Entries tagged “howtonyc”

Former New Yorker Joshua Schachter's captured his New York Essentials, the short list of places you can't afford to miss when visiting NYC. Every single one of the places he lists is a restaurant; He correctly asserts that if you only have a short period of time to visit the city and you used to live here, the thing you truly miss the most is the food. I found it interesting that Joshua landed on "transcendent" as the best description of Shake Shack's burgers -- I always use the same word to describe them myself.

Didja like the series of posts on How to Visit New York City? Then you might want to check these out:

• Mark Dominus has a lengthy, well-considered view of New York Tourism, centered around the maxim that I “…may be a little misleading when he says ‘the natives are friendly and helpful.’ I would say not. Neither are they unfriendly or unhelpful. What they mostly are, in my experience, is brusque and in a hurry.”
• And Monsur takes a run at the Apple, too: “New York City never ceases to surprise you. Toss aside the map, walk around, and let the city reveal herself to you.”

As I’ve been sharing my opinions about how to visit New York this week, I’ve been lucky enough to get some great responses from other people on the web, and to find some terrific resources for visitors to check out. So far my own series on how to visit New York I’ve covered what you can skip, what you must see, and the basics.

• New Yorkology posted a nice link to my series, but Amy Langfeld’s New York Travel Guide is indispensable for anyone who wants to visit the Big Apple, and well deserving of its many accolades. Tips are organized by geography, by topic, and by convenient groupings like “Kids” and “Romance”.

• David’s thoughtful response, with the wonderful introduction stating, “I am adding my own two cents here, because the great thing about Manhattan is that it is a different experience everyday, for everyone. So, here is my Do-It-Yourself Manhattan Tourists’ Guide: What to do before and when you get here.”

• And then, perhaps most amusingly, Mike Monteiro’s inimitable How to Visit San Francisco over on the Mule Design blog. Not merely inspired by my post, but just plain inspired: “Try to remember that they don’t mean to be rude, they’re just thinking of the excellent gas mileage they’re getting on their Toyota Prius.” You can also see Mike’s initial response to my series. The only things I’d add are bring a sweater, and the place you’re going is closed.

• Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the invaluable resources at Ask MetaFilter, one of my favorite sites and quite simply one of the best sites on the web. Check out the questioned tagged New York or NYC or New York City (or, uh, just “york”) and you can harness some fantastic collected wisdom from lots of knowledgeable contributors.

Update: Here’s an awesome sneak preview you should check out — TravelFilter for New York, NY. It’s a collection of all Ask MetaFilter posts geocoded for New York City, nicely displayed and complete with a map. Very cool.

Okay, this is the one that’s going to get me in the most trouble: A list of the famous tourist attractions that you can safely skip when you come to New York City. After covering the basics and the must-sees, it only stands to reason that there’s some stuff that’s boring, overrated, or just so inconvenient that it’s not worth visiting if you’re short on time. I’ll try to include some helpful alternative suggestions in case you’ve got your heart set on one of these destinations, or so you don’t feel too bad for these landmarks.

• The Statue of Liberty. I know you’re going to catch hell for this one, but let me state up front I’m a fan of the Statue of Liberty: I raised money for the restoration of the statue when I was a cub scout as a kid, and of course I’m the son of immigrants, so I’m inclined to like the thing. But getting to the Statue of Liberty is a colossal pain in the ass; You’ve got to get all the way downtown, get on the ferry, swing by Ellis Island on the way, and when you finally get there, you can’t even go up the statue anyway. Lame. Worst of all, you’ll have killed half a day or more, and the kids will only have had lousy food to eat — the snacks available on Liberty Island are worse than what you’d get from any street vendor in Manhattan. What to do instead? Take the Staten Island ferry. My friend Grant Barrett did a great job of capturing exactly why I recommend the ferry:

I highly recommend taking the Staten Island Ferry. First, because it’s free. Second, because it gives a great view of the Manhattan skyline. Take it around dusk (it leaves every half-hour before 8 p.m., I believe, and every hour after), so that there’s daylight when you go out, and darkness when you come back. It goes near the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (close enough to get pictures, but not very, very close), and the view of the city lit up at night really is quite amazing. It’s good to do towards the end of your stay in the city, because it’s fairly peaceful and refreshing, and because after spending so much money it’s nice to do something that costs nothing. And, if it’s hot out, it’s guaranteed at least 10 degrees cooler on the water. You have to rush through the terminal once you reach Staten Island so you can take the same ferry back (they make you get off), otherwise, you have to wait another half-hour for the next one. Also, if you take the 1 train subway to the ferry, make sure to be in one of the first five cars.

• South Street Seaport. Okay, some of the historical displays at South Street Seaport are kind of interesting. But mostly it’s a tourist trap, a big giant mall with stores like The Gap and Victoria’s Secret, which you could just check out at home. Like its west coast counterpart, Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, what was once a truly historic gateway to the city’s shipping lanes is now largely divorced from its own history and focused more on selling you lousy souvenirs. And getting to the Seaport can take a lot of time, since it’s not particularly close to any subway stops. Besides, you didn’t come all the way to New York just to eat at a Pizzeria Uno’s in the shadow of some tall ships.
• Carnegie Deli and Katz’s. Overrated delis where the quality of food was long-ago eclipsed by the tourist trade that they rely on for their core business. Carnegie Deli’s even opened up a franchise in Las Vegas, a sure sign that they’ve drifted from the idea of being a deli in the great tradition of all the neighborhood delis that make some of the best food in New York. Instead of either of these places clinging desperately to an imaginary golden age, wander around a random neighborhood and drop in on a deli and ask them what’s good. And please don’t be that person going to Katz’s to see where the scene from When Harry Met Sally was filmed —- if that scene makes you want to eat corned beef, then keep your desires to yourself.
• U.S.S. Intrepid. This one’s easy; The aircraft carrier-turned-floating museum is actually pretty interesting, giving a nice view of planes, spacecraft, and naval vessels. But it’s out of commission until late next year, so there’s no point swinging by.
• Staten Island. New York City is much, much more than just Manhattan. But there’s always been an ambivalence about Staten Island’s role in New York City, both from the perspective of the island and from the other boroughs. When you get out of Manhattan, you should hit Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx first. Of course, you can spend 30 minutes or so on the island while you’re waiting for your return ferry.

Alright, I expect some of you are gonna let me have it in the comments. I can’t wait to hear why I’m right or wrong. Thanks to Luca for the shot of the Manhattan skyline from the Staten Island ferry. To see all of the posts in this series, check out the archive of How To Visit New York.

After yesterday’s look at the basics of visting New York City, it’s time to move on to some more ambitious, and more contentious, topics. I’m going to start with my short list of the sights you simply must see if you get to the city. Knowing already that this isn’t even a complete list of my own recommendations (I’m sure I’ve forgotten some), I am certain you’ll all have your own must-see additions — let me have ‘em!

Perhaps one of the hardest parts of visiting New York City is that there is so much to see. That means a truly definitive “must-see” list is pretty much impossible, and depends on your preferences and interests. But there are a few signature places in the city that are unique in the world, and so broadly appealing they should offer something to just about anyone who visits. If you’ve only got a short amount of time in the city, or you want to make sure to get the most indispensable stuff first, here’s a good list to begin with.

• The signature skyscrapers. The Empire State Building may be the most famous building in the world, and it’s well worth its reputation. However, it was built primarily as an office building for the garment trade, so it’s better to look at than to look out from, though the owners have done an admirable job of retrofitting it with all the necessary tourist trap/gift shop accessories. If you’re trying to make good use of your time, don’t go up the Empire State Building, just get a good look at it from Top of the Rock. If you’ve got time to wait, you certainly won’t regret seeing the view from the ESB. The Chrysler Building is the prettiest peak in Manhattan’s skyline, with its distinctive hubcap spire. There’s really no easy way to go up there as a tourist anyway, so just make a mental note to look out for it when you get to the Top of the Rock. Which of course brings us to Top of the Rock itself. This is the newest skyline viewpoint for tourists, having been completely refurbished after sitting in mothballs for three decades. Top of the Rock is a great vantage point for looking out at the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and Central Park, and it’s at the top of 30 Rockefeller Center, which means you can check out one of the city’s great plazas on the way in. If you go to the top of only one skyscraper, this should be it, and if you can time it right, get there a little before sunset and linger until after the sun goes down, so you can get both a great look at the city and the magic of the city’s lights at night.

• Grand Central Terminal. You probably know this one as Grand Central Station, the “Terminal” name is technically correct because it’s the end of the line for the commuter rails that bring hundreds of thousands of people to work in Manhattan every day. Sadly, most of them trudge through the train station on their way to work without looking up at the most beautiful indoor space in the city. The building was lovingly restored to its original lavish condition a decade ago, and anybody who loves architecture, transportation, history, or just people should find something to love in the space. If you can, check out one of the free walking tours (more on that later), poke your head into the mini Transit museum on the western side of the building, and maybe even stop for some food; Between the Oyster bar, the food court downstairs, and a few other pricey but pleasant dining choices, it’s not a terrible place to grab a meal. It’s also got a great secret place for drinks that are worth the exorbitant price.

• The Museums. It’s impossible to narrow down the full list of New York’s great museums, but the most prominent ones in the city are world-famous for a reason. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The American Museum of Natural History. The Museum of Modern Art. The Guggenheim. Any one of them can easily take up a full day. I’m the kind of guy who didn’t go to college and rolls his eyes at pretentious “experts”, but these places are mesmerizing. Approachable without being dumbed-down, fun without being frivolous, they’re all worth a visit, but if you want to start with a sure crowd-pleaser, or you’ve got kids who are finicky, the Natural History Museum, home of The Whale and The Dinosaur Skeletons and The Planetarium, is just one of the most satisfying places in the world. The Met is its slightly more serious sister, across Central Park, and I’ve found the exhibits there so simple and smart that they’re just plain profound. If you don’t check out at least one of the great museums of the city, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. Or at least until you come back to New York.

Thanks to Tom Karlo for the beautiful photo of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center at the Natural History Museum. To see all of the posts in this series, check out the archive of How To Visit New York.

I get asked by a lot of people for tips on what to do when visiting New York City, and though I'm hardly an expert on NYC tourism, I thought I'd take the time to write up a lot of the tips and information that I share with family and friends when they come to town. I'm also hoping that people who read this and are inspired or offended by my suggestions or opinions take the time to write up their own recommendations. To start off the series, I thought I'd over the basics, most of which have to do with mindset and expectations about coming to visit New York.

To get in the right mindset about visiting New York City, there are a few things you need to really take to heart, and once you've absorbed these lessons, the rest of your trip will be much less stressful and a lot more fun. (This first post is aimed mostly at people who've never been to New York or don't know much about the place.)

• NYC has a different culture. If you're coming from nearly any other place on Earth, New York City will be different from what you're used to. Culturally, geographically, and socially, it's distinct from any other place in the United States. You wouldn't insist on people at Disney World wearing formal wear, and you wouldn't expect people in Paris to all know English, so if it helps, think of New York City as a city full of Americans who speak English, but just happen to have a significantly different culture than the rest of the country. Once you look at it that way, you can stop being frustrated by your expectations and enjoy the differences.
• Don't go to the goddamn Olive Garden in Times Square. If you come to New York just to experience the same things you can get at home, you'll find them to be... well, completely unimpressive. Yes, we do have really big gaudy versions of the restaurants you eat at back home, but the way fancy restaurants work here is backwards. In the small town I grew up in, going to the Red Lobster was fancy because it was a big national chain. In New York, it's the opposite -- the places we love most are those that are distinctly, and uniquely, of New York City.
• Yes, it's expensive. Speaking of comparisons to home, you'll just drive yourself nuts if you are constantly saying "Hey, that only costs half as much at the Wal-mart back home!" From rent to food to clothing to parking, a lot of the staples of life cost more here. What you may be surprised to find is how often there are very, very good examples of these staples (especially food and clothing) that you can find for cheaper than almost anywhere else. Millions of us who live here started out being broke and barely scraping by, and as a result, there's always a market for cheap eats and low-cost threads.
• Get out and walk. The primary mode of transportation for all of Manhattan and most of the outer boroughs is a combination of walking and mass transit. We really, truly do ride the subways and buses every day, and even millionaires don't own cars. Our Mayor Bloomberg is a billionaire, and he rides the subway to work, and it's not merely populist affectation -- it's just that much more efficient. If you are walking on the sidewalks and get winded because you're not used to hoofing it so much, be sure to get out of the way before you just stop; Pulling to a halt on a sidewalk is the equivalent of stopping your car right in the middle of traffic. Though the subways and buses can look a little tricky, they're actually extremely convenient and inexpensive. But if you're just too intimidated by them, grab a cab -- they're cheaper than taxis in any other American city, they're really speedy except in the worst traffic, and NYC cab drivers are almost always pretty competent at getting you to any common tourist destination.
• It's not a theme park. This one is hard to stress enough. Though New Yorkers are overwhelmingly friendly, this is the place where we live, work, and play, and being treated like zoo animals while we do those things is one of the few things that can make us ornery to tourists. I used to work in the Empire State Building. While I never got tired of being wowed by the building, it got pretty tiring being asked questions like I was a tour guide about where to find bathrooms, or how old the building was, or did I mind taking someone's picture when I was just trying to get to my office. Put yourself in the shoes of those around you, and be considerate of people trying to live their regular lives, and they'll bend over backwards to help you enjoy the city.
• It's safe. I was raised with terrifying stories of how Central Park was where one goes to get mugged, and grew up believing all kinds of horrible urban legends about what happens to people in New York City after dark. The reality is, most places any tourist would go are incredibly safe. Violent crime in New York, as in all of the U.S., has dropped dramatically over the past decade and a half. You should, of course, take sensible precautions (be as aware as you'd be at any crowded area like an amusement park or an airport) but you don't need to go around fearfully clutching your purse, like I see so many people doing in Times Square. The best way to make sure you never have to worry is to spend a little bit of time reading up on your destination and route wherever you go (all of the web-based mapping sites offer nice amenities like displaying NYC's subway stops overlayed on the map) and being mindful of your surroundings.
• The natives are friendly and helpful. Like everyone I know who lives here, I end up giving someone directions or information almost every single day. I don't live in a particularly tourism-heavy part of the city, but there are always people around who are out of their element, and they're fairly easy to spot. (You all dress funny.) If I'm not in a hurry and I think I can help, I'm always glad to answer a few questions, and that's generally true of most people here. It's even a good opportunity to talk to someone who is a little bit different than the people in your usual circle of acquaintances. No matter where you're from, you should be able to find somebody in New York who seems strange to you -- now's your chance to go make a new friend.