Only in New York Moments.....

I had read in a travel guide some suggestions for "Great New York City Experiences".  After our stay, I feel  that I might offer a few different ones.....

Abby Just Before Sunset

• Experience the city through the eyes of a 4 year old..... The sunset over New Jersey from the 70th Street Pier on the West Side was beautiful.... but, it was made even better by watching our granddaughter Abby just relax and run around the pier area....

• Watch wedding photos being taken under the Brooklyn Bridge while listening to Chamber Music being played on a Barge on the East River.....The Bargemusic Concert was amazing by itself... but then to be able to see out the window to this scene.... just made it even more spectacular....

• Participate in a mass and listen to professional quality singers (cantors) in an exquisite church....

Playground in Chinatown - Part of Big Onion Walking Tour of Lower East Side

Roller Skating Flag Waver in Columbus Day Parade

• Take a walking tour or attend a parade to learn about a different culture.....I have commented on other posts about our favorite... Big Onion Walking Tours.... great locations and well-informed guides.....
• Attend an event that typically only New Yorkers might... not just the tourists.... 92nd Street Y provided us with this experience.  There are venues all over the city that have guest lecturers, chefs or musicians.  I also attended a very small dixieland concert at the library at  Lincoln Center that fit the bill for this category... there were Moms with strollers,  retired folks and homeless people all enjoying the music.
• Attend a sporting event at a big arena..... we watched a Yankee game and the experience of arriving and leaving on a subway FULL of fans was amazing. .... One fan, helped on by significant quantities of beer, was leading cheers in the subway on the way back to the apartment. I also enjoyed the Barbra Streisand Concert at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn.... not a sporting event, technically, but climbing to the "nosebleed" seats and commiserating with the others who were doing the same does qualify as an aerobic activity in a huge sports venue!

• Spend time in one of the many parks (Central, Washington Square, Union Square) on the weekend. They are beautiful during the week, but they come alive with performance artists on Saturdays and Sundays.  The pianist in Washington Square Park, the balloon guy and the harpist in Central Park were definitely my  favorites.....
• Interact with "real" New Yorkers.... you will find them friendly and full of information they are happy to share..... I mentioned a few of these folks in an earlier post, but also worthy of mention are:
• The Doorman of our apartment building who went with me to the basement laundry room to teach me how to operate the machinery...
• The young lady who volunteered to take our photo in the subway....
• The chef at the Polish restaurant in Greenpoint with whom I talked while waiting to use the restroom.... so thrilled we enjoyed his meal....
• The bus driver driving me crosstown early on the Sunday we left in advance of Hurricane Sandy's arrival who was very happy to give me tips on the shortest route back across town....
• The security guard at the Asia Society Museum who was so honest about his opinions of the VERY modern art on display.... his quote was "think of Tim Burton creations, but not quite as good...."
• The tram operator on the Roosevelt Island subway connection who chatted with us during the ride....  interesting stories about the people who had been trapped on it, FDR relatives who have visited the new monument, and crazy folks trying to move the contents of their apartments by using the tram....

Delicious OTHER Food in NYC

While we did enjoy our meals in the various parts of the city we visited, some other restaurants were certainly noteworthy.

• Sarabeth's - 423 Amsterdam - Upper West Side - We had a terrific dinner there one night while Beth was visiting.  She had enjoyed it frequently when she lived in NYC and it is famous for its brunch.  We were quite delighted with our meals and took some of the generous servings home for a later meal.... a nice bonus!
• Daisy Mae's BBQ - 623 11th Avenue - West Side - Probably would never have thought to go to a BBQ restaurant while we were in NYC but it was the perfect stop after our Jon Stewart Show taping... the food was delicious and extremely reasonable.....
• Woodland - 242 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn - We enjoyed our meal (eaten at the bar due to the expected crowd for the Streisand Concert) at this lovely restaurant.   The atmosphere was decidedly "hipper" than any place we had eaten..... interesting, for sure.... the specials that we had were really delicious.....

• Friedman's Lunch - in Chelsea Market.... great deli lunch.... we saw some traditional items being ordered by others, but the beer and sandwiches on rye were just what we needed after our High Line walk....

• Nathan's Hot Dogs - Coney Island..... so many different toppings to try on the hot dogs...  We started our month in NYC in Coney Island..... hope Hurricane Sandy hasn't taken too big a toll on this iconic Boardwalk area......  

Special Food Treats in NYC

• Bakeries.... Probably any really large city has baked treats to enjoy.... our 2 favorites were:
• Ferrara's  - 195 Grand near Mott Street in Little Italy.. amazing cannoli.....
• The Hungarian Bakery - Near St. John the Divine on Amsterdam.... fabulous strudel and cookies wrapped in a little white box with string to take home. ....

Hungarian Bakery



Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory




• Ice Cream and Gelato ..... delicious at several different places we tried....
• Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory - Just under the Brooklyn Bridge
• Chinatown Ice Cream  Factory - Part of our walking tour in the Lower East Side

• Madison Square Eats.... We stumbled on this after escaping a traffic jammed taxi... what a great surprise! ...

Ethnic Foods in the City

Anyone who knows John and me KNOWS that we did not hold ourselves back from enjoying lots of delicious meals while we were in NYC.  So, I will try to write a few posts to highlight our favorites.

Outside Pappardella

• Italian .... How could we NOT look for some yummy Italian food while we were there?
• Pomodoro - 229 Columbus - Upper West Side - We both ate specials and they were melt-in-your-mouth delicious. 
• Pappardella - 316 Columbus - Upper West Side - Ate here with Barb and Muff when they came to visit.... also quite delicious.  If Barb pronounces it good Italian.... you know it is excellent!
• Ignatzio's - Under the Brooklyn Bridge - By the time we got ready for lunch on the day we tried this place we just couldn't bear the wait at the famous and right around the corner Grimaldi's.... Not a problem!  It was delicious too.  And, no wait for a table.
• Pizza ..... I had very carefully researched the "BEST" places to have pizza only to find out that the difference between New York pizza and what we see in Chesapeake is so huge that it doesn't matter WHERE we got our pizza.... it was all outstanding.  We ordered it one night, we brought it home one night and I had a slice in midtown at a tiny stand .... all way better than anything we get here at home.
• Indian.... Only regret is not eating Indian food frequently enough while we were there.
• Jackson Diner - 37 74th Street - Jackson Heights, Queens.... a buffet of Indian foods.  Perfect way to try some foods that we had not ordered before.  Very reasonably priced and absolutely delicious.

One of the Buffet Stations at the Jackson Diner


• Dominican - Tipico - 4172 Broadway in Washington Heights..... We relied on the ONE English speaking waitress to help us order and were not disappointed.  It had a counter and a lovely dining area and the roast pork, beans and rice and other side dishes were all very flavorful.
• Chinese - China Fun - 246 Columbus - Upper West Side.... Comments about pizza apply here... the difference between MOST of the Chinese food at home and ANY Chinese food in NYC is amazing.  We ordered food from here when Beth and Abby were with us, then John and I ate there for lunch and then we went back a 3rd time with our visitors from Virginia and New Jersey.  Excellent!
• Polish - Krolewski Jadlo - Greenpoint, Brooklyn .... John had a traditional sausage sampler and was thrilled with the side dishes also.  I had a chicken special that was superb also.  While we were there a food tour from New Jersey was also eating there.... so it has a well-deserved great reputation.

• Soul Food - Sylvia's - 328 Lenox Avenue... Harlem.... We enjoyed our walking tour of the area near this restaurant and were equally pleased with our meal.  It was our DUTY, we felt, to have fried chicken and all the appropriate side dishes... and they were excellent.