Foster Provost's Midtown Manhattan Guide

New York City can be daunting to the uninitiated ... so I thought I'd put together an informal guide to help folks decide where to go to continue "conferring" beyond the Marriott Marquis. I'm not a native NY'er, so please forgive my omissions and errors (I may be a street off here and there). Obviously, an informal guide like this will just scratch the surface, especially in NYC. I suggest that anyone who will be staying for a bit longer should invest in a guide book, such as those by Fodor's or Frommer's or Let's Go. Especially useful is Fodor's "Flashmaps" New York.

-- foster

An informal guide to hanging out in Midtown for KDD-98

The Mariott Marquis is located just to the west of Times Square, between 45th and 46th, Broadway and 8th.

Lunch/Dinner:

Midtown Manhattan is packed full of restaurants. Times Square and Broadway up past David Letterman's place (53rd) generally have touristy restaurants. The Art Cafe (52nd) is a refreshing exception, with good food and reasonable prices. To the east of the Marquis on 46th street (between 5th and 7th) is a batch of Brazilian restaurants worth considering. Some specialize in "rodizio": all-you-can-eat roasted meats brought out on huge skewers. To the west of the Marquis on 46th street (between 8th and 9th) is "Restaurant Row" with lots of nice restaurants (probably more suited to dinner than lunch). Restaurant Row caters to the theater-going crowd, which clears out relatively early ... so late-dining conference goers should not have a problem getting a seat. I was very happy with the food and service at La Rivista (Italian), although it was on the pricey side. Le Rivage (French) is supposed to be "the best Theatre District French Bistro" as well as "reasonably priced" (Zagat's).

Folks interested in more affordable fare should consider heading north on 8th Ave. There are lots of restaurants with good food and surprisingly reasonable prices (for NYC), especially for lunch. There's a new Thai place on the west side of 8th up around 52nd St. where I had a very good lunch the other day.

There are lots of alternatives for Vegetarians. 8th Avenue has Mexican, Indian, Southeast Asian, and other alternatives. Hard-core Vegetarians should try to get to Zenith Vegetarian Cuisine ("Asian-Vegetarian", 8th at 52nd) called "best of its kind" by Zagat's.

A little further from the Marquis are some other restaurants worth mentioning (for top-notch restaurants like Daniel's and Le Cirque 2000, please consult your guide book or concierge). Steak lovers should try Smith and Wollensky (3rd Ave & 49th): the steaks are great, the atmosphere fabulous, and the wine list remarkable. Zagat's calls it "the place to go in Midtown." Maybe take a cab there, but stroll back. Seinfeld fans may want to wander up to 55th St (between B'way and 8th) and visit the Soup Kitchen International--home of the "Soup Nazi" Al Yeganeh. For Korean BBQ's, hike down to 32nd, around B'way, 5th, and Madison ("the Garment District"). There are a bunch; Hangawi is a favorite. For bang-for-the-buck Indian food, take a trip to the East Village (subway: S to GCS then 5/6 to Bleeker). There are a ton of good, affordable places in the block around 5th/6th St & 1st/2nd Ave. Try Rose of India, Haveli (very good, a little more expensive, if I remember), Windows on India. Also in the East Village is an all-time favorite: Benny's Burritos (Ave A. and 6th ... there is also one in Greenwich Village--Greenwich Ave around W.13th); great food, great prices.

Nightlife

Well ... you're in the Theater District.

On the first night, new-comers should make sure to go out to Times Square just after dark and stand in the middle of the sidewalk looking up at the lights, blocking any natives trying to do something frivolous like get home quickly. Don't forget to peep around the corner onto "the new" 42nd street. Alas, most of the sex shops are gone, but the lights are very nice.

If you're not a theater goer, you might consider Le Bar Bat (57th, 8th/9th) for dancing till dawn in a gothic bat-cave singles scene. Some may want to check out the jazz and blues scene. Grab a Village Voice at the news stand and take your pick; it's tough to be disappointed with the music (bring along a wad of cash--don't be surprised at a $20 cover charge and/or a requirement to buy multiple $9 drinks). A highly recommended nightspot, that I'm going to try to get to during KDD, is SOB's (In SoHo: 200 Varick St.). "Sounds of Brazil" is supposed to have fantastic music, and some of the best dancing in the city.

Walking-distance day-time blow-off spots:

Central Park is not too far (59th and up), and is worth the trip. Did you know there's a zoo there? (And a lot more). Many of Rodin's sculptures (including The Thinker) are currently on display (for free) outside at Rockefeller Center (49th, 5th/6th). Definitely worth the stroll. The Museum of Modern Art is walkable (53rd, 5th/6th), and until Oct. 1 has a wonderful retrospective of the work of Pierre Bonnard (art-lovers: shame on you if you miss it :) The Sony Wonder Technology Lab is on Madison (55th/56th). If you go, tell me what it is. The Intl. Center of Photography/Midtown is very close (5th & 45th). Shoppers might want to consider heading up 5th Ave. from Rock. Center up to 57th, then east on 57th. Hard-core shoppers should think about hitting the upper east side: Madison Ave, 58th up to 72nd. Oh, Macy's is 6th Ave and 34th Street; Bloomingdale's is 3rd Ave. around 60th, and Saks is 5th Ave. and 49th.

Other neighborhoods:

There are lots of famous neighborhoods in Manhattan. Greenwich Village is more-or-less between Houston (pronounced HOWston) and 14th St. with NYU in the middle. SoHo is SOuth of HOuston and has lots of art galleries (check out the blocks near Broadway and Prince, around the Guggenheim Museum Soho). To get to Columbia University, take the #1 subway up Broadway to 116th street. Harlem is east of Columbia U., north of Central Park (125th St. is the main drag). Chinatown is near Canal and Bowery. Little Italy is north of Chinatown. The financial district is the southernmost tip of the island ("downtown"). And that's just the beginning!

A more thorough introduction:

Of course, there is much more to see and do. There are lots of bus tours and boat tours with professional guides to give comprehensive overviews. A popular, close-by alternative is the three-hour Circle Line Cruise (Pier 83, west end of 42nd St.,).

New York Doubledecker Tours runs authentic London double-deck buses stopping periodically at the Empire State Building, Greenwich Village, SoHo, Chinatown, the World Trade Center, Battery Park, the South Street Seaport, the United Nations, and Central Park. Tickets (boarding and reboarding all day for two days) may be purchased for $15 at the Empire State Building (34th and 5th).

To learn more on-line, see:

Paperless Guide to New York City: www.mediabridge.com/nyc/

Village Voice Online (art/music/restaurants/nightlife/concerts/etc): www.villagevoice.com/choice/

New York City Beer Guide: www.nycbeer.org/toc.html

Enjoy your stay!