – the tangle of highways (Bruckner, Hutch, etc.) leading to the C.I. turn-off is very confusing. But the island itself is anything but. There’s one main drag running from end to end, lined with great seafood places, boat yards, and homes. The Lobster Box and the Lobster Shack (hey, these people are into fishing, not novelty) are well recommended. Or go to the joint at the tippy-tip end of the island and eat your crabs on a picnic table overlooking the L.I. Sound. There is a mom & pop nautical museum on the main drag, but I’ve never been in it. I can, however, recommend the cute, dinky, homespun nautical museum run by C.I.'s historical society on Fordham St.; there you can learn about the history of C.I. and the numerous America’s Cup-winning boats that were built there.
The Hall of Fame for Great Americans: (Trivia Question: Where did the term “hall of fame” originate? Answer: The Bronx, NY) THE original Hall of Fame is a collection of about 100 bronze busts of outstanding American statesmen, scientists, composers, patriots, etc. all lined up along a walk that overlooks the Harlem River (the view is best when the trees are bare). It was built at the turn of the century at what was then NYU’s Bronx campus; NYU sold off the grounds in 1973, and today it’s the campus of Bronx Community College (University Ave. & 181 St., The Bronx). But the Hall of Fame and the other glorious structures designed by McKim, Meade & White are still there, in pretty good shape. Some of the inductees are pretty obscure today (Phillip Brooks?) but the vast majority are household names like Lincoln, Mark Twain, the Wright Bros., etc. Naturally the selection is pretty white and masculine, but not exclusively so. Visiting hours are restricted, so you should probably call first; and get driving directions while you’re at it.
Jimmy’s Sports Cafe: This is my wild-card pick! It’s a big, newish tacky/glitzy Latin nightclub/restaurant not far from the Bronx Community College campus where the Hall of Fame is at. I include it because of its one singular distinction… A few years back, when the UN celebrated it’s 50th Anniversary, all the world leaders came to NYC to attend the ceremony. It was the first time in decades (if not ever) that Fidel Castro came to the USA. Naturally, while here, all the big shots went to the best shops, shows and resaurants in town. Castro went to Jimmy’s Sports Cafe!
Gonna end this post here. Next one’s for you, Uke – Brooklyn.