New York
 

FOr those of you that I haven't already told, I'm going to New York for spring break in mid March with my college's choir. We are performing at Carnegie, and I'm super excited! :)

We will be up there for 5 days and have LOTS of free time. I've never been there...and I'm not sure how much my budget will allow to do. So for those of you who live there, or have been there, I'd like some suggestions on stuff to see and do, all different price ranges from free to $$$. Me and my SAI sisters who are going are trying to come up with a plan of what we want to do...so I need lots of ideas! :)

Thanks so much!

Congrats
 

Congratulations. Getting to perform in Carnegie Hall is a really big honor. Let me know when you're in the city and maybe we could meet up. What kind of stuff are you interested in doing? Touristy type stuff or what?

Congratulations on Carnegie Hall! That is great.

Here is the New York City tourism website. It will give you some good ideas of things to do.

Congratulations on Carnegie Hall! You must be so excited! :) If you're interested in seeing a Bway show, and are looking for discount tickets, don't forget to go to TKTS booth in Times Square.

http://www.tdf.org/programs/tkts/

If you like books, you have got to go to the Strand, on 12th St. and Broadway in the East Village. It is the best used bookstore on earth! (I have spent way too much money there!)

Ya gotta do the Subway! And chow down on a slice of REAL Noo Yawk pizza and 'cawfee reg'lar' (coffee with cream & two sugars). Don't forget the Sabrett and/or Hebrew National pushcarts, too!

And the gyro pushcarts too. Mmmmmm!

You may want to double check this one, but the Forbes Museum at 5th & 12th is free, and has an amazing amount of Tsarist Russian artifacts and antique toys!

Look up some of your favorite movies, and note where they take place in New York. Take your picture at those places (another freebie!). Some include Grand Central Station, the Empire State Building, the Arch in Greenwich Village (darn! can't think of its name!), Times Square, Nathan's in the Lower East Side, etc.

Take the Circle Line Tour - it's a boat trip around the island of Manhatten. It takes about 3 hours, but you'll see a lot of sights and get a better idea of where you'd like to go.

Ellis Island is pretty interesting, I hear. I haven't been.

I always eat in Chinatown or Little Italy, just for the flavor of the area, and try something new every time. Most post their menus outside, so you can decide how much or little you'd like to spend. If it's still there, Quon Luck is deliciously tacky! On that line, most restaurants tend to come & go with amazing speed - keep that in mind. I also love La Cirque, but only if someone else is buying!

You must go to Bloomingdale's (yes, there are others, but this is the Mother Lode!), and also the boutiques around it. One friend of mine always has her hair & makeup done in NYC, and always looks like the cutting edge. I'm not that brave! But do buy yourself a nice piece of clothing or purse as your New York purchase - not some tacky t-shirt that you'll toss in a month or so!

If any of y'all are Beatles fans, going to the Dakota Building (72nd & Central Park West) and Strawberry Fields (in Central Park just across from the Dakota) are musts!!

AND WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES!!!! No one takes a cab for under 10 blocks in New York! If none of y'all are subway-savvy, I would avoid it, but that's me - I can be a real princess, and I've heard too many horror stories. Lived there for half a year & never once took the subway!!

Add to the list Katz (sp?) Deli.

Staten Island Ferry - FREE way to see the Statue of Liberty and the dowtown skyline.

Board it at the very southern tip of Manahttan (South Ferry stop on the 1/9 subway line). It will take you to Staten Island and back in about 30 minutes. Just remember - don't get off until it's back in the Manahttan port! :)

Gross.

-Rudey

Definitely go to TKTS in Times Square for half price Broadway tickets. I love theater, and always see shows when I go. In fact, I was just there to see Hairspray - which was great! Harvey Fierstein is in it right now and he is a hysterical. But really, any show you see will be great - I've seen about a dozen and could give you some recommendations if you want.

Also, I heard that the Producers (with Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane) actually have standing room available for like $35 a ticket. You'd have to loook into that and possibly get the tickets before you go, but it is apparently an awesome show. I haven't been privileged enough to see it yet.

Are you of legal drinking age? If so, the Marriott Marquis in Times Square has a rotating restaurant on the top floor that lets you look out over the city. It is a beautiful.

Saks Fifth Avenue, Fendi, Gucci, and all the designer stores are all along 5th - while you maybe can't buy, it is still fun to look.

Ice skating in Rockfeller Square, going to see the taping of the Today show (get up real early), etc. are all fun NY things to do. If you have lots of time you can also go to the Statue of LIberty, the Empire State Building, and other touristy events.

Have a great time but be sure to plan your activities somewhat before you go. Nothing like getting there and having a million options but not being about to figure out what to do.

Go to Central Park and if you want, ice skate there.
The Whitney.
Some studios and galleries in SoHo area.
See a movie at the Angelika or near Lincoln.

Get a slice, a bagel, deli food - oh and hey none of the real stuff comes from that tourist area you call Manhattan.

-Rudey

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, and live in Manhattan. The best bagels are from H&H, which is in Manhattan. The best Pastrami sandwich (I grew up in the deli business) is from Katz's. Every 10th Katz's sandwich is off, but for those 9 other times, its the best on the planet.

Stromboli, in the Village, has great pizza the by the slice. If you want great pizza that's different, try Two Boots (maps of Italy and Louisiana look like boots) for pizza with a cajun twist.

It is awesome (I saw them 2 weeks ago. Nathan sounded a little horse, can't blame him though) but good luck with getting the standing room tickets. People were lined up about 5 hours before the performance, and it was snowing that day. And you're never gonna get tickets before you go. They are sold out for awhile.

I would see Wicked. It is an AWESOME show, and while the tickets are a little hard to get, they are not impossible (but I think after the Tonys, they will be impossible to get).

You're gonna have to check on the circle lines and crusise and what not. Most of the ferrys have been running only a few times a day since the river has a lot of ice in it. Although, after the rain today, it might be better. Subways are the best way to go, but I can see how they could be intimidating, espeically cause the colder it gets the more homeless people end up down there.

Just don't take your wallet out for anything. I've seen so many poor tourists who take out their wallet to give a guy some money, and then another guy comes running by and snatches the whole thing