Okay, so it’s NYC and there’s tons of things to see, places to eat, etc.  Here’s what I did, broken down into places I ate at, hotels I stayed at, museums I visited, places I visited, and my preferred means of transportation.  So here goes:

Ate at:

First things first, it’s Restaurant Week through August 15th — you must check out these great restaurants offering 3 course meals for $25 lunches and $38 dinners!

Now, I ate at…

Los Tacos No.1 in Chelsea’s Market: TRY ANYTHING — the food is amazing and the prices are cheap! This is my new favorite place!

Capizzi on 40th & 9th in Hell’s Kitchen: pizza crust is great, the service is outstanding, very cozy, not the best area, amazing Oreo Truffle cannoli, decent wines.

Sweet Chick NYC – Williamsburg — Oh my, have everything at this treasure!  My table had yummy Arnold Palmers, Elote Corn (Mexican-style), biscuits with a variety of butters, divine mac ‘n’ cheese, a sweet ‘n’ spicy chicken on a bacon and cheese waffles, and a deliciously fried chicken sitting on scrumptious rosemary and mushroom waffles, and peach crisp for dessert.  Amazing! The ambiance is great.  The service was slow, but they are very nice, but who cares because the place is amazing and you need some time with that food!

Street meat – just go to a hot dog stand.

Broadway Bites by Urbanspace:  in Greeley Square Park, located at the intersection of 33rd Street and Broadway.  My lunch mates and I had: a slice from Roberta’s Pizza (yum), some shrimp dumplings, and the best was the rainbow macaroons with salty caramel ice-cream sandwiches!

Trop Pops – frozen fruit dipped in chocolate that requires a moment of silence.

People’s Pops – blueberry rhubarb deliciousness while strolling on the Highline? Please experience that!

Bouchon Bakery – Thomas Keller’s lovely bakery at the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle.

Banh Mi Saigon Bakery – Outstanding and cheap.  Vietnamese sandwiches (get the SANDWICHES not the rolls – down in Chinatown/Little Italy.  NOTE: When they ask you: “Spicy?” SAY NO unless you want to experience what it would feel like to eat a lit stick of dynamite!

Magnolia Bakery – Bleecker Street.  Great cupcakes, lousy service.

Mille Feuille – French cafe on 74th and broadway -great cronuts (a hybrid of a croissant with a doughnut), macaroons, coffee, pastries in general…

 

Stayed at:

The Standard at the Highline – great view, Joel who will meet you in the front has amazing customer service skills, but watch your charges because they will nail you with all sorts of incidentals that either you had nothing to do with or were supposed to be included. Oh and careful with being awoken repeatedly with false alarms at 2:30 am.

The Fairfield in Hell’s Kitchen – mmmm…not a great area and let’s leave it there.

 

Art Museums: take student IDs for substantial price reductions.

Guggenheim – the building itself is a work of art by Frank Lloyd Wright

Frick – I think this is my favorite museum in the city…and it’s right next to Central Park — look out the windows facing the garden facing Central Park…

MET – it’s the MET, you have to go see the mummies, and everything else…it’s the MET.

MOMA – despite the fact that Lam’s The Jungle and all of Mendieta’s works were not on display, Chagall’s, I and the Village was, which was enough for me, along with the Rothkos, Monets, Kahlos, Duchamp, and you-know-who’s The Starry Night.  It’s the MOMA, you have to go.

Whitney – Jeff Koons: A Retrospective.  Ahhh, the Rothko made it for me.

 

Visited:

The Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island – if you want to go up to the Crown, make sure that you reserve your tickets way in advance.

9/11 Memorial: check out one of my previous blogs for more information.

Central Park – Spend hours there, have a picnic in Strawberry Fields, ride a tuk tuk if you don’t value your life, and quickly walk by the Alice in Wonderland sculpture with a million children buzzing by.

Heather’s off-Broadway show at the New World Stage – rude staff that made me go all the way over there for nothing — yes, I’m still bitter.

Williamsburg – Brooklyn Flea, Artists & Fleas, Brooklyn charm

Riverside Park: beautiful, hidden treasure in the city.

Note: No, I didn’t miss the Empire State but the tickets are expensive, the wait is incredibly long so go to the top of a nearby building for cocktails. and take a selfie with the Empire State in the background.

 

Preferred means of travel other than the subway or bus:

Go Green ride – do it instead of a taxi – flat rate even if you’re in heavy traffic. Phone chargers.  Pleasant drivers.  Environmentally-friendly hybrid cars. Download the app and have them pick you up and drop you off at the airport so that you don’t get ripped off by a taxi.