nyc, baby!
Feb. 15th, 2006 11:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaydeefalls
Ahem. Since a few people seemed to be interested.
kaydee's somewhat self-indulgent and random but still potentially helpful guide to seeing new york city on limited time and budget
a.k.a. Well, we got here, and the trip to the top of the Empire State Building was a total rip-off, so NOW what the fuck do we do?
Central Park
Just go to Central Park. You can wander around for hours without paying a cent. Don't bother with the horse-and-carriage things; they're cute, but walking is good for you, and you can see a lot more by venturing off the main road that circles the park. Belvedere Castle is fun, as is the Ramble; there's Strawberry Fields for the Lennon lovers and the Great Lawn or Sheep Meadow for the people watchers and lots of really imaginative playgrounds for the kids (or for the adults who wish they were still kids).
Museums
Well, y'all know about the museums, I'm sure. Here are two secrets:
1. The Met (or the Metropolitan Museum of Art, if we're being pretentious, at 81st St & 5th Ave) – which is my favorite museum, I love the art there – can't actually force an admission price out of you. Those of us who went to high school nearby and had multiple art projects there have learned this well. In small print under the price sign, it says "suggested admission." This means that you can literally give them a quarter, and they have to let you in. It helps to claim to be an art student. I'm all for supporting the arts, and if you want to pay full admission, go ahead, but for the impoverished students among us, this is a neat trick.
2. Try the Forbes Gallery, on 12th St and 5th Ave. Not many people know about it. Admission is free. So basically, there was this bajillionaire named Forbes, who had a mania about collecting things, and the stuff he collected wound up in this gallery. Featured collections include: model boats (really, really intricate stuff), toy soldiers (again with the intricate, and displayed in fantastic panoramas), Monopoly games (including the original), and presidential documents (like, Lincoln's letters). And other random stuff like that. Used to have a massive collection of Faberge eggs, which were truly awe-inspiring, but alas, those have been sold away. Still worth a visit, and it only takes about an hour to get through it all. Your kids will be fascinated by the toy soldiers for hours. Or at least I was, as a kid. And still am.
Take a nice stroll
There are many, many areas I will advise wandering about, because walking is free and you see a lot that way. Such areas include: Lincoln Center (fun stuff during the day in the summer; very pretty at night), the Village (both East and West; just go up and down Bleecker St, for starters), Soho (lots of art galleries, lots of street art), Times Square (look out for the Naked Cowboy; no, I don't understand him either), Chelsea (particularly 8th Avenue between 14th and 23rd Sts, for a nice immersion in NY gay culture), the South Street Seaport (decent shopping, lots of street performers), and Grand Central Station, which can be nifty. But, really, anywhere. If the weather's good, just walk everywhere.
the Magnolia Bakery
Find it. This is an absolute must. It's in Greenwich Village, at the corner of 11th and Bleecker. You'll know you're there when you see the line of customers curling around the corner. Yes, there's a line to get into a bakery, and a bouncer at the door, and yes, I have personally stood on this line for upwards of ten or twenty minutes at a stretch. It doesn't matter. It's that good. I've heard that all their stuff is amazing, but I wouldn't know, because all I've ever bought there are the cupcakes, which are, in fact, the best cupcakes in the world. I'm not even exaggerating. Just trust me on this one. And then have a nice wander through the Village as you scarf down your cupcakes.
Battery Park City
It's quite reasonably safe at night (I've been known to wander it alone at around 1am with no qualms, and I'm a short, vulnerable-looking young woman), and offers the most gorgeous view of the river. I advise starting outside the Winter Garden – face the marina, then turn left, and just keep following the walkway along the river until it runs out. Near the end of the walk, you'll reach my absolute favorite little place in the entire city, the South Cove, which is all lit with blue lights – you'll know it when you get there. It's a beautiful little spot at night, and very peaceful.
Chinatown
Go there. Wander it a bit. Then pick whichever restaurant best matches your budget and get dinner. I'm sure there must be a bad restaurant somewhere in Chinatown, but I've yet to encounter it. After dinner, go across the street into Little Italy (the two neighborhoods literally run into each other, and lately seem to be crossing over in strange and intriguing ways) and buy a gelato or cannoli for dessert. So much goodness.
While we're on the subject of food
I also have to recommend: Gray's Papaya for the best (and cheapest) damn hot dogs in America (two locations: 71st and Broadway or 6th Ave and 8th St), any of the many cheap Indian restaurants along east 6th St, and, for fuck's sake, a good slice of New York pizza, which can be found in just about any cheap hole-in-the-wall pizza place in New York and still manage to taste better than pizza anywhere else in the world (except possibly Italy). Yes, I'm biased, but in this case, I'm also right. My favorite is the Ray's on the corner of 6th Ave and 11th St, but that's probably because I live only two blocks away. The Famiglia's chain is also very good, with numerous locations around Manhattan.
Circle Line
This is the one tourist trap I will actually sponsor: the Circle Line tours, which are ferry tours around Manhattan, starting at Pier 83 at west 42nd St. There are a few variations; I think the full circuit of Manhattan, taking about 3 hours, is well worth it. The views are great and the tours are fascinating – all kinds of random details and factoids. Great stuff. $28 for the full cruise for adults is a good value (for comparison, visiting the top of the Empire State Building – a trip up in an elevator and a quick view – is $18).
See a show
Being a theater major, it behooves me to tell you to see a Broadway show. Just one. If you're a student with a valid student I.D., several shows have cheap tickets for you; other shows have rush tickets two hours before showtime, but these are done by lottery and can be difficult to actually get. Your best bet is the TKTS booth in Times Square; there are half-price tickets available to a number of shows. Also, being a theater major, it behooves me to warn you to avoid the big tourist shows, like Mamma Mia! or, ye gods, Thoroughly Modern Millie. Just say no. Some really good shows that tend to slip off the tourist radar include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which is hilarious, and Avenue Q. My advice on Broadway shows will vary from season to season, of course. And these days, the plays are often much better (and cheaper) than the musicals, but they tend to have much shorter runs, so I can't advise anything in particular with confidence.
Staten Island Ferry
Take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry. It's free, it's less than an hour round trip, and it gives you a great view of New York Harbor, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and so on.
Street fairs
If you're visiting during the summer, there's always a bunch of random outdoors stuff going on. Every weekend there's a street fair somewhere in Manhattan. Or multiple street fairs. Midtown at 6th Ave or Madison Ave are good bets; so are west 14th St or east 8th St. Wherever it is, it'll feature a wide variety of ethnic foods and handmade goods, plus your usual street performers.
Summertime
More summer stuff: all kinds of random performers at the Washington Square fountain (5th Ave and 8th St). Free movies outdoors on Monday nights in Bryant Park (6th Ave between 40th and 42nd Sts), where people start laying out blankets as early as 4:30 (and the race for the best spots is something truly awesome to behold). Free nighttime concerts on the Great Lawn in Central Park; some website somewhere will give exact dates. Free tickets for Shakespeare in the Park, which you can get by going either to the Delacorte Theater in Central Park or the Public Theater at Astor Place and start waiting in line at around 9am. And so on.
Wintertime
On the flip side, winter stuff: it's worth taking a peek at Rockefeller Center and the ginormous Christmas tree, and there are a few good ice skating rinks scattered about Central Park. In general, though, the only good thing about NYC in the winter is the subway system, which gets you everywhere in Manhattan and keeps you out of the cold. I've lived through eighteen NYC winters, and I've yet to see the point. Christmastime is absolutely hellish, what with all the tourists and holiday shopping. Plan your visit for another season.
Anything spectacular you think I've missed?
Tell me. Again, I've avoided talking about the typical tourist traps (i.e. Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, etc. ad nauseum) or the more expensive types of fun. You don't have to go to the Four Seasons to get a fantastic meal, or reserve those $110 tickets to see good entertainment. And if much of my advice involves just walking around, well, I live in NYC, so I can say with some authority that that's what the natives do. :)
kaydee's somewhat self-indulgent and random but still potentially helpful guide to seeing new york city on limited time and budget
a.k.a. Well, we got here, and the trip to the top of the Empire State Building was a total rip-off, so NOW what the fuck do we do?
Central Park
Just go to Central Park. You can wander around for hours without paying a cent. Don't bother with the horse-and-carriage things; they're cute, but walking is good for you, and you can see a lot more by venturing off the main road that circles the park. Belvedere Castle is fun, as is the Ramble; there's Strawberry Fields for the Lennon lovers and the Great Lawn or Sheep Meadow for the people watchers and lots of really imaginative playgrounds for the kids (or for the adults who wish they were still kids).
Museums
Well, y'all know about the museums, I'm sure. Here are two secrets:
1. The Met (or the Metropolitan Museum of Art, if we're being pretentious, at 81st St & 5th Ave) – which is my favorite museum, I love the art there – can't actually force an admission price out of you. Those of us who went to high school nearby and had multiple art projects there have learned this well. In small print under the price sign, it says "suggested admission." This means that you can literally give them a quarter, and they have to let you in. It helps to claim to be an art student. I'm all for supporting the arts, and if you want to pay full admission, go ahead, but for the impoverished students among us, this is a neat trick.
2. Try the Forbes Gallery, on 12th St and 5th Ave. Not many people know about it. Admission is free. So basically, there was this bajillionaire named Forbes, who had a mania about collecting things, and the stuff he collected wound up in this gallery. Featured collections include: model boats (really, really intricate stuff), toy soldiers (again with the intricate, and displayed in fantastic panoramas), Monopoly games (including the original), and presidential documents (like, Lincoln's letters). And other random stuff like that. Used to have a massive collection of Faberge eggs, which were truly awe-inspiring, but alas, those have been sold away. Still worth a visit, and it only takes about an hour to get through it all. Your kids will be fascinated by the toy soldiers for hours. Or at least I was, as a kid. And still am.
Take a nice stroll
There are many, many areas I will advise wandering about, because walking is free and you see a lot that way. Such areas include: Lincoln Center (fun stuff during the day in the summer; very pretty at night), the Village (both East and West; just go up and down Bleecker St, for starters), Soho (lots of art galleries, lots of street art), Times Square (look out for the Naked Cowboy; no, I don't understand him either), Chelsea (particularly 8th Avenue between 14th and 23rd Sts, for a nice immersion in NY gay culture), the South Street Seaport (decent shopping, lots of street performers), and Grand Central Station, which can be nifty. But, really, anywhere. If the weather's good, just walk everywhere.
the Magnolia Bakery
Find it. This is an absolute must. It's in Greenwich Village, at the corner of 11th and Bleecker. You'll know you're there when you see the line of customers curling around the corner. Yes, there's a line to get into a bakery, and a bouncer at the door, and yes, I have personally stood on this line for upwards of ten or twenty minutes at a stretch. It doesn't matter. It's that good. I've heard that all their stuff is amazing, but I wouldn't know, because all I've ever bought there are the cupcakes, which are, in fact, the best cupcakes in the world. I'm not even exaggerating. Just trust me on this one. And then have a nice wander through the Village as you scarf down your cupcakes.
Battery Park City
It's quite reasonably safe at night (I've been known to wander it alone at around 1am with no qualms, and I'm a short, vulnerable-looking young woman), and offers the most gorgeous view of the river. I advise starting outside the Winter Garden – face the marina, then turn left, and just keep following the walkway along the river until it runs out. Near the end of the walk, you'll reach my absolute favorite little place in the entire city, the South Cove, which is all lit with blue lights – you'll know it when you get there. It's a beautiful little spot at night, and very peaceful.
Chinatown
Go there. Wander it a bit. Then pick whichever restaurant best matches your budget and get dinner. I'm sure there must be a bad restaurant somewhere in Chinatown, but I've yet to encounter it. After dinner, go across the street into Little Italy (the two neighborhoods literally run into each other, and lately seem to be crossing over in strange and intriguing ways) and buy a gelato or cannoli for dessert. So much goodness.
While we're on the subject of food
I also have to recommend: Gray's Papaya for the best (and cheapest) damn hot dogs in America (two locations: 71st and Broadway or 6th Ave and 8th St), any of the many cheap Indian restaurants along east 6th St, and, for fuck's sake, a good slice of New York pizza, which can be found in just about any cheap hole-in-the-wall pizza place in New York and still manage to taste better than pizza anywhere else in the world (except possibly Italy). Yes, I'm biased, but in this case, I'm also right. My favorite is the Ray's on the corner of 6th Ave and 11th St, but that's probably because I live only two blocks away. The Famiglia's chain is also very good, with numerous locations around Manhattan.
Circle Line
This is the one tourist trap I will actually sponsor: the Circle Line tours, which are ferry tours around Manhattan, starting at Pier 83 at west 42nd St. There are a few variations; I think the full circuit of Manhattan, taking about 3 hours, is well worth it. The views are great and the tours are fascinating – all kinds of random details and factoids. Great stuff. $28 for the full cruise for adults is a good value (for comparison, visiting the top of the Empire State Building – a trip up in an elevator and a quick view – is $18).
See a show
Being a theater major, it behooves me to tell you to see a Broadway show. Just one. If you're a student with a valid student I.D., several shows have cheap tickets for you; other shows have rush tickets two hours before showtime, but these are done by lottery and can be difficult to actually get. Your best bet is the TKTS booth in Times Square; there are half-price tickets available to a number of shows. Also, being a theater major, it behooves me to warn you to avoid the big tourist shows, like Mamma Mia! or, ye gods, Thoroughly Modern Millie. Just say no. Some really good shows that tend to slip off the tourist radar include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which is hilarious, and Avenue Q. My advice on Broadway shows will vary from season to season, of course. And these days, the plays are often much better (and cheaper) than the musicals, but they tend to have much shorter runs, so I can't advise anything in particular with confidence.
Staten Island Ferry
Take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry. It's free, it's less than an hour round trip, and it gives you a great view of New York Harbor, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and so on.
Street fairs
If you're visiting during the summer, there's always a bunch of random outdoors stuff going on. Every weekend there's a street fair somewhere in Manhattan. Or multiple street fairs. Midtown at 6th Ave or Madison Ave are good bets; so are west 14th St or east 8th St. Wherever it is, it'll feature a wide variety of ethnic foods and handmade goods, plus your usual street performers.
Summertime
More summer stuff: all kinds of random performers at the Washington Square fountain (5th Ave and 8th St). Free movies outdoors on Monday nights in Bryant Park (6th Ave between 40th and 42nd Sts), where people start laying out blankets as early as 4:30 (and the race for the best spots is something truly awesome to behold). Free nighttime concerts on the Great Lawn in Central Park; some website somewhere will give exact dates. Free tickets for Shakespeare in the Park, which you can get by going either to the Delacorte Theater in Central Park or the Public Theater at Astor Place and start waiting in line at around 9am. And so on.
Wintertime
On the flip side, winter stuff: it's worth taking a peek at Rockefeller Center and the ginormous Christmas tree, and there are a few good ice skating rinks scattered about Central Park. In general, though, the only good thing about NYC in the winter is the subway system, which gets you everywhere in Manhattan and keeps you out of the cold. I've lived through eighteen NYC winters, and I've yet to see the point. Christmastime is absolutely hellish, what with all the tourists and holiday shopping. Plan your visit for another season.
Anything spectacular you think I've missed?
Tell me. Again, I've avoided talking about the typical tourist traps (i.e. Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, etc. ad nauseum) or the more expensive types of fun. You don't have to go to the Four Seasons to get a fantastic meal, or reserve those $110 tickets to see good entertainment. And if much of my advice involves just walking around, well, I live in NYC, so I can say with some authority that that's what the natives do. :)
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Date: 2006-02-16 01:40 am (UTC)But I figure there must be other shops tucked away somewhere.