Trip to New York (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Larkin]

I'm about 70 miles from New York. I take the bus in when I go. I love to just be there. I usually don't care where I go or eat. I just find a place! I usually get off at Port Authority bus station and walk straight up Broadway. I haven't been in London but Times Square and areas around it are still to this day one of the most astonishing experiences one can have. You can walk right up Broadway and hit Rockefeller Center and cut over and check out Park Ave and 5th Ave. Check out the area around the bottom of Central Park around the Plaza. Definitely an area to impress the girlfriend!

The last time I was i NYC was to check out the Apple Store in SoHo. We took the subway down and I think I liked walking around down there more than anything.

Oh, and midtown is quite an experience too. I still remember walking down the street with a friend and coming across Madison Square Garden - smack in the middle of the mayhem. The wierd part was that we had to get a train ticket in Penn Station (I think) which is under MSG! There seems to be a whole world underneath the city.

 

[JoshF]

Wow, you know what Natto is huh? Is it as bad as they say? We had Aquavit on our list, and based on our similar tastes, I'll have to move it up to sooner rather than later. I'll be trying Pisces and Cosette too. Thx for the heads up. HT and good NY restaurants....we have some damned expensive habits

StephenK:

Yes, natto is that bad. Some people have a taste for it, but to me it smelled and tasted like, well, poo. Not that I've ever tasted poo, but the SMELL. Ugh. I tried it in Tokyo at dinner with a Japanese friend who was putting me through all the ropes. Believe it or not, natto was not the scariest thing I ate that night.

Aquavit is sublime. Be sure to try the aquavit / fish sampler, or whatever it's called - you get several different types of fish with an accompanying aquavit. The chef is a genius (and I think he's only 22 years old!).

Yes, HT and good restaurants. It's a problem, but I wouldn't change it for the world. You can't live here and NOT visit all the amazing chefs. Plus, my girlfriend pretty much knows Zagat like a Brooklyn kid knows baseball stats. We tend to try top-shelf restaurants at least 6 times a year for birthdays, anniversaries, out-of-town guests, and straight indulgence. NYC is all about hedonism, methinks.

I figure that my having a HT, I spend more nights at home NOT spending money on expensive food. Nevermind the cost of the equipment, DVDs, leather couch...uh, yeah.

 

[Richard Sharpe]

You gotta check out my favorite Village cafe: The Olive Tree. Great atmosphere, great food, great prices. Slate tables with complimentary chalk in case you're feeling artistic and... Chaplin movies projected all night on the wall.
http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7109102/
If you fancy dressing a little smarter for cocktails, check out Pravda or the Merc bar in SoHo...
http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/11313420/
Vice Versa is great midtown (mid price) Italian (avoiding the Mulberry St tourist trap)...
http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7143725/
Finally, if you have a Palm or Pocket PC, this software is an absolute MUST...
Link Removed
Welcome to the capital of the world!
Richard

 

[Zak Solo]

Once again guys (and girls) I want to thank you for the all the restaurnants and places to go.

I am just collating all the info so that I can plan days.

I am really looking forward to it. I hope it is either cold or warm - I hate the rain. We have enough rain here.

Gotta start seriously saving though.

Thanks

Zak

 

[Woo Jae]

Hmm... Well, let me offer you a suggestion for ethnic eats that has not been mentioned here: Korean food. If don't mind spicy, then Korean is a good choice in terms of price and taste. Let me list a few restaurants here for you to try. Many are in Midtown in an area near Macy's called "Little Korea".

1. Kum Gang San - Has two levels, ask to be seated upstairs. Your basic Korean fair - the best bet is to ask for the Bul Go Ki (Marinated Rib eye) for two - may be three portions if you are really hungry. Other notables include any of the stews. That and a drink or two should run you about $50-70 total.

2. Han Bat - Located on 35th St near 6th Ave - One of two restaurants in the area that specializes in a dish called Sul Long Tang. Basically a soup made of rich beef broth filled with rice, rice vermicelli, beef (rib eye) and/or a small amount of tripe. Also order the Seafood Pa Jun, a "pancake" that has been fried with assorted sea food. This will run you less than $30.

3. Gam Mee Ok - located right near the afore mentioned Kum Gang San, this place has a much smaller menu with ONLY one specialty - the aforementioned Sul Long Tang. And they serve it up with one of the spiciest Kim Chee this side of NYC. This restaurant will run you about $30-40.

Let me know if this helps...

 

[Jeff_P]

If you would like to visit one of the oldest and best bars in NYC go to McSorley's Old Ale House 15 East Seventh Street, New York City. Definiltey not a place for a seven course meal but perfect for a nice cold afternoon to sit by the stove order a cracker,cheee and onion platter and an round of dark. Mcsorley only sells their own beer, so you order light or dark. and they come 2's.

Two restaraunts I would recommend:

Blue Water Grill 31 Union Sq West - Awesome Seafood

Carmines 200 West 44th Street - Family style Italian

 

[Bill Slack]

I'm just a tourist to NYC, but...
If you go to Washington Square park, there's a place called Balducci's right around the corner. You can go buy yourself some fresh fruit, deli sandwiches and excellent desert and eat in the park.
The only hard thing about NYC subway is the curious naming of the lines, but it's easy enough to figure out. Every subway I've ever been on has worked in a somewhat similar way... but dammit, they're supposed to be COLORS though. It's just too big for that, I guess. Careful though, no one reminding you to 'mind the gap'.
Times Square is wonderful, but not a very interesting place to be on New Years (I was there in 2000. In 2001 I was in London where it was pouring and 35F out. I watched Trafalgar Square from the comfort of my hotel room. One big tacky crowded New Years is enough for a lifetime, I think!)
A lot of theaters may still have seats for shows the same day/week (full price); a lot of shows did a few months ago when I last visited. The ticket line for 1/2 price shows can be gigantic and often doesn't have anything great anyway. The really poor seats are discounted at the box office as obstructed view (though I got one with a perfect view, it was just to the side in the front row.)
This IS the HTF, so... The AMC Empire 25 is a very nice movie theater on 42nd street (or about...) and the famous Ziegfeld is on 54th street. Hopefully they won't be playing 'Return to Neverland' like they were when I tried to go. Ack!
Oh, a lot of stuff things to do are closed on Mondays -- Most of Broadway, and museums, especially. So don't get stuck going to stuff only to find out it's closed!
Sounds like it should be quite a nice trip. Have fun!
For the record, NYers... I'd love to live in Manhattan. It's just that it makes Boston look inexpensive. And all you f-ing Yankees fans too.

 

[Zak Solo]

Hi

Once again thanks.

Just one more very quick question: Apart from the obvious shops on Fifth Avenue and the department stores where else is there? Are there any discount centres or outlets?

Also this being HTF any discount DVD outlets?

Thanks

Zak

BTW The London Underground 'The Tube' map is really simple to use and Trafalgar Square is not a good venue for a New Years Evening!

 

[Tommy Ceez]

Discount in Manhattan? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAH AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHHAH HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA AHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHA

No really, 35th st has a bunch of wholesale clothing stores, you can, if your a good talker, convince the owners to sell one or two pieces to you, for cash. Remember, do not buy anything off the street, even though that rolex is only $5 it wont last long enough to see 12 oclock twice.

Ride the subway...its safe these days...God Bless Giuliani! Now if you were planning your trip in 1990...I'd say bring your flak jacket...for all the press Rudy's gotten lately it is absolutly astounding how he turned this city around...take it from me...this place was a hellhole.

 

[Woo Jae]

None in the city per se. Though you probably could find deals through people you know... or hearsay in one of the five boroughs. Probably Brooklyn.
One suggestion if you can rent a car is to head out to Woodbury Commons on Route 17. About an hour and a half drive, and you can get some great deals on designer and brand name clothing. I usuallly send or have my cousins aunts and other relatives go there for a good deal/discount. I think there are buses that go there as well ($35), but if you rent a car, you WILL have more freedom to go to other places as well.
Outlet site:
http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=7
Woodbury Commons SHORTLINE bus link:
http://www.shortlinebus.com/Day_Trips/wcday.htm
Of course, if you can get a plane to Niagara that'd be good too - though it's better in the summer than winter.
Anyway, if you plan to go "shopping" here, go early on a weekday - hopefully NOWHERE near the Holiday shopping season. Otherwise, it's very very difficult to get a parking spot. Also remember that your Significant Other will want to buy everything, so pack less luggage or get another suitcase for the stuff she will buy here.

 

[Richard Sharpe]

The place in NYC that consistently combines the widest selection of DVDs with the best prices is J&R Music World:
http://www.jandr.com
This place will generally provide substantial savings over what you're paying for region 1 in the UK.