Hey guys and gals. Resident experts, I’m out in NYC for a week for a “work-vacation”. I’ll have most nights and next saturday free. I’ve got a few cool ideas of things to do/shows to see, plus the normal touristy stuff.
Anybody have any insider tips on the goings on, must see shows, restaurants, destinations etc…?
Thanks.
Prince Paul
Are you Prince Paul of Romania or the dude from the Gravediggaz your highness?
The greatest meal of my life @ jonathan waxman’s restaurant Barbuto.
Do it.
Thank me later.
When you get to NYC,go to a subway station or a street corner and find this magazine called “Timeout NY” and flip through to the events section. You should be able to find alot of stuff to do during your stay. Try the MET museum and the MOMA,they had some cool exhibits. Also look for “Museum of Sex”,it was awesome when I visited.
[quote]Hallowed wrote:
The greatest meal of my life @ jonathan waxman’s restaurant Barbuto.
Do it.
Thank me later.[/quote]
Better than any of the of the Michelin 3 stars? Jean-Georges has an incredible lunch special, Per Se is worth visiting if you don’t live near California, Le Bernadin has some of the best seafood around, Daniel sucks, and I’m not sure who goes to Masa. If you go to Jean-Georges, Per Se, or Masa, you can hop on over to the Museum of Art and Design which has a really cool optical illusion exhibit (it’s more interesting than it sounds).
Next to that is FAO Schwarz, one of the most intriguing toy stores around. Worth a visit even if you don’t have kids.
Other very notable restaurants would be ABC Kitchen (first meal I’ve ever had where meat was not the main course that I’ve liked); The Modern (make a reservation so you don’t have to eat with the proletariat) which is attached to the MOMA; and Momofuku Noodle Bar for a quick meal.
The Cloisters is good if you like old caste-type stuff. You could spend a week just in the MET, so pick what you want to see and ignore everything else. The Cloisters and the MET are donation based, so don’t think you’re forced to pay $100,000 or whatever they charge for admission these days.
I’d skip Central Park unless you’re from somewhere that has no parks, or you’re going to something like the botanical gardens. If you find yourself looking for something to do one afternoon, head over to the TCKTS booth and pick up half price tickets to some show.
And here ends Johnny Tangs Guide to NYC.
For views “Top of the Rock” Guide to the Top of the Rock Observation Deck
For Pizza , Lombardi’s in the village.
http://www.firstpizza.com/newyork.html
For just fuckin around, go to Washington Square Park. There’s usually street performers out there and good restaurants in the vicinity.
Go to Canal Street and experience Chinatown. As you head east on canal street , bang a left on Mulberry Street and you’ll be in Little Italy. Buy some Italian Ice and cannolis.
There are tons of bars and clubs. I’m too old for that scene so the places I liked are gone or suck now. Sometimes I hit the tourist bars on 8th ave from 43 steet all the way up 50th. There are much better bar options though.
thanks for all the great suggestions! I’ll definitely check them out. Last night I hit the lower eastside for live music, going to the Bowery Ballroom, Mercury lounge and the living room. All had incredible music, and no cover!
Tonight I’m going to go to Union Pool for some honkey tonk and six dollar pbr + well shots. Should be very colorful…
Tomorrow taking the day off to do the MET and museum of natural history if time allows, maybe Barbutos? We’ll see.
Thanks again.
Prince Paul
[quote]PrincePaul wrote:
thanks for all the great suggestions! I’ll definitely check them out. Last night I hit the lower eastside for live music, going to the Bowery Ballroom, Mercury lounge and the living room. All had incredible music, and no cover!
Tonight I’m going to go to Union Pool for some honkey tonk and six dollar pbr + well shots. Should be very colorful…
Tomorrow taking the day off to do the MET and museum of natural history if time allows, maybe Barbutos? We’ll see.
Thanks again.
Prince Paul[/quote]
The Museum on Natural History is my favorite. If you have a college ID, show it at the museums. Last time I went , they all gave significant discounts. They barely even look at it.
If you’re around thursday, go down to the meatpacking district. Head to 627 lounge, on the corner of 9th ave and 13th street.
Tell them Roman sent you.
Don’t go before 1am.
What part of town are you staying in?
Take the E train to Far Rockaway Queens. It’s beautiful this time of year. Pick up a bullet proof vest on canal street first though.
[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:
Take the E train to Far Rockaway Queens. It’s beautiful this time of year. Pick up a bullet proof vest on canal street first though. [/quote]
Lol! I just went to 90th st beach the other day (NOT on the E train, bad Bonezy). There were white people doing silly things everywhere! Just look at this. I mean, wtf? Mind you, the red head had a sweet ass, but still!
Go to Coney! They have new rides!
Get brisket @ Virgil’s on 44th between 6th and 7th ave (closer to 7th).
[quote]Mascherano wrote:
[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:
Take the E train to Far Rockaway Queens. It’s beautiful this time of year. Pick up a bullet proof vest on canal street first though. [/quote]
Lol! I just went to 90th st beach the other day (NOT on the E train, bad Bonezy). There were white people doing silly things everywhere! Just look at this. I mean, wtf? Mind you, the red head had a sweet ass, but still!
Go to Coney! They have new rides!
[/quote]
90th?? pshtt that may as well be Eden. Stroll on down to 30th lol. Have your will prepared beforehand though
Coney island is a long walk from where I am, nice to see it being revived a bit recently.
Great thread! I’ll be there in late August for 4 or 5 days. Anyone have any suggestions for the wife and I? We’ll be meeting my sister’s boyfriend for the first time and staying with them near Coney Island. We are all old now, so no more need for all night parties or the like. Fun, Free, and entertaining sounds good. Is that “Shakespeare in the park” thing still going on? Worth going to? How hot is NYC going to be in late August?
btw, Isn’t the Museum of Natural History a “suggested donation” for a ticket or some-such? (or was that another museum). That’s probably why they didn’t look at the college ID.
The Museum of Natural History is excellent. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is also fantastic.
If you want the best fucking Italian food in that city, go to Da Tommaso on 8th Avenue between 53rd and 54th. Jerry Orbach from Law and Order used to go there all the time. I’ve been going there for years, its far and away my favorite restaurant in the city.
Another good place, if you’re looking for simple Irish food or a good Irish pub, is The Playwright. There’s two of them, on is on 49th I think around Times Square, the other is on West 35th. They’re both great places, good food, not too expensive, good Irish atmosphere.
Another cool place is Fraunces Tavern down in the bowery on Pearl Street. If you like history, it’s where Washington gave his farewell address to his officers, and it’s a restaurant downstairs and has a cool museum upstairs.
Any of the bars in midtown will give you solid Irish fair - Pig and Whistle, Scruffy Duffys (which may be closed), etc. There’s a place Red Sky on east 29th that’s a cool bar also. My buddy’s cousins work there and I got very drunk there some years ago on St. Patrick’s Day. It was a great time.
There’s a French restaurant in midtown also called Pigalle on 8th avenue. They’re a little expensive as I recollect but their desserts were fucking fantastic, it’s worth the trip and it’s real close to Da Tomasso also.
As far as sightseeing and shit, there’s no end. You can all wander around Times Square and take pics so the people like me fuckin curse at you because you’re not paying attention, you can go to the massive Toys R Us that’s pretty awesome, the Hershey store, and there’s a lot of fancy ass stores like Coutore and all that around there that you’ll get dragged into if you’ve got you woman with you.
Rock Center is up from midtown, it’s not spectacular if it’s not Christmas, but if you go in the winter it’s absolutely worth it for the atmosphere alone.
Many of the small places you’ll amble into are pretty good, from the corner pizza places to the burger joints…another good place is called “Big Nick’s” and it’s on Broadway and 77th. Great burgers there, cool little place with all pictures on the walls and shit, real old time place.
Another cool place was John’s Pizzeria on West 44th. It’s an old church that was converted into a pizza place, makes for an interesting look. The pizza was pretty good I think but it’s been a long ass time since I been there.
For the dude that said he’s going in July, have fun, it’s hot as fuck here.
St. Pat’s Cathedral is on 5th Avenue and 51st. It’s really one of the most gorgeous churches you’ll ever see. I always stand across from it when I go to the St. Patrick’s Day parade cause the sun is coming down on the other side in the morning.
My long rambling post is done for now until I think of some other worthwhile places in the city, of which there are many.
OMG <3 Jerry O!
[quote]Hallowed wrote:
OMG <3 Jerry O![/quote]
Yea it was pretty cool when I saw him there. Anytime you see a hollywood type in a restaurant you know that place is bangin.
He used to dig that place.
But… there’s the hush puppies with maple butter syrup @ Virgils…
Irish listed a lot of good places.
Don’t forget FAO Schwarz at 58th and 5th Ave. Lot’s of touristy things around there.
Harley Davidson Cafe, Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe, Jekyll and Hyde and other restaurants all in that area.
The Plaza is right there too.
