calling all new yorkers!

[gingerBcookie]

This native Texan is making the voyage north for the first time and since I know of more New Yorkers here than anywhere else in my life, I figure this would be the place to go for advice on:

1)Where should I stay??!?? Specifically recommendations on hotels ( so far I''ve gotten Dylan Hotel, Hotel 5A, Carlton Hotel, and Melrose)

2)Where should I go diamond-wise (of course

) and other-wise also.

Any sugesstions would be greatly appreciated, from both New Yorkers and previous New York tourists.

Thanks ya''ll!

 

[alexah]

I stayed at the Library Hotel last year just for kicks, as I was living in midtown at the time. The rooms are small, like everywhere in NY, but it's a nice concept

For diamonds, Fifth Ave is tops, from 45th to 58th St. Walking up Fifth, you got Michael C Fina (45th), diamond district (47th), Cartier, Tiffany, Mikimoto, Harry Winston, Van Cleef. I believe some boutique jewelery stores have opened in SOHO too but I'm not sure how diamond-centric those stores are...

As far as where to go - it depends on what you like? I luv Central Park. SOHO & Tribeca are fun to walk around. You have all kindsa museums. Empire St Bldg & Statue of Liberty. Broadway & off-broadway plays. Live music. Great food. Basically, you name it, you can find it in Manhattan, no matter what your taste.
The only thing I have a hard time finding is P&Q and fresh air

 

[k8]

I think superbcert and signedpieces are both in the diamond district and I have heard good things about both -- and if you feel like traveling to Long Island there is GOG. Have a great time - NYC is the best -- kate

 

[quaeritur]

WAAAAAHHHH!!! This thread is making me miss the city so much. I wasn't ready to leave when work took me elsewhere, and I still have to get my NYC fix at least twice a year.

Enjoy your stay, and make sure you tell us about all the yummy diamonds you see!

 

[reena]

you MUST go to graff on madison avenue. i've never even been IN the store, just looked in the display windows . . . it's the most unbelievable thing i've ever seen in my life (diamond-wise). they have HUGE stones in their windows--3 to 5c, 10+ c and even 20 carat diamonds, white, pink and yellow, fancy shapes, everything.

 

[gingerBcookie]

Thanks for all the tips guys!

alexah - I checked out the link of the library hotel and I am in LOVE..its so pretty and unique! I wanted to stay someplace "new york" and this maybe the perfect fit for me.

sparkler29 - thanks for all the ideas...I made a list from all the things you mentioned and will definitley check it all out.. I'm intersted in everything, especially cute areas to browse around and restaurants unique to the area. any suggestions would be great! we'll be there in mid october so I'm not sure how much the weather will be limiting our activities.

reena - do you think they'll let me try on a 20 ct diamond? just for kicks and to see the look on my honey's face when i tell him i think its the perfect size for me?

keep the tips coming! i will definitely be back here with a report on any fabolous diamands I happen to drool on.

 

[babblingal]

My dad likes the Park Lane hotel as well as the Regency and Mayflower hotels.

For restaurants, Shun Lee Palace on E. 55th, Serendipity 3 on (I think) E. 6oth near Bloomingdales, One If By Land Two If By Sea in Greenwich Village, 2nd Ave Deli on East side.

Avoid Tavern on the Green, food and service have taken a serious nosedive and it is a tourist trap. If you want the experience, go there for a cocktail.

Little Italy Ferrara's is yummy for pastries. There is also Il Cortile for Italian as well in LIttle Italy.

In the lower east side check out Gus's pickles and kitty corner from there is Jewish bakery. slurrrrp!

 

[verticalhorizon]

I second and third the suggestion for Ferrara's. It's been around for like a million years and you can't get a better cannoli anywhere.

Also I think John's Pizza on West 44th is great. Large open, good pizza.

As for a place to stay, I'd say the cheapest place you can afford that isn't a rat trap. Spend that money on the town instead.

EDITED: I forgot to add there's also a John's Pizza in the Village on Bleeker.

 

[glitterata]

If you're intrigued by the Library Hotel, you should definitely check out the city's great libraries: the New York Public Library at 5th Avenue between 40th and 42nd Sts, --go upstairs to the Rose Main Reading room and absorb the grandeur--and the Morgan Library, on (I think) Madison and 38th or so, in a great old mansion, with gorgeous book-related art exhibits.

The NYPL is the library whose entrance is flanked by lions, Patience and Fortitude. Patience is the downtown lion; Fortitude is the uptown one.

 

[moremoremore]

I found this online! ALthough I'm so close that I never stay in NYC.

If you click on select, you can see pix.



http://www.nyc.com/hotels/hot_spots.aspx

 

[alexah]

The Library Hotel was really sweet n cozy - close to 42nd St/Mad but fairly quiet. They have beverages/snacks out all the time & a cozy nook upstairs w a balcony & fireplace

I booked a nite in the "Love Room" as part of my fiance's birthday present last winter - that room has a king size bed & a balcony, which was really nice. (If you call the hotel directly, you may be able to get the price down a bit if it's a quiet time for them?)
We went out for dinner at one of our fav casual italian places - Casa Mia, then walked around the Union Square area which is really nice cuz they have an outdoor greenmarket certain days of the wk... there's so much to do/see/experience in NY - just be sure to bring a good pair of walking shoes!

 

[AGBF]

I went to the page moremoremore listed a url for to see if "my" hotel was there. Shortly after 9/11 (i.e. in October, 2001) my husband and I decided to spend a weekend at the Mark Hotel in New York since we had been given one free. No one was visiting New York then. Tourism was non-existent. Taxi drivers and restaurants complained that they were making no money. The actors in "Chicago" came out after the show and thanked us for supporting Broadway. It was truly a weird time to be there...which was also, in part, why we WERE there.

At any rate, I loved the Mark Hotel. It was very calm and lovely. It wasn't glitzy. No big chandeliers or Vanderbilt wealth. One could walk everywhere. I loved it. Here is what moremoremore's source says about it:

"Intimate, luxurious and elegant, The Mark is New York's most stylish private residence. With a prestigious address in the heart of Manhattan on Madison Avenue, The Mark has been a favorite amongst international travelers for more than 75 years for its understated luxury and attentive service."

 

[fire&ice]

Cheap lunches - a slice of pizza nearly any place in NY. Hale & Hearty Soups.

 

[roadpupp]

I don't really know what you like to do. I would recommend Indian Row for a great inexpensive Indian meal with live Sitar and Tabla players. (6th street and1st and 2nd Ave)




Also, Peking Duck house on Mott Street two blocks below Houston has amazing Duck and even better straight ahead Cantonese food. I am frequently the only non Asian eating there and many people don't even get duck!




I always recommend that people skip the big boat tours and take the Staten Island Ferry. It is free, takes about 50 minutes round trip and is a great way to see the statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan from the water. Plus it is a short walk from the WTC site and Battery Park which is beautiful.




Feel free to PM me if you have more questions.



BROOKLYN BABY!!

 

[gingerBcookie]

Thanks for all the advice! I am taking meticulous notes.

roadpupp - thnks for that ferry tip...I was thinking of taking a boat tour and this is a great way to save some money!

I hope you guys don't mind if I pm some of ya'll with more specific questions.

Thanks again...this is another thing that makes ps so great..knowledge of all sorts, not jst diamonds!

 

[amyi]

I am also planning a first-time trip to NY so the advice given here is helping doubly! I'm so glad i found this. There's nothing like a native's advice especially for good food!
Thanks!