6 October 2008 - 16:37what to do in new york

i’m going to new york again, next week, this time for the Linux Foundation User Summit. i realised i am often asked what people should do in new york. and elsewhere (this is supposed to be a travel blog, but i guess i’m spending too much time doing the actual travelling). anyway, here are some things to do.

but first, since i intend to post a photo i took with each blog entry, here’s my favourite all-american NYC photo.

flag, fluttering in the autumn breeze at sunset, atop a skyscraper.

so, here goes.

pick up the world’s best bagels-with-cream-cheese at bagels on the square and walk over to washington sq park to eat it: http://www.yelp.com/biz/bagels-on-the-square-new-york (7 Carmine Street, metro west 4th st)

women who like wearing heels should buy (or at least try) some of the boots and shoes at cole haan on 5th avenue (50th st). they look good, but perhaps more important, it’s the only brand to use nike air technology in heels, so they are very comfortable. actually the whole area around rockefeller centre between w48st & 6 ave and e52nd & park ave is great for “big brand” shopping.

try to get into APT one night:  419 w 13th st, 8th ave & 14th st metro A C E. it’s not easy and it can be packed even mid-week, you may have to call in advance…

ny is great for “ethnic” food. if you like spicy chinese, go to one of the grand sichuan restaurants, i like the one on 9th ave & 24th st (w23 st metro C E). no trip to ny is complete for me without a visit to saravanaas (26th & lex) for the best south indian food between silicon valley and india.

for edgy music, CDs (and even LPs) shop where the DJs do, the other music store (15 e 4th st @ lafayette st, metro astor pl / 8th st NYU).

the world’s best camera/video store is b & h photo video, 9th ave & w 34th st, penn station metro. incredible just for a visit - it has overhead conveyor belts running through the store for your items to move from expert to service to cashier to delivery. it’s run and mostly staffed by hasidim from brooklyn, so it’s closed on saturdays.

what else… if there’s a slightly sunny day, definitely spend a couple of hours in central park. bryant park (w 42 st & 6th ave) is nice if you have a laptop and want a coffee and free wifi, in outdoors weather; it’s just opposite the large coliseum bookshop (42nd & 5th ave).

the staten island ferry is a great free trip in any weather, you don’t need to get off at staten island at all, just take the ferry to staten island and right back, take lots of pictures of the manhattan skyline and the statue of liberty you will pass close to. the ferry leaves several times an hour from south ferry metro at the tip of manhattan.  the ferry is (mostly) closed and heated, so it’s ok in any weather as long as there’s good visibility to take photos… i actually took it in early january.

speaking of the tip of manhattan, i don’t know how i could forget - century 21, the most visited store in ny, a huge warehouse of top brand-name clothes and accessories sold at huge (50-90%) discounts, especially for the european brands. it’s just opposite the wtc and i guess ground zero is worth a visit anyway.

very cheap denim in all shapes models and sizes (e.g. levi 501s for $30) is at OMG. they have a bunch of stores, biggest is 428 Broadway, between Canal & Howard (canal st metro N Q R W lines).

this weather is probably good for museums, and the main ones are all clustered together in the blocks around 90th st / 5th ave in the upper east side, so it’s definitely worth visiting the met, guggenheim for classics, if you like those, and MOMA for modern art.

more edgy stuff is in several galleries between chelsea and the village, including a show (last year) by the incredible london graffiti/street artist “banksy” at the vanina holasek gallery (27th st & 10th ave, http://www.vaninaholasekgallery.com/)

you should probably check museum timings.