Who has been to or lives in New York and can recommend some cool "must do's," that maybe are not so obvious?

Question

Going to New York and Long Island next week, for a week, want to fit in as much as possible, looking for eating, sightseeing, shopping and clubbing ideas (or anything else) that might be a little out of the ordinary or I might not find without your help... PLEASE?

Answer 1

Go on the East Village food tour - it's ace! You get loads of different things to try and you learn about the history and architecture of the area.

http://www.foodsofny.com/greenwichvillage.php

It's also useful for finding out about restaurants in the area that are off the beaten track

Answer 2

Tavern on the Green -Central Park
Daffy's the shop for millionaires at low low prices - All over
Toy's are us - Times Square. it's a must no matter what age you are.
Empire State - Go early. Don't bother with the Skyride.
Oasis Day Spa - Union Square. Worth the treat
Grand Central Terminal - Park Ave
Intrepid Sea, Air Space & Museum Pier 86
NY Hall of Science - Queens
Radio City Music Hall - 50th Street

Do the circle line cruises, use the tube and if you want to fit in - don't walk around looking up. Thats the dead giveaway that you're a tourist

Answer 3

Take a tour of the United Nations building and conference centre. Go shopping in Rockerfeller shopping centre. (if you buy anything at all let me know)

I assume it is Manhattan you are referring to as a part of New York in New York state. If you are going up state, you could pay a visit to the Niagara falls. You may have to cross the border into Canada to see the better parts.

There is still the Empire State Building to get the lift up. The ferry to the Statue of Liberty is better than the actual climb up the monument. A complete waste of time climbing it if you ask me. I reckon it is only a matter of time before a terrorist lets a bomb off up the narrow stairwell there!

Watch out for pick-pockets in Times square. I saw a little boy put his hand in someones front pocket, take a huge wad of cash, and run. The big fat bloke who's money he took could not catch him.

Take the underground somewhere like Queens or Brooklyn.

I would guess you have to eat a sloppy Joe off a side street vendor.

Get a shopping trolley and wheel it around central park collecting discarded aluminium drink cans and bottles. You get money back for them in the USA unlike the UK where we are expected to give ours to the council for free.

Try to get a yellow taxi cab to stop in the middle of 5th Avenue.

Answer 4

The really hot area these days is The Meat Packing District, which is 14th street and 9th Avenue. Walk around there on a Thursday night and it's packed with people/clubs. It's a bit too B&T for this New Yorker (Bridge and Tunnell -- it's our slight on people from the borroughs;-), but truly it's still hot.

Answer 5

Katz Deli for a totally different deli experience, it's on the Lower East Side and there are also some really good leather coat shops there. Coney Island is also good if it is a nice day

Answer 6

go up empire state building, walk round central park, go to Metroplitan Museum, shop in Macys, walk down 5th Avenue, take the Staten Island Ferry for a free way to see Statue of Liberty, go to ground zero... although it is strangely eerie, go shopping at Woodbury Common

Answer 7

Walk across the brooklyn bridge.

Whisper corners in Grand Central (stand at diagonally opposite corners facing the wall just outside the Oyster Bar restaurant and talk (under the domed ceiling))


Drinks at 230 Fifth, Drinks at the Campbell Apartment (posh)
Drinks and dancing at Nikki Beach (posh)
Rockabilly music at Rodeo Bar (divey)
Drinks at Ginger Man (Pub Beer, like 40 taps and a great soft pretzel)
Drinks or dinner at Tao (Big buddha,. posh, expensive)
Aquavit, (posh scandanavian food expensive)
Good World Bar and Gril (DIVE scandanavian food, but cheap and good)


Steaks at peter lugers (divey but expensve and famous but in brooklyn)
Steaks at Wolfgangs (run by former employee of peter lugers and is easier to get to 33rd / park)

Vietnamese Sandwiches in china town, walk around china town

Light a candle at St Pats cathedrel.

Soul food breakfast at Pink Teacup

Indian Food in Jackson Heights (try Jackson Diner (not a diner))

Korean Food arond 32nd and 5th (try Kunjup) then do Karaoke at one of the clubs nearby, if you cant get in there go to St Marks and do karaoke at SingSing

Trapeze school on the west side by chelsea piers.

Smalls Jazz Club for jazz in the evening or Fat Cat

People watching at Union Square (some restuarants on the west side of the square have outside seating)

TKTS for discount broadway show tickets.

KrispyKreme dounuts if they dont have em where you comeform

Answer 8

montauk point is always good, fire island,

in the city go to the museum of natural history or central park

Answer 9

Go to Queens and start shout some racial abuse. See if you can come back alive.