York

Negative points: too many tourists combined with the narrow streets make it sometimes claustrophobic; the smells from the local chocolate factories are not appetising; the river often bursts its banks (fascinating to watch, but not fun if you live in the vicinity). Always felt somewhat cheated that having to live on a pitiful bursery (less than Income Support) meant my memories of my year in York revolve around scrapping coppers to buy bread at Kwik-save (and occasionally going hungry). Its a fine city.

Any notable places (record shops, restaurants, etc.) I should check out in York over a weekend? (Hopefully, of course, the city centre brawl coaches are still running, but just in case that fad faded sometime within the last 6 years...)
Thanks!

i was going to make the obligatory york, pennsylvania joek but thankfully i've been beaten to it twice (inc. peppermint patties)

^^^live of "lightning crashes" fame are from there

My family used to meet my aunt and uncle and cousins there every year before christmas to exchange presents and have a day out. I always remember enjoying it, certainly now with my sentimentally rose-tinted old man's perspective.

I go there quite a bit, for shopping, despite the fact that there's not really much distinctive about York over other towns if you don't care about the tourist attractions. There's a nice second-hand bookshop on Stonegate, near the junction with High Petergate.

Shed Seven are from York. Lucky York.

The one good record shop, Track, shut down. :(

My wife keeps telling me that we need to visit York cos the kids would love the train museum. Should I continue to resist?

Do they love trains? If so, go.

How old are they? The train museum's so big, young kids (or uninterested older ones) could easily get bored by the whole thing. On the other hand, it's (mostly) free, so there's no obligation to go round the whole thing.

They're just little dudes, the older is 4. They do indeed love trains and especially MALLARD, but I couldn't really give a monkeys myself. BAD DAD. But if there's other stuff to see... Viking Centre sounds interesting-ish.

Shed Seven are from York. Lucky York.

By way of balance so is John Barry.

Mallard's fairly near the entrance normally, so it would be easy to pop in and just see that.

Jorvik is pretty bad. Do not recommend.

Think we're heading up to York for a long weekend. What to see? What not to see? Any good restaurants?

(Is Jorvik that bad? It's definitely on our list.)

I found Jorvik really tedious and we did the whole thing in less than half an hour. We had a cracking meal at a place called The Olive Tree which is opposite that tower that's on a hill (which my memory tells me might be called Clifford's Tower?). Ghost walks are fun, we tried to go on one which left from the pub where all the pagans hung out, but it was the guy's week off, so we did another one leaving from one of the riverside pubs as well.

Try and get on one of the walking tours that leave from the park with all the ruins in it (memory is failing me totally here!), we had a great tour guide, so if you see an obvious Dungeons & Dragons fan type, get in his group, he's funny.

We also attended evensong at the Minster, if you like choirs and churches and that, it's a nice thing to do.

Go and laugh at sad indie types who still think its the 1990s in The Stone Roses Bar (near the York Dungeon, I think)*. Oh, and Rick Witter has a weekly DJing residency at a pub in a lane off the Shambles/Petergate somewhere.

(this is all based on this time last year, so don't blame me if it's all changed. Oh, and I did really honestly see Rick Witter at a bus stop.)

* don't really, it looks like the worst pub on earth

Thanks, ailsa! I don't think I'll convince the other half to see any aging Britpoppers, but walking tours and ghost walks sound like fun. How long did the walking tour take?

Can't remember, about two hours maybe? My feet were very sore by the end of it, so wear better shoes than I did. It was good though, the guy who took ours really hated all the stupid ghosty stories and liked gothy old churchyards and stuff and was REALLY into blood'n'guts historical events, so had a pretty good take on it all rather than the usual "here is where something happened and here is a dull guidebook take on it all". I suspect they are all probably good though.

I've still got the guidebook in my car, so will try and post some more stuff when I get home.

I did really honestly see Rick Witter at a bus stop

My one and only York sleb spot - Willie Whitelaw in the Shambles that was the Tory govt in 1982.

This was the company that did the walking tour thing. They have the worst website in the world, seriously.

http://yorkwalk.netfirms.com/

I think we did the Essential York one, but only because it was the one leaving when we got there, some of the others sound good as well.

I think the only other thing we did was go for a pint in a pub with a Roman bathhouse through the back. Shit pub though.

If anyone reads this who is going to York and likes beer, there is an extensive beers-from-round-the-world shop on Stonegate which seems to be called Trembling Madness (ha)

anyway, had a good time, thanks for recs - you guys were right that Jorvik is not all that, but still, glad I went to city and museum both

got v tired feet wandering round cobbles and uneven flagstones each day, so after retreating to the hotel early evening we were too lazy to head back into the centre for eating and ended up eating near the hotel each night - still had a great curry in a curry place which looked alarmingly like a bad kebab shop, so if you are in the Mount area, Chilli on Blossom St is actually p decent, don't be scared

ps no Rick Witter, fed some squirrels though

in york now. going to look at the train museum tomorrow. i like trains

railway museum was pretty boss to be honest. the chinese engine is just a huge monsterous thing that you just have to see.

stumbled into anne fairfax house. erm not worth six quid

watching the stone masons working on the minster renovation. amazing

Former student worker I know is going to grad school there for the year -- has been having a great time by all accounts!