Off the Beaten Path (New York, Brighton: neighborhoods, theatre, restaurants) - New York City - (NY) - City-Data Forum

viva kc · 03-08-2010, 10:21 PM

I've been to NYC a few times before, doing the more typical New York City tourist stuff. I was wondering if any of you locals could give me the heads up on what to do when I'm in town the first week in June. So if anybody can give me tips on what to do. Music, films, restaurants. etc. I'm from the midwest so I'm sure guys could spout off stuff that I've never even thought about.

Thanks

samyn on the green · 03-09-2010, 12:25 AM

You could go to a classic horse race. The Belmont stakes is June 5th. General admission is $2. There is a LIRR train station right at the track.

nyctovt · 03-12-2010, 10:34 PM

The Cloisters at the tip of Manhattan has one of the best collections of european medieval art and architecture in the USA.You would never know you were in NYC up there. Also NY Botanical Gardens in the Bronx near The Bronx Zoo..

bmwguydc · 03-12-2010, 11:44 PM

You could visit the Paley Center for Media and watch programs from its collection of television and radio. There are numerous walking tours around the city as well, some free, and some with a fee that explore hidden aspects of New York in depth, something that a tourist overview does not accomplish.

kemcnyc · 03-13-2010, 08:48 AM

I concur on the Cloisters Museum!

Can also try the Tenement Museum on the lower East Side. Very interesting.

Can also try a walk around Greenpoint Brooklyn or Brighton Beach. These are Polish and Russian neighborhoods (respectively).

Aurthur Avenue in the Bronx is like a Little Italy.... but less of a touristy feel than the Manhattan version.

Cida · 03-13-2010, 02:24 PM

I always think people who peruse guidebooks, so they have a sense of what's available. Restaurants, of course, are endless. Have you been to the smaller museums, such as the Frick? For movies, of course, you'd check the listings at the time, but you might like the American Museum of the Moving Image and see what's playing there. In June, it might be time for the Philharmonic concerts in the Park, too.

Chava61 · 03-14-2010, 12:41 AM

I suggest the Museum of the City of NY (see Museum of the City of New York ).

SonicYouth · 03-15-2010, 08:33 PM

I'd recommend just going to a really random neighborhood to get a feel for non-touristy areas. Sheepshead Bay is a very nice neighborhood. You can take the B or the Q straight from Manhattan, and maybe check out Coney Island while you're at it. Some neighborhoods might seem a little boring, like Gravesend, Midwood, and a bunch in Queens, but like I said, definitely not touristy.

Dewdroplet76 · 03-15-2010, 11:24 PM

My favorite restaurants are Mesa Grill (Bobby Flay's restaurant), Pampano(upscale mexican seafood and fish), Meskerem (Ethiopian - it's fabulous - as long as you like a little adventure), Chola (great Indian food), and Nobu (asian fusion).
Are you going to see any Broadway shows? I'd recommend Memphis - it's terrific!
One of my favorite places to go to is the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I know it's touristy or whatever - but I just love it there.

OyCrumbler · 03-15-2010, 11:35 PM

If you're adventurous, you can try Flushing in Queens to see what a truly huge Chinatown looks like. There's a huge variety of ethnic foods to be had there (Chinese people are actually a motley collection of a lot of semi-related peoples--plus there's a lot of Korean food there, too).

On that same trip, you can also check out Flushing Meadows-Corona Park for the remnants of the two World's Fair that took place there as well as the Queens Museum of Art which features a small-scale model of the entire city of New York from a bird's eye view. You might line things up to catch Queens Theatre in the Park QUEENS THEATRE IN THE PARK (I don't think they have things that far in advance yet) or a Mets game. Maybe.

Flushing is pretty much awesome.