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Location: Plum Borough, east suburb of Pittsburgh, PA
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I'll be in your awesome city for the first time in way too long! I've been through a lot of Manhattan (including the mandatory Time Square visits ) This time, I am more interested in checking out the outer boroughs, the stuff that tourists usually overlook.
I haven't even reserved a hostel yet, much less decided what I am going to see there. I'm considering squeezing in all of the boroughs in during my visit. They're all big enough to be separate cities, and I'm overwhelmed just thinking of them. Any particular spots you recommend? Any knowledge on hostels is appreciated too!
If you want a delicious and cheap lunch or dinner one day in Queens, a place I like is Taqueria Coatzingo in Jackson Heights. It's right next to the big 74th St/Roosevelt Ave subway station, which has stops for the E, F, M, R, and 7 trains (so it is easy to get to). While you are in the area, you could go to the corner of 74th St and Roosevelt Ave and walk north on 74th St to see "Little India". If you want even more food, hit up one of the many Tibetan or Nepalese restaurants and grab some mo mos (these are dumplings).
But there are loooots of choices of things to do in Queens. If you like art, the MoMA PS1 is in Long Island City. Queens Museum of Art is in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. There are really cool and historic Irish pubs in Woodside. Steinway Ave in Astoria has lots of Middle Eastern restaurants and cafes. Astoria also has lots of really good Greek food. That's just the tip of the iceberg.
You're only going to get to do the tiniest sliver of what there is to experience in NYC, so my advice is to keep moving, eat a lot, and plan to come back soon.
A real eating adventure that everyone I have taken there really loves is Mario Vitali's Eataly. I hate the website but there are so many options in a single giant room, well, there is one upstairs. The N, R & 6 trains exits right at the door. Restaurant Hours, Menus, and General Information | Eataly
Smorgasburg is a cool place on a Sunday. Open 10am-5pm. Take the L train to the first stop after going under the East River. An easy 10 or a fast 5 minute straight shot walk on 7th St. Williamsburg Flea « Brooklyn Flea
Depending on how you plan to travel around, I would get a 7 day unlimited Metro Card. $30 and good for subways and buses. You may think it cheaper to pay by the ride, but sounds like you are movin' and groovin' so get the $30 deal, even though you are in and out in only 4 days. There is a cost analysis on their website. If you have a wifi capable phone, download an app. I use NYCMate but there are other free ones too. mta.info | MTA Subway Map
If you don't have the Google Maps app, download it. If you don't live where you have mass transit, you may not know that you can get Public Transit and Walking directions. That way you don't walk around with a map and a sign on your forehead saying TOURIST. LOL
Take the free Staten Island ferry and explore Saint George! How about the Bronx Zoo? Check out Prospect Park and Coney Island in Brooklyn. Astoria in Queens.
Bring a bike helmet!! Now that we have a bike share here, Citibike, you can easily get some wheels. Riding will allow you to cover a lot of ground and get to places you might not have time to otherwise.
Bike shares are available in Manhattan and Brooklyn, for the other boroughs use mass transit.
Check out Brooklyn Bridge Park and Governor's Island for weekend outdoorsy activities. Take the LIRR to the beaches of Long Island if you have a day to spare. For ethnic foods, try Flushing, Jackson Heights and Astoria in Queens. For hipster-watching, hit up Brooklyn from Wiiliamsburg to Fort Greene/Clinton Hill.
Western Queens is huge in itself, so I offer a few ideas for Astoria/LIC
Option 1 - Disembark on a weekend at Vernon and Jackson off the 7. Walk toward Manhattan and proceed into Gantry State Park for awesome views, comfy chairs and a pic of you under the Pepsi-Cola sign. Then find out where Food and Flea is to try some food and see what knickknacks they have for sale. Swing over to Courthouse Square 7 stop and walk to the building with tons of cool graffitti art and murals to see 5 POINTZ before they knock it down and stop for a beer and food at the Shannon o Pot. If you get here on a Tuesday then check for live music in the evening at Gantry State Park (Live at the Gantries)
Option 2 - If you come on a Sunday then try PS 1's Warm up featuring top-notch DJ's in the open court and nice contemporary art in a former 19th century schoolhouse, then take the 7 to the N and Q to Ditmars. Walk toward the river on Ditmars and enjoy the scenery and the huge public pool at Astoria Park. If you really want a swim outdoors, try and go when the kids are not flooding it - otherwise check other spots in NYC for outdoor public pools (one I have heard raves about is the one in West Harlem at 149th St and I heard there is one in Central Park - not sure) but the pool is cool to look at with the bridges , East River and NYC skylines in the distance. If you or your family are into skateboarding, beneath the Triboro Bridge is a great skateboard park.
Option 2 - Disembark from the N and Q Broadway stop or M and R Steinway. Walk down Broadway to get a little bit of ethnic eatery overload - Irish bars (go in to Cronin and Phelan's and ask for the story about Timbuktu from Danny, or a newer one Ravenshead, Gilbey's if you want something prettier and cozier), the Columbian sweet and empanada spot on 38th and Broadway or a good Mexican tortas further down 38th, maybe some microbrews, beer bread and cheese with a bottle of wine to take along at Astoria Beir Cheese and Wine Shop, if you have the funds, eat at Bahari for Greek seafood, if not try Tierras Columbanias and the mountain meal. I have only covered about 6 blocks by the way.
If it is Wednesday, just grab a snack along the way or a drink (Strand Smokehouse for cocktails, Bakeway for sweet and coffee) and attend the outdoor food and film festival running until August 28th in Socrates Sculpture Park.
Option 3 - Take N and Q to Broadway and walk to the river and head just south of Costco to see the Zen art sculptures of Noguchi. Fantastic museum. If you want more go north to see Welling Court murals and a beach on the East River called Socrates. Nice community garden open on the weekend if people are there. The area around Welling Court looks a little sketchy but safe except for at in a few isolated pockets. Do take a walk out to see more of the East River along the Hallet Cove houses ( a project that is pretty safe - especially along the waterfront), you might catch residents enjoying a nice bbq or someone in the neighborhood fishing for bait. Stop at the Astor Bake Shop as you head to the N and Q at Astoria Boulevard for good food and coffee. The interior is quite nice - reminiscent of an earlier time and quite airy. Or for Italian, head to Vesta on 30th Ave and 21st Street.
Make your way down to 35th Ave where Studio Square beer garden is located just south of there. If you want something mellower head to Sunswick offering up to 100 specialty beer and an array of cocktails, if it isn't too late give a try of the Broccolli and Cheese, Dulce de Leche, or odd cupcake creations at the cupcake shop next door.
If you decide to reverse this beer crawl, and you come on a SATURDAY, go to COFFEED at the 36th Street on the M and R , and head upstairs to take a look at the rooftop organic farm, Brooklyn Grange. From there you could walk to 36th Ave, stop in Mad Donkey, grab a Bangladeshi snack at Aladdin and then make your to Studio Square.
PS. If you are seeking gay nightlife, it is small. PM me if you want to know the spots.
PPS. PM me if you wish to have a guide show you around a few of these spots. I have resided in this area for 19 years and raised in the NY-NJ area.
Last edited by astroia 34567; 07-30-2013 at 04:37 PM..
In Astoria (Queens) visit the Museum of the Moving Image which is about the history of moving making in NYC (before it moved out to Hollywood, CA.). In Astoria, there are plenty of small shops to check out. I suggest eating at a restaurant called "Michael's" while you are in Astoria (Michael's Restaurant | 33-17 Broadway, Astoria, NY).
Chava6, great suggestion Michael's! Michael's is a slice of old Astoria that did a nice remodeling. Excellent diner food and great pictures of Astoria from the early 20th century and today provided by the Greater Astoria Historical Society.
Chava61 - There is also another diner that is very old fashioned -0 think late 70's 80's. It is in that little median of stores just below Boulevard Gardens at the Astoria/Woodside border. They make rice pudding the way I like it - raisins and cinnamon added .
If you need to compare prices there is a youth hostel in LIC - Q4 Hotel (Long Island City, New York) - Hostel Reviews - TripAdvisor . Q4. Pluses: convenient to subways to Manhattan and nearby are attractions via subway or a 20 minute walk. The reviews say staff is good but the main drawback is you have to get a room away from the elevated train tracks. Otherwise you will need earplugs (which the hotel sells).
A better option in LIC if you can spend a little more money (though it is a little bit of a walk from the train) is Hotel Z - Z Hotel - Long Island City - Long Island City, NY - has a nice rooftop to see stunning views of Manhattan - especially at night where you will see the Empire State, Chrysler, 42nd Street, Freedom Towers, Met Life Building, and UN all lit up. Nice lobby and good restaurant lounge downstairs. I talked to the staff and they seemed OK.
Finally there may be a good rate at the W Hotel in Hoboken. Hoboken is quite a bit of fun with a sort of Village/Brooklyn vibe but with a slightly frat-boy and collegiate tinge. Nice waterfront park and tons of places to eat, drink, as well as a nice book shop. PATH train takes you to Village and midtown Manhattan.
And of course the suggestion from Chava61 is good as these YMCAs can be basic but excellent places to stay on a budget.
OH this museum is a good one as one poster said a little frayed but good stuff and small crowds - The Hispanic Society of America's Museum - gorgeous architecture - http://www.yelp.com/biz/hispanic-soc...4qTSyxYbea1__w
If you want to do a huge museum tour, you could easily take one floor of the Met, stop by the Hispanic Society of America, and then do the Cloisters. A more manageable on would be is Hispanic Society, stop at Malecon on Amsterdam in the 90s for Dominican Food, then around 155th stop ion the Hispanic Society Museum, then make it up to the Cloisters at 191. You'd love this one!
Please tell us of your experiences though, would love to hear about them.
Last edited by astroia 34567; 07-31-2013 at 01:13 PM..
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) This time, I am more interested in checking out the outer boroughs, the stuff that tourists usually overlook.
