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The museum's name speaks for itself I think. Basically it's guided small tours around re-created tenement rooms. Really worth a visit. If you've been to the Dennis Severs house in London you'll get the idea.
It is a website which I read about in an article on this site. It has apartments or rooms to rent all over NYC. I rented a fab studio in Greenwich Village for $150 a night through them (how cheap?!) The owner was very helpful and nice - he even contacted me after we left to say I had left $50 in the studio and sent it back to me! Owners don't get paid until after your stay so it is all safe and secure plus the website is nicely designed, easy to use. Highly recommended. The apartment I stayed in was called 'Famous Street' and I found it by searching for 'two people, whole apartment $150 max'. Only minor downside is that I couldn't find a way to search by area.
This is a great way to see the Park, but I beg you all to wear a cycle helmet at all times and to exercise every caution you would on the open road. The Park is frequented by extremely fast cyclists, who sorry to say, do not always obey the traffic signals or even the most basic safety rules. People are killed and injured here every year by speeding cyclists. My 15-year-old daughter was hit from behind by a speeding cyclist and sent flying over the handlebars last summer in the Park, despite the fact that she was cycling in the designated bike lane, in a perfectly safe and orderly manner. The cyclist who knocked her off was admittedly concussed, but he started telling the attending police and paramedics that she had been the one who caused the collision, because she had ‘come out of nowhere!’ Luckily, other cyclists who had witnessed the incident stopped and gave their version of events, so we heard no more, but it was a very unpleasant experience and the speeding cyclist had to be taken to hospital. Also, if you are a pedestrian using a crossing in Central Park, be aware that cyclists seldom heed the crossing signals – quite often they are simply going too fast to stop. Use your ears and eyes to cross safely. Part of the problem is that not for nothing was Manhattan named the island of hills by American Indians. There are quite a few hilly parts in the Park and bikes can reach a fair old speed when going downhill. Please don’t be put off – this a fabulous cycle ride – but don’t assume that you are ‘safer’ in the Park and relax your guard!
For anyone on a budget, taking the train across America is ideal. We paid about £650 from NYC to LA, via Toronto, Chicago, Seattle and SF, and you can stop off for as long as you like in your chosen stops!
Because it's America, the space you get on the trains is immense compared to the UK and on certain legs of the journey you get your own cabin with panoramic windows to watch the world go by (and a free little bottle of bubbly upon arrival!)
The longest leg of our journey was approx. two days through the beautiful flat plains of the Midwest with the occassional ranch and small town thrown in for good measure, followed by the beautiful Rockies, where we even saw a few wild animals!
All your food is included in the price of your fare - staff come knocking on your cabin door to take reservations and at your alloted time you make your way to the dining carriage. If you're travelling alone or in a couple you'll share a table with other passengers.... although we're a bit British sometimes and don't like awkward small-talk, this actually was a lot of fun! One night we shared a table with a sweet Midwest school teacher (v. talkative) and a toothless trucker (not so talkative!) Priceless!
If you haven't been to Central Park before and love bike riding, rent a bike and explore the park yourself. I found this company on Google - you can choose bike rentals or bike tours, price is good and the service is very nice.
Central Park Bike Rent
www.centralparkbikerent.com
158 West 56th Street New York, NY 10019
1-917-892-9279
www.centralparkbikerent.com
In New York the best value sightseeing tour is that relaxing Circle Line boat trip around Manhattan Island. For just $34 those aboard get to see it all with great commentary. Remember: sit on the left (or port for more seasoned voyagers) side of the boat!
Rent a car in New York in the summer and drive out to the Hamptons (the string of towns along the outer south coast of Long Island) for a slice of East Coast living. Stop off at the Wolffer Estate Vineyards for some astonishing local rose and pinot noir, and live music too. It's amazing.
All the details are at www.wolffer.com/store/index.cfm and the place is easy to find. It also has all the details about where to eat, where to stay, and the people are incredibly helpful.
On Location Tours is New York City's only TV & Movie Tour Company. They take you behind the scenes of your favourite TV shows and movies filmed in NYC: Sex & the City, Friends, Gossip Girl, Seinfeld, Ghostbusters, and more. The tours are all led by New York actors and actresses who really know their stuff.
This trashy rock bar is the home of punk rock karaoke (Mondays, 10pm) and it has gigs in the basement almost every night. It's free to go for a drink upstairs, where the beer is the cheapest in the area - around $3 per pint. Plus, if you're lucky the barman will also throw in a few New York Dolls stories for you.
59 Stanton Street, New York
www.arlenesgrocery.net
The Greenporter is an old-style US motel, just two hours from central Manhattan. The difference with this motel is that the central parking lot has been replaced by a beautiful swimming pool and hot tub (complimentary towels and loungers) and this motel has fine dining in the shape of La Cuvee Bar and Bistro, which offers locally-sourced food and a selection from the local Long Island vineyards (wine tours available).
Greenport, a historic seaport on the North Fork of Long Island, provides an excellent contrast to the hustle and bustle of NYC. You can drive (or better, hire a bike from Bike Stop on Front Street) and take the short ferry to Shelter Island, home to deer and secluded bays, then another short ferry to Sag Harbor on the South Fork, with its artsy shops and eateries.
Two minutes walk from the station or the bus station (the 'Hampton Jitney' takes you from Penn Station in air-conditioned comfort, with charming hostesses who provide complimentary drinks and snacks). Ample parking by the motel too.
The Greenporter
326 Front Street
Greenport, NY 11944
phone: (631) 477-0066
fax: (631) 477-2317
www.thegreenporter.com
info@thegreenporter.com
A deli serving a range of Kosher (non meat) food, including freshly baked bagels and other breads, traditional fillings, fried fish, pizza, salads, knishes and cakes. A small, very friendly, welcoming neighbourhood deli with generous portions at very reasonable prices and a varied clientele. An ideal breakfast spot.
393 Amsterdam Ave at West 79th, New York, NY 10024.
Phone:(212) 496-9400.
Nearest subway: 79th Street
URL: www.bagelsandco.com
There's a very new site called Optifly, which shows possible flight routes in Google Maps. I’ve never seen anywhere else that does this, and it’s pretty cool. You can even download the Google Earth plug-in and look at your flights in 3D.
Actually, the best part is that Optifly shows low-cost carriers AND links to Expedia. It shows you all of the possible flight routes, and not just the ones that Expedia and Orbitz want to show you.
I thought it was cool, too, that they had integrated city information for any connection locations. It’s a pretty neat interface, and I wish they offered direct ticket sales. Even as is, though, it seems like it would save a lot of time searching for cheaper tickets.
I thought it was a very helpful site and will definitely use it next time I take an international trip.
This is a family owned army-navy store that has been around for 56 years. They are the largest dealer of Carhartt in the United States. They also specialise in a lot of other brands these include, but are not limited too Redwing, Dickies, 511, Surefire and Alpha industries.
452 Broadway Ave
New York, NY 10013
www.icebergarmynavy.com
212-226-8454
NQRW6JMZ
I used the Stage Deli in Murray Hill, during our trip to NYC in January.
It served excellent breakfasts with a full choice of ingredients, endless mugs of coffee or tea. The service was good and everything cooked exactly how you wanted it - served with a smile and a 'have a nice day.' All for around $5. Great choice.
B118 East 40 street
The Amish Market located in Hell's Kitchen is a fantastic deli that I stumbled across while window shopping at every single restaurant along 9th ave.
This store is incredibly clean and jam packed full of delicious looking, perfectly placed different types of food, from corner to corner and from ground to ceiling.
I visited it at around 10pm, and it was still glistening as if hadn't been touched all day, but even then, it still had a fair few customers.
Having spent the last seven months in NYC, it's great to know there is somewhere you can pick up some home comforts such as Green & Blacks as well as an assortment of fresh olives and sushi.
Neighborhoods: Manhattan/Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan/Theater District
731 9th Ave(between 49th St & 50th St)
New York, NY 10019
Nearest Transit:
50th St-8th Ave (C, E)
50th St-Broadway (1)
49th St-7th Ave (N, R, W)
The portions are gargantuan, the service crackles with New York attitude and there's a sign over the table where Meg Ryan faked an orgasm in 'When Harry met Sally'. 'Hey! What's not to like?'
www.nothingtoseehere.net/2007/09/katzs_delicatessen_new_york_ci_1.html
205 East Houston Street Manhattan Island New York NY1002 on the corner of Ludlow Street. Nearest station 2 Ave
On a recent trip to New York, me and my equally greedy chum decided to do a glutton’s tour of famous Delis.
We stayed in the Times Square New Hostel so were a hop, skip and a jump from the 7th Avenue Delis – Katz, Carnegie and The Stage. Whilst the other two get a loud fanfare in travel guides for their juicy pastrami and stick-to-your-ribs cheesecake, I thought the Stage outshone them all for the quintessential New York experience – everything there was loud, brash, and super-sized.
The menu reads like a roll-call of deli classics – with Matzos Ball soup, triple-decker Pastrami and corned-beef sandwiches and platters of smoked fish piled so high you won’t be able to eat for days.
Of course most people come to The Stage for its star-wattage – in the heart of the theatre district, you’ll probably be served by Broadway’s next big star, and most of the items on the menu are listed as celebrity specials, so you can eat like Adam Sandler or Aretha Franklin.
Aside from the name-dropping, The Stage’s staples are truly mouthwatering– the hot Beef Brisket, the Cheese Blintzes (calorific pancakes packed with cheese and sour cream) and Knishes (a special Yiddish snack made from sticky potato and dough) took us several blocks to walk off afterwards!
834 7th Ave, between 53rd and 54th St, New York, NY 10019
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/usa/new-york-city/43131/
If you've eaten at any point in the previous fortnight before visiting Carnegie then you'll be too full up for this place. I ordered a pastrami sandwich, I got a mountain of beef on rye. In other words this deli is everything you think a typical NYC deli should be - loud, colourful and full of characters.
854 Seventh Avenue, at 55th Street, 10019 NYC
Phone:(800) 334-5606 info@carnegiedelistore.com
Less deli, more full-blown food emporium, Zabar's is perfect to get supplies for picnics in nearby Central Park. The choice and quality are staggering. If you happen to be staying in the Upper West Side, the breakfasts are great, too.
2245 Broadway (at 80th Street) New York, NY 10024 / www.zabars.com
It may be on most tourist itineraries, but Katz's Deli is deeply rooted in New York delidom. It’s all there – old-time locals, surly waiters and most importantly, delicious sandwiches full to bursting with juicy meat. Not to be missed.
205 East Houston, NYC 10002 (on the corner of Houston & Ludlow St) / www.katzdeli.com
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