The "What to Do in New York City" Open Thread

The “What to Do in New York City” Open Thread

If you live there, what's best, if you don't what have you dreamed of doing there?

Entertainment • May 2013 • Views: 3,032

The title and subtitle pretty much say it all, my wife & I are planning a trip and we will be near NY City for a couple of days - we think we know what we want to do, but if we get bored, what else is there? We will be using public transport only, we don’t plan on grabbing cabs unless we are desperate.

There are three areas we are looking at: Midtown near the Guggenheim and Natural history museum, the Financial district, and the area between two bridges and battery park.

What would you recommend?

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62 comments

Charles Johnson Thu, May 16, 2013 12:57:00pm

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is always terrific. Plan on spending a few hours at least. I’ve been there many times.

metmuseum.org

Randall Gross Thu, May 16, 2013 12:58:15pm

re: #1 Charles Johnson

Thanks, we will give it a look, would you recommend it over the Guggenheim?

Charles Johnson Thu, May 16, 2013 1:02:30pm

@green_footballs Skip wall st. Instead walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and get pizza here: nymag.com/listings/resta… then take ferry back.
— Capitol Dead (@ogamble) May 16, 2013

Randall Gross Thu, May 16, 2013 1:02:46pm

82 views, some of you must have some thoughts here, spit ‘em out.

Charles Johnson Thu, May 16, 2013 1:02:54pm

re: #2 Randall Gross

Thanks, we will give it a look, would you recommend it over the Guggenheim?

Impossible to decide. If you can, try to get to both.

Charles Johnson Thu, May 16, 2013 1:03:08pm

@green_footballs If you are hungry/thirsty use nymag.com select neighborhood and check off “Critic’s Picks”. Can’t go wrong.
— Capitol Dead (@ogamble) May 16, 2013

Randall Gross Thu, May 16, 2013 1:03:55pm

re: #3 Charles Johnson

That looks good, we were thinking about renting bikes to cross the bridge.

Three Chord Monty Thu, May 16, 2013 1:04:05pm

re: #2 Randall Gross

Thanks, we will give it a look, would you recommend it over the Guggenheim?

Not an aficionado, but I would. Midtown’s not ‘near’ the museums, really, except for MOMA; not terribly far, but just a bit longer than walking distance.

Central Park is great to kill a couple of hours in this time of year. I particularly love a section called Hernshead, close to Natural History around W 77th st; there’s a pile of boulders on a lake with the skyline right in front of you—priceless view.

Decatur Deb Thu, May 16, 2013 1:05:17pm

In the Guggenheim/Grand Central area: Serendipty 3, great ice cream parlor for 50 years or so.

serendipity3.com

Randall Gross Thu, May 16, 2013 1:05:43pm

re: #8 Three Chord Monty

Sounds great, I want to take buttloads of pictures, so anyplace scenic is a good suggestion. (of course to someone from Kansas who was raised in Alaska everything in NY is scenic…)

Randall Gross Thu, May 16, 2013 1:08:01pm

re: #9 Decatur Deb

Whoa! Frozen hot chocalate!

Three Chord Monty Thu, May 16, 2013 1:08:10pm

re: #7 Randall Gross

That looks good, we were thinking about renting bikes to cross the bridge.

The bike share thing starts Memorial Day weekend, but not sure about renting…I saw something where you had to pay a yearly fee. Makes sense you can do a one-off, but I don’t know details. Walking over the bridge is great, too, though Brooklyn Bridge can get very crowded. If you’re so inclined, walk over Manhattan Bridge: the views of the Brooklyn Bridge from there are great. It’s empty, and while you won’t see midtown/uptown skyline so well, it’s a better view of downtown & Brooklyn shoreline. You do need to be okay with dealing with the traffic & subway…a bicycle on that path is going to be way better than BB, tho.

Decatur Deb Thu, May 16, 2013 1:10:42pm

re: #11 Randall Gross

Whoa! Frozen hot chocalate!

Check the rogue’s gallery under ‘History’.

Three Chord Monty Thu, May 16, 2013 1:17:20pm

Brooklyn Heights Promenade is great for photos. Roosevelt Island, too. With a bike you can easily hit the Promenade, Brooklyn Bridge Park, & Dumbo. South St. Seaport has nice views, but otherwise mostly a tourist trap. Great pier a block south of it that’s been redone into a nifty little park. Battery Park is being worked on; I live in Battery Park City, which is very pretty on the river side. Decent food now at World Financial Center—PJ Clarke’s, Shake Shack, Blue Smoke, etc. Fantastic pizza place near Battery Park called Inatesso—it’s in a league with Lombardi’s, but without the crowds. If you want to see the 9/11 Memorial, just prepare yourself for crowds.

Decatur Deb Thu, May 16, 2013 1:24:16pm

If you have the time, the best trip on town in the Staten Island Ferry—great views of the Statue of Liberty. It used to be a nickel, the FAQ now says ‘free”.

siferry.com

Randall Gross Thu, May 16, 2013 1:29:35pm

re: #14 Three Chord Monty

I’ve heard about blue smoke, barbecue right?

Randall Gross Thu, May 16, 2013 1:30:17pm

re: #15 Decatur Deb

We had that one on the list, great suggestion… now when you board, which side is best to sit on for photos?

Decatur Deb Thu, May 16, 2013 1:32:38pm

re: #17 Randall Gross

We had that one on the list, great suggestion… now when you board, which side is best to sit on for photos?

Opposite of POSH. Starboard out, port back. Used to be able to wander about at will if you avoid commuter hours. If it’s really free, you can put the savings toward a banana split.

Randall Gross Thu, May 16, 2013 1:35:43pm

re: #18 Decatur Deb

I was thinking more of the shrimp stuffed avocado…

Decatur Deb Thu, May 16, 2013 1:37:14pm

re: #19 Randall Gross

I was thinking more of the shrimp stuffed avocado…

Used to take dates there in the 60s. If I can get my granddaughters to the city, it’ll be our first stop.

Three Chord Monty Thu, May 16, 2013 1:38:16pm

re: #16 Randall Gross

I’ve heard about blue smoke, barbecue right?

Yes. Haven’t had it, but accepted wisdom is that it’s tough to go wrong with Danny Meyer, who also owns Shake Shack—best fast-food burger ever—and a more upscale place in the vicinity, North End Grill. Oh, I have to throw in a mention, if you have any interest in lobster roll—Luke’s Lobster on South William St. is unbelievable, and not terribly expensive. Best lobster bisque (Fridays only) that I’ve ever had.

Skipping Wall St. is not the worst idea, though you probably want to get a pic of the Stock Exchange. Near Luke’s is a small district with a few restaurants, Euro-style closed street, historic buildings in every direction. A couple of blocks south of Wall St., it’s the Stone St. district. Delmonico’s is at the intersection of Beaver, South William, off Hanover Square.

klys and whatnot Thu, May 16, 2013 1:39:29pm

For all that I grew up within a train ride, most of my trips tended to be day trips as a kid.

I have this tour bookmarked for doing with the husband when we get that direction again, if you like beer.

Randall Gross Thu, May 16, 2013 1:40:39pm

re: #22 klys

Looks great, but I doubt I could talk my wife into it.

Randall Gross Thu, May 16, 2013 1:43:12pm

re: #21 Three Chord Monty

For me lobster is “meh” but my wife loves it, we’ll definitely pencil in Luke’s lobster on the list.

klys and whatnot Thu, May 16, 2013 1:44:06pm

re: #23 Randall Gross

I’m not a beer drinker, but it’s part of a birthday present, owed whenever we get to the city without family in tow. Possibly this year (hah) after Christmas but before we hopefully fly out to do New Year’s in Tokyo.

Three Chord Monty Thu, May 16, 2013 1:45:31pm

Not sure what’ up with Fraunces Tavern these days, but as a museum it’s very interesting. I would tend to avoid most food the closer you get to the Seaport, but there are some interesting things—Jeremy’s is a good dive bar; the Bridge Cafe is one of the oldest establishments in all of Manhattan (the Ear Inn on West Spring is less expensive if you’re looking for something that’s tiny & very, very old, as the Bridge Cafe is). There’s a takeout joint on Fulton St. that makes an interesting item that’s sort of sushi-esque; they do not use vinegar on the rice, but it’s otherwise like a large piece of nigiri, only with chicken, bbq or fried…or, seriously, spam. Held to the rice with a strip of nori. This is around Gold St.

J&R is being decimated as we speak, very few customers these days, and the stores are consolidating rapidly. Still, it’s a great one-stop for electronics, and the 2nd floor of the ‘record store’ has a great picture window with a nice view of City Hall Park & lower Broadway, including the Woolworth Building.

klys and whatnot Thu, May 16, 2013 1:46:54pm

Oh, eat pizza. The real kind. It should be floppy and greasy and mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

If the crust is thicker than an eighth of an inch, they’re doing something wrong (under the cheese).

And bagels.

And please send me some. I’m in withdrawal.

Randall Gross Thu, May 16, 2013 1:50:10pm

re: #27 klys

We plan to, and we also are certain to grab something from some of the food carts.

Where are some spots where we can get high (as in an elevator) and have a good view without paying an arm and a leg? While I’m in the streets I plan to use the 18 mm and 30 mm ranges, but I’d love to get up high to use the telephoto too.

sagehen Thu, May 16, 2013 1:52:40pm

Central Park is nice, certainly… but I much prefer Riverside Park. Among other reasons, because it has the river. The Highline Park is also really nice — a former elevated railway, you have to climb stairs but it’s nicely landscaped, gets a good breeze off the river, etc…

You might also think about a nice ride on the water taxi —
nywatertaxi.com

Three Chord Monty Thu, May 16, 2013 2:01:15pm

The section of Riverside below 72nd St. is interesting…a lot of the redevelopment along the water is nice, but new enough as to have an almost prefab feeling, but not quite. I love Riverside, and it’s certainly going to be less crowded than Central Park (much less the High Line, which is worth putting up with the crowds for), but I’d also mention Inwood Hill Park, for the same reasons. Of course, Central Park is the place with the proximity to the museums, etc.

Cheap birds-eye views are hard to come by. I’d do a search—someone must have written a blog about it or something. I don’t think there are many observation decks outside of the obvious places; it would help if you know someone with access, especially given security concerns. There may still be a restaurant at the top of the hotel at 49th & 1st…the Zephyr? You’ll have some altitude on any of the bridges, the castle in Central Park near Delacorte Theater, and subway els like the N past 39th St. in Astoria & the F train below Carroll St. in Brooklyn…not sure there’s a lot publicly available beyond things like that.

Mattand Thu, May 16, 2013 2:03:43pm

One thing you shouldn’t do: run naked through Central Park at midnight, with $5 dollar bills taped to your body.

Just trust me on this one.

Mattand Thu, May 16, 2013 2:05:42pm

On a serious note, I always try to make it to the American Museum of Natural History.

Dinosaurs; ‘nuff said.

klys and whatnot Thu, May 16, 2013 2:11:55pm

re: #32 Mattand

On a serious note, I always try to make it to the American Museum of Natural History.

Dinosaurs; ‘nuff said.

I… might do this any time I’m in the City on my own.

On the high elevators note, I’m sad to say I don’t have any knowledge of this at all. I’m not very good with heights so it hasn’t been a priority.

I realize it might not be the area you are going and/or you may have already been but I have heard good things about the 9/11 memorial. I have very mixed feelings about going to visit and as such haven’t been yet, so I totally get if that’s not what you’d like to do, but I figured I would add it to the list.

sagehen Thu, May 16, 2013 2:40:05pm

re: #31 Mattand

One thing you shouldn’t do: run naked through Central Park at midnight, with $5 dollar bills taped to your body.

Just trust me on this one.

That sounds like the voice of experience.

Charles Johnson Thu, May 16, 2013 3:05:32pm

Oh yes, one more recommendation - I’ve spent many hours at the New York Public Library. The reading room is an incredible place.

en.wikipedia.org

Charles Johnson Thu, May 16, 2013 3:06:29pm

I haven’t been to the NYPL since they got all Internetted out, though.

Bert's House of Beef and Obdicuts Thu, May 16, 2013 3:22:15pm

The Cloisters, a great museum at the very north of Manhattan.

Randall Gross Thu, May 16, 2013 4:13:53pm

re: #32 Mattand

That’s on the list for certain.

Randall Gross Thu, May 16, 2013 4:14:57pm

re: #33 klys

Yes, we will be visiting WTC and the memorial

Bert's House of Beef and Obdicuts Thu, May 16, 2013 4:16:58pm

re: #39 Randall Gross

By the way, my email is the same as my (real) login here at gmail. If you want to visit the best thing in New York, the High Line, I’d be happy to show you around if I’m not working like a dog.

Joanne Thu, May 16, 2013 4:18:55pm

Book of Mormon. Worth every penny (and its lots of pennies!)

Go to Time Square, a bunch of people try to get you to go to a comedy club ($15 and 2 drink minimum, in a basement). Worth 3x as much! It was hilarious.

Segway tours. Great fun and you see a lot. Pedicab tour includes a ride through Central Park.

Randall Gross Thu, May 16, 2013 4:24:14pm

re: #40 Bert’s House of Beef and Obdicuts

Thanks kindly for the offer friend.

bmoak Thu, May 16, 2013 7:10:41pm

Your 1st area isn’t Midtown. Guggenheim is at 5th and 89th. AMNH is at CP West and 79th. You have to walk through Central Park to get between them. The Neue Galerie is near the Gugg at 86th and specializes in German/Austrian arts and design. Lots of Klimt and stuff like that. Lots of people just go to just to eat at the Viennese-style Cafe Sabarsky. The New York Historical Society Museum is overlooked and right across the street from AMNH.

Bert's House of Beef and Obdicuts Thu, May 16, 2013 7:25:40pm

re: #43 bmoak

This is also my neighborhood.

bmoak Thu, May 16, 2013 7:40:56pm

If you’re down at Battery Park, take the free ferry (next to Staten Island Ferry) to Governor’s Island, a former Coast Guard base in New York Harbor . Great views and a great walking/cycling promenade. You can also catch a ferry to/from Brooklyn Bridge Park.

The Smithsonian has an outpost of the National Museum of the American Indian right next to Battery Park, which no one seems to notice. It’s in the old Customs Building, which is interesting in its own right.

Dancing along the light of day Thu, May 16, 2013 8:15:40pm

Your wife will love Orchard Street. Also just walking down 5th Ave & looking in the windows, whether stores are open or closed. Saks 5th Ave’s shoe department has it’s own zip code!

andres Thu, May 16, 2013 8:44:15pm

re: #5 Charles Johnson

Impossible to decide. If you can, try to get to both.

And the Guggenheim isn’t that big…

jaunte Thu, May 16, 2013 8:50:47pm

Some reading before you go…
scoutingny.com

May 2013 (7)

16: Come Out To Plaaaaay….. (8)
13: Why I Love Scouting Apartment Lobbies In The Bronx (21)
10: How To Ride The El Tracks Like A Boss (8)
09: Tour The Incredible Valencia Movie Palace On May 25 (2)
06: Is This The Weirdest House In New York City? (15)
03: Is This Sign Really Necessary? (12)
01: At The Corner of Ampere & Ohm In The Bronx (Yes, This Intersection Actually Exists!) (16)

klys and whatnot Thu, May 16, 2013 10:59:34pm

re: #39 Randall Gross

Yes, we will be visiting WTC and the memorial

I will be there at some point - the husband has expressed interest in seeing it. I just have a lot of conflicted memories, from watching friends worry about family in the towers and in one case, after realizing her dad was on one of the planes. So it’s hard.

lawhawk Fri, May 17, 2013 8:47:49am

re: #1 Charles Johnson

And another thing to keep in mind about MoMa is that it’s technically free. The admission fee is suggested (and most people pay it).

Other museums to check out: Guggenheim, Whitney, AMNH, and for a less busy experience try either the Cloisters or the Brooklyn Museum (which has one of the world’s largest Egyptology collections outside… well Egypt).

The New York Botanical Garden or Brooklyn Botanical Gardens are real (and) spectacular. The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens are next door to Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Public Library main branch, and Brooklyn Museum, as well as a Brooklyn zoo - so you get a 5 for 1 deal there.

The Bronx Zoo is fabulous, but the NY Aquarium is still recovering from Sandy.
NYC Transit Museum (Brooklyn)

Other freebie locations to visit:
Brooklyn Promenade in Brooklyn Heights (best views of Lower Manhattan)
Views of Manhattan from Hoboken or Jersey City - accessible via PATH at Exchange Place or Hoboken stations
Central Park
Union Square
Times Square
Prospect Park and Marine Park (Brooklyn)
The Battery / Lower Manhattan / WTC complex (free admission w/timed tickets required to visit memorial)
High Line

lawhawk Fri, May 17, 2013 9:02:49am

re: #26 Three Chord Monty

Yeah, they’re consolidating space - which was oversized considering that the music business has essentially dried up and no longer needs as much space as they used to provide. Photo geeks would be better off going to Adorama (near Union Square) or B&H (near Penn Station/Herald Square) but those two stores observe Jewish holidays and Shabbat so they’re closed for Jewish holidays, Saturdays, and close early on Fridays.

Other spots in Lower Manhattan to check out - Federal Hall and Wall Street. Federal Hall is free and open to the public.

The Seaport is still dealing with Sandy damage and they’re preparing to renovate the entire Pier 17 area, so stores have closed up there to make way for a new version in a couple of years.

Staten Island Ferry (free - and great views of the Harbor and Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island/Governor’s Island).

Governor’s Island is open on weekends and holidays; accessible from ferry terminal next to SI Ferry terminal (or from locations in Brooklyn) govisland.com

lawhawk Fri, May 17, 2013 9:51:09am

re: #17 Randall Gross

We had that one on the list, great suggestion… now when you board, which side is best to sit on for photos?

If you’re going to Staten Island from Manhattan, go to your right as you board (starboard). That ensures that you get the view of the Statue of Liberty. Coming back from Staten Island? Take the left (port) side.

Brooklyn views are best seen from the opposite side.

Depending on which ferries are in service when you go (there are a few different models in service, and each is configured a little differently) - you might have an open deck to take photos from.

Three Chord Monty Fri, May 17, 2013 10:05:12am

re: #42 Randall Gross

Thanks kindly for the offer friend.

I can’t quite extend that same offer, but I’d certainly like to say hello if possible. Sent a FB request, not sure if it was to the right party, but if you got one and was wondering…

CuriousLurker Fri, May 17, 2013 11:29:11am

I’m baaaaack…well, sort of anyway. I’m gonna approach this a little bit differently than the others as I love history and am fascinated by the richness of NYC’s.

1.) If you have time before you go, either read Low Life: Lures and Snares of Old New York by Luc Sante, or watch the 8-part Ric Burns documentary, American Experience: New York, which covers NYC history from the arrival of the Dutch to post 9/11 (free if you have Amazon Prime).

2.) Gargoyles of New York - Great blog, but it hasn’t been updated in a couple of years. NYC is chock full of interesting architecture. Google Images search results for gargoyles new york. Here are some others from the Skeptic Friends Network (not all in NYC, but still fascinating, IMO).

3.) Scouting New York - Blog belonging to a NYC movie location scout—lots of cool, unusual stuff.

4.) Medieval NYC:

Paul Halsall/Fordham University Fall 1996-Spring 1998 Classes Introduction to Medieval History

The city of New York is a great creation of modern American culture, but to the eyes of a medievalist the histories of the European, Byzantine, and Islamic Middle Ages are documented in its streets and buildings:

• In the museums of the city we find a wealth of artistic, manuscript and architectural objects from the middle ages.

• In New York’s buildings we can trace the history of medieval architecture.

• The ethnic and religious communities which make up the city have preserved, and in some cases developed, religious and cultural tradition which had their roots in medieval societies.

• The contrast between “medieval” and “modern” cannot be taken as absolute - elements of medieval technology survived until the Industrial Revolution [and later], and can be seen in the Colonial heritage of New York.

After reading through the contents of this site, you will have little doubt about just how deeply, and in how many different ways, the European middle ages permeate New York’s life. Far from being a matter of antiquarianism, without some knowledge of the middle ages, it is hardly possible to understand the city and its culture.

This website is the result of class project to which all students of Paul Halsall’s 1996-1998 introductory medieval history courses have contributed. It should serve as a fairly complete guide to Medieval New York. Each student [or groups of two or three] took a particular aspect of the middle ages in New York, researched it, visited it if appropriate, secured pictures, and wrote about it. Some pages are clearly better than others. Students were asked to secure permission for any images/texts they used, and the individual pages are copyright to the student creator(s) of the page.

More at Fordham University…

5.) One of my favorite places in NYC is a dock on the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge, not far from the Brooklyn Promenade, which has already been mentioned as a great place to take photos of Manhattan. There’s also a restaurant there called the River Cafe, however I’ve never eaten there and can’t vouch for it (it’s still closed thanks to hurricane Sandy damage anyway).

I hope some of that helps. Like Obdi, I’d love to meet you & the missus, even if just for a cuppa Joe. Unfortunately, while I’m happy to be back home and on the mend, I’m still kind of weak and probably wouldn’t be much fun to be around.

See? I already feel like I need a nap. :-)

wrenchwench Fri, May 17, 2013 11:38:00am

re: #54 CuriousLurker

Yay, she’s home!

Have the kittehs forgiven you yet?

CuriousLurker Fri, May 17, 2013 11:47:32am

re: #55 wrenchwench

Yay, she’s home!

Have the kittehs forgiven you yet?

:)

Yes, but it took them a couple of days (I came home Monday). Now they’re both acting like chicle—won’t leave my side lest I pull a Houdini again, heh.

wrenchwench Fri, May 17, 2013 11:53:02am

re: #56 CuriousLurker

Yes, but it took them a couple of days (I came home Monday). Now they’re both acting like chicle—won’t leave my side lest I pull a Houdini again, heh.

If you need freedom form your chicle, get your chancla.

CuriousLurker Fri, May 17, 2013 12:49:38pm

re: #54 CuriousLurker

I forgot one (you mentioned using public transportation):

Transportation Alternatives
Your advocate for bicycling, walking and public transport

About Transportation Alternatives
Transportation Alternatives is New York City’s leading transportation advocacy organization, with a citywide network of 100,000 active supporters committed to reclaiming New York City’s streets for people by ensuring that every New Yorker has safe space to walk and bike and access to public transportation. Every day, all over the city, we’re working to make New York City’s neighborhoods safer and restore a vibrant culture of street life.

Transportation Alternatives is involved in every aspect of traveling around New York City. From bike routes and bus lanes to pedestrian crossings and play streets, we’re fighting for safer, smarter transportation and a healthier city. Since our founding in 1973 T.A. has helped New York City’s bicycling population grow exponentially and worked to dramatically reduce the number of pedestrians killed each year by dangerous drivers. In the early 2000s, T.A. introduced New York’s policymakers to the idea of bus-only lanes, laying the foundation for the swift new Select Bus Service in 2007. With the help of our network of tens of thousands of supporters, Transportation Alternatives has won improvements all over the city.

Be sure to check out their Resources section—lots of good info there.

lawhawk Fri, May 17, 2013 3:17:47pm

re: #54 CuriousLurker

If you’re down by the Brooklyn Bridge in that area, Grimaldi’s pizza should be part of the bargain.

Vicious Babushka Fri, May 17, 2013 3:34:44pm

If you’re a photography buff, visit to B&H Photo is a must. :)

Surabaya Stew Fri, May 17, 2013 9:44:08pm

Native New Yorker tips here:

If you want to save your hard-earned dough and not pay $40-$50 just to enter each museum, consider the following:

Metropolitan Museum (excluding the cloisters): Admission of $25 is actuallysuggested and is not required, you can give as little as a penny each!

Natural History Museum (excluding the Planterium): Same rule applies here too.

Jewish Museum (92nd and 5th): Free on Saturdays

MoMa: Free on Fridays between 4pm and 8pm

New York Botanical Garden: Free admission on Saturday between 10am and 11am

That’s a savings of at least $200 right there for 2 people!

Surabaya Stew Fri, May 17, 2013 9:48:29pm

re: #59 lawhawk