New Yorkers only please?

Question

Hi I’m visiting your amazing city in a couple of weeks from England, Can you recommend any very good restaurants, bars & night life hot spots.
Also what sights should I see & which should I miss. Thanks guys!!

Answer 1

Buy a copy of TimeOut New York; you will see what's going on in New York and can plan your trip around some of those things. Maybe a favorite band of yours will be playing while you're here. Check out the theatre scene - some of the Off Broadway plays are excellent.
New York has great restaurants, huges variety, price ranges, etc. But, the Indian restaurants in New York are very inferior to those in London. They are all over the City, but, don't bother - you will be very disappointed. Definitely, avoid The Tavern on the Green - the food is very overpriced and very mediocre - can you say Tourist Trap? (Very few New Yorkers go there - it's almost all tourists. It is a beautiful place, so if you really want to see it, stop by for a drink.
You definitely should take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry (it's free). It will give you a great view (and photo op) of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline.

Fifth Avenue: Check out the stores on Fifth Avenue in the Fifties and Sixties - some of the most expensive jewelers (Tiffany, Cartier and others) in the City. While you're there, look at Rockefeller Center (Fifth and 49th Street), St Patrick's Cathedral (Fifth and 51st), Radio City Music Hall (Sixth Avenue and 49th).

If you are in the area and get hungry, check out 55th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue - many restaurants on that block - Brassierie LCB - used to be called La Cote Basque - reopend with more casual, inexpensive menu. The best creme brulee! (they have prix fixe lunches and early dinners with good prices)
La Bonne Soup - omelet with salad and bread is $12
Soup with salad, bread and a glass of wine is $16 (great onion soup. They have crepes and sandwiches. The food is very good; it can get crowded during the lunch hour.
Check the menu here:
http://www.labonnesoupe.com
There are also a Japanese noodle shop, two Chinese restaurants, an expensive Italian restaurant, a pizza parlor, and Cassidy's Pub, good inexpensive burgers.

You should spend some time in Greenwich Village and the East Village. The East Village has many inexpensive ethnic restaurants and some quirky stores. Be brave - try something you've never had before.

Don't miss Chinatown - narrow, winding streets, old tenements, little stores, street peddlers. Great place to do your souvenir shopping - wonderful prices on purses, scarves, costume jewelry, cheap watches, electronics, toys. And, you must eat there. These are my favorites:

Fuleen Seafood, 11 Division Street (lunch prices are great )- portions are big and the shrimp dishes - ummm

Sunrise 27, 27 Division Street, I especially love their fried squid, but all the fish dishes are wonderful

NY Noodletown, 28 1/2 Bowery, small, drab, crowded - the food here is awesome

Shanghai Cuisine, 89 Bayard Street - really good Shanghai food

You also should see the Time Warner Building - some really upscale shops, two of New York's most expensive restaurants, Samsung, where you can use the cell phones, computers, digital cameras, sit on a couch in the back and watch one of the movies they are showing on a large screen high definition screen. The windows in the building are floor to ceiling and you can get a good view of Central Park - and other views on other sides of the building. (Get a cup of coffee and cake at Whole Foods downstairs).

Tailor your trip to your interests - not what you think you should see. I've lived here all my life and have never been to the top of the Empire State Building - $35 to go to the top observatory - lines hours long - I'm never going up there. Try to avoid places with huge lines (Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty). Don't waste your time in New York waiting on lines.

You must try some of the best New York pizza!

Have a great time!

Answer 2

There are too many choices and price ranges to guess what you like and can afford so I'll give some don't miss places that are the best of the best in Manhattan.

Lombardi's pizza - The ultimate NY style coal oven pizza for over 60 years - monumental!!
32 Spring St - just east of Broadway

Katz's Deli - The undisputed best Pastrami sandwich on the planet. Great knishes, brisket, chips, knockwurst and corned beef too.
East Houston at Ludlow - open almost all night.

Big Wong's - fabulous noodle soups, BBQ ribs and roast pork. dirt cheap.Chinatown, Mott St. Near Pell

Also try the soup dumplings at Joe's Shanghai around the corner on Pell near Bowery. Worth the wait if you can get in. Ask the waiter how to eat them or you'll be sorry!

Mamouns Falafel - Have the lamb Shwarma - legenday nothing like it west of Bagdhad (before the war).
Thompson St. just south of East Third (West Village)

Paypaya King - A total New York hot dog legend. You must have a papaya drink with your dog.
86th Street at 3rd Avenue (upper east side)

Some say Grays Papaya at 72nd & Broadway (other locations too) is just as good. I think they are wrong. Try both and decide for yourself.

Further advice pick up a Zagats Guide at the airport. It's the bible of NY foodies and have fun!

NYC has the best food in the world!

Fort the sight's the only reall don't miss is the view from the top of the Emipre State or Top othe Rock at Rockefeller Center (also a great site in itself) It's really the GE building but they market it as "Top of the Rock."

If you wan't to see the lower manhattan skyline like the immigrants did take the Staten Island Ferry, get off wait a few minutes for the next one and then come back. You'll pass right by the statue of liberty, plus it's free!

P.S. You can't go anywhere by taxi for $5.00 anymore. It can be much more nowaday's. Get a day or weekly pass (metrocard) in any subway station and hop on and hop off buses and subways all day for a low flat rate. That's what us New Yorkers do. IThe subway is much faster than sitting in traffic in a cab watching the meter tick while you go nowhere.

Answer 3

Just my thoughts.. Don't make reservations until you get to the city. Walk around many top notch restaurants will require early reservations and will rob your wallet although the food is excellent. I f that is what your looking for i recommend Le Berardin i also think Bouleys is very nice. My advice to you is to just walk around Soho and the Tribeca area and check out all the menus usually posted on the street outside. These restaurants are very high quality and have a diverse menu selection. Any taxi ride in Manhattan is only 5 bucks and they will get you into great restaurant areas. As for the tipping question NY has 8.25% sales tax and average service is double that amount. We usually go to the 30% bracket when we have great service. ha ha welcome to NY. if you have other questions e mail me [e-mail]

Answer 4

Best restaurant -- Gramercy Tavern expensive but not astronomical. Italian -- i Trulli. Barbeque -- Blue Smoke. Seafood -- Blue Water Grill

Other places I like - Euskadi -- Spanish/Basque. Marbella -- Spanish (also has live entertinment). Sarge's Deli. Le Gigot French. Pizza -- Lombardi's or Arturo's

Rodeo Bar is a Music club leaning towards rockabilly, best acts are on the wekends -- Free Admission.

Check out Greenwich Village and East Village.

Answer 5

Stay away from Times Square. It's for tourists and not the real New York. If you want Italian Food venture up to Arthur Ave. in the Bronx or 18th Ave in Brooklyn. For Asain try Main Street in Flushing Queens. Middle Eastern go to Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn.

Answer 6

hi am not from new york but there is a lovely restraunt called carmines on times square and it is amazing it is a italian also the rainbow rooms in the rocafella centre is lovely food and a breathtaking view there is a cruise that goes right around the statue of liberty and all around the new york skyline its i think its called chelsea liner its $180 all food and drink 4 free and wonderful entertainment the hotel will help u out booking it it is really worth going on have fun am so jealous i loove new york

Answer 7

boy this is a hard one, the city is like London in many ways it is too big,

go buy the Zagats books, then decide what part of the city you are going to, if it was me I would go to the Village for a bit, cool place

then go up town

the whole time, just keep reading the Zagats guide, I live here and it has never done me wrong, also

citysearch is a great tool for the city

if you have any questions, just e-mail me

Answer 8

Try Ideya's resturant. They serve Latin food and great drinks. Or Unos on West 8th Street. It really all depends on what kind of atmosphere you want.

Answer 9

I'm from the UK so can't answer your questions, but when you goto New York, you need to know how much to tip as it's a way of life there.

So anyone else answering this, what do you tip!

Answer 10

call the Joan Hanberg show on wor am radio 710 she dose this for a living. what are you looking for ? the age group etc...