Clem's guide to NYC

Wes' brother Clem has compiled an awesome list of recommendations for those planning a trip into Manhattan (New York City). Plus directions for getting to and from Long Island. While adventuring in the city, just don't forget our wedding is on Saturday! ;)

Art:
  • Guggenheim : 1071 5th Ave  New York, NY 10128 
  • The Met : 1000 5th Ave  New York, NY 10028 
  • The Frick: 1 E 70th St  New York, NY 10021 
  • Moma :11 W 53rd St  New York, NY 10019 
  • Natural History Museum : 200 Central Park West  New York, NY 10024 
But if you go to the west side of Chelsea between 20th and 26th streets between 10th and 11th avenues there are a tonne of free galleries.

Parks:
Central Park – Absolutely massive located from 59th to 110th street smack dab in the middle of Manhattan.

Washington Square Park located in the west village (the most beautiful neighborhood) this is arguably my favorite park in New York.

The West Side River park – A good view of the Hudson river and a nice place to jog as well. The best parts are 14th street down

The Highline – An abandoned raised railway that was recently turned into a park, it is soo cool! Find it around the meat packing district 14th and 10th there should be an entrance and walk north to 30th street. Or do the opposite and enter at 30th street and 10thave.

The Bodies Exhibit – located in at the fulton street seaport, at the bottom of Manhattan (in the financial district). A pretty cool museum, not that cheap (like 30$ a ticket) but worth it. 11 Fulton St  New York, NY 10038

Theater
Primarily located around mid-town/times square area. For discount tickets around 44th and 7th you will find the TKTS booth. They offer last minute, cheap tickets to shows (keep in mind if there is a really new show you want to see I doubt you will be able to get tickets here, especially on weekends). Also if you want you can also stand in line early in the mornings at the theaters themselves and get rush tickets. They range in price, but are usually like 20-30$ (not all shows offer this, so be sure to google whether your show does rush beforehand. I recommend watching straight narrative plays for the best experience (personally I am not a fan of musicals).

Another option is Stand Up Comedy, which if you walk through time square you will be accosted by a variety of characters trying to sell you tickets. They are really annoying but legit. Try and haggle with them a bit, make it seem like you have no interest in them. If you end up at a comedy club, you will have a 2 drink minimum at like 10$ a pop, but in the end it’s a pretty cheap outing, usually 35$ a person all told.

My favorite thing to do is to go see improv at the UCB. This is an improv theater that was founded by Amy Poehler. Some nights are better than others and you should reserve well in advance (like 2-3 weeks) reservations are very easy to do and free. This is also a cheap night out and really fun! Tickets are 5 – 10$ and you can drink PBR as you watch for 3$ a can. Make sure you arrive to your show and pick up your tickets not much later than 30 minutes in advance to get in line, so you and your party can get a good seat. Also don’t get UCB CHELSEA confused with UCB EAST (which is far inferior)

My favorite shows to see (these will be on the website under schedule):
  • Death by ROO ROO – Simply incredible! (Saturdays at 9pm) 
  • The Step Fathers 
  • Scott and John (Scott Adsit and John Lutz from 30 Rock) 
  • ASSSSSCat – This is Amy Poehlers Group, they have two shows every Sunday night, it is really hard to get into but there are tones of names that show up, usually lots of the SNL cast and sometimes people like Alec Baldwin. One of the shows is free and you gotta be in line for like 2 hours and the other you should reserve tickets for well in advance.

GENERAL : A general tip for getting around (above 14th street, because below 14th street is old New York and there is no rhyme or reason to the madness of streets and avenues). However above 14th street walking around and knowing your bearings is very simple by just keeping in mind that AVENUES increase in numbers from east to west, starting at the eastern side of Manhattan with Avenue D,C,B,A then 1st avenue through 11th avenue. STREETS on the other hand run north to south, there isn’t much reason for a tourist to go further north than 110th street unless you want to go to the Appollo in Harlem, Want to try chicken and Waffles or for some reason want to get mugged (which is an authentic New York experience no doubt). Nah the city is actually extremely safe! I’ve only been shot twice, in 7 years! I kid, I kid!

Also, stay the hell out of times square! It sucks! Real New Yorkers avoid it like the plague. However, if your getting a hotel it is a good option because it is very central and you will probably have a room in a high rise which is pretty cool. If you want to see real New York, Go to the east or west village or go bar hopping down in the lower east side. Also Brooklyn is a hop skip and a jump on the L train, just get off at the Bedford stop right across the river and you will be in Williamsburg, a really cool neighborhood and a great place to go out or spend an afternoon. While I’m on it, another place tourists tend to frequent is the financial district, in my opinion it too does not have that much to offer, sure check it out for an afternoon and see all the tall buildings and the Freedom tower but then get out.

Restaurants:
The Spotted Pig $$$– great burger
314 W 11th St  New York, NY 10014
 
Bare Burger $$ -  All organic everything (down to the ketchup), you have the choice between Elk, Ostrich, Wild Boar, Bison, Chicken, Beef and there are also a couple vegetarian options but why would you?? There are several locations around lower manhatten, I tend to go to the one on the corner of Bleeker Street and Laguardia as there is a nice outdoor patio.
Locations:
  • 1514 3rd Ave (between 34th St & 35th St) New York, NY 10016
  • 535 Laguardia Pl (between Bleecker St & 3rd St) New York, NY 10012
  • 1370 1st Ave, New York, NY 10021
Tue Thai food – Great Thai!
3 Greenwich Ave  New York, NY 10014

Ethiopean
124 Macdougal St  New York, NY 10012

Caracas – Maybe my favorite! Venezuelan food! Sooo good!
93 1/2 E 7th St  New York, NY 10003

Dublin 6 – Is a classy feeling Irish bar. I am essentially part of the furniture here, it is like Cheers to me, great burgers, great everything and a great staff!
575 Hudson St  New York, NY 10014

Yum Yum bankok – Decent thai
650 9th Ave  New York, NY 10036

Chipotle – Essentially Fast food, (Burritos mostly) but are really good and they use all organic ingredients.
Many, Many locations

Mudd – Is a coffee shop, really great brunch here!
307 E 9th St  New York, NY 10003

Café Condessa - Mexican style brunch, one of my favorites!
183 W 10th St  New York, NY 10014

Mission Chinese $$$ – get here really early to get your name on the list!
154 Orchard St  New York, NY 10002

Artichoke pizza – Several locations, pizza by the slice (get the artichoke slice it is one of the best things you’ll ever have!
111 Macdougal St, New York

John’s Pizza – A very old pizza place, possibly the oldest in NY. This is sit down, (not by the slice) but they are really quick!
278 Bleecker St (between Jones St & Morton St) New York, NY 10014

Bleeker Street Pizza – Pizza by the slice, its great.
69 Seventh Avenue South (at the corner of Bleecker Street) New York, NY 10014

Village pizza – Pizza by the slice, also great!
65 8th Ave  New York, NY 10014

Taim – Great Healthy Falafel sandwich!
222 Waverly Pl, Manhattan

Mamoons – Cheaper falafel sandwich, 3$ but a staple.
119 Macdougal St New York AND 22 St Marks Pl, New York

Veselka – A polish restaurant that is open 24hours. They have a great borscht in here! And a cheap, but hearty breakfast.
144 2nd Ave  New York, NY 10003

Ninja New York Restaurant $$$ - Your servers are literally ninja’s…you will need reservations definitely. The food is good…and they aren’t half assed ninja’s they are the real deal, and by the end of your meal you might at one point have a knife to your neck. Seriously…
25 Hudson St  Manhattan, NY 10013

Grimaldi’s – great pizza but sit down like John’s.
656 Avenue of the Americas  New York, NY 10010

Blockheads – Many locations but here’s one for you mid town people! (massive burritos and 3$ margaritas)
322 W 50th St New York, NY

Red Bamboo – Entirely Vegetarian but they make their dishes to resemble meat dishes its hard to tell the difference! Get the buffalo wings! They are unbelievable!
140 W 4th St  New York, NY 10012

Wolf Nights – Partying in the lower eastside? Ammmazzzing Wraps from this place! Really good combinations, like nothing you’ve ever had!99 Rivington St  Manhattan, NY 10002

OTHER STUFF TO DO:
One cheap thing is to head up to the revolving restaurant around 6pm at the Marriot in Times Square (Just the elevator up is worth the trip) Its glass and really fast! The drinks aren’t cheap, but it is a great view of the city just don’t stay past 8pm because after that they add 20$ a head to your bill.

Also a free thing to do is walk the Brooklyn Bridge!

Another free thing, take the Staten Island Ferry, it’s a great view of the city and leaves from the very bottom of Manhattan, takes about 20 minutes each way and you can get a beer on there.

Baseball games are surprisingly cheap! You can usually buy tickets there or buy them from a scalper outside the stadium (this can be a bit risky though) I recommend going to a mets game, it’s a fantastic stadium, my favorite baseball stadium I’ve ever been to and I’ve been to a lot! Baseball games are the most authentic New York experience you will get though and if you get cheap seats, if you’re careful about it, you can usually move down halway through the game.

TRAVEL:
Travel to Manhattan from the Wedding Location:
Take the Long Island Railroad from Patchogue (a 15-20 minute drive from the wedding location) located at:
Division Street and Ocean Avenue, Just South of Main Street in Patchougue
Schedules can be found at www.LIRR.org
Buy your ticket at the station at one of the machines (they are 12.75$ if you buy them off peak) if you buy them at peak times they are like 4$ more. Get your ticket to Penn Station, the ride is usually 1hr30- 1hr40. You will have to transfer at one point either at Jamaica Station or Babylon Station, so just make sure to listen to the announcements or better yet ask the guy punching your ticket.

Travel to Wedding Location From Penn Station:
Simply reverse the above directions, but make sure you don’t miss the night train, they stop running at a usually around 12:30ish am, so if you miss it you’re sleeping on a bench somewhere, until like 6am.

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