New York City Recommendations

CTMike

My much better half and I have been making several trips to NYC over the last few months for testing and such in preparation for major spine surgery at HSS. 

- As others have said, Gramercy Tavern is outstanding. Expect to pay $500 or more for two people
- Gallagher’s is a top notch steakhouse
- Marea is an outstanding Italian joint, specializing in seafood. The octopus fusilli is beyond phenomenal. 

-Cote is a highly rated Korean Steakhouse. We haven’t been able to get in as they release reservations 30 days in advance, and clearly I’m not smart enough to think that far ahead. 

- A little outside of the city, but Blue Hill at Stone Barns was the most amazing dining experience I’ve ever had. Incredible setting, incredible food. If you go, have a very light breakfast and skip lunch. 

fishlessman

you guys need a better tour guide.......

TheFishWhisperer

fishlessman said:

Some folks HATE NYC, but there is really something really special about NYC close to Christmas. I love it.

saw a volvos back window get smashed, xmas gifts stolen, while eating a burger on park ave one day before xmas. woman came running down the street yelling ...i cant believe this is happening.    saw a car get stripped in maybe 15/2o minutes on the highway coming into the city, doors, stereo, seats, hood, then they flipped it over and dropped the motor coming into la guardia i dropped a friend off at a hotel with a car riddled with bullets and a pool of dark blood, car prolly sat there all day without anyone calling.   seen about 5 or 6 adult men chasing a young kid down the road kicking him and throwing things at him, kid was maybe 8, a few streets above time square.  ive only been there twice, where can you go to see all that in two days, gotta love it.  really like the hole in the wall guinness bars.  doesnt take much to keep me entertained the south street carolers and the restaurants there were descent.  poor college kid back then, bought a macys box, for the girlfriend, just a box, yes, they will sell you a box, filled it later got some miles outa that box.  gotta love the place, just watch your back side on the south side

fishlessman said:

i guess im in the you guys category since i have not been since the 80's.  watched a car breakin on park ave while eating a burger in an outside cafe, all the gifts in back were stolen. dropped a friend off at a hotel just outside laguardia airport in front of a car riddled with bullets and a large puddle of dark blood.  drank in maybe 20 hidden guinness bars. ventured north of times square at night, seemed like a good idea at the time, older kids chasing and beating younger throwing any thing they could find there. didnt stick around too long. went to macys and bought a box to give a xmas present in. saw a car get stripped on the highway getting into the city in what seemed like minutes. i had a blast actually. the next time i took the bus in, never take a long trip in a bus, probably will never fly into lga either.  so long ago, twin towers were still there. will check out the tgi fridays next time im there

My memory hasn't changed in four years, which is a surprise given all the gin I drink.  Still can't spell decent.  

Kayak

We were going every couple years to visit a doctor at HSS, and were just there in December. NYC is an incredible place that if I lived there I would be broke and overweight. Everyone sees what they want to see regarding the danger, but if you don't have your head up your ass you'll be fine and have a great time. I've ridden the subway's everywhere and been out to the wee hours. The opportunities to see and do things there are unmatched by anywhere else. Just expect to spend A LOT.

fishlessman

TheFishWhisperer said:

fishlessman said:

Some folks HATE NYC, but there is really something really special about NYC close to Christmas. I love it.

saw a volvos back window get smashed, xmas gifts stolen, while eating a burger on park ave one day before xmas. woman came running down the street yelling ...i cant believe this is happening.    saw a car get stripped in maybe 15/2o minutes on the highway coming into the city, doors, stereo, seats, hood, then they flipped it over and dropped the motor coming into la guardia i dropped a friend off at a hotel with a car riddled with bullets and a pool of dark blood, car prolly sat there all day without anyone calling.   seen about 5 or 6 adult men chasing a young kid down the road kicking him and throwing things at him, kid was maybe 8, a few streets above time square.  ive only been there twice, where can you go to see all that in two days, gotta love it.  really like the hole in the wall guinness bars.  doesnt take much to keep me entertained the south street carolers and the restaurants there were descent.  poor college kid back then, bought a macys box, for the girlfriend, just a box, yes, they will sell you a box, filled it later got some miles outa that box.  gotta love the place, just watch your back side on the south side

fishlessman said:

i guess im in the you guys category since i have not been since the 80's.  watched a car breakin on park ave while eating a burger in an outside cafe, all the gifts in back were stolen. dropped a friend off at a hotel just outside laguardia airport in front of a car riddled with bullets and a large puddle of dark blood.  drank in maybe 20 hidden guinness bars. ventured north of times square at night, seemed like a good idea at the time, older kids chasing and beating younger throwing any thing they could find there. didnt stick around too long. went to macys and bought a box to give a xmas present in. saw a car get stripped on the highway getting into the city in what seemed like minutes. i had a blast actually. the next time i took the bus in, never take a long trip in a bus, probably will never fly into lga either.  so long ago, twin towers were still there. will check out the tgi fridays next time im there

My memory hasn't changed in four years, which is a surprise given all the gin I drink.  Still can't spell decent.  

atleast i have my stories

pgprescott

JohnInCarolina said:

pgprescott said:

JohnInCarolina said:

Times Square after dark <shudder>:




The first clue that it’s a crap hole city is surely the TGI Fridays.

Looks awesome! 
I won’t bother posting all the newspaper reports/articles over the last couple years. You can do a simple search for yourselves. Like I said, absolutely in a league of its own, but these are strange times we are living. Make your own informed decisions. 🤷🏼‍♂️

you win. Enjoy! 

Pete, with all due respect, you are here reminding @lousubcap that "it's not 2004 today" when you were last in NYC in... the 80's.  Your lack of self-awareness is kind of staggering.  

If your understanding of what it's currently like in a city is based on newspaper reports/articles over the last couple of years, rather than actual first-hand experience, let me just suggest that you're viewing things through a particular lens that may not be all that accurate.  Sure, like any major city there are places you don't want to be at certain hours of the day and people do get mugged, etc.  But it's not Honduras.  This isn't about being honest or informed or whatever, it's about being able to think critically.  

I'll be up there again next March and will be staying pretty close to Times Square.  I'll post some pics from my own phone when I'm there.  

When I was there it was a dark time for the city. I’m totally self aware of that fact. Admittedly things got much better in the 90s - 2000s. You don’t even try to understand my point and I get that. You are who you are. My point is the city is nowhere as safe as it was in 2004. I don’t have to be there to know this I just have to read. I think it’s likely much better than when I was there, but that’s not saying much. Fireworks in Brooklyn as we speak, right? Definitely depending on what you are doing, your experience will surely vary.

Not being Honduras is not the kinda recommendation I be touting. “Look, you might get mugged, but hey it’s no Honduras” 🤣🤣🤣.

I don’t go wandering around Cancún either. I suppose that makes me ignorant of the potential cultural activities? I don’t think so. It makes me cognizant of the risks. Most people who do don’t get killed or raped or drugged, but I ain’t gonna find out whether I’m the lucky one or unlucky one. Just not acceptable levels of risk for my dollars and valuable time. 🤷🏼‍♂️ Your equation is obviously different than mine and that is ok. Why do I have to adopt your opinion and point of view? You just can’t stand for any dissent of thought. It’s a real blind spot. I suppose if you think critically about yourself you’d discover the fault. 😁 I know, your opinions are facts and mine are just stupid. There, i saved you the typing. 😁

For the record, I took a critical thinking test once and did quite well. I’d be shocked if you scored higher. 😁

Like I said, enjoy yourself and be safe. Good news is you won’t have to compete against me for any reservations 😁.  

I put as many emojis as I could in hopes to lighten your mood. I am hoping for a less severe lecture next time. 🤷🏼‍♂️😁

Legume

Lmao, like this 😂

Acn

If cities are so dangerous, why do people there live longer? 

JohnInCarolina

pgprescott said:

For the record, I took a critical thinking test once and did quite well. I’d be shocked if you scored higher. 

Well, that line, at least, made me laugh.

Legume

Acn said:

If cities are so dangerous, why do people there live longer? 

I don't know the life expectation data, but I completely agree that if a place makes you uncomfortable, don't go there.  Also, if someone asks for recommendations and you don't have one, skip that thread.  I've got 99 recommendations and Pete's ain't one of them. 

Acn

Just to leave an actual recommendation- Barolo East on East 49th.  Not the best Italian in the city, but much better and more reasonably priced than anything that close to Times Square needs to be.

pgprescott

Legume said:

Acn said:

If cities are so dangerous, why do people there live longer? 

I don't know the life expectation data, but I completely agree that if a place makes you uncomfortable, don't go there.  Also, if someone asks for recommendations and you don't have one, skip that thread.  I've got 99 recommendations and Pete's ain't one of them. 

Funny thing is you’ve offered nothing. Not even interesting banter. I offered my recommendation and it’s not well received by some but hopefully it helps inform someone. Again, you offer nothing. 😁

Legume

Wife and I have been wanting to plan a trip.  I haven't been in 15 years and it was for work.  I'm here as a consumer and I've got 99 helpful recommendations so far.

nolaegghead

https://www.amny.com/news/crime-up-nyc-still-safer/

JohnInCarolina

nolaegghead said:

https://www.amny.com/news/crime-up-nyc-still-safer/

Carey everyone knows there are lies, damn lies, and statistics!  

fishlessman

i like how they left shootings off the list

Legume

fishlessman said:

i like how they left shootings off the list

I think that falls under murder and felony assault.

Anything else?

fishlessman

i dont trust graphs but this one brings it full circle....for all i know it could be fake

JohnInCarolina

fishlessman said:

i dont trust graphs but this one brings it full circle....for all i know it could be fake

Mind the x-axis:




Everything is relative.  When did you say you visited again?  In 1981?

fishlessman

JohnInCarolina said:

fishlessman said:

i dont trust graphs but this one brings it full circle....for all i know it could be fake

Mind the x-axis:




Everything is relative.  When did you say you visited again?  In 1981?

i like how you left shootings off your graph mid 80's, apparently it was getting better at that time

lousubcap

What's a few murders amongst all the shootings??

Edit-should normalize against the population and visitors...

nolaegghead

If you constantly digest a diet of propaganda on TV that is perpetuating a stereo type where virtually all crime is in democrat run cities, you're gong to be exactly like you are.

pgprescott

nolaegghead said:

If you constantly digest a diet of propaganda on TV that is perpetuating a stereo type where virtually all crime is in democrat run cities, you're gong to be exactly like you are.

How’s the crime in New Orleans? Acceptable? 🤦🏼‍♂️

damn propagandist 

pgprescott

Oddly, murders are down while almost all other categories of violent crime and “nonviolent” crime are up bigly. 😳😁

Legume

You are one person expressing one opinion on here as if feeling safe or being scared is an objective measure, yet you're insisting you are right and what, nobody should go there ever?

pgprescott

Legume said:

You are one person expressing one opinion on here as if feeling safe or being scared is an objective measure, yet you're insisting you are right and what, nobody should go there ever?

It’s not necessarily right or wrong. It is an equation like I said earlier. It is really balancing what you find acceptable VS unacceptable. What is the enjoyment level for you VS the hassle and other options available. I’m not saying I won’t ever go back, but it’s nowhere near the top of my list and definitely not in the current environment. Almost all large cities are not as hospitable as they were a few years or so back. Being ignorant of the actual conditions is not a beneficial status. I’m guessing things will get “better” by my measure eventually. 🤷🏼‍♂️

  If you wish to go, then go. It is of no concern to me, really. Go, spend a week or so. It may take 10 days to get through your (mythical) list of 99 things. 😁😁

Enjoy! 👍🏻

But again, you offer nothing. Just vacuous. 😁

JohnInCarolina

Remember guys, he once scored high on a big boy thinking test!

Langner91

Those two graphs tell me that Doctors have gotten really good at saving GSW and stabbing victims that normally died as recently as the 1990's.  

Same in Chicago.  Used to be when the headline said 22 shot, about 20 died.  Last weekend, 4 died.  Those are pretty good odds!

Go Doctors!  If you are gonna get shot or stabbed, do it in a city where they got some good doctors.

Legume

☝️ Now that's some critical thinking skillz!

alaskanassasin

Rode the train from Hartford in roughly 2004, drank a half fifth of makers before going out on the town, I distinctly remember not having a hangover the next day.