Off the beaten path in NYC. ... - Thorn Tree travel forum

Off the beaten path in NYC.

Replies: 18 - Last Post: 19-Oct-2009 13:30 Last Post By: htiek

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Posted
12-Oct-2009 22:44
by: escutcheon

Posts: 64
Registered: 16/10/07

Off the beaten path in NYC.

Hello, all. I have a friend coming into town who's never been to the States let alone NYC before. As I'm a relatively fresh transplant, I'm looking for recommendations for things to do that I may not have stumbled on yet.

I guess I'm interested in everything: sights, activities, art, eating, etc.

Some examples that I like to show people:

1. The Fulton Street Mall with its bustle, barkers hawking their wares and interesting shops.

2. Marie's Crisis in the WV. I like the atmosphere much more than I like showtunes. It's a pretty neat slice of Americana, though.

3. The Chelsea Art Gallery "Thursday night crawl". I call it a crawl because there's a lot of free booze to fuel the crazy people watching.

That's pretty much what I have in hand at the moment. Suggestions are much appreciated!

Posted
12-Oct-2009 22:49
by: VinnyD

Posts: 21,683
Registered: 06/10/04

1

Have you asked your friend what he/she might want to see? Your friend may already have a list.

Meet VinnyD.

Posted
12-Oct-2009 23:12
by: escutcheon

Posts: 64
Registered: 16/10/07

2

Actually, that's why I'm asking. She's been very busy with work and won't have time to research save for reading the guidebook on the plane ride. Besides, it's always fun to find new places in town.

By the way, does anyone know specifically where the heart of "Little Guyana" is? I've been told it's somewhere along Liberty Ave but haven't found its heart.

Posted
13-Oct-2009 00:34
by: Websterella

Posts: 29,475
Registered: 22/10/03

3

Little Guyana is in Richmond Hill, Queens. Lefferts Boulevard toward Van Wyck

I don't know what you like. I've taken people on a walk around SoHo to hit all the chocolate shops and then over to Pearl River and down to Chinatown for lunch (or Dim Sum first and then a walk back up Mott to do it backwards)

There's the High Line and all the shops over there (grab lunch at Pastis or one of the other 'spensive places in that neighborhood).

365 Photoblog I am not posting in your thread because I don't want it to keep popping up on my "Recent Threads" list.

Posted
13-Oct-2009 01:54
by: guittar

Posts: 50
Registered: 27/09/09

4

When I lived in NY, I never went to any tourist spots. Now when I visit with my kids, they love to see the tourist attractions. My daughters and wife count "shopping" as a main tourist event. I think you should plan a few things, but I am sure your friend - girl - has some ideas too, NY has everything (almost).
Have Fun!

Posted
13-Oct-2009 07:54
by: daveelmstrom

Posts: 2,404
Registered: 21/03/02

5

In Union Square and in Washington Square, especially after dark, we regularly saw street performers, musicians, buskers, etc. Neither park could necessarily be considered too far off the beaten path, but I enjoyed the performances after dark.

Posted
13-Oct-2009 14:55
by: rxw67

Posts: 48
Registered: 11/03/09

6

new york is beaten and off-the-beaten path, all mixed together.....
never-fail staples are washington square park (as mentioned above), union sq farmer's market (saturday is the best day), any given museum (although the frick is nice and intimate and gets largely forgotten compared to the bigger, more popular attractions), ride the staten island ferry back and forth (it's free and gives great views of the skyline), walk through central park (EVERYBODY does).
as far as food goes-- you could eat your way into oblivion... food here is a full adventure unto itself, from cheap eats in dive joints to the moderate, to the high end, to the extraorbitant flash, glitz, and pizzazz.....

if you're going to visit chinatown, walk south along the bowery and turn wherever you wish, as long as it's south of canal (east broadway has some interesting characters/ restaurants)... little italy is tourist-central, but the food is ok.... although there's NOOOOOO shortage of good italian food anywhere else in the city too. but you can get adventurous--- go for ethnic cuisine you never thought you'd see a restaurant for! for instance, far off the beaten path is brighton beach, aka "little odessa"-- go for russian, ukraine, polish, whatever, or hop in and out of the little groceries that sell bulk food out of little bars in the back....
if you do dim sum, saturday and sundays are best-- arrive around 1030/ 11-ish to get in fast, otherwise you may wait for a long time. once inside, the chinese won't rush you out and you could sit and eat ALLLLLL day....

if you're into art, besides the musems, check out the murals at rockefeller center.
if you're into music, check out lincoln center, or sit in a music circle down in washington square and sing along.
go to open-mike poetry readings down in east village.
party all night amongst the beautiful people-- chelsea is one area, but the lower east side blows it away......
visit zabar's uptown.
visit the cloisters.
visit prospect park.
go to first saturdays at the brooklyn museum.
into himalayan art? visit the rubin museum or the roerich museum uptown.
into history? go to ellis island, new york historical society, or visit the tenement museum downtown...
there's no shortage of activity...

and pick up both, the village voice paper and time out new york..... that will give you all the best info on music, theater, film (retrospectives are always going on), and events....

good luck,
and have a great time discovering your new home, as well as showing it off!

Posted
14-Oct-2009 01:14
by: junkyjoker2000

Posts: 33
Registered: 14/08/09

7

Off the beaten path in NYC might get you beaten,,,,,,,Be careful,please!

Posted
14-Oct-2009 02:39
by: sonichaggis

Posts: 447
Registered: 30/06/01

8

little italy is tourist-central, but the food is ok

This is true of Little Italy in Manhattan but try Little Italy in the Bronx for a less touristy, more authentic experience. It is around 188th and Arthur Avenue in the Bronx and you can tie it in with a visit to the Bronx Botanical Gardens.

Posted
14-Oct-2009 14:46
by: escutcheon

Posts: 64
Registered: 16/10/07

9

Thanks for all the useful tips!

Does anyone know where in SoHo the chocolate stores are concentrated?

Also, I'm interested in seeing a living breathing Hasidic neighborhood. Someone once said that there are some in Brooklyn that have white string strung around their boundaries to delineate them. Is this true?

Posted
14-Oct-2009 21:11
by: VinnyD

Posts: 21,683
Registered: 06/10/04

10

You're thinking of an eruv. You're unlikely to notice the string. I never have but I'm pretty sure I must have crossed several.

Meet VinnyD.

Posted
14-Oct-2009 21:14
by: VinnyD

Posts: 21,683
Registered: 06/10/04

11

#8 -- I think Arthur Avenue is mainly Albanian these days, although there still are a lot of Italian restaurants. But it has lost some authenticity points (unless you're looking for an authentic Albanian neighborhood).

Meet VinnyD.

Posted
15-Oct-2009 00:42
by: chriskean1

Posts: 3,843
Registered: 22/07/03

12

Yes, Vinny, I was up there a couple of times this summer to start walks back to Manhattan (I know you're a great walker yourself)--once with my girlfriend. We heard a fair amount of one or another Southern Slavic languages, and also Albanian.

Nevertheless, at some of those pork stores and other shops, if it says, e.g., "Battaglia's" on the door you have good odds that a Battaglia will still be working there.

CK

All travel photos ... Africa ... Middle East and Central Asia ... South Asia ... East and Southeast Asia ... Europe ... Americas and Greenland

Posted
15-Oct-2009 01:51
by: VinnyD

Posts: 21,683
Registered: 06/10/04

13

I had first said "Albanian and ex-Yugoslav," because I knew some Croatians etc were moving in 30 years ago, but I wasn't sure they were still there. The only non-Italian restaurants I saw the last time I was there, a year or two back, were Albanian, so I deleted the ex-Yugoslav. Glad to have actual data. Thanks.

Meet VinnyD.

Posted
15-Oct-2009 03:09
by: goldenbat

Posts: 8
Registered: 06/03/09

14

There are so many options--I'll second some and add a few.

1. The Tenement Museum is excellent and by exploring the neighborhood, you can see the current wave of shifting demographics too.

2. The midtown architectural stars: Rockefeller Center, an archetypal example of NYC Art Deco architecture/urban planning; St. Patricks Cathedral on 5th Ave.; the Chrysler Building, especially if there's a tour that gets you a close-up view of the gargoyles (from inside the building that is); the viewing platform at the top of the Empire State Building ... I guess these aren't off the path but they are a must-see.

3. Staten Island Ferry is a fun ride; Ellis Island is fascinating.

4. The museums of the Upper East Side: The Met of course, the Whitney (modern American art) and the Cooper-Hewitt, a museum of architecture and design in a gorgeous old mansion.

5. The tram to Roosevelt Island, for a taste of a curious, tucked-away version of living in NYC

6. There's also a little Subway Museum in downtown Brooklyn, underground of course!

7. Other lively ethnic neighborhoods: Sunset Park in Brooklyn (Chinese and Latin American); Jackson Heights in Queens (Indian and several others). Finally, I agree Little Odessa is worth checking out, especially if you partake of a vodka-soaked dinner at one of the restaurants when there's a good crowd. Alternatively, if Sammy's Roumanian is still open on the Bowery, you can get something of that feel without the long subway ride ...

Enjoy.

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