Bluegrass meets the Big Apple

Negril

Restaurant

I met a friend from school here for dinner on a Tuesday night and the place was fairly crowded. We would have had to wait 15-20 minutes for a table if we hadn't been willing to sit in a very cozy spot between the bar and the door. Negril's specialty is Jamaican cuisine. I had cabbage and saltfish with dumplings and my friend ordered jerk chicken. I was delighted with my food. I had never tried Jamaican before. The fish was really fresh and the dumplings were great. I also had a sip of my friend's sorrel which is a flavorful sweet iced tea made from flower petals. I thought it was great!! She had nothing but good things to say about the chicken. On the other hand, I have to say that the service was horrible. We sat down, got our menus and drinks and then, we didn't see anybody for the next 30 minutes. After we finally got our food the waiter disappeared again until the end of our meal. Negril has great food and the restaurant itself is a cheery spot that evokes island images. Caribbean music was playing the entire time we were there. The staff was friendly enough when we saw them, but the service was not first rate.

by adm on June 15, 2000

Negril Caribbean Restaurant
362 West 23rd Street New York, New York 10011
(212) 807-6411

La Paella

Restaurant

I've been here twice. Since I've gotten back from Spain I have looked and looked for good paella - found it!! This place is great!! The atmosphere and decor are probably as much a reason to check it out as the food is. Be sure to look up at the ceiling, lots of dried flowers. The paella portions are made to share and everything is always fresh and hot!! I have had their tortillas and various types of paella. The tortillas are truly Spanish - very fluffy. The paella is excellent. The seafood paella is full of shrimp, scallops and more. Both times I have eaten here the place was fairly packed and the space is small, not for the claustrophobic!! I haven't tried the sangria, but the friends I have gone with really loved it. This is on my list of favorites!!

by adm on June 15, 2000

La Paella
214 East 9th St New York, New York 10014
+1 212 598 4321

John's Pizzeria

Restaurant

John's is some of the best pizza I've had since I have been in New York. I have eaten here three different times and the service was excellent on each occasion. They use a brick oven at the pizzeria, by the way. The restaurant is in a neat location on Bleecker with lots of cool shops close by and the prices are very reasonable. The place is cozy with lots of booths - great for a date!! There are also lots of photos on the wall of famous folks who have tried John's. It can get pretty crowded on the weekends. Try to go early. If you like pizza, I suggest you try John's while you are in the Big Apple!!

by adm on June 19, 2000

John's Pizzeria
278 Bleecker St. New York, New York 10014
(212) 243-1680

Harley-Davidson Cafe

Restaurant

A friend of mine is into motorcycles so, I thought this would be a neat place to take him for a meal. The restaurant is decorated with motorcycles and Harley-Davidson memorabilia. They also have a great gift shop. I had chili and my friend had some sort of barbeque sandwich. The chili was great and the french fries I stole off of my friend's plate were decent. He said the sandwich was pretty good too, but the service wasn't too good and it was really loud in the place. If you want to look at the motorcycles stop in for a drink or check out the gift shop, but for a meal of good ol' American food there are much better and less noisy places in NY to eat!!

by adm on June 27, 2000

Harley-Davidson Cafe
1370 Sixth Avenue New York, New York
(212) 399-6000

Bruno's Pasta Express and Cafe

Restaurant

I eat here often for lunch when I am working because it is just around the corner, but this weekend my boyfriend and I got a quick dinner at Bruno's before a movie. He really loved it!! I like it a great deal as well. There are several options to choose from in terms of the types of pasta and various sauces. The food is always warm and very fresh. My boyfriend had spinach and cheese ravioli with the tomato basil sauce which he devoured. I picked bowties in traditional sauce, my usual. You always get bread and you can order a salad too. I should also mention that the desserts look as scrumptious as they taste!! The cafe is a small (sometimes crowded) area with counters and stools, but it is bright, colorful and always clean. The service is quick and the staff is very friendly. Bruno's also has focaccia pizza, lasagna, and wonderful fruit smoothies. The combo meals are one of the best values I've found in NY!!

by adm on July 5, 2000

Bruno's Pasta Express and Cafe
251 8th Avenue New York, New York 10011
(212) 633-0163

National Café

Restaurant

A friend of mine took me to this great little Cuban place and I do mean little. The National Café is beyond cozy...it has maybe 5 small tables and a counter, but don't be discouraged by the lack of space. Squeeze in and wait for a seat, the staff are very friendly and the food will be more than worth your time. The walls are filled with Cuban memories...flags, posters and so on...
They have an extensive lunch and dinner menu with several lunch specials for just $4.60. You have your choice of a variety of beans and meats (pork, beef, chicken and seafood). I didn't have one, but their milkshakes or batidos sounded tasty with flavors like mango and banana.
I ordered one of the lunch specials: yellow rice with pinto beans and pork. The meal also came with a cup of soup. I chose chicken and it was very good - warm with lots of chicken and noodles. The main dish was excellent. The pork was tender and the beans and rice were very fresh.
Their menu also features Cuban sandwiches, various salads (including avocado), several fruit juices, and desserts such as flan. They, of course, have café con leche to warm you when the meal is over.
The prices are reasonable and the portions hearty. The staff at the National Café were delightful. They were gracious and greeted us with a smile. The service was excellent. I can't wait for the chance to go back.

by adm on October 23, 2000

National Café
210 First Avenue New York, New York
(212) 473-9354

Battery Park

Activity

My dad and I came to NY before I moved so I could do some serious apartment hunting. We spent an afternoon in Battery Park. We looked for our family name on the various war memorials and took the boat and tour over to the Statue of Liberty. The park is right on the waterfront and there were runners and rollerbladers, which I thought was very New York at the time. It was a hot day in July and we enjoyed the breeze off the river. We also bought hotdogs and sodas and ate in the shade. I think I shared some of my hotdog bun with the pigeons too. There are various food stands and carts in the park where you could get a cheap snack. My dad and I also checked out the folks selling New York souvenirs in and around the park. You can get some pretty cheap NY t-shirts here, but you probably get what you pay for!! There are numerous events held in the park at different times of the year. I happened to be there with my boyfriend once during 'National Weed Day' or something similar. It was a rally to support the legalization of marijuana. That visit was quite different from the first visit with Dad!!

by adm on June 15, 2000

Battery Park
Battery Place New York, New York 10004
(212) 809-5508

Beauty and the Beast

Activity

When my sister came to visit we saw this show. At the time, Tony Braxton was playing Beauty. Our seats were good. We were a little far away from the stage, but we were up high enough to have an excellent view. When I bought the tickets I didn't know anything about the layout of the theatre. The Palace is a little old (and you can tell), but nice enough. We were both very impressed!! She had wanted to see a Broadway show and I'm glad I had the experience too. The sets were much more elaborate than anything either of us had experienced. They were colorful and fun. The cast was great and we really had a great time. This show was a good choice because we were both familiar with the story and the musical score. I think it would be a good choice for kids as well because it is light-hearted and easy to follow. Tickets were not hard to obtain either.

by adm on June 15, 2000

Beauty and the Beast
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 W. 46th St.) New York, New York 10036
(212) 575-9200

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Activity

One word...breathtaking. Nothing like this back home in KY. I've seen cathedrals in Spain, but never one this large in the USA. I have been to St. Patrick's several times and I never get tired of walking through the double doors at the front and seeing people praying in the pews. I could spend hours looking at the various altars. I think there is nothing more striking than the sight of the flowers left at the feet of the saints here. I am not Catholic, but there is still something sacred about this place. My sister and I were lucky enough to see a wedding here one afternoon, bride in white and all. I lit a candle here for a dear friend's uncle who was sick and left feeling like I'd done a good deed. The stained-glass windows are beautiful and I can't really describe what it feels like to see the sun shine through them. The gift shop is very nice too. Some of the rosaries are quite pretty. I think it is an ideal spot to pray, meditate, or just think. It is a real refuge in the 'city that never sleeps'.

by adm on June 15, 2000

St. Patrick's Cathedral
460 Fifth Ave New York, New York 10022
(212) 753-2261

Manhattan Mall

Activity

The Manhattan Mall isn't anything spectacular except for the carnival-like lights on the outside. There are some cool clothing shops, but the food court is mostly greasy fast food fare. The glass elevators are neat and the view of the city from inside is pretty good, but in the end it is just a mall with the standard stores you can find anywhere. There is much better shopping in New York eventhough my parents spent half an afternoon here when they came to town.

by adm on June 15, 2000

Manhattan Mall
6th Ave. and 33rd St. New York, New York 10001
(212) 465-0500

Brooklyn Bridge

Activity

This bridge is supposed to be ranked among the world's greatest suspension spans. It was a real milestone of 19th centruy engineering when it was built in 1883. My boyfriend and I took a Saturday afternoon and walked across. It was a sunny day in early June and lots of people had the same idea we did. There were also plenty of bikers and roller bladers navigating their way along the bridge. It is a great vantage point from which to photograph the city. The views are incredible. The cables all around create a neat picture when you look back at Manhattan from the middle of the bridge. There are plenty of plaques mounted at various points telling you about the bridge and the buildings you can see from it. There is a great breeze from off of the water that is also really refreshing. We took a few minutes to rest and plan the rest of our day on one of the wooden benches on our way back across the bridge. It doesn't take too long to cross the bridge and the trip is great exercise!!

by adm on June 16, 2000

Brooklyn Bridge
City Hall Park, Manhattan New York, New York 11201

Footloose

Activity

This show was a lot of fun!! If you've seen the movie, lots of the songs will be familiar to you and you will find yourself singing along. The cast is great and the dance numbers are very entertaining. My boyfriend and I really enjoyed this one and we laughed a lot! The story isn't the most original. On the other hand, the cast does a good job of bringing the small town in Footloose to life, even if the characters are pretty standard stereotypes.

by adm on June 19, 2000

Footloose
, 226 W. 46th St New York, New York 10036
(212) 221-1211

Rose Center for Earth and Space

Activity

The Rose Center is part of (or at least attached to) the American Museum of Natural History (check out my other journal entry for this one). It also houses the Hayden Planetarium. My boyfriend and I were really excited about our visit. He has an interest in astronomy and he studies physics so, this was right up his alley. I just find the planets and stars fascinating. Unfortunately, we thought the Planetarium was a big let-down. Admission was $14 each - that is the student rate and it includes the Space Show feature. It also includes admission to the Museum of Natural History. The Rose Center itself had interesting exhibits. There are some great photographs of the moon and from one of the Apollo missions. The building itself is very unique and is quite a sight from both the inside and the out. The information describing the various exhibits is pretty elementary (which was good for me, but made it a little boring for my boyfriend, I think). We watched a free film about black holes while we were there. Again, it was fairly basic, but we enjoyed it. There are displays dealing with Earth, the Big Bang, and various details about our universe (and others), stars, and space in general. There is a 'Big Bang' show which is nothing more than Jodi Foster's voice giving an introduction to that exhibit, you could skip it real easy!! We wish we had!! Finally, there is the Space Show which is the feature in the Hayden Planetarium. This added $6 to our admission cost and lasted all of 18 minutes. The Planetarium is a neat theater, but the show wasn't much. Tom Hanks narrates the show, but the pictures that were shown prior to the Space Show (in the waiting area on various tv screens) were more interesting than the Space Show itself. The show featured stars and is promoted as a 'tour of the universe'. We even receieved passports as we entered the theater. My boyfriend and I both thought that the Space Show was too brief and less than innovative or even original. We had seen better shows at the university planetarium back home. The Space Show features a starry sky and views of the Orion Nebula and some of the planets, including a pretty cool view of the Earth. I think we also saw the moon and a worm hole. There weren't any pictures of other galaxies or things like stars being formed. Our biggest complaint was that it was just too short (like I said). We were glad we went all in all, but I think that the Rose Center is much more impressive viewed from the outside (especially after dark) than from the inside.

by adm on June 19, 2000

Rose Center for Earth and Space
Central Park West New York, New York 10023
+1 212 769 5100

Empire State Building Observatories

Activity

I never get tired of the view from up here. I have been here several different times with friends, my sister, and my boyfriend. It is usually very windy (you might want to bring a jacket). The line can be long, but I have never had to wait for more than 30 minutes. I always go at night. I think the city lights are what make the view interesting. To go up to the observatories on the 86th and 102nd floors costs $7 for adults and I think they only take cash. The view of the city truly is amazing. I always try to find the landmarks like the Statue of Liberty. The water and the bridges are great to look at too. My favorite thing is watching the traffic from way up high. It doesn't seem so stressful from a distance. This can also be a very romantic spot. My sister and I actually saw a young man propose to his girlfriend the night we went.

by adm on June 20, 2000

The Empire State Building
350 Fifth Ave. At 34th Street New York, New York 10118
(212) 736-3100

Feast of San Gennaro

Activity

The Feast of San Gennaro takes place every September in Little Italy on Mulberry Street between Houston and Canal. Over a million people are supposed to walk through the streets mingling and celebrating the patron saint of Naples. The streets are decorated with glittering green, red, and white streamers suspended from the buildings.
The first weekend of the festival you can catch several processions. The feast runs for a little more than a week. My boyfriend and I were there on the Saturday that they paraded the image of the martyred San Gennaro through the streets. There were a couple of bands playing in the procession and people stopped to snap photos and place dollar bills on the saint. This procession takes place at various times during the first Saturday of the feast. There are usually posters around Little Italy with the schedule. The big parade with floats is the next day, a Sunday. I really enjoyed seeing the procession. We didn't know it was going to take place and it was a great surprise.
The feast celebration reminded me of the Catholic church picnics back home. There were blocks and blocks of food booths and vendors. There are also lots of games and gimmicks. There is even a ferris wheel!! You can do everything from watch people make Cuban cigars or get a temporary tatoo.
The smell of Italian sausage floats through the air and there is lots of alcohol to be had as well. My boyfriend was very pleased to find plenty of Italian pastries on hand. Lots of canolis to choose from in Little Italy as well as chocolate dipped strawberries and all kinds of candy made from nougat.
Many of the restaurants in Little Italy set up tables out in the street. You can find any sort of pasta your heart desires. The prices vary greatly. My boyfriend and I looked at menus where a plate of pasta was $18 or more!! We finally grabbed a table at a place where we got our choice of several pasta dishes for $5.95 a plate!! Don't be fooled, though. Italian fare is not the only temptation at the San Gennaro street festival.
I should warn you that the crowds at San Gennaro can get pretty BIG. We arrived around 3pm and it wasn't too bad, but by the time we left at 6 it was getting difficult to navigate the area.
Some say this is THE street fair in NYC. We really enjoyed it and the day we went the weather was fantastic. I don't know how much food cost because we just had that one meal, but I imagine you could spend a bundle. We spent about $20 and had great fun. Don't miss the booths with the Italian pride t-shirts. The slogans are well worth reading!!

by adm on September 21, 2000

San Gennaro Festival
Mulberry Street New York, New York 10013
+1 212 768 9320

NY Waterway Sightseeing Disco Cruise

Activity

This was a truly magical experience for my boyfriend and me. It was a very pleasant July evening when we took the cruise. It lasts for a little over an hour. You leave from the 38th Street Pier around 10pm and sail down to the tip of the island and then around to the Brooklyn Bridge and back again. On the return trip you go by Lady Liberty which is a treat to see after the sun goes down.
The gimmick on the cruise is the disco music and DJ. While you sail around Manhattan, you can dance or just listen to the tunes. There is lots of Donna Summer to be had, by the way!! We had a wonderful night and the cruise wasn't crowded at all. The only drawback is that the dance cruise is held on one of the NY Waterway passenger ferries so there are benches on the upper deck which makes dancing a little tricky. The lower deck isn't an option because there is no view, and the music is muffled since it is coming from the deck above. Still, we managed to strut our stuff without falling overboard, and we thought the views of the city at night were dazzling.

by adm on September 24, 2000

New York Waterways Sightseeing Cruises
West 38th Street and Twelfth Avenue New York, New York 10018
+1 800 533 3779

Irving Plaza

Activity

This was the first time I had been to a concert at this location and it is quite nice. The setting is small and fairly intimate. It is standing room only which gets old after a couple of hours and two opening acts, but still...
The sound is decent and the lighting pretty good as well. The floors and stage are wood and there is a nice balcony that curves around the back of the theater. My boyfriend and I got there around 8pm (when the show was scheduled to start) and we were able to find a spot very easily. It filled in later, but never got crowded. I don't imagine the place has a capacity of more than about 400 people.
There is a small bar at the back of the venue. They allow smoking (which wasn't a plus as far as I was concerned). At any rate, I'd go back there to see another show. Billy Bragg was very entertaining. I liked dancing to his renditions of the Woodie Guthrie tunes that make up his last two releases. If you don't like his music, you might laugh at his original and very British take on life and American politics. The two opening acts, Western Electric and Kevin So, weren't bad either.
Irving Plaza is right off of Union Square (near 14 St). They have shows frequently and feature all sorts of music. The website is: www.irvingplaza.com.

by adm on October 16, 2000

Irving Plaza
17 Irving Plaza (at 15th St) New York, New York 10003
(212) 777-6817

David Letterman Show

Experience

My boyfriend is a huge fan and I''ve watched Letterman all of my life. I think our mutual dream is to actually be guests on the show, but we only made it as far as the third row in the audience last summer!! At any rate, the experience was SUPER!! To get tickets you have to write a postcard well in advance of your visit. You can get the address by watching the Lateshow or over the internet. They will send you a response card at which point you call and schedule a time to see the show. The day we went it was over 100 degrees outside and we had to wait in a line before we were seated. Tapings are around 3pm. It was so worth it!! The staff and interns are great (and very helpful on the phone when you initially call) and Dave is very appreciative. He comes out before the taping actually starts and welcomes everyone. Paul and the band play while you wait for the cameras to start rolling. My boyfriend and I could hardly contain ourselves. Chris Rock was the guest that day and Sixpence None The Richer were the featured musical talent. It was so neat to actually see the set I''d seen on TV for years!! During the commercial breaks they play old clips on TV screens mounted in the studio. Also, the Ed Sullivan Theater is quite a nice old structure and what you've heard is true - Dave keeps the studio very chilly. He claims that it keeps the comedy fresh!! Anyway, that night all our relatives in KY were watching. My boyfriend's family claims they saw us in the audience, but when we reviewed 'the footage' we couldn't find ourselves. Who knows!! The tickets to the taping are FREE and you can get a shirt from the show right nex door!! My dad has one, by the way!! A birthday gift from my sister!!

Need a Trip Idea?

IgoUgo

New York

Negril

La Paella

John's Pizzeria

Harley-Davidson Cafe

Bruno's Pasta Express and Cafe

National Café

Battery Park

Beauty and the Beast

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Manhattan Mall

Brooklyn Bridge

Footloose

Rose Center for Earth and Space

Empire State Building Observatories

Feast of San Gennaro

NY Waterway Sightseeing Disco Cruise

Irving Plaza

David Letterman Show

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