Panda loose in Big Apple

Empire State Building at dusk, originally uploaded by pinhole.

Amanda is coming to New York City!

We've got about 48 hours to show our honored guest the Big Apple.

Got any offbeat suggestions, hivemind? Any must-sees in any of the five boroughs that the guidebooks won't tell you about?

Comments

[publius]

katz's deli. get the reuben. you won't be sorry.

[Cass]

I've always wanted to see the Flatiron building.

[Cass]

And the Seagram building, too. And what about a leisurely cruise along the beatiful New Jersey shoreline?

[Roxanne]

I continue to be mystified at the worshipping of Katz. Take her to Lucky Cheng's.

[isaac]

Oh so many!

The Tenement Museum... isn't that like absolutely required for leftists?

DREAM HOUSE (and Lindsay, you and Thad should check this one out too if you haven't)... is a room on Church St. between Franklin and White next to SOUTH'S (my favorite pub and downtown theater hangout). It's an installation sound art piece. Over an enormous sound system are played more tones than the human ear can handle. It sounds lke this crazy rumbling roar, but it also changes everytime you change. Sound is physical, so any little movement will redirect what sounds reach your ear. As will anyone else's movements in the room. Also, there are lighting and sculptural elements that are difficult to describe. Go at sunset if you can. Google DREAM HOUSE to find more info. Absolutely worth it. Mind-opening in the best way.

And then there's theater. If you have the money, going to a broadway show is like nothing else... go see THE LIEUTENNANT OF INISHMORE if you can, or THE HISTORY BOYS. Of off-broadway's your thing, I recommend PIGFARM at Roundabout Theater. Or check out any of the amazing theater festivals going on right now.

And food! Ooo! And food! And food!

God. Tourists get me so excited.

[Uncle Kvetch]

The Philharmonic is playing in Central Park this evening. But if you're one of those effete, delicate types who needs oxygen to stay alive, you'd do better to plan on indoor activities.

[Uncle Kvetch]

Ditto to Isaac's recommendation of "Inishmore"--dark, scathing, funny as all get-out.

Or "Avenue Q."

[Alon Levy]

I know about a couple of places in Midtown Manhattan that are good (Stage comes to mind), but the last time I was in any of them was long before I started paying attention to prices.

[Clownsthesiologist]

I would be very sorry to have a guest in town and not take her to dinner at Kabab Cafe, 24th Ave and Steinway in Astoria.

[DukeJ]

Ah, the sites and smells... probably the least appealing time of year to visit NYC.
- Dim Sum (at the Silver Palace or some similar Chinatown institution) -- it doesn't seem to be generally available outside NYC (or China, one supposes...)
- The Staten Island Ferry: An excellent and inexpensive cooling-off sightseer's activity -- excellent views of everything (and you don't have to wait in line to get in)
- The Frick Collection, for the Bellini, and the distinct odor of old NY Money; the new MOMA is pricey but impressive.
- Prospect Park, including the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens -- more genuine NYC than Central Park nowadays
- The Silos at the Living Room Thursday night (hm, it'll be like she never left Austin).

[ianqui]

I personally think that Fulton Ferry Park under the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side is the park with the greatest view in all of the 5 boros. So you could walk over the bridge from the Manhattan side and go there (everyone wonders why I never walk from the Brooklyn side to Manhattan. Maybe I should try that, but I love ending up in the park. And Jacques Torres is in DUMBO. Who doesn't want to end up there?) But you may want to wait on that until it's an oh-so-cooler 80 degrees here tomorrow.

[ianqui]

Oh right, and also Grimaldi's pizza is on the Brooklyn side. If you like the thin-crust kind of pizza.

I also recommend New Pasteur in (Manhattan's) Chinatown for good Vietnamese food. The ambience is sorely lacking, but it makes up for that with ridiculously cheap prices.

[Chris Clarke]

That'd have to be a non-red-meat reuben, if I remember correctly.

"Vegetarian from Texas visits NYC" has a certain "man bites dog" quality to it, don't you think?

[Lindsay Beyerstein]

"Vegetarian from Texas visits pork-loving Jew in New York City..." sounds like the setup for a bad joke, or a Tom Robbins novel.

[jhupp]

Eat lunch in Washington Square Park at midday and watch the people go. That remains my favorite thing to do in New York.

[DukeJ]

Damn - can't stop myself. more places to cool off:
- St. John the Divine
- Wave Hill
- The Cloisters
- Brooklyn Heights Promenade
- Planetarium

[Jack Roy]

Gotta love welcoming guests to New York when it's a hundred freakin' degrees out.

That said (and the rain later this week), if you have the time my favorite things are still the free concerts and events (Summerstage, Prospect bandshell, River-to-River at Battery Park and the South Street stuff.

I second everyone else's suggestions above (except Lombardi's, not Grimaldi's), with the caveat that Katz's really sucks if you're a vegetarian (sometimes beef gets on the pickles!) and not willing to go there just out of touristing concerns. Head across Houston and up 1st ave. to Counter---all vegetarian/vegan/raw but it's great food and it doesn't get message-y about things.

[LizardBreath]

It's cheesy as anything, but the top of the Empire State Building really does give you a wonderful sense of the city.

Also with the cheesy touristy stuff -- if you want to hang out and talk, and tourist at the same time, the Circle Line boat around Manhattan is a surprisingly pleasant way to kill 3-4 hours. You see a lot, and you have time to just hang as well.

[Thomas]

For thin-crust, I prefer John's Brick Oven on Bleecker (though it's been a while). Farther east, Veniero's has been serving fantastic deserts at small tables for over a century (11th & 1st, if memory serves). Also, is the Hudson River Park around the Christopher Street Pier still the best place to see attractive guys with their shirts off?

[Ro-Man XP-47]

Time allowing, you might want to catch Julie Taymor and Eliot Goldenthal's opera of "Grendel" at Lincoln Center. Visionary theatre, and oddly appropriate. There's a hilarious dig at Bush at one point, too.

A sit down at The Olive Tree in the village would seem de rigeur.

[TJon]

I would second the Staten Island Ferry and the Frick. Also, best Thai restaurant Ive ever been to is in Queens--called "Sripraphai". Amazing food. I also like Shanghai dumplings in Chinatown--can't remember exactly where to go right now.

[Phil from New York]

I second the Staten Island Ferry ride. It's a cool break on a warm day. It's got great views. And it's free. Can't beat it. Also, how about walking across the Brooklyn Bridge? When you get in the middle of the bridge on a hot day and feel that breeze from the East River, it's a great way to cool off. Plus, all those great views.

[The Modesto Kid]

Another good park for people watching is the group of parks by the World Financial Center -- you can take the Staten Island Ferry, then walk up along the Hudson River to TriBeCa.

[Elayne Riggs]

Lindsay, will there be a NYC-area blogger gathering at all? Say, Friday evening?

[BF]

I second the idea of fulton ferry park. Stroll over the bridge and eat at Grimaldi's and get some homemade ice cream. It's not that touristy.

The staten island ferry is fine, but it can eat up a lot of time. Water taxi is $10, but it has the advantage of transporting you to your next destination. There's nothing really to do near the ferry terminal on staten island except for wait for the next ferry to take you back the way you came.

If you take her for one of those trendy cupcakes, avoid Magnolia and go for Buttercup. They are far superior.