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New York City, NY
Eating out in New York City, NY
It's hard to stop eating in New York. A deluge of great food pours out of what seems like every doorway and steams on nearly every street corner. There isn't any place in the world that can claim to have better food, though some try. This is thanks in part to the city's fame, which draws the world's best chefs to its kitchens, and in part to the enormous immigrant diversity which brings with it a cornucopia of culinary traditions. Finding fine restaurants is no trick; they are everywhere and you just have to focus and decide what appeals to you most. A spectacular bird's eye view of the city? Breezing past Al Pacino on the way to your table? A stage show to entertain you over calamari? Or how about some playfulness, like singing waiters or a snobby butler disapprovingly correcting your table manners? Of course, if you're too busy or excited to settle down for a long meal, a spicy kabob or a steaming hot dog to go from a street stand is always an option. On first sight it may seem like you can't eat anywhere but the corner stand without bottoming out your wallet, but that isn't the case at all - you just have to know where to look. There are lots of reasonably-priced side-street cafés and residential area eateries beyond the tourist zone where you can fill up without cashing out, and even inside the maze of Club 21s and Fashion Cafés you can find diners and buffets serving good food on the cheap.
Gourmet
Chanterelle has inspired critics to sigh that "angels feast on lesser food." We can't improve on that recommendation, so we'll just add comments on the atmosphere, with its flawless service, loft-like and elegantly understated dining room, a cozy bar where you're treated to a cocktail while your table is set, and an ever-changing, world-inspired menu based on French techniques. 2 Harrison Street at Hudson, TriBeCa.
Highly Recommended
Gramercy Tavern - believe the hype! This Flatiron District favorite is a sumptuously rustic interpretation of the warm, luxurious restaurants found in the European countryside. The historic building is filled with antiques and tended by an unrushed, attitude-free staff that seems genuinely happy to serve you. First-rate American cuisine delights the senses and makes you wish all the other diners were family so you could sneak a taste from their plates too. 42 East 20th Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue South.
Local Flair
Carnegie Deli is, in meaningful italics, the renowned deli of Manhattan. Owners Milton Parker, CPM (Corned Beef and Pastrami Maven) and Sanford Levine, MBD (Married the Boss's Daughter), cure, bake, smoke, and pickle their own food. And oh, the sandwiches! Piled so high that Zagat restaurant guide declares you need Mick Jagger's mouth to eat them. Don't even think of leaving without trying the cheesecake. And the atmosphere, as authentic as the food, seems to have been lifted from a Woody Allen movie, with its business-as-usual tourist jostling, edgy waitresses, and elbow jabbing in the tight seating arrangements. You'll love it! 854 Seventh Avenue at 55th Street, Theater District.
Romantic
One If By Land, TIBS ends your search for the perfect place to propose and/or woo that special someone. The colonial carriage house owned by Aaron Burr is stupendously appointed with 4 fireplaces, window tables with a soothing garden view, tapered candles, stained glass, and early 19th-century American art. The menu changes seasonally but you can always count on their "basics" like crab cakes with red pepper juice and basil aioli or foie gras with butternut squash ragout and Bartlett pear sauce. 17 Barrow Street, Greenwich Village.
Going party in New York City, NY
It doesn't matter how far through Central Park you walked, or how long you stood in line at the Times Square discount TKTS booth, or in how many museums you spent how many countless hours. It doesn't matter that you aren't much of a night owl, or that you don't really do much after dark but sit home and watch TV. You're not home, you're in New York, so try not to sleep much more than your host! You can either hit the streets to see what diversion crosses your path, or plan ahead if you need tickets or haven't a clue how to sort it all out on the spot. The best places to go for a little help are the pages of the top city guides, like Time Out New York (new issue every Thursday), the legendary alternative rag Village Voice (new issue late Tuesdays downtown and early Wednesday everywhere else), and the Arts and Enetertainment section of The New York Times, particularly Friday's two-part weekend section. Meanwhile, we can give you some cover-all-bases highlights.
Give Your Hellos to Broadway
Just walk on over to "The Great White Way" and settle into a legendary theater or two for the most sensational shows in the world. What's more, if your timing is right you will even get to see movie and television superstars honing their craft on the New York stage, like recent turns by Kevin Spacey in The Iceman Cometh and Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard! Either buy your tickets ahead of time or stand in line at the TKTS booth to choose from the potpourri of half-price tickets for that evening.
Stray Off-Broadway
Don't miss out on these shows, which have nothing but their addresses to mark them as "second-tier." Broadway has glitzy musicals and, more recently, a renaissance of select dramas but Off-Broadway is the real venue for "true" theater. Riveting dramas, hilarious satires, cutting edge dance, mystery thrillers, and interactive participation "gatherings" make for some of the best entertainment in New York. The shows are cheaper than Broadway and many of the theaters give you a discount if you walk up just before show time.
Talk Shows and Live Tapings
Can we talk? New York is the talk show capital of the world, where tabloid TV hosts and professional gossipers dish their dish. Here's something you may not have expected - tickets are free! But you can't get them for nothing. You have to be willing to stand in line for many hours to get them, though in some cases tickets are given out by a lottery so your time of arrival won't improve your chances. Either way, the people who wait generally always say it was worth it. Some shows let (some require) you to call ahead for tickets but you can't pick the dates, so if you're flexible and really, really want to see Letterman's cynical eyebrow raisings in person, or catch a Kit Kat flung at you by Rosie, wait to pick your travel dates until you get word that you've got tickets.
The Joke's on You At Caroline's Comedy Club
This Broadway venue features big names like Janeane Garofalo and Richard Lewis as well as the "next Janeane Garofalos and Richard Lewises." This club is known for dragging the audience into the act, so beware! .
Metropolitan Opera
On multi-million dollar stages, the world's grandest sopranos and tenors sing the joys and woes of the timeless characters created by master composers. For the first time, many of us can finally understand exactly what those joys and woes are, since each seat-back is equipped with a screen for subtitles. There simply is no better venue in the world for opera than the acoustically perfect Met.
New York City Ballet
Highly regarded for unsurpassed technique, this ballet company is the world's best. They frequently perform the works of George Balanchine, its founder, and Jerome Robbins, two of America's most renowned choreographers. Under the direction of former dancer Peter Martins, the troupe continues to expand its repertoire and performs to a wide variety of classical and modern pieces. The cornerstone of the season is the Christmastime production of The Nutcracker.
A Night at the Apollo
Built in 1914, the Apollo saw its heyday in the 30s when Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday were regulars. A 1986 restoration revived this historic Harlem landmark and today the Apollo is again internationally renowned for its African-American acts, from hip-hop acts to Wynton Marsalis' "Jazz for Young People." The weekly "Amateur Night at the Apollo" is a raucous, fun-filled night of young talent dreaming of making it big.
Carnegie Hall
One of the most famous performance halls in the world, Carnegie hosts everything from grand classics to the comedy stylings of Steven Wright. Visiting orchestras from across the world, as well as many of the world's premier soloists and ensembles perform here. The legendary hall is both visually and acoustically brilliant and there is also the intimate Weill Recital Hall, usually used to showcase chamber music and vocal and instrumental recitals.
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
New York is the performing arts capital of the world, and Lincoln Center is its capital institution. Before you go out each evening, check the schedule to see what's on at the center, which can include opera, dance, symphonies, jazz, theater, film, and participatory events, classic and contemporary. Lincoln Center's many buildings serve as permanent homes to their own ensembles, as well as major stops for world-class performance troupes from around the globe.
Radio City Music Hall
This stunning art deco theater opened in 1932, and is a co-star in every performance it hosts. Its main show of the holiday season is the Christmas Spectacular, starring the legendary Rockettes. Visiting pop stars includes the likes of Stevie Nicks and Radiohead, and thanks to perfect acoustics and uninterrupted sightlines, there's hardly a bad seat in the house. The theater also hosts several annual awards shows, such as the ESPYs, the GQ Man of the Year Awards, and anything MTV is holding in town, so celeb-spotting is choice on show nights!.
Roxy
Everybody goes to the Roxy. Fashion models, city club kids, wide-eyed 'burb kids, straights, and gays swirl in the pulsing sound and lights, and glamour is everyone's dance partner. Tuesday is in-line roller disco night, mostly gay, and Wednesday night is mixed. Salsa and merengue bring the Latin crowd on Friday nights and, on Saturdays, DJ Victor Calderone reigns supreme over his legion of gyrating fans. There actually is more to the Roxy than a dance floor. If you want to lie low for a while, there's a cigar bar, a martini lounge, and two VIP rooms.
S.O.B.'s
The music's hot, hot, hot at the city's top world-music venue. The always-packed house dances and sings along every night to calypso, samba, mambo, African drums, and reggae, swaying to the positive, high-energy vibes. Stars who have lit up the stage include Marc Anthony, Ruben Blades, and the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz. The Tropicana Club style has island flair and the food is Caribbean classic. The bar is extensive and the specialty drinks, of course, are tropical. Don't let a lack of cha-cha know-how keep you from dancing - they have dance lessons to get you in the groove.
Culture Club
If you know what the phrase "The Me Generation" means, then you're going to love this place. Step in the door and flash back to the 80s - there's no better place to go for a night of Pac Man with The Police. And where else in the 21st century could you still proudly wear your Boy Toy belt?.
Decade
The Babies can Boom all night without crowds of Gen Nexters barely out of - or still in - their teens. This hybrid supper/dance club is a well-spring of well-dressed, well-heeled 30-, 40-, and 50-somethings who lounge in the cigar and champagne bars backed by a fun mix of tunes from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Excellent service tops off the perfect setting.
Rock the Village
There are endless clubs in the Village to catch live music and party all night with undiscovered bands or surprise drop-by musical legends. CBGB's was the launching pad for mega-rock stars like the Talking Heads, Blondie, and the Ramones, and still draws the Death Before Disco gang to jam with bands. 101 is a great spot to chill out with some of the best jazz in town, and the Wetlands features cutting-edge alternative bands for the benefit of those whose stomachs churn at the first note of a Pop Top 40 hit.
Common events in New York City, NY
Winter Antiques Show
New York's most prestigious, not to mention most expensive, antiques show is a Who's Who of the society set. They descend like hummingbirds on nectar at the benefactor's opening night for first dibs before John Q. Public gets his chance. Seventh Regiment Armory, January.
Antiques at the Other Armory
A younger and trendier set of dealers puts together a show of more affordable collectibles during the first weekend of the Winter Antiques Show, with a free shuttle running between the two. 26th Street Armory, January.
Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
The "World Series of Dogdom" is the mother of all purebred pooch fests, with 2,500 American Kennel Club Champions of Record competing for the Best of Show trophy. The dogs draw as many fans as a hit rock band, with 30,000 people traveling from all over the world to admire the picks of the litters. Madison Square Garden, February.
International Cat Show
Cat fanciers adore this show because it presents not only rare and exotic purebred champions, but also beloved household pets competing for the Best of Show honors. Visiting vets give interesting and practical lectures on caring for your pets and special competitions like photo contests add lots of fun to the event. Madison Square Garden, February.
St Patrick's Day Parade
Bagpipes, soulful renditions of Danny Boy, green beer, in fact, green everything, and the world's largest civilian parade converge to delight the Irish and Irish-for-a-Dayers. Fifth Avenue from 44th to 86th Streets, March.
New Directors/New Films
Up-and-comers step out from behind the camera and onto center stage at this high-profile debut series sponsored each year by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art. Recent notables include Buffalo '66 and Smoke Signals. MoMA, March.
Easter Parade
This began as a genteel Easter Sunday outing when New York ladies showed off their tastefully fashionable new hats, but has evolved into an extravaganza of flamboyance. Don't expect an actual parade - there are no floats, no marching bands, or anything else of the sort, just lots of wild outfits and a ready spot for you if you have the chutzpah to dress-to-flabbergast. 5th Avenue from 48th to 57th Streets, Easter Sunday .
International Food Festival
This is one day you won't have to worry about securing dinner reservations because the ethnic chefs bring their whisks to the streets and serve your meal to go. If you can tear yourself away from the delicacies for a little while you'll find treats for your eyes and ears as well, with street musicians and dancers spicing up one of the city's best street fairs. 9th Avenue from 37th to 57th Streets, May.
Fleet Week
Like a scene right out of On The Town, which of course was a scene right out of life (minus the spontaneously tap-dancing sailors), 10,000 Navy and Coast Guard crew members take liberty in New York. While they're out carousing, you can visit their ships where Marines put on dramatic displays. Or you might just opt to enjoy the other dramatic display of 10,000 of "the few and the proud" having the time of their lives in their starched whites - it's a wonderful sight. Ships at the West Side Piers and Sailors All Around Manhattan! May.
Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibition
Over 250 artists in search of an audience, not that they have trouble finding one. This Greenwich Village tradition has spent nearly a century filling 20 city blocks with artists who make their way to this Bohemian enclave for inspiration and a creative outlet. Washington Square Park, May and August.
Bryant Park Film Festival
If you visit in summer, this is an experience you simply should not miss. Each summer Monday night, the midtown park puts up a giant screen and welcomes thousands of families, lovers, and 9-5ers of every description to claim a space, throw down a blanket, and settle in for classics from the silver screen (and more recently, some "new" classics like Grease). Most everyone who attends may have seen these movies many times, but never on the big screen, and never in the company of 10,000 New Yorkers. The crowd - who would never speak above a hushed whisper in a theater - exuberantly sings along, gasps in horror, and cat-calls the most elegant of 1940s lovelies - male and female. It's a blast! The movie starts at sunset and the park fills up fast after 5:00pm. Bryant Park, Monday Nights, June through August.
Gay Pride Week
The "Event of the Season," at it roots, commemorates the Stonewall Riot of 1969, which the gay community considers the beginning of its liberation movement. The events of the week are a jubilant and free-spirited assortment of celebrations from simple parties to major political fund-raisers and an eye-popping parade, finishing with panache at a street festival and waterfront dance party with fireworks. Greenwich Village, June.
Summer Stage
The stars are hotter than the sun at New York's summer-long free concert festival featuring international, pop, folk, and jazz artists that have included Ziggy Marley, Yoko Ono, and Morrissey. Central Park, June.
Metropolitan Opera in the Parks
Is there anything more cosmopolitan than listening to a diva belt out an aria in the park? Maybe, maybe not, but in either case it ranks right up there with the "best of the best" experiences. For a couple of months in summer, parks all over Manhattan welcome opera legends, who revel in wowing the crowds at free concerts under the stars. City Parks, June through July.
Shakespeare in the Park
"Be you in the park about midnightàand you shall see wonders." Well, alas, by midnight the wonders will be over but O! the glories of the forerunning hours! The Delacorte Theater hosts top-notch, free al fresco performances of the Bard's best, starring such luminary thespians as Al Pacino and Patrick Stewart. Central Park, June through August.
Restaurant Week
Thought you couldn't afford that hobnob-with-the-stars restaurant? Well, we're happy to inform you that you're wrong. Each year some of New York's finest restaurants get together in a collective fixed-price offer and invite you to savor the delectable innovations of the world's best chefs for a smashing $20 soup-to-nuts bargain! Participating restaurants vary year to year so call the visitor's bureau for a list and reserve your table immediately. Around Manhattan, June.
Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular
The traditional fireworks extravaganza is easily one of the country's most fantastic. Head over to the FDR for the best view, but get there early because the road closes to traffic several hours before sunset. East River, July 4th.
Midsummer Night's Swing
The only thing missing from this nostalgic evening of dancing to big band swing by the fountain under the stars is the flightful duo of Fred and Ginger. If you never took cotillion and haven't a clue how to waltz or foxtrot, go anyway, because you can take lessons and the event is a wonderful sight to behold. Lincoln Center Fountain Plaza, July.
New York Fringe Festival
The tragically hip emerge from their lofts and coffee houses to roam the many tiny venues that host hundreds of alternative and traditional theater, music, dance, comedy, new media, and other assorted performances. Some artists use the festival as a testing ground for new work, some of which is appealingly avant-garde, others of which seriously push the envelope, and many of which are really quite good. Lower East Side, August.
US Open Tennis Championships
The Grand Slam wraps up at the sleek new Flushing Meadows Park, next to Shea Stadium. August, Queens.
Wigstock
With performers like Hedda Lettuce and RuPaul, it's hard to believe that the crowd can be more outlandish than the stage shows, but it is! Legendary diva queens (for real or just in their own minds) strut their stuff for highly amused onlookers. August, Pier 11.
Broadway on Broadway
Casts from virtually every Broadway production sing and dance favorite tunes from their hit musicals on a stage set in the heart of midtown. As you can imagine, the streets get packed fast for this free revue so get there early. Times Square, August.
Feast of San Gennaro
The patron saint of Italy is the honoree of this atmospheric Little Italy street fair. Great food and traditional music are the best reasons to go, as well as great people-watching, rides, games, and vendors. Mulberry Street, September.
New York Film Festival
One of the top stops on the world film fest circuit, with screenings held in various venues. Past hits such as Pulp Fiction, Gods and Monsters, and The Sweet Hereafter debuted at this festival. Lincoln Center, September - October.
Feast of St Francis
One of the most charming and fanciful events you'll ever encounter, a host of humans parade forth with their cherished pets from goldfish to - this is for real - elephants, to be blessed, following which there is a fair and musical entertainment. Cathedral of St John the Divine, October.
Greenwich Village Halloween Parade
Lou Reed sang about it, and don't think he was exaggerating for effect! Drag queens and flamboyants of every nature wait all year for this spectacle so they can dress up in outlandish costumes and parade en masse through the streets of Manhattan. A "true New York" experience! Greenwich Village, October 31.
New York City Marathon
The - of course - largest US marathon gathers about 25,000 runners from around the world to race for the tape amid the cheers and encouragement of at least a million spectators through the 5-borough route finishing at Central Park. New York City, November.
Manhattan Antiques and Collectibles Triple Pier Expo Just before Thanksgiving, the city's largest antiques show presents over 600 exhibits during each of its two weekends. One pier displays the best of the 20th century including furniture, art, glass, jewelry and fashion. A second pier features Americana including rustic furniture, folk art, Native American crafts, books, and toys. The third pier is the place to find the finest in 18th- and 19th-century formal European furniture and furnishings, sterling silver, porcelain, art glass, fine paintings, and estate jewelry. Piers 88, 90 and 92 (west side from 48th to 55th Streets), November.
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Not just a New York tradition, this parade is a tradition for Americans from coast to coast who tune in to see the giant balloon and storyland floats, and New York's finest in a holiday procession through Manhattan. Actually being there as the enormous Rocky and Bullwinkle and assorted character balloons float by, and the crowds cheer the brave men in uniform is great fun and a special experience you just can't duplicate over the screen. Central Park West and 77th Street to Herald Square, Thanksgiving Day.
Lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree An ice-skating show, singing, lots of other entertainment, and an enormous crowd gather together for the traditional lighting. Crowds pack in fast to the small square so the earlier you go the better your chances of actually seeing the tree. Once the lights go on, the crowd disappears in a flash and you can easily get right under the tree for a souvenir photo. Rockefeller Square, December.
New Year's Eve
Year in and year out, the biggest party in the world happens right in Times Square, with Dick Clark ringing in the New Year as the Big Ball drops on the Big Apple and millions of New Yorkers and adventurous visitors crowd the madhouse streets for the Big Bash. 10-9-8-7-6à! Times Square, December 31.