Hiya

We (my husband and I, our 3 daughters aged 14,14 and 22) are going to NYC in September. We have a wedding anniversary whilst there, and we wanted to go to a special restaurant for that particular evening. We`ve never been to NY, so a friend suggested that we`d try out The River Cafe for the celebration. I`ve read a lot about the restaurant, both good and bad, but it seems like a wonderful spot, so we are seriously considering it. So I have a few questions; Is it a good choice? And how do we get from World Center Hotel (next to Ground Zero) to The River Cafe? Will two cabs be the easiest? And is it OK to bring your teenagers to a restaurant like the River Cafe? (They are very well behaved and well traveled )

Also; the girls want to shop (what teenage girls doesnt...) How is it in the area around GZ? Any particular shops we should go to?

Thanks in advance for any and all answers to my questions.


Kind regards,
Tone from Norway.

Hello from Canada..

My husband and I will be visiting NY to celebrate our 25th. We arrive on the 15th of July and are staying for 6 days at the Michael Angelo hotel. We have been researching the New York Pass and are wondering which one would be the best value. I imagine it would depend on how many sites we want to visit but I thought I would ask your opinion. This is our first visit and we are so excited to experience the big apple. Can you also suggest a romantic restaurant (not overly expensive) to celebrate our big day.

Thanks so much ~

Hi Tone,

Thanks for writing in! Congratulations on your anniversary!

The River Cafe is lovely, right on the water, and highly recommended. I think bringing your kids would be perfectly fine, unless you want some alone time with the hubby, hmmmm?
Taking a cab would be okay, but there are a ton of very efficient subways that do the job just fine and are cheap! The closest train would be the A train from Fulton St towards Mott Street, getting of on High Street and walking to The River Cafe. Easy peasy!

As far as shopping, there aren't a lot of good shopping places around GZ, so I would probably recommend SoHo for your girls.

Enjoy your time in NYC, and I wish you a romantic vacation!

xo,

Amy

Hi Leah,

25 years?! Wow! That's wonderful! Congratulations...

I think the New York Pass is a great value, so go for it. You save money on so much! From bus tours, boat tours, Empire State Building, museums...you name it. I think the best idea is to look over the options and decide whether you want to do museums or tours more and go from there.

As far as romantic restaurants, here are a few for you to choose from!

Savoy-70 Prince St.
Between Crosby and Lafayette Sts.
212-219-8570

The Place
310 W. 4th St.
Between Bank and W. 12th Sts.
212-924-2711

The River Cafe
The River Cafe Basics:
1 Water Street, Brooklyn
718-522-5200.

Daniel
60 E. 65th St.
Between Park and Madison Aves.
212-288-0033

The Brasserie 8 and a Half
57th St between 5th and 6th

I would also suggest having an after dinner drink at The Gansevoort Hotel in the Meat Packing district. It's on the rooftop of this amazing hotel and you can see the entire city! That'll kick off the anniversary just right!

Have a wonderful vacation, a very happy anniversary, and I hope you love New York!

xo,

Amy

Hi, My friend and i are traveling to NYC on Sept. 8th for 4 days. We want to do the less touristy thing. We are staying at the Kimberly in Midtown. Can you name some great restaurants and bars that the locals love. Budget is whatever. we like nice places with great food. And we love a good local dive bar. Any blues bars in NYC? We'll definitely take up the Museum of Art Costume Institute Collection as well as shopping in SoHo. Thanks so much. This is my 6th trip and her 5th so we aren't strangers, but want to be less touristy this time.
Thanks!

Hello!

I'm visiting a friend who lives in Kew Gardens the first week of August. I won't be there on any weekends though. I want to enjoy my time and explore, I don't want to have a super rigid I-have-to-see-everything schedule, but I would like to do and see some things you just must do in New York. Can you give me some ideas on how to spend my time and to make the most of my money? it doesn't have to be super cheap, but any way I can do things and cut costs would be great. And I would love to do a little shopping, even if I don't buy much. Are there any good free things in New York? What are some of your favorite things to do?

Thanks!
Sarah

Hi Sally,

Fantastic! I love a gal who loves the city!

Why not head on down to The Meatpacking District and check out the places around there?

Abe and Arthurs on 14th between 9th and Washington is fun, and has turned into a big celebrity hang out. Well, that's if you consider Kim Kardashian and any of the Real Housewives of NY celebrities(which I do, so no judgies!)

Tortilla Flats on 12th and Washington has great margaritas and good food, plus on Tuesday they bingo for tequila shots and Wednesday they hoola hoop for shots. It's like always being on spring break, minus the regretful tattoo you'll probably end up with.

Brass Monkey is down 13th Street off of Washington, and there's also Hogs and Heifers, which is the bar based on Coyote Ugly.

As far as dive bars, my fave is a place called Rudys, and it's on 45th and 9th ave. It's DIVE! So fun! Free hot dogs and cheap drinks.

A good blues bar is Birdland on 44th and 8th. Also try The Blue Note off of Macdougal in the village.

Also give Sushi Samba a try. There are two locations, but I would recommend the one off of 7th Ave South and Bleeker. It has a rooftop bar area that's fantastic.

Shopping in SoHo sounds like a good idea to me, Bleeker Street around Bleeker Playground off of 11th has some good shops to not be missed.

Have a great time! A couple more visits and you'll be locals!

xo,

Amy

Hi Sarah,

This city is full of great, fun, and free things to do, like:

Central Park is beautiful this time of year, and it's huge!

Free movies on Monday nights at Bryant Park. Bring a blanket, grab some lawn and watch a movie with a bunch of New Yorkers in the park. Sounds weird, I know, but it's a fantastic experience, totally free, and you can enjoy the outdoors in a busy city.

Brooklyn! Okay, so you'll have to get to Brooklyn, which will require a subway ride, so not entirely free, but Brooklyn is great! Park Slope, Cobble Hill, Willamsburg, all have lovely shops, restaurants, bar, parks and on and on. Also walking the Brooklyn bridge over from Manhattan is FABULOUS this time of year!

I like shopping in SoHo on Broadway, because there's a lot of choose from and reasonable prices. There is a Bloomingdales, but also adorable boutiques.

I also love to spend time on the Lower East Side and Chinatown. Get some dim sum, go to the market off of Elizabeth St, and you'll be very close to Little Italy as well.

Little India is an interesting street in the East Village, it's on 6th st and 2nd ave. It's row of Indian restaurants that you can browse and see which one suits your fancy. You'll probably encounter the managers trying to talk you into going to their place, which is just all part of the fun!

I hope some of these suggestions sound good to you! Enjoy exploring the city!

xo,

Amy

Re: SATC tour
Posted by: Marlies dekker (31-151-74-127.dynamic.upc.nl)
Date: July 14, 2011 01:15AM


is That lunchroom Called te stoop?
And might someone know a map online with
A tour by feet with different SATC places so you can walk it individual?

Great Forum

Catching a week cruise out of Manhattan CT in Oct 2011.then back for a 3 night
stay. Looking for a good spot to call home base for that short time.

I realize hotel prices have gone up Unbelievably since I was there over 30 yrs ago... but something in the 195-$275.00 range???? Not necessarily at Time Square area... but don't know about other areas in Manhattan, IE hells kitchen, lower east side, Soho, tribeca. I'd love something that would be surrounded with SOME touristy things, and some NOT touristy things to see and do. Also would love to suprise hubby with a great Mexican meal and treat my self to fantastic Italian dinner. Sounds like a huge request ....sorry
Thanks
Kathy

Hi Kathy,

Sounds like a great time with the cruise and then hitting the city!

The hotel thing is tough, and almost all of the hotels have different rates for different seasons, so I couldn't tell you prices or ranges. But if you want to stay out of Times Square(good call, BTW) but still want some action, try East Village, Chinatown, Little Italy or SoHo. My advice would be to do a site search, TripAdvisor or Hotels.com and look in those specific areas. You should be able to find a good deal for three days.

Mexican food places are my jam. I'm originally from California, and finding Mexican food on the East Coast has not always been such an easy task, but I can tell you that Rosa Mexicana is fantastic. There are a couple of locations, SoHo off of West Broadway, Meat Packing district off of 14th and 9th ave, and Upper East Side on 58th and 1st. Huge menu, delicious margaritas, and they make guacamole at the table. I have a huge crush on this place.

As far as Italian food, you simply have to head to Little Italy on Mulberry Street. There are tons of Italian restaurants(I would hope so. Calling it Little Italy and having nothing but Chinese places would be weird), and places for cannolis and espresso. It's adorable in this part of town. There is a lot to choose from, but every place will have their menus in the front, and probably the manager(usually an sweet Italian man) coaxing you gently into their establishments. Take your time deciding what you're in the mood for, but chances are any place you choose in this neighborhood will be fantastic.

Check out www.littleitalynyc.com.for more info.

Have an awesome time in the city!

xo,

Amy

Hello New Yorkers! I've always wanted to visit NYC and finally, I'll be able to see NYC this November for the first time! Question is, what are the places I should visit? I'm thinking of Central Park, Times Square and go to a gay club in Chelsea (yes, I'm gay) other than that, I don't have anything in mind. I don't wanna go to a statue of liberty or take a tour bus. I'm going there alone for 4 days. I just wanna see the beauty of NYC and relax. So where should I go? And should I get ready for the taxi fare?