OT: New York Vacation Recs

9/11 memorial is definitely worth a visit. It was a strange combination of glad I went, but did not enjoy it, if that makes any sense at all...

Grab lunch at Shake Shack. There are several locations, but we went to the original location (kinda, because it started as a food cart) by the Flatiron Building. 
We also enjoyed the Tenement Museum. Off the beaten track, but a well-done preservation of different time periods in the tenement buildings. 
And War Eagle!

Pizza

Get up on a weekday and go to a popular bagel shop and just stand in line with the crowd and get a bagel.  It was an eye-opening experience for a guy from the south.  The pace at which they move people through.  The pace at which they expect you to order.  The number of orders they work on simultaneously and get them all right.  It gives you a real feel for the pace of the city and insight as to why people from that part of the world at times have little tolerance for slow and inept. 

Ditto for the pizza joints where they sell by the slice.  At the place we went (don't remember the name - one of the short list of highly recommended places from the guide book) I overheard the following conversation:

Customer places order at register and then says to employee that took her order "You're new here aren't you?"

Employee: "I've worked here 6 years"

Customer:  "That would make sense."  She looks around at half a dozen other employees that are cooking the pizza and taking orders at other registers.  "I used to live in this neighborhood but moved away 7 years ago.  You're the only person working here right now that doesn't look familiar"



Obviously, I found it very interesting that a 6 year employee was considered the new guy at a take-out pizza joint.  I suspect the bagel shops have similarly low turnover after weeding out anybody who can't meet their standards. 

There are too many great options to do them all in a week, so we have been several times and still have some things we haven't done.  But the thing that we never expected to find so interesting was the culture you can learn to appreciate by just paying attention in the local pizza and bagel (and I'm sure many other) places. 

Katz Deli deli was great.  One of the best sandwiches I have ever had.  Went to Peter Lugar last summer and will never go back.  I looked forward to this for months since it is so hard to get a reservation.  The service was horrible and the steak was only okay.  The atmosphere is not even that great.  I felt like I was just paying for the name.  Would have rather gone back to Katz and had a few more sandwiches or tried another steak place in NYC.

Katz deli- lunch

ton of great Italian places-  highly recommend La Marea, Felidias- expensive but worth it. 

Steak- try quality Meats- my favorite but Peter Lugers is worth it for bucket list- make sure to get the bacon for an app. 

Quality Meats also has a good sister restaurant- 
 Quality Italian

there are a ton of others- use Yelp. 

Have fun- I go to NYC probably 4-5 times a year.  Have always enjoyed the vibe. 

I I would also recommend doing one of the hop on hop off bus tours. Stops at all the hot spots and a good way to see a lot of the city. Spend and afternoon in Central Park- take lunch with you. 

Not a restaurant rec but another endorsement for the 9/11 memorial and museum.  That is about the only "must visit" on my NYC list.  Just be ready for quite an emotional roller-coaster.
On a side note-cheap beer, Staten Island Ferry.  

We had a great dinner at a place called The Marshall.  I think is on 9th Ave near 43 or 44th St.  Farm to Table format.  A great meal and fairly priced for NYC.  Following on some other comments, I've been to Peter Luger's twice in the past five years and both times I have been disappointed.

Prosperity dumpling - totally worth it!