Getaway Fun in New York City, New York State - 24-Hour Travel Guide
Breakfast - A good way to ease into the day is breakfast at Elephant & Castle, on Greenwich Avenue in the Village. This is one of those New York institutions with a long list of regulars who have been coming here every morning for years. E&C has the look and feel of a local pub. The place is known for serving huge omelets, great breads and bakery items, and wonderful coffees and teas.
Morning - Since you’re in the Village, you may want to use this time to explore the funny crooked streets. New York, or Manhattan, is such an easy place to find your way around – You always know that streets go crossways and avenues go up and down. Not in the Village. Streets wind around every which way and you make incredible discoveries at every turn. There is wonderful old architecture, houses where famous poets and writers and artists lived. Cafes are on every corner, and you will discover some of the most eclectic shops in the city. Make sure you take the time to venture west of Sixth Avenue, over into the NYU area and Washington Square Park. The park is a wonderful gathering place for students, writers and artists, joggers, and musicians.
Lunch - The Central Park Boathouse Restaurant, on the Central Park Lake, is a treat. You get to it by entering the park at Fifth Avenue and 72nd Street. The prices are high and the wait staff can be snooty, but this is about location. Once you’re seated, you realize what a great perspective it gives you of the city. Known mostly for its seafood selections the Boathouse also serves some excellent salads. That would be my choice – particularly the Boathouse Salad, which is a sculpture of tomatoes, cukes, red onions, olives, and feta cheese.
Afternoon - Shopping is as much about looking as it is about buying, and New York offers a number of distinct shopping districts that are well worth a visit. If you only have time for one district, make it Fifth Avenue. There are many well-known shops and chic boutiques that you won’t want to miss. There is Tiffany, Bergdorf Goodman, and Saks Fifth Avenue. You’ll also find Euro shops here, like Cartier. A block east is Madison Avenue, which has 50 or so blocks of European and American designers and dozens of art galleries, restaurants, and hotels. Shoppers who go to the Lower East Side go to find what’s cool right now. These shops and storefronts were once ethnic markets and butchers and today they are home to some of the hippest boutiques in town. The Chelsea Gallery District is between 13th and 30th Street and between 9th and 11th Avenue. In the last few years, this area has become the place to find the most cutting edge contemporary art.
Dinner - If your shopping expedition ends up in Chelsea, a good place for dinner is Buddakan, which is located on 9th Avenue, between 15th and 16th Streets in the meatpacking district. This place is a 3,00 square foot stunner, and any New Yorker who cares about food loves to come here. Buddakan looks like a theme park, with oversized birdcage and staircases and high 35-foot ceilings. Don’t be put off or intimidated by the menu; it’s Chinese food and they make it sound fancier than it really is. You’ll find Buddakan reasonably priced.
After Dark - After dinner, you will find that you’re in a great part of town to take in bars, cocktail lounges, comedy clubs, dance clubs, pubs, sports bars and just about any music club you can imagine. Cielo, on Little W 12th Street is one of the city’s top clubs. You’ll find a montage of Afro-Latin to soul or jazz to Hip-Hop. It has great décor and a sunken dance floor. Most of the clientele are under 30. Here’s another suggestion: for a New York tradition, go uptown to the Oak Room at the Algonquin, which is on 44th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue. It’s got the classic décor and oak paneling and you can see top-named cabaret and jazz artists here.
Sleep - 60 Thompson, on Thompson Street between Broome and Spring Streets in Soho, draws downtown celebrities. The rooms are chic and soft toned, spacious but spare. Think Armani. Or you might try Gramercy Park Hotel, at 2 Lexington Avenue. The Gramercy is old world charm meets postmodern chic. In public areas, you will find chandeliers and Warhols. This one’s expensive but incredibly luxurious, the kind of place you’d be comfortable hiding out in for 24 hours.
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