Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
NEW YORK CITY AT A GLANCE
EATING
From street food to haute cuisine, it's here, it's excellent and it's in abundance.
Chinatown
is most accessible for ethnic eats. The
Lower East Side
, traditional home to Jewish food,
now teems with fashionable restaurants, while the
East Village
is the locus for great late-
night eats - bowls of ramen, slices of pizza and hot dogs. Some of the best and most ex-
pensive restaurants are just off
Madison Square Park
; continue up to
Midtown
for power-
house names like
Aquavit
and
Oyster Bar
, one of the city's quintessential eateries. Further
north,
Harlem
has fabulous soul food, barbecue and African restaurants.
DRINKING
Bars are everywhere and come in every stripe: pubs, dives, beer gardens, hidden speak-
easies, exclusive hotel lounges. Drinkers descend on the
Lower East Side
and
East Vil-
lage
, especially streets like Ludlow and Avenue A, which can seem like a carnival - but are
good destinations nonetheless. Rocker hangouts and swanky wine bars also hover around
Union Square
, and
Ninth Avenue
, starting in
Chelsea
and moving up to
Hell's Kitchen
.
The most exciting and characterful places are in the outer boroughs, specifically
Long Is-
land City
and
Williamsburg
. Most bars and pubs are typically open till the wee hours of
morning.
NIGHTLIFE
Clubbing hotspots jump around: the lower western edge of
Soho
one year, 27th Street in
the far west of
Chelsea
another. The
East and West Villages
always offer a few standbys,
and the
Meatpacking District
can be good if you're looking for busy places to put on your
dancing shoes. Keep your ears open, get current listings magazines and generally aim
downtown. Music venues are more established: the
West Village
and
Harlem
have historic
venues for jazz;
Lincoln Center
holds top spots for classical music, dance and opera, with
Carnegie Hall
just a few blocks away; and the coolest rock clubs are mostly in Williams-
burg and the
Lower East Side
.
SHOPPING
For big-ticket retail, look no further than Midtown, specifically
Fifth Avenue
, where Saks,
Bergdorf Goodman and many others congregate.
Madison Avenue
on the Upper East Side
also has its share of famous brands. Somewhat edgier fashion can be found in
Soho
and
Nolita
: Prince and Spring streets are crammed with designer boutiques and hip jewellery
and shoe shops. Those looking for vintage duds or the truly avant-garde might find the
Lower East Side
and
Williamsburg
more suitable. Antique hunters will have fun trolling
around
Chelsea
and, on weekends, the
Hell's Kitchen Flea Market
.
