New York (city)

From Imakoopedia

Located in the New York state in the Mid-Atlantic region, New York is the USA's largest city.

Table of contents

1 Districts 2 Understand 3 Get in 3.1 By Air 3.2 By Train 3.3 By bus 3.3.1 Super cheap buses 3.4 By Car 4 Get around 4.1 Walk 4.2 MetroCard 4.3 Subway 4.4 Buses 4.5 Ferries 4.6 Taxi 4.7 Car 5 See 5.1 Museums 5.2 Factories 5.3 Presidential Places 6 Sleep 6.1 Budget 6.2 Moderate 6.3 Deluxe 6.4 Hostels 7 Eat 8 Drink 9 External links

Districts

Like many large cities, New York is divided and subdivided by its residents into various districts and quarters. The city's five boroughs are actually different counties -- each one with independent local governments and cultures. Each borough has individual neighborhoods -- some of only a few blocks in size -- that have personalities lauded in music and movies. Where you live, work and play in New York says something to New Yorkers about who you are.

The five boroughs are:

• Brooklyn
• Queens
• The Bronx
• Staten Island
• Manhattan, which includes several unique neighborhoods, is one of the most-visited areas of New York city

Understand

Most people think of Manhattan when they think of New York City -- and, in fact, Manhattan is generally referred to as "the city," while the other four boroughs are typically called "the Outer boroughs." New York City is actually spread across five different counties - one borough per county. The island of Manhattan is long and narrow. The Avenues (e.g., Fifth Avenue, Seventh Avenue) run north-south and are the long, wide streets. The Streets (e.g., 4th Street, 8th Street) run east-west and start at 1st Street just above Houston Street up to 220th Street at the northern end of the island. (Incidentally, the numbering pattern of streets continues northward into the Bronx, but does not continue into Brooklyn or Queens.) 20 city blocks, or the numbered streets, equals one mile, if you need to figure out how long of a walk it is between two places.

New York is a tough city with very cold winters, hot summers and people full of attitude - "Yeah how YOU doing??! Not good? Oh well fuhggedaboudit!". It is also a city of opportunity, culture and creativity like no other in the U.S. or in the world. New Yorkers think of themselves as the best and toughest, and usually are. It offers the best of everything. Sometimes it offers the worst of everything too and you should be prepared for both.

Get in

By Air

New York City is served by several airports. John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Newark Liberty (EWR) are international airports. LaGuardia (LGA) is a small old airport but provides much of the domestic service for the city including the shuttles to Boston and Washington DC.

It is possible to reach all three airports by public transportation but it is neither easy nor convenient. Both JFK and LGA are reachable by a combination of subway and bus. The newly opened JFK AirTrain is available by taking the subway, bus or Long Island Railroad to Jamaica Center, or the "A" subway to Howard Beach Station, and transferring there for an additional cost. Newark airport can be reached by train from Penn Station, via the new Newark Airport station on the Northeast Corridor rail line. (Change to a monorail at the station to get to the terminals.)

It would be wise to expect at least a 90 minute trip from midtown to the airports as a minimum. Also the lack of elevators will make bringing luggage up and down subway stairs difficult. Taxis and suburban shared ride vans are available. Use the phones provided near baggage claim, or go to the taxi dispatcher. See taxis below.

If you have early flight with 2 hour check in, you may need to take a taxi. Check the running hours of the buses.

More detail on the airports and travel from the Port Authority. Port Authority info (http://www.panynj.gov/)

By Train

Amtrak (http://www.amtrak.com) - New York Penn Station, located at 32nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, is the largest hub in Amtrak's east-coast system, with dozens of arrivals and departures daily. Amtrak's Acela (http://www.acela.com) express train provides regular fast commuter service between major points on the east coast from Washington, DC up to Boston. Other lines provide less frequent service to points as far away as California (a 3-day sleeper trip) and Canada. (Service on the non-Acela lines can be a little haphazard, to say the least!) Beware that popular trains leaving near rush hours can fill up quickly: it's a good idea to make reservations online (http://reservations.amtrak.com) and pick up your ticket at one of the electronic kiosks.

MTA Metro North (http://www.mta.info/mnr/index.html) - New York State's Metropolitan Transit Authority provides commuter rail service connecting Connecticut (as far north as New Haven) with multiple destinations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.

MTA Long Island Rail Road (http://www.mta.info/lirr/index.html) - New York State's Metropolitan Transit Authority provides commuter rail service connecting Long Island with multiple destinations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

New Jersey Transit (http://www.njtransit.com) - Buses and trains covering New Jersey. You can get to Philadelphia via commuter rail connecting to Philadelphia SEPTA Public transit in Trenton.

PATH (http://www.panynj.gov/path/index.html) (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) - A subway type system connecting Newark and various points on the New Jersey shore of the Hudson River with New York City. Two lines pass under the Hudson and enter the city, one terminating at a temporary World Trade Center site station in downtown, the other at 33rd Street in midtown.

By bus

Greyhound (http://www.greyhound.com)/Peter Pan (http://www.peterpanbus.com) is the largest and oldest private bus company in the US, and operates its east-coast hub out of Manhattan's Port Authority Bus Terminal (http://www.panynj.gov/tbt/pabframe.HTM). The terminal operates on a 24-hour schedule, with regular departures to practically every city in the country. Big cities like Boston, DC, Chicago and LA will have multiple departures daily -- smaller cities may only have one or two, so be sure to check the schedules in advance! Remember that distances in the USA are large and you could be on the bus a long time - a very long time.

The Port Authority Bus Terminal also hosts a dozen or so smaller bus companies, which generally offer service along the Boston-to-DC regional axis. A full list of carriers is available at http://www.panynj.gov/tbt/busline.HTM

Super cheap buses

A cheaper group of bus companies known as the "Chinatown Bus" go to Boston, Washington, Philadelphia and a few other destinations, usually picking up and dropping off passengers in ethnic Chinese neighborhoods. Some of these bus companies are:

• The Fung Wah Bus (http://www.fungwahbus.com/), granddaddy of all Chinatown buses, which arrives every hour until 10:00pm from Boston at the corner of Canal and Bowery streets.
• The Vahmoose Bus (http://www.vahmoose.com/) from Washington DC.
• The Today's Bus (http://www.todaysbus.com/) from Washington DC, Philadelphia, Richmond and Atlanta.
• The Apex Bus (http://www.apexbus.com/) from Washington DC, Philadelphia, Richmond and Atlanta.

By Car

If you are coming to New York by car, you may want to consider that traffic in Manhattan is very bad, and parking is quite expensive. You can get around New York without your car. Driving to one of the stations served by the Metro North railroad (see above) and taking the train in may be a better option. There are often secure parking areas in some of these stations. Check the MTA website for details.

Get around

Walk

For shorter distances, there is no better way of getting around New York. If you use the subway or buses, you will almost certainly need to walk to and from stations or stops. In all the areas of New York a tourist is likely to visit, all streets have sidewalks.

MetroCard

New York City has a great transit system consisting of subway and bus lines with many (but not all) lines operating 24 hours a day. A single ride on the transit system currently costs $2. The rules on transfers between different lines are complex, but the good news is that the visitor can avoid these by purchasing a daily, weekly or monthly MetroCard which allows unlimited use of the New York Subway and buses operated within the city by New York City Transit, Long Island Bus and several private bus companies. MetroCards can be purchased from either the machine or manned booth at each Subway station using cash, ATM or credit cards. For more information see http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/mta/news/public/fares/nyct.htm

Subway

The New York Subway has 26 lines, all of which accept MetroCards. Most lines are identified by letter or number, although a few shorter lines are referred to as shuttles and rather confusingly all share the same "S" identifier even though they are in different parts of the city. A subway map can be found at http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/maps/submap.htm

In most places the subway runs only just below street level and is entered by stairways from the sidewalks. In the case of some stations, different sidewalk level entrances serve different platforms; the entrances display the lines and directions accessible from that entrance. If you are used to entrance barriers or gates on other subway or underground systems, you may find the entrance gates on the subway rather different. Instead of inserting your ticket into a slot in the gate, you are expected to swipe it downwards through a vertical swipe reader; this is something of an art which may take a couple of attempts to get right.

Subway cars are air-conditioned, but the rest of the system including the stations and platforms are not. As a result, with a New York summer temperatures outside and the air conditioned cars adding to the heat load in the stations and tunnels, waiting for a train can become a somewhat unpleasant experience on a hot day.

The subway per-se does not operate on Staten Island. However the surface Staten Island Railway is run by New York City Transit and uses subway type cars and accepts MetroCards. A map of the Staten Island Railway can be found at http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/maps/simap.htm

Note that the New York Subway is not the only 'subway' or 'underground' style rail system in New York City. The PATH system operates two lines from the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, as described in the Getting In section. The line terminating at 33rd Street has several stations in Manhattan's west side (23rd Street, 14th Street, 9th Street, and Christopher Street) and can be used for within city journeys, but is typically a commuter subway system. The PATH is $1.50 per way, but fare reductions are available to those who purchase multi-ride PATH QuickCards. Most PATH stations now accept Pay-Per-Ride but not Unlimited Ride MetroCards.

Buses

There are many different bus lines, which provide good transport away from the subway. Bus lines are identified by letters followed by numbers. The letters indicates the borough in which the line mostly operates (M=Manhattan; Bx=Bronx; B=Brooklyn; Q=Queens; S=Staten Island). Bus maps for each borough can be found at http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/mta/maps.htm

Even in Manhattan, with its dense subway network, buses can often be the best way of making a cross-town (i.e. east to west or vice versa) journey. And outside peak hours, a ride by bus from the tip of Manhattan at Battery Park to the Midtown district is a good and cheap way of taking in the sights.

When boarding a bus with a MetroCard, insert the card into the card slot in the top of the farebox by the driver. The farebox will swallow the card, read it and return it to you.

The fareboxes also accepts coins but not paper money as the fareboxes are not equipped to read paper money and drivers do not handle money. Changes are not made, so exact fares must be paid.

Ferries

Ferries provide an interesting alternative to getting around New York. The most famous ferry is the Staten Island Ferry (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/masstran/ferries/statfery.html), running from the tip of Manhattan at Battery Park to Staten Island. The ferry carries passengers and bicycles only, runs every 15 minutes during the day, and is free. As it gives a really good view of the Statue of Liberty on its way, this is a very popular trip for visitors. Ride on the starboard (right facing forward) side of the ferry from Manhattan and the port side from Staten Island for the best views (to the west).

Most of the other ferries you will see are operated by New York Waterway (http://www.nywaterway.com/), connect the city with the New Jersey Hudson River Waterfront and are not free. Enquire as to fares before boarding.

Taxi

Real NYC taxis are yellow, have a metal seal on the hood ("medallion"), a light with a taxi number on the roof, a meter for billing, stickers on the windshield for various licenses, special taxi license plates, and a divider in the car. Start off rate is $2.50 now (2004).

At the airport or any of the bus or train terminals, use the dispatcher line, and don't get into anything else. Airport trips are flat fare and expensive compared to taking mass transit-which is terrible from the airports, even with the AirTrain at JFK. Info on fares, flat fares, group rides and rules is at http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/passenger/taxicab_rate.shtml

Any other type of car ("Livery or Black Car") may only be called by phone, for a trip and are flat rate rather than metered (ask for the fare before getting in), and are not allowed to cruise the street or airports for fares.

For all cabs, you pay the tolls for bridges, tunnels and highways, even if the cab has an E-ZPass to use the express toll lane. Outside the city, other than flat fare destinations, meter rates are doubled (when going to Westchester or Nassau County).

Tipping 15 to 20% of the fare is customary, even though the Taxicab Driver Rule (http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/downloads/pdf/drivrules.pdf) 2-34 requires a driver to give the correct change to a passenger who has paid the fare but not to ask a passenger for a tip nor indicate that a tip is expected or required.

Car

Unless you are a local, don't even think about it.

See

• Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, telephone 1-866-782-8834 from within the U.S. or +1-212-269-5755 from outside. After closure since 9/11, the Statue reopened to visitors on the 3rd August. Liberty Island is accessible by ferry from Battery Park, at the southern tip of Manhattan and from New Jersey. The same ferry serves Ellis Island; fares on the ferry are $10 (adult), $8 (senior), $4 (child). Access to the statue itself requires a timed ticket; these are limited in number and can be obtained free on the day from the ferry company or in advance by calling the ticket office on the phone number above. http://www.nps.gov/stli/
• Brooklyn Bridge http://www.nycroads.com/crossings/brooklyn/
• Central Park http://www.centralpark.org/ or official site http://www.centralparknyc.org/ plus Central Park Summerstage for summer concerts http://www.summerstage.org/
  • Belvedere Castle in Central Park Belvedere Castle sits on Vista Rock, the highest point in the Park, providing views in all directions. It is a popular visitors spot for photography and Park information. Mid-Park at 79th Street (212) 772-0210 Open 11:00 am to 4:00 pm Wednesday-Monday
• Cathedral St. John The Divine Amsterdam Avenue between 110-112th Streets; http://www.stjohndivine.org/ The world's largest gothic cathedral...a work in progress for over a century!
• Museum of Television & Radio , 25 West 52nd Street

The Museum of Television and Radio was founded in 1976 to preserve and collect television programs as a service to the public. The museum has expanded, and consists of two museum branches in Los Angeles and New York City. The two museums hold over 100,000 television programs that are available to the public. Its programs provide a historical, artistic, and cultural perspective to television and radio. http://www.mtr.org

• Lincoln Center Broadway at 64th Street; http://www.lincolncenter.org/ The world's largest cultural complex. See theater, symphonies, ballet, opera, movies, art exhibits or just wander the architecturally beautiful buildings.
• The Cloisters http://www.ny.com/museums/cloisters.html Located on four acres overlooking the Hudson River in northern Manhattan's Fort Tryon Park, the building incorporates elements from five medieval French cloisters--quadrangles enclosed by a roofed or vaulted passageway, or arcade--and from other monastic sites in southern France. It's gardens are a great way to spend a nice afternoon. Pay for the Cloisters or the Metropolitan Museum, and see both for one price.
• Carnegie Hall 154 West 57th Street; http://www.carnegiehall.org/intro.jsp
• Rockefeller Plaza 630 5th Avenue; The Christmas Tree, the Skating Rink, the shops and hubbub - you can't miss it
• St. Patrick's Cathedral Fifth Ave between 50/51st Streets
• The United Nations 1st Avenue at 46th Street http://www.un.org/tours/ ffers a park overlooking the East River, tours, history in the making.
• SONY Wonder Technology Lab 550 Madison Avenue (212) 833- 8100. An interactive hands-on experience of cutting edge technology, sponsored by Sony.
• Radio City Music Hall 1260 Avenue of the Americas (212) 632- 3975 http://www.radiocity.com/ See the Rockettes, another show or just tour the famous landmark
• Empire State Building Fifth Avenue at 34th Street. http://www.esbnyc.com/
• Washington Square Park and it's famous Arch located in the heart of the Village
• World Financial Center http://www.worldfinancialcenter.com/ Next to the former Twin Towers; Shopping, dining, events and the Winter Garden all open to the public
• Chelsea Market http://www.chelseamarket.com/ The original Oreo cookie factory now a block-sized market selling gourmet foods, flowers, knick-knacks and offering restaurants, bars, art space and special shows. Has free wireless Internet access throughout and smells like a slice of heaven.
• Gray Line offers the typical double-decker bus tours they offer in many major tourist cities. The traffic congestion makes this tour a bit slow at times. You still may want to take the tour to get a lay of the land and find out what you may be interested in seeing later in your trip.
• HI Hostel offers some unique tours to people staying there (see Hostels section), such as an interesting Haarlem Gospel walking tour - a sunday morning tour of south Harlem ending with a church experience in a Harlem church. Cost is $7 and the guide is quite knowledgable. They also often have discount coupons for various activities such as Broadway shows - check at the front desk.
• Big Onion Walking Tours http://www.bigonion.com/ An inexpensive and engaging way to get a historical perspective on several neighborhoods.

Museums

New York has some of the finest museums in the world. Most of the museums accept donations for entrance fee.

• Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, 2 East 91st Street. A branch of the Smithsonian Institution devoted to historic and contemporary design. http://ndm.si.edu/
• Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue at 89th Street, 212-423-3500. Modern and contemporary international art. http://www.guggenheim.org/
• Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, (212) 245-0072 http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/
• Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, 212-535-7710 http://www.metmuseum.org/
• Museum of Modern Art, Currently in temporary space in Queens, 33rd St. at Queens Blvd. (212) 708-9400 http://www.moma.org/
• Museum of Television and Radio, (212) 621-6800 http://www.mtr.com/
• Museum of Sex, 233 Fifth Avenue at 27th Street, (212) 689-6337 http://www.museumofsex.com/
• Museum of Natural History 79th Street and Central Park West (212) 313-7278. http://www.amnh.org/ Open daily 10am-5:45pm
• The Museum at FIT 7th Avenue at 27th St. (212) 217-5970. Museum Website (http://www.fitnyc.suny.edu/aspx/Content.aspx?menu=FutureGlobal:Museum) Open Tues-Fri noon-8pm; Sat 10am-5pm.
• Nicholas Roerich Museum 319 W. 107th St. (212) 864-7704. http://www.roerich.org/ Open Tues-Sun 2-5.
• PS1 Contemporary Art Center 22-25 Jackson Avenue (Queens). (718) 784-2084. http://www.ps1.org/ Open noon-6pm Thursday through Monday.
• Whitney Museum of American Art 945 Madison Ave. at 75th St. (800) 944-8639. http://www.whitney.org/. Open Wed & Thur 11am-6pm; Fri 1-9pm; Sat-Sun 11am-6pm

Factories

• Steinway & Sons Pianos 1 Steinway Place (Long Island/City) 11105 Tours only avabile online (Not open to the public)

Presidential Places

• Morris-Jumel Mansion 65 Jumel Ter. 212-923-8008. Built in 1765, this is the oldest house on Manhattan Island. It served as George Washington's headquarters in 1776. Currently a museum set on a 1.5-acre park, it features a decorative-arts collection representing the colonial and Revolutionary War periods. Washington's office is among the 12 restored rooms. The mansion is accessible by the B and C subway lines (163rd Street stop) and by the M2, M3, M100, and M101 buses.

Morris-Jumel Mansion (http://www.ci.nyc.cy.us/nyclink/html/housesm_morris.html)

• Elijah Miller House Washington's Headquarters Museum 140 Virginia Rd. (White Plains) 914-949-1236 or 914-941-0757. In 1776, during then last phase of the Battle of White Plains, George Washington made his headquarters in this humble building, which dates from 1738. This house was also used by General Charles Lee during the battle and served as headquarters for Generals McDougall and Gates during the latter stages of the war. The structure is a representative 18th-century middle-class farmhouse and includes original furniture and artifacts. Adjacent is Miller Hill, the only preserved battlefield in Westchester County and the site of the conclusion of the Battle of White Plains; you may visit the battlefield after touring the house. The house is noted for its hands-on and living history programs. It is located between NY 22 and the Bronx River Parkway.

Sleep

Budget

• Madison Hotel, 21 East 27th at Madison Ave. Super budget hotel. (212) 532-7373. http://www.madison-hotel.com/
• Gershwin Hotel, 7 East 27th Street at 5th Avenue, 212-545-8000. Cheap fun place to rest. http://www.gershwinhotel.com/ Rates start at $99/night. Internet kiosks available. Between Times Square and Union Square - great location near Madison Square Park.
• Super 8 Times Square, 59 West 46th Street, +1 212-719-2300. Cheap, clean, plain. This isn't the regular Super 8, it's an older hotel that was recently renovated. The location is excellent, just a short walk from Times Square. The price is low by Manhattan standards. $100 (or less). http://www.the.super8.com/newyork14143
• Grand Union Hotel 34 East 32 Street http://grandunionhotelnewyork.com/ Rates from $90; Midtown south location; European style, family operated
• Hotel Pennsylvania, 7th Avenue between 32nd/33rd. Large hotel, landmark, near all the action - Madison Square Garden, Penn Station, Macy's, Times Square. As low as $99/nite. There is a $4 charge for each piece of luggage stored and be warned, cleanliness is not a high point. 800-223-8585 or (212) 736-5000 (like from the song: Pennsylvania 65000) http://www.hotelpenn.com/
• Hotel 17 E 17th Street between 2nd & 3rd Avenues. East Village favorite with hipsters, europeans, bargain-hunters. (212) 475-2845 $60-$80 for shared bath rooms, $90-$100 for private bath rooms. http://www.hotel17ny.com/
• Larchmont Hotel in the West Village - 27 W. 11th Street (212) 989-9333 Weekday singles starting at $70 up to $125 for weekend Queen (winter rates). Continental breakfast included. http://www.larchmonthotel.com
• East Village Bed & Coffee 110 Avenue C between 7th & 8th Streets (212) 533-4175. Single: $45 - Double: $90 tax included. Small, eclectic rooms in a hip neighborhood with plenty of vibrant young nightlife nearby. Small garden out back for nice weather. http://www.bedandcoffee.com/

• You can save money by staying at a New Jersey Hotel. If you are close to a PATH station http://www.pathrail.com the fare is cheap ($1.50 one way) and the trip is short. The PATH train takes you to lower or middle Manhattan with good connections to the NY Subway.

Moderate

• Hotel Thirty Thirty (http://www.thirtythirty-nyc.com/) 30 East 30th Street between Madison and Park Ave. Rates $110+ Stylish but affordable in Murray Hill/Flatiron on a quiet street.
• Hotel Chelsea (http://www.hotelchelsea.com/newmain.html) where rockstars go to die ;-) 222 West 23rd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. 212 243 3700 $150-350 per night. Free wi-fi internet in lobby.
• Ramada Inn East Side (http://www.new-york-hotels-deals.com/Ramada_Inn_East_Side.html) 161 Lexington at 30th street. 212-545-1800 . Off the tourist beaten track (quieter) but still convenient to everything. Located near Gramercy Park, Union Square, 5th Ave Shops, the Flatiron district. Shuttles to/from airports.
• Carlton Hotel (http://www.carltonhotelny.com/) on Madison at East 29th Street; (800) 542-1502; Rates start at $150/night; currently undergoing renovation to be completed summer 2004. Beautiful old building, excellent service.
• La Quinta Koreatown (http://www.wguides.com/city/33/32_28264.cfm) 17 W. 32nd Street near 5th Ave. Heart of Korea Town. Near Empire State Building 800-567-7720 / 212-736-1600
• Ameritania Hotel (http://www.new-york-hotels-deals.com/Ameritania_Hotel.html) Broadway @ 54th Street - near Times Square.
• Millennium Broadway (http://www.millenniumbroadway.com/) 145 W. 44th Street in the heart of the Theater District between Broadway and 6th Ave. Rates start at about $160 +
• Chelsea Grand Hotel (http://www.chelseagrandhotel.com) W. 25th Street between 7th & 6th Aves. (866) 837-4258 New hotel as of December 2003, features high speed internet in rooms and complimentary fitness center on-site. Great location - close to everything! Introductory rates start at $118.

Deluxe

• Roger Williams Hotel, 131 Madison Avenue at 31st Street. More upscale, champagne with check-in. (888) 448-7788 http://www.rogerwilliamshotel.com/
• Library Hotel, On 41st Street just East of Madison Ave. http://www.libraryhotel.com/ Luxury boutique hotel one block from Grand Central Terminal & Main Public Library. Heart of midtown business district. T1 to rooms, afternoon tea, wine/cheese hour, $295-770/nite, complimentary health club usage, continental breakfast included, poetry garden, reading den/business lounge
• Le Marquis New York 12 East 31st Street (212) 889-6363 Deluxe rooms on the edge of Koreatown; Rates $250-500 though ask for deals; In-room high-speed internet; Health club, sauna and day spa. http://www.lemarquisny.com
• Bryant Park Hotel W. 40th Street between 5th & 6th Aves, on Bryant Park. http://www.bryantparkhotel.com. Nifty online registration. $245+ Distinctive black brick and gold trim building. Amenities include deep soaking tubs, cashmere blankets, Pipino toiletries, and Tibeten rugs in the rooms.
• Helmsley Park Lane 36 Central Park South (212) 371-4000 $250+ This is a fantastic hotel, with excellent views of Central Park. The staff is extremely efficient and treat you like royalty. The rooms are decorated in a very expensive fashion that verges on gaudiness, perfect for achieving that "pampered but you deserve it" feeling. If you intend to actually do work at the table in the hotel room, you'll be disappointed. The apron of the table extends down nearly to the seat of the chair, making it impossible to sit with your legs under the table. http://www.helmsleyhotels.com/hotel/67000005.asp

Hostels

• Chelsea Intl Hostel 251 West 20th Street between 7th/8th Avenues. Small, clean, centrally-located. Internet access, 24-hour reception http://www.chelseahostel.com/
• Hostelling Intl NY 891 Amsterdam Avenue @ 103rd Street. 212-932-2300 One of the largest hostels in NYC. Close to the subway. Internet. 24-hour reception. http://www.hinewyork.org/
• Vanderbilt YMCA 224 E. 47th Street, walking distance from Grand Central Terminal and near the United Nations. Twin private room: $35 http://www.ymcanyc.org/sub.php?p=about&sp=vanderbilt/vanderbiltinfo

Eat

New York City's restaurant scene is truly world-class, in a league with Paris, Tokyo, London and Rome. There are literally tens of thousands of restaurants, ranging from dingy $1-a-slice pizza joints to the $500-a-plate prix fixe sushi at Masa (http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/39400194).

The combination of nearly 30,000 restaurants in Manhattan alone with a business failure rate that some people estimate at 90% means that just keeping on top of what's good to eat this month can be a full-time job! A recent copy of the Zagat or Mobil guides is a good place to start, and there are plenty of online resources with ratings and discussion: Citysearch New York (http://newyork.citysearch.com/), The New York Times Dining & Wine Section (http://www.nytimes.com/top/features/travel/destinations/unitedstates/newyork/newyorkcity/guide.html), Zagat's online guide (http://www.zagat.com) (subscription required) and the ever-lively E-Gullet (http://egullet.com) New York Forum (http://forums.egullet.com/index.php?showforum=4).

• Bluesmoke, East 27th between Park and Lexington. Great authentic BBQ yet more stylish than typical. Also has a jazz club underneath to serve up great music. Restaurant has very large beer and whiskey selection. Fun and tasty. http://www.bluesmoke.com/
• Live Bait, 23rd Street where Madison ends, near 5th & Broadway. Great and cheap oysters, clams and other seafood, raw and cooked as well as southern fare like jambalaya. Not afraid of the tabasco here. One of the few places that serves Abita Springs beer from Louisiana.
• Scopa, 79 Madison Ave @ 28th Street. Modern Italian. Large restaurant, good for groups. Nice lounge/bar area that always has the game on.
• Penelope, Lexington at East 30th Street. Cafe/restaurant/bakery with a cozy, inviting atmosphere. Homestyle food and casual but friendly service. Inexpensive. Wine and beer served. Long lines for weekend brunch.
• Minado 6 E. 32nd Street between Madison and Fifth Aves. (212) 725-1333. If you like sushi and Japanese food in the slightest, you will love Minado. It has over 100 feet of all-you-can-eat very fresh and tasty sushi and other items like crab legs, udon, salads of all varieties and a big dessert bar as well. http://www.minado.com/
• Tao E. 58th between Park and Madison Aves. Trendy Asian cuisine; Reservations, proper attire required. Beautiful decor, people. http://www.taorestaurant.com/
• T Salon 11 East 20th Street at Broadway/Fifth Ave just south of the Flatiron Building. Tea house and cafe; excellent teas and tasty nibbles. A quiet oasis in a hectic city. http://www.tsalon.com/
• Red Bamboo 140 W. 4th St. - 1 block SW of Washington Square Park. Excellent vegetarian soul food, organic wines. http://redbamboo-nyc.com
• Lemongrass Grill 74-76 7th Ave South. Good thai food at good prices. Fast service. http://www.lemongrassgrill.com

Drink

The only thing about New York City that changes faster than the subway map or the restaurants is the bar scene. While some established watering holes have been around for decades or centuries, the hot spot of the moment may well have opened last week and could likely close just as quickly. The best way to find a decent bar is to ask the advice of a native dweller with trustworthy taste, but barring that a copy of Time Out New York (http://www.timeoutny.com/), the Voice (http://villagevoice.com/) some other nightlife guide will help you find a den of iniquity tailored to your personal needs.

A few old favorites worthy of note:

• McSorleys Old Ale House (http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7087703) 15 East 7th St. Between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. Manhattan's oldest continuously operating bar, McSorleys is famous for three things: sawdust-strewn floors, surly service, and serving only two varieties of beer (McSorleys and McSorleys Dark). Long ago the hub of the East Village's Irish community, now a local landmark where the staff and old regulars rub shoulders (sometimes grudgingly) with the local hipster population.

• Revival East 15th Street between Irving Pl and 3rd Ave just east of Union Square. Hidden two-story bar with an outdoor patio you can smoke at. Popular with film students from nearby NY Film Academy and Burningman adventurers. You'll always meet interesting people here.

• Push Cafe 294 3rd Ave just south of 23rd Street on the west side of the street. Good booze with frequent specials, good coffee, good eats and live jazz on Monday nights. A good place to meet and greet for a first date.

• KGB (http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/11273372) In a space that was once the New York headquarters of the Communist Party USA, and is still decorated with Soviet-era agitprop memorabilia, KGB alternates between being a quiet, atmosphere-drenched local hangout bar, a site for regular poetry readings and other performances, and on some saturday nights a boisterous boho pickup scene.

• White Horse Tavern (http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7117620) On November 3rd, 1953, the poet Dylan Thomas stopped in here for a drink... and stayed for seventeen more drinks, precipitating his death the next day. Although made famous by its posthumous customer, the White Horse has been serving up non-fatal portions of beer and pub food since 1880.

External links

• NYC & Company (http://www.nycvisit.com/home/index.cfm) -- New York City's Official Tourism Website for Tourists, Journalists, Travel Professionals, and Meeting Planners
• NYC Wireless (http://www.nycwireless.net/) -- Find free wireless hotspots across the city
• The Village Voice (http://www.villagevoice.com/) -- America's oldest "alternative" newsweekly, also New York's default source for music/art/dance event listing and other nightlife information.