query take 2

[tigriswolf]

So, tigris_lilsis and tigremere are going to New York in a couple weeks.  Does anyone know of any stores or something they just have to do?   (Besides the obvious.)

Comments

[wendybnyc.livejournal.com]

I always tell NY tourists to do jewelry window shopping -- Tiffany's, Van Cleef & Arpels and Harry Winston are within a couple blocks of each other (5th ave, 55th-58th st) and they're happy to let people try stuff on. They also have gorgeous full-color glossy catalogues, free. Bergdorf-Goodman is on that same stretch, people seem to like their display windows.

Does your city have an Apple Store? The one across from the Plaza Hotel is almost an iMuseum. If you're a "Sex in the City" fan, Jimmy Choo's is at 5th/51st and Manolo Blahnik is on 54th between 5th and 6th.

Iconic department stores are Bloomingdale's (Lexington/59th) and Macy's (34th/Broadway). There's a bazillion boutiques on Madison Ave in the 70s and 80s; Columbus Ave in the 60's-80's, and in Soho on Broome St, Prince St Horatio St. For reasonably convincing counterfeit designer handbags and watches, the street vendors on Canal St.

Times Square has no traffic this time of year, it's been turned into a pedestrian mall and the street is full of tables and chairs for a few blocks. I particularly like The Levi's Store -- they have an awesome selection, at slightly less than catalogue/website prices.

The Shops at Columbus Circle (in the Time Warner building, 59th/Broadway at the southwest corner of Central Park) has five floors of retail (Armani, Hugo Boss, J Crew, Esprit, Benneton, etc) and some very good restaurants.

For bargains: Loehmann's (2101 Broadway, at 75th st) and Filene's Basement (2222 Broadway at 79th) There's a *lot* of street vendors on Broadway from 70th-80th -- jewelry, scarves, sundresses, hats, books, at great prices. Then buy some takeout at Zabar's (2245 broadway/80th, the deli counter is legendary) and eat it in Riverside Park (2 blocks west), maybe at the 79th St Boat Basin; then it's a very pretty walk down the Promenade for as far as you can go without getting tired (seriously. It goes all the way to down Battery Park, and up to the George Washington Bridge. Great place for a bike-ride, too, there's rentals on the pier at 44th).

There's free kayaking on the Hudson (at 12th st, 55th st and 72th st) on wednesday evenings and weekends -- much cooler than the rowboats in Central Park. There's several restaurants in Riverside Park (outdoor seating, on the river) -- all of them have gorgeous views, but the one at 70th is the only one with reasonably good food. The Broadway Show League (softball) plays in Central Park (http://www.broadwayshowleague.com/schedule.php). The Mary Poppins team is a heavy favorite for the playoffs.

Streets run east-west, Avenues are north-south, Broadway runs at a diagonal. To gauge walking distance -- 20 blocks to a mile between streets, 5 blocks to a mile between avenues.

The best view of the Statue of Liberty is from the Staten Island Ferry, don't bother going to Liberty Island. And the water taxi (http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/bigmap/manhattan/watertaxi/index.htm) is better than the Circle Line.

Hope that helps.

[tigriswolf]

Thanks!