I have no idea about New York...just want to be involved in the discussion...hehehe

Hmm... is it safe yet for a Frenchman to visit the USA? (Especially one who might order French wine!)

I can imagine a scene like one of those classic H. M. Bateman "The man who..." cartoons - thbeghin casually asking for a French wine (complete with authentic Gallic accent) and all round the restaurant, scenes of horror and outrage from American patrons...

ok, ok, i will order coca cola (with my terreebel galleec accent!)

that weird guy on the late show... Rupert Jee! go to his store.

For an old-fashioned New York experience, go have a cocktail at the Campbell Apartment. Classy 1920's style lounge, gorgeous decor, intimate setting. It used to be more of a "secret" spot, but not so much anymore. Drinks are a bit pricey, but the atmosphere and experience are worth it. I've taken visitors, and they've always been impressed.

It's located in Grand Central (which I highly recommend seeing anyway... it's very, um, grand). The Campbell Apartment has its own entrance on the Vanderbilt Ave. side of the station.

a votre santé!

I agree with EJH... Grand Central is awesome! If you're sight-seeing in midtown (which you will be), plan to go to Grand Central when you're tired and need a small break. There are awesome leather lounge chairs on the lower level--and also now there is a Junior's Cheesecake in Grand Central!!! Before, you had to go all the way to Brooklyn if you wanted Junior's Cheesecake. Also, while you're in Grand Central Station, when you're in the main lobby part, the famous part with the clock that's always in the movies...look up at the ceiling. If you look in one of the corners, near a main entrance, you will see a rectangle on the ceiling that is really dark grey. A few years back, they went in and cleaned Grand Central Station...and 100 or so years of coal soot and cigarette smoke off the ceiling. It is really entertaining to find that tiny rectangle, and realize how dirty and scuzzy the now-sparkling Grand Central used to be. Twelve or fifteen years ago, you'd see Deadheads and panhandlers and junkies (sometimes all the same person!) sleeping in there. Now it's clean, clean, clean! Lou Reed probably hates it.

If you want to see some of the still-scuzzy New York City, you can go over to the Chelsea Hotel on 23rd, between either 6th/7th or 7th/8th, I can't remember. All the crazy artists of the 70s lived and/or shot up there, and it's where Sid (allegedly!) killed Nancy. A few years ago, I was all flattered to have been chosen for an article called "Six at Thirty" which was about six 30-year-old NYC artists. So the photo shoot for it was at the Chelsea Hotel.

This actually gets kind of funny, now that I think back, and it's all true. I was very nervous about this photo shoot, because I don't like that kind of crap. But I was flattered to have been chosen to be in the article. So, before I went to the Chelsea Hotel for the photo shoot, I had a coupla cocktails at this bar called Tomato before going over...like courage juice, you know?

But then I ran into friends at the bar, and it's even possible that I agreed to smoke grass that day, who even knows, it was so long ago, but by the time I got to the Chelsea, I was having to focus way up to play off my buzz. And then I walked in the place, and it was just like going back in time to like 1975 or something--the elevator smelled like urine, there were junkies all over these stained couches in the lobby, it was brilliant!

Um, anyway, yeah you should see Grand Central.

Last time I went to New York I drove from California .......almost there ...we went over this big bridge and at the base there was a huge sign ...."NEW YORK LEFT"

sO WE TURNED AROUND AND DROVE ALL THE WAY BACK TO CALIFORNIA......bummer of a trip....

Ba hahahahahahahaha
sorry couldn't resist...

CB

new york is great. i wouldn't want to live anyplace else. if this is your first time here, go to the museum of natural history (yes, they have a T-rex) and the metropolitan museum of art. when you go, DO NOT buy tickets from the machines and DO NOT buy the city pass (unless you have time to do everything on it, it doesn't cost that much more to do it seperately). DO NOT go the the metropolitan museum of modern art (MOMA). MOMA charges a high admission price where as the other two museums have a "suggested donation", meaning you can either buy the $15 (or whatever it is now) ticket OR, just give them a dollar. also MOMA only has art of the 20th century (how many melting clocks and campbell's soup cans can you look at in a day? - I'm just kidding), the metropolitan museum of art has the works of the great masters plus lots of art and artifacts from all over the world. for lunch, go outside and take a little walk through central park and get a hot dog for a dollar. take the subways, do not use the cabs. they are safe and there are plenty of cops everywhere to give you directions. go to little italy and chinatown for lunch and/or dinner. Da Nico is very, very nice... great italian food, great atmosphere, great prices. Here is the link: http://www.littleitalynyc.com/coupons-danico.asp I HIGHLY recommend it. Call ahead of time and reserve a table in the outdoor garden in the back, you'll LOVE it. Order the Calamari and the Cavatelli, but pronounce them GALAMAR and GAVADEEL. Soho is another nice area to go to as well. Vincent's is right around the corner and very good too. There are many art galleries (free admission) to go to and lots of great bars and restaurants for happy hour. Go to times square at night (15 years ago I would never give this advice). It's much more spectacular seeing all the lights and everything at night. The Statue of Liberty is nice too, but get there EARLY, its sells out fast. The South Street Seaport (PIER 17) is really cool too. Great seafood restaurants and beautiful views of the Brooklyn Bridge. Speaking of Brooklyn, if you are into steak, go the Peter Luger's. They have the best steak in the entire world, it's aged over a year. Bring cash, they do not take credit cards or reservations. They won't give you menus unless you ask. If you have 4 people, ask for steak for 3, it's plenty. Also order the tomatoes and onions, the creamed spinach and the shrimp cocktail. It'll cost about $40 - $60 a person, but it's the best meal you will ever have in your life. have fun, PM me if you need more info.

when you get into a taxi, dont tell the driver your destination like "to madison square" for example, he/she will often not find it or know where it is. tell corners of streets like "to 2nd avenue - 50th street" and the driver will find it easily.
use the public-transportation-system whenever you can. get a bucket full of tokens (subway-station) and go around the city. one token is for one ride plus one transfer, so you can go one ride along an avenue and transfer to a line that goes along a street. with one token you can reach almost any point in manhattan.

Yes, use the subway... but there aren't tokens anymore. Get a Metrocard-- I'd suggest getting a weekly unlimited ride card. It's $24, and it's good for unlimited rides for 7 days (subway and bus). You can't beat that.

Funny... I just pointed that out to someone, and they thought I was making it up

I also agree with Queen about the Chelsea Hotel... very historic & full of character. There's a Spanish restaurant in the hotel called El Quijote. If you don't mind the slightly tacky decor, you'll be happy with the great lobster deals. Be sure to get a pitcher or three of sangria.

Oh yeah, and I almost forgot! About a block away from Grand Central is the Chrysler Building--probably my favorite NYC landmark! There's no observation deck, but pop your head into the lobby, which is every bit as stunning as the exterior! The elevators in the Chrysler Building are supposedly art deco "masterpieces." Not sure about that, but they're incredible.

Also note, while you're looking at the Chrysler Building, that the eagles on the scaffolding outside (at the bottom of the spire, they're silver) are made from the hubcaps of old Chrysler cars! And get this--when the Chrysler Building was constructed, everyone thought it was finished before the stainless steel scaffolding was on the top--it was just a very tall building. At the time, Chrysler and Woolworth (the men) were competing to construct the tallest building in the world. So Woolworth, when he thought that the Chrysler Building was finished, added an extra 17 feet or something so be tallest.

But then! One night, in the middle of the night, that stainless steel scaffolding was raised up through the roof of the building and welded together--all in one night! So the next morning, the city woke up to find the truly finished Chrysler Building--more than 60 feet taller than the Woolworth Building (which is also a very nice building)! Take that, Woolworth! At the time, the technology didn't exist to light up the spire--not sure why, it was just too tall or something. So, when they finally (years later) figured out how to get electricity to that elevation, they decided to leave the thing lit all night. So you'll notice at night that the Empire State turns its lights out (at 11 or 12), and a few of the other skyscrapers turn off their decorative lighting--but the Chrysler stays lit all night.

When you see it, try to imagine waking up one morning and that sparkly spire is just there--taller than anything that came before, and sparkling like crazy in the morning sun. I like to imagine what that morning must have been like, with everyone for miles around pointing and not believing their eyes.

Lots of people hate New York, but it can't be denied that there is something magical in the air here. It's truly the place where anything can happen.

yeeaaahhh!!! can't wait to be there!!!

Listen to the Queen-- she knows what she's talking about

I think the Chrysler Bldg. is my favorite too. One thing I miss about my old job is that my office window looked right up at it. I admit feeling a little thrill one evening when I just happened to be looking at it just at the moment when the lights came on.

*wistful sigh*

Say what you want about New Yorkers being rude and always in a rush... we can be very romantic when it comes to our city.

all of the info you guys are givin' is fantastic, I would just like to add that no matter when we go into the City we always run into something. What I mean is, just WALK if you can, we always run into a street fair, or happen upon a bar/resturant that looks intersting or a musem we didin't expect. There is always something going on and we never have to plan anything, something always just happens.!

Enjoy!

So true! Don't over-book yourself. Just wander.