New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

SF Bay Area Version

Alright, time for city number two. Tons of New Yorkers here, so let's hear it.

I really don't even know where to start. There's an infinite amount of stuff to do in NYC. So much of what I love to do is just walk around the city. So many great bustling neighborhoods to experience, so many interesting people and things to see.

Bars, restaurants, museums, hotels, neighborhoods, galleries, stores, you name it, New York has every possible variety.

I'll start out with a recomendation for one of my favorite NYC activities. I've done this a number of years. Sept 29, 2007 is the date this year: Fifth Avenue Mile. A mile long race down Fifth Avenue. I do 5Ks from time to time and the occassional 10K, but I'm not a serious runner at all, so it's really fun doing a mile race - you just run really fast. The weather is usually beautiful for this. Just a fun way to start your Saturday in New York.

Please put in at least a little detail about what you post. Just listing random names of things/places is lame.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

Le Pain Quotidien was recommended to me from 2p2 NY'ers and it is my favorite bakery in the city. There is about a dozen of them but I go to the one in Central Park.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

I usually take my wife and kids once a year. One of our highlights is taking the subway to Brooklyn and walking the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h5...yn_heights.jpg

We then eat lunch at Grimaldi's (get there early to avoid the line)
http://www.lovetoeatandtravel.com/Gr...imaldis_11.jpg

and walk back to Manhattan over the Brooklyn Bridge (yea nits, I know the picture is facing Brooklyn [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] ).

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h5...yn20Bridge.jpg

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

Gotta see the revised MOMA. The inside space of the building itself is reason enough.

NY Philharmonic at Lincoln Center. Needs no explanation.

St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Brunch at a Sarabeth's location

Oh, and for the hip hop folk, visit the Big L memorial mural uptown

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan is up there on my list.

I love going to the turtle pond in Central Park. That one never ceases to amaze me; smack dab in the middle of the most urban city in the country is this raw piece of nature. I can sit and watch those turtles for hours, knowing that any time I feel like it, I can be in Times Square in ten minutes. It's the ultimate in contrasts.

I also love the Natural History Museum. I love these in general, but the one in New York is so....old school. It really has this air of 19th-century colonialism about it; a sense that it's stocked by the plunderings of eccentric rich explorers and self-taught anthropologists doing their own versions of 'eco-tourism' 150 years ago.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

as a jazz guy, I love hitting up the jazz clubs when I'm in NYC.

i like the new iridium as you don't have to deal with the obstructed view that you used to when it was near the lincoln center.

The Village Vanguard is probably my favorite place to visit. Its in the west village off of broadway and can be easy to miss if you aren't paying attention. The atmosphere there is great and they usually put on great acts. I don't know what the current price per set is right now, but it shouldn't be more then 40. There is a two drink cover there

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

Upright Citizens Brigade theater has great improv, SNL guest appearances, even weekly free shows ... definitely check this out.

Also, Film Forum and IFC are great theaters to check out independent / foreign movies.

The Coffee shop (union square) and Jerry's (soho) for great casual food.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

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There's an infinite amount of stuff to do in NYC.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ain't that the truth. As such, here are some great NYC resources:

Menupages is a website that lists menus of just about EVERY Manhattan restaurant. Its a priceless resource. As a caveat, the reviews they have should not be taken all too seriously b/c of the very small sample size.

Gothamist is a very handy NY blog that is updated every hour or two and covers local news, upcoming concerts, restaurant reviews, and other kinds of fun stuff. A similar site that is more geared to music news/concerts is Brooklyn Vegan.





Citysearch is like Menupages, but covers bars and clubs exclusively. Every neighborhood has something to offer. But every kind of scene can be found.

OK, time to go to the concert. specific questions as to things to do are welcome.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

early weekend morning chess in washington square park in the summer. hot coffee, cool morning, quiet park and a handful of $5 speed games with a chess hustler/homeless guy. good times.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

Katz's Deli -- best pastrami in the universe. it's basically a big pile of meat, between two flimsy slices of rye bread that have no purpose, and a plate of pickles. kosher-style (though not actually kosher), so mustard only.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

1) Frick Museum, Brooklyn Art Museum/Botanical Gardens. Frick has 3 Vermeers in it, plus some other greats, and is just a stunning 'house,' see what rich guys lived like in the old days.

2) Met/NYC Opera. La Boheme/Magic Flute/Tosca, etc. Even if you just go once, at least go...once. You might like it.

3) Yankees game/Bronx zoo. Great spring/summer events also good 'date' things to do.

4) Qualifying rounds at US Open. Go early, you get to see the stars of tomorrow [and some of yesterdays/current recovering from injury] and see Federer/Roddick/Maria/Venus practice while sitting in the front row.

5) Shakespeare in the Park - another must-do, the talent there is usually quite high both on-stage and off.

6) Dim sum in Chinatown. Speaks for itself.

7) Go play Bethpage Black. If you are really, really good at golf that is.

8) Drinks on roof of Met Museum at the sculpture garden, best views in the City, always a good crowd up there, relatively little known.

The weekly, free outdoor movies summer in Bryant Park is also a ton of fun, get there early, bring food & drinks + blanket, invite some female friends, can't go wrong. The piers on the West side highway have cool sand volleyball courts, mini-golf, batting cages, trapeze school, lotsa outdoor concerts + dance stuff.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

i haven't picked up much interesting stuff living in NYC for 8 months now, but i did recommend le pan quotidien to darko, so i'll take credit there.

one restaurant i would feel pretty good about recommending is poke , on the upper east side. very good, very fresh sushi, reasonably priced, and i've gotten great service all three times i've gone. i was checking out the reviews on the linked site and apparently a lot of people have not been happy with the service - felt rushed or didn't like the BYOB policy. i didn't have any problem with this and i went there on some pretty busy nights, but YMMV.

i really liked the red dragon roll and pretty much any hot appetizer you order - last time i was there they had this raw tuna pizza on a sort of scallion pancake with melted cheese that was f'in sweet.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

[ QUOTE ]


7) Go play Bethpage Black. If you are really, really good at golf that is.



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This is a hike out of the city and usually to get on over the summer you need to get there really early/even stay overnight.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
There's an infinite amount of stuff to do in NYC.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ain't that the truth. As such, here are some great NYC resources:

<a href="www.menupages.com" target="_blank">Menupages</a> is a website that lists menus of just about EVERY Manhattan restaurant. Its a priceless resource. As a caveat, the reviews they have should not be taken all too seriously b/c of the very small sample size.

<a href="www.gothamist.com" target="_blank">Gothamist</a> is a very handy NY blog that is updated every hour or two and covers local news, upcoming concerts, restaurant reviews, and other kinds of fun stuff. A similar site that is more geared to music news/concerts is <a href="www.brooklynvegan.com" target="_blank">Brooklyn Vegan</a>.





Citysearch is like Menupages, but covers bars and clubs exclusively. Every neighborhood has something to offer. But every kind of scene can be found.

OK, time to go to the concert. specific questions as to things to do are welcome.

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On the theme of useful websites for those unfamiliar with parts of New York, hopstop (subway/walking directions/estimated cab time and fare) is just about the best resource out there for traveling within the city (boroughs too). I use it myself at least once/week just to double check how long it will take to get somewhere. The estimated travel times are extremely accurate in my experience.

Also, Citysearch is alright but I think Yelp has better content and is much easier to navigate.


I'm sure Daver would have posted this had he been here before me, but Barcade is a very cool bar that isn't a "typical NYC place." It's got 20 or so old school arcade games and about an equal amount of beers on tap. It's in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

I might as well steal Egg from Daver too. It's a cool little diner just a couple blocks from barcade, so if you wake up hungover in some hipster chick's loft it's a great way to start the day.

Just about anything in Central Park is a good time when the weather's nice. Unfortunately I don't go nearly as often as I wish I did.

Everyone should hang out in the southwest corner of Washington Sq. Park and play chess with crazy old guys then chat up some girls at the dog run. If the pick up lines Bruiser taught you from his Vegas camp end up working there's some pretty cool places to eat/drink in the area. I like Town Tavern for cheap drink specials and great burgers (chef used to work at Corner Bistro, also close by).

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

I think the Cloisters is one of my favorite places to go on a nice spring day. The Cloisters is essentially several European monasteries that were taken apart, shipped to New York, then reconstructed by the Metropolitan Musuem and turned into a Medieval art gallery. The most famous work housed there is the Unicorn Tapestries:

http://www.storyboardtoys.com/galler...nicorn-5-L.jpg

http://www.storyboardtoys.com/galler...nicorn-7-L.jpg

Even if you are not that into art or museums, the Cloister is still definitely worth a visit on a nice day because of its atmosphere. Its definitely a money place to go on a more sophisticated date or a good place to take people who are visiting New York. Rather than describing it myself I found a very good review from New York Magazine:

[ QUOTE ]
This uptown branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is worth the 45-minute subway ride from midtown (plus a pleasant 10-minute walk through Fort Tryon Park.) Perched on the tip of Manhattan, the castle-like Museum is comprised of five Medieval cloisters imported from France and filled with art and artifacts. Perhaps the most celebrated attractions are The Unicorn Tapestries, a group of seven wall hangings that vividly portray the mythological hunt and capture of a unicorn. (The flowers in the tapestries, woven of wool and silk, are depicted in such detail that researchers have identified many of them.) Other gallery objects include religious sculptures, water vessels shaped like animals, illuminated manuscripts, stained glass and ivories. Many visitors come for the building itself: One room recreates a 12th-century chapel and the monastery gardens are breathtaking. With its antiquated structure and amazing vistas, the Museum is also featured in numerous films including Coogan's Bluff and Keeping the Faith.

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Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

One other cool but likely completely irrelevant idea. A couple weeks ago my buddy read about a place in Coney Island (read: FAR) called Sahara and decided we were going. So three of us head out there around 7:30 on a Friday night. It's a really cool Turkish (I think) place. It's got all kinds of really tasty roasted meats (chicken, beef, lamb, etc.). It works really well as a family style place; two entres would probably do three people very nicely.

We had a bunch of some Turkish beer (called Efez I think) at diner and didn't really know what to do when we left. We saw a liquor store just down the block and each picked up a bottle of champagne to drink while we walked around. This neighborhood was completely empty, I wouldn't advise walking around Manhattan gulping champagne out of the bottle.

Eventually we saw a sign for the Beach and decided to go check that out. It ended up being kind of a hike but it was a lot of fun being basically lost in what feels like a completely different city from your own, all the while getting wasted. We walked around the boardwalk for a a bit and talked to some random crazy guy that was also on the beach.

On the way to the beach we had passed a club called Rasputin. There were no reviews for it on Yelp and they both describe it as a caterer/restaurant. I'm pretty sure the address is right but it definitely isn't a restaurant. There were hot chicks and a red carpet outside...IN THE MIDDLE OF BUMBLEFUCK, BROOKLYN!We had to check it out. What it turned out to be was a dance club full of the most beautiful Russian women I've ever seen. I usually am not that into Eastern European chicks but these girls were drop dead gorgeous and the girl/guy ratio was probably 2 or 3. That being said, we were the only people there that weren't obviously Russian. We walked around getting shot down by lots of chicks and then snuck into the second floor VIP area to hang out for a little while. It was an awesome time.



Anyway, the point, I guess, is that one of the most fun things to do in NYC is basically get lost and not really know where the hell you're going to end up. There's tons of cool/crazy stuff/people here and you're going to run into some of them no matter what you do.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

All I can say about my very limited experiences with New York City is that it really does live up to the hype. I haven't been anywhere that I haven't enjoyed. Even the dank-ass subway terminals are awesome.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

My favorite thing to do in New York is to just WALK! This is an incredibly foot-friendly city and I can hardly think of a better way to spend a spring afternoon than strolling around downtown with my girlfriend. My favorite stops along the way:

-SoHo shopping (Apple store = Mecca, obv)
-Angelika theatre and Sunshine cinema
-Battery park (there are many nice sunny lawns to lay out on and enjoy)
-Menchanko-Tei ramen restaurant: an unbelievably big and delicious meal for $10... (in the 50s, near the Apple store that actually LOOKS like Mecca)
-The new West Side parks downtown are awesome.

My main suggestion is to just GO... walk around and enjoy the city. You will find tons of places on your own, wether you have lived here forever or are just visiting. Summer in New York is one of my favorite times/places in the universe...

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

Go to tartine on w 4th and w 11th and get the croque monsieur for brunch. Unbelievable piece of food. Seriously... made differently than any other croque i've seen and is what i would want for my last meal...

Bond st for sushi.

bagels and pizza all over.

I miss ny so much god damnit...

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

[ QUOTE ]
Go to tartine on w 4th and w 11th and get the croque monsieur for brunch. Unbelievable piece of food. Seriously... made differently than any other croque i've seen and is what i would want for my last meal...

Bond st for sushi.

bagels and pizza all over.

I miss ny so much god damnit...

[/ QUOTE ]

I love new york... but I would switch places with you until April for sure.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

Where was this thread in January when I went to NYC. Damn you Diablo and your forum.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

This is a great thread idea El D. I've been living in New York (Little Italy, above an Italian restaurant) for about six months now. Here are some of my reflections:

-The main reading room at the New York Public Library: I "stumbled" in here about a year and a half ago when looking for a place to do some thesis work while in New York to see the Breeder's Cup. It has a uniquely "great library" feel to it (probably better than Widener in Cambridge MA but a step behind the British Library), but feels even more ominous and majestic because it is right in the middle of midtown and across from a Sean John store. Definitely worth spending a few hours there if you have something to read...

-Lower East Side, about 2am: I've really fallen in love with the LES since moving to New York. It has a kind of grainy vibrance that few drinkin' haunts I've been to have. There are tons of great bars, quirky but excellent restaurants (some of which stay open very late), and a characteristically "New York" feel that you don't get in a lot of other areas. The LES is great for every way it is NOT like the Meatpacking District. A favorite bar is Iggy's, at Ludlow between Rivington and Stanton.

-Poker: Oddly enough, New York is one of the few places I've been where playing poker takes on a kind cultural resonance. I have encountered the greatest cross-section of New York personalities at various games, and the "honor among thieves" ethic that prevails means that I get suprisingly frank insight into a lot of different New Yorkers who I would never encounter otherwise. I have often cited poker as one of the most "definitely New York" experiences I've had since living here, and I recommend it to anyone who both enjoys poker and wants to see New York at it's seedy best.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

[ QUOTE ]
1) Frick Museum, Brooklyn Art Museum/Botanical Gardens. Frick has 3 Vermeers in it, plus some other greats, and is just a stunning 'house,' see what rich guys lived like in the old days.

2) Met/NYC Opera. La Boheme/Magic Flute/Tosca, etc. Even if you just go once, at least go...once. You might like it.

3) Yankees game/Bronx zoo. Great spring/summer events also good 'date' things to do.

4) Qualifying rounds at US Open. Go early, you get to see the stars of tomorrow [and some of yesterdays/current recovering from injury] and see Federer/Roddick/Maria/Venus practice while sitting in the front row.

5) Shakespeare in the Park - another must-do, the talent there is usually quite high both on-stage and off.

6) Dim sum in Chinatown. Speaks for itself.

7) Go play Bethpage Black. If you are really, really good at golf that is.

8) Drinks on roof of Met Museum at the sculpture garden, best views in the City, always a good crowd up there, relatively little known.

The weekly, free outdoor movies summer in Bryant Park is also a ton of fun, get there early, bring food & drinks + blanket, invite some female friends, can't go wrong. The piers on the West side highway have cool sand volleyball courts, mini-golf, batting cages, trapeze school, lotsa outdoor concerts + dance stuff.

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Some great stuff in here. #5 is an excellent recommendation. I only started going 3 summers ago, but Shakespeare in the Park is fantastic. The 2004 production of Much Ado with Jimmy Smits, Sam Waterson, and Kristen Johnson was fantastic. I saw it like 4 or 5 times, each time on stanby tix...once getting the front row center seats.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

my list:

1) brooklyn botanic gardens, this is obv best in spring but laying around in the cherry tree fields after walking around the garden is one of my favorite things to do.

2) I counted once that I own around 27 albums recorded live at the village vanguard. the vanguard is easily my favorite top level jazz club in the city. not at all touristy or overpriced, and some of the best jazz musicians in the world.

3) another music thing, tuesday nights at smoke (bway and 103rd) is hammond b3 organ night and it usually features peter bernstein on guitar, one of my favorite guitarists ever. once in a blue moon george benson stops by to sit in!

4) the nyc marathon. if you're going to run just one, run nyc. nothing beats seeing tons of different neighborhoods all over the city, and having people cheering you on the entire race. for added fun, wear a shirt with your name on it and the entire way people will cheer for you by name!

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

Terra Blues on bleeker has free, live blues. The house band is good. I don't get around to that neighborhood much anymore though.

Right around there is the only place in that neighborhood I actually go to a lot - Minetta Tavern. It used to be a speak-easy. The current owner is a young guy who started there as a bus boy. The old owner wanted to retire/sell the place and he sold to him under the condition that he kept the place exactly the same. Food is great, atmosphere better. The final scene of "Sleepers" was actually filmed there. After i came to school it was the 1st restuarant i went out to with my dad, and we go back often.

Also, 4am Korean BBQ on 31st and 6th is jackpot.

I will sheepishly admit I like to shop around Prince and West Broadway. People in those stores are so nice. But I hate the Mac store, too crowded.

Final note - A haircut and a shave from Antonella's Barber Shop down by city hall is probably my favorite thing to do in the city. On your worst of worst days, go and get one. You will walk out feeling better. Get the big guy with the Mullet though, not the old guy. You will know what I mean when you go. The haircut is great - bet in the city though I haven't ever paid more than like $30 for a haircut, but the shave is where it's at.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

LES, Film Forum, and random Russian clubs in Brooklyn [go with Russian friends] are all great places to hit up randomly, I can vouch for the number and high ratio of incredibly hot E.European/Russian women drinking straight vodka there.
The Russian and Turkish baths are also nice, try those at least once, they are scattered all over.
The re-releases/remastered versions of classics at Film Forum are not to be missed: Raging Bull, Taking of Pelham 1-2-3, Rififi, et al.
Obvs things like Luger's and B'way are must-dos. Even a drink at the 4 Seasons on 57th is worth it, go on a Fri/Sat night, have some really, really good drinks and hang out. Incredible people-watching.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

Never heard of these Russian places in Brooklyn. I've always had a thing for hot Russian and Easter European women. I'll have to check that out. Anyone have specific names?

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

[ QUOTE ]
Never heard of these Russian places in Brooklyn. I've always had a thing for hot Russian and Easter European women. I'll have to check that out. Anyone have specific names?

[/ QUOTE ]
Read my second post in this thread.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

Sounds cliche, but walking owns.

There's some great stuff around the NYU (downtown) and Columbia (upper-west side) campuses. Tom's Restaurant at 110th and Broadway is the exterior of the diner in Seinfeld; typical diner food with some Seinfeld memorabilia, but it's cool to say you've been. There are also some great ethnic restaurants within a 5-10 block radius of Columbia (the ones right across from the campus are much more commercial).

My personal favorite foods are the middle-eastern Kebab (pitas, not skewers) places. It can be hit or miss, but some of the lamb kebabs I've had are absolutely delicious. Filafel is also great for the vegetarians out there (I used to be). Amir's at 114th and Broadway is the only specific name I can remember (there's are a little crispier and over-sauced, but still delish), but there are tons by Washington Square Park.

Everyone should go to the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island once in their lives. I've met sooo many native New Yorkers (I'm not one--actually live in CT anyways) that have never been. It's a must, just for the awesomeness and cultural significance. There's a book in Ellis Island of every person who passed through; check for your family's name (I forget if it's native names or American-ized names)!

Walk 5th avenue. Especially 42nd street to 60th. Tons of high-end shopping. Rockefeller Center is great fun as well. Ice skating in that rink in the middle of winter (I was visiting from Texas at the time) is one of my best NYC memories--and it's usually not too crowded. I haven't yet been, but I hear that the view from Top of the Rock is even better than the Empire State Building; one of these is a must do.



I'm sure I'll think of more things to write eventually, but those were my first ramblings.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

For some nice sights of the downtown skyline, you should take a trip on the Staten Island Ferry. It takes about 25 minutes each way, but the views are great. If you take it at night, you get a very nice view of the Statue of Liberty all lit up as well as the downtown skyline.


Dollar dumplings at Dumpling House on Eldridge between Broome and Grande. Delicious dumplings 5 for a dollar. They also have these sesame pancake things that you can have stuffed with a variety of items. Delicious.

Congee Village, they're open 'til about 2AM for some late-night snacking. They're on Allen St. right off of Delancey. I think they recently opened up another location on Bowery between Delancey and Rivington. I've only really had their congee (porridge) with a variety of things in it, their other foods are meh, and it's ridiculously cheap. If you're drunk, hungry and on a budget, this is the place to go.

Oh, another place to go if you're drunk and hungry and Congee village has closed for the night is a Chinese place called 69 on Bayard St. between Elizabeth and Mott in Chinatown. Cheap as hell, open real late, and again, cheap as hell. Service sucks, it's a shithole (dollar bills provided by patrons over the years serve as wallpaper), but it's cheap and open late and the food is half decent.

There're some to start. More to come as I think of them.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

All,

SummerStage concerts in Central Park!

Let's hear your personal favorite bars and restaurants now.

I really love Wolfgang's for steak. It's basically the same food as Peter Luger, but in a nice Manhattan location with a nice space and good vibe.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

My last stop in NYC is always for hot chocolate at Payard. They make it like the Europeans do - basically melted chocolate and whole milk. I usually get a sandwich and a pastry to go for Amtrak back to DC.

On my last trip I had dinner at A Voce. Andrew Carmelini is a maestro in the kitchen. This dinner ranks second only to my "experience" at Guy Savoy at Caesars.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

I went to a bar called the Parkside Lounge on the corner of Houston St. and Attorney St. recently and loved it. Happy Hour is for about 6 hours (2-8 I think, I may be mistaken). Drinks are pretty cheap. $10 pitchers and 2 for 1 well drinks during happy hour. They had free pizza, foosball table in the front and I think pool tables in the back. Cute bartender too. I haven't gone since, as I haven't been in the area much, but I'd love to go back, as the atmosphere was great and they supposedly have events (comedy, live music etc.) depending on the night. The night I went, I happened to be checking out a show at Sin-é across the street (a good place to check out up-and-coming acts, though they're going to be closing soon), so didn't stay long enough to check out what was going on that night.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

i've only been here for like 7-8 months but i've been making it a point to try lots of restaurants --- Rosa Mexicano (the one by Union Square; great Mexican food, really cool decor and an awesome pomegranate margarita, their signature drink - myself, whitelime, ezmogee and some others had a really fun night here) and Dylan Prime (trendy steakhouse, there have been some reviews of it in OOT i think) have been my two favorite restaurants

as far as bars, danza and I went to a bday party at AceBar that was pretty fun - sort of dive-ish, but with a ton of really hot girls. a little overcrowded but they have two skee-ball machines!

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

[ QUOTE ]
Let's hear your personal favorite bars and restaurants now.


[/ QUOTE ]

Back in the '90's and early 2000's could have rattled off dozens of cool bars and clubs. But now I am married and my NYC nightlife is virtually nonexistent. Plus so many of the great places I loved are gone (e.g., Drinkland, The Oak Room Bar at The Plaza and all the great Peter Gatien clubs).

Still, the wife and I realy like Pegu Club on Houston near West Broadway. It is done in the style of a Burmese English colonial club. The cocktails are pricey (but then again all of NYC is these days) but very good. They also only let in enough people that can be seated plus a few at the bar so it never becomes a mad crush (as opposed to every place in the Meatpacking District (which reminds me of the good old days when the Meatpacking District at night was where you went to score drugs, pick up tranny hookers and try to avoid getting mugged/beat up in the process in contrast to the underage-drinking Disneyland it has become -- ah yes the old times, but I digress)).

I used to be obsessed with restaurants and trying everything but got jaded with that attitude years ago, even before I became a vegetarian which furtherm limits where I eat. But I love "Craft" where I can create the veggie/starch meal of my dreams while my meat-eating friends can enjoy themelves as well and we can all share a great bottle of wine.

Daniel Boulud's second restaurant (after "Daniel"), "Cafe Boulud" on the Upper East Side is terrific.

The Danny Meyer restaurants are all still solid (if stolid)choices. "Union Square Cafe" is a bit of a boring choice this many years on but is certainly good for a revisit every five years or so (and if you've never been then of course you should go). I adored the 7-course vegetarian tasting menu at "Gramercy Tavern" recently and their wine list is also excellent. Of the Mario Batalli places, I like the humble Pizzeria/Enoteca "Otto" which I go to at least monthly (although it is down the block from my apt.) and wonderful but postage-stamp-sized "Casa Mono" in the Gramercy area. "Tamarind" on East 22nd street is great for high-end/slightly westernized Indian food (love the Thalis).

For romantic dinners you still cannot go wrong with the standby "Aureole". That is where I took my fiance for dinner the night we got engaged (and no, I did not propose there in public).

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

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Let's hear your personal favorite bars and restaurants now.

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"Vol De Nuit" on West 4th/Ave of Americas. Authentic Belgian beer from the tap, good music, college crowd, outdoors seating.

Other than that, skating in Central Park is very pleasant in a good weather. Much better than Bryant Park or Rockefeller center, in my opinion.

Also, each year there's this "march of elephants" event that I attended twice and had lots of fun for no apparent reason. When Ringling Brothers Circus comes to town around February-March, they have to offload their elephants somewhere in New Jersey and then march them through the 34th street tunnel and then down 34th street crosstown around 2am. It's rather surreal to watch elephants walking around in Manhattan, and I just like the animals. It usually draws a sizeable crowd, and the whole affair is quite festive. I'm not sure if it already occured this year or not. Couldn't find anything about it on google either.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

My favorite restaurants that I have visited recently:

First Tier:

Blue Hill - I have been twice this year and the spring visit was incredible. The second visit was not nearly as good because we had to sit in the "garden" and the vegetables I found most interesting in the spring were out of season at their personal farm in Westchester.

Degustation - Loved everything about it. Was the most surprising meal of the year so far. The space was comfortable, the vibe was relaxed, I loved watching them make the food right in front of me, and the staff was very friendly.

Gotham Bar and Grill - The chocolate cake pushed this restaurant into the top tier. Anyone who has tried it knows what I am talking about.

Second Tier:

11 Madison Park - I prefer smaller spaces, but I had no major complaints and I thought the entire experience was solid.

Cafe Boulud - Good food as you would expect from a Daniel restaurant, but the experience was lacking for me. A questionable dish choice may have biased my opinion

Honorable Mention:

Poke (Been 15+ times - great sushi place and very convenient location for me. Everyone always has a fun time, the food is good, prices are cheap, and BYOB)

Craftbar

Stanton Social

Mas

Turks and Frogs

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

Daniel, Sushi Yasuda, Oceana is a personal fave, Gramercy tavern, Aquavit, Bond St is good decor, solid service, darn good sushi, and a great scene in the lounge downstairs. Yama still best sushi value. Luger's is really a must-do. Oyster Bar at Grand Central but *only* get the Oysters, nothing else! Harrison Inn and Red Cat. Eleven Madison Park. Cafe Des Artistes is amazingly romantic. Babbo. Mesa Grill. Il Mulino. Four Seasons. Alain Ducasse. Aureole, Veritas, Lever House.
Short Rosa Mexicano, Short Jean-Georges and Vong but long Jo-Jo for value. Avoid Tavern on the Green at all costs.

Some good 2nd tier names just a step below - Tao if only for scene and decor, Megu, Gennaro's, Tabla. Daisy Mae's BBQ. Soup Kitchen Int'l. Peking Duck House. Artisinal. Balthazar. Mermaid Inn, Olives. Zen Palate is awesome for vegetarian's.

Cheaper: Republic, Molly's, burger heaven, SweetnTart, Gray's Papaya. Yips. Friend of a Farmer.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

you're not going to find any hot chicks there but mcsorley's is really a unique place and probably the most fun bar you can go to with a bunch of your buddies.

Re: New York City: Your favorite things to do or places to go
 

They used to run these street fairs all over the city, with really good street food like kabobs, corn on the cob, gyros, etc. I think there is a time when they switch up different avenues--I used to see em on the upper west side on the weekends occasionally.

I think central park south is a pretty underrated place in the city to spend with a girl. On a nice day its a fun walk around there with the horse/carriages, then you can go shopping in the pretty nice time warner mall (Tourneau watch store, William Sonoma, and there is a pretty nice bar/lounge that overlooks columbus circle). If its your thing, you can both get a massage in the Mandarin Oriental.

Museum of Natural history rocks, but I am west-side biased. The best thing to do is to find a show at the planetarium, and watch it. I used to go to lectures by astronomists in high school and it was great to just sit back and hear someone else talk about something ridiculous about gamma rays and supernovas.

As for drunk munchies, if you are anywhere near Cornets by columbia nothing beats that big slice when u are drunk.

-Jason