What’s Doing in New York City

NEIGHBORHOODS AND SHOPPING

Times Square

Since New York is a city of neighborhoods, it pays to visit a few.  One of the most well-known is Greenwich Village and has been forever captured in the cinema as the home to bohemians, artists, and comedy clubs  Other neighborhoods which are worth a visit include Chinatown (found in both lower Manhattan and Flushing) which is famous for its authentic Chinese cuisine and unique cultural art and handcrafts. SoHo, another fascinating neighborhood found in New York City is best known for its art galleries and shops that line the narrow cobble stone streets. Little Italy is home to some of New York’s best authentic Italian restaurants and cafes.

Seasonal Restaurant & Weinbar

Finally, one thing many visitors do when they get to New York is shop. New York City houses excellent shopping choices ranging from large department stores to small quaint boutiques. Macy’s, located on 34th Street and Broadway in Manhattan is the largest department store in New York City. It covers over 2.2 million square feet (204,387 square meters) and approximately 40,000 people enter the store daily. Other famous shopping areas include the Diamond District, famous for what else but diamonds and jewelry and Madison Avenue north of 59th Street, where some of the more city’s tony stores are located. No matter where you go, especially in Manhattan, you’ll find something for sale.

WHERE TO EAT

New York City, due to its many ethnic neighborhoods offers a wide range of authentic foreign cuisine. Seasonal Restaurant & Weinbaron West 58th Street offers a modern take on Austrian cuisine and is dominated by a winebar that is a pleasure to sit at while sampling wines from Austria and Germany.  Joe’s Shanghai (there are several locations, the original is in Flushing) is famous for its soup dumplings.

Soup dumplings at Joe’s Shanghai

The Shake Shack in Madison Square Park is restauranteur Danny Meyer’s interpretation of a roadside burger stand, and it has the best burgers in town.

New York City is also well-known for  its own hot dogs topped with mustard and sauerkraut, with many street vendors offering sweet onions in a tomato sauce as an option.  New York is also known for unbeatable bagles, pastrami sandwiches (and other deli specialties, and pizza.  Inded. New York City is home to a mind-boggling 49 “Ray’s Pizza” pizzerias.

WHERE TO STAY

New York City is a popular tourist destination and is justly home to many luxurious and elegant hotels. Some of the newest and most luxurious hotels include the Conrad New York which is located in lower Manhattan and the InterContinental New York in Times Square. The Conrad’s rooftop bar offers great views of the Hudson River. Other relatively new hotel options include the the Setai and the Hyatt 48, both in midtown Manhattan.

GETTING THERE

New York City is home to both LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport although many travelers use Newark Liberty International Airport, which is closer to Manhattan’s West Side. Transportation within New York City is made easy because of the many train systems that run throughout the city. Such trains include the city’s 24 subway lines, Metro North and the Long Island Rail Road. The city also is home to over 4,300 busses which run 219 routes throughout the five boroughs.

(Photos 1, 3, 4: Christian Stampfer; Photos 2, 5, 6: Jonathan Spira)

Pages: 1 2