At 10/21/09 06:53 AM, ELITE-101 wrote:
hang out with goryblizzard of course!
Now there's someone who knows what he's talking about.
I've lived in NYC all my life, and I'd advise going beyond the Times Square area (which is definitely the most crowded area in the entire city) and look at the rest of Manhattan and the other 4 boroughs. There's a hell of a lot more to NYC than just Times Square, and most of the neighborhoods don't have such a Disneyland-esque feel to them. I'm originally from Manhattan and lived there for the first 13 years of my life--it's very straightforward to navigate and not nearly as intimidating as it might sound to you.
Also, since you're a tourist, try not to look like one and try to blend in with the locals as much as possible. This is important, because there are a lot of people around Times Square who are out there solely to take advantage of tourists. If you see people aggressively waving their rap CD's in front of your face to try to get you to buy them (this happens A LOT around Broadway, 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue--even to locals), ignore them completely and continue going your way. Same thing if someone tries to stop you asking, "Would you like to see a comedy show tonight?"
Little Italy and Chinatown are certainly worth going to, as well as Greenwich Village, the East Village (including Alphabet City), SoHo, etc...but I'd advise going with someone who knows the city well when it comes to these neighborhoods. Someone like me. You might also want to see the WTC site, although it's really little more than a huge construction site with PATH trains running through it. Unfortunately, construction there has been appallingly slow, and there's no way it'll be completed by 2012, which was the Port Authority's initial goal.
If you want to go a bit north in Manhattan, there's Central Park obviously (bounded by 5th Avenue to the East, Central Park West to the West, 59th Street to the South and 110th Street to the North). Columbia University's campus might interest you, given that it's an Ivy League school and all, although it's pretty small. One of my favorite pizzerias in the entire city, Koronet Pizza, is between 110th and 111th Street and Broadway and within walking distance of Columbia's campus and is mostly known for their jumbo slices. Just a block away from there is Tom's Restaurant from Seinfeld...personally I've never dined there, but I often walk past there whenever I'm in the area. There's also Riverside Park and Morningside Park, if you feel like you want to relax for a bit.
Oh yeah, the Staten Island Ferry. It's free now (and has been since 1997) and it makes frequent trips between the Whitehall Terminal in Manhattan to the St. George Terminal in Staten Island. I'd say it's worthwhile for you to experience going on it. Once you're in Staten Island, you'll notice that it feels a lot different than Manhattan, and is in fact the most suburban of all NYC boroughs. Besides the Staten Island Mall, the South Beach Boardwalk, Historic Richmondtown, Wagner College (which, by the way, is great for picture taking), I'm not sure if there's too much there that might interest you. Many of the neighborhoods are rather quiet, and some are pretty close-knit and not too much different than wherever you may live now. Hylan Boulevard (which is basically like the Broadway of Staten Island and runs from Rosebank to Tottenville) is where a lot of the action is at. The SIR (Staten Island Railway) is the main train that runs through the borough, and it's completely free for all stops except St. George (where you have to swipe to enter and exit). The first free stop is the Tompkinsville station on Bay Street and Victory Boulevard, a short walk from the ferry.
Since the Bronx Zoo was brought up, I'd thought I'd bring up this point: it's free to the public on Wednesdays. If you intend on going there, then it better be on a Wednesday. The last time I went there, personally, was on June 18, 2008, but I can't imagine much has changed over there since then.
FAO Schwarz on 59th and 5th was also brought up. I used to go there a lot as a kid. Right near there is the Apple Store, also worth going to and there's free Internet as well. I've posted on the BBS from there in the past, although not in about a year and a half.
As a local, these are some other things I think are important for all NYC tourists to know: don't walk slow, keep a steady pace, and definitely do not stand in the middle of a crowded street to look at your tour book or map. You might also feel compelled to go to the top of the Empire State Building, but the ticket price now I think is $19.50 or so (maybe higher) and waiting in line will likely take an eternity. If you had this in mind, rethink if you think it's worth your time to do that.
Lastly, if you want to hang out with me or if you need someone to help you out, just PM me, telling me when you'll be around, and I'll see what I can do.
