Help me plan my trip to New York City

1. Central Park, West side highway, east river park. Obviously not just through the streets.

2. Blue Smoke, Smalls, Jules Bistro

3. The Met is the must visit. World class, can’t miss. MoMA is cool as well as the Neue Gallerie and Whitney. You might like the museaum of the city of New York as a smaller one.

4. Sure, google it. Many are good, just pick whatever area you’re interested in.

5.Run

6. Yes but touristy

7. No

8. No

too many questions. yes to the high line. stop into the whitney museum and take in the warhol exhibit. lots of great restaurants, bakeries near the whitney. Coogan's is disgusting. don't bother.

Do a loop of Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges

Fat Cat jazz club in Greenwich Village might be the kind of place you’re looking for.

Yeah, I’d definitely check out the Highline.

Questions 1 and 5 are the answers to each other.

Smalls, Village Vanguard, Birdland are the places you want to be to get the best jazz. I have a few friends who play/hang there and you're in for a treat.

Wife and I have done a couple of "Free Tours by Foot" which, although free, you do tip at the end. The one we did was a food tour of the Lower East Side BUT the highlight of the tour was meeting Angel Orensanz himself outside the Center named after him. The tour guide was explaining to us the history of the building and how this guy bought it. All of a sudden, this guy walks up and says "You guys want a tour?" and the guide goes "Mr. Orensanz!!" He was a GREAT guy. Invited us in (its usually for special events only, from what I understand) and took us on a quick tour himself before he had to head out. The inside is AMAZING.

High Line is okay. Not sure how much there is to really "see" in the winter, but it's cool experience and see what they've done with what was essentially going to be demolished.

Honestly, if you don't plan to get back, I am of the mindset that you HAVE to visit 9/11 memorial/museum. Just to "pay your respects". While you're down there, take a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, at least halfway. It's touristy as hell, but you get some great views of the skyline. Just a ton to do downtown if you are into historical stuff and buildings.

My father is coming to watch Millrose Games and I plan on taking hi to 9/11 area and am thinking of doing the Ellis Island Hard Hat tour. He used to work in the city, so I don't think he really cares to do normal "tourist" stuff like Times Square, Central Park (well, that and he's 73 years old)

I found a cool website that has some "unique" things to do in NYC called atlasobscura. Will have to maybe explore a few of those next time I am in the city

Thanks for the replies so far. There are a couple suggestions that were not on my radar, so great.

1) What about the jazz clubs in Harlem? Those seem to have a real low-key vibe.

2) I have been to the 9/11 Memorial a bit before it was open. Even then, it was so crowded with so many people hawking stuff as soon as you get off the subway, I probably will never go back.

Are you going for the Millrose games?

I work near Grand Central and run at lunch time south along the East River (you can't really go north yet). It is ok but if you can get up to Central Park it would be better.

Yes, Coogans is worth visiting - take A train to 168th St. If you venture up there you should definitely go to the Cloisters Museum inside Fort Tryon Park. It is a few stops further uptown (190th St) from Coogan or a decent walk. Look it up - the views from park are amazing and the history inside the museum is beyond words.

Just take a cab up to CP and run the res and bridle paths.

For some real action go across 110th St.

critic 100 wrote:

For some real action go across 110th St.

I've been across 110th St. Honestly, I would live on the north part of the island if I lived in Manhattan. Just seems more down to earth than the more desireable neighborhoods.

Chris_NJ wrote:

I work near Grand Central and run at lunch time south along the East River (you can't really go north yet). It is ok but if you can get up to Central Park it would be better.

Yes, Coogans is worth visiting - take A train to 168th St. If you venture up there you should definitely go to the Cloisters Museum inside Fort Tryon Park. It is a few stops further uptown (190th St) from Coogan or a decent walk. Look it up - the views from park are amazing and the history inside the museum is beyond words.

Thanks, I always wondered about the Fort Tryon/Inwood Park area. Perhaps I will make an effort to go up there if I have a day to myself.

critic 100 wrote:

For some real action go across 110th St.

Better yet, stay with Rojo.

Cheech wrote:

critic 100 wrote:

For some real action go across 110th St.

Better yet, stay with Rojo.

It's wejo that lives in Manhattan. And I haven't been invited! I promise that I'm less miserable than jamin.

sub sub elite local hobby jogger wrote:

Cheech wrote:

Better yet, stay with Rojo.

It's wejo that lives in Manhattan. And I haven't been invited! I promise that I'm less miserable than jamin.

Sorry, get them mixed up. Rojos the one fighting with vermin in Baltimore.

Try amateur night at the Apollo Theater up in Harlem.

Go into Grand Central Station and have a drink (it'll cost ya a decent amount, be warned) at The Campbell. It is a really cool setting. Loved the cieling, the iron, the floor. Like stepping back in time.

sub sub elite local hobby jogger wrote:

Thanks, I always wondered about the Fort Tryon/Inwood Park area. Perhaps I will make an effort to go up there if I have a day to myself.

I live in Inwood - moved wayyyy up here from a more expensive neighborhood and am pretty happy. Got an extra bedroom and some outdoor space for about the same price.

It's a good neighborhood for running (and being outdoors in general) - Inwood Hill Park, Fort Tryon Park, the Greenway, easy access to the GWB/Jersey for bike rides/long runs, and the Columbia track is right on 219th st.

Fort Tryon and The Cloisters is definitely worth a visit, but assuming you're coming soon, it might not be the most pleasant time - it can be very cold and windy up there. The gardens all over the park are really well done (when it's not below freezing).

As far as the other questions, you got a lot of good feedback already. I'd definitely do your running in Central Park - a nice 6 mile loop. Check nyrr.org and see if there's any races when you're in town - it's a different experience doing just a random weekend 10k with 5-6000+ people.

Not the most convenient from Grand Central Terminal, but running on the West Side Greenway along the Hudson is interesting too - can be brutal with cold wind though.

Transit museum is fun, although in Brooklyn it's a bit of a trip. Pretty cool to see all the old cars and exhibits from various projects.

Come back in November if you want a tour of the marathon course - I'll pace you to 2:30 or so....then once you cross the Queensboro you're on your own.

Thanks for the insights! I'm not too afraid of the wind, I have a full gamut of windproof gear that takes the bite out of the wind and keeps the warmth in.

I have the qualifying time for the NYC marathon, so I might take you up on that offer, lol. Sub-2:30 would be a good goal for me, just need to stay injury free. Just not sure about dishing out the cash for a marathon that might be more hassle than it's worth when I can find plenty of decent fall marathons in my part of the country. I know, it's New York, you never know when you'll be able to run it again, etc., but not sure that I really care all that much.

Side note, I wonder how long Upper Manhattan (the general area, not the particular neighborhood) will be able to stave of the gentifrication that has captured much of Manhattan. Prices seem somewhat affordable up there.