Complete tourist / NYC noob. Any places/things to do you guys think are a must?

5/10/2008 10:02:34 AM

There's so much to see.

Ellis Island museum is actually pretty interesting. I was surprised.

I know a great dim sum place in Chinatown on Elizabeth Street. This assumes the health department hasn't shut it down or anything

There's also a really good falafel place in Greenwich Village if you think you'll be in that area.

Go see a Broadway show if you can afford it. I recommend Avenue Q.

5/10/2008 10:09:28 AM

^ have tickets to ave Q already

And I def want to hit up china town, so i might as well give that place a shot. what's the name?

i can't wait!

5/10/2008 10:24:51 AM

I have no idea what it's name is since I can't read Chinese It's across the street from the police station up an escalator.

http://tinyurl.com/52vtpc

If you look at the street level view I think it's the place with the green awning.

5/10/2008 10:42:44 AM

message_topic.aspx?topic=499184

5/10/2008 10:48:32 AM

^^ hahaha, awesome

thanks

[Edited on May 10, 2008 at 10:52 AM. Reason : ]

5/10/2008 10:52:37 AM

I went to lombardi's pizza, and that was pretty good. no wait for lunch, but it was hot as balls inside. (this was on dec 23rd.)

There was also this bar we went to which had good bar nachos and the guy gave me a good amount of sam adams for free since i had just gotten engaged 2 hours earlier.

5/10/2008 11:15:16 AM

how about using the fucking search for starters

5/10/2008 1:54:40 PM

Here is a good thread about some restaurants...

http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=505003

5/10/2008 3:49:04 PM

go to brooklyn and queens

5/10/2008 9:51:55 PM

i personally recommend the metro museum and ...the Sex museum. Seriously. Funny, weird at times but my friends and I had a blast.

5/10/2008 9:58:37 PM

papaya king.

good shit.

avenue q is hilarious.

spamalot was excellent also.

5/11/2008 1:21:19 AM

go to random bars/restaurants. shop in midtown, alphabet city during weekend nights, and moma if you like art, met if you like history/artifacts.

5/11/2008 4:18:02 AM

UCB

5/11/2008 4:25:30 AM

go to a Crazy Dogggz show

5/11/2008 4:46:27 AM

http://nymag.com/nymetro/nightlife/barbuzz/11977/

5/11/2008 7:41:18 PM

thanks everyone

5/13/2008 4:30:25 PM

Serendipity Cafe

5/13/2008 4:50:38 PM

Yankee Stadium. Final season of one of the most historic ballparks in sports history.

But be warned, you cannot visit Monument Park if you have bleacher seats.

They keep the bleacher creatures quarantined.

5/13/2008 4:58:56 PM

won't be around during a game

5/13/2008 5:13:08 PM

Here's a link to a Google Maps directory of all my favorite restaurants if you're interested:

http://tinyurl.com/69lkqm

5/13/2008 6:04:32 PM

Central Park in the summer is great. A booze cruise around the harbor is pretty kickass. South Street Seaport is awesome when its warm and the weather's nice.

5/13/2008 6:26:13 PM

I thought penn station was kind of overrated myself

5/13/2008 11:13:57 PM

its an underground train station, what in the hell did you expect it to be, lol. I don't know a single person that went there to "see it"

5/13/2008 11:29:04 PM

Serendipity Cafe

definitely go here if only for a dessert, but be prepared to wait between 2-6 hours to be seated. I've done this twice in my life, the 2nd time I nearly got ejected after waiting 4 hours and watching the "name taker" accept crisp $100 bills from around a dozen parties while my wait continued to grow longer.

Yeah, I know it's just how they roll in NYC, but he got pretty pissed when they finally called my name and I mumbled a slur of obscenities to him as I pass in to take my table.

In other words, make reservations for a random wednesday morning NOW (in as, right now) and save yourself from nearly beating someone's face in.

Oh, and visit Ellis Island, Times Square, other boroughs if you have a chance, ground zero, etc. There are so many websites out there with "top 20 things to do in NYC." As a tourist, it's probably worth it to see as many of those as you can, naysayers be darned.

5/14/2008 1:43:06 AM

^that sounds awesome. you get to wait hours to eat dessert at a restaurant where the staff will shit on you! surely there is no other place in new york fucking city that can do better

5/14/2008 2:30:52 AM

It very well might still be cold, so pack accordingly. Light jacket, slacks, etc.

5/14/2008 6:56:37 AM

serendipity has got to be one the most over-rated spots in nyc. absolutely no reason to go there.

5/14/2008 8:03:42 AM

Agreed. There's much better and less pretentious places to buy a dessert.

5/14/2008 8:17:40 AM

why the hell would anyone wait 6 hours for fucking dessert?

5/14/2008 8:24:21 AM

I think its going to be in the mid 70's today. Monday it was cold as shit and raining tho.

Pack jackets.

5/14/2008 8:25:24 AM

^tr00. And its always windy in Manhattan, plus a lot of shade from the tall buildings, especially downtown (very narrow streets).

5/14/2008 9:33:14 AM

Serendipity was recently shut down for violating heath code, FYI

5/14/2008 10:45:54 AM

OK....JUST DON"T DO ANYTHING TOURISTY

Go to Burger Joint in the Park Meridian Hotel (56th and 6th.)
Go to Central Park and go paddle the boats...walk around...whatever.
Go to the Ginger Man if you want a money bar
Go to LaVange...or Alexandra. 2 outstanding restaurants.
Bread is also another great restaurant.
Go to Broadway shows
Go to the MET.
Obviously do Times Square at Night

5/14/2008 11:54:47 AM

One of my favorite things to do in New York City (and keep in mind I grew up only 45-50 miles outside the city and have seen pretty much every single touristy thing you can imagine) is to go to the different neighborhoods and try new places to eat. I'm not talking about Little Italy or China Town in Manhattan.. There is some awesome food in the outer buroughs.. You just need to know the area and what is safe/not...

^ lol, 75% of that list defines touristy.

[Edited on May 14, 2008 at 12:15 PM. Reason : x]

5/14/2008 12:13:50 PM

^thats true. There are a lot of kickass Greek restaurants in my neighborhood (Astoria, largest greek population outside of Greece), not to mention 3rd best Italian restaurant in NYC (ranked by Zagat)

Quote :

"Go to the Ginger Man if you want a money bar "

I love that bar, always good stuff on tap!

[Edited on May 14, 2008 at 12:18 PM. Reason : k]

5/14/2008 12:17:08 PM

Tek-Teg

Where you live...I live in Astoria.

Ditmars & 45th

5/14/2008 12:22:20 PM

im going to be up in brooklyn for a meeting a couple weeks from now, anyone of you NYers want to suggest a good local place to eat while there?

5/14/2008 12:36:22 PM

It goes without saying that Peter Luger's is the best steakhouse in the city... it's in Brooklyn (I think on Broadway?). But last I was there, and Pat can confirm, it was cash only... pretty expensive too.

5/14/2008 12:45:18 PM

^^^damn man, lol. 23rd Ave & 26th St. Close to the beer garden.

Hell yeah Peter Luger's is the shit. Every "top notch" steakhouse in Manhattan claims to be started by former employees of Peter Luger's, thats how good it is.

Cash only, figure on not getting out for double digits unless you get nothing but a piece of meat (for one). And don't even think about going on a weekend night unless you have a reservation, it won't happen. Its right at the base of the Williamsburg bridge.

[Edited on May 14, 2008 at 12:53 PM. Reason : k]

5/14/2008 12:52:34 PM

sorry should have specifiied

id be looking for somewhere for lunch

and it's not to impress clients, just my stomach

5/14/2008 12:53:21 PM

I don't know much of anything about Brooklyn

5/14/2008 12:54:17 PM

yeah, i mean i can always just head back into manhattan, but i really like brooklyn...so i wanted to try something new

5/14/2008 12:55:27 PM

Well, Grimaldis is right near the Brooklyn Bridge... that is one of the big two pizza places along with Lombardis. Personally, I've had better pizza, but it's famous.

** lol, A718 could probably tell you some good eats in Brooklyn... he claims to be from their (thus the 718()

[Edited on May 14, 2008 at 1:04 PM. Reason : pepe's >>>> any nyc pizza]

5/14/2008 1:02:46 PM

I would go piss on Yankee Stadium but thats just me.

Mug somebody thats always fun

Kill some people with a .44 and say your neighbors dog told you to do it.

5/14/2008 2:55:41 PM

serendipity was shut down?

and people dont really go there for the dessert...although their iced hot chocolates were famous. it was the movie Serendipity that got the little place its fame.

5/14/2008 6:29:52 PM

I live in brooklyn so if you go there I know where some decent stuff is.

5/14/2008 7:11:18 PM

^^It's probably back up and running now...when I say "just" shut down, I mean like, a few months ago, maybe even 6 months ago

And I think most people do really just go there for dessert, although I've never been, but that's what I've always heard when people talk about it...or when someone says they want to go, it's because they want to go get dessert

5/15/2008 10:54:36 AM

Make sure to hit Magnolia Bakery in Greenwich Village. Best cupcakes I have ever had. period!


Bleeker st. Pizza is pretty baller, though great pizza places are a dime a dozen in NYC.

The Art museum was a lot of fun too.

And of course you have to wander through Central Park. That's required.

5/15/2008 12:31:32 PM

a month to go

i can't fucking wait to get away from here

5/24/2008 2:04:10 PM