You are probably already aware, New York is built on a grid so very easy to get around and find your way.
The Avenues go from north to south and the streets go from west to east.
West and South Side is divided by 5th Avenue and by Central Park uptown.
The streets finish downtown at Houston Street, the start of Soho.
Shops
There are now shops everywhere - even Wall Street hasn’t escaped the commercialism of New York as there is a massive bargain basement store in the Financial District, Century 21.
Shops generally open at 10 and usually at 12 till 6 on Sundays (although that may not affect you depending on what time you're landing)
To get your basics; bottles of water, snacks etc just pop into one of many Duane Reed or CVS drug stores which generally open till very late or indeed 24 hours. They are great for toiletry bargains – especially make-up to keep the ladies happy!
The designer stores (Tiffany, Channel, etc) are on 5th Avenue between about 50-60 Streets although I’ve never been!
The only one I frequent to get my regular supplies is Henri Bendel – small and perfectly formed boutique style department store – a bit like Harvey Nicholls. Beware the stores don’t generally have café’s; only the huge ones like Macys. They do have toilets but can be hard to find. Don’t forget they call them Powder Rooms or Rest Rooms!
I like the more individual shops in the Village, Soho and especially Upper West Side and Madison Avenue uptown.
Of course you must go to Bloomingdales but it’s all the way out on Lexington Avenue, about 15 minutes walk from 5th Avenue shops. I think it’s around 59th Street but just follow the famous bags! There is a smaller Bloomingdales on Broadway in Soho if you can’t face the walk but this store is a New York tradition. As is FAO Swartz – a huge toy store that I haven’t been in since the 80’s when it used to feature a giant piano – as in the film Big!
Neighbourhoods
The Village - Greenwich Village which also houses WestVillage (my favourite part of the Village and close to where you are) andEastVillage. WestVillageis the gay area so very friendly but there may be one or two shops/sights that make you laugh or stop and stare!
Further downtown after the Village is Soho (South of Houston Street) which leads onto a huge ChinaTown and therefore a rapidly reducing Little Italy.This neighbourhood used to be much bigger but now blink and you miss it. If you want to experience it, take a bus down to the bottom and walk up Mulberry Street. Will be nice for lunch or coffee and cake. Don’t worry about seeing ChinaTown – you can’t miss it but it’s always unpleasantly crowded. From here you just head into the Financial District. The numbered streets going across have stopped by here so it’s not as easy to find your way round but you can’t get lost as the Avenues still go down.
Just before the Financial District on the West side is an area known as Tribeca(Triangle betweenCanal Street).
Upper West Side is my favourite neighbourhood. Unfortunately it now has a Gap, Starbucks and other ‘High Street’ stores which is extremely disappointing!! I love Zabars which is just a busy homewares shop and supermarket but I feel it gives you a flavour of real New York. There are loads of places to eat and watch the world go by.
Upper East Side includes the northern bits of Park Avenue and 5th Avenue so very wealthy and highly residential – traditionally Jewish.
This is where the Museum Mile is. It’s also the neighbourhood where we used to stay when I first started going to NYC in the 80’s. The mayor’s residence, GracieMansion is on the edge of the water somewhere around 86th Street if you fancy the long walk across. Lovely views from the waters edge of the rest of New York.
Madison Avenue is the next road going away from the Park and has smaller shops and more places to eat. A favourite walk of mine.
Midtown is pretty much from where you are based all the way up until you reach the Park, encompassing the bright lights of Times Square, the famous 42nd Street, all the nice shops on 5th Avenue and over to the east Waldorf Hotel and Grand Central Station. Both are a must-see and close to each other around Park Avenue. In the US, you can walk into pretty much any hotel anyway (which is handy for the facilities) but the Waldorf expects tourists. You can go up and down the lifts and as you walk in from the revolving doors entrance, you should hear Cole Porter’s piano being played. There is even a Starbucks at the entrance – they just get everywhere!
The Financial District is of course where Wall Street is located. This is now a pedestrinised Street and they were still working on it last time I was there. I love seeing it in the early morning as people are going to work on the worlds financial markets. You can visit it the Stock Exchange although I haven’t yet. There are a few places to have breakfast. This is also the edge of ManhattanIsland so from Battery Park, which is the very lowest tip, you could see Liberty, Staten Island, New Jersey (my favourite NY borough outside of Manhattan)and on the other side Brooklyn, particularly if you look across through the famous Brooklyn Bridge. Contrary to popular opinion, most of the tall buildings our just down here with the exception of Empire State (5th & 34th) and Chrysler (Park & 42nd), Top of The Rock (Rockefeller Centre) and the Trump Towers. Uptown doesn’t really have any tall buildings. If you head this way, go to the South Street Seaport Centre which is up Water Street away from Wall Street as there is a little shopping centre which has a huge food court upstairs. Perfect for a rest with stunning views of the famous bridges. There is also another theatre box office here so you’ll probably see the queue!
Central Park is huge and it’s easy to lose direction and go the opposite way! Keep a landmark in mind and head for it so you walk in the right direction. There is a great restaurant at the bottom of the Park – Tavern on the Green which I have yet to experience but it’s on The List.
The only part I’ve left of isHarlem which is way north of 110th Street so a bus ride up. You may not have time but it’s interesting to see the contrast of 5th Avenue when you get this far up North. Of course it houses the famous Apollo Theatre and Bill Clinton has his office here but not much else to see.
There are lots of other smaller districts and just to the west of your hotel is the Garment district where each street seems to have different accessory shops, one for handbags, one for jewellery etc. This is all for trade sales though. All the way on the other side on 1st or 2nd Avenue is where all the catering supply shops are and then there’s a little stretch of lighting shops. It’s all very organised!
Coffee/rest points
There are millions of coffee shops including the dreaded Starbucks – unavoidable!
However, my favourite, Dean and Deluca used to be just one store and is now a very small chain but I still love it. There’s one on Broadway just as you’re going into Soho on the left and one hidden away in Rockefeller Centre (another must see). Just look to your left as you’re looking towards Top of the Rock. I found out last time that Dean & Deluca have little coffee shops hidden away in the big book stores.
Watch out as coffee shops often only have one toilet which either doesn’t work or has a huge queue.
Attractions
There are 100’s of things to do but here are a few:
New York Opera House – stunning if the Christmas Tree is already up but fantastic anyway. It’s all part of the Lincoln ‘cultural’ District which has a large cinema and a few shops too. It’s located about 60th and Broadway and you can go and have a look around even if you’re not seeing a show.
Rockefeller Centre, opposite Saks on 5th Avenue, around 50th Street I think. It is stunning inside and out and now has Top of The Rock – a great tourist attraction in the style of Empire State Building but it also tells you the history of the Rockefeller family and the impact they have had on the building of Manhattan. This is where they have the famous ice rink at Christmas but I’m not sure if they have it there in time for Thanksgiving. It’s also where they have apparently the biggest Christmas Tree in the world.
Statue of Liberty. I haven’t been up since the 80’s and it’s a lot harder to get there now. You need to purchase the appropriate tickets so best ask the hotel to do that for you. Make sure you buy one that actually allows you up Liberty but beware, you have to go up a spiral staircase and the only way down is when you have reached the top – unless they have changed that.
Columbus Circus is worth stepping of the bus for. It’s at the bottom of Central Park on the West side and there’s am up-scale shopping centre with a food court upstairs. However, the best thing is the view of the Park, TrumpTower and across to the East side. Last time I was there they had a fantastic photography exhibition.
Theatre
I’ve seen Rent and Mama Mia recently but there are plenty of traditional musicals you can see. You can book ahead, ask your hotel to book when you get there or queue up for half price tickets on the day at the box office. Won’t be much fun in the cold though and you can simply walk into any theatre when people aren’t queuing to get in and buy tickets if available.
I’ve been trying to see the Jersey Boys which has now become a huge hit.
Museums
The best museum that you simply must see, if just for the building is Guggenheim close to 88th and 5th Ave and overlooking the Park. Hopefully the scaffolding has come off so you can see the beauty of it.
There are several along here as it’s the Museum Mile. The Natural History Museum is on the other side of the park and must see too but you need to allow plenty of time. Great views of the Park from there.
There are few more further south towards mid-town. Just follow the park down and there is also one on Madison Avenue.
Restaurants
Because I walk everywhere and know roughly where everything is, I can’t remember all the street names but here goes:
Good Enough to Eat – around 86th and Amsterdam. (West side of Park) My absolute favourite place in New York where I go for a breakfast of chocolate and coconut pancakes and unlimited coffee. They do a full breakfast range but they do get a few tourists now as some of the hotels in this neighbourhood have started attracting tour groups. Get here early – 8.30 latest for breakfast, 11.30 for lunch. Nice to have a drink in there in the evening too although this neighbourhood is awash with diners, restaurants and bars. It is still essentially residential and fairly upmarket.
Tartini – somewhere in a highly residential road on West 11th Street. Similar to my other one with the addition of loads of fabulous little cakes which you can also buy to go. Whilst you’re down there, see if you can find Assault & Battery, a fish and chips shop and Tea & Sympathy both run be an ex-Brit on Greenwich Avenue. (Apparently this is the new ‘Little Britain’ although I’ve never noticed!)
Silver Spurs – if you happen to come across it somewhere in the Village on a main road. I think on Bleaker or Houston Street. A good little diner although you’ll see more on the Upper West Side.
Times Square, Macys, etc are of course very touristy so just depends on what you’re looking for.
Waldorf – of course it’s all beautiful but you’ll need to book ahead.
There is a huge diner underneath Empire State Building that is just geared up for tourists but if you haven’t found anywhere for your first night, it’s an ideal standby. It’s huge so you’ll always get a table but beware the huge portions! The queue outside is likely to be for the EmpireState.
If you want to takeaway something to eat back on the hotel or whilst sitting outside on a sunny day, lots of the Deli’s have take out counters with a huge variety of food.
Central Park
The only place to escape the shops and beautiful any time of the year. Starts at 60th Street between 5th and 8th Avenues and goes all the way up to 100th Street towards Harlem.
There’s also a zoo in there. Go on a sunny day or if it snows. Perfect!
Cash
Even coffee shops now take cards. I have an American Express Travellers cheque card which I credit with cash before I go and use everywhere. I can even take cash out at machines although this does cost. Your bank may be help or you can get one from http://www.americanexpress.com/uk/tcc/index.shtml?uk_nu=subtab
If you pay with cards, you’ll need ID in most stores. I use the photocard driving licence.
Obviously, just like any city in the world, I wouldn’t carry any more cash than you need for the day. I also wouldn’t get your map out in street. Anything that makes you look like a tourist (maps, ruck sacks etc) makes you stand out from the crowd and everyone knows tourists have cash on them. However, New York is the safest city I have ever been to with its zero tolerance policy, there are police everywhere. (And always in Dunkin Doughnuts!)
Transport
Taxis are very cheap and good to hail from the street after a long day walking or late at night. I never use them though as the best way to travel is on the bus. On all the avenues (5th Avenue, Park Avenue, Madison Avenue) the buses go EITHER uptown or downtown. They are quite frequent, very clean and pleasant – except in the rush hour!
To give you a guide, 5th Avenue buses go downtown and Madison go uptown and it alternates like that. Only exception is Broadway (your hotel is between Broadway and 5th) which depends on where you pick it up as it cuts across the avenues. It’s a good road to pick up a bus on as you see all the sights through Times Square without being in the crowds. It’s always a slow road though although there’s traffic everywhere in New York. I still think it’s nice though as you see everything at a fairly slow pace. You get on at the front of the bus and get of in the middle. You need to press the button to signal your exit. Beware that Express buses don’t stop everywhere so if you want to be specific, check with the driver. Also, as you go away from mid-town, buses will drive of the avenues and go down different routes so check the destination at the front of the bus.
Buses are $2 for every journey and you must have correct change – no notes. Best thing is to get a Metro card from any tube station which you can both use. Just buy up $10 or $20 worth from the machine which takes notes or cards and use it up during your stay. I don’t know anything about the Metro as I always like being over ground so I can see the sights!
Weather
It will be very cold outside in November, possible snowing but very warm inside shops and restaurants. I'd advise wearing layers that can be peeled of and carried.
Thanksgiving
I've checked several sources and Thanksgiving is on 22nd. www.thanksgiving-day.org.
You're extremely lucky to be in NY on this magical day in the US calendar. As I've said before, this is the 'US Christmas' and the most important day for families in America. It is complete shutdown although you'll still see a few 'suits' trying to do business. The ones that can afford to will take the whole weekend off as the holiday entitlement is typically 2 weeks in the US so long weekends are the norm.
I spent my first ever time in Manhattan during Thanksgiving and it’s still my favourite day ever! Mainly because it snowed, which normally comes later in the year.
If you’re going to have one great meal, I’d have it on this day but you’ll need to book for a decent restaurant so just do that as you pass one in your travels. The shops will be closed but you should be OK for coffee shops. My choice would be the Waldorf which will be full of families – if you can get in.
The biggest event is Macy’s parade and as you’ll be within a couple of minutes, you won’t have to go far. All the parades in New York are on 5th Avenue so just follow the crowd. The road will be shut for the day.
I hope this all helps. It’s all just come from my head so apologies if the info isn’t all perfectly correct!
22nd July 2007
