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iMatt

I have a family member that is visiting New York for a week and has asked me for some cool trip tips. It's been a good decade since I last went so figured you guys could throw me a bone! I'm also looking for some cool places to eat that are maybe a bit less obvious - cool food trucks etc! Advise on!

Maguano

might want to be a bit more specific..where are they staying, interests, etc?
but for food trucks, try this?.. i might be able to narrow it down a bit...

supabeast

• Don’t go to the museums on free Fridays, they’re packed with annoying tourists.
• Check concert listings, there are dozens of concerts on any given night.
• Liberty Island is fucking boring, just see the statue from the Staten Island ferry and then take the ferry right back to Manhattan.
• Brooklyn is overrated.
• Don’t eat in midtown, and especially not anywhere near Times Square, the food will be overpriced and bad.

minirhyder

You can find good eating in Midtown, just not near Times Square. Go to 9th Ave and just go up starting from 39th St till Columbus Circle, and you'll definitely find something to your liking.

Check out the area near St. Marks (4th - 14th St and 1st - 3rd Aves). It's generally an interesting area, and there's a lot of food places.

MentalExercise

Like I always say, get a Frommer's. I've always been glad I did, whether I've been to that country/city or not.

Apart from that, be aware of how big a city Manhattan is. A little planning goes a long way for what you want to see or do.

Things unique to NY:
Hit up the big time museums.
See a big big Broadway show.
Research and get whatever kind of food you always wanted to try, it's there.
NY pizza is a thing for a reason.
NY hotdogs aren't (unless you live there because, nostalgia)(although there's nothing wrong with then either).
A real Jewish deli is a famous thing for a reason.
Central Park is great for New Yorkers... But it's not a priority for the rest of us.
Standup comedy is usually a very good value, any night if the week.

Sentry

My friend who lives in NYC has the perfect solution to the food question.
There's a show on Food Network where they ask chefs to talk about the best _____ they ever had. Each show is themed, so it could be what was the best pizza they ever had, or salty dish, or soup, or whatever... anyway, she just made a spreadsheet of all the New York ones, and every time someone comes in from out of town she pulls out the list and that's where they go. These places are not all high end places, when I visited we had amazing french toast in Tribeca, awesome noodles in China town, and various other things. It's honestly a brilliant way to figure out where to eat in one of the most culinary cities in the world.

Here's a link to the Wiki, you can see the restaurants and food if you scroll down.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Best_Thing_I_Ever_Ate

supabeast

This place is a pork lover’s dream: http://www.patanegratapas.com

kaliyama

What's your budget per meal?

iMatt

They are staying at 49th street near Times Square. No idea about their meal budget. Probably average to high. A few midrange meals and a few expensive ones I imagine.

JudiH

thank you all very much, very helpful - we were thinking of around on average no more than £50 for the two us for evening meal - although as Matt said the odd higher one would be ok.

iMatt

JudiH wrote: »

thank you all very much, very helpful - we were thinking of around on average no more than £50 for the two us for evening meal - although as Matt said the odd higher one would be ok.

Hey Cuz

Akilae

When are they going to be in town? There are quite a few performances that would be worth attending, if only for the experience.

iMatt

They fly out tomorrow.

Akilae

Yikes. Alright, a few pointers:

We have another nor'easter coming in next week, so keep that in mind. Lots of wind, lots of snow/rain.

-I'm ambivalent towards food trucks.
-Pizza is a thing. Used to be Lombardi's or Grimaldi's... or maybe Di Fara. Grimaldi's has since then renovated and fallen from grace. Di Fara is a pain to get to. Lombardi's might be worth the visit (the Margherita isn't bad), if a bit touristy. Be prepared for a wait though. If you just want what New Yorkers eat, then any ol pizza parlor will do (but get only a plain slice, no matter what they try to sell you).
-Katz's deli for pastrami on rye, with mustard of course.
-In Chinatown, I think it's not a bad idea to grab dim sum in the morning. Cheap good food. Jing Fong, Ping's, and Grand Harmony are my top three picks.
-For dinner the world is your oyster. Really depends on what cuisine you want to try out. I want to recommend Kenka at St. Mark's for a Japanese beer hall experience (Imported Japanese beer/sake, grilled food on skewers, naughty posters on the walls!), but you have to get there early to have any hope of getting a seat (they open at 6, be there at 5:30).
-Lots of choices for very fine dining... Les Halles is usually where I take my friends. Keens steakhouse is another, but only for the mutton chop.
-Lincoln Center is a thing to do. As is Broadway.
-The Met
-Museum of the City of New York

CelestialBadger

St Marks really is full of cheap and varied food... and students. Better than food trucks in the cold weather. You can easily eat for 50 quid for two. Take the 6 train to Astor place. If you really like food trucks, there are always some in Union Square.

Don't eat 99c pizza.

Deebaser

If you're friending for a hotdog, head to crif dogs. So good

Akilae

Deebaser wrote: »

If you're friending for a hotdog, head to crif dogs. So good

And don't stop there, head right into the hidden bar next to it!

Bagginses

Don't forget those guys who sell pickles right from the barrel.

Deebaser

Akilae wrote: »

Deebaser wrote: »

If you're friending for a hotdog, head to crif dogs. So good

And don't stop there, head right into the hidden bar next to it!

eeeehhhhhhhhhhh...

I guess... if you're from outta town and all...

(PDT really sucks balls)