Visiting New York for 3rd Time (Roosevelt, Thompson: real estate, hotel, house)

[featherfloat]

Hey, I'm visiting NYC for the third time in six months in a few weeks, and I'm looking for some good folks to help me out with stuff to do that isn't too tourist-y. I already got the obvious tourist stuff (top of the empire state building, shopping in soho, times square) out of the way over my last few visits, and I've explored pretty much all of midtown, so I was wondering about some fun, more casual stuff to do. (ie: not museums, etc.)

I'm thinking of stuff geared towards the boroughs, some more obscure places and things to do. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. What are the chances of a nineteen year old and two twenty year olds finding a bar that won't card?

[Agrotera]

You can check out the Bronx Zoo, try the Monorail which is only open til Oct 28th depending on the weather. The Botanical Gardens is another beautiful place to visit. These are in the Bronx area and each has parking or transportation nearby. If you want to try some good seafood spots you could travel to City Island also in the Bronx and even though its winter there are still places open.
In Manhattan, I say go to Chinatown, on Canal St. & Broadway you can find great items and good food and nearby is Little Italy. If you like the Halloween theme then checkout the costume shop Abracadabra superstore on 19 W 21st St, New York.
You can also try purported haunted places like the oldest bar in the city,
Bridge Cafe, 279 Water St, this place was constructed in 1794 but became a bar in 1847. Located under the Brooklyn Bridge, rumors of ghosts of the pirates who frequented the bar go on.
The Morris-Jumel Mansion on 65 Jumel Terrace (between West 160th and 162nd Streets), Built in 1765 as a summer home for British Colonel Roger Morris and his wife, the Morris-Jumel Mansion is the oldest remaining house in Manhattan. Several ghosts are reputed to haunt the mansion: Eliza Jumel, former mistress of the mansion, has been seen wandering the house in a purple dress, rapping on walls and windows; the ghost of a young servant girl who committed suicide by jumping out a window has been seen in the mansion's servants quarters; and a soldier from the American Revolution, who's picture hangs on a wall in the mansion, has also been seen.
Or the White Horse Tavern, 567 Hudson Street at West 11th Street.
Dylan Thomas died in New York City after consuming 18 shots of whiskey at the White Horse Tavern in November 1953. His ghost is believed to appear from time to time and rotate his favorite corner table, as Thomas did when he patronized the bar.

So hope these help and I have seen a majority of bars will ask for ID's.

[NewYorkNative]

St Marks Place is fun
The Cloisters is kinda like a little-known museum
South Street seaport
Every visitor to NYC should go to ground zero (IMO)
I always take visitors to Generation Records on Thompson St - it's pretty unique
In Brooklyn, you could make a reservation at Giando On The Water - Italian food with a killer view
Coney Island's in Brooklyn too
The Brooklyn Promenade is good for some photos - and free!

[Henna]

If you like food, a good way to see the smaller neigbhorhoods of the outer boroughs is to follow some of the posts on chowhound.com's outer boroughs board about neighborhood food crawls in those areas.

Here is the first example I pulled up, but there are many more Roosevelt Ave Mexican Survey - Outer Boroughs - Chowhound

there's also a good one My Google Map of Obscure Street food in Eastern Jackson Heights - Outer Boroughs - Chowhound about mapping all the great street food vendors in eastern jackson heights.

I have heard that there's great food in carts at the Red Hook ballfields in Brooklyn - that would be a cool, highly industrial neighborhood to check out - by the water. Though now that Ikea is moving in, not sure what the nabe is like.

You could also do a gallery walk in Williamsburg (make sure you check which days they are open as many are only Thursday -Sunday or something) and afterwards go to one of the uberhip cafes or restaurants.

You could also search the archives of the NY Times for articles about "living in" in the real estate section, as they often cover neigbhorhoods that are not that well known.

How about the trolley tour of the South Bronx galleries and artist studios? It's an iffy neighborhood but the trolley tour is fun and off the beaten track.

I think the Steinway factory in Astoria Queens used to give tours = you could check into that, though that may be old info.

I think it's good to have one destination in a neighborhood (a restaurant or factory or gallery or whatever) and then use the opportunity to walk around.

[ngayeha]

flying to ny for the belmont. will only have sat.night in the city, don't care for high price clubs but would like to see comedy or blues or jazz local clubs. should we head to Soho? Sun want to see ground zero and Ellis island . Only have to 5:00 pm. Also have not booked a hotel. Not sure which area we want to be in and hate to book a $300. room for a few hrs. sleep. Figure we have to hit the streets by 8am to be able to see anything by 5pm deadline. Any suggestions?

[Fred314X]

You should certainly visit Coney Island...before the city gets its hands on it and turns it into the same kind of sterilized amusement center anyone can go to anywhere else in the country.