Announcing a new section:
THE AYUDATION GUIDE TO VISITING NEW YORK
I´ve just completed my first draft of the English version and plan a Spanish version to follow. Below is a copy of the page.
Please let me know what you think and/or you would like more information.
Stay tuned for the Ayudation Guide to Galicia as well.
INTRODUCTION TO THIS GUIDE
When you visit New York City–or anywhere, for that matter–it’s best to have a native to guide you around. They know the places that are more “real” and less touristy. They know what’s worth spending $10 on and what’s not. So it’s no wonder that many students have asked me for help when planning their NYC trip. Some have even asked me for their friends. I’m happy to make recommendations–I love my hometown–and I’ve decided to share them with you all here.
So, introducing The Ayudation Guide to Visiting New York City. An incomplete, totally subjective and single-minded perspective on what to see and do in the Big Apple. I hope to update this page as I discover more things in NYC on future trips, and I also encourage you to send me any questions you may have that are not covered here.
HOTELS
As you can imagine, I have never stayed in a hotel in New York, so I can’t really give you a good recommendation here. What I can say is that hotels are expensive in NYC! There are alternatives like youth hostels where you will likely share a bathroom or bedroom, and there are also people who rent their private apartments to visitors. You can find these doing a quick search on Google or on hotel websites.
You will probably want a hotel in Manhattan. If you plan to do a lot of sightseeing, try to find a hotel near a good subway station, i.e. one that has a lot of connections like Times Square, Fulton Street, Union Square or 59th Street. However, if you want to stay close to the hotel in a nice spot, try Gramercy Park, the Upper East or West Sides near Central Park, or Greenwich Village.
If you’re worried about where your hotel is, anywhere in Manhattan south of 96th Street will be a safe bet. North of 96th Street on the West Side, you’ll probably be okay to 125th Street (that area is where Columbia University is located). Staying in Harlem or Washington Heights is always an option, but more appropriate for the intrepid traveller.
PLACES TO EAT
New York City has a very rich culture of eating out. You can find almost any dish from all over the world there if you know where to look. Here’s a list of some of my favorites.
THE BEST. For an amazing (and expensive) experience, make a reservation at the Gramercy Tavern, my favorite restaurant of all time. Without a reservation you might be able to sit in the bar & grill after waiting a while–that’s not a bad option as the bar has a great atmosphere and an extensive wine list. The food is fairly traditional, but impeccably prepared and the service is often rated as the best in the city. Try the cheese plate. East 20th Street near Park Avenue South. $$$
SUSHI. If you like sushi or Asian cuisine in general, you can pay a lot at a place like Nobu which is Nobu Matsuhisa’s–the Adriá of the sushi world–New York restaurant: incredible, innovate food, very expensive. Or go to a more neighborhood place like West Side Sushi on 9th Avenue between 48th and 49th Streets. My friends and I used to have dinner there about twice a month and it was always excellent quality for the price. They have the traditional sushi basics as well as some creative inside-out rolls. The atmosphere is very casual and a reservation is not really necessary. Try the edamame for an appetizer. $$
INDIAN. If you want good, inexpensive and authentic Indian food, go to “Little India.” It’s an entire block of Indian restaurants all right next to each other. East 6th Street between 1st and 2nd avenues. $$
VIETNAMESE. Doyers Vietnamese Restaurant, a very ugly place located in the basement level of an ugly building on a little tiny street in Chinatown, has incredible food. It’s said by many to be the best Vietnamese food in the city. I remember one particular dish that was my favorite. I think it was #100 on the menu and called something like Shrimp with Thin Rice Noodle. The waiter had to explain how to eat it. You take a piece of lettuce with your hand, add some noodles and shrimp, then a small mint leaf and hot sauce. Then you close it in your hand and dip it into a sweet sauce. So delicious! Be daring and try this one. Doyers Street is near Chatham Square at Allen Street and Canal Street/East Broadway. $
CHINESE / DIM SUM. Just across Chatham Square from Doyers Street, you’ll find a great place for Saturday or Sunday brunch: The Golden Unicorn. This is a place I still go to whenever I visit New York. It’s a very big restaurant and you should try to go between 11 and 1 o’clock. At Chinese Dim Sum, you sit at tables of ten, with strangers if you are a small group, and instead of ordering from a menu, the waiters come around with little push-carts full of different tapas-style dishes. There are pictures on each cart to indicate what they carry. You have to stop the waiter and ask him/her to give you what they have. Then they mark your bill and at the end, you pay. The waiters don’t usually speak more than enough English to say “pork, chicken, vegetable or fish” so your communication skills and hand gestures will be very important here. The food is delicious and inexpensive. Quite an experience if you like Chinese food. $
SPANISH. If you’re tired of trying to decipher menus or are feeling homesick for Galician food, head to Xunta–don’t be afraid of the name–in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It used to be located on 1st Avenue in the East Village and I celebrated my birthday there a few years in a row. They serve great tapas and Galician wines, even if they do also have flamenco music. $$
PIZZA. It wouldn’t be a trip to New York without a slice of pizza. There are many, many places with great pizza in New York, but my personal favorite is John’s Pizzeria on Bleecker Street between Jones and Morton Streets in Greenwich Village. This is traditional New York-style pizza at its best. They have other locations around the city, but the Bleecker street place is the original and has the most charm. It’s small and you have to order an entire pie (a lot of food for two people), but they also serve beer. $
Another pizza experience is Two Boots Pizza. They have locations all over Manhattan (plus one in Brooklyn) and while their pizza is not traditional New York style, it is very good and they have more toppings than any other place I know. $
HOT DOGS. In addition to pizza, you really should have a hot dog while in NYC. If you go to a baseball game you can have the most expensive hot dog in town, but the best and most famous is in Brooklyn at the end of the subway line that goes to Coney Island. Coney Island is a great place to visit with good weather, and Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs is a great place to stop. There are the normal hot dogs, but may I suggest what we call “a chili dog”? It’s a hot dog topped with chile con carne. Yum! $
CHEESECAKE. If you’re a fan of cheesecake (tarta de queso) you really should make a pilgrimage to Junior’s on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. It is not only the best cheesecake in the city, but possibly in the world. People line up and down the street on Thanksgiving and Christmas mornings to take one home. They also have locations in Times Square and Grand Central Station.
BARS
There is a bar for everybody in New York; the variety is infinite and if you do some exploring you’ll probably find one you love just around the corner from your hotel. Here are some other special ones that you might like to try:
LIVE MUSIC. Arlene’s Grocery is a great bar for seeing live music. The bands are mostly New York locals and each night brings between 3 and 4 different performers. The bar is split in two parts so that if you don’t like who’s on stage, you can go to the “quiet” side and have a drink. Arlene’s is located on Stanton Street, between Orchard and Ludlow Streets. The surrounding neighborhood–the Lower East Side–is a great place for bars and night life. Arlene’s can be a destination or a first stop. $
PIANO BAR. Over in Greenwich Village, you’ll find Sheridan Square where Christopher Street and 7th Avenue meet. This is home to the famous Stonewall Inn, the birthplace of the gay-rights movement, but just down the street on the corner of Seventh Ave., is one of the most fun places to have a drink in the city: The Duplex. Try to grab a table on the first floor, enjoy a gin and tonic and listen to their piano player and waiters sing their hearts out. Sometimes they will tease you also, but it’s all in good fun. $
COCKTAILS. Inside Grand Central Terminal there is a bar in a spectacular room that used to be a private office called The Campbell Apartment. It’s a very expensive bar (about $15 for a cocktail), but the atmosphere is very special. You will want to go dressed up as the crowd tends to be working people from Midtown on their way home/out. $$$
HISTORIC. Chumley’s at 86 Bedford Street in the West Village is one of New York’s most famous bars. During the years of Prohibition, it served as a speakeasy (bar ilegal) and you can still see the removable floor planks where they used to hide the booze (alcohol). $
PRETTY. Behind the main branch of the New York Public Library is Bryant Park, a beautiful patch (parche) of lawn in the middle of Midtown. On the edge of the park you’ll find The Bryant Park Café and the Bryant Park Grill. The Café is more casual, less expensive and has outdoor seating, but the Grill is gorgeous and a great place for a cocktail or a meal. $$$
SIGHTSEEING
You’ll need a lifetime to do everything you’d like to in New York. Trying to narrow it down a bit is difficult, but here are some of my favorite places to take visitors to the city. These are not necessarily hard to find for non-natives, but they are all definitely recommendable. In no particular order:
The Staten Island Ferry is a commuter boat that travels the 25 minute ride across New York Bay all day and it’s free. You can see the Statue of Liberty and a beautiful view of Lower Manhattan from the boat. During rush hour it’s crowded, but that leaves most of the day for you to go and enjoy a really nice ride.
The Circle Line is also a boat, but it costs some money. The ride is 3 hours and it goes all the way around Manhattan Island as well as up to the Statue of Liberty (much closer than the Staten Island Ferry). I like this boat because on a nice day you can sit outside and the views are spectacular as well as unusual. They have tours in English as well as in Spanish.
Grand Central Terminal is the oldest and most beautiful of New York’s train stations. Make sure to see the grand hall where there are stellar constellations painted on the ceiling, but–interesting fact–not from the perspective of the Earth, rather from the perspective of the gods. In the lower level you can also get some Clam Chowder at the Oyster Bar, a classic New York fish and seafood restaurant with three different sections (bar, bistro and diner).
Wandering through Central Park is a delight and very New York. There are many paths and places to visit. Some of my favorites are The Sheep Meadow, the Great Lawn, Belvedere Castle, The Alice in Wonderland Statue and Bethesda Fountain.
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART & MUSEUM MILE
The Met Museum is like the city itself: it has everything. Whatever turns you on, from Greek sculpture to medieval tapestries to Jackson Pollock. It’s a big, big place, but the good news is you can pay whatever you want. The prices they list are only recommendations. If you want to see it for $5, that’s fine.
From the Met, along Fifth Avenue to the North are other museums like the Guggenheim and the Museum of New York. Depending on your interests and what exhibitions are showing, you may like to visit these as well. The Guggenheim building is itself worth seeing, if at least only from the outside. The the Frick Collection, to the South is an old mansion converted into a museum and can be really interesting.
The Museum of Modern Art may be the jewel of New York’s museums. Their collection is probably the best assembly of 20th Century painting anywhere in the world. Picasso’s Ladies of Avignon is only the tip of the iceberg. The building is newly remodeled and quite nice to visit, but it’s also quite expensive at $20.
The High Line is an elevated train track that used to bring cargo to Lower Manhattan, especially meat from the Midwest. In recent years it has been converted into an outdoor pedestrian park with little gardens and art installations all the way up and down. It’s a fantastic walk with a really unique view of the city.
BROADWAY FROM 14TH STREET TO CITY HALL PARK
If you’re looking to go shopping, you cannot beat a walk on Broadway from 14th Street Union Square down to Canal Street. Major fashion brands as well as little shoe shops and semi-permanent flea markets can all be found on this strip. Highlights include the Strand used bookstore, Astor Hair, Grace Church, Pearl River, Canal Jeans and lots of other special shops.
Further past Canal Street on Broadway, you reach City Hall Park and the Brooklyn Bridge. A walk across the bridge is fantastic, even in bad weather. Across the park from the Bridge is the Woolworth Building, the tallest building in the world at the time of its construction. If you go inside and take a look at the lobby interior you will understand why it was dubbed “the cathedral of commerce”.
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS
If you walk across the Bridge, you will find yourself in Brooklyn Heights. Walk through the neighborhood of beautiful houses and find the Promenade, a walkway across the river from Manhattan with the best views in the city of Wall Street and the Financial District.
PROSPECT PARK / BROOKLYN MUSEUM / BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN
Further into Brooklyn, you’ll find Grand Army Plaza where there is a monumental arch at the entrance to Prospect Park–Brooklyn’s answer to Central Park and designed by the same man. A short walk up Eastern Parkway takes you past the Brooklyn Public Library (built in the shape of an open book), the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (beautiful in Spring especially when the Lilacs and Wisteria are in bloom) and the Brooklyn Museum which features an impressive collection of Rodin sculptures.
About three blocks down Washington Avenue from the Museum is one of the best diners in all of New York: Tom’s Restaurant. They serve amazing pancakes and other breakfast foods as well as traditional diner lunches. Closed on Sundays, and often with a line that goes around the corner, Tom’s is a Brooklyn classic. Drink the Chocolate Egg Cream (no egg, no cream).
At the southern end of Brooklyn is Coney Island–not an island at all, but rather a peninsula–where you can walk along the amazingly wide boardwalk, take a ride on the Cyclone (a mythical old wooden roller-coaster), and eat at Nathan’s Famous hot dogs.
A BASEBALL GAME
Baseball and New York go together, so if you think you might enjoy it, I highly recommend seeing a game. Tickets for games at Yankee Stadium and the Mets’ Shea Stadium can be quite expensive, but the atmosphere is electric. For a lower price you can see a game at one of the minor league stadiums in Brooklyn (Mets) or Staten Island (Yankees).
THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Dinosaurs, a giant whale, dioramas of cavemen and a brilliantly redesigned Planetarium all in one building. This is a great place for kids as well as adults.
Speaking of kids, on my last visit I went to the Central Park Zoo with my friends and their son and daughter and we had a great time. Highlights for me were the polar bears and sea otters.
If you can get tickets to the Met Opera, City Opera or New York Philharmonic you’ll be seeing them in Lincoln Center, a large arts complex on the Upper West Side near Columbus Circle and Central Park. The campus itself is a nice place to visit, but the shows inside the theaters are excellent. On my last visit we saw Julie Taymor’s production of the Magic Flute by Mozart. Wonderful!
PARK AVENUE IN THE FIFTIES
If you like architecture or just places with a high-concentration of wealth, then you should stroll along Park Avenue from Grand Central Terminal North to 59th Street. Modern classics like Mies Van De Rowe’s Seagram’s Building and the Lever House are here as well as Belle Epoque masterpieces like the New York Racquet and Tennis Club.
This is the center of the New York University campus as well as a meeting place for both the Greenwich Village and East Village crowds. A nice place to people watch with a triumphal arch and a central fountain as well as old men playing chess.
For rooftop sightseeing there is nothing classier than the Empire State Building. Just lining up in the lobby is exciting as you look up and admire the Art Deco interior. The lines are usually long and the elevator is slow, but it is a classic.
If you’d rather not wait on line at the Empire State, or would like to actually SEE the Empire State from high up, then go to The Top of The Rock at Rockefeller Center. It’s actually a better view than the ESB because you can see all of Central Park as well as the ESB from there. There are three different rooftop levels so it’s never very crowded. It also costs more than the ESB.
This is where they put the enormous Christmas tree, but it’s also the home of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, sculptures of Atlas and Prometheus, a skating rink, very exclusive shops and some beautiful buildings.
5th AVENUE FROM 42ND TO 59TH STREETS
A walk up (or down) 5th Avenue in this area takes you past Rockefeller Center, the Cathedral, Tiffany’s, Burberry’s, Cartier and a hundred other world-famous shops. At 59th Street you’ll find the Apple Store and the Plaza Hotel at the entrance to Central Park, but don’t neglect the shop behind the Apple Store: F.A.O. Schwartz. If you’ve never been inside this amazing toy store, you don’t know what you’re missing. It might be “dangerous” if you are with children, though.
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Etiquetas: guía de nueva york, native new york, nova iorque, nueva york restaurantes, que facer en nova iorque, restaurants in new york, sightseeing in new york, turismo en nueva york, visitar nueva york, visiting new york, what to do in new york, where to go in new york
