do you recommend moving in to new york at age 23 with a fresh start without knowing anyone at all...

And I would also want to ask which hotel/hostel can i stay in? I'm on a budget so my budget is on $$ per night only. A just need a hotel where I can change in and leave my belongings. I'll be out for the whole day anyway. I just want something near the hot spots.

Anyway, i would love to take the tour too. I'm 30% Samantha 40% Carrie 20% Miranda 10% Charlotte

Hi Mark--

There's so much to see and do in NYC it can be hard to decide what to do and where to start. You expressed interest in the Sex and the City tour. I think its a great place to start. I would definitely recommend taking that tour on one of your first days here as it will introduce you to multiple neighborhoods and get you oriented to the city. Speaking of Sex and the City--the gay club I would recommend is Splash on 17th St between 5th and 6th Aves in Chelsea. It is the club where Carrie meets her new Gay Best Friend, Oliver Spencer. You may also want to check out the Stonewall Inn--which is where the gay rights movement all began.
If you're interested in Central Park On Location Tours also does a Central Park Movie walking tour which is a nice overview of the park. For more info about the Park you can look at www.centralparknyc.org. My favorite parts of the park are Belvedere Castle in the center of the park and the Conservatory Garden at 103rd and 5th Ave. Another cool way to see the park and cover a lot of ground is renting a bike. There are bike rental places all along the south side of the park at 59th St. You can bike all the way up to the top of the park at 110th St and then if you cut across the West side to Riverside Park you can bike all the way down through Riverside Park and along the West Side Highway to Battery Park--which is the bottom of the island of Manhattan.
Other things to do I would suggest: walking the Brooklyn Bridge, walking along the Highline, going to Top of the Rock (I find this better than the top of the Empire State Building--less crowded and a nicer experience), the 9/11 Memorial Site, The Jim Henson exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image, going to see a show.
If you're going to see a show I would recommend going to TKTS. The tickets are discounted--usually 50% and are released by the producers the day of the show and starting at 3pm that day you simply go to the booth located at 47th St. and 7th Ave in Times Square, look at the boards to see what tickets are available and get in line to purchase tickets.
Finally I would say take advantage of the plethora of great dining experiences we have here. We have basically every type of cuisine represented here and you don't have to spend a lot of money to eat well.
Finally for goings on in the city, and restaurant and bar reviews you can also check out nymag.com. New York Magazine's site is a very good resource.

Hope this helps! Stephanie

Mark--regarding a place to stay--I would recommend looking into hotels in Long Island City. There are many new hotels cropping up there and they are much less expensive than hotels in Manhattan. Long Island City is located just across the East River from Manhattan and is very easy to get to. The neighborhood is a quick trip via subway--simply one or two stops off the 7, N/Q/R, E/M, and F trains into Queens. And on that note--one question I forgot to answer regarding taxis from your first post--I would suggest using the subway system to travel around the city. Its far less expensive than cabs and often the subway will get you around faster than sitting in traffic anyway. to familiarize yourself with the subway system check out www.mta.info

Stephanie

Yuda--
I would absolutely recommend moving here! I moved here 9.5 years ago on my own as a single lady and have always felt very safe. The city can be tough at times but so is living anywhere! NYC is great because there is always so much to discover here. You never know what you're going to find when you turn the next corner.

Where is the best cosmo in the city?

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That is an excellent question!

I would definitely suggest that you go on a quest for *your* perfect NY cosmopolitan -- it may take some research, but I'm happy to get you started!

Two things right off the bat:  most places you go in NYC a cosmo will run from about $14 - $20.  I'm not sure where you're coming from (it looks like you may be relatively local, but I'm not sure), but wanted to let you know in case you need to brace yourself for that!

Also, my rule when I'm getting a cosmo at a new place, or if the bartender is new to me, is to ask them to leave out the lemon or lime juice, or to literally use just a drop.  A perfect cosmo has just a drop or two -- if there's too much it's a tough drink to enjoy, and the triple sec or Grand Marnier and the lemon twist give the citrus you want without the acidity.  Something to keep in mind...

Part of enjoying a drink is the drink itself, and part of it is the atmosphere you're taking in at the same time.

I've had lovely cosmos at the rooftop lounge in the Gansevoort Hotel on Park Avenue -- Park Avenue South and 29th Street. The enclosed area just below the roof is swank and has great views, and in warmer weather you can't go wrong outside. They make a really nice cosmo, and it's a great spot.

You also can't go wrong at Whiskey Blue, ground floor of the W hotel on Lexington and 50th (the lounge has it's own entrance from the street, though it connects to the hotel on the inside).  The Whiskey lounges are owned by Cindy Crawford's husband Randy Gerber, and they're all quite trendy and fun. This one happens to be my favorite, maybe because it's the first one I ever went to -- and I've always gotten great cosmos there. 

Another fun place to check out is the Campbell Apartment in Grand Central -- a really gorgeous lounge that gets a fun, stylish crowd.  They also have very good, well-balanced cosmos, and you can't beat the surroundings.

Further downtown check out the bar/lounge of a restaurant called Jo's -- Elizabeth Street between Houston and Prince.  It's a tiny little place with a beautiful bar area, and the bartender I've had there really knew his way around a cosmo!  It's also in a fun part of town -- just a little east of there is the Lower East Side which is full of fun bars and restaurants, and just west of it is SoHo, about which I'd say the same!

Where we go for cosmsos on the Sex and the City tour makes a fantastic cosmo - and I'm not just saying that!  The bar is called Onieal's -- it was Scout on the show, the bar Aidan and Steve co-own --and I have to say, they have the recipe down -- they make a very smooth cosmo.  Perhaps partly because the popularity of the tour keeps them in constant practice.  They make a great cosmo to measure all others by -- an excellent place to start out to set the bar, so to speak.  It's on the corner of Grand Street and Centre Market -- The B or D train to Canal and the 6 train to Spring are your best bets on the subway -- if you take a cab tell the driver to drop you at Centre and Grand (a really short block away), because Centre Market is just a tiny alleyway that they may not know.

If you're a fan of Sex and the City, we go there as part of the tour and it would be wonderful to have you along!  Our web address is below if you'd like more information about it.

Good luck with your cosmo taste test -- let me know where you find the winning one!

~Lou


www.onlocationtours.com

Hi

Me and a friend are staying in 57th Street in January for 5 nights. We were wondering where the best local bars are. We would like to experience a bit of non tourist new york. Any suggestions?

Berni,
I hope you enjoyed the holidays and are ready for a great time in New York!

I'm not sure whether you're staying on East or West 57th Street, but you may want to check out both East and West so I'm including choices in both directions.

West of you is Hell's Kitchen, which is full of great restaurants and bars. I know you specifically asked about bars, but if you need a great dinner or two at some point there's a great modern Mexican restaurant with good atmosphere called Hell's Kitchen on 9th Avenue between 46th and 47th, and Vynl, while a little on the loud side, has a great menu as well. It's the more casual of the two.

If you're looking for a fun and cool sports bar, Mercury Bar on 9th Avenue between 45th and 46th gets a great, hip crowd and will have games on and plenty of social guys and girls. On one occasion I spotted a table of Japanese tourists who must have had an excellent source, but it's pretty much a local crowd there.

Gossip gets a good bar crowd, too -- the name is misleading, it sounds like it would be tragically trendy, but it's got a good vibe and is very relaxed. Appearance-wise (once you're inside) it's like a classic Irish pub, beautiful woodwork and all. It's on 9th Ave between 49th and 50th.

There's a great bar called Vintage, also on 9th Avenue but between 50th and 51st -- they also get a cool crowd and have a great lounge-y area in back with couches.

All 3 of those have food available -- at Vintage it's pretty much classic bar food, wings and nachos, etc. Mercury and Gossip have that and much more.


Honestly, there are more great bars on 9th Avenue between 45th and 55th than I could begin to name, this is just to give you a start and you can explore from there.

If you venture to the East side, there are a quite a few cool bars as well. Opal on 52nd Street and 2nd Avenue is generally pumping after work hours, as is Turtle Bay right next door. I haven't been to Jameson's Bar, also on 2nd Avenue just a block south between 51st and 52nd, but every time I go by they seem to have a good crowd, too. More of an Irish pub. Like on the west side there are many other options nearby, and even on your way east -- this is just to get you started.

In general, the crowd in Hell's Kitchen will be a little more artsy and bohemian and the crowd on the East side will tend more towards 9-5'ers letting off steam after hours, but of course you'll find some artsy types on the east side just like you'll find some 9-5'ers on the west side.

If something possesses you to want expensive cocktails in a beautiful space, on the West side try the 2nd floor lounge at the Hudson Hotel on 58th Street between 8th and 9th. Skip the Library Bar (unless you want to play pool)and head to the bar across from reception with the lit up floor. On the East side go for Whiskey Blue -- owned by Cindy Crawford's husband Rande Gerber. It's in the W Hotel on Lexington and 50th Street, but has its own entrance. I know hotel bars may seem like touristy places, but locals flock to both! Whiskey Blue in particular is known as a good place to meet people. Martinis or anything in a martini glass will probably start around $15 at both.

Speaking of pool, Fat Cat's in the West Village on Christopher Street is worth the cab or subway ride south if you like to play!

Have a blast while you're in town, and let me know how it goes!

Lou

Hi,

I am planning on taking my daughter to see Wicked in March. She wants to go to Bubba Gump Seafood Co. for dinner after the 2:00 matinee. How far would it be to walk to the restaurant? I believe it is near Times Sq.? After dinner, we need to go to Broadway and 55th st., so I am also wondering how far it would then be to that address. Are all of these areas safe for a woman and her 14 year old daughter at night? THANKS!

Hi Sara,

It sounds like a very exciting trip you have planned! The Gershwin Theatre, where Wicked is being performed, and the Bubba Gump Seafood Co. are in relatively close proximity. The theatre is located at 51st and Broadway and the restaurant is approx 7 short blocks south down Broadway, which will make for a very easy walk.

Bubba Gump Seafood Co. is located right in the heart of Times Square, which is a safe area but often times very, very crowded. There are a lot of shops you can peruse and great photo opportunities to be had.

As with any new place, I'd advise you to keep a watchful eye on your personal belongings. ...and don't hesitate to ask someone for directions... New Yorkers are much nicer people than they are made out to be!

Enjoy your trip!
Lauren
from On Location Tours
www.screentours.com

Hi - I am from Australia and our family of 5 is looking to spend New years, and my daughters 16th birthday, in NY. We were thinking of watching the ball drop, but how realistic is that? How difficult to get a spot? and are there fireworks or other celebrations?? We have 2 teen and a 10 yr old.