MOMA/Met
9/11 Memorial (it really is very well done)
Tenement Museum Tours
NY Philharmonic
Buy tickets to Comedy Cellar main show (1-2 months in advance required)
Yankees game
Minton’s Jazz Club in Harlem followed by drinks at Red Rooster
Small’s Jazz (apparently now you have to wait on line these days… not sure how I feel about that)
Walk the Brooklyn Bridge (and I may be wrong, but I think Di Faras isn’t far from other side and if you phone ahead you can pick up a pie without a line)
I personally avoid the Highline, Chelsea Market, Eataly etc… but I also don’t understand why tourists come to NY and go to Central Park… I also don’t see why you need to spend a day in Brooklyn if you are in Manhattan for only a long weekend.
Tipping… I do 20% after tax… 15% is OK but I think most do 20%.
Traffic is quite bad these days with Ubers on top of taxis etc (on flip side, I can actually get a taxi sometime these days). Recommend subway and Uber for getting around. Subway will be faster for certain times. E.G., if its Friday night and you want to get to West Village from Times Square… take the subway.
Disagree with some advice of targeting pizza or cronut from one single place that has Instagram-fueled lines. My wife and I laugh and those who wait 1 hour for a bagel at Essa Bagel near our apartment on weekends… taking selfies etc… and we like Essa Bagel. There are other bakeries with the goods that don’t have 30-60 minute waits… I also don’t wait an hour for Shake Shack but that’s me…
For gelato I like Il Laboratorio’s savory/sweet flavors
My favorite $3 non-fancy pants / NY slice is Pizza Suprema near Penn Station
My favorite ramen is Ippudo and Hide Chan (Midtown East)
My favorite burger is JG Mellons on Upper East Side
Skip Soho unless you are going for a particular restaurant in evening. If adamant on the boutiques, Nolita is better… Could be worth walking more south and crossing Little Italy, Chinatown into the Lower East Side… there are boutiques and cool cafes etc. there now as well…
East Village has an old NY gritty vibe I appreciate… but not high end stuff for the most part.
Midtown East has some Japanese speakeasy type places and good ramen/sushi options as well
Given you want to do galleries, broadways, shows etc. it sounds like staying on West Side is best for you, probably in Chelsea the best. Gives you art galleries, taxi or subway to midtown for shows etc., and not too far from West Village/Meatpacking areas either.
I would prefer to take a two-hour Metro North train ride, to Pepe’s in New Haven.
Grimaldi’s pies tend to be overloaded with sauce, creating a gloppy crust, with the pleasing texture of a long-steamed green bean.
Agree with (Shan/Shen/Shon) about Central Park (although you can dip in while visiting Museum Row or Columbus Circle or other spots without great sacrifice) but I disagree about the Highline. It is a nice way to get a sense of the neighborhood as you walk, including the architectural details above street level.No matter how many times I have walked the streets, I always notice new things while walking the Highline.
Def agree about Eataly. Great place to pay retail plus 20% on wine
If you indeed are a jazz fan and find the wait at Smalls too long, walk about 200 feet (70 meters) east on 10th street (cross 7th Avenue) to Mezzrow. Awesome venue which I find more intimate than Smalls. Bonus: since both are owned by the same group, your ticket stubs from Mezzrow will gain you complimentary entrance to Smalls on the same night if you choose to keep the music going.
To specify at hide chan I get the black garlic or spicy garlic, wavy/firm noodles. At ippudo I like getting a bottle of sake and snacks while I wait for my table, and usually get the spicy garlic one as well. Totto ramen is right underneath hide chan as well, and has grown on me.
Wow thanks all - some great advice and ideas. Do you tip for Ubers, and if so how? We’re used to pretty much never using or needing cash, so carrying small notes around will take some getting used to!
Neal - I like jazz without being anything like an afficionado (more of a classical listener). Probably prefer the small ensemble / voice / blues style more than the big-band style. If there’s a couple of clubs you’d recommend I will give them a go.
I always check Time Out. The current listing has a bunch of stuff I’d love to see
I’d probably have a thumb on the scale for places like the Blue Note just for history’s sake. I’d also check out the calendar on the Jazz at Lincoln Center website.
I almost never tip for Uber here. For regular yellow cabs and private car service, yes, please tip.
I don’t carry small cash around either, as I use my CC or ApplePay to pay for everything I buy, ride, or eat. You can include tips with the CC payments.
Tipping Ubers - I used them all the time and have only tipped once. I still have a 4.76 rating so assume tips are not really expected. For taxis, I tip 10% or thereabouts but in restaurants 20% and at time more or round up a bit. Like Ramon, I Never carry cash - it’s all on my card.
If you’re into classical, NY has lots. Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and many other venues. Students at Julliard or Manhattan often give recitals, these are usually of very high caliber.