I'm back from New York City

I might be driving to New York City next week and staying/looking around for a couple days. Being that I've never been there before and plan to stay at a hotel in Times Square, what would you advise me do?

What do you consider a 'must do' for anyone who hasn't been to NY? The only concrete thing I plan to do is head to Yankee Stadium and hit up a Yanks game (ew Seattle, but oh well). I also might call up Conan O'Brien's studio and ask/plead for tickets (since I'm driving all the way from Toronto, I can use that as a bargaining tool)

Finally, I want to eat at Lupa and the Mesa Grill.

How are the museums? The TV/Radio one looks interesting and the Modern Art one is supposed to be world famous. What else to do? Statue of Liberty?


(My return post on page 2)

You could literally spend the whole week in the Museum of Modern Art and not be able to take it all in. Definitely devise a plan of attack if you're going to hit it up.

Well I plan to *maybe* drive up Sunday, stay Mon, Tues and head back Wednesday. Not sure how much stuff will be open Monday, but the hotel is cheap then. I'm sure some stuff will be open. So Tuesday I might go to the museums unless they are open Monday.

lol. Couple days? You're fucked.

Go to the Whitney, it's my fav. museum and it won't eat up too much time.

My girlfriend has to work next week, so we can only stay a couple days. It's better than not going.

I'm assuming this is Whitney? - http://www.whitney.org/
Looks pretty interesting...

Ripley's Believe it or Not! Odditorium on 42nd is definitely a great place to spend a few hours looking at all the weird shit collected into one building.

As for eating, There's a Greek restaurant by the name of Pylos on 7th between 1st and Avenue C (or A, whichever is right after 1st Ave.) that has some of the best duck I've ever eaten. For some upscale dining, you can hit up Tavern on the Green in Central Park but make reservations and be prepared to drop some cash.

For drinking, I like Down the Hatch and Cheap Shots. For some dancing and/or live music, I like the Lit Lounge, Porky's. Cyote Ugly and some of the small venues that litter the city such as Irving Plaza and Highline Ballroom.

Chinatown and Little Italy have their charm and should be visited just briefly, along with South Seaport.

Soho has some great boutiques for clothing that are just a bit hipsterish but are stylish none the less. Also, they have some great record shops where you can find some rare B-sides and great indie bands.

Check out Brooklyn for some small indie shows as well. I'm not a huge fan of the whole scene but some shows are definitely top notch.

Hope that's enough.

There's a really great restaurant at 192nd and Malcom X, but they only open after 11PM.

Has anyone been to Lupa or the Mesa Grill? Lupa is Mario Batalis restaurant, so I totally want to check that out.

Also, any chance I may get tickets to Conan? Does anyone in NY know if it's constantly sold out? I figure the people on the phone are gonna laugh at me because its last minute. 'Stupid Canadians, *click*'

I really want to go back to NYC sometime, I loved it there. A couple of years ago I was in Jersey for a convention, and I only had one afternoon that I could take the train over to Penn Station and walk around Manhattan for a few hours. I didn't really do much of anything though.

http://gonyc.about.com/od/tvtapings/p/conan_obrien.htm

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Getting Late Night with Conan O'Brien Tickets in Advance: Request Late Night with Conan O'Brien tickets by calling 212-664-3056. There is a four-ticket limit per request and frequently a six-month wait for tickets.
Getting Standby Late Night with Conan O'Brien Tickets: For stand-by tickets, stop by the NBC Experience Store on 49th between 5th and 6th Avenues. They begin distributing one ticket per person at 9 a.m. for daily tapings. Stand-by tickets for Late Night with Conan O'Brien do not guarantee admission.

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Go check out a free show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, you can see what real comedy is.

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Originally Posted by bbobb

Go check out a free show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, you can see what real comedy is.

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I wouldn't say to avoid UCB or anything, but that's not what I would call the best or most representative example of New York's comedy scene. But it's more tourist-friendly kind of stuff.

If you want the real best in New York Comedy, check out the Comedy Cellar. It's a tiny room that seats like 75 people in the basement of a restaurant in Greenwich Village, but it's where the best comics in town go to try out new material before hitting the big venues on the road. Louis CK, Dave Atell, Greg Giraldo, Colin Quinn, Nick DiPaolo, etc all work out there. You'll usually see like 5 or 6 national headliners in a night, and it's like $10.

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

There's a really great restaurant at 192nd and Malcom X, but they only open after 11PM.

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You forgot the secret passphrase you need to get it as well, you have to yell "I am white and I have money" while waving a $20 in the air.

Best food in NYC.

Just walk around aimlessly, you will inevitably find something to do.

I don't know how into music you are, but if you love it and want to get an unparalleled NYC experience, go to Sidewalk Cafe on Monday night for the Anti-Hoot which is open mic night where many of NYC's best singer/songwriters will play. Sidewalk Cafe is on Avenue A at 6th Street and it's free. The music played there is urban folk/indie and it's the place that launched such acts as Beck and Regina Spektor.

Show up around 7 or earlier to get a seat; the show starts at 7:30. Be prepared to stay a few hours and there's a two drink minimum. The stage is in a room in the back of the restaurant so head to the rear when you get there. This is the East Village, so come with an open mind.

You'll see people such as Ivan Sandomire, Matt Singer, Dan Costello, Rav Shmuel, Bryan McPherson, Eric Wolfson, Vincent Cacchione, Mike Baglivi, Brook Pridemore, Ben Godwin, Gann Matthews, Matt Diff and about a hundred more all on the same night!

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Originally Posted by jonas

I might be driving to New York City next week and staying/looking around for a couple days. Being that I've never been there before and plan to stay at a hotel in Times Square, what would you advise me do?

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Get yourself a real, authentic Times Square hooker.

And go bareback. All our working girls are clean.

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

If you want the real best in New York Comedy, check out the Comedy Cellar. It's a tiny room that seats like 75 people in the basement of a restaurant in Greenwich Village, but it's where the best comics in town go to try out new material before hitting the big venues on the road. Louis CK, Dave Atell, Greg Giraldo, Colin Quinn, Nick DiPaolo, etc all work out there. You'll usually see like 5 or 6 national headliners in a night, and it's like $10.

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Cool. I'll have to check that shit out.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art: http://www.metmuseum.org/

American Museum of Natural History: http://www.amnh.org/

Take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty: http://www.statueoflibertyferry.com/

Also, be aware that it costs money to go to the top of the empire state building.

And if you're cool enough: www.cosm.org

saved me the trouble of making a thread. i'm going to NYC the week of Halloween. besides going to Mesa Bar and Grill and a Rangers game, i didn't really have anything planned.

Dyne, come watch the Misfits concert at B.B. King Lounge if you'll be here for Halloween. The last time I went the place was pretty crazy.

I think I'll go to a museum, head up a Yankees game and go to the Statue of Liberty.
I definitely want to eat at Lupa and Mesa Grill.

Has anyone been the to Museum of Television and Music? Any good?

It's alright but since we have so much pop culture ingrained into ourselves already (I think, as a member of this forum) it'll be a pretty shallow nostalgia trip.

Go to the whitney, for real.

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Originally Posted by Razor Ramon

Dyne, come watch the Misfits concert at B.B. King Lounge if you'll be here for Halloween. The last time I went the place was pretty crazy.

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I went to BB King's once for a show (amusingly enough, I went to see Rudy Ray Moore, the real Dolemite). Nice place.

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Originally Posted by Dyne

saved me the trouble of making a thread. i'm going to NYC the week of Halloween. besides going to Mesa Bar and Grill and a Rangers game, i didn't really have anything planned.

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We should set up another NYC get-together for Dyne's visit. We can smack him around NYC for a bit, then plant coke on him and get him arrested.

just make sure K3V comes to blast my hole.

I recommend Top of the Rock over the Empire State Building. It's a lot less crowded, there's a lot more room, and the view is better. It's at 30 Rockefeller Center on the NBC building. It's $17.50 to go up.

Why would you want to eat at Mesa Grill? Bobby Flay's a hack.

Statue of Liberty is a major waste of time, it'll cost you most of the day and it sucks.

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Originally Posted by Dolemite

We should set up another NYC get-together for Dyne's visit. We can smack him around NYC for a bit, then plant coke on him and get him arrested.

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I was about to suggest that before you did Dole.

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Originally Posted by bbobb

Statue of Liberty is a major waste of time, it'll cost you most of the day and it sucks.

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Yeah, it's literally the shittiest thing you can do in NYC.

Thirded on the SOL's shitiness.

Well, I figure it's something 'picture worthy'.
I mean it's cool to say you've been there and seen it in person.


I want to eat at Mesa, because I do enjoy Bobby Flay's cooking.
I'm not sure about Lupa anymore, the menu is kinda odd. Might look for something else instead. I heard there is a cool scifi restaurant called mars 2012 or something in timesquare.

Oh, and about the Yankees... is it easy to get scalper tickets because I think that's the only way to get them.

It's picture worthy from across the bay. And it's worthless to say you've been there.

Well, I am now confirmed to be going. Should be a lot of fun regardless what I end up doing. (Most likely museums, Yankee game, dinner, etc)

You should definitely eat at Batali's place. The dude can cook like a monster.

What's weird about the menu?

You should definitely write a Robobo goes to NY episode. I envision seventh ave prostitutes and Katie Couric.

I should get someone who's funny to write it.


Batali's place has stuff like beef cheeks... I mean yea I'm a creative cook too, but I can stick with regular cuts of meat.

This does not bode well for your professional career.

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Originally Posted by icarusfall

This does not bode well for your professional career.

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But it does bode well for my relationship. I try anything once, maybe twice. I have no doubt Batali's food tastes great but I'm not going to NY City alone.

Check out this restaurant: http://www.mars2112.com/ - woo! People were on drugs when they thought up this one!
http://www.mars2112.com/images/crater_big2.jpg

And after that you eat there, you can go to Medieval Times. What a culinary experience!

Their menu is actually not too bad (mars 2112).

The 6 items shown on their web page don't look like anything really special.

The desserts look interesting, at least that banana chip one.

I'll give you that, the banana chip one has a nice look to it.

But the other cake is the same old cake that 50 million other restaraunts use. I forgot the brand but the hotel I used to work at used them too. And the presentation with that is nothing special.

I clicked the press link. It's always a good sign when none of the cherry picked blurbs from actual reviews mention anything about the food being good.

You are right bbobb, besides that banana chip one, the rest do look ordinary (and since it's supposed to be 'out of this world' restaurant).

Too much theme, not enough flavour.

I think if I was to go to this place, I'd hit it for lunch just to see the interior and make fun of the staff who have to wear those hilarious costumes.

LOL - http://newyork.citysearch.com/review/11279692 (I guess there food sucks)


Oh and I'm almost positive I'm going to Lupa (Batali's place). My girlfriend knows I love cooking and culinary and I mean, I'm in NYC, how can I not go. Mario > Bobby Flay IMo

Why not do a Food Network tour?

I didn't know you could do that

Jonas, you should really check out that comedy club Frogacuda suggested and the Sidewalk Cafe. Those types of things will enhance your New York experience a great deal.

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Originally Posted by jonas

I didn't know you could do that

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First the site ... http://www.aes.org/events/119/tours/...cfm?displayall

then the info ...

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FOOD NETWORK

Food Network is one of NY’s largest and most forward-thinking Cable TV facilities. Audio “samples” will be served. Nestled literally on top of the Chelsea Market the new dream home for Food Network combines state-of-the-art broadcast technology with an equally up-to-the-minute culinary center. A separate digital audio control room connected to the main studio is equipped with a Solid State Logic C100 digital audio console and a portable Yamaha mixing board (an integral part of the receipe for the successful “Emeril Live”).

Price: $25 members; $35 nonmembers


Technical Tours are made available on a first come, first served basis. Tickets can be purchased during normal registration hours at the convention center.


Monday, October 10, 9:00 am — 11:00 am

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If you take the Letterman or Conan studio tours, can you sit in their chair/desk and take pictures? That would be awesome.

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Originally Posted by jonas

I should get someone who's funny to write it.

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I'll do it.

Letterman would rather he shit in your mouth then let you sit at his desk. He's not a nice person.

I'm back. I spent Sunday to Wednesday in times square. I gotta say, NYC is awesome! So much to do and everything is fun.

On Sunday I left Toronto at 6am, got to NYC and my hotel (hilton garden inn on 8th and about 47th) at about 4pm. Checked in, parked my car in a garage for 3 days and started the walk around.

Man alive, there are a lot of people in Times square, it's packed but it's very well secure. Police everywhere. On Tuesday, I say a parade of cop cars with sirens going around the streets 3 different times. The first time I thought something was actually wrong, like a terrorist attack or something then after the third time I realized the NYPD is a tourist attraction.

I went to Mesa Grill, Bubba Gumps, Masies Deli (INSANE portions), Heartland Brewerly and a french restaurant that was attached to our hotel for breakfast. All of them were amazing, except the heartland brewery was just okay, nothing special and bubba gump tasted great but gave me the runs.
One of the best things I had was today, I had a Falafel gyro. Tasted so awesome, I went back and got another. The apple pretzels were delicious too. THe pizza ones, not so much..

The street vendors are hilarious. In the morning those NYC painting fakes are $20, in the night they are $3-$5. :) I love those guys with bed sheets full of fake purses.

Saw the American Museum of Natural History, the Planetarium was insane and the Comet Collision movie in the sphere was unreal. I could live in that thing and watch that movie every day. The whole roof is a movie screen and well, it's a must see in NY.

Saw the Empire state building, not that impressed I really wasted time I could have spent at the museum (which was great). I stayed at the museum on Tuesday until about 2pm, went to the ESB until about 4-5 and then went to the huge Macys on 34th street and the HBO store. I got me a Flight of the Conchords shirt.


I can't wait to go back. The city is amazing and I still have tons to do. The other museums, a yankee game (never made it), statue of liberty, more restaurants, madame tussards and ripleys. Just off the top of my head were things I wanted to do and couldn't. Oh and Central Park although I do drive through that in a Taxi.

Taxi's are crazy. I took a couple and thought I was going to die. Well worth it though, you can't go to NYC and not take one. It's a must. They drive insane. So fast, then break. Then fast again, lane change, slow down. Red light, read newspaper until green light then super fast. :\

Oh yeah, today we met that Naked Cowboy guy. He should be a wrestler, the guy is huge. All the girls asses he must grab. Everytime he poses with a girl, he grabs their ass (except if their boyfriend is near, then he doesn't )

I saw so much more (NBC, CBS, etc) but I tired.


Again, I can't wait to go back.

You need to come back when the TNL NYC get together starts up again.

Good God, I don't know why but I can't wait to have another one of those Falafel gyros from a street vendor.
Those things must have had crack in them.

From what Razor tells me theres a Taco stand in NYC, that serves some of the best tacos he's ever tasted.

And yes they are filled with crack.

You need to try out Philly and Baltimore too. Just saying.

I'm sad it took me until the last day of my trip to realize how good that shit was. Otherwise I wouldn't have eaten the 19 pound sandwich at macies and gotten a couple falafels

If you like cheap eats.... you must go to Chinatown (next time). So many places are dirt cheap but the food is unbelievable.

But then again, Toronto's chinese food isn't too shabby either.

Yeah. Come to Baltimore. Cook me dinner bitch.

On his way to Baltimore he can stop by Philly and cook me dinner too.

Baltimore stinks. Present company excluded.

San Loco on 2nd Ave. is fucking fantastic. Their tacos have given me raging boners.

I'm not kidding.

Y'know those movies where the guy comes to The Big City from the farm in the mid-west?

Jonas is that guy.

lol at icarnoob not knowing im from Toronto.

Toronto = mini NYC

You don't get it. At all.

ok cool

crocodile dundee minus the cool imo.

I was thinking Midnight Cowboy with more movie theater action.