I'll be in NYC from 2/12 until 2/14, and I'm looking for recommendations for things to do/see/eat/etc. For the most part I will be on my own, unless my friends from Nyack can get some time off to come down and join me. I'm staying in Manhattan, not far from Penn Station and Bryant Park (W 40th St?).
I'm pretty much only going because I have some vacation hours to burn before March, and since I had never been to the city, I figure I should check it off my list of places to see. It's part of a tour of 4 different states, which is why I have so little time in NYC proper. For reference, I live just north of Boston, so it's not like I'm unfamiliar with cities, but I'll just be a stranger in a strange land looking to make the most of my limited time there.
I figure I will see the basics like Times Square, Grand Central, Rockerfeller Center, and hit up a museum or two. I hear good things about the Cloisters, but is that worth doing in February? I think I'd be more interested in the Museum of Natural History than the MoMA or the Met, but if the consensus is that either of those are totally worth doing, I can be swayed pretty easily. Also should I plan to stay in Manhattan, or should I expect to look to the other burroughs as well?
Food-wise, I like to eat pretty much anything, but my stomach disagrees with me on that point when it comes to things like really greasy, fatty, acidy, or fried foods. So unfortunately I think I'll have to skip the pizza and pasta and such. I have a pretty decent budget, so I can splurge once or twice on a good recommended food place, but I'd like to save money where I can on both food and attractions.
I'll be glad to provide any more information, and any advice is greatly appreciated!
I know I've posted it here multiple times, but if you haven't devoured the thread, your destination for a cheap sit-down meal is The Meatball Shop. They're prone to having a bit of a wait to get a seat, but they have a lot more locations as of late so maybe it's calmed the demand. Worth it.
As for other stuff, another inexpensive restaurant is Taka Taka, which serves Japanese tacos and Mexican sushi. Try it.
Best "fast-casual" food: Schnipper's (burgers), or Go! Go! Curry!, and Pie Face.
Expensive restaurants I've enjoyed include The Marrow (German/Italian), Maialino (very Italian), and Alder (pub-style take on crazy fancy food)
I could go on but you're better off using NerdYorkCity as your guide. Look at the current events calendar, and also pore over the little links on the side which are permanent food/shopping/culture guides.
I honestly don't think you need to go to Times Square ever. Rockefeller is skippable too but worth it if you're in the area to at least stop in the Nintendo World store, stare at their tiny museum for 5 minutes, stare at overpriced (but sometimes unique) merch, and pick up a bunch of streetpass tags.
Museum of Natural History and the Met are both amazing places and deserve your attention, but you could easily spend a whole day in each to do it right, so pick your poison. Natural History does have the Hayden Planetarium, with a new show narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Given the brevity of your visit, I wouldn't expect to leave Manhattan.
If you're in a hotel near Bryant Park and Penn Station, Times Square is only a 10 minute walk away. You'll probably visit it even without meaning to. But if you haven't seen it on your last night, it's pretty much the same 24 hours a day, so head over any time.
If you're in a hotel near Bryant Park and Penn Station, Times Square is only a 10 minute walk away. You'll probably visit it even without meaning to. But if you haven't seen it on your last night, it's pretty much the same 24 hours a day, so head over any time.
The last day of your life is a good time. So is the day after that.
I think it's a different story here, where he's coming from Boston, and will invariably visit NYC many, many more times throughout his life. Like Linkigi said, he's gonna see Times Square someday. For someone coming for a once-in-a-lifetime trip, I'd say sure, set aside a short bit of time and go see it just so you can settle your curiosity and check the box for a world-famous location.
He said "I figure I should check it off my list of places to see" and "I figure I will see the basics like Times Square"... why try to dissuade him?
Again, why all the hate for Times Square? Why is it something you would advise someone to actively avoid, even when it topped their list of places to see?
He said "I figure I should check it off my list of places to see" and "I figure I will see the basics like Times Square"... why try to dissuade him?
Again, why all the hate for Times Square? Why is it something you would advise someone to actively avoid, even when it topped their list of places to see?
It's a trashy disgusting tourist trap. If all the places in NY you could visit were television shows, Times Square would be the worst reality garbage shit show of all. There is nothing there an intelligent and cool person would want to spend any time or money on, other than actually seeing a broadway show. In that case, such a person should go in, see the show, and get the fuck out.
I guess it may be worthwhile to go just look and say to yourself "Wow, this is everything wrong with our society all in one place."
Thanks for all the advice! I'll definitely plan for as many of those restaurants as I can, and I'll make some lists and prioritize a bit so I can make the most of my time there.
And yeah, I'm aware that Times Square is pretty much just an intersection with a bunch of advertisements. But Big Ben is just a clock, Stonehenge is just rocks, the Louvre is just an art museum, Trevi is just a fountain, etc. But if you're going to be in the area, you're gonna check them out on name recognition alone. That's my view. So since I'm so close and it will take me no effort at all to pass through it, why not.
I have walked through Times Square many times. I've met people there, and hung out with other people, chatting on the red steps. I have never once spent any money in or near Times Square for any reason. I think it's an amazing and unique place, and one of the top tourist destinations in the world, partly because it is knowingly "the most garbage shit show of all", and it takes that as a challenge!
But saying that you shouldn't visit somewhere because it makes you think "this is everything wrong with our society all in one place" means that when visiting Berlin, you wouldn't get to see any memorials (and in Berlin they are hard to avoid), when visiting Beijing you shouldn't see Tienanmen Square... and you'll never get to go to any war museum or any armory. And in France you'll not see Versailles. And in London you wouldn't get to visit the City. And the list goes on and on. Everywhere has something that is a symbol of all that is wrong in their society, or was wrong in some part of their history. But they are worth seeing precisely because of that significance.
Hahahaha - Yes, my visit to Times Square will most likely just be a walkthrough on my way to someplace else so I can say, "Yup, this is as expected." and move on. And yeah, I'm well aware of the culture of street vendors, scammers, bums, solicitors, etc, so my money isn't going anywhere except probably for food, tickets, or transportation fare that week.
Also it sounds silly and paranoid to ask, but are there areas/times that I should avoid going, due to crime? Or is it much better off than the old guy from work who hasn't been there since the 70s is leading me to believe? But I figure I'd ask since I'd rather avoid getting mugged or pickpocketed if possible.
If youre down to leave Manhattan, the Museum of the MOving Image (Astoria) is cool stuff. There's an indie videogames exhibition there but it's probably a fair amount of stuff you've played I would assume. Also you said you might not be into it, but MoMA is extremely my shit.There's a multimedia Chinese mythology/culture thing that looks awesome to me. Also some cool things based on Patient HM which I think I'm gonna go check out soon!!
I have walked through Times Square many times. I've met people there, and hung out with other people, chatting on the red steps. I have never once spent any money in or near Times Square for any reason. I think it's an amazing and unique place, and one of the top tourist destinations in the world, partly because it is knowingly "the most garbage shit show of all", and it takes that as a challenge!
But saying that you shouldn't visit somewhere because it makes you think "this is everything wrong with our society all in one place" means that when visiting Berlin, you wouldn't get to see any memorials (and in Berlin they are hard to avoid), when visiting Beijing you shouldn't see Tienanmen Square... and you'll never get to go to any war museum or any armory. And in France you'll not see Versailles. And in London you wouldn't get to visit the City. And the list goes on and on. Everywhere has something that is a symbol of all that is wrong in their society, or was wrong in some part of their history. But they are worth seeing precisely because of that significance.
Well, the difference between memorials and Times Square is that memorials have a message that "this was bad" whereas Times Square says "this is great!"
Tiananmen is a weird case in that the message varies based on the visitor. Hopefully within my life it will change.
Every financial district with impressive buildings that have tourism elements are saying "this is great" about uncontrolled capitalism. All of Dubai is based on "this is great" about oil revenue and near-slave-labor practices. Most modern war museums are saying "this is great" about the military industrial complex.
I could go on and on.
See cool stuff! You don't need to condone it or agree with it to impressed and have a good time. Especially if you can see stuff without supporting it financially.
I don't take Scott's hardline approach. Times Square is something to see, especially at night.
But seriously, don't talk to anyone who approaches you while you're there (particularly if they try to sign a rap CD for you or are wearing a costume), and for the love of the gods don't eat at any restaurant.
My stance was based on an impression that Times Square is majorly misrepresented to the average person. I figured he'd just be filled with disappointment, but since he stated he knows what he's in for, then sure, by all means go ahead and check the box. We've all done it.
I don't take Scott's hardline approach. Times Square is something to see, especially at night.
Indeed. There is something to be said for checking out a spectacle, even if it's a cheesy one as Times Square apparently has become. I suppose it's somewhat better (or maybe just safer) now than it was back when it was pretty much known for muggings, drug dealers, and strip clubs.
I don't recall if I've ever visited Times Square myself in any of my visits to NYC (and it's been a while since I've visited there anyway). If I have, it was probably just passing through during the drug dealer and strip club era.
Tourist traps aren't inherently bad, provided you know it's a tourist trap and handle it appropriately. Spending a few minutes (or whatever amount of time is appropriate depending on the size of the tourist trap) to go "in and out" and check it out just to appease curiosity or say, "yeah, I saw that," is acceptable. Spending considerable time and money at a tourist trap above and beyond what is necessary just to get a feel for it is not.
But But i want to eat at a Sbarro's at time's square just like trump did :-p
I thought that was Famous Famiglia.
They are both pretty much right next to each other, and directly across the street from my office. They are both equally awful.
Funny story. I once saw a guy with a huge stack of Famiglia pizzas walking into the adjacent Applebee's. Almost as weird as a McDonald's delivery guy bringing in a bunch of Big Macs to a Wendy's.
Some of the most amazing places I've visited in the world are tourist traps, and I just clocked my 120th country!
Also some of the most famous places I've visited have been spoiled by becoming overly trappy. If you think Times Square is bad for tourists being harassed, then I can tell you right away that Times Square is like the Sea of Tranquility compared to many places I've been, especially in developing countries.
Also some of the most famous places I've visited have been spoiled by becoming overly trappy. If you think Times Square is bad for tourists being harassed, then I can tell you right away that Times Square is like the Sea of Tranquility compared to many places I've been, especially in developing countries.
Oh god yes. I remember when I was in Paris a few years ago for my honeymoon. I believe we were heading to the Eiffel Tower when we were approached by a young woman asking in a fairly heavy accent if we spoke English. Assuming that maybe she was another tourist or something who wanted some help, I responded affirmatively. She then handed me a hand-written index card with some English words on it that revealed that she was actually panhandling. I guess in Paris it's illegal to openly panhandle, so this is the scam they had to try to get around that. From that point on, whenever I was approached by someone asking if I spoke English I responded to them in Portuguese saying "I only speak Portuguese" to get them off our backs (it worked). I also got accosted by some dude selling braided bracelets up on the top of Montmartre. Outside of the accosting, though, both "tourist traps" were actually quite nice. The view at the top of the Eiffel was gorgeous, and Montmatre and the Sacre Coeur church were also very nice to experience.
Comments
I'll be in NYC from 2/12 until 2/14, and I'm looking for recommendations for things to do/see/eat/etc. For the most part I will be on my own, unless my friends from Nyack can get some time off to come down and join me. I'm staying in Manhattan, not far from Penn Station and Bryant Park (W 40th St?).
I'm pretty much only going because I have some vacation hours to burn before March, and since I had never been to the city, I figure I should check it off my list of places to see. It's part of a tour of 4 different states, which is why I have so little time in NYC proper. For reference, I live just north of Boston, so it's not like I'm unfamiliar with cities, but I'll just be a stranger in a strange land looking to make the most of my limited time there.
I figure I will see the basics like Times Square, Grand Central, Rockerfeller Center, and hit up a museum or two. I hear good things about the Cloisters, but is that worth doing in February? I think I'd be more interested in the Museum of Natural History than the MoMA or the Met, but if the consensus is that either of those are totally worth doing, I can be swayed pretty easily. Also should I plan to stay in Manhattan, or should I expect to look to the other burroughs as well?
Food-wise, I like to eat pretty much anything, but my stomach disagrees with me on that point when it comes to things like really greasy, fatty, acidy, or fried foods. So unfortunately I think I'll have to skip the pizza and pasta and such. I have a pretty decent budget, so I can splurge once or twice on a good recommended food place, but I'd like to save money where I can on both food and attractions.
I'll be glad to provide any more information, and any advice is greatly appreciated!
As for other stuff, another inexpensive restaurant is Taka Taka, which serves Japanese tacos and Mexican sushi. Try it.
Best "fast-casual" food: Schnipper's (burgers), or Go! Go! Curry!, and Pie Face.
Expensive restaurants I've enjoyed include The Marrow (German/Italian), Maialino (very Italian), and Alder (pub-style take on crazy fancy food)
I could go on but you're better off using NerdYorkCity as your guide. Look at the current events calendar, and also pore over the little links on the side which are permanent food/shopping/culture guides.
I honestly don't think you need to go to Times Square ever. Rockefeller is skippable too but worth it if you're in the area to at least stop in the Nintendo World store, stare at their tiny museum for 5 minutes, stare at overpriced (but sometimes unique) merch, and pick up a bunch of streetpass tags.
Museum of Natural History and the Met are both amazing places and deserve your attention, but you could easily spend a whole day in each to do it right, so pick your poison. Natural History does have the Hayden Planetarium, with a new show narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Given the brevity of your visit, I wouldn't expect to leave Manhattan.
Again, why all the hate for Times Square? Why is it something you would advise someone to actively avoid, even when it topped their list of places to see?
I guess it may be worthwhile to go just look and say to yourself "Wow, this is everything wrong with our society all in one place."
And yeah, I'm aware that Times Square is pretty much just an intersection with a bunch of advertisements. But Big Ben is just a clock, Stonehenge is just rocks, the Louvre is just an art museum, Trevi is just a fountain, etc. But if you're going to be in the area, you're gonna check them out on name recognition alone. That's my view. So since I'm so close and it will take me no effort at all to pass through it, why not.
Every tourist should walk through Times Square. They should not go into any store or spend more than 15 minutes in the general area. ;^)
But saying that you shouldn't visit somewhere because it makes you think "this is everything wrong with our society all in one place" means that when visiting Berlin, you wouldn't get to see any memorials (and in Berlin they are hard to avoid), when visiting Beijing you shouldn't see Tienanmen Square... and you'll never get to go to any war museum or any armory. And in France you'll not see Versailles. And in London you wouldn't get to visit the City. And the list goes on and on. Everywhere has something that is a symbol of all that is wrong in their society, or was wrong in some part of their history. But they are worth seeing precisely because of that significance.
Also it sounds silly and paranoid to ask, but are there areas/times that I should avoid going, due to crime? Or is it much better off than the old guy from work who hasn't been there since the 70s is leading me to believe? But I figure I'd ask since I'd rather avoid getting mugged or pickpocketed if possible.
Tiananmen is a weird case in that the message varies based on the visitor. Hopefully within my life it will change.
I could go on and on.
See cool stuff! You don't need to condone it or agree with it to impressed and have a good time. Especially if you can see stuff without supporting it financially.
But seriously, don't talk to anyone who approaches you while you're there (particularly if they try to sign a rap CD for you or are wearing a costume), and for the love of the gods don't eat at any restaurant.
I don't recall if I've ever visited Times Square myself in any of my visits to NYC (and it's been a while since I've visited there anyway). If I have, it was probably just passing through during the drug dealer and strip club era.
Tourist traps aren't inherently bad, provided you know it's a tourist trap and handle it appropriately. Spending a few minutes (or whatever amount of time is appropriate depending on the size of the tourist trap) to go "in and out" and check it out just to appease curiosity or say, "yeah, I saw that," is acceptable. Spending considerable time and money at a tourist trap above and beyond what is necessary just to get a feel for it is not.
Funny story. I once saw a guy with a huge stack of Famiglia pizzas walking into the adjacent Applebee's. Almost as weird as a McDonald's delivery guy bringing in a bunch of Big Macs to a Wendy's.
Also some of the most famous places I've visited have been spoiled by becoming overly trappy. If you think Times Square is bad for tourists being harassed, then I can tell you right away that Times Square is like the Sea of Tranquility compared to many places I've been, especially in developing countries.