Dark Vagabond hits New York

Nov 26, 2017 16:15:53 GMT -5 DarkVagabond said:

Anyone else? Penny for your thoughts?

So,

I'??m not a New Yorker, not even close, but I do wind up in NYC once or twice a year, spent a month or two there many years ago.

I, of course, am nowhere near as cultured, so have done just about none of the things on your bucket list. However have some random thoughts from the perspective or a jet lagged accountant.

- It will be ?fluffy bunny?ing cold, no messing, cold enough to interfere with walking / running plans. Its not necessarily the temperature on it own itâ??s the feckin wind, it can cut you to ribbons.
- Best experience for me was just walking around, walked around lots of it over the years. From mid town (where you are staying) you can walk right down to Ground Zero, lots of cool neighbourhoods things to see etc. I always found Union Square to be a good hub, you can head east / west or south from that and find loads of cool neighbourhoods to walk around.
- The statue of liberty tour isn'??t that long a wait if you book the tickets in advance.
- Empire state is an absolutely mental que if you get it at the wrong time, right time very little que (donâ??t ask me which is the right time and the wrong time. Canâ??t remember, wrong time was definitely a Saturday afternoon, I think the right time might have been a random Tuesday evening).
- You can walk over the Brooklyn bridge, not to get to Brooklyn or anything, but great views back to the city.
- For a free boat trip you can get the IKEA boat. Great views of the city, plus very affordable furnishings.
- There is a '??High Line'?? walk that is worth doing on the lower west side, its effectively a raised rail line they have turned into a garden, worth a walk / or a run.
- On the running thing, I run a bit, but that city is not great for running, central park is, and I am sure other parts are ok, but around midtown the streets are so mental (all of the time) you will just spend the time running into people.
- You can hire bikes in central park, see cold comments above, but that not withstanding a great way to see central park.
- That time of year the ice rinks in Rocerfeller centre and Central Park will still be going. Even if you don'??t want to skate there is usually a great buzz around the place.
- Not sure if they will still be going when you are there but there are usually a couple of good Christmas markets worth going to. One in Union Square comes to mind.
- If shopping is on the cards apply for the tourist discount card from Macy's in advance. Itâ??s not the best shopping, but going to Macyâ??s itâ??s a semi tourist thing anyway.
- Proper discount shopping is all out of the city, Woodbury Common or Jersey Gardenâ??s. You have to get a long bus to get to them, it'??s a day gone, not my thing, but if you are into that, they are the places to go.
- On eating out, canâ??t help much there, my experience is it is either $50 steaks in nice restaurants or $3 pizza slices on paper plates, and not a whole lot in the middle. (I have the distinct impression that the $3 pizza slice is the more authentic experience). Serafina was one Italian chain that I remember being good and reasonably priced. There is also a Sbarro place near time square that I ate in nearly every day for a month. Not recommending it or anything, but itâ??s cheap cheerful food on a plastic plate. There are â??Irishâ?? Bars all over that area, they all do reasonable bar food, but for the love of god, donâ??t drink the Guinness.

Few other random points, if you are coming through JFK good luck finding the taxi rank, just follow all the other dazed and confused tourists.

If you can figure out the tipping convention you are a smarter man that I (always seem to be either offending people or making new friends for life).

If you are of a liberal persuasions and concerned with the plight of the less fortunate in our society, then you might want to brace yourself. One of the more noticeable element for me coming from a relatively socialist culture was the number of rough sleepers and down and outs, especially around that part of the city.

One final thing. Visit the Disney store on time square. Doesn't matter if you are not in the market for overpriced Disney merchandise, just go in to talk to the staff. I donâ??t know if it brainwashing or some form of chemical agent they have all been given, but they 'believe'??, they really do.

 
That's pretty much all I got.

 
Have fun,

(please ignore any advice above that contradicts with advice from an actually real life 'merican'??, you would like to think that they would know better).