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Jane Pirone • Founder / Publisher
������ Tourists, New York City
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Preparing for and hosting a visitor can be quite an undertaking. After all, most of us don’t have a lot of extra space or a lot of free time. There’s really no such thing as a guest bedroom here unless you count unfurling your futon into your bathtub. And, stocking the refrigerator can be tough, especially when it’s smaller than the cooler most folks take to the beach. So, be creative and at least make sure you’ve got some essentials—milk, coffee, and a neatly organized stack of take-out and delivery menus. Don’t forget, when visiting New York, your guests should live like New Yorkers, where heating leftovers is the only cooking that gets done!
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With some key data, you can design your visitor’s stay to be as pleasant as ������� possible (and you’ll be much less likely to want to kill them by the end of it). ��� ���� ���� ������������ Try to determine the following things right away: Are they navigationally im���������� �� paired, or are they pretty good at getting themselves around? Are they fairly savvy travelers, or is this their first time out of Iowa? Are they into DOING things or are they couch potatoes? Are they used to walking a lot or do they drive everywhere? Are they staying for a month, week, or day (we strongly suggest that no visit last more than 4 days)? And, most importantly, find out what it is they’d like to do! We recommend that instead of a mint, put a week������� fare MetroCard and a Post-it tabbed NFT on their pillow. On the night stand: current copies of TimeOut, the cool, free L Magazine, New York Magazine, the Voice, Gallery Guide, and New York Press. In the age of cell-phones it makes it a lot easier to send the directionally challenged out on their own. After all, you’re only a phone call away (just make sure they didn’t forget to pack their cell-phone charger). And be ready for a LOAD of calls. Our advice: have an NFT on hand to help guide your traveling chicks to safety. And, it sure wouldn’t hurt if they read up on those tips to finding a bathroom (pg 254) before they head out. What people from out of town love, we, as locals, may not. As hosts, however, we must bite our tongues and insure that the folks visiting are able to do things they love to do, and in turn, have a great time in our overwhelming city. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to do every single thing WITH them. Do you really want to use all of your sick days and vacation time showing your cousin around SoHo? That’s what we thought. Below is a list of suggestions and essential information you will need to send your visitors out into the great big city unaccompanied. Go to work and get your sorely needed break from them hovering over you with that “what are we doing next” look. We know the last thing you want to do is escort somebody else up to the top of the Empire State Building…again.
The obvious stuff you will most likely want to skip:
Empire State Building (pgs 192193) What happens with a movie like Sleepless in Seattle, is that you’re stuck taking everyone that visits to “live” the movie (and what is up with Meg Ryan and NY sight seeing?— see Katz’s below). If you must, don’t bother going up unless it’s a nice day. September is a wonderful month for clear skies, and the nighttime is especially magical. Those willing to brave the looong lines will have to cough up $13 for the view. Rockefeller Center (pgs 200-201) Your tourists can tackle a number of birds with one stone given that RockCenter is a stone’s throw from St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the NBA store, Empire State Building Takashimaya, and other swanky photo: Jane Pirone Fifth Avenue shopping like FAO Schwartz, Tiffany’s, and Saks. MoMA is also nearby, so if you’ve been there recently, send them while they’re in the vicinity (the entrance fee is so high [$20], you probably can’t afford to go again anyway). This is also the place where they can see the big tree (during Christmas), look like fools at 6 in the morning as they stand waving outside
the Today Show taping, tour the NBC studios [at a rip-off $19 a pop], and take in the plush velvet art-deco décor of Radio City Music Hall. Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island The museum on Ellis Island is what most rave about and the Circle Line ferry has a monopoly on getting you there ($10 round trip for adults; www.circlelinedowntown.com). The statue’s observation deck was finally opened again, but there are a limited number of daily passes to go around. Plan for this in advance and allocate at least a half-day for the excursion. By the way, if you just want to see the statue, but not actually experience it, check out the Staten Island Ferry below. Times Square (pgs 206-207) Try to get them to bundle this site with their Broadway show. I would never, ever actually encourage anyone to go here, but if your guests want pictures of the pretty lights then an evening visit is best. If you’re stuck being the escort while they walk around with their mouths open, you might want to sneak in a drink at the Royalton or the Paramount. The place for dinner is definitely HoJos on 45th. Central Park (pgs 186-187) Ok, so they missed The Gates. So what. There’s still plenty to do and see. Just walking around the park can provide hours of entertainment—especially in the summer. Summerstage as well as boat rentals at the Loeb Boathouse are both really cool ways of spending a hot afternoon. Skating at Wollman Rink and the infamous carriage rides Central Park down the south-east corner are photo: Jane Pirone winter faves. The Central Park Zoo is also worth a quick visit—a must if you’ve got kids in tow. Battery Park City (pgs 184-185) The best things about BPC are the excellent outdoor sculptures (such as Brian Tolle’s Irish Hunger Memorial), the park/walk along the Hudson, and the Jewish Heritage Museum. Definitely stop for a drink at the Ritz-Carlton and if it’s summertime, you may be able to take in a concert at the Winter Garden or watch some greased-up athletes swim the Hudson. If the weather’s terrible and you need a break, catch a matinee at the Regal 16. Pick-a-Bagel is a good option if you’re looking for a quick bite and Century 21 on Cortlandt Street is the best affordable department store in the city. Now is probably as good a time as any to get in the unavoidable visit to the “hole” that’s slowly being filled in—World Trade Center (pg 210-211). South Street Seaport (pgs 204-205) I honestly can’t see any reason whatsoever to go here—it’s a suburban mall in old brick buildings parked next to some boats. But if you must, it’s cool to walk around the historic area just north of this touristy complex. And while you’re at it, consider Quartino for lunch instead of Pizzeria Uno. This is also where you’ll find the downtown tkts booth as well as the Downtown Strand just up on Fulton Street. And let’s not forget those gorgeous views of the Brooklyn Bridge. NYSE (Wall Street) To the chagrin of every visiting capitalist, all tours have been closed indefinitely for security reasons. You’ll have to get your fill of what makes the world go ‘round elsewhere. We recommend just walking around the area with your head to the sky and your chin scrapping along the concrete—the AIA Guide is indispensable down here. At the very least, you should check out the huge George Washington statue on Wall Street commemorating April 30, 1789, the day he took oath as the first President of the United States on the balcony of Federal Hall. Send them to a Broadway Show on Sunday Afternoon This could buy you some of that coveted sleep-in time AND brunch with your friends. Of course, it depends upon exactly who’s in town, but many folks will be very excited about the prospect of seeing a show…unless, they’re your hip friends from Boston (then P.S. 122 is more in order—read “hipster stuff” below). Most Broadway plays are clustered around Times Square, but a few that are a little less sanitized and slightly more interesting and enjoyable can be found scattered around downtown—Stomp, Blue Man Group, and Donkey Show have a bit more street cred (…just a bit). Remember that most shows are dark on Monday. And BTW, show tickets are PRICEY, so make sure to take advantage of any discounts you can find. There are two tkts locations for cheap tickets (same day only)—one at the South Street Seaport and one at Times Square.
Send them to a TV Taping These all take place during the day, in the morning or early evening, and so provide another activity to occupy your guests and prevent you from having to miss a day of work. However, they do require some serious elbow grease— either filling out an online form (or making a phone call) at least a month ahead or standing in a long, long, same-day stand-by line. Some even make you answer stupid trivia questions. Hey, at least they’re free. All these studios are like meat lockers, so make sure they bring a sweater, even on the hottest days. Specific info on each show can be found on their respective network’s website. Gonyc.about.com is also a good resource. Various shows taped in NYC include: Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Last Call with Carson Daly, Saturday Night Live, Late Show with David Letterman, The View, The Tony Danza Show, Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Good Morning America, Emeril Live, and Live! With Regis and Kelly. Tickets to some are much easier to get than others. For instance, you’ve got a cold chance in hell of getting anything for Saturday Night Live. Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises No kidding, this is a great way to get them out of your hair for about five hours. It’s a really nice ride on a clear, sunny, warm day—I’ve done it twice. Of course, there are myriad cruise options: Full Island (3 hours, $28), Semi-Circle (2 hours, $23), Harbor Lights Evening (2 hours, $23), and Liberty Cruise (75 minutes, $18), so check out Circleline’s site for more details. www.circleline42.com
Stuff you might enjoy and can use your tourists as an excuse to do:
United Nations The quality of your United Nations tour [$11.50] will depend completely upon who you draw as a tour guide. If your assigned escort has been there a while and is well-versed in the intricacies of such a diverse organization, you’re in luck. If they just started last week and spend the entire time reciting the scripted tour guide schpiel, at least you’ll still get to look at the cool international art on the walls—which, by the way, they don’t provide nearly enough time for. Take as little as possible with you to the UN, and make sure you leave your Swiss army knife and oozi at home. www.un.org/tours
United Nations
photo: Jane Pirone
Staten Island Ferry It’s not just because it’s free. Really. That’s just the icing on the cake. Great views of Brooklyn, Jersey City, the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn and Verrazano Bridges, and downtown Manhattan, coupled with the wind blowing through your hair are all rather exhilarating. These boats operate 24 hours a day, it takes about a half hour each way, and it’s an easy walk to the dock from Battery Park City or the 4/5 stop at Bowling Green. Lincoln Center (pgs 196-197) For the tourist with discerning taste, this four-square block area has more culture than you can shake a stick at. Choose among the crème de la crème of opera, jazz, classical, theater, ballet, and film at www.lincolncenter.org. If Bitsy forgot her cocktail dress, or the folks are on a budget, Lincoln Center’s FREE Out of Doors festival in Guggenheim Museum August and the Midsummer Night Swing in June photo: Jane Pirone and July are both serious best bets. Visit the Museums (pgs 314-318) This can be great fun for you too and it’s an excuse to get to a place you haven’t been to in years. When was the last time you checked out The Met, the Whitney, the Guggenheim, or hey, did you hear they re-opened the MoMA? Anywhere you’ve been to a bunch, skip. Depending upon the tastes of your appendages, we recommend: the New Museum of Contemporary Art, DIA, or ICP.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
photo: Jane Pirone
Take them to a Sporting Event (pgs 217-221) Of course, what you choose to do depends entirely on the season, but whatever you settle on, it’s more than likely that you’ll have a blast too! It’s pretty difficult getting tickets to see the Knicks and Rangers—check out craigslist.com for folks trying to get rid of theirs. The US Open has some tickets available for the less famous matchups every August, while Liberty always has seats (and is always a good time). The best way to see the Mets AND the Yankees is to try to get tickets to the Subway Series where they play each other. Maybe one day soon, there will be a stadium on the west side hosting the Jets...sure.
For the advanced tourist – with or without you:
Two Bridges Walk Most walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and take the subway back, but those guys are chumps. For the in-shape tourist who wants to see much more, have them walk a loop across the Manhattan Bridge, around DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights, back across the Brooklyn Bridge, with a finish through the city and federal buildings to Chinatown. Start out across the Manhattan Bridge with the best views of the Brooklyn Bridge and downtown Manhattan. While in DUMBO, grab lunch at Grimaldi’s or Brooklyn Bridge Superfine, followed by a walk photo: Jane Pirone along the esplanade in Brooklyn Heights. Back over the Brooklyn Bridge (ideally at sunset), you’ll catch some gorgeous views of the AIG and Woolworth Building. Once over the Bridge, City Hall Park is lovely to stroll through and will hopefully temper the urge to spend mass amounts of money at J&R. End the journey with a final amble through the all too familiar Law & Order area on the way to Chinatown for dinner at Joe’s Shanghai and dessert at Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. Coney Island (pgs 72-73, NFT Brooklyn) It’s really worth the trip—especially if you can bike there along Ocean Parkway. There is so much to do here it easily can fill a day with two amusement parks, the New York Aquarium [$11], Sideshows by the Seashore, the Coney Island Museum, Nathan’s Famous Hotdog Stand, Brighton Beach, and Keyspan Park where the Brooklyn Cyclones play [$12]. While the area is a bit shabby and run-down, it’s all part of Coney Island’s wonderful charm. The annual Mermaid Parade is not-to-bemissed and takes place on the first Saturday after the Summer Solstice marking the beginning of summer in Coney Island. www.coneyisland.com Art galleries (pgs 291-296) At any given time, more than 500 galleries are showing artwork created in every conceivable medium with, of course, varying levels of quality. But most galleries, especially in Chelsea and Williamsburg, are almost always showing something that’s at least provocative, if not actually good. Get yourself a copy of Gallery Guide or go to www.galleryguide.org for the most up-to-date listings.
Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
photo: Jane Pirone
Five years ago, there were still hundreds of art galleries in SoHo. Now, it’s swiftly becoming an outdoor mall. However, there are still some permanent artworks in gallery spaces, such as Walter DeMaria’s excellent “The Broken Kilometer” (a Dia-sponsored space at 393 West Broadway), and his sublime New York Earth Room at 141 Wooster Street. And a short jaunt down to TriBeCa will land you in LaMonte Young’s awesome aural experience “Dream House” at the MELA Foundation. For rotating shows, HEREArt usually has some interesting things going on. In case you weren’t sure where all the galleries went after SoHo prices exploded, over 200 galleries now reside in Chelsea, and there is always something new to see. At the very least, you should hit two main streets—W 24th Street between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues, and W 22nd Street between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues. W 24th Street is anchored by the almost-always-brilliant Gagosian Gallery and also
includes the Luhring Augustine, Charles Cowles, Mary Boone, and Matthew Marks galleries. W 22nd has the brilliant Dia Center for the Arts (sadly and temporarily closed for renovations), as well as the architecture-friendly Max Protech gallery, and the Julie Saul, Leslie Tonkonow, Marianne Boesky, and Yancey Richardson galleries. Also check out the famous “artists” bookstore Printed Matter (535 W 22nd St). Take a cruise through the massive and cool Starrett-Lehigh Building (601 W 26th St) not only for the art but for the great pillars, windows, and converted freight elevators (some big enough to fit trucks!) as well. St John the Divine Unfortunately, the Vertical Tour (124 feet up spiral stone staircases to the top of the cathedral) no longer exists due to a fire a couple of years ago. Fortunately, there’s more to take in than just the spire at the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Entry was once free, but now there’s a “suggested” donation of a couple of bucks that they force you to pay before you can go in. There’s also a cute little gift shop with NYC paraphernalia, churchy things, and products from the many local artists that exhibit their work at the cathedral. Seinfeld fans (and one of your visitors inevitably will be) should not miss Tom’s Restaurant on Broadway and 112th Street. You’ll recognize the façade as the exterior of “Monk’s,” the diner frequented by the show’s gang. Alas, the inside looks nothing like the one on the sitcom—the actual set was at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria for a while, but has since moved on. If the kids are dreaming of going to Columbia (pgs 188-189), have them check out the urban campus while you’re in the neighborhood. Apollo Theater Yes, Clinton moved his office here, but that’s certainly not any reason to visit this area. Harlem is plenty vibrant on its own, and the Apollo Theater (www.apollotheater.com) is an always fun and fabulous destination—especially on their infamous “Amateur Night.” Stop by Sylvia’s, Amy Ruth’s, or Home Sweet Harlem Café to leave your bellies smiling.
Intersperse it all with:
Eating This is a great city for the person whose typical eating out options are Applebee’s and the Olive Garden. The time has come for them to try some really great, ethnic, and non-chain food. Naturally, for breakfast you’ll want to get them some bagels—preferably from H&H, Pick A Bagel, Ess-a Bagel, or David’s. If that’s not convenient, then do your best to find a local place with your NFT—just avoid Dunkin’ at all costs. Barking Dog Luncheonette A great lunch experience is the obviphoto: Jane Pirone ous Katz’s, the Brazilian Café Colonial, or the Barking Dog Luncheonette. But dinner is where to have some serious fun: Ukrainian, Indian, Middle Eastern, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, and of course, there are the really top-notch restaurants…if you’re lucky enough to land a reservation. Check out pgs 319-331 in your NFT for a more discursive list. Shopping (pgs 332-341) One of the things we love about NYC, is that it hasn’t been completely converted to a giant chain-store mall…yet. This metropolis is jam-packed with amazing shopping opportunities. All you need is a nice high balance on that MasterCard. Priceless. Based upon their interests, your guests can spend time checking out the various shopping districts—a conglomeration of shops in one area where you go to find what you’re looking for. Hit up the Garment District (25th to 40th Sts, Fifth to Ninth Aves) for buttons and zippers, rick-rack and ribbons; all the ingredients you’ll need to fashion your own frocks. Attention men: The Diamond and Jewelry District (W 47th between Fifth and Sixth Aves), the world’s largest market for diamonds, and the Flower District (26th to 29th Sts, along and off Sixth Ave) are where to go to make her swoon. Music Row (48th St between Sixth & Seventh Aves) is where to buy that accordion you’ve been meaning to try. The Bowery south of Houston is another well-known strip where you’ll find the Kitchenware District Strand Bookstore photo: Jane Pirone for all your culinary endeavors, the Lighting District (past Delancey St) for all your illuminating needs, and
the Downtown Jewelry District (turn the corner of Bowery to Canal St) for the more exotic baubles you can’t get uptown. The Flatiron District (from 14th to 34th Sts, between Sixth & Park Aves) is a home furnishing mecca. Book Row (between 9th and 14th Sts) is sadly no more. What was once an assemblage of over 25 bookstores, now houses only the famous Strand Book Store and Alabaster Used Books, both tome troves unto themselves. Be sure to hit lower Broadway, between Broome and Canal if any teenagers are involved—stores like Yellow Rat Bastard will be a big hit. Nightlife & Hipster Stuff A friend’s visit to New York should take full advantage of all the city has to offer with both “day” and “night” pursuits. That way, when it comes time to head back home to Walla Walla, they’ll be able to brag to all the other country mice about the fabulous “New York” things they did while they were here. All we can say is “option paralysis.” And we love that. Check the weekly entertainment guides in the publications we’ve referenced above for what’s going down. Otherwise, you should take them to places like St. Ann’s Warehouse, P.S. 122, or Tonic for some truly unique musical/performance/art experiences. Film Forum to catch that art house flick they’ve never even heard of before. Bowery Ballroom to see bands right on the cusp of hitting it REALLY big. Knitting Factory to hear the lesser-known artists in a more intimate space. (Check Craigslist if you’re desperate for tickets at any cost to THE show of the week.) Boutique hopping in Greenwich Village and SoHo. Arlene’s Grocery for Rock and Roll Karaoke. Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre to see some fantastic sketch comedy and improv (also great for spotting the occasional SNL cast mate during Sunday night sets). The key is to choose activities that your visiting bumpkin can’t get anywhere else. Now’s your chance to really rub your New York cred right in their out-of-towner faces.