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NYC Feb 2014

Notes for planning a 4-day, 3-night long weekend trip to New York City, which will focus on art and food in Manhattan.

Originally, our flight was scheduled to leave Detroit at 6:00 a.m. on Fri, Feb 21, 2014, but it got delayed three times, and then the flight was canceled after we boarded the plane around 8:00 a.m. Dense fog in New York City forced the cancellation. So we got refunds for our flight and hotel, and we'll reschedule for another time.

Top places to visit
Met museum of art
MOMA
Eataly
Central Park
Chelsea art galleries
Sullivan st bakery
St Patrick's cathedral
Green market union sq
Staten Island ferry
Ride the Roosevelt Island Tram
Rubin museum of art
Play
Frick collection
NY public library

https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zWEctJtrLSQM.kaY932SyxX10

Schedule

Friday

Midtown to Chelsea

Saturday

Upper East Side

If get going early enough, maybe visit Central Park first, and get to the Met museum by 11am.

Sunday

  • St. Patrick's Cathedral - 8am Mass

Monday

Stay close to hotel.
Leave for airport around 2pm.

  • Times Square
  • NY Library - opens at 10am
  • Lunch - pizza or deli?

Schedule Variations

Weather-wise, Fri is forecast to be rainy and windy. Sat is forecast to be sunny with temps in the mid-50s, better for walking around at Central Park in the morning and the Chelsea area in the afternoon.

Fri

  • Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Museum of Modern Art - free from 4-8pm
  • Whitney Museum - pay-what-you-wish. open until 9pm - if time permits
  • Dinner

OR

Fri

  • Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Frick Collection
  • Whitney Museum - open until 9pm

Sat

  • Central Park
  • Frick Collection opens at 10am
  • Eataly
  • Chelsea for art galleries
  • Sullivan Street Bakery
  • Heather's

Sun

  • St. Patrick's Cathedral - 8 or 9am Mass
  • eat
  • Frick Collection opens at 11am - OR - Museum of Modern Art opens at 10:30am
  • Ride the Roosevelt Island Tram
  • Ride Staten Island Ferry - free

NYC Weather

web page

Hailing a taxi

  • look at the medallion light on top
  • if light out, cab is in use
  • if center light lit, cab is available, so raise hand to flag
  • if all lights are on, driver is off-duty
  • tipping a cabbie: 15 to 20 percent
  • from LaGuardia, around $30 fare plus tolls and tip

Some info, along with page numers, comes from Frommer's Easy Guide.

Avenues run north and south, and streets run east and west. If on 23rd Street and wisth to get to 42nd Street, simply go 19 blocks north.

The length of Manhattan is 13.5 miles. Walking at a brisk pace will take 6 hours to walk one-way.

Flight

  • Spirit Airlines
  • Depart Detroit at 6:00 a.m. on Fri, Feb 21
  • Arrive at NYC 7:38 a.m.
  • Depart NYC at 4:45 p.m. on Mon, Feb 24
  • Arrive at Detroit at 6:56 p.m.

Lodging

  • Roosevelt Hotel
    • 45 E 45th St near Madison Ave
    • a few blocks from Rockefeller Center
    • 8 blocks from MOMA
    • a few blocks from NY Public Library
    • CLOSEST SUBWAYS
    • 4, 5, or 6 train Grand Central Station
    • 1, 2, 3 train to Times Square. Transfer to Shuttle to Grand Central Station
    • B, D, F, V trains to Bryant Park (42nd St and 5th Ave)

Food & Beverage

http://opentable.com handles reservations for more than 200 NYC restaurants.

Tipping in New York is easy. The way to do it, according to Frommer's: Double the 8.75% sales tax and voila, happy waitstaff. Leave $1 per item, no matter how small, for the checkroom attendant. You don't need to tip the host who escorts you to your table.

Restaurants

Pizza - p80

  • DiFara Pizza
    • 1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn, at E 15th Street
    • subway Q to Avenue J/16th St
    • best traditional NY pizza in the city
    • for over 40 years, owner Dominic DeMarco has made every pizza himself.
    • service can be slow.
    • expect to wait an hour for a pie, maybe a bit less for a slice.
    • worth the wait
  • Lombardi's
    • 32 Spring St between Mulberry and Mott Streets
    • http://firstpizza.com
    • subway 6 to Spring St
    • opened in 1905
    • still uses generations-old Neapolitan family pizza recipe
    • coal oven
  • Totonno's Pizzeria Napolitano
    • 1524 Neptune Ave between West 15th and West 16th Streets, Coney Island, Brooklyn
    • subway D to Stillwell Ave/Coney Island
    • unassuming little pizzeria has been at the same spot since 1924, and it makes pizzas almost exactly as it did 80 years ago -- thin crust, fresh sauce, mozzarella, and that's about it.
  • Co - Pizza - p78 - Chelsea
    • inexpensive
    • Jim Lahey's restaurant
    • 230 Ninth Ave between 24th and 25th Sts
    • http://co-pane.com
    • pizzas $9 to $20
    • Mon 5pm to 11pm
    • Tue-Sat 11:30am to 11pm
    • Sun 11am to 11pm
    • subway: C, E to 23rd St
  • Keste Pizzeria and Vino
    • 271 Bleecker St, near Seventh Avenue South
    • http://kestepizzeria.com
    • Member of the Association of Neapolitan Pizza
    • Keste maintains strict ingredient and cooking guidelines
    • fresh-tasting pizza
  • Trattoria Zero Otto Nove
    • 2357 Arthur Ave at 186th Street, the Bronx
    • but a Manhattan place exists at 16 W. 21st St in Manhattan
    • http://roberto089.com

Markets

Greenmarket

Chelsea Market

  • p175
  • 75 9th Avenue (Between 15th and 16 Streets)
  • http://chelseamarket.com
  • Hours: Monday - Saturday: 7am to 10pm, Sunday: 8am to 9pm

Eataly

  • Casa de Mozzarella
  • Marea - seafood - p86
  • Peter Luger Steakhouse - p102 - in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
  • Red Rooster - soul food - p99
  • Amy Ruth's - soul food - p100
  • Great New York Noodletown - p70 - Chinatown
    • no reservations accepted
    • no credit cards
    • main courses $4 to $15
    • open daily 9am to 3am
    • 28 1/2 Bowery at Bayard St
    • subway: N, R, or 6 to Canal St.
  • Royal Seafood Restaurant - Dim Sum - p70 - Chinatown
    • daily 8am to 10:30pm
    • meal $6 to $12 per person
    • 103-105 Mott St just off Canal
    • subway: N, R, or 6 to Canal St
  • Katz's Delicatessen - Lower East Side
    • corned beef sandwich $12 - best in the city according to Frommer's
    • 205 E. Houston St at Ludlow St
    • http://katzsdelicatessen.com
    • no reservations
    • sandwiches $5 to $16
    • open:
      • Mon-Wed 8am to 10:45pm
      • Thu 8am to 2:45am
      • Fri-Sun 24 hr - open Fri at 8am and close Sun 10:45pm
    • subway: F to Second Ave
  • Parm - Italian - p73 - SOHO & NOLITA
    • 248 Mulberry St between Prince and Spring Sts
    • http://parmnyc.com
    • main dishes $9 to $17
    • open:
      • Sun-Wed 11am to 11pm
      • Thu-Sat 11am to Midnight
    • subway: B, D, F, M, 6 to Spring St or N, R to Prince St.
  • Mile End Sandwich - p90 - East Village & NOHO
    • Montreal-style deli
    • 53 Bond St off Bowery
    • daily 10am to 6pm
  • La Nacional - Spanish/Tapas - p79 - Chelsea
    • oldest Spanish restaurant in NYC
    • inexpensive
    • quintessential hole in the wall
    • 239 W. 14th St between Seventh and Eighth aves
    • http://lanacionaltapas.com
    • main courses: $16 to $18
    • tapas: $7 to $9
    • Sun-Wed Noon to 10pm
    • Thu-Sat Noon to 11pm
    • subway A, C, E, 1, 2, or 3 to 14th St
  • Shake Shack - Burgers - p85 - Union Square, Flatiron District & Gramercy Park
    • inexpensive
    • the original NYC Shake Shack
    • set in Madison Square Park
    • no indoor seating
    • "best burger in Manhattan"
    • near 23rd St and Madison Ave
    • http://shakeshack.com
    • Burgers $4 to $7
    • daily 11am to 11pm
    • subway 6, N, R to 23rd St
    • other Shake Shacks exist in the city, include across from the Museum of Natural History.
  • John's Times Square - pizza - p89 - Times Square & Midtown West
    • "John's has the top pizza in the area"
    • occupies an old church
    • only serves large full pies, enough for two. no slices.
    • about half block west of Broadway
    • 260 W. 44th St between Broadway and Eighth aves
    • pizza pies $14 to $21
    • daily 11:30am to 11:30 pm
    • subway 1, 2, 3, N, Q, R, S to 42nd St
  • Celeste - Italian - p95 - Upper West Side
    • cozy and loud
    • no reservations so always a wait
    • authentic, fresh food
    • 502 Amsterdam near 84th St
    • main courses $9 to $15
    • Mon-Thu 5pm to 11pm
    • Fri-Sat 5pm to 11:30pm
    • Sun 5 to 10pm
    • subway 1 to 86th St
  • Salumeria Rossi Parmacotto - Italian - p96 - Upper West Side
    • cozy
    • 283 Amsterdam Ave at 73rd St
    • http://salumeriarosi.com
    • main courses $12 to $17
    • Mon-Fri Noon to 10pm
    • Sat-Sun 11am to 11pm
    • subway 1, 2, 3 to 72nd St
  • Amy Ruth's - Soul Food - p100 - Harlem
  • Frankie's Spuntino 457 - Italian - p102 - Brooklyn
    • known for meatballs - tennis ball-sized
    • also known for sausage and peppers
    • will serve only one meatball per serving even though it's not listed on menu
    • 457 Court St between 4th Place and Luquer St
    • http://frankiesspuntino.com
    • no reservations
    • main courses $9 to $18
    • Sun-Thu 11am to 11pm
    • Fri-Sat 11am to Midnight
    • subway F or G Carroll St.
    • Also at 570 Hudson St between Perry W. 11th sts
    • Sun-Thu 11am to Midnight
    • Fri-Sat 11am to 1am
    • subway F to M to Delancey St

Bakeries

Sullivan Street Bakery

  • http://www.sullivanstreetbakery.com
  • two locations:
    • HELL'S KITCHEN
      • 533 W 47th St
      • Monday - Saturday : 7am - 7pm. Sunday: 7am - 5pm
    • Chelsea
      • 236 9th Ave
      • Monday - Sunday: 7:30am - 9pm
  • Amy's Bread

Diners

Coffee / Tea Shops

Bars

  • Best Brooklyn bar according to Frommer's:
    • The Shanty - p221
  • Best Speakeasy:
    • PDT - p217
  • Best Jazz Club:
    • The Village Vanguard

Art

Museums

Metropolitan Museum of Art

  • p135 - Upper East Side
  • http://metmuseum.org
  • see book for lengthy write-up
  • largest museum in this hemisphere
  • 2nd floor - European paintings
  • visit the American Collection
  • Hall of Art from Japan
  • $25 adults
  • Sun-Thu 10am-5:30pm
  • Fri-Sat 10am-9pm
  • Subway 4, 5, 6 to 86th St

Guggenheim

  • p134 - Upper East Side
  • http://guggenheim.org
  • $22.75 adults
  • Sun-Wed and Fri 10am-5:45pm
  • Sat 10am-7:45pm
  • Subway 4, 5, 6 to 86th St

Museum of Modern Art

  • p130 - Times Square / West Side
  • http://moma.org
  • 11 W 53rd St between Fifth and Sixth Ave
  • $25 adults
  • Free on Fridays - 4pm to 8pm
  • pickup a gallery map
  • start on 5th floor where masterpieces reside and work down
  • contains Wi-Fi so visitors cann access audio tours on phones
  • Sat-Mon and Wed-Thu 10:30am-5:30pm
  • Fri 10:30am-8pm
  • Subway E, M to Fifth Ave;
  • Subway B, D, F to 47th-50th sts/Rockefeller Center

Museum of American Folk Art

  • p138 - Upper West Side
  • http://folkartmuseum.org
  • Free Admission
  • 2 Lincoln Sq (Columbus Ave at 66th St)
  • quilts
  • Tue-Sat Noon-7:30pm
  • Sun Noon-6pm
  • Subway 1 to 66th St

Rubin Museum of Art

  • p120 - Lower East Side
  • http://rmancy.org
  • $10 adults
  • FREE to all Fri 6-10pm
  • Mon and Thu 11am-5pm
  • Wed 11am-7pm
  • Fri 11am-10pm
  • Sat-Sun 11am-6pm
  • Subway A, C, or E to 14th St;
  • and 1 to 18th St; 2, 3 to 14th St

American Museum of Natural History

Frick Collection

  • p133 - Upper East Side
  • http://www.frick.org
  • "best small museum in the nation"
  • 1 E 70th St at Fifth Ave
  • Admission $18 adults
  • Tue-Sat 10am-6pm
  • Sun 11am-5pm
  • Subway 6 to 68th St/Hunter College

Whitney Museum of American Art

  • p137 - Upper East Side
  • http://whitney.org
  • devoted only to American fine art
  • 945 Madison Ave at 75th St
  • pay-what-you-wish on Fridays 6-9pm
  • $20 adults
  • Sat-Sun 11am-6pm
  • Fri 1-9pm
  • Subway 6 to 77th St

Others

Live Theatre

off-off-broadway schedule

http://nytheaternow.com/category/playwrights-on-new-plays/

http://www.playbill.com/events/event_detail/27138-Bob-Marleys-Three-Little-Birds-at-New-Victory-Theater
New Victory Theater
Friday, 2/21 at 2pm
Saturday, 2/22 at 12pm and 5pm
Sunday, 2/23 at 12pm and 5pm
Tickets: Pricing: $14 and up
Box Office: (646) 223-3010
Show Run Time: 55 minutes (no intermission)
Theatre Information:
New Victory Theater
209 West 42nd Street
New York, NY

http://www.playbill.com/events/event_detail/25761-Waiting-for-Godot-at-Cort-Theatre
Starring Patrick Stewart
Saturday @8pm, Sunday @3pm
Tickets: Pricing: $40 - $137
Box Office: Tele-charge: (212) 239-6200
Outside NY: (800) 432-7250
Show Run Time: Two hours and 15 minutes, which includes an intermission
Cort Theatre
138 West 48th Street
New York, NY 10036
Take the N,R,W to 49th St. OR Take the 1 to 50th St., walk South to 48th St. and East to the theatre OR Take the B,D,F,V to Rockefeller Center, walk to 48th St. and walk West on 48th St. to the theatre

http://playbill.com/events/event_detail/26967-All-the-Way-at-Neil-Simon-Theatre
Neil Simon Theatre
Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") stars as Lyndon Baines Johnson, an accidental president skilled in political maneuvering who is revealed to be a complex, fascinating figure.
Synopsis:
1963. An assassin’s bullet catapults Lyndon Baines Johnson into the presidency. A Shakespearean figure of towering ambition and appetite, the charismatic, conflicted Texan hurls himself into Civil Rights legislation, throwing the country into turmoil. Alternately bullying and beguiling, he enacts major social programs, faces down opponents and wins the 1964 election in a landslide. But in faraway Vietnam, a troublesome conflict looms.
Show Dates:
Performances from 10 Feb 2014
Opening 06 Mar 2014
Closing 29 Jun 2014

http://www.theatermania.com/off-off-broadway/shows/devil-dog-six_302144/

Next time:

Manhattan Areas

  • Greenwich Village - Downtown
    • strolling, theater, dining, historic sites, architecture, specialty food shops, live music clubs
  • The Lower East Side & East Village - Downtown
    • dining, bars, innovative theaters, local designer clothing shops
    • young designers opening their own tiny stores and proteges of the town's great chefs trying out their own first restaurants
    • Orchard Street - old-world life and luggage stores
  • Chelsea & the Meatpacking District - Midtown
    • art galleries p122, nightlife, shopping, High Line Park p159, gay bars
    • Chelsea is what Soho was 10 years ago and what Greenwich Village was 20 years ago. The major galleries have moved here.
  • Flatiron District, Union Square, and Gramercy Park - Midtown
    • dining, Off-Broadway theater, historic sites, architecture
  • Harlem
  • Yorkville
  • Upper West Side
  • Upper East Side
  • Midtown West
  • Midtown East
  • Hell's Kitchen
  • Theater District
  • Garment District
  • Murray Hill
  • Flatiron District
  • Gramercy Park - city's only privately-owned park with the keys going to apartment owners whose windows overlook the park
  • Chelsea
  • Meatpacking District
  • Greenwich Village
  • East Village
  • NOHO
  • SOHO
  • NOLITA
  • Lower East Side
  • Little Italy
  • Chinatown
  • Tribeca
  • Financial District

Landmarks

St. Patrick's Cathedral

  • p128 - East Side
  • Fifth Ave between 50th and 51st streets
  • http://saintpatrickscathedral.org
  • free admission
  • daily 6:30am - 8:45pm
  • Sun mass 7, 8, 9, and 10:15am, Noon, 1, 4 (in Spanish), and 5:30 pm
  • 9/11 Memorial Plaza
  • Radio City Music Hall
  • Lincoln Center
  • Carnegie Hall
  • Central Park - p152
  • Central Park Zoo
  • Battery Park
  • Empire State Building
    • observation deck - $25 adults - 8am to 2am - p124
  • Statue of Liberty - p115
  • Ellis Island - p109

New York City Library

  • p127 - East Side
  • Fifth Ave at 42nd St
  • Free admission to all exhibitions
  • Thu-Sat 10am-6pm
  • Sun 1-5pm
  • Subway 1, 2, 3 to 42dn St/Broadway
  • Subway B, D, F, M to 42nd St/6th Ave
  • Subway S, 4, 5, 6 to Grand Central/42nd St
  • Subway 7 to Fifth Ave
  • Grand Central Station - p125 - East Side
  • Rockefeller Center - p131
    • Top of the Rock for the view - $27 adults - 8am to 11pm - p132
  • Times Square - p132
    • Subway 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, S to Times Square
    • Subway A, C, E to 42nd St/Port Authority
  • Pennsylvania Station
  • Fish Market
  • Cathedral of St. John the Divine - p140 - Upper West Side
  • Apollo Theater - p206

Businesses

  • Apple store - p177
    • main one across from the Plaza Hotel

To-Dos

  • Shop at a bodega
  • Mass at St. Patrick's
  • Buy food from a street vendor
  • Out late on Times Square
  • Ride Staten Island Ferry (free) - p115
  • Walk the Brooklyn Bridge - p108

Gallery Hop in Chelsea

  • Watch the sun set over Central Park from the roof garden of the Metropolitan Museum of Art - is it open during the winter? - p135
  • Ride the Roosevelt Island Tram - p126
  • Ride Citibike - bike lanes exist - p237
  • Visit the Greenmarket - Union Square farmers market - p160
  • Ride the International Express - Number 7 train through Queens.
  • Visit Brooklyn Heights
  • Visit Greenwich Village
  • Visit Harlem
  • Visit Upper East Side - Madison Av from upper 60s to mid-80s for window-shopping and side streets between Fifth Ave and Madison for historic townhouses.
  • Broadway matinee - p196
  • Picnic in the park:
    • head to Eataly p175 or Zabars p175
    • purchase ingredients for brunch in Central Park - p152 to pick a spot
    • then sightsee in the park

Free or nearly Free Museums

  • Free on Fridays:
    • Museum of Modern Art - 4pm to 8pm - p130
    • Whitney's - 6pm to 9pm - p137
    • New York Historical Society - 6pm to 8pm - p141
    • Rubin Museum of Art - 6-10pm - p 120
  • Suggested Donation:
    • Museum of Natural History - p138
    • Metropolitan Museum of Art - open until 9pm on Fri and Sat - p135
    • Brooklyn Museum - p146 - in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Brooklyn

Park for strolling:

  • Prospect Park

Two most affluent neighborhoods:

  • Brooklyn Heights
  • Park Slope

The borough's artists tend to live in:

  • Red Hook
  • Williamsburg (though many are getting priced out here)
  • DUMBO - (a few artist holdouts)

Can pop by all for afternoons of gallery shopping.

Williamsburg has one of the largest Hasidic Jewish communities in the world.

Brighton Beach contains the largest expat Russian community in the world. It's not the friendliest area, but fascinating to visit.

Queens

  • Jackson Heights - Indian - can shop for saris
  • PS 1 Museum of Contemporary Art

State Island

From Frommer's:

I'll be blunt: Except for the fun and free ferry ride here, there's no reason a tourist should visit here. Yes, there are a handful of cultural and historic sites, but none justify the commute.

http://www.visitstatenisland.com

#nyc - #event - #art - #food - #blog_jr

By JR - 3144 words
created: - updated:
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