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New York tips needed please.

mod

mod

A modernist
I'm off to New York at the end of the month. I've never been before.

New York (or the states) is somewhere I thought I'd ever visit but a mate is there for a month so I'm going out to see him at the end of May for 4 days.

I'm gonna get a TIMEOUT New York guide and start researching but I thought I'd ask my fellow Urbanites for some tips as it seems its a popular city with a lot of you. I'm after places off the beaten track. I'll be staying in Lower East Side.

What I'm after is tips for good smaller nightclubs (techno), live music, restaurants, bars that are a little different. I'm not really interested in the major touristy things (empire state building, ground zero, statue of liberty etc) and maybe a sporting event.

Thanks in advance.
 
Hi, I love New York, i go every year.

The best area for bars would be the meatpacking district, you can find info on all the bars, clubs and restaurants here www.meatpacking-district.com

I found I enjoyed NY more when I stayed upper west side, 97th and broadway and used the local neighbourhood for bars etc. Found a great sports bar up between 110-112 called The Village Pourhouse which lets you play beer pong, it has loads of drinks offers on and also food had some very messy nights here! I go back every year.

we spent some time down in the meatpacking district and just sampled as many bars and clubs as we could, but I think most of the club clubs are in the boroughs and not in Manhattan its self, unless you want to spend a fortune.

as for tourism, I would recommend NOT going up the empire state and instead save yourself 4 hours of queues and go up roccafella, you will then see the empire state and lower manahattan but also be able to see central park and upper manhattan. its way better than TES in my opinion.
 
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RogerRabbit said:
Hi, I love New York, i go every year.

The best area for bars would be the meatpacking district, you can find info on all the bars, clubs and restaurants here www.meatpacking-district.com

I found I enjoyed NY more when I stayed upper west side, 97th and broadway and used the local neighbourhood for bars etc. Found a great sports bar up between 110-112 called The Village Pourhouse which lets you play beer pong, it has loads of drinks offers on and also food had some very messy nights here! I go back every year.

we spent some time down in the meatpacking district and just sampled as many bars and clubs as we could, but I think most of the club clubs are in the boroughs and not in Manhattan its self, unless you want to spend a fortune.

as for tourism, I would recommend NOT going up the empire state and instead save yourself 4 hours of queues and go up roccafella, you will then see the empire state and lower manahattan but also be able to see central park and upper manhattan. its way better than TES in my opinion.
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Much appreciated, thanks. The Meatpacking district has been mentioned to me a few times now.
 
The Library Bar, at the corner of Avenue A and E Houston St.

A proper NY dive bar, fantastic atmosphere, great drinks, brilliant jukebox, old cult films showing most of the time. One of my favourite bars in the world.
 
For the benefit of anyone else going there soon, this is the response I got from another forum to the same question...

• Best thing to do is go to little bars/taverns down little side streets. I remember going to one just off Times Square, the bar staff knew where to go, what to do etc, that was the case for most places. There's some cracking breakfast places (1 near ground zero) that has to be done, I'm sure if you ask people will know what it's called.

• Go to Williamsburg. Some cool bars around there.

• You may as well do the touristy thing, the sight from Empire State/Rockafella is quite something. If you can, I'd say do a helicopter flight at night. I didn't do it (did in Vegas) but I can imagine it's something special.

• 2nd Avenue around 60-70th street has some great bars. It is a few years since I have been there but am sure that is the area. Also the seaport area down by Brooklyn Bridge is a great place to spend sometime.

• Brooklyns cool, as is Harlam - Jeremy's Ale house is pretty cool http://nymag.com/listings/bar/jeremys_ale_house/

• If you want Williamsburg from 10+ years ago, or the Village fro, 60 yrs ago, try meeting Bushwick Bill for some Juke Joint or another.

• Shake Shack at Madison Sq Pk by the Flat Iron building for a great, cheap burger. Minetta Taven in Greenwich Village for a great, expensive burger or steak. I liked a little basement bar just across the street from there, 124 Old Rabbit Club. Brooklyn’s better for beers if you like Craft beers and interesting neighbourhoods: we went to some great places in Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens and Park Slope. Some decent spots in LES, EV and GV too, but preferred Brooklyn for beers. Yelp is a good website for identifying bars you might like. Definitely walk the High Line because it’s ace. Bowery Ballroom is a great venue if anyone’s playing when you’re over. I’d go for the Guggenheim for the building rather than the art. Grand Central station is worth a visit. I would insist on an elevated look across Manhattan, and I think Top of the Rock is a much better experience. We based our visit around the sun going down, and caught Manhattan during the daylight and all lit up.

• Download the Yelp app - not very widely used over here, but very well used over there (by locals not tourists) and anything rated 4 stars of over will be very good (I used to live over there). For the best night out, go to Meat Packing District (Brass Monkeys is one of the best bars in town), also check out the Frying Pan on the Hudson - great at sunset. Enjoy - NYC is the best city in the world, the only thing it lacks is Fulham!

• The Frying Pan (Bar/Restaurant on a huge boat docked in the Hudson River at West 26th St, great if the weather is nice). Peculier Pub on Bleecker is a dive pub with about 50 different beers (right next to a Uni, good mix of punters and very lively), The Meatball shop at 84 Stanton was a good place for a snack & cocktail. John's Pizzeria on Bleecker is the best pizza I had in NY. Williamsburg in Brooklyn is a trendy new area and well worth a visit, go to the bar halfway up the Wythe hotel for amazing views of Manhattan. Terminal 5 at W56th St was a pretty decent, larger club/venue with a great open top roof area. Other than that avoid everything on Broadway and you should be fine, great city. View from the top of the ESB is well worth it too, especially at night.

• Flat Iron building Cocktail lounge and walk the Brooklyn Bridge. In fact, walk everywhere. Greenwich Village and the Meat Packing district

• Went in 2009 for the first ever time. Had some great food in the Meatpackers District - think it's pretty trendy around there, well it was 4 years ago. We ate here http://www.spicemarketnewyork.com/ which was one of the places to be then - might be old hat now - but certainly a cool area for bars etc. Enjoy it mate - I loved it out there

• Lower east side is Union Square and New York University so you will be fine for restaurants etc without going too far. The Famous Cozy (739 Broadway) is great for breakfast and burgers. As for sport, go see the NY Mets, not Yankees.

• Lower East Side - The Whiskey Ward on Essex where you can ask for my cousin, Jon Delgado. Bars and restaurants around the corner on Ludlow where models drop in. Schiller's Liquor Bar for bunch. St Mark's Place for nightlife. Zum Schneider on 7th and C for German beer hall. WD50 restaurant for high end fare. Katz's Deli and, finally, a good sports pub called Slainte at Bowery and Houston for football.
 
Shame it is just the end of the month for a few days.

When I was in New York I enjoyed frittering away Saturday afternoons at MoMA PS1's Warm Up (the other side of the East River towards Queens). They kick off at the end of June and run all summer. Always fun to have a dance, a drink and then go wander around some of the art installations for a breather.
 
Very jealous...I spent two months in NYC 5 years ago, loved it so much.
I liked just walking around and discovering places...having little picnics near the water...exploring Brooklyn...getting the subway out to Coney Island. Feeding squirrels in Union Square Park. Enjoying happy hour. Browsing through the books at The Strand (huge second hand book shop).
Have a great time!
 
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Walking is good. Last time I walked from the Staten Island ferry terminal all the way up Broadway/6th to Central Park, it's only about 5 miles.
 
Eisenberg's, old-syle diner near the Flatiron building.
"Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop has been serving up classic Jewish deli and diner fare since 1929. When you enter the small luncheonette at 174 Fifth Ave. (between E 22 St. and E 23 St.), you feel like you have entered the New York of old."
 
"McSorley's Old Ale House, generally known as McSorley's, is the oldest "Irish" tavern in New York City. Located at 15 East 7th Street in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan..." mod, This will be nearby you if you're staying Lower East Side. Warning, if you do go to McSorley's don't stand by the bar whilst drinking (as in UK pubs) - they don't like it! They want you seated at a table. May be a local by-law or something?
 
It really is a great city to walk through.
I stayed West 97th and Broadway and walked all the way down to ground zero - the weather was beautiful and you get to walk through a few neighbourhoods and feel the "real" manhattan, then walk down to columbus circle and past trump tower, down broadway and through times square..

really is a fantastic city.
 
Thanks for the tips people. Much appreciated.

Yep wish I was going for longer but got another 10 days in Berlin planned in July so needed to be quite selective as I dont get paid if I have time of work and Berlin always comes first!
 
scalyboy said:
"McSorley's Old Ale House, generally known as McSorley's, is the oldest "Irish" tavern in New York City. Located at 15 East 7th Street in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan..." mod, This will be nearby you if you're staying Lower East Side. Warning, if you do go to McSorley's don't stand by the bar whilst drinking (as in UK pubs) - they don't like it! They want you seated at a table. May be a local by-law or something?
Click to expand...

Def must just be the way that bar works, I have been to many and stood at the bar, one of them I was there till 4am in the morning and was almost asleep at the bar....

you have to find a place that allows you to play beerpong too...
 
scalyboy said:
We sat down and a very friendly chap came and took our orders. Bit like in Prague where they come roudn and take your beer order and bring it to the table - very civilized!
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it is. very good burgers, no jukebox. a while since i was there, mind.
 
TruXta said:
Steer clear of Williamsburg unless you enjoy apoplectic rage at hipsters.
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I dunno about that.

I really liked the Brooklyn brewery.

And the Crown Victoria bar (60 s 2nd St, Brooklyn) was good with some great craft beers. It was an old NYPD car shop. Has great beer yard, with some fun pub games and excellent green tomato sandwich. Myself and my missus had a good few pints with the owner, a very cool guy named Richie. I would recommend it.
 
scalyboy said:
We sat down and a very friendly chap came and took our orders.
Click to expand...
I'm not a fan of that because it takes away a lot of sociability of a bar - going to the bar is usually a great way to strike up new conversations with fellow drinkers/bar staff.
 
editor said:
There's loads of ideas and tips here:

NEW YORK GUIDES
Offbeat destinations for adventurous visitors
» New York Museums
» Neighbourhoods
» More neighbourhoods
» Fun rides
» Parks and Squares
» Food and drink

http://www.urban75.org/newyork/
Click to expand...



Got back yesterday. Loved new york but the more seedy parts. Harlem still feels very gritty but is (apparently) nothing like it was 15 - 20 years ago when it was a no go area for whites and tourists but I loved its character. Walked from 125th Street all the way down to Central Park.
Stayed with a friend down by the docks in south Brooklyn which I loved. Much of it looks like it would have done 100 years ago albeit now abandoned (not for long though I'm guessing).
The main negative was we really, really struggled to find anywhere playing decent music at night in the centre (Meatpackers area etc). It's very cheesy and commercial but we did eventually with luck find one fantastic place and we were the only tourist in there so there was a really good vibe and was refreshing hearing some decent minimal techno.
We also found $460 in 20 dollar bills scattered over the pavement and road by an ATM/bank at 2am. For 30 seconds I felt like a child again. That was a magical moment! My mate found 2 and thought "you jammy c==t" but then we started finding them all over the place.
My mate knew of a few wicked little bars way, way of the beaten track down by the docks in Brooklyn which had open mics where people played music or read poetry. Very cool little gafs and people smoking weed outside by the docks. All the sandbag defenses are still up from that last storm/flood they had. Wicked few days but purely down to the fact cliffs been there for a month and knew people so we didn't go into tourist places much at all. Got some nice shots of Harlem and the natives and the buildings.
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