NYC Test (IE5)

The Blue Ribbon

NYC Restaurant

This is an offbeat place that I go to for Oysters. It is at 97 Sullivan St. (bet. Prince & Spring Sts.) (212) 274-0404. James is my favorite NYC Bartender, and Alonzo makes the best `salsa' for Oysters that there is in the world. I don't eat there often, but always try to drop in for a drink and a half-a-dozen or dozen of their wonderful oysters. James, if he's there, knows me as `the guy from Philadelphia who takes his daughter to Paris', but wouldn't have a clue to my name.

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Gotham Bar and Grill

NYC Restaurant

A classy NYC place that may still have a real bargain lunch. It was something like $20.02 last time I was there. It's a class spot for either Lunch or Dinner, but a better bargain at Lunch. Down on 12th St near University Place.

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Patria

NYC Restaurant

This is on the corner of Park and shares a wall with The Gramercy Tavern. Ecuadorian/South American food (fish, good stuff, not weird). 250 Park Ave S (corner 20th St)212-777-6211 Wear your basic black. Try a "Mojiito," Patria's version of the Cuban rum drink with fresh sugarcane juice. The surroundings are exquisite and extremely lively. The crowd is there both to see and be seen, Regis used to be a regular. May still be. I know that's important to you.

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The Four Seasons

NYC Restaurant

Not the hotel, but the Restaurant in the Segram's Building on Park at about 50th. If there is a single place where the American Food Revolution began it was here. I love the `Pool Room'. The bar is the power place, where many major US corporate execs have their own lunch table reserved for them permanently. But the Pool Room, with the reflecting pool is a beautiful sophisticated NYC room, and the food has been good for at least 30 years.

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Zoe

NYC Restaurant

I haven't been there in a while, but I used to really enjoy eating at the `Food Bar' in the back. At 90 Prince St. (bet. B'way & Mercer Sts.) 212-966-6722 At dinner there's wild mushroom multi-grain soup, rack of pork, and grilled yellowfin tuna on wok-charred vegetables. The bar serves incredible wines by the glass and fine microbrewed beers.

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The Oyster Bar

NYC Restaurant

It's worth remembering the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station. I find it mildly depressing at dinner, just because of the surroundings, but it makes a nice active lunch spot. I prefer eating in `The Bar' which is off behind a swinging door to the right, and is a shade less noisy.

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Trattoria dell'Arte

NYC Restaurant

Across from Carnegie Hall is a nice mid-town Italian spot where I used to see `CBS People' fairly frequently. Interesting Art on the Walls, and a great mural behind the bar---The `Great Italian Noses'. Food is fine. 900 Seventh Ave. (bet.56th & 57th Sts.) 212-245-9800 Lively, pumpkin-colored dining rooms at Trattoria dell'Arte make for a perfect gathering place after an evening at the concert hall. The huge ear, nose, and bosom sculptures by Gordon Steckel are funny, and the antipasto bar is one of the city's best. Good starters are the fried artichokes, bresaola, and chicken livers; and as a main course, try the oil-free grilled vegetable platter, chicken paillard, or Tuscan rib-eye steak with arugula salad are all well received.

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Gascogne

NYC Restaurant

At 158 Eighth Ave. (bet. 17th & 18th Sts.) (212) 675-6564 has wonderful Armagnacs that I used to enjoy, and a `Summer Secret' is the very nice little Garden out back, that you wouldn't know exists from the street. This makes it a particular summer treat on a nice evening.

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Union Square Cafe

NYC Restaurant

I think it was Danny Meyer's first. At 21 East 16th Street 212.243.4020 and long reliable. My daughter's last `experience' there involved one of the `Friends' cast members, `Barney Miller', and quirky service. But the food is generally very good.

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The Gramercy Tavern

NYC Restaurant

A newer Danny Meyer, and I like the `style' more, but it can be very hard to get in. It's at 42 East 20th Street 212.477.0777

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UN Delegates Dining Room

NYC Restaurant

I haven't done it but apparently this is a wonderful place if you happen to be over on the East Side touristing. You should call in advance (they're happier with people willing to call than with those who just show up on the spur of the moment, if only for security reasons). Maybe not worth the trip, but worth it if you're over that way sightseeing.

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Tabla

NYC Bars

My daughter likes the Bread Bar at Tabla, a Danny Meyer (Union Sq. Cafe, Gramercy Tavern) experiment. Food is sort of Indian/American fusion, but bar is good independent of whether you like Indian or not. Located on the corner of Madison Avenue and 25th Street, Tabla is housed in a beautiful marble edifice next to the Credit Suisse First Boston building.

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Bars at the `W's

NYC Bars

The Underbar at the Union Square `W' and `7' (the Lobby Bar) at Times Square are favorite gathering spots for both Visitors and Locals.

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Bar at the Helmsley

NYC Bars

The Archbishop used to live just behind St. Patrick's. When the Helmsley was built, the old house was integrated into the hotel the main public rooms of the house became three of the best `bar' rooms in NYC (At least they used to be, I haven't been there for several years). The `Mary Queen of Scots' bar is swell, as is the ancient `Music Room'.

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Petrossian

NYC Restaurant

In my NYC days I often gave myself (and my friends) a `birthday Caviar lunch' at Petrossian. Vodka, Caviar and Borscht. Liked it, but wouldn't want to do it (much) more often. Good thing for a special treat, but probably only if you really like Caviar. Up around 57th and 6th or 7th Ave. Russian Tea Room is also not far away.

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Hotel Giraffe

NYC Hotel

I like the location but don't know much about any NYC hotels as I generally stay with friends 365 Park Avenue South at 26th Street (877) 296-0009 (toll free) (212) 685-7700 (Fax 212-685-7771). This is probably about $295, but these days I'd be tempted to try to deal. Unless they happen to be busy---these days a rarity---you might either get a Junior Suite or a cut in rate.

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The Avalon

NYC Hotel

Reasonable (under $200) but I don't have any direct word from someone who's stayed there. Location is only OK at 16 E 32nd St (5th Ave) 888-HI-AVALON or (212) 299-7000 Fax: (212) 299-7001

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Paramount Hotel

NYC Restaurant

Schraeger's hotels are almost always interesting. This one at 235 West 46th St (at Eighth Avenue) is `theater district' and trendy if perhaps slightly sleazy. Rates probably in the $150 -> $400 range. Not really my part of town, so I'm not an expert.

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The River Cafe

NYC Restaurant

I think the River Cafe is a great `sight' place. It's fine for dinner, but given the price well down on the list for me relative to other possibilities. The great thing is the view from the outside `bar' late afternoon, watching the sun set behind the buildings of Manhattan. Right under the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn Side.

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The Brooklyn Bridge

NYC Sights

Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge is a particular delight for me. Particularly walking towards Manhattan. Might fit in with a trip to the River Cafe (above)

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The Esplanade

NYC Sights

This is a walk up above the BQE along the `edge' of what used to be a `cliff' overlooking Manhattan in Brooklyn. This is a World Class view, but because it is in Brooklyn no one makes a big deal about it, except lots of movies get shot there. This is `up the hill' from The River Cafe, and runs along `Columbia Heights'. Montague is the central `shopping street of Brooklyn Heights (it gets its name from this `cliff') but it's not particularly touristy or trendy, just a good ordinary shopping street. There is a Deli just past my old Tennis Club---The Heights Casino---that is called `Lassen and Hennigs' and it has good Bagels and Lox and other sandwiches. Getting one and going to sit down on one of the benches on the Esplanade is a pretty swell event.

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Ground Zero

NYC Sights

I think the trip to Ground Zero is worth it, although that may be at least partially because I used to work around there. Still, it's something to be seen and pondered over...

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St. John the Divine

NYC Sights

The Cathedral of St. John is just below Columbia University, and it is the American site most mindful of a European Cathedral (with the possible exception of some of the Mormon Cathedrals, perhaps). Around 110th and Broadway.

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Broadway

NYC Sights

I know it sounds silly, but both my daughter and I regard as one of our most `memorable days' a day we took the subway up to about 100th and Broadway, and then walked the length of Broadway down to South Ferry, stopping and shopping and eating along the way. All kinds of NYC from trendy Upper West Side, Zabars, Lincoln Center, Columbus Circle, Times Square, Herald Square, Madison Square, Union Square, SoHo, City Hall, at the end of the day we took ...

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Staten Island Ferry

NYC Sights

The greatest tourist/travel bargain in the world. To Staten Island and back for $0.00. Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, Governor's Island, etc. all along the way. Trip takes about 25 mins, and you can turn around and come right back---there isn't much of interest in the immediate vicinity of the Ferry Pier in St. George's (SI). Trip is for the view and is a (sometimes welcome) opportunity to sit down and relax after a day of walking.

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The Modern

NYC Museums

I think the modern is closed for renovations for a few years. It has `opened' over in Queens somewhere, but it strikes me as not a thing to do unless you really have time to spare, given all the alternative uses of time.

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The Guggenheim

NYC Museums

I like the scale of the Venice Guggenheim better, and some really like the new Vegas Guggenheim, so maybe those are better places to `do' this one. The building is particularly great, though.

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The Village

NYC Shopping Areas

I love shopping `The Village' in the Houston -> 14th street area between 7th ave and Greenwich Ave. The whole area often has a slightly gay affect that bothers some, but it doesn't strike me as offensive in the slightest... Colorful is a better description.

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West Broadway

NYC Shopping Areas

There's East Broadway, Broadway and West Broadway. They are entirely different streets, all running North/South. East Broadway is over in The Bowery, and not of much interest, I think, to visitors. Broadway around 8th is a bit interesting, but I really like West Broadway from Houston down to where it hits 6th Ave. Prince, Spring, Greene, Thompson, Sullivan, 3rd, 4th, all wonderful shopping streets, restaurants, cool places.

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Brooklyn's 7th Ave

NYC Shopping Areas

There are 5th, 6th and 7th Aves. in Brooklyn too. They are now multi-ethnic communities rich in street life. Probably not `special' enough for a short-term visitor, but nice to visit if you have the time and want to see what `real life' might be like in such an extraordinary city.

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Madison Ave 5th Ave

NYC Shopping Areas

Around Barney's, there's also Bendels, Bergdorfs. Needless to say, if it weren't for Credit Cards, you'd have to drive there in an armored truck.

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Old Barney's

NYC Shopping Areas

I still like the area around the old Barney's down on about 18th. Some good shopping, and not as pricey as around the `Mother Store'.

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Zabar's

NYC Food

The `mother store' is on Broadway somewhere like 80th. This is the only place I buy caviar, and it has---in my opinion---the best smoked salmon in the world. I often go up there and buy Salmon and bagels and eat them either sitting on the benches in the middle of Broadway watching traffic, or go to Riverside Park or Central Park. Only on nice days, of course.

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Balducci's

NYC Food

The best `SoHo' off sale food place. Glorious Fruit, Proscuitto, Cheese, Bread, etc. 424 6th Avenue (about 11th St) (212) 673-2600

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Lower 2nd Ave

NYC Cheap Food

In the area East of Cooper Union and just before `The Avenues' (a volatile avant-guard art, drug, hippie i.e. like `The Village' used to be) and just above Houston St and up to 14th or so, you have an area full of cheap restaurants, head shops, starter galleries, etc. Fun, but probably not of much interest to tourists unless you really want to go `into the neighborhood'. I used to regularly eat at Frutti de Mare, for example, for about $8 (lunch) with the cast of a TV show being shot on those streets. It became `NYPD Blue' and although Franz, Delaney, and Smits weren't regulars, most of the `2nd level' cast was there regularly. Typical for the area.

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Upper West Side

NYC Cheap Food

`Friends' territory. Broadway, Central Park West, Amsterdam Ave. starting in the 80s. Coffee Shops. Hangouts. Good Ethnic Food (Victor's Cuban comes to mind---but you have to like Garlic)

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Central Park

NYC Bars

There's a nice drink spot up above Tavern on the Green right on the bank of the Lake in Central Park. I think it's called `The Boathouse'. As to `The Tavern', I've never liked it, but some do. I'd wander out of the park and go to Cafe des Artistes instead...

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Brooklyn Botanical Garden

NYC Sight

The Garden is right near Grand Army Plaza, the Brooklyn Museum and Prospect Park, which some think is a greater triumph than Central Park. Surely the Botanical Garden is a real treat at each different season. The Brooklyn Museum often has good stuff as well.

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NYC Things of Interest