I've been sorting out the itinerary for New York trip this afternoon and after a bit of juggling I was ticked pink to buy us tickets to see La Boheme at the New York Met.
The Prof has never seen Puccini's tale of love amid the poor artists of the Paris of 1840 and although it has been criticised by some as a lightweight opera , it does have the power to bring a tear to your eye and a lump to your throat!
Now even though I have filled most days of our visit with nice activities ( and before you ask I've been 8 times before so we've pretty much done the tourist stuff) I ask the Going Gently readers if they know of anything alternative that they have done in New York which is worth a visit. We are open to anything new, a lovely restaurant, exhibition,.....anything different......you could recommend
I'm all ears!
We visited new York and engaged the services of a "new York greeter". They are all born and bred in New York and will escort you to anywhere you wish to visit. They offer friendly, local knowledge and are rightly proud of their city. It's a free service and totally worthwhile. Our greeter was a descendant of Chinese immigrants and took us round China town and we saw stuff we probably wouldn't have seen just doing the tourist stuff. They have a website. :)
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful
DeleteOh yes China Town I wanted to go last time, a zillion years ago, and x didn't want to.
DeleteWill have to think about this, many building have great views and exhibitions. I would just walk the park and look at what ever Farmers market has to offer. Is there a Walking Tour to take.
ReplyDeleteWhen I traveled I loved to wander towards something lunch or dinner and just enjoy what every I saw.
cheers, parsnip
I'm looking for things " off the beaten track" not the usual!
Deleteunderstand, what I meant was just pick out something and walk towards it. You will never know what you will find.
DeleteThis is touristy, but an autumn Circle Line boat trip around Manhattan is always very nice, weather permitting, time permitting. And rebuilt WTC area is interesting, so different. Some hotels have rooftop bars, for after-sightseeing drinks, you d have to check what is still open in Nov.
ReplyDeleteWe always love the states island ferry trip just there and back....manhattan looks lovely from the Hudson
DeleteOver at Trip Advisor - coming in at number 1,122 of 1,122 things to do in New York City comes The American Bible Society Library at 1865 Broadway. Why don't you and Chris give it a try? I am sure you'll have a wild time there.
ReplyDeleteWild no...interesting and lovely ...yes
DeleteHIghly recommend Big Apple Greeters. I wanted to see Brooklyn. My guide picked me up at my hotel, provided subway tickets and spent 3 hours showing me around his 'neck of the woods' including a Fire House. I bought him lunch as his services were all free. Great way to see Parts of NY you might not see on your own
ReplyDeleteI'm warming to this idea even though we know manhattan fairly well as only visitors can that is
DeleteRockefeller centre has a nice view but I think just walking around New York is great fun. The diamond district is worth walking through, it's full of sights. Watch out for the vagrants though, a lot of them are undercover cops, the fun game is working out who is legit and who is a cop.
ReplyDeleteTop of the Rock booked again
DeleteOn my sole visit to NY back in '69 one of my most memorable experiences (apart from being 'mugged'!) was a visit to the Planetarium. I see from the website that this one opened in 2000 so the site may well be different from the time I was there, or it may just have been expanded and updated, but it's still fairly centrally located in Manhattan. If and when I return I'd go there again - though I do have a very keen interest in Astronomy, which helps.
ReplyDeleteTrust you Raymondo! Did the mugger get much
DeleteThat's the planetarium headed by the wonderful astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. It's a beauty, and yes it's been completely re-done through the efforts of Mr. D-Tyson.
DeleteI put the word 'mugged' in quotes, J.G., as it was less that than being surrounded by maybe 4 or 5 kids (late teens?) who did nothing but held out their hands, grinning. I didn't argue or ask what they wanted but gave them what I had in my pocket, maybe a few dollars which, back then, would have been worth possibly £10-£20 today. They ran off laughing, leaving me breathing a sigh of relief and with a red face. And that was on my very first day!
DeleteThe present planetarium has the same name, Hayden, as the one I went to, Vivian. I took a photo of its exterior. A precious experience it was.
DeleteSo much richness! I'm terribly fond of the Frick Museum, myself - spectacular art and beautiful rooms. As for food, I like the few remaining old-fashioned French places in the West 50s - many were originally founded by crew from the French ocean liners that used to dock on the Hudson in that neighborhood. My favorite is Tout Va Bien, still, I believe, going strong. Chez Josephine on 42nd Street is fun for a dash of glamor (opened in tribute to the great Josephine Baker). In the theatre district, Joe Allen on 46th often has Broadway types around and makes heavenly banana cream pie. Whatever you do, you'll have a marvelous time...
ReplyDeleteTout va bien looks lovely.......thanks for that
DeleteYes, the Frick! But when are you going? If near Xmas, must see Berdorf's window displays at night. A burger at PJ Clarke's, and hot chocolate at Max Brenner's, which is chocolate nirvana... ABC Carpet is a destination. Have you been into the NYC Public Library just for a quick walk around? Spectacular! One of the best things I've done in the area is drive out to Hartsdale, which is America's oldest and largest pat cemetary. We just loved it, vey peaceful, and reading all the tombstones was poignant and fascinating.
DeleteEarly November the Frick us now on the agenda !
Deletepet cemetary, that is...
DeleteI'm in Wisconsin and have only been to NYC once on a school field trip. I'd love to go back; will you please tell me where you are staying? I need suggestions on where to stay. Big Apple Greeters sounds great. Thx.
ReplyDeleteWe are staying in a different boutique hotel this time but we have been to the Waldorf , the Helmsley opposite to the Chrysler building ( many times ) and I've been to the Plaza...will let you know
Deletethanks much
DeleteIf you haven't been, it's a fun place for lunch...most of the waiters are actors waiting for their big break:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jekyllandhydeclub.com/
We always loved the old wisecracking waitresses at Carnegie Deli...out first meal in New York was at The Russian Tearooms
DeleteAlas, Carnegie is closed, a year or so ago. The passing of an era.
DeleteI know...I mourned it x
DeleteI know x
DeleteIn the 70's on a trip to NY being at a loose end I went into a cinema at 9 o'clock in the morning. I thought the place would be empty but it wasn't, there were people watching the film and eating their burgers and chips. Here is the city that never sleeps, I thought at the time.
ReplyDeleteI know American cinemas well ( although never been to one in New York) and they can be unbearably noisy ...we may go just for the hell of it
DeleteThe only sound I heard was somebody snoring.
DeleteIf you get a nice day be sure to walk the High Line.
ReplyDeleteThey have a website. You won't be disappointed.
Lizzie
Now thanks for reminding me of that..I wanted to go when I read about it! X
DeleteTake the bus OUT of NYC to New Hope, PA/ Lambertville NJ...it's where all of the New Yorkers go to get out of the city....great towns, restaurants, people and scenery....!
ReplyDeleteI don't think we are there long enough but thanks for that x
DeleteI agree, there is so much to do and see in NYC, you will never see it all, going out of town on a 2 hour drive .. will suck NYC time away from you.
DeleteNew Hope is charming but ...
watch for a private e-mail from me regarding this trip!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait! Do you know any sleeze? The Prof wants to see a real New York drag act!
DeleteJohn, google *NYC drag revues*. There are many, including dinner shows, to buy tickets online. I can t begin to know what might appeal the the Prof!
DeleteIf you go to the WTC area the Conrad had a great rooftop bar, tho it may be closed by Nov, check online.
HighLine is cool.
Thank you Liz x
Deletethere is drag queen bingo in west village
DeleteIf you haven't been there recently, perhaps you and The Prof would like to visit the 9/11 memorial in lower Manhattan....
ReplyDeleteIt's booked already. We know that part of the city well saw 9/11 shortly after that terrible event
DeleteI rather like Cemeteries and so would recommend Green-Wood Cemetery, if you haven’t been, in Brooklyn. CLoisters is a nice visit and a great bus ride up there. The Frick is one of my favourite museums, have been there three times and would go again if in NY.
ReplyDeleteHave you had a cocktail in the Campbell Apartments in Grand Central Station? It is quite the place and is always nice to walk through the station. Love the food hall in the station. I used to stay in a hotel connect to the station quite a lot and would often get my dinner from there and eat in my room as I worked...the seared tuna and seaweed salad!!!!
As we are still on the subject of cocktails the Blue Bar at the Algonquin is nice. Some of the rooms there are tiny but I always liked staying there because of Matilda, the cat....though I noticed one time that “Matilda” didn’t look quite the same...yup Mat2.
Enjoy La Boheme. I saw Placido in Siegfried there...wonderful. One opera I saw at the Met, at the end of a long week of meetings had a live donkey on stage...don’t remember the opera but loved that donkey!
We adore the oyster bar at grand central ( we sit at the counter for chowder and beer) we have been to the blue bar..I'm off to google the Campbell apartments xxx
DeleteI am SO jealous! Saw La Boheme at the Met few years ago...front row balcony. I still swoon remembering that night. Big Apple greeters is a great idea! The High Line is great, weather permitting, but not sure how pretty it will be in November. NYC is so much fun, but like any big town, just make sure you know where your wallet is at all times in a crowd. X
ReplyDeleteThe Prof has never experienced the opera so I just had to buy him tickets for his Christmas pressie
DeleteHe has seen many operas but never the story of Mimi and Rodolfo
DeleteThank you all for these ideas please keep them coming...I already have a load of ideas
ReplyDeleteBack stage tour at Radio City Music Hall?
ReplyDeleteI loved it! We went a few years ago! My best friend mike was filmed with a rockette....she towered over him
DeleteI love reading all these suggestions even though I have never been or am going to New York! :)
ReplyDeleteEveryone should go just once
DeleteHmmmm. Read the details carefully,lol: https://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/secret-new-york
ReplyDeleteI. Will. X
DeleteThat mean to read
DeleteI...................willl
Sorry for weird spacing above, it s very humid here, keyboard sticks. I wasn't being---fancy.
DeleteUrban Jungle, in Brooklyn; best thrift/second hand clothes store in NYC in a neighborhood that is still rough around the edges but has fine dining in holes in the wall. Good place to wander around to see hipsters who aren't trust-fund babies, like Shoreditch in the ''90s, and if you hanker for an '80s purple leather jacket for $5.00, or game shirt for any and all NYC pro-sports teams, this is the place. It's also a good hang.
ReplyDeleteABC dept. store is a "sight". I did the Campbell Apts 20 years ago...Grand Central is not a big deal if you've been to St. Pancras, but note the ceiling: the guy who put the constellations on the roof got it wrong. The guides will try to tell you that the stars are arranged as if you are looking DOWN on them, but really, the guy put them all backwards. There's also a little bit of the original soot left up there to compete how dingy and awful it was before they cleaned it.
if you haven't been to the High Line Park,I would recommend it. It is an elevated park right in the city. Nice views too.
ReplyDeleteWe stayed at the Viceroy and loved. Tea at the Russian TeaRoom. The NYC Ballet was one of the trip's highlights as was the horsedrawn carriage ride around Central Park.
ReplyDeleteHave you been to the Whitney since it moved? Breakfast at Chelsea Market, visit to Whitney, followed by walking the High Line....or reverse and lunch at Chelsea Market. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteHave you been to either the Museum of the City of New York or the Brooklyn Museum. Both worth a visit.
ReplyDeleteWhen you go to the Highline, go for a drink at the Top of The Standard, a hotel that straddles the highline. There are two rooftop bars, one is all gold with a beautiful light wood grand piano and an extensive outdoor lounge complete with chaises tucked behind potted palms and views of the Hudson and all Manhattan. The other is very dark with a pool inside it and I understand from my tranny friend, it can get rather wild at night.
ReplyDelete-invisigal
Ice skating where they put the tree up.. Rockefeller center i think... they have beautiful angels lit up in that area too and horse drawn carriages and huge warm pretzels... Hugs! deb
ReplyDeleteLunch or tea at Serendipity .. try the Frozen Hot Chocolate .. try anything, it is all quirky and delightful.
ReplyDeleteLunch or tea at the Museum of Modern Art.
Lunch on Sunday in Chinatown.
Dinner on the weekend in Little Italy ..
I am against horse drawn carriages in the City .. I was unlucky enough to witness the collapse and death of a gorgeous pure white horse on a terribly hot summer day on 5th Avenue ..
Horses and carriages do not belong in NYC.
Agree about the carriages 100%; breaks my heart to see them :(
DeleteI haven't lived in New York in 15 years. These are all wonderful ideas, some of which I had never heard of. Try stopping at Fishs Eddy, for something for your new kitchen, if you get the chance.
ReplyDeleteAnd...I just finished watching the premiere of The Walking Dead. Hope you get to watch it soon.
Love Fishes Eddy :)
DeleteHave never been to NYC so we're reading the ideas with interest. We'll have to do that sometime. Of course we need to do the touristy things too, ha.
ReplyDeleteJust watched TWD. Won't spoil it, will look forward to your review.
If you are looking for a treat, make your way up to Forty Carrots, on the seventh floor at Bloomingdales on 59th Street and Lexington Ave, for some frozen yogurt. I am addicted to it!!! Far warning that even a small is a large serving. While enjoying your take away treat, take the escalator up one more flight to the newly redone kitchen/housewares floor to admire all the goodies. Maybe a souvenir for your remodeled kitchen will be awaiting you there. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteOk x
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter and I were very moved at Ground Zero and could have stayed quietly contemplating for a while but the other three in our party were keen to move on. The mist on our faces from the water tumbling down was wonderful to feel. One day we will return and spend time there without a time limit.
ReplyDeleteWe are going x
DeleteHave you visited the Cloisters yet?
ReplyDeleteNo, tell me more
DeleteUpper Manhattan. Museum of European medieval architecture and art. Fantastic unicorn tapestries..
DeleteIf you like the Cluny in Paris you will like this. Good, but long bus ride back down to midtown.
traveller
Tenement museum - loved the hard times tour of the actual tenement.
ReplyDeletefree tours by foot gospel music in harlem, followed by lunch at sylvias.
Fabulous .... Puccini is my favourite .... shivers down the spine stuff !!! .... and in New York, even more shivers ! La Boheme always reminds me of the film Moonstruck .... I think they saw it at The Met. XXXX
ReplyDeleteI second the "High Line", a nice walk and it is new. Don't forget lunch with a certain Philly Warrior (I'd love to join you.)
ReplyDeleteI second the recommendation of visiting the Tenement Museum. Very interesting living history sort of always- changing tour. I can’t imagine how those immigrant families survived. Illuminating. And I think lunch at Katz’s Deli and shopping for gold bullion-priced lox at Russ & Daughters are also must-do’s.
ReplyDeleteNow that sounds good
DeleteGo to Central Park and eat an apple. A Big Apple. (heh-heh-heh)
ReplyDeleteI have to say, that the only thing I want to do in NYC is LEAVE!
ReplyDeleteI am with you there Lynda. NY is one of those cities that I just never “got”.I used to go there a lot for work and was always pleased to me on the plane home. Having said that, there are some places in NY that I enjoy but I wouldn’t go there on vacation. Too many concrete canyons for me.
DeleteTraveller
Party poopers x
DeleteI always hung out in lower Manhattan, you won't find as many tourists there, If you haven't already been to the South Street Seaport & Museum, the views of the 3 lower Manhattan Bridges at night = awesome, there is usually street entertainment of all kinds as well as a blend of tourists and locals. It's within walking distance of Wall St, and Tenement, and not too far to City Hall, Battery Park. You can ride the Staten Island Ferry (free) over and back for a view of Lady Liberty. I loved the Blue Man Tubes, (Astor Place Th, on Lafayette & St Mark's.) For a walk on the wilder side W 4th and 7th ave area, all sorts of cool bars and eateries, The Duplex the oldest Cabaret Theater in the city, The Stonewall Inn where the Gay Rights movement began, The Natl Museum of the American Indian, and for admiring the skyline from the water Circle Line Cruises (pier 83 W 42nd & 12 Ave) Look online for discount coupons! In Chelsea the Piers, The Whitney Art Mues. on the south end of the Highline (from the Whitney N. to W 30th & off 10th ave) and more entertainment the Highline Ballroom. (W 16th off Hudson) And if you do go to the Planetarium (CPW & 81st) walk down to 72nd in the park Strawberry Fields and this park of Central Park is really pretty ENJOY!
ReplyDeleteSondra, loved these ideas
DeleteCarmines - Italian food, it's going to to packed with people, but if you enjoy beef, they have the best porterhouse (tons of chopped garlic, herbs and butter) I've ever had!
ReplyDeleteI'm googling again
DeleteI am aware that you do not want to do the tourist thing and the usual tourist thing is a Broadway show. Iam going to still suggest it as this one has the Divine Miss M who makes this silly show Hello Dolly a huge event.
ReplyDeleteWell that's interesting, we saw miss M at radio city years ago!
DeleteTell her you are the couple Tracey told you about.
ReplyDelete-invisigal
Thank you, you crammed a lot in there x
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing compilation you managed to draw from among your readers. Will pass their suggestions on to anyone crossing my path, planning to fly to New York.
ReplyDeleteMust be such a contrast between your Welsh country idyll and one BIG apple. How long will you be staying?
U
Fiv days
DeleteI just watched the trailer for a documentary film by Frederick Wiseman - Ex Libris: New York Public Library. Looks fascinating as do his other films.
ReplyDeleteJocelyn(I don't know why I am unknown??)
Well, I don't know if this is quite up your and the Prof's alley, so to speak, but my favourite thing in New York is Judy Chicago's "The Dinner Party," which is on permanent display at the Brooklyn Museum. Women's herstory, the Divine Feminine and lots of lovely vulva imagery all done up in embroidery and ceramics! Seriously, it's the most important feminist art work of the 20th century.
ReplyDeleteI'm in Barcelona just now and got into conversation with an American couple. They were surprised that I'd never been to America and had no plans to go. They said: you speak good English so you'd have no trouble. I said: I speak better English than you!
ReplyDeleteAlan Cummings has opened a club called Club Cummings where among other things they have knitting nights! It sounds amazing! https://patch.com/new-york/east-village/alan-cummings-club-cumming-opens-east-village
ReplyDeleteJust popping in to say I loved all these replies! Yes, everyone should go to New York City once. We took a bus trip in 2003 and did all the tourist things. We had two hop on guides that were wonderful and the only down side was when off the bus we were herded like cattle and my husband tends to wander off exploring. Our company guide was frequently calling his name. But my best experience was Ellis Island, very moving.
ReplyDeleteReading all the lovely suggestions makes me want to go, very happy for you both.
ReplyDelete