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These are two great ideas for a night out in NYC. These are test by professionals (My wife and I)

Lincoln Square

Pre-Dinner Drink

Drinks at the lobby lounge at the Mandarin Oriental on Columbus Circle.
Drink: Bella Pesca
Nibble: Dim Sum Bento (dumplings)

Entertainment

Performance at Lincoln Center (NY Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, NYC
Ballet, Vivian Beaumont Theater (Broadway) or Jazz at Lincoln Center)

Dinner

Boulud Sud (Mediterranean cuisine spanning from Spain to Greece)

64th Street and Broadway (across the street from Lincoln Center)

Snack with your first drink:  Housemade Ttaramasalata

Appetizer: Lemon-Saffron Linguini

Main: Chicken Tagine

Dessert: Grapefruit Givré (It Is The Signature)

Something Out of Ordinary

If you want get a cab and travel 40 blocks north you will be rewarded with a kind of dive bar with live Jazz on average until 2:00a. It’s Cleopatra’s Needle on 100th Street and Broadway

Upper East Side

Pre-dinner Culture and Drink

Evening visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Friday and Saturday only). Until August 14, 2013, get the inside scoop on how punk influence high fashion in PUNK: Chaos to Couture or walk through the Egyptian Temple of Dendur. If the weather is right check out the rooftop. Drinks can be had at the Great Hall Balcony Bar or on the rooftop.

Dinner

Crown (New American with Italian influence)

81st and Madison Avenue (one block from the Museum)

Cool Cocktail: Mexican Mule

Appetizer: Burrata Or Warm Quinoa

Pasta: Silk Handkerchief Pasta White Bolognese

Entrée: Loup De Mer Or Rack Of Lamb

Side: Tuscan Kale

 Dessert: Tarte Au Citron (lemon tart)

Post Dinner Classic

It is not a far walk to the Carlyle Hotel and Bemelman’s Bar for a selection of Cognac, and Irish Coffee or one of their specialty cocktails.

I just do not have enough fingers and toes to count how many museums there are in New York City.  New ones open each year, and the old standbys are always doing something new. One piece of big news is that as of July 1, 2013, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Cloisters will be open seven days a week. That is a pretty big deal, since the Met has been closed on Monday for as long as I can remember, and there still people waiting on line to get in each Monday.

The following post has updates on new museums and information on coming exhibits:

New/Pretty New Museums

Museum of Mathematics

Inspiring math exploration and discovery. Geared at children between the ages of 4–8, with plenty to engage teenagers and adults.

Jackie Robinson Museum

The Museum will be located in Southern SoHo and will commemorate the life and legacy of a true American hero. It will not just be a stop for baseball fans, but for anyone interested in the American experience.

Museum

This museum only has one gallery. It is housed in an old freight elevator on Cortlandt Alley, between Franklin and White Street in Tribeca. It is a quirky little place worth checking out if you are in the neighborhood.

Exhibits This Spring

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Photography of the Civil War and Civil War in American Art (April 2 – September 2, 2013)  www.metmuseum.org

Museum of Art and Design

50 Years of Contemporary Glass (until August 25, 2013) www.madmuseum.org

New Museum

Llyn Foulkes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llyn_Foulkes). This will mark the first NY museum show by the artist. (June 12 – September 1, 2013)  www.newmuseum.org

Brooklyn Museum

John Singer Sargent is known a leading portrait painter; this show will focus on Sargent’s watercolors (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Singer_Sargent). This exhibition is a collaboration between the Brooklyn Museum and Boston’s Museum of Fine Art. (April 5, 2013 to July 28, 2013) http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/

American Museum of Natural History

Global Kitchen is on view until August 11, 2013. Experience history, culture and humanity through food. www.amnh.org

Museum of the Moving Image (Queens)

Spectacle, The Music Video is the first museum exhibition to celebrate the art and history of the music video. (April 3 to June 16, 2013) www.movingimage.us

NY Botanical Garden (Bronx)

Wild Medicine: Healing Plants Around the World is a recreation of Europe’s first botanical garden in Padua, Italy. The exhibit lets you discover how cultures from around the world depend on plants for everything. (May 18 to  September 8, 2013)  www.nybg.org

Alice Austen House (Staten Island)

The New Street Types. The Changing Face of Contemporary New York. Check out new project by contemporary artists. (May 31 to August 30, 2013)

Enjoy the city.

Let’s talk about a weekend with a lot going on.  On March 16, 2013, you have the 252^nd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade (St. Patrick’s Day is actually Sunday the 17^th). One day later, on the 17^th, there’s the New York City Half Marathon.

I know that St. Patrick’s Day is not a holiday (see the real meaning of the holiday here  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick’s_Day), but it is definitely a day of festivals, with plenty of green beer to go around. St. Paddy’s trumps Lent, and you will find a lot of alcohol and food being served all over NYC.

All this “festivaling” will make for an interesting NYC Half Marathon the next day. I know plenty of runners, and many of them are also drinkers, so I am wondering how everyone is going to do the next day. All in all, both are going to fun days, and below is some information so you can enjoy them:

March 16 – St. Patrick’s Day Parade

1. The actual St. Paddy’s Day Parade. It starts at 11:00 a.m. on 44^th Street and marches north on 5^th Avenue to 79^th Street, where it ends at about 4:30 p.m. There are about 200K participants and 2 million onlookers. There is also an open container law in NYC, so be careful.
2. NYC’s largest St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl: http://www.saintpattys.com/nyc-luck-of-the-irish-st-pattys-day-pub-crawls.php
3. In case you plan on staying sober:  http://www.soberstpatricksday.org/index.html
4. Get some good Irish grub at the http://www.thewindsornyc.com/
5. If you are looking for an Irish Bar, check out: http://www.irishpubsnyc.com/

March 17 – NYC Half Marathon

1. Download the course map and find places to cheer: http://www.nyrr.org/download/file/15561. The race starts at 7:30 a.m. Some runners might stumble from the bars to the starting line.
2. There is a post-race festival starting at 10:15 a.m. at South Street Seaport (no worries, bars open at noon).
3. Visit the NYC Half 2013 Expo at Penn Plaza Pavilion, second floor (401 Seventh Avenue at West 32nd Street).

To sum it all up, whether you want to drink green beer or run in green gear, there is something for you this weekend.

Enjoy.

Many of our guests see shows when visiting NYC.  I mean, there is nowhere else you can see a Broadway Show but Broadway.  Not to say other cities do not have amazing theaters, but just like other icons, Broadway truly belongs to its home city.

There are a number of old favorite shows that are permanent fixtures on Broadway. “The Lion King” (opened in 1997), “Wicked” (opened in 2003), “The Phantom of the Opera” (opened in 1988), “Mamma Mia” (opened in 2001), “Chicago” (opened in 1996) and “Jersey Boys” (opened in 2005).

Then there are the “new” hits like “Book of Mormon,” “Newsies” and “Once.”  I love the revival of “Annie” and hope this stays on Broadway for years and years.  There is also the expensively produced “Spider-Man” ($75 million), which needs to stick around to makes it money back.

And then there are the new shows.  Below is a list of recent productions you need to know about.  Please do note that sometimes dramas and comedies have short runs of four or five months, as they do not have the draw of musicals.

 “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (drama)

Miss Holly Golightly cordially invites you to enjoy “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”  The phrase “every man wants her and every woman wants to be her” may well have been coined for Holly Golightly, the unforgettable heroine of Truman Capote’s master novella, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.  Now, this irresistible romance comes to the Broadway stage in a world-premiere play starring breakout talent Emilia Clarke (HBO’s “Game of Thrones”), with a script adapted by Tony Award® winner Richard Greenberg (“Take Me Out,” “Three Days of Rain”).  

“Cinderella” (musical)

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” has arrived on Broadway for the first time ever!  Four-time Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane’s (“Sister Act,” “Xanadu”) delightfully romantic and hilarious take on the ultimate makeover story features all the classic elements you remember—the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball and more plus some surprising new twists!  Rediscover some of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s most beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago” in this outrageously fun Broadway musical for dreamers of all ages. And not to worry … you’ll be home well before the stroke of midnight!

“Flashdance” (musical)

“Flashdance” tells the inspiring and unforgettable story of Alex Owens, a working-class girl from Pittsburgh with a dream of becoming a professional dancer.  She works as a steel mill welder by day and a bar dancer at night while aspiring to be accepted at a prestigious ballet academy. When Alex catches the eye of her boss Nick Hurley, their romance shows her the meaning of love and drives her ambition to pursue her dream.

“Hands on a Hardbody” (musical)

For ten hard-luck Texans, a new lease on life is so close they can touch it. Under a scorching sun for days on end, armed with nothing but hope, humor and ambition, they’ll fight to keep at least one hand on a brand-new truck in order to win it.  In the hilarious, hard-fought contest that is “Hands on a Hardbody,” only one winner can drive away with the American Dream.

 “Jekyll and Hyde” (musical)

American Idol star and Tony Award nominee Constantine Maroulis joins with multi-platinum recording artist and Grammy® nominee Deborah Cox to inject new life into the classic tale of good and evil, “Jekyll & Hyde.”  After a four-year run on Broadway and multiple world-wide tours, this dark and dangerous love story from Tony and Grammy Award nominee Frank Wildhorn and Oscar and Grammy Award winner Leslie Bricusse returns with all its classic songs (“This is the Moment,” “A New Life,” “Someone Like You”), now remarkably reinterpreted to suit the powerful and contemporary vocal stylings of its new stars.

 “Kinky Boots” (musical)

From Grammy Award-winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper and four-time Tony Award® winner Harvey Fierstein comes the exhilarating new musical “Kinky Boots,” directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell.  Charlie Price (Tony nominee Stark Sands) has suddenly inherited his father’s shoe factory, which is on the verge of bankruptcy.  Trying to live up to his father’s legacy and save his family business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of Lola (Billy Porter).  A fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos, Lola turns out to be the one person who can help Charlie become the man he’s meant to be.  As they work to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible … and discovers that when you change your mind about someone, you can change your whole world.

“Lucky Guy” (drama)

Two-time Academy Award® winner Tom Hanks will make his much-anticipated Broadway debut in the world premiere of three-time Academy Award nominee Nora Ephron’s play Lucky Guy, to be directed by two-time Tony Award® winner George C. Wolfe.  Lucky Guy marks a return to Ephron’s journalistic roots in a new play about the scandal- and graffiti-ridden New York of the 1980s, as told through the story of the charismatic and controversial tabloid columnist Mike McAlary.  From his sensational reporting of New York police corruption, to the libel suit that nearly ended his career, the play dramatizes the story of McAlary’s meteoric rise, fall, and rise again, ending with his coverage of the Abner Louima case for which he won the Pulitzer Prize shortly before his untimely death on Christmas Day, 1998.

 “Matilda” (musical)

Winner of a record-breaking seven Olivier Awards including Best Musical, “Matilda the Musical” is more than a show, it’s a phenomenon.  Based on the beloved novel by best-selling author Roald Dahl, “Matilda” is the story of an extraordinary girl who dreams of a better life.  Armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, Matilda dares to take a stand and change her destiny.  This celebrated smash hit is presented by The Royal Shakespeare Company, one of the most acclaimed theater companies in the world, and the Dodgers, Tony Award®-winning producers of hits like “Jersey Boys.”  Tony Award-winning director Matthew Warchus (God of Carnage, The Norman Conquests) helms this exhilarating and ingenious new musical The Guardian calls “unadulterated bliss!”

 “Motown” (musical)

“Motown: The Musical” is the real story behind the one-of-a-kind sound that hit the airwaves in 1959 and changed America forever.  This exhilarating show charts Motown Founder Berry Gordy’s incredible journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and so many more.

Featuring all the classics you love, “Motown: The Musical” tells the story behind the hits as Diana, Smokey, Berry and the whole Motown family fight against the odds to create the soundtrack that changed America.  Motown shattered barriers, shaped our lives and made us all move to the same beat. Now, it finally comes to Broadway in the season’s most anticipated world-premiere event, “Motown: The Musical” … Get ready, ‘cause here we come!

 “Pippin” (musical)

Everything has its season … and this season, “Pippin” returns to Broadway for the first time since it first thrilled audiences 40 years ago!  With a beloved score by Tony Award® nominee Stephen Schwartz (“Godspell,” “Wicked”) that includes the favorites “Magic to Do,” “Glory” and “Corner of the Sky,” Pippin tells the story of a young prince on a death-defying journey to find meaning in his existence.  Will he choose a happy but simple life? Or will he risk everything for a singular flash of glory?  This captivating production features sizzling choreography in the style of Bob Fosse and breathtaking acrobatics by Les 7 Doigts de la Main, the creative force behind the nationwide sensation Traces.

“Testament of Mary” (drama, solo)

The historic collaboration between actress Fiona Shaw and director Deborah Warner results in the creation, for the first time, of a new work for Broadway.  The New York Times calls “The Testament of Mary” “beautiful and daring.”  The New York Review of Books calls it “subversive and ruthless,” and lauds it for its “sensational theatricality.”  And Entertainment Weekly says it is “spellbinding and emotional. A generous leap of imagination.”

“Trip to the Bountiful” (drama)

The touching American classic, “The Trip to Bountiful,” tells the story of Carrie Watts, an elderly woman who dreams of returning to her small hometown of Bountiful, Texas one last time, against the wishes of her overprotective son and domineering daughter-in-law.  Her journey becomes a life-affirming and heartbreaking tale that examines the fragility of memory and celebrates the enduring power of hope and faith.

So if you need for group or individual tickets, please reach out to us.  You of course can offer you many services in NYC.  You can use my email, ericg@btsq.com.

One of the reasons anyone uses a local tour company is to get accurate information. Many tour operators and travel agents are not based in NYC and depend on accurate information from those of us who are “on the ground”. I recently read an email newsletter from a local tourism company in NYC that did not paint an accurate picture of the situation in South Street Seaport. I am not saying it was a lie, but in my opinion it only told half or quarter of the story.

So being a local in NYC and since I was due to visit South Street Seaport, I went down there Sunday February 10th. My report below is based on that visit and what I saw with my own two eyes. I did my best to paint a full picture; it may be 90%, but it certainly is not 50%. The short summary is that South Street Seaport and the Historic District were and remain damaged from Hurricane Sandy, but they are very accessible with plenty of things to do, places to eat and shops (just less places to eat and shops than before Sandy). There is bus parking, streets are open to traffic and the area is still served by six subway lines that also service Midtown Manhattan (east and west). The views of the Brooklyn Bridge are still just as majestic and the other sites in Lower Manhattan are just as close.

Before I begin my report, I want to define the term “just near”.  This was a term that appeared in the email newsletter of the company I mentioned earlier.  According to what they stated, it seemed that “just near” was defined as  .8 miles.  So if you encounter the term “just near” in my report below, it also means  .8 miles or less.

My Visit to South Street Seaport

Pier 17 Shops.  These Shops are open for business seven days a week.  The food court is also open.  Check with http://www.southstreetseaport.com/ for more details.

Fulton Street/Historic District.  Most of the shops and restaurants in the historic area are still closed, but there are a few restaurants and bars that are open on the side streets.   It is true that visitors will not have as many options to eat on Fulton Street until things reopen.    However all the beautiful historic buildings along Fulton Street and the side streets are still standing and their ability to transport you to another era is just as strong.  I have always loved the historic district for its scenery because it allows my imagination to explore the past.

Water Street.  The Fulton Mall is boarded by South Street on the East Side and Water Street on the West Side.  If you cross Water Street and walk West on Fulton Street for less than a block there are restaurants and bars.  You will find some of the usual fast food fare, but there is also a Ruben’s Empanada, several Irish bars/restaurants and a pretty cool place called Dead Rabbit right on Water Street.  Also “just near” South Street Seaport is Stone Street which has a bunch of fun places to eat and drink (probably less than a 8 minute walk).

Transportation.  It is true the #1 train is no longer terminating at South Ferry which is where the Staten Island Ferry departs from, so if you are a commuter, it kind of stinks.  If you are a visitor and you are staying in Midtown and want to get to South Street Seaport, you can take the A, C, 2, 3, 4 or 5 to Fulton Street and many of the sites you want to see including the piers for the sightseeing cruises are “just near”, and actually closer than the South Ferry train station.

Also in relation to traffic, there is traffic  all over Manhattan.  It’s no secret.  It is bad in Times Square, Lower Manhattan and everywhere in between, so do not think South Street Seaport is not accessible because of traffic.

Things to Do.  There are plenty of things to do at or “just near” the seaport.  I have listed them below:

1. Seaport Museum. The museum is open and it is worth the trip. I visited the museum a few months before Sandy and loved it. You can read all about it at http://www.southstreetseaportmuseum.org
2. New York Water Taxi and the Zephyr. The hour long cruise is still departing from South Street Seaport and the Hop-on/Hop-off Water Taxi is also stopping at South Street Seaport.
3. Double decker buses. The double decker buses are also stopping at South Street Seaport.
4. 911 Memorial. Tickets are free and you can get them at www.911memorial.org
5. Wall Street. Walk over to see the New York Stock Exchange and Federal Hall.
6. Chinatown. Go for a good cheap meal after enjoying the South Street Seaport Museum. Wo-Hop on Mott Street (my all-time favorite Chinese dive restaurant I have been going to for 30 years and has the BEST shrimp and lobster sauce) is a 20 minute walk. (Go to the downstairs basement section, not the upstairs.)
7. Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge is doing fine. On the Brooklyn side you can visit Brooklyn Bridge Park and D.U.M.B.O and then take the East River Ferry back to South Street Seaport or other parts of Manhattan.

This is my report. I hope it shed light on South Street Seaport. If you need to contact me, my email is ericg@btsq.com
Thank you

I want to tell you about the great time my wife and I had. We live in Brooklyn and this past Saturday we went to a neighborhood near us called Williamsburg. You might have heard of it. It is a popular neighborhood with a lot of bars, restaurants and cool shops. We have not spent a lot of evenings there because the main drag,  Bedford Avenue, gets a little loud with a lot of 20-somethings running around. My wife and I are 40-somethings and like things a bit more civilized, so when we decided to spend our night in Williamsburg, we kept it to some of the quieter streets.

We started at the Wythe, a somewhat new boutique hotel on Wythe Avenue. The building is from 1901, but was very recently converted into a 72 room hotel. Their restaurant/bar is Reynard and is where we had a drink and some warmed olives (I never had warmed olives, & they were delicious). We had to depart close to half-past eight, so we said goodbye to Jeff the bartender, and walked to Berry Street.
On the walk we passed the Brooklyn Brewery (open Friday, Saturday and Sunday to the public) which is definitely worth dropping by if you are a beer drinker. Brooklyn Brewery has become one of the prominent small brewers in the USA and almost all of their specialty beers are brewed in Brooklyn.

Our destination though was Antica Pesa, a recently opened Italian restaurant with a sister restaurant in Rome which opened about 80 years ago. I read about the new Williamsburg location and was able to snag an 8:30p reservation and I was so glad I did. The drinks, wine and food were excellent. My wife started with a radicchio salad followed by pasta alla carbonara. My first was spaghetti with pecorino, parmigiano, & black pepper and then I moved onto braised beef cheeks with carrots. For dessert we shared the apple poached in caramel and the chef’s chocolate selection.

I cannot get over the quality and care in every bite. It rivals all of Manhattan’s Italian restaurants and to top off the night for me, while I looking into the open kitchen, the head chef asked me, “How your dinner?” I cannot forget to add that the design is a mix of modern and rustic, but has a relaxed atmosphere with plenty of space between table + the staff was polite and relatively knowledgeable, all of which made Antica Pesa a class act all around.

After we paid our more than reasonable check, we headed back into the street and over to DOC Wine Bar around the corner back on Wythe Avenue. A pleasant place with about 40 wines by the glass. We shared a red and we decided it was time to go home.

Three years ago my wife MADE me get a bike but before she finally succeeded I came up with a list of excuses: it had been so long ago since I had ridden a bike, I was scared of the traffic in the city, it seemed like a lot of money for two wheels, and I was lugging around a lot of extra weight so how could I ride. Well she prevailed and I got a bike and I used it once in a while. It was hard and I gave up a couple of times, but there was that feeling of freedom I could not deny. It made me feel powerful. But at some point as I was the heaviest I had even been and I felt horrible, the feeling of freedom did not matter much. I just wanted to curl up and do nothing.

When I finally decided in late January 2011 to lose weight (80 lbs as of writing) I knew I also wanted to regain that feeling of freedom. But it was winter so I had some time before it would be warm enough to ride. Once spring came, I got back on that bike and I felt powerful. I was free. Fast forward to today, I no longer have a car (we have a car share program called Zipcar), I bought saddlebags and an iPod holder for my bike and I now ride wherever I can. To work, to food shop, whenever I find an excuse. My wife and I go out on our bikes to explore the boroughs and it has been a way for me to research areas and create new tours. (One our last ride I gathered information for an experience in Red Hook for groups or individuals with or without bikes. When I travel for work and when time allows it, I rent a bike so I can explore the area.

Why am I telling you this? Because biking in NYC is awesome. It is freedom in motion and it is accessible to everyone. If you have clients who are with their family, there is a bike program for them. The same for a student group or an Alumni group. There is something for everyone. You do not have to bike the streets of NYC there are  bike paths and greenways. Central Park, Hudson River Park and Prospect Park offer great biking and with a tour guide you will enhance your experience while doing something good for your body.

I know you have clients who want to do it, but YOU have to offer it to them. Give it a try. You can tell them that Eric, your friend and the owner of Beyond Time Square who bikes the city all the time and can definitely make sure they have an experience they will want to tell their friends and family about.

Below are some of the programs we offer. They can be for family, couples, active groups, a bunch of guys traveling to NYC who want to do something adventurous. We can make it any level and of course we can provide the bikes, helmets and anything else you might need. You can reach me at 800.999.8160 x2 or ericg@btsq.com, and I would be happy to help.

Central Park Ride
- Duration: Two hours
- Level: Easy with some hills
- Sights: Strawberry Fields, International Garden of Peace honoring John Lennon, Belvedere Castle, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, Shakespeare Garden

Central Park Movie Ride
- Duration: Two hours
- Level: Easy
- Locations of: Harry Met Sally, Spiderman 3, Big, Home Alone 2, 30 Rock, The Apprentice, Sex and the City, Project Runway and Gossip Girl

Around NYC Ride
- Duration: Three Hours
- Level: Moderate but some on road bike lane riding
- Sights: Times Square, Battery Park, Greenwich Village, View of the Brooklyn Bridge, World Trade Center Site, Flatiron District.

Brooklyn Ride
- Duration: Four Hours
- Level: Moderate with some on road bike lane riding and some hill
- Sights: Brooklyn Bridge Park, Walt Whitman Park, Fort Green Park, Admiral’s Row/Brooklyn Navy Yard Washington Square Park

For all rides, you are not biking the entire time. The guide does stop to give information, let the group rest and/or buy snacks. When the tour is private, you can go at whatever pace you want, long or short, fast or slow, hard or easy.

 For more information contact us at bikes@btsq.com

Get out and ride

This is something new and fun for guests  who are having lunch in NYC.   The next time you have friends or guests in NYC, tell them to bring some paper plates, napkins, utensils, and a good knife that can cut cheese, bread and cured sausages (make sure they have a case for the knife and a backpack to put it in, and do remind them not to take it into any attractions). Tell them to visit the Farmer Market at Union Square (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday) and buy themselves a picnic. There are places to eat in the park or walk to Madison Square Park (23rd & Broadway) and eat there. There are also tables set on 17th Street and Broadway for anyone to use.

I shop this market often and buy my lunch there at least twice a week, so I know what to buy.  Give your friends/guests the list below and  tell them your friend Eric gave you the inside scoop on what t get. Not each vendor is their each day, but they will do good with this list.

NYC Picnic Shopping List

Bread

Hot Bread Kitchen. All the bread is made up in Harlem. The bakers are all immigrant women making bread from where they are from. Authentic is the name of the game. My favs are the Ms’men (flaky and buttery), the Nan-E Qandi(round, fluffy interior, made with milk and honey), and the raisin-walnut. They have other styles, like whole grain loaves. You can also check out Our Daily Bread.

Cheese/cured meats

Millport Dairy. Run by the Amish. Good cheeses most Cheddar and Jack. All tasty. They also sells pickles and cured meats.

Lynnhaven Goats Milk Cheese. chevre logs, feta plain, herbed, with roasted peppers. They have them all.

Hudson Valley Duck Farm. Not just raw duck, they have duck salami, duck proscuitto and pate. They are the highlight of any picnic.

Cato Corner. Mostly cow cheese, they have semi strong, stronger and stinky. Cheeses are outstanding. They are cool about tasting before you buy.

Crunchy

Martin’s Hard Pretzel – You can buy as few as three and as much a big bag. Get the big bag so you have some for the ride home.

Mountain Sweet Berry – Mini potato chips made in several different flavors like brown butter or curry. They let you try before you buy.

Dessert

Terhune Orchards. Cookies, pients, fruit crisps. They are all good and not expensive

Baker’s Bounty. All sorts of baked treats changing with the season and some old standbys.

Of course since is a farmers market, there are loads of fruits and veggies.  Buy what you live as it is all good.  There are organic vendors for those who want that and they are clearly marked. There are also vegan and gluten free bakers.

Enjoy your day our in NYC and have a food adventure.  For more ideas for what to do in NYC, visit www.btsq.com

Below is a great day in NYC.  It tells you everything you need to do.

The Upper East Side of NYC, the gold coast, where the very rich, some famous some not all live. The tourism centerpiece of the Upper East Side is Museum Mile which is the stretch from 82nd to 105th Street on 5th Avenue. There you will find the Guggenheim, The Jewish Museum, Museo del Barrio, Neue Gallerie, Copper Hewitt National Design Museum, and others. You have streets of brownstones and mansions with Central Park as the border of it all.

I recently had the pleasure of spending an afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with a walk through Central Park to get there and then time to walk Madison and Lexington Avenues afterwards. It was a nice day for me and my companions; it might make a nice day for your clients that have free time.

We started on the Westside by the American Museum of Natural History and the New York Historical Society. Both are great and you could visit either one before you venture to the Upper East Side. If you want to eat lunch, go to Café Storico at the Historical Society, it is very much the place to be. You will find more locals than tourists and a simple NYC menu offering satisfying Italian eats. You might decide to sip a beer or wine while you linger.

We walked through Central Park entering around 77th Street. Being that the Metropolitan Musuem of Art is on 83rd Street and 5th Avenue, the walk can be pretty direct, but a few detours are worth it. As we entered we went south so we could walk through the Ramble. The Ramble is like taking a walk through a woodland area, away form the city and its sounds. You hear birds and sticks break under your feet. If you begin to walk north in the Ramble you will stumble upon Belvedere Castle and Turtle Pond. The castle is usually open, so go to the top for some good views and photo ops. It is not very big, so the walk to the top is pretty easy. As you continue your walk east, look a bit north for an Egyptian obelisk. Called Cleopatra’s needle, it is really from Egypt and is 3500 years old. Check out the link to this map to help guide you:

http://www.centralparknyc.org/assets/pdfs/maps/cpc_central_park_map.pdf
The Met is open from 9:30a to 5:30p Tuesday – Thursday and Sunday and from 9:30a to 9:00p on Friday and Saturday. It is closed on Monday. The Met is big, and it would take months to see everything on display (and they have even more in storage). There are some useful ways to get around the museum to make your visit more enjoyable. You can hop on one of the free museum tours for individuals, as we did. Our guide Martin was outstanding. He spoke loud, in layman’s terms and did not just explain the art, but helped us enjoy it.. I asked a lot of questions and he welcomed them. Another option is to get the audio tour for $7.00 and follow the director’s highlights tour through the museum. Finally if you want to go at it alone, grab a map and do as you please. We did go on our own to the American Wing (which recently reopened) and found it incredible. It is not just art, but American history. There are so many images of famous Americans you saw in text books as a youth and now they are staring right back at you. We had a great time.

But there is only so much of a museum anyone can take and my limit is between two and a half to three hours. So now it is time for food and/or drink. You will notice that on museum mile there are not many places to congregate. The only places are in the museums, and I know some secrets about those I want to keep to myself so they do not get too crowded. (Sorry, but us New Yorkers have to be a little protective). My advice isto walk over to Madison Avenue. Depending on the weather you might want to get a cup of hot chocolate at La Maison du Chocolat or Vosges Haut Chocolat, both close by on Madison and both with seating. Both also sell great chocolate, but the pastries and macaroons are La Maison du Chocolat are extra yummy. If you are looking for something with more kick, go to Bellmans Bar on 76th Street in the Carlyle Hotel. It is classy and not cheap, but you are on vacation so splurge (not many things on the Upper East Side are cheap, but the Metropolitan Museum is pay what you wish, so depending on your conscience you might save a bit). For some eats there are many restaurants on the side streets and some good diners on Madison. If you walk a few blocks east to Lexington there are two places I like to recommend for something original. One is the Pastrami Queen and the other is Farinella Italian Bakery. Both are outstanding.

Well that day will keep you busy.

Enjoy

Eric

People come to NYC (as well as other cities) for entertainment.  I love it for entertainment.  Broadway, off Broadway, Carnegie Hall, Brooklyn Academy of Music, performance of all kinds in venues of all sizes.   You can find anything and some things in abundance.

But I also enjoy is street/platform performance (I HATE when people perform in a subway car.  I think it is an invasion of my personal space because we are all trapped).

Street/platform performance has to be something I like or different, as I had had enough the guys with the flutes from Peru (no disrespect)

There are some performers that have permits from the city to play at a specific date and time and there are others that set up shop away from the eyes of the police.  I like the Japanese rap guys in Union Square, or the banjo players on a few of the Brooklyn subway platforms (banjos have become very hip, along with an over abundance of facial hair and a lack of bathing, but that is another discussion), and my favorite ever when was a group of boys from Chicago would start playing their brass in front of Whole Foods on 14^th Street.  They were called the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble http://www.hypnoticbrassensemble.com/ and even though they played venues, they would pop out a few tunes at what seemed to be an impromptu location. Of course there is always see the lone sax or guitar player and for me they are always welcome.

All of these performers are part of the soundtrack to the city, along with sirens, horns, talking, cursing and footsteps. Come take a listen