New York City Tourist Attractions? (NRR)

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  • AserAser 2,351 Posts
    If you go to the tenement tour suggested by Johnny, don't miss out on Guss' pickles down there. I don't know if it is part of the tour or not, but it's right around the museum and you don't want to miss it.

    you'd be better served by steering clear of places like Times Square and Canal Sreet

    don't forget il laboratorio gelato and kossar's bialy, very close to guss'

    I would not discount canal st/chinatown so easily, especially equating it to times sq. Such a disservice...

    difara's all the way, if you've had it, you would simply know.

  • Garcia_VegaGarcia_Vega 2,428 Posts
    If you're going to check out Central Park, take the 6 train to 103 St., have a true Puerto Rican lunch at La Fonda Boriqua on 106 St. between Lex and 3rd Ave. and then walk west on 106 to the Park's Conservatory Gardens, Harlem Meer, and Wildflower meadow/ ravine trail. Criminally slept on part of the park. Learn about the area and a map here. But really, if you wan to see a true park in NYC take the 1 or 4 train to the end of the line to Van Cortland Park, 1200 acres, its the biggest and best park in NYC, hands down, Central and Prospect don't come close. The Chinese scultpture park in Staten Island is also really nice, as is Inwood Hill Park, and Fort Tryon Park in Manhattan.

    If you're somewhat of a naturalist, gotta go to the Bronx Zoo. Operated by the WCS, it has the biggest Congo Gorilla exhibit in the world, which has two new gorilla babies having been born three months ago. Tiger mountain opened up last year, and you see them real up close. Also has snow leopards, bears, snakes, birds of prey, all sorts of interesting seldomly seen animals. Go on Wednesday when its pay what you wish or pay $11 on any other day. The NY Botanical Gardens is right a cross the street, its also huge, it'll take you a day to go through it all, but worth it alone for the Enid Haupt Conservatory, and the Roosevelt rose garden. While you're up there, eat at Dominics in the "real little Italy" in the Bronx on Arthur Ave. Don't get scared by the Eastern European waiters, its a true Italian place, no menu only daily specials and huge portions. Stop into the Arthur Ave market and you can get all sorts of cured meats, olives, cheeses, italian pastries, good stuff.
    I would say some of these are somewhat slept on spots in NY.

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    If you're somewhat of a naturalist, gotta go to the Bronx Zoo. Operated by the WCS, it has the biggest Congo Gorilla exhibit in the world, which has two new gorilla babies having been born three months ago. Tiger mountain opened up last year, and you see them real up close. Also has snow leopards, bears, snakes, birds of prey, all sorts of interesting seldomly seen animals. Go on Wednesday when its pay what you wish or pay $11 on any other day. The NY Botanical Gardens is right a cross the street, its also huge, it'll take you a day to go through it all, but worth it alone for the Enid Haupt Conservatory, and the Roosevelt rose garden. While you're up there, eat at Dominics in the "real little Italy" in the Bronx on Arthur Ave. Don't get scared by the Eastern European waiters, its a true Italian place, no menu only daily specials and huge portions. Stop into the Arthur Ave market and you can get all sorts of cured meats, olives, cheeses, italian pastries, good stuff.

    Cosign on the Arthur Ave area for the REAL LITTLE ITALY.

    But why come to NYC for a zoo. I 'm not seein that. My father in law came from Finland, he went to the Botanical Gardens. Why come to NYC to see flowers?
    Most "Tourist Attractions" here in NYC are avoided by Real New Yorkers. Fuck that BEST moniker shit.
    Just come here and do natural stuff. You dont need a fuckin' Zagats book to eat well.

    Just a simple walk through Harlem/Chinatown/ParkSlope/Highbridge will do.

    Fuck the theatres/Fuck the popular restaurants/Fuck Times Square

  • NateBizzoNateBizzo 2,328 Posts
    Rockefeller center hotel.


    This is not a hotel. Step your game up.

  • Garcia_VegaGarcia_Vega 2,428 Posts

    Cosign on the Arthur Ave area for the REAL LITTLE ITALY.

    But why come to NYC for a zoo. I 'm not seein that. My father in law came from Finland, he went to the Botanical Gardens. Why come to NYC to see flowers?
    Most "Tourist Attractions" here in NYC are avoided by Real New Yorkers. Fuck that BEST moniker shit.
    Just come here and do natural stuff. You dont need a fuckin' Zagats book to eat well.

    Just a simple walk through Harlem/Chinatown/ParkSlope/Highbridge will do.

    Fuck the theatres/Fuck the popular restaurants/Fuck Times Square

    damn Batmon, you're salty this morning. I don't personally know Rey, nor what the town he lives in is like, but in reagrds to the zoo, you don't see animals like that in most places in America. Nor do you get to see botanical gardens like the ones we have here, they're really amazing, the range of plants you'll find is stagering. If you are into that sort of thing, you want to check it out, its as much a part of NYC as anything else.
    Also no one has mentioned the Museum of Natural History or the MET, they're tourist standards that live up to the hype.
    If you just want to see the streets, get on one of those double decker tour busses you can get on and off from, best way to see and learn about the city. Just walking through those areas you get an appreciation of the architecture, but you don't learn anything about the area in and of itself.

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts

    Cosign on the Arthur Ave area for the REAL LITTLE ITALY.

    But why come to NYC for a zoo. I 'm not seein that. My father in law came from Finland, he went to the Botanical Gardens. Why come to NYC to see flowers?
    Most "Tourist Attractions" here in NYC are avoided by Real New Yorkers. Fuck that BEST moniker shit.
    Just come here and do natural stuff. You dont need a fuckin' Zagats book to eat well.

    Just a simple walk through Harlem/Chinatown/ParkSlope/Highbridge will do.

    Fuck the theatres/Fuck the popular restaurants/Fuck Times Square

    damn Batmon, you're salty this morning. I don't personally know Rey, nor what the town he lives in is like, but in reagrds to the zoo, you don't see animals like that in most places in America. Nor do you get to see botanical gardens like the ones we have here, they're really amazing, the range of plants you'll find is stagering. If you are into that sort of thing, you want to check it out, its as much a part of NYC as anything else.
    Also no one has mentioned the Museum of Natural History or the MET, they're tourist standards that live up to the hype.
    If you just want to see the streets, get on one of those double decker tour busses you can get on and off from, best way to see and learn about the city. Just walking through those areas you get an appreciation of the architecture, but you don't learn anything about the area in and of itself.

    Nah Vega, I didnt mean to snap at you at all. But I'm totally against "tourist attractions". I think they should be avoided like the plague.

    There's a beautiful bar inside Grand Central Terminal that I would take a "tourist" to.
    The Campbell Apartment............



    During the day not on a weekend evening.

  • David_GDavid_G 60 Posts
    Dante will guest the Bumpshop in early August, some would say

  • Big_ChanBig_Chan 5,088 Posts
    If you like pastrami, hit up katzs.



    And for the record, best slice pizza in manhattan is sal and carmines, 101 and broadway...


  • Garcia_VegaGarcia_Vega 2,428 Posts


    Nah Vega, I didnt mean to snap at you at all. But I'm totally against "tourist attractions". I think they should be avoided like the plague.

    There's a beautiful bar inside Grand Central Terminal that I would take a "tourist" to.
    The Campbell Apartment............



    During the day not on a weekend evening.

    No problem, I'm usually against the major tourist attractions too, but if you've never been to NY, they're really great. Regularly I wouldn't step a foot in Times Square, Ground Zero, Statue of Liberty, period. I refuse to go to any of the museums or Central Park on a weekend. I don't consider a game at Yankee a tourist thing, but thats cause I'm a fan and would go regularly.

    Campbell Apt is in my neighborhood, high on the grown and sexy list. I'd put the bar at the Bryant Park hotel on that list too, also the one on the Gramercy Park hotel, if they've finished with their remodeling.

  • David_GDavid_G 60 Posts
    Along with Difara's...Defonte's sandwich shop in Red Hook is also The good

    for Italian eats.

  • DelayDelay 4,530 Posts
    Defonte's sandwich shop in Red Hook
    Cosign, but it's in Red Hook. No trains down that way, Rey, but I'd try to check it out. the piers down there offer some of the best views in the city and are completely off the tourist map. also, i'd recommend taking a walk across the brooklyn bridge on a hot night.

  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    ride the 6 to the end of the line at Brooklyn Bridge, then dont get off the train when they tell you to, and ride it through the old closed down city hall station as it turns around to start the trip uptown.

    good times.

  • Rey,

    I think I recall you being into jazz. If you want to see some live jazz and you can't find anything of note in the parks, try one of the below:

    Zebulon Caf?? Concert

    Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola

    Jazz Standard at the Blue Smoke (the food isn't that good here - if you want
    ribs, try R.U.B. just a few avenues away...)

    and of course, the Blue Note

    As always, it depends on whose scheduled when, but these venues have great acts from time to time.

  • TenyuTenyu 30 Posts
    Best Italian - Esca Hell's Kitchen

    Best Japanese - Sushi Seki UES or Ushiwakamaru West Village

    Best French - Fleur De Sel North Union Square or Applewood Park Slope Brooklyn or 360 Van Brunt Red Hook Brooklyn

    reservation only

  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    I went to 360 the other night. It was very good. Didn't blow me away but it's a nice spot for the price.

    Been meaning to hit up applewood.

  • TenyuTenyu 30 Posts
    I went to 360 the other night. It was very good. Didn't blow me away but it's a nice spot for the price.

    The service is the worst but rate the food high. Killer lamb stew.

    Been meaning to hit up applewood.

    Hands down the best restaurant in Brooklyn.

  • Big_ChanBig_Chan 5,088 Posts
    360 is a good spot but the owner Arneau(sp?) is a little crazy! Dude would like open a bottle of wine we did not order, bring it to the table and have us all taste it. We all agreed that we did not like the wine. Then dude says "Me either, it is not a good wine." Then when he brought out bottles of wine we did order, he would pour himself a whole glass from our bottle and sit down at the table and start telling crazy stories.

  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    thank god he did not do that, it was wifey's birthday! lol. Tenyu I'll have to try the lamb stew next time, I had the chicken which was good but my girl's fish was not really all that banging.

    The wine selection was right.

    That shit is hella out of the way though, wouldn't have hit it if I wasn't driving there.

  • TenyuTenyu 30 Posts
    thank god he did not do that, it was wifey's birthday! lol. Tenyu I'll have to try the lamb stew next time, I had the chicken which was good but my girl's fish was not really all that banging.

    The wine selection was right.

    That shit is hella out of the way though, wouldn't have hit it if I wasn't driving there.

    The location, atmosphere, service all suck. And 15 minute wait for car service to leave. Probably won't go back for long while but the food was really good the one time I went. Been to Applewood about 15 times now, two blocks off the F train, and the owner/chef David Shea's a black belt.

  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    I went to 360 the other night. It was very good. Didn't blow me away but it's a nice spot for the price.

    The service is the worst but rate the food high. Killer lamb stew.

    Been meaning to hit up applewood.

    Hands down the best restaurant in Brooklyn.

    Applebees is awesome!

  • ReynaldoReynaldo 6,054 Posts
    Thank you everyone for all of the extremely useful information; I'm going to print this thread out and laminate it.

  • IronMikeIronMike 3 Posts
    check out www.freenyc.net or www.myopenbar.com for evening activities...

    my vote for best slice might go to morris park pizza in the bronx...

    where's difara's?!?

  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts

    where's difara's?!?

    Avenue J in Midwood, Brooklyn


  • BigSpliffBigSpliff 3,266 Posts
    check out www.freenyc.net or www.myopenbar.com for evening activities...

    NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

  • mrfinewinemrfinewine 157 Posts
    difara's is to lombardi's as...

    professor longhair is to liberace

    oh, if in or near red hook, word is this new spot called good fork (i think that's the name) is THE place to dine in brooklyn at the moment. i'd also recommend kam chueh in chinatown for late-night seafood deliciousness (lobster casserole, an entire damn lobster sizzling in a clay pot with cellophane noodles etc., $16!) and diner in williamsburg (or it's next-door sister restaurant, marlow and son) for a taste of...well, williamsburg! delicious food, not super-expensive, and unique feel.

  • BigSpliffBigSpliff 3,266 Posts
    OK, you can get better gourmet world fare in Las Vegas. And if you pay over $9 an entree in NYC, you are basically eating international deluxe cuisine you can eat in any yuppie restaurant around the world. This is the Terd Mentality that is fucking up the city.

    Save the museum experience for when you are stuck in Boston.

    Yeah, go to the zoo or take the boat tour to cool off, but then get ready for nighttimes spent strolling through the hoods and checking ladies wearing next to nada. Come on this is August in NY people, the air is thick, there's an icey vendor on every corner, it's still possible to smoke spliffs on some blocks without the riot police coming down. Live a little, don't be a statistic!

  • yoigotbeatsyoigotbeats 1,667 Posts
    Grant's Tomb
    The Cloisters
    The Lake at Central Park
    125th & Lennox
    Coney Island
    Hunt's Point (HBO-stylee)
    Jamaica Ave.
    Crown Heights on Friday's at sunset and/or saturday morning. the culture mash-up is amazing

    Food:
    Sixth Ave. Indian Row
    Sammy's Rumanian
    Yama on Houston
    Wo Hop (not very good but fire at 5 in the morning - protect your neck!)
    Bell Cafe (see above sans the Chinese gangs with the added potential of hooking up at 5 in the morning)
    Dizzy's in BK
    Any Portugese spot in Jackson Heights, Queens

    Pizza in Mahattan:
    West Vil - Ben's by Franks or Joe's
    East Vill - St. Mark's
    Uptown - Ray's on 106th
    Upper East - Mimi's

    If you're down with Sports:

    Take the tour of Madison Square Garden
    Catch a Yankees Game
    Watch the Tennis crazies at the Central Park Courts
    Catch a Street Ball game in Red Hook, West 4th (not as hype) or Rucker (mecca)
    Play Chess or Scrabble in Washington Square Park

    And if you're really gully:

    Roll to any Jamaican spot on Nostrand Ave and cop a chicken patty with hot coco bread.

    Take the Train route of the Warriors then dip to the boardwalk of Coney Island.





    Good looks on the Stockton knowledge.

  • mrfinewinemrfinewine 157 Posts
    i second g-----s on coney island. check out the aquarium while there! oh, and don't miss the underrated TENEMENT MUSEUM on the lower east side, especially if you had any immigrant ancestors come through nyc in the late 19th or early 20th century...

  • sconesscones 434 Posts
    will i get shot supporting the red sox at yankee stadium?

  • kitchenknightkitchenknight 4,922 Posts
    will i get shot supporting the red sox at yankee stadium?

    Never been to a game there, but my friends who all went to Game 7 of the ALCS said they had no problems cheering, so long as they weren't obnoxious about it. As the old saying goes, "Don't start shit, won't be none."

    And, I have seen Yankee fans nearly shot at Red Sox games, so I'd hesistate to cast any dispersions on Yankee fans. I tend to think that each team can rightfully boast the best and most troubled fans in baseball.
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