Thursday, April 12, 2018

What to do in NYC? my 2 weeks journal

What to do in NYC? my 2 weeks journal
by Jesica Mac Leod

The big adventure started with a very delayed and almost empty British airways flight, which I do not recommend as they have been going down in quality. I made to NYC JFK 2 h before schedule, passed by a non friendly interrogation at the airport and took the AirTran to Jamaica station where the E express train takes you to the city in 45 min, give or take.

On Tuesday’s night the best free bachata party is at Kanas tapas bar, so I went there. It was full and the sangria and empanadas were waiting for me, along with the best DJ and great dancers, which I have the placer to call my friends.
I stayed for 1 night in alphabet city/East village (the area where avenues’ names are letters and not numbers), with awesome cafes, clubs and restaurants:
Club Cumming is an emotional roller coaster, a must if you like fun art (and who doesn’t?) with live music, a friendly environments and fun sketches of different types, I recommend you to check the schedule to find your fave!
In the same block the restaurant Buenos Aires (6th st), offers delicious authentic Argentinian food (from beef to Italian pasta), if you fancy Italian just cross the park to Gnocco (10th st).


This place is the coffee lovers paradise: Ninth Street Espresso is the best, followed by the Three Seat espresso and Barber, Abrasso and Round K, Third Rail coffee. If you are looking to add bagels, then you are in luck too: Tompkins sq bagels is the place, my favorite is Black seed with the all included bagel with salmon. For a proper breakfast the Clinton St Baking Company has amazing pancakes, be aware to go there earlier because it is very very very busy. For a friendly and tasty breakfast still in Houston st, go to Gaia Italian café, great pastries, sandwiches and coffee!
Now it is dessert time: Spot dessert bar has a lot of creative bites that can be eaten with the eyes, chikaliciuos is also mandatory if you want a special treat. Now some soft ice cream places are in vogue, like Soft Swerve ice cream and Vivi’s Bubble tea. Now let’s talk about creamy ice cream: Big gay ice cream shop serves the best salty caramel, Van Leeuwen offers gourmet ice cream and creative and tasty flavors. If you are adventurous 10 Below has thai style ice cream and il laboratorio del gelato is a very neat place to grab a small scoop. I personally like Davey’s ice cream with their feature flavors (like the dark and light side from star wars, both were sooo yummy!). If you walk to Chinatown you can find the Original Chinatown ice cream factory with green tea and Asian flavors.

There is more than food in that area, the Russian Turkish baths are an old, emphasis on “old” place where artists go to relax their muscles in the ice bath and then have them beaten with palm leaves in the sauna.
The new museum is pay as you wish on Thursdays and some of the exhibits tent to be controversial and have socio-political views.
While walking in NYC always have your camera or phone ready, from street art to small galleries with great design, paintings and installations, some quotes will make you smile and give you live advice (your comfort zone will kill you).

A walk to the meatpacking area, on the west side will allow you to discover great parks and stores, crossing the Washington sq park is always fun, with jazz bands and art installations. The Highline starts at the Whitney museum of Modern art (pay as you wish in Fridays after 6 pm), with great views from their balconies. On the next block the standard Hotel is a must, go to the rooftop to the fancy posh Boom boom room (it looks like a set from a James bond movie). Then go to the fun party at the top of the standard to enjoy the Jacuzzi or the rooftop views with some freshly made crepes. Walking from 14th st to 34th st will allow you to enjoy it against the “traffic”. Don’t forget to stop by the Chelsea market just below the 23rd st entrance. That are mined with astonishing art galleries, actually the astonishing part is inside the galleries! From Picasos to absolutely new art pieces that will blow your mind.



For the TV funs, you can get tickets online for The daily show, SNL, etc, they all have live audiences and it just a thrilling activity to be in front of very talented comedians and actors, sometimes they have even more famous and interesting guests. I love the daily show with Trevor Noah and The late show. The studios are around Hell’s kitchen and Midtown.


If you are in Hell’s kitchen you should check out empanada mama and the thai and Ethiopian cuisine.
The best day for museum lovers is the first Friday of the month. It can turn into a marathon if you consider hitting all the options:
1-The Frick collection on 72nd st and 5th av is worth the visit for both the building and the art inside. They also have activities and concerts.

2-Morgan library, again great architecture guarding very interesting books and art exhibits.
3-The MOMA is free after 4 PM, I recommend you to arrive 5 min before as sometimes there is a long queue, go straight to the top floor or to whatever they have as a temporary installation/exhibit.

4-The Rubin museum of art host glamorous Indian and other Asian art pieces, as well as very interesting cultural events.
5-The New York Historical Society Museum and Library on the west side hosts some the best art pieces on American history and Audubon’s birds paintings, a gallery of Tiffany lamps. They had a comic books and superheroes exhibition that was quite interesting.
6-The Neue Galerie hosts masterpieces from German and Austrian artists, like Klint. The café on the first floor is gorgeous.
7-If you cross the pond to Queens, the Noguchi museums offers beautiful stone and wooden art from Noguchi.
8-The museum of the moving image has very fun and interactive exhibitions about the history of cinema and TV.

On Saturdays, more museums offer free or pay as you wish entrance:
1-Solomon Guggeheim Museum is easy to find on 5th av UES, it looks like a white UFO as it is charming with a small modern art collection, and very innovative installation that cover their spiral building. Go there around 5:30 PM so the queue is not too long, they open the doors at 5:45.

2-Cooper Hewitt design museum is almost next-door and it is also a gorgeous building with a lovely park, their exhibits go from interactive Pixal animations to costume design.
3-El Museo del Barrio. On the 3rd Saturday they have activities for the family and live music, plus you can enter the latin art gallery for free.
4- The Brooklyn museum is free some Saturdays and they add live music and activities to the already amazing exhibitions. From International art pieces to great classical paintings and modern art on the top floor (the famous feminist dinner will make you take photos of each plate).

In case you are busy on the weekend, you can check out other museums that are pay as you wish 24/7: the MET, The museum of natural history, Japan Society… for a complete list looks at this website: www.nyc-arts.org/collections/35/free-museum-days-or-pay-what-you-wish. For the Museum of the city of NY try to get a local how lives or works around the area, if they show their address they can enter for free. They have a marvelous short movie about the history of NYC.

No trip to NYC would be complete without a stroll by the parks. Central park is the top of the list from the gorgeous hills on the north, below 110th st to the Zoo on the south east area, all the park is gorgeous. In the warmer seasons they are free concerts in Summer Stage, and free plays.
Bryant park near Times Sq, is also a must, with free movie screens on Mondays and other activities all year around, next to it the the NY Library, with luxurious reading rooms and exhibits, can offer a fantastic cultural trip in Midtown.
Battery park on the tip of the island holds some iconic sculptures and monuments, also is next to the Ferries that can take you the Statue of Liberty, Governors island, or to Staten island, this last one for free.
NYC can be the dancer paradise. For swing dancing/lindy hop Prohibition productions runs a variety of parties. On Sundays St Maize’s in Williamsburg is a cozy vintage restaurant/pub with live music with the “Baby soda” band and on Thursdays Radegast, also in Brooklyn, offers great German food and bier with great live jazz and swing. On Mondays the Bierhaus bar has live music and fun parties, check the website for more events in gorgeous and vintage locations (www.prohibitionproductions.com). You can continue the party at the Back room, a speak easy with Sletvanas’ band having the best tunes to enjoy a classy and “dry era” cocktails in tea cups and brown bags, lovely place too: deco as a 20’s library or posh living room (check here for the password: www.facebook.com/DelanceyFive). On Tuesdays the party is at Swing 46 in Midtown with George Gee’s band. Thursdays are hot for regulars at Frim fram, or You should be dancing, I can guarantee you will have amazing dances here. Every other Saturday the party is at JCC in the Upper west side with live music and dress up socials.

On Friday I love the Tavern on the green, in Central Park west, live music by Fleur Seule (www.fleurseule.com), also Brooklyn Swings is a good option. For updated info: http://thisweekinswingnyc.com/
On the salsa and bachata side, La vieja guardia, las chicas locas, Taj, Cache and Jimmy Anton’s social are kind of mandatory for the hard-core latin dancers. For an updated calendar: http://www.salsanewyork.com/calendar.htm

Lots of photos of the Skyline and admiration to Gillian Anderson's "I'd rather go naked than wear fur"


No comments:

Post a Comment