# NYC Trip



## jbmcb (Sep 7, 2005)

Spending the week in NYC for fun next week. Anything particularly interesting going on? We're probably going to a few museums - MOMA/Guggenheim/Frick, up to the cloisters, etc... I've also managed to snag tickets to Letterman (not particularly interested the show or the guests, but I'd like to see the theater) I haven't been in about five years, when we went on a bunch of the open house NY tours, so I'm not up to speed on what's fun.


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## FJW (Jan 25, 2012)

If you're an american history buff at The Metropolitan Museum

Photography And The American Civil Warhttps://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2013/photography-and-the-american-civil-war

The New American Wing
https://www.metmuseum.org/collections/new-installations/american-wing

I haven't seen the Photography exihibit but have see the American Wing and it's quite impressive

The Dodgers are in town to play the Mets


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## Dmontez (Dec 6, 2012)

If the OP does not mind me piggybacking his thread, I will be in in Manhattan from 5/1-5/5 and any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


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## 12345Michael54321 (Mar 6, 2008)

Really tough to give meaningful suggestions, without knowing more about the interests of the person doing the asking. For example, there are a dozen places worth visiting if you're into, say, wristwatches. There are also places worth visiting if you're fascinated by chess. Others if you love jazz, and still others if you're a fan of art deco architecture. But there's not necessarily enormous overlap between categories.


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## Dmontez (Dec 6, 2012)

12345Michael54321 said:


> Really tough to give meaningful suggestions, without knowing more about the interests of the person doing the asking. For example, there are a dozen places worth visiting if you're into, say, wristwatches. There are also places worth visiting if you're fascinated by chess. Others if you love jazz, and still others if you're a fan of art deco architecture. But there's not necessarily enormous overlap between categories.


Wristwatches, do definitely intrigue me. There is a place that I can not remember the name of that I plan on stopping in at inside of Grand Central that sells vintage watches. I am a huge baseball fan, but Yankee tickets being as expensive as they are for a decent seat, I'm afraid a Yankee game is not in the budget. I will be taking my wife to a few musicals which are her favorite, and the weekend will pretty much be set aside for the Brooklyn flea.

I know that I will be making a stop at Leffot, BB on Madison, and my mother HAS to go to a Chanel boutique.

Other than that I am open to new things. My first trip my wife took me on the touristy stuff, but this time I want to get a better feel for the city.


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## 12345Michael54321 (Mar 6, 2008)

Dmontez said:


> Wristwatches, do definitely intrigue me.


There's a piece from some years back, over at TimeZone.com, the link being https://people.timezone.com/library/archives/archives0056 , regarding a Colorado fellow who was visiting NYC, and who spent the day hitting several of Manhattan "must visit" watch places in search of a 50th birthday present for himself. If high end watches intrigue you, you might enjoy reading it.

I hear you about the high cost of taking in a game at Yankee Stadium, but come on - you're taking your wife to see multiple musicals; is the expense of catching a Yankees game truly all that much greater than the expense of attending a few musicals?

BTW, I was talking with a good friend of mine, about a month back. She had recently come back from a visit to NYC, with her 8 year old son, which included a trip to the top of the Empire State Building. She mentioned that tickets for this were over $60 each.

I couldn't believe it. I mean, $60+ for what amounts to using the elevator and spending some minutes admiring the view from up high?

But I looked it up online. Sure enough, Main Deck + Top Deck Express tickets go for $64.50. Each. Don't go thinking that because her son was only 8 years old that his ticket was any less expensive. (They went for the Express tickets, as opposed to the "bargain" non-Express ones which would have cost a mere $42 [adult] and $36 [child], as they were only in the City for about half a day, and didn't want to waste time waiting on the long line.)

Forgive me if I'm sounding like some yokel, who's scandalized by the high prices in the Big City. That's not it at all. Charge $64.50 for a burger? Sure. $64.50 for a pair of designer shoe laces? No problem. But it never even occurred to me that anyone would have the gall to charge $64.50 to let you take the elevator to the top of the Empire State Building, and get away with it. I mean, I'm as comfortable with greed as any corporate lawyer out there, but not since learning that Fender charges more for beat up new guitars than for pristine ones (that's right, Road Worn is an extra cost option - and I figure it's just a matter of time before auto manufacturers get in on this scam) have I encountered avarice in such a pure form.

Sorry, but I had to get that off my chest. $64.50, for an 8 year old to visit the top of the building. There, I just had to type it again, because it so utterly boggles my mind.
-- 
Michael


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## Dmontez (Dec 6, 2012)

I do understand how you could think, skip one show and go to a Yankees game, but you can purchase vastly discounted show tickets at TKTS in Times Square at 3pm and come back 4-5 hours later to enjoy it. The other thing is that I am a season ticket holder to a local AA affiliate and I have what many people consider the best seats in the park. I cannot sit more than 4 or 5 rows from the field and enjoy a game. Price range for these seats are in the 300-600 per seat as opposed to 60-80 for broadway. I can't even imagine what a beer costs at Yankee stadium.

Like I said we did the tourist stuff on my first trip, and yes we did spend quite a few dollars getting to the 102nd floor of the ESB, but I don't remember it being 64.00. 

That was a great watch buying story! If only I had 20,000 to spend on a watch..


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## jbmcb (Sep 7, 2005)

I'll skip the baseball game - I'm going out with a few friends to a soccer game in NJ. He's a soccer nut so it should be fun.

I like architecture, museums, history - that kind of stuff. Last time my wife & I visited, we went during Open House New York, when you can take tours of various landmarks, go down into abandoned subway stations, check out cool office buildings, etc... We got to go up to the Highline before they started work on it, I'm excited to see what they did with it. That's the kind of stuff that I really like. I got an off-the-beaten-path guide to NYC, and the coolest tidbit I thought was that there's a buried river under Washington Square park, and there's an ancient pipe nearby where you can see where it's been diverted.

This kind of (trainspotterish) stuff:
https://forgotten-ny.com/

So far I'm going to be visiting the big museums, along with the Math museum which amuses me (they have a bicycle with square wheels that you can ride on a specially designed floor). I'll probably visit a few libraries. Catch a show at Birdland.

Oh, and the obvious stops at BB, PS, that crazy mansion that RL took over...


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## Reldresal (Oct 13, 2011)

If you have an interest in antique books and manuscripts, the Morgan Library is a must.


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## blue suede shoes (Mar 22, 2010)

Since you like museums and history, check out Even though you won't be there for the festival, click on "museums" at the website, and there is the contact information and website links for ten of the best museums in NYC.


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## Dmontez (Dec 6, 2012)

I will be leaving for my trip in less than 24 hours, and I am wondering if anyone has suggestions for great food. No sushi please. The last time I went my wife, and I stumbled upon The River Cafe in Brooklyn, and I had what I considered to be one of the best steaks of my life. Unfortunately they are closed until further notice due to damage from Hurricane Sandy. I am looking for hidden gems, off the beaten path type places.

I will be staying on Lexington ave, around 59th st, proximity is a plus, but we do plan to venture outside of Midtown.


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## jbmcb (Sep 7, 2005)

Dmontez said:


> I will be leaving for my trip in less than 24 hours, and I am wondering if anyone has suggestions for great food.


If there's still time, I heartily reccomend La Bonne Soup at roughly 55th and 6th. $20 for salad, really good soup, bread, a drink (including booze!) and dessert. Best deal in midtown, most likely.

I spent a week in NYC, here was my itinerary with quick reviews:

Saturday:
Stayed in Midtown at the Hyatt 48 Lex - Fantastic hotel, good location, not too far away from everything but far enough to be quiet
Bachelor party consisting of:
-Red Bulls soccer game - lots of fun, and a quick twenty minute PATH train trip from NYC
-Max Fish - really good bar, eclectic scene
-Dinner at a weird Japanese restaurant in the basement of some place on St. Marks at 1AM - always open, other than that nothing special. Noodles were good, avoid the sushi
-More drinking at Black & White in the East Village - Pretty good low key bar, DJ spins decent music

Sunday:
Mostly recovery from the night previous, then 
-Dinner and Arturo O'Farril at Birdland - Music was great, food was mediocre and overpriced. Eat somewhere else and get a drink while you watch the band.

Monday:
Shopping up and down Madison Ave. 
Lunch at Obika on Madison and 59th(?) - weird Mozzerella bar, a little pricey but really good
Dinner at La Bonne Soup - reccomended

Tuesday:
- Guggenheim - reccomended
- Walk through central park - always recommended
- Museum of Natural History - pretty good, I may prefer the Field Museum
- Dinner at Cibo on 2nd Ave - Food was pretty good, a bit overpriced, service was mediocre

Wednesday:
- The Cloisters and Ft. Tryon Park - *HIGHLY* recommended, this museum is phenomenal
- The Highline from 30th to 14th - recommended, great view of Chelsea through Tribecca
- Dinner at Cafe Gitane at The Jane - pretty good food, not bad prices, I guess this is a hot hangout but I could care less
- Drinks at the Ballroom at The Jane - Fantastic atmosphere, decent drinks, again I guess this is a hot spot but Wednesday was pretty dead and I could care less

Thursday:
- The NY Public Library at 42nd and Bryant Park - Phenomenal architecture, you can get a temporary library card and read some books there if you like. It's undergoing a massive rennovation project involving moving the stacks under Bryant park, it's worth it just to see what's involved with that project.
- Lunch at Mercato - Really good neighborhood Italian place - prices reasonable for Midtown
- Late Night with David Letterman - If you are into the show, I recommend seeing it - I don't care much but was into seeing how they taped it. It was an interesting experience, though it eats up a good chunk of your afternoon
- Dinner at La Perrigord - Highly recommended. Stuffy, VERY old-school French restaurant. Ancient clientele. Reasonable prices for this kind of place ($65 prix fixe, 25-30% markup on wine) Decor and French dishes that were hot in the 70's (or possibly 60's). Ridiculously attentive, if not brusque, service. Absolutely perfect.

Friday:
- Over to Brooklyn for a wedding. Walked through Prospect Park and Park Slope
- Dinner at Pork Slope - Described as "hipster sports bar" Pretty good BBQ and reasonably priced. 100 different types of whiskey, which I appreciate greatly.

Saturday:
- Brooklyn Botanic Gardens - Recommended - beautiful and well kept gardens, including a fantastic rose garden that wasn't blooming, though the grove of cherry trees was. 
- Wedding at the Boathouse in Prospect Park - Recommended, when not a wedding venue, it's a bird watching station. It's a beautiful old building in any case.


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## jessicarod (Sep 14, 2013)

Can't get enough of NYC!! Everytime I visit I have a blast! -- I think I'm due for another trip.


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