Bjarni is taking me to New York for Valentine's day. Okay, that's not strictly true. Bjarni just so happens to be booked on a three-week "business trip" around America with Google next month, so I looked at him with my puppy-dog eyes... and he just turned back to his computer. So I yapped around his ankles for an hour, locked myself in the bathroom, and chewed up his favourite toy — and now I'm going to meet him in New York!
I tried Googling "things to do in new york city" but it was a bit like Googling "things to do in the world" and I couldn't make any sense of it all. Unfortunately, my friend Carrie is out of town that weekend, so no hanging out with her drinking overpriced cocktails that match our dresses.
What else is there to do in New York City? Anything?
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Well! At least you haven't asked a difficult question to answer. (can you hear my eyes rolling?)
ReplyDeleteNew York in winter...at least the vagrant-piss will (hopefully) be frozen so you don't need to concern yourself too much about the smell. Then, being from out of town you can enjoy being driven via meandering, unnecessarily wandering paths in taxis. I hear the muggers usually don't shoot if you look suitably pathetic while handing over your valuables and cash.
Of course, I've never been so this is all pure conjecture on my part.
I definitely want to take a taxi somewhere. I'll probably have to jostle with a hot guy for it, then we end up sharing it and he turns out to be some big-wig film producer who just LOVES my idea about the two women who go on the run across America and have to drive off the edge of a cliff and he CAN'T BELIEVE it hasn't been done before.
ReplyDeleteTake the cable car to Long Island, go for a wander round South Street Seaport, rent a bike in Central Park, walk the Brooklyn Bridge and then head up to Williamsburg to poke fun at hipsters (oh and visit the Brooklyn Brewery), drink the strongest cocktails on the planet in the Campbell Apartment (tucked away in a hidden corner of Grand Central Station). Or just wander all day. The place is pure mental. I'm mad jealous!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of renting a bike in Central Park. And the cocktail thing, definitely the cocktail thing.
ReplyDeleteIs it going to be freezing?
Backpedal's list sounds good. But don't forget also to take the ferry to Staten Island, ride the subway and have a wee look round Macy's. And yeah, just wander all day - you see the most amazing things. Didn't see any muggers while I was there - but that was when Giuliani had just cleaned up the city.
ReplyDeleteThink of all the movies that were set in NY that you loved and see if you can tour any of the locations. The top of the Empire State building would be one (for me). Of course, you'll have to go to the Carnegie Deli (I would).
ReplyDeleteDo you like to do touristy things?
Cool idea re. visiting film sites. I can act out my fave bits for the camera. Except Bjarni will be busy working so I'll have to get a passer-by to take the picture.
ReplyDeleteFave New York movies:
1. Ghostbusters
2. Leon
3. Once Upon a Time in America
4. Crocodile Dundee
5. Every episode of Sex and the City
I'll probably end up doing something rubbish though, like getting covered in wet clay and saying "ditto".
Deffo want to go on a ferry to Staten Island.
...third time lucky. Sorry if this posts more than once. Problem seems to be between the cgair and the keyboard.
ReplyDeleteHaving lived in the NYC area for oh, I dunno, a g e s I can you tell that although Statan Island and it's people are lovely, there really isn't much to do there and at his time of year a ferry would be bloody freezing!
Instead....
Go to the Metropolitan Opera House and the see that amazingly huge Chagall painting
Go to Columbus Circle to see that very dark and creepy building John Lennon used to live in, "The Dakota" and where Yoko Ono still roosts
Go the the "Gugenheim Museum" designed by Frank Lloyd Wright ( was also in an episode of Sex in the City where Carrie's dress flew up showing her pants...pants are funny I don't care who designed them)
Go to "The Top of The Rock" observation deck for lunch and drinks
Have a walk around Times Square, something you couldn't do 15 years ago for all the pimps and ho's and drug pushers.It's become respectable, which I find hilarious.
After walking over teh Brooklyn Bridge (great suggestion by the way) go down to "Grimaldi's" for Brooklyn's bestest Pizza ever!
Greenwhich Village is a must and I suggest stopping in to "The Blue Note" on 4th street. Lots of people sitting in the dark drinking and smoking clove cigarettes. I once saw Andy Warhol there...showing my age I think.
Oh, one more thing..."The Pak Room" at the Plaza Hotel. Worth the overpiced drink to see the utter brillance of the decadence of this place. It's also where Crocodile Dundee was filmed. Well, not in the bar but still..
The dollar is in the toilet so go shopping everywhere! Street vedors in China Town and Little Italy (just off Canal street) are worht the trip. If you make it to China Town, go to "Wo Hop" on Mott Street for Chinese. God how I miss it. Buy a shirt, call it a day. Go over a few blocks to "Ferrara's" in Little Italy for the worlds best pastry ever.
Don't be afraid to ask for directions. New Yorkers are not as bad as we've been made out to be although we can be a bit, you know, American.
Go. See. Do. Get Pissed.
Sorry..that would be THE OAK room at The Plaza Hotel, not the PAK room.
ReplyDeleteBad week to stop sniffing glue.
XX
42
Haven't been since Bush Sr was in charge, but...
ReplyDeleteThe first time I went to New York, I came out of Penn Station very early in the morning and saw steam shooting out of those grills in the street, just like in the movies, and bought a warm pretzel from a cart, just like in the movies and hoid someone toiking loik dat, just like in the movies and that was enough already.
It's very touristy but if the weather's clear, do go up the Empire State Building at night. It's pretty special.
And 42's right, the Village is vv cool.
Empire State Building is an obvious tourist site, but also a must for NYC. Only problem is you need to decide should you go during day or night time. I went at night even though I thought it was a bit pointless, seeing as it was dark and all. But the view was just amazing and so beautiful to see all NY lit up. Plus the queues are shorter to get up there, ha ha.
ReplyDeleteI've only been to NYC once, for one day... I walked all arvo from Grand central, did the Empire state building, Greenwich and Chinatown. It was pretty cool, although I prefer Boston.
ReplyDeleteBut if I had time in NYC I'd want to see the Museum of Natural History... just think of all the scary movies made there, like Relic and Night at the Museum (mostly Ben Stiller's overacting was scary). But read a couple of Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child books and you'd want to go there too. Possibly armed to the teeth, you know... just in case
Huey Lewis says you can do half a million things all at a quarter to 3 so watch out, I don't know if thats am or pm I'm sure someone will know.
ReplyDeleteGo to central park and get mugged and don't take any crap from those rude new Yorkers, establish dominance. Only kidding I'm sure they aren't as bad as 'everyone' says, but still carry a shank.
I thought that said "shark". Carry a shark?
ReplyDeleteOkay, I will go to Greenwich Village, it sounds great —even though I was hoping for more cityish stuff than villagy stuff, coming from north Wales.
I forgot about the Natural History museum, I'll go there too, to see the bones. And the museum of modern art too, I suppose, but I'm not looking at anything geometrically shaped.
We're going to walk over the Brooklyn bridge and say "No sleep til Brooklyyyyyyyyn!" and make that funny shape with our hands.
The view from the top of the Empire State building is awsome. And ground zero is an interesting place, if only to watch how the tourists react to it. And I felt pretty cool having been to the Chelsea hotel. ;)
ReplyDeleteDon't go to MOMA, it is a waste of time - unless you go there on Friday evening at about 5pm when it's free to get in. I know shag all about art but my wife is truly the better half in this instance and she was not amused/impressed/thrilled/you get the idea.
ReplyDeleteDo a boat trip, any of them, any time day or night cos the view is immense.
Go to Ground Zero, mainly cos Century 21 is there and you can demonstrate real shopping muscle with your Euro.
Have lunch at a sushi bar.
Buy an iPod with 900GB of memory and put your favourite album on it.
Touch the nose of the Bull down near Wall St.
Go for a stroll around the edge of Central Park and think of 5 ways to illegally get enough cash to own a property here.
Mooch around SoHo/Greenwich for Sunday brunch. Then get hammered on cocktails in the afternoon.
But most importantly ; enjoy!!
Oh you poor thing. Going to New York? What a chore.
ReplyDelete*cough*
Okay: go shopping and spend an inordinate amount of money. Hang around the Lower East Side and have a pastrami sandwich at Katz's deli. Go to Washington Square after dark and singalong with the buskers. Or, hell, just walk around. There is entertainment aplenty just on the streets.
Eat breakfast in a wee deli with formica table tops, wear warm clothes, and go to the Staten Island Museum. It's got a pickled star-nosed vole in a jar and some rabbit droppings in a matchbox. Can't say fairer than that.
ReplyDeleteYuo can go on the SATC tour and have a photo taken on Carrie's steps.
ReplyDeleteI recommend the MoMA. They have Starry Night there, the real one.
ReplyDeleteBe sure to tell us if they light the windows on the Empire State Building in the shape of a heart for V-Day, like they do in 'Sleepless in Seattle.'
Enjoy the exchange rate!
I once painted a fake Starry Night as a mural on a restaurant wall. I'd like to see how the real thing measures up to my brilliance.
ReplyDeleteIf I went on the Sex and the City tour I wouldn't really feel like Carrie was my friend as such, more like she was a character in a hugely popular and over-sold TV series. It might ruin the magic.
The Chelsea is where Sid and Nancy died, right? I only know because Courtney Love named one of her more unsuccessful bands after it.
I totally forgot about Ground Zero. Oops, I'm probably not supposed to say that.
No one has mentionned the Bronx yet ? I'm surprised, very lively area.
ReplyDeleteStand in Grand Central and just look. Yes, the walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, a boat regardless of the weather, It's not huge but the Museum of the Moving Image over in Queens has some very cool movie stuff, I like PS1 in Long Island City - the contemporary art museum housed in a former Public School building, cross 110th street and have a look at Harlem, the MoMA is intoxicating regasrdless of how it could be improved, and the odd 90-block walk doesn't go astray.
ReplyDeleteI like the look of the Museum of Moving Image. I remember going to one in London when I was a kid and being Superman on the green-screen. Except it was a blue-screen back then.
ReplyDeleteI think NYC has a Hard Rock Cafe, which is awesome. Beyond that, no, there's nothing to do there.
ReplyDeleteIn all of the North American cities that I've been to, I've ended up on a tour around the ghetto/red light district. There's nothing that gets the blood pumping like the fear of accidentally stepping on a used needle, getting mugged or sleeping with a male prostitute. Plus, you'll be safe in the knowledge that you're doing something that the majority of other tourists missed. I thoroughly recommend it.
ReplyDeleteThe Chelsea Hotel is also the one from the Leonard Cohen song. Plus alot of artists have lived there, written songs about it etc.
ReplyDeleteThen there's a photography shop, B&H, in the Hells Kitchen area run by orthodox jews which is a must see. The have really good stuff and good service and are dressed to their orthodox nines! Also, when you buy stuff the salesmen send it to the counter with a conveyorbelt that hangs from the ceiling. See: http://web.archive.org/web/20060516165724/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05340/616255.stm
And you might want to check out if Cherry Bomb will be giving any shows because she's funny and saucy. :)
Go into a diner and ask for a 'pastrami on rye'.
ReplyDeleteThe boat trip is a great idea. The first time we were in NYC we did the Circle Line tour all around the island. It was cold but brilliant. The northern bit of Manhattan is surprisingly underdeveloped. Also high up on the list was the Tenement Museum (http://www.tenement.org/). And of course, go to the TKTS same-day half-price booth in Times Sq. and get yourself some theatre tickets.
ReplyDeleteOooh! New York! Best city ever. The strangest thing about arriving in New York City is that you feel like you're at home. You've seen it in so many movies that it's quite familiar!
ReplyDeleteEveryone has already said everything I think. I'd big up washington square for the buskers, and I love the whole buzz between the east village, broadway, greenwich village and china town. Just walk everywhere, and if Andy's vintage clothes shop is still open near the crossroad of bleeker st and broadway, have a look. Good t-shirts.
I'm very obviously not a New Yorker. I just typed 'crossroad'. Bah.
Empire State Building, pastrami sambos, random happenings, it's all good. Oh, and because it's winter, you might be able to go ice-skating in either Central Park or Rockerfeller Centre.
Best thing I ever saw in New York was wandering in The Bowery, before they shut down CBGBs, and seeing a loon of a man getting very frustrated because he couldn't get his unicycle to work. Mad.
Have a great time. It's kind of hard not to!
Oh and by the way, I just found your blog recently, and it's lovely! You have a way with a keyboard :)
ReplyDeleteHi Aoife, thanks, and welcome!
ReplyDeleteCheers for all your suggestions, peeps. I'm going over them very carefully and will post a list of things I'm going to do very shortly.
Have just contacted my friend Jeremy who will, no doubt, be more than willing to be your ambassador to NY. Will keep you posted.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had found your blog sooner, and would have met you out during your time in New York! Hope you had fun in the Big Apple. I'm looking for Irish blogs b/c I'm making a trip in April. Maybe you can give ME some advice about where to go in Ireland? I'm flying in to Belfast and leaving from Dublin, with 10 days in between. Can't wait!
ReplyDelete