Things I Learned Living in New York City

If you've never been there before, you've got to try all the touristy things (Empire State Building, Times Square, Central Park, etc.) After that, try out all the neat things that people who live there do. You'll have a lot more to talk about

Quick Tips:

The biggest thing you need to know is the subway. Look up the map before you leave and try to figure out where you want to go. Learn the difference between express and local trains. It’s not really that hard to do and will make you seem more like a local if you don’t have the subway maps in your lap as you ride around.

Best Way To Get Around:

Unless you've got the money for taxis, you're going to have to ride the subway. It’s pretty safe. Don't try to drive to different places. It’s almost impossible to park on the street in most places, and parking garages can be easy.

This is a jewel in the East Village. You have to like french fries if you're going here, since that's all they serve. These aren't just ordinary fries; these are Belgian fries (pommes frites). I'm not quite sure what makes them so good, but you have to go try them. The shop is only about 8 feet wide and has about 10 small seats in the rear. It is probably best not to go in bad weather, since you might be eating outside. The small fry is about $4, and the large is around $6. Go to the mini mart next door and grab one of their large selection of beers and bring it over.

This is one of our favorite lunch spots. Most lunch menu items are less than $5. This includes the meal, rice, and a choice of egg roll, soup, or chicken wings. The restaurant is in the lower level of the building, below sidewalk level. However, if you ask to sit near the large windows, you can sit and people-watch. The decor is the same you'd find in most Chinese restaurants, with Chinese paintings, bonsai, and little fountains. I usually get General Tso's Chicken, which is big chucks of chicken and delicious broccoli. The egg roll was a little above average. On a whole, this is a cheap restaurant with very good food. It's worth the trip to the Heights and only about 2 blocks from 2, 3, N, R, 4, and 5 subway station.

This is another wonderful lunch/dinner/snack restaurant in Brooklyn Heights. It is an Italian pizza shop, but with style. The decoration is much better than the usually greasy pit stops in NYC. Don't expect to just grab a slice of plain pizza. You'll be trying either the BBQ chicken pizza, the white pizza with fresh ricotta, or the eggplant Parmesan pizza. The price per slice is a little high for pizza ($3), but the food tastes amazing. The entrees and salads are very good too. You can design your own salad with different vegetables and meats, like chicken. Have a seat in the comfortable dining room, then finish up with a gelato outside. http://www.montyqs.com/

Let me start out by saying that I am not the most cultured person around. I do like art, but not the kind that looks like I could do it with finger paints. That said, I did enjoy the museum. The architecture of the building (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) is almost worth the entry price. It is like a giant, open corkscrew. It is about 7 stories high and circular in shape. You take an elevator up and walk all the way down the ramps. Art is displayed all around the walkways and they have separate galleries on the side. When we were there, they had a lot of displays by Hilla Rebay. I was not that impressed. However the bottom gallery was amazing. We are talking Chagall, Gauguin, Monet, Picasso, Renoir, and Van Gogh. Those are artists. Take a look at this musuem and then walk across the street to Central Park.