Things To Do In New York

[Man with the Golden Arm]

And don't do what I had done at Katz's. That is ask for "cheese" on the pastrami. Boy did that get a look.

[7/4]

And don't do what I had done at Katz's. That is ask for "cheese" on the pastrami. Boy did that get a look.

[J Larsen]

I was once in Katz's, with two rather obnoxious brit tourists behind me. They were very loudly and vulgarly deriding everything quintesentially American (going on and on and on about how they couldn't conceive of a nation of people sitting on their butts through three hours of anything as boring a baseball, while simultaneously enumerating the virtues of soccer, calling americans littering pigs, whereas I saw them throw their cig butts on the street before entering, etc. etc. etc.) They finally got close enough to the front of the line to see the pastrami, which, of course, is reddish. One yelled out "blimey, is that shit even cooked?" The other said "Fuck, what do they make that out of?" You could see the eyes bulging out of the server's heads at this point (they have a reputation for being short-tempered). They the first brit responded "I don't know, I think it's pork." Then the server slammed his knife down, pointed to the door, and yelled "OUT!!!!!!" louder and deeper than I've ever heard anyone yell anything!

[Hardbopjazz]

If you drink beer, You have to visit McSorely's on 9th street off the Bowery. It is the oldest pub in NYC. I believe last month was its 150 birthday. Great beer and raw onions and sawdust on the floor. For years no women were allowed in the pub. When they won their admittance, they had to share bathrooms with men. Was strange taking a pee and seeing a woman washing their hands.

[PHILLYQ]

UA,

I work in lower Manhattan and pass by Ground Zero frequently. If you want to see an enormous hole in the ground, it's great, but it really is just another construction site right now. If you want to go there and contemplate the utter senselesness of the attack or mourn for the lost ones, maybe that's worthwhile. If you go to J&R, it's two blocks away. If your girlfriend likes shopping, you can go to J&R and she can go to Century 21, which draws discount fiends from all over the world. Last week, I was walkinh around at lunchtime and I saw some Italian folks hunched over a map, so I asked if there was something they were looking for. In broken English, "Century 21"! They thanked me profusely when I walked them over there. (Contrary to reputation, many New Yorkers are helpful!)

I went to the Empire State building last year, and it's quite a blast on a nice day. The view from the observation deck is fantastic, and there's a ride on the second(?) floor that is very nice. You might also want to take a Circle Line cruise around Manhattan- it takes three hours and you get to see many landmarks and get a neat history lesson from the narrator. On a mild, sunny day it's very relaxing. Their pier is located about three or four blocks from the Broadway theaters, and is right by the Intrepid Air/Space Museum. I also went to that and it was quite a lot of fun, you can climb into planes, etc.

Here's links:

http://www.circleline.com/

http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/

[catesta]

And don't do what I had done at Katz's. That is ask for "cheese" on the pastrami. Boy did that get a look.

My old lady did the same thing.

[Dmitry]

UA,

  If you want museums, you can go to 'Museum Mile', on 5th avenue from about 73rd Street to about 90th Street. You can visit the Metropolitan, the Whitney, Guggenheim, etc, all on the same side of 5th Avenue, with Central Park across the street.

Whitney is on Madison, not 5th. But the Jewish Museum is, and so is the Goethe Institut which I only recently discovered for myself.

Edited March 25, 2004 by Dmitry

[Man with the Golden Arm]

My old lady did the same thing.

But did she pull a Meg Ryan on ya? C'mon do tell.

[catesta]

Underground, book at least one night at the Albertson Arms in the CPW area.

You're a dead duck if you steal the towels, ashtrays, or wine glasses, but the music collection is up for grabs.

[catesta]

But did she pull a Meg Ryan on ya? C'mon do tell.

Oh hell no, I'm not even sure she enjoyed the pastrami all that much. B)

[kh1958]

As a visitor to New York City on occasion, my comments regarding the jazz clubs and the experience offered to a visitor would be as follows:

1. Village Vanguard--the best club in terms of sound and history; they usually treat you decently.

2. Jazz Standard--this club has good sound, is quite intimate, and is the friendliest of the upscale clubs. It's now my second or third favorite club.

3. The Fez at the Time Cafe--If in town on a Thursday night, the Mingus Big Band is mandatory. A really thrilling, intense experience.

4. Sweet Rhythm--The reincarnated Sweet Basil; an excellent club.

4. Birdland--A nice club but rather pricey; they've usually treated me pretty well.

5. Iridium--again, a nice club I like, but also pricey like Birdland; their treatment of the customer varies based on how crowded the club is (that is, go there during the week, not on the weekend).

6. Blue Note--I don't care for this club much.

7. Fat Cat--This is a very informal club attached to a pool hall, kind of shabby, but has good music.

8. Jazz Gallery--I like this venue, which is a small concert room, not a club, which has interesting music and an intimate setting.

9. Knitting Factory--They don't seem to ever have jazz when I'm in town, but I used to enjoy going here.

[Hardbopjazz]

Also there's the Pink Pussy Cat on off of 6th ave in the Village. People just go there to see all the sick shit pervs would buy. Good for a laugh.

Edited March 25, 2004 by Hardbopjazz

[J Larsen]

I doubt you'll find your self so far out on the UES, but if you do and you're a beer person, check out David Copperfield's. They have a wide selection of rare cask-conditioned microbrews. 74th and York, by the East River. That place is really serious about beer. They even have a special climate-controlled room for storing and serving the cask-conditioned beers. York and 74th.

[Jazzmoose]

Why do I keep seeing Jack Lemmon in "The Out of Towners" flashing through my head in this thread?

[7/4]

Also there's the Pink Pussy Cat on off of 6th ave in the Village. People just go there to see all the sick shit pervs would buy. Good for a laugh.

Been in there before, eh?

[7/4]

Buy anything?

[rachel]

Has the 55 Bar been mentioned yet?

Edited March 26, 2004 by rachel

[7/4]

Has the 55 Bar has been mentioned yet?

Ney.

And after living in the area all my life, I've only been there once.

[rachel]

Can't beat it... great live music, never knowing who may show up, and it's cheap.

[Rooster_Ties]

From CNN: Statue of Liberty to reopen soon, officials say

[undergroundagent]

Another question:

If you could save $80 Canadian per ticket, but had to fly into Newark instead LaGuardia, would you do it?

In other words, is this too much of a hassle?

[J Larsen]

Newark is easier than Laguardia or JFK. I always try to fly out of Newark. Quicker commute, smaller crowds.

Edited March 28, 2004 by J Larsen

[Hardbopjazz]

Another question:

If you could save $80 Canadian per ticket, but had to fly into Newark instead LaGuardia, would you do it?

In other words, is this too much of a hassle?

Yeah, it's only 20 minutes to Manhattan from Newark. Hopefully your not planning to rent a car for NYC. There's no need for a car when in Manhattan.

[undergroundagent]

Taking into account that each of us will probably have at least two pieces of luggage, would it be easiest to grab a cab from Newark? Airport Limo? Or is there some efficient form of public transportation that is safe?

How much does a cab cost from Newark to Manhattan BTW?

[Hardbopjazz]

Start with this

http://www.ny.com/transportation/airports/NWK.html

Coming and going will cost about 80 to 90 dollars by cab. Bus will cost 11 each way per person.