First Time In NYC, what to do?

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So this is my first time in The city, staying at a friend's place in the upper east side. Any advice on what to do?

― aaaa, Saturday, 9 October 2004 07:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Central Park Zoo. So many people don't even know its there...

― mark grout (mark grout), Saturday, 9 October 2004 09:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Stay out of Time's Square. It's simply a tourist trap.

Since you're on the Upper East Side, why not take a stroll through Central Park? Check out the museums on Fifth Avenue.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 9 October 2004 09:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Take the D,F,A,C, or E to West 4th, and walk in any direction. Can't go wrong.

― 57 7th (calstars), Saturday, 9 October 2004 11:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Go to the places that other people sing about.

― Jimmy Mod, Los Sexx Yanqui (ModJ), Saturday, 9 October 2004 11:19 (twenty-one years ago)

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/nyhappenings/

http://www.wfmu.org/arbguide.php

take the 6 to Astor Place and walk in any direction.

remember, the bronx is up and the bowery's down, the people ride in a tube in a ground.

come out to Brooklyn, it's more interesting.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Saturday, 9 October 2004 13:04 (twenty-one years ago)

why not take a stroll through Central Park?

Yeah, I'm amazed how many people come to New York without going to the park. I don't know if people are afraid of it (the Central Park jogger case?) or aren't sure what to do there (just walk around, obv.), but it's one of the greatest manmade public spaces in the world. And it's free!

Also recommended, if you're at all interested in immigrant history (i.e. if you had relatives come through Ellis Island or whatever) is the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, which doesn't cost much or take long to see, and puts you a nice easy walk from either the East Village or Chinatown.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Saturday, 9 October 2004 13:11 (twenty-one years ago)

how long do you have?

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Saturday, 9 October 2004 15:21 (twenty-one years ago)

oh yeah, ditto on the Tenement Museum, we went there on our last day in NYC last month and it was really fascinating.

― kyle (akmonday), Saturday, 9 October 2004 15:32 (twenty-one years ago)

www.ohny.org

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 9 October 2004 17:15 (twenty-one years ago)

If you have a cellphone you could take a Talking Street tour.

― Momus (Momus), Saturday, 9 October 2004 18:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Bloody Tenement Museum. Me and Madchen tried to go there three times when we were in NYC and were plagued by it being either shut or having dumbass opening hours. So we didn't, and I was really pissed off at that.

I did discover, though, that while my surname is unique in the UK, no less than 31 of mi bredren passed through Ellis Island.

― Markelby (Mark C), Saturday, 9 October 2004 19:59 (twenty-one years ago)

I second the Central Park/Central Park Zoo idea.

My favorite "non-tourist" thing to do is probably to go Gallery hopping in Chelsea. The area has charm, it's quieter (at least during the day when it doesn't turn into greaseball clubland) it's close to the water, and the galleries are all free, not to mention that they tend to show the more interesting cutting-edge work. There are clusters upon clusters of them -- a lot around 10th/11th aves, I think in the high teens and 20s streets. You can go to the Gagosian, one of the bigger more established ones, and walk around from there. Also nice to go down to the river and walk (go west to 12th ave.)

The Met is great too, of course, and closer to where you're staying. But most of my favorite stuff is downtown -- East Village, Lower East Side, etc. You can't really go wrong though. Most of New York is interesting.

― Hurting (Hurting), Saturday, 9 October 2004 23:00 (twenty-one years ago)

http://villagevoice.com/bestof/2004/detail.php?id=4062

― Germany's Fun-Loving Beer (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 10 October 2004 02:45 (twenty-one years ago)

thanks a lot all, i had a great time

― aaaa, Sunday, 10 October 2004 03:00 (twenty-one years ago)

It's over already? What did you do?

― Hurting (Hurting), Sunday, 10 October 2004 05:54 (twenty-one years ago)

well today is over, but i'm going back out tomorrow. i actually didn't go to many of the notable monuments. I checked out the Met, strolled through almost the entire length of Central Park but didn't go inside the zoo. Then we took the subway to the LES and literally walked through every possible neighborhood, checked out Washington Square, ate at Cafe Habana at the corner of Prince and Elizabeth in Greenwich Village. Walked around SoHo and Little Italy, ate again at this Indian restaurant called Havelli on E. 6th. I'll hopefully get to check out the Tenament Museum tomorrow if it's open, go to some of those museums in Chelsea mentioned above and...go to Staten Island to check out the thrift store mentioned in that Villace Voice link posted above. I really want to buy an old map and some cheap clothes, any suggestions? You guys have already been a lot of help, thanks a lot.

― aaaa, Sunday, 10 October 2004 06:50 (twenty-one years ago)

aaaa, I have a suspicion that Monday was the day the Tenement Museum was closed - check a guide book.

― Markelby (Mark C), Sunday, 10 October 2004 08:48 (twenty-one years ago)

chinatown
burritoville
taco bell
gyros places
whitecastle at 4am
and the 75 cent hot dog place on 8th(7th?) ave near times sq.

basically i just ate all the time when i was in NY.

― ken c (ken c), Sunday, 10 October 2004 09:06 (twenty-one years ago)

oh and of course

TAKING A DUMP AT THE TOILET AT THE BOTTOM OF EMPIRE STATE BUILDING!!!!!!!!!!!

ooh it feels good.

― ken c (ken c), Sunday, 10 October 2004 09:10 (twenty-one years ago)

the top may have been even better. i dunno.

― ken c (ken c), Sunday, 10 October 2004 09:10 (twenty-one years ago)

ken, you were in new york and you ate at TACO BELL?

― Germany's Fun-Loving Beer (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 10 October 2004 09:23 (twenty-one years ago)

taco bell is a novelty for us brits

― Vicky (Vicky), Sunday, 10 October 2004 09:29 (twenty-one years ago)

fair enough.

― Germany's Fun-Loving Beer (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 10 October 2004 09:39 (twenty-one years ago)

ken, next time you're in town, i have to take you to popeyes. ooh popeyes.

― phil-two (phil-two), Sunday, 10 October 2004 16:31 (twenty-one years ago)

new york also has some of the best restaraunts in the world. not that they necessarily taste better then popeyes, but the service is much, much better.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Sunday, 10 October 2004 20:28 (twenty-one years ago)

taco bell was great, btw. i'm sad that there's none in london

― ken c (ken c), Sunday, 10 October 2004 22:05 (twenty-one years ago)

one of my husband's "brilliant" money making ideas is to start a Taco Bell franchise in the UK. He is convinced there is a market for it. I'm beginning to think he has a point (if he opens it near Ken's house)

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 10 October 2004 22:08 (twenty-one years ago)

but for $1.69, you can get a spicy thigh and a biscuit. and when you buy stuff at popeyes, they have this "magic prize wheel" where you can add things on for super cheap, and I almost always get a small soda for 31 cents, so the whole meal is only $2! a spicy thigh, a biscuit, and a small soda! and they have cherry coke!

― phil-two (phil-two), Sunday, 10 October 2004 23:07 (twenty-one years ago)

14th St Popeyes lacks this "magic prize wheel". Why?

― W i l l (common_person), Monday, 11 October 2004 02:58 (twenty-one years ago)

phil, that is franchise specific, I also have never experienced such wonders at a Popeyes. Truth is, some have really nice juicy tasty chicken, while others are extremely gnarly. Eat at your own risk. The popeyes closest to my house, at Flatbush and Nevins, I call shot-peyes, because someone was shot there a few years ago.

taco bell is great at first, and for a while, but it wears off.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Monday, 11 October 2004 03:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Taco Bell and Popeyes are shit.

― Hurting (Hurting), Monday, 11 October 2004 03:39 (twenty-one years ago)

oh, this popeyes is on fulton street, by the ACE fulton/nassau. when you order something, this magic wheel starts spinning and it lands on a prize. sometimes u get small soda for 31 cents, sometimes you get a leg for like 35 cents, or family sized beans for 40 cents, etc. its MAGIC! now that i moved away from that apartment, even though to a much nicer neighborhood with points of interest like bars & restaurants, i miss my popeyes. and the fat domincan lady who, if i showed up right before closing, would always give me free jambalaya, mashed potatoes, and some spicy wings. i loved her like a mother.

popeyes is my favorite.

i cant eat at browns chicken because there was this mass-murder at one in palatine, illinois - a suburb of chicago (where i grew up),.. where some crazy dude chopped up like 10 people and stuffed them in the freezer at the browns chicken. scary

― phil-two (phil-two), Monday, 11 October 2004 06:26 (twenty-one years ago)

phil two likes his spicy wings. (as do i)

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 11 October 2004 06:32 (twenty-one years ago)

taco bell was great, btw. i'm sad that there's none in london
-- ken c (pykachu10...) (webmail), October 10th, 2004. (link)

Well, there used to be a small number, one in London (picadilly), one in Uxbride I believe. But once any other taco place opened, you soon realised how bad the taco bell ones were.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 11 October 2004 06:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Exactly.

― Hurting (Hurting), Monday, 11 October 2004 15:04 (twenty-one years ago)

i've had tacos here, and i've had taco bell, the bell still rings loud and true.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 11 October 2004 15:10 (twenty-one years ago)

The same is true with Popeye's after you eat real New Orleans food.

― Hurting (Hurting), Monday, 11 October 2004 17:58 (twenty-one years ago)

people like phil and I appreciate bad fast food. I'm not claiming this stuff is better, but it has it's place, and it's charm...and it's own unique "flavor". The assumptiom that we can only enjoy that food because we've never had "real" tacos is wrong. When I want tacos, I go to places on 5th avenue in brooklyn, starting in Park Slope down through Sunset Park, 5th ave is dotted with authentic mexian places. You know real tacos, which don't have cheese on them. There's another up near columbia that has the best Tortas I've ever had. Also, Acupulco in Greenpoint on Manhattan Ave is amazing. This doesn't mean I don't also like or often want San Loco or Taco Bell. I've lived in neighborhoods that are predominantely mexican, so I ain't gonna sit back and have someone from London presume I've never tried a real taco!

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Monday, 11 October 2004 18:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know if you're referring to me, but I'm not from London. I live in Jersey City.

I'd take Popeyes or Taco Bell over McDonalds if I have to have fast food, but I'd still rather have a real burrito, or even a regular old tex-mex style burrito than one from taco bell.

― Hurting (Hurting), Monday, 11 October 2004 20:44 (twenty-one years ago)

In fact, I'm quite looking forward to getting my lunch at Baja Fresh tomorrow, as I have to drive down Route 18 for work.

― Hurting (Hurting), Monday, 11 October 2004 20:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I will admit to enjoying the odd meal at Taco Bell. But seriously the best tacos I have ever had in NYC are at the Zaragoza Grocery on Ave A betw. 14th and 13th. I haven't tried the ones in Brooklyn though.

― o. nate (onate), Monday, 11 October 2004 20:54 (twenty-one years ago)

ate at Cafe Habana at the corner of Prince and Elizabeth in Greenwich Village

god we waited almost an hour to eat here and we were STARVING and in terrible moods and it was worth it!

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 11 October 2004 20:55 (twenty-one years ago)

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