New York (2 Viewers)

Super Dexta said:

-ferry around manahattan

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I'd give that a miss if I were you. It takes hours and is only good for the first half hour or so, then you realise that you are looking at somewhere that you want to be.

The open-top bus tours are good. They do one that goes to Brooklyn and all over Manhattan. You go over the Brooklyn Bridge and see the city from a distance too.

Wilbert said:

I'd give that a miss if I were you. It takes hours and is only good for the first half hour or so, then you realise that you are looking at somewhere that you want to be.

The open-top bus tours are good. They do one that goes to Brooklyn and all over Manhattan. You go over the Brooklyn Bridge and see the city from a distance too.

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ah but i can't not do it. acquaintance of mine who's there for a few months is all into taking us out on it and giving us the guided tour spiel and so on, and i've already said i will.

Super Dexta said:

ah but i can't not do it. acquaintance of mine who's there for a few months is all into taking us out on it and giving us the guided tour spiel and so on, and i've already said i will.

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If the weather is nice, it'll be fine but it can be very cold in New York in February. Coldest weather I've ever felt.

Wilbert said:

If the weather is nice, it'll be fine but it can be very cold in New York in February. Coldest weather I've ever felt.

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so i'm told. 22 inches of snow the other day! but then it melted

Brooklyn. go to bedford avenue and see where all the trust fund trendies hang out! Spent most of my time there. Go to Diner which is an old railway car converted into a diner. it's cool. Berry st. williamsburg, brooklyn across from Peter Luger Steakhouse, get JMZ to Marcy ave.. Its cheap too. what else? I love nolita though, Elizabeth street etc. on lower east side.And the west village is gorgeos but very gay. if you wanna see statue. get the free ferry to staten island and back. this gives you the best view.
Trash bar in brooklyn is good for gigs as is bowery ballroom.

eat lots of pizza and go to Central Park for hours on end. Go onto the running track in central park and walk really slowly the opposite way to everyone else, this annoys them greatly. JFK is surprisingly a really really easy airport to deal with and to get to. the taxis have a set fare for going to the airport and it's not too much, otherwise the shuttle bus is cheap and easy.

The said:

Go onto the running track in central park and walk really slowly the opposite way to everyone else, this annoys them greatly.

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Yeah, try and annoy the New Yorkers. They're soft and will take shit from anyone.

diner is good. trash is crap. go to barcade.

its expensive but go to Sarah Bett's for breakfast.
fuuuuucking yummy

new york is rubbish
i don't know why anyone would bother going

any one know the name of that pub in the east village that used to be a speakeasy where behan and kerouac and the lads used to drink? great place!

For romanticy meals in Manhattan (reservations necessary):


1. Gramercy Tavern (42 east 20th St b/t Broadway and Park Ave. S, 212.477.0777) -- This place is warm and romanticy and can get as expensive as you'll let it. They have prix-fixe type deals for lunch and dinner, and you can eat in the Tavern Room which is cheaper and casualer. The food is fancy tavern food -- fish and meat and whatnot.


2. Babbo (110 Waverly Pl, right off Washington Sq Park, 212-777-0303) -- Idiosyncratic Italian food with an emphasis
on fresh, local ingredients. It's located in a lovely old building, and it feels a bit like you're in someone's house. And
if you've been searching for some beef-cheek ravioli, this is the place.


For romanticy meals in Brooklyn:


1. Al di la, as noted below, is probably my favorite restaurant in the city. They don't take reservations, and if
you get there after about 7:30pm, there's a chance you won't get a table that night. Get there early, put your
name in, and sit in their wine bar (but eat in the main room).


2. The Grocery (288 Smith St b/t Union and Sackett sts, 718-596-3335) -- Little room that serves a limited menu
that changes nightly. The cuisine is maybe French-inspired new-American. I haven't been, but I've heard they
really take care of you. And the food is supposed to be very good, also.


3. Locanda Vini e Olii would be nice, also. It's listed below. Francoise wears Converse Allstars of different colors,
not chuck taylors. I apologize to Francoise and his family for the error in the initial list. This place is a bit out into
Brooklyn, though.


4. The River Cafe (1 Water St., 718-522-5200) -- I think this place is probably more expensive than the
food warrants, though I've never been so I can't say. The restaurant is literally on the East River, with
windows looking at the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan. So that's good. But, it is probably full of tourists
and it will hurt a wallet or two. I'd probably just go to Grimaldi's for pizza, and walk down to the river and
get the view that way.


Bar I must add to the list because it's great and I love it so much:


1. Spuyten Duyvil (359 Metropolitan Ave @ Havemayer, Williamsburg, 718-963-4140) -- This place opened up about
a year ago. They love their beer and it shows. They also have some nice wines, plus cheeses and meats.
It feels like hanging out in someone's country kitchen. The bartenders are real friendly in a beer-geeky sort
of way. Oh, and you can go here and order delivery from anywhere else -- like delicious Burritos from
Bonita. Better not to go there on a Friday or Saturday night on account of the yahoos.

Otherthings

+ Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (307 W 26th St b/t 8th and 9th Aves) – this is a good place for comedy of the mostly improvstyle. http://ucbtheatre.com/
+ The Peoples’ Improv Theatre (Pit) (154 W 29th St) – this place splintered off from the UCB theatre and there are some funny things happening there. I mean, if you like that. http://www.thepit-nyc.com/. Ms Jackson on Wednesdays are very good and includes the original Becky from Rosanne. The TV show.

+ GreenwoodCemetery
+ Central & ProspectParks
+ BAM
+ TenementMuseum
+Castle Clinton and Battery Park
+Film Forum



Oh, and for art:


1. The Met -- Van Gogh drawings and there's some crazy photography exhibit that features works related to spiritism and the occult
from the mid 19th century. The Met is pay what you will -- my grandmother always said to give about a nickel b/c the recommended
price was for tourists. But then, she was a member for 60-some years so she could probably get away with that a bit easier.


2. Neue Galerie on 86th Street near 5th Ave -- This German/Austrian Museum is in an old mansion, which should make Egon Shiele's
painting look all the more creepy and beautiful. It's a lovely space, and the attached Cafe Sabarsky is a great spot to relax between museums,
or after some Central Park walking.


The galleries on 22nd and 24th between 10th and 11th streets usually have a couple of winners. I'm not sure what's up now.



Okay, I'm crazy, but I wanted to put down my favorite manhattany places for food that I missed
with the other lists.


'ino cafe (21 Bedford St. b/t Houston & Downing sts, West Village) -- One of my favorite spots for
great panini, wine and soup (they have the best soup in the winter, only -- Tuscan white bean is
sooo good). Panini are about 8 or 9 dollars. My favorites are the 3 cheese panini with truffle oil (probably
the greatest grilled cheese sandwich, ever) or the cacciatorini w/ goat cheese and black olive pesto. The
bruschetta and tramezzini are good too. And it's right around the corner from the Film Forum, the last, great
non-profit truly independent theater in NYC -- www.filmforum.org. There's a bigger version of this place
on the Rivington and Ludlow in the LES.


Caracas Arepa Bar (91 E. 7th St b/t 1st Ave and Ave A, East Village) -- This place might even be tinier than
'ino or Temple. If you've never had an arepa, you might should go here. It's a Venezuelan version of a pita
sandwich, except it's not pita. It's a corn-meal pocket bread, fried up lightly and filled with all sorts of stuff.
I like the simple cheddar one, and the the De Pollo. For appetizers, try the Yoyos (fried sweet plantains with
white cheese with syrup -- sweet, salty, syrupy). And get a fresh juice. Oh, and try to get the recipe to the
secret sauce of your waitress.


Freeman's (End of Freeman Alley, off Rivington b/t the Bowery and Chrystie) -- I guess this place is kind of
sceney, but it's a fun place to go. And I had the best pork chop and grits there that I've ever eaten. Twice. It's a bit
of adventure finding it -- it's literally at the end of alley. It feels a bit like being in a ski lodge bar, with stuff animal
heads on the walls and umm, maybe it's just that. That'll do it. Who cares if you have to sit next to Luke Wilson.


Sosa Borella (460 Greenwich St b/t Watts and Desbrosses sts, TriBeCa) -- Very good Argentine-inspired
food. It's not cheap, but you get a better deal during their great brunch (and lunch). I usually get the bistecca
sandwich (grilled strip steak with chimichurri sauce and melted mozzarella on a baguette) or the Havarti grilled
sanwich on country bread. The breakfast items are tasty, as are the desserts, especially the L'Argentino that
has Nocciola gelato, hot fudge and dulce de leche, or the Affogato which is just gelato drowned in hot espresso.
Oh, there's one up in the theater district also. 50thish St.


Temple (81 St. Marks Pl near 1st Ave, East Village) -- I love this little Korean restaurant. It was opened by a
student of some graduate food program at NYU a few years ago. I think she got credit for the restaurant. I usually
get the tofu ginger stir fry thing, but most everyone else gets the dolsot bibimbop which comes out steaming.
And it's more fun to say than tofu stir fry.


Palacinka (28 Grand St. b/t Thompson St. and Sixth Ave, SoHo) -- This little place just feels good, for some reason.
They do simple crepes and sandwiches. They do a nice spicy, tomato soup. The dessert crepe of hazelnut spread
and creme fraiche is as good as that gets.


Home (20 Cornelia St b/t Bleecker and W. 4th sts, Greenwich Village) -- A cozy little place on a quiet-ish block
for the Village. They make homemade-like, American comfort foods. Moderately priced.

Momofuku Noodle Bar (163 First Ave near 10th St, East Village) -- This place has very good noodles, especially
ramen, for not a lot of money. It was opened by a chef from a big restaurant that just wanted to make the best damn
ramen in the world.


Ms. Williamsburg Portavia (228 E. 10th St. near 1st Ave, East Village) -- This is a tiny version of the one I mentioned
on the other list. They have more sandwiches and whatnot, but they also have the white lasagna (with béchamel)
and such.

charlie bucket - i think the place you're thinking of is chumleys

f'kin hell dudley...
some great recommendations there though. btw i saw the dudley corporation in mercury lounge last time, great show

cheers! that was an awesome night alright

can't take the credit for the list, assembled from various things a pal sent me

is that how you spell assembled?

If you want good photos of statue of liberty go on the free staten island ferry - across to staten island and come (straight) back in an hour. Drop into century 21 and ground zero on the way back if you like.

Good restaurants:

Bathazar in soho
Pastis in meatpackers
Red eye grill on east 55th st (I think)

Go see jazz at the village vanguard.

Go to the met for art. See whistler, john white alexander and john singer sargent - some mary casst too I think.

Walk around central park (don't do rip-off pony ride)

Go skating in Bryant park if it's still on.

Go to the public library (beside bryant park)

Go to Barnes and Noble on union square for books.

dammit dudley now i want to go back to new york

i missed your show there in september - got in all jetlagged a few hours before the gig and ended up getting far too drunk in a bar in queens with a friend of vincent gallos who loves devo and women and pool.
but i saw you in the limelight instead. ho hum.