New York City

[MiamiE]

Ill be in NYC I think the second weekend of January. Never been. My wife has, and doesnt stop talking about how great it is. Ill only be there about 3-4 days so I need some tips on must-see places, and great pizza and Italian food! I put up a thread in the Herfs section in case anyone wants to get together.

[ninjavanish]

Originally Posted by MiamiE

Ill be in NYC I think the second weekend of January. Never been. My wife has, and doesnt stop talking about how great it is. Ill only be there about 3-4 days so I need some tips on must-see places, and great pizza and Italian food! I put up a thread in the Herfs section in case anyone wants to get together.

Honestly, I feel like you must see club macanudo.

Having visited it myself for the first time ever a week and half ago... I can tell you... Try the Cuban ribeye. Unfreakinbelievable.

Other than that I couldn't tell you. I had a piece of pizza at 2:30 in the morning at a place near times square called la famiglia... Decent pizza... Had pictures of famous people who had eaten there on the walls.

[mosesbotbol]

Walk over the Brooklyn bridge and end up at Grimaldi's pizza in Brooklyn

[madwilliamflint]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

Walk over the Brooklyn bridge and end up at Grimaldi's pizza in Brooklyn

+150. I live a few blocks from there.

[forgop]

I wouldn't know what to suggest doing in the winter as I've only been in the summer. I went for like a week for my 22nd Bday and went to tapings of the Montel Williams and Rush Limbaugh TV shows. We saw the other big sites like the Statue, Central Park, twin towers, Empire State Building, and stood outside the David Letterman show to see him come out and hail down a cab for his taping.

Don't know cigar-wise, but if you're up for fine dining, I highly recommend Sparks Steakhouse. I think it's ranked among the best in the country and it was outstanding when I went about 10 years ago.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by forgop

Don't know cigar-wise, but if you're up for fine dining, I highly recommend Sparks Steakhouse. I think it's ranked among the best in the country and it was outstanding when I went about 10 years ago.

My cousin was the manager of Sparks when Paul Castellano was killed outside. Guess who got to clean up? Sparks has some wonderful wine deals. Sure, they are expensive wines, but many are cost less than going to the liquor store. They have been investing and cellaring for a long at Sparks.

[MiamiE]

Moses and Duane, thanks for the recommendations! I just read about Lombardi's pizza. Any opinions?

[timj219]

Originally Posted by MiamiE

Moses and Duane, thanks for the recommendations! I just read about Lombardi's pizza. Any opinions?

Lombardi's is good but my personal favorite in Manhattan is John's on Bleeker in the village. Katz deli is a good choice if you want real corned beef or pastrami.
My recommendations for things to do are:

Get half price tickets for a broadway show at the twofer booth in times square. The rest of times square is just overpriced shopping and millions of tourists so skip it unless you go for the tickets.

Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim, or Natural History museum. Met, Gugenheim, and Nat Hist are all on Central Park. In fact it's a nice walk straight across the park from Met to Nat Hist.

Little Italy in manhattan has nice places to eat including La Bella Ferrara which is my favorite bakery. There's another (some say better) little italy on Arthur Ave in the Bronx but it's tougher for a visitor to get to.

Ground Zero. And it's a short walk west from ground zero to southstreet seaport. I used to love the area when the fulton fish market was there but they've moved it to hunt's point. But they do have an exhibition there called bodies which my wife and I went to. Unforgettable. There's also a beautiful view of the brooklyn bridge from there.

Check out the calendar at lincoln center for classical and jazz if you like that.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by timj219

Met, Gugenheim, and Nat Hist are all on Central Park. In fact it's a nice walk straight across the park from Met to Nat Hist.

Plus, you can pair it with a nice stop at The Shake Shack (yes, even in December).

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by timj219

There's another (some say better) little italy on Arthur Ave in the Bronx but it's tougher for a visitor to get to.

If you go to Arthur Ave, which I highly recommend! Do not go on Sunday; everything is closed.

[forgop]

Originally Posted by timj219

But they do have an exhibition there called bodies which my wife and I went to. Unforgettable. There's also a beautiful view of the brooklyn bridge from there.

Bodies is a cool exhibit, but many people object to the means in which the subjects are used for the exhibit. There's just a little something about Chinese people being used as part of an exhibit without their consent.

[timj219]

Originally Posted by forgop

Bodies is a cool exhibit, but many people object to the means in which the subjects are used for the exhibit. There's just a little something about Chinese people being used as part of an exhibit without their consent.

I read about the controversy after we had visited. Still not positive one way or the other whether everything was done in good faith by the exhibitors. But the value of the exhibit IMO makes it worth a visit anyway. If I have a chance I will probably go again - it was that powerful.

[forgop]

Where are you staying in NYC? Got a buddy from another board in NYC that heads to a lounge a couple of times a week. I can ask him for his opinion. Hell, maybe he could be there and show you his magic tricks while you're there.

[MiamiE]

Not sure yet. Nothing to crazy. We have looked at the Hilton in Times Square.

[Blueface]

Erick,
When you can, call me.
Grew up in NJ, worked many years in NY.

Quick favorites:
Jewish Deli's: Katz (When Harry Met Sally Sex scene location) or Carnegie Deli

Italian: Lamella's or Pellegrino's

Pastries: Ferrara's

Pizza: Grimaldi's

Sight Seeing: The whole freaking city.
Statue of Liberty, South Street Seaport, Empire State Building, Rockerfeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, Macy's for Christmas time, Broadway plays, Central Park.
Clubs up the wazzoo everywhere.

The city that never sleeps is a fact to live by.
So many, many more things.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

Walk over the Brooklyn bridge and end up at Grimaldi's pizza in Brooklyn

Originally Posted by MiamiE

I just read about Lombardi's pizza. Any opinions?

Very cool- just be aware that you'll need to order a whole pie- they don't do slices.

Originally Posted by Blueface

Jewish Deli's: Katz

THE place!

Originally Posted by Blueface

Sight Seeing: The whole freaking city.

Quite! When in doubt, just wander around Manhattan some more. There's cool stuff to see/do everywhere. You can't go wrong.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by Blueface

Erick,
When you can, call me.
Grew up in NJ, worked many years in NY.

Quick favorites:
Jewish Deli's: Katz (When Harry Met Sally Sex scene location) or Carnegie Deli

Stage Deli is good too.

Another good pizza place after going to Grimaldi's is Difara Pizzeria which is also in Brooklyn

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

Stage Deli is good too.

Another good pizza place after going to Grimaldi's is Difara Pizzeria which is also in Brooklyn

But if you want to eat the very, very, very, very best (get the emphasis?) Sicilian style pizza anywhere, go deeper into Brooklyn, to Bensonhurst to L&B Spumoni Gardens.

One will never eat any Sicilian ever again other than that one.

[forgop]

Originally Posted by MiamiE

Not sure yet. Nothing to crazy. We have looked at the Hilton in Times Square.

I'd recommend using priceline.com and name your price. You lose the exact name/location, but you can select your amenity level and a pretty exact location for where you wanna be. Find the absolute lowest price you can find anywhere else and then start bidding at 50% of those rates. I've stayed in MANY hotels like a Hilton, Marriott, etc, etc. really cheap that way.

[longknocker]

Originally Posted by MiamiE

Not sure yet. Nothing to crazy. We have looked at the Hilton in Times Square.

That's Where We Stayed In November! Great Hotel & Close To Plays, Food, ETC. I've Only Been To NYC Once So I Would Definitely Recommend Seeing Your Play Of Choice! We Saw Million Dollar Quartet() & Couldn't Get Tickets To Jersey Boys. Have Fun!