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D LESS PEN S ™ E SEE MOR Contents
A Note from Pauline...... 1 1 My Love Letter to New York ...... 2 Sights You’ve Gotta See, Things You’ve Gotta Do ...... 3 Uncommon Lodgings ...... 4 Dining for All Tastes ...... 4 The Finest “Other” Experiences ...... 5 2 Lay of the Land ...... 6 The Grid Plan of Manhattan ...... 6 Getting Around Manhattan ...... 8 The Neighborhoods of New York...... 11 3 Accommodations, Both Standard and Not . . . . 21 Renting a Private Apartment...... 21 And Now, the Hotels of Manhattan ...... 28 Times Square ...... 29 Midtown West: Near Herald Square ...... 36 Midtown West: Near Columbus Circle ...... 40 Midtown East ...... 40 Chelsea ...... 42 UnionCOPYRIGHTED Square, the Flatiron District MATERIAL& Gramercy Park . . . . . 44 Greenwich Village ...... 47 East Village & Lower East Side ...... 50 Chinatown ...... 51 TriBeCa ...... 52 Seinfeld Territory: The Upper West Side ...... 54
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iv Contents Upper East Side ...... 56 Harlem ...... 56 Brooklyn & Queens ...... 58 Hostels & Low-Cost Specialty Hotels ...... 63 4 Dining Choices ...... 68 Times Square (The Theater District) ...... 70 Midtown East ...... 78 Union Square & the Flatiron District...... 80 Chelsea ...... 82 Chinatown & Little Italy...... 83 East Village ...... 89 The Lower East Side...... 94 Greenwich Village ...... 96 Meat-Packing District ...... 100 New York’s Financial District ...... 101 TriBeCa, SoHo & Nolita...... 104 Upper West Side ...... 109 The Upper East Side...... 112 Harlem...... 115 5 Remarkable Sights & Attractions ...... 117 Making the Most of Your Time ...... 118 New York’s 12 Iconic Sights...... 119 The 13 Runners-Up to the Iconic Sights ...... 142 Museums for Visitors with Specialized Interests ...... 158 Queens Museums & Sights...... 165 New York’s Architectural Standouts...... 166 Especially for Kids ...... 169 Tours of the Big Apple ...... 173 6 The “Other” New York...... 176 How We Learn...... 176 How We Work ...... 180 02_247631-ftoc.qxp 7/8/08 1:58 PM Page v
Contents v How We Play...... 186 How We Pray...... 190 A Cool Neighborhood Stroll ...... 194 Insider’s Tours...... 196 7 Sports & Relaxation in a Tense Town ...... 198 Central Park, the Classic Green...... 198 Other Manhattan Parks ...... 203 Visit-Worthy Parks in the Bronx & Brooklyn ...... 206 Recreational Sports Centers...... 206 New York’s Outstanding Spectator Sports...... 207 8 Walkabouts ...... 211 9 Attention, Shoppers! ...... 244 The City’s 10 Best Shopping Areas ...... 244 The Top Department Stores ...... 246 Shopping the Sample Sales ...... 248 Flea Markets ...... 249 Individual Stores You’ll Want to Visit ...... 251 10 Nightlife in the “City That Never Sleeps”. . . 266 Opera...... 266 Classical Music ...... 268 Dance ...... 269 Concert Halls ...... 270 Museum Crawls ...... 271 Live Music Clubs ...... 271 Comedy Clubs ...... 278 Bars & Lounges ...... 279 Dance Clubs ...... 286 Gay Bars & Nightclubs ...... 287 02_247631-ftoc.qxp 7/8/08 1:58 PM Page vi
vi Contents 11 A Night at the Theater ...... 291 Getting Cheap(er) Seats ...... 291 Choosing the Right Show to See ...... 297 Children’s Theater ...... 301 12 The Essentials of Planning ...... 303 When to Visit? ...... 303 Entry Requirements for Non-American Citizens ...... 309 Customs Regulations for International Visitors ...... 310 Finding a Good Airfare to New York City ...... 311 Travel Insurance—Do You Need it?...... 312 Traveling from New York to Other Parts of the United States ...... 313 How Do I Get to (& from) the Airport? Let Me Count the Ways ...... 314 Money Matters ...... 317 Health & Safety...... 319 Packing ...... 320 Specialized Travel Resources ...... 321 Staying Wired ...... 324 Recommended Books & Films ...... 325 Index ...... 330 Accommodations ...... 338 Restaurants ...... 338 02_247631-ftoc.qxp 7/8/08 1:58 PM Page vii
D LESS PEN S ™ E SEE MOR List of Maps
New York City...... 7 Upper West Side, Upper East Side & Harlem Dining ...... 110 Manhattan Neighborhoods . . . . . 13 Downtown Manhattan Midtown, Chelsea, Union Square Attractions ...... 121 & Flatiron District Accommodations ...... 30 Midtown Manhattan Attractions ...... 122 Downtown Accommodations . . . . 49 Uptown Manhattan Upper West Side & Harlem Attractions ...... 124 Accommodations ...... 53 Attractions in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Accommodations . . . . . 59 Queens & the Bronx ...... 144 Queens Accommodations ...... 62 Williamsburg...... 195 Midtown, Chelsea, Union Central Park ...... 199 Square & Flatiron District Dining...... 72 Walking Tour: Lower Manhattan ...... 213 Lower Manhattan Dining ...... 85 Walking Tour: Harlem ...... 223 Greenwich Village & Meat-Packing District Walking Tour: Greenwich Dining ...... 97 Village & SoHo ...... 235 Financial District & TriBeCa Lincoln Center ...... 267 Dining ...... 103 Broadway Theaters ...... 293
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