What's New And Exciting for NYC For May?

[hudson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hudson]

Bagels and Italian

but not at the same time.

Ess-a-Bagel
www.ess-a-bagel.com
Zagat rated

First Ave at 21st Street
Third Avenue between 50-51

**********************************

La Gioconda
226 E. 53rd St
www.lagiocondany.com
reservations suggested
Zagat rated

Luca
1712 First Avenue between 88-89
www.lucatogo.com
Zagat says:
Chef Luca Marcata "seamlessly supervises the kitchen while charming the hell out of guests" at this Upper East Side Northern Italian;"don't be fooled by the lack of decor" or the "middle-of-nowhere" address, because the food here is "surprisingly sophisticated" and a "good value"

The 86th Street crosstown is a wonderful bus to/from the west side.

[hudson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hudson]

But, if we do Nathan's, then don't we have to skip Gray's Papaya? If our friend drags us to White Castle, then we have to skip the Burger place in the Parker Meridien.

Destination: Papaya King , E. 86th At Third

How 'bout a stroll up Madison Avenue to 86th St then over to Third. Or if on the westside first, take the 86th crosstown bus through Central Park over to the east side for Payapa King. It's a long standing institution for delicious hot dogs, papaya and other fresh fruit drinks. And this from a confirmed Nathan's fan.

And anyway................go to neighborhoods you've not explored before.

[hudson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hudson]

Freud's drawings just opened uptown.

Uptown again.This time to Fifth Avenue at 103 to the New York Academy of Medicine.

First time ever in the US showing of Freud's drawings when he was a neuro-scientist has just opened.

http://www.nyam.org/ for info on the exhibit and directions.

[hudson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hudson]

See before May 7th

Excellent show that's closing May 7th at the Museum of the City of New York

Transformed by Light: The New York Night

http://www.mcny.org/exhibitions/current/96.html

[Hoc Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Hoc]

Ess-a-Bagel
www.ess-a-bagel.com
Zagat rated

First Ave at 21st Street
Third Avenue between 50-51

To get to Ess-a-Bagel, it looks like the closest subway stop is at 51st and Lexington? How long a walk from there?

[Hoc Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Hoc]

How 'bout a stroll up Madison Avenue to 86th St then over to Third. Or if on the westside first, take the 86th crosstown bus through Central Park over to the east side for Payapa King. It's a long standing institution for delicious hot dogs, papaya and other fresh fruit drinks. And this from a confirmed Nathan's fan.

And anyway................go to neighborhoods you've not explored before.

I have to be a little careful because I'll be pushing a wheelchair wherever we go.

[hudson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hudson]

To get to Ess-a-Bagel, it looks like the closest subway stop is at 51st and Lexington? How long a walk from there?

Ess a Bagel at 51st and Third is a 2 minute walk from 51 st and Lex. if you walk like a native.. The average tourist would take about 10 minutes.:-)

In Manhattan in the grid areas between numbered streets, 20 blocks = 1 mile. For example, 21st-51 st. is 1.5 miles.

Between the avenues, the distances vary, but I'd guess that from Third to Lex. is equal to 2-3 city blocks.

Not sure if you really want to take a wheelchair into the subway. That sounds unmanageable and unpleasant unless you have a guide book made for accessibility issues that tells you which stations have working elevators, which restaurants are ADA, etc.

I suggest walking or the bus. If the person in the wheelchair can walk a little bit, you can also request that the bus driver "kneel" the steps which makes the step-up almost at sidewalk level instead of the usual height. Then fold up the chair and bring it on the bus.

For the wheelchair: all the newest city buses have wheelchair accessible doors and a hydraulic lowering ramp. Middle of the day would be best time to do that as it seems to take a total of about 5-10 minutes including the driver's time to operate the mechanics of it.

[Hoc Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Hoc]

The reason we are doing the wheelchair this time is precisely because the NY Subway System is so accessibility impaired. Last time, we tried a scooter, and even the employees at the MTA accessibility hotline did not know where the elevators were at stations that supposedly had them, and often told us that there were no elevators when the maps said they were there. Also, only about 4 or 5 accessible stations in Manhattan. And buses are too slow and convoluted routes. But, with a wheelchair, we can collapse the chair, walk down the subway steps, and, if necessary, put the chair in the trunk of a taxi and take a cab.

I walk kind of like a native, would walk faster, but I don't push people out of the way.

I do know that 20 blocks is a mile on the streets, but the Avenues seem to be a little more irregular in spacing.

[hudson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hudson]

The "limited" bus

Buses can be slow at times. Keep in mind that most avenue buses ( well I know about the East side, anyway) have a "limited" that comes every so often.

Those only stop at the major cross-town intersections, by-passing at least 10 stops at a good clip.

So wait at the crosstown stops instead of an in-between street if you can. When the bus comes, look up the avenue and see if the "limited" is right behind.

[Laurie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Laurie]

Avenue mileage

Avenues are approx 6 blocks to a mile.

[hudson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hudson]

The "limited" bus

Deleted for duplication

[hudson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hudson]

Brand new Cirque thru July 2/Randall's Island

Cirque Du Soleil's "Corteo" runs through July 2 on Randalls Island. Tickets and schedule: 800.678.5440;cirquedusoleil.com

Get there by ferry from Manhattan on NY Waterway. Schedule nywaterway.com
Departs from 34th and East RiverRound Trip $20, Kids $12.50

( fyi- NY Waterway has nice half and all day Hudson River day trips to points just to the north of Manhattan such as Tarrytown to visit Kykuit( Rockefeller Family Estate), Lyndhurst, Sleepy Hollow country, and more. For info : www.hudsonvalley.org)

Special Buses: Marked X80 leave from 125th and Lexington every 10 minutes beginning 70 minutes prior to show time and returning to Manhattan every 30 minutes leaving immediately after performances. Round trip $5

Car: Randalls Island exit from the Triborough Bridge. Toll $4.50, parking $10

[hudson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hudson]

What?? You've never been to Riverside Park?

Now is the time! If this won't get MC visitors away from the 10 block radius around the MC, what will??? C'mon! Be a New Yorker! The architecture, serenity and beauty along Riverside Drive is stunning. Never walked Columbus Avenue in the 70's and 80's? Yet to visit Zabar's? Sounds like a plan to me.

STUDIO IN THE PARK:

The 4-mile stretch between 72nd and 153rd streets along the Hudson River will be home to "Studio in the Park",the first ever public art exhibit in Riverside Park.

There are 11 site-specific installations that will be on view until September 16. A map of all the art works is at www.bravinlee.com

Among them will be 8,000 bright orange balls floating in the river and a brightly colored sculpture made from hand-crocheted,painted nylon rope. the project includes wlle konw artists like Kenny Scharf, who has created three colorful six-foot wide plastic-copated faces that have been installed on two sides of a fence at 105th so that they smile at oncoming traffic on the Henry Hudson Parkway and at people playing in a recreation area. Also, a hot-pink wire sculpture, takes place from 83rd to 91st street.

[Hoc Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Hoc]

My mom just surprised us all with Wedding Singer tickets for tomorrow night. I'm excited to see the show (our tickets are Orchestra, 11th Row Center), but it means no Williamsburg carousing.

I do have to say that is much more difficult to coordinate a group of five people than it is to coordinate three of us. There's always someone who doesn't want to do what everyone else wants, doesn't want to go off on their own, and wants to stop along the way while everyone else gets frustrated, wanting to get to the destination.

I think that from now on, I'll travel only with smaller groups. . .

Meanwhile, I'm not sure what we're doing for the rest of the week. I think it's statue of liberty/ellis island one day, nights are Wedding Singer tomorrow, Lestat Wednesday and New York City Ballet on Thursday. One day to see my aunt, one half day for Soho, one half day for the lower East Side, one half day for Wall Street/Little Italy/Lower Manhattan, a half day for Central Park, possibly some museums, a Yankee game on Thursday, possibly the South Street Seaport, and nobody can agree on the day for anything or to go to everything.

ARRRGGGGHHHH!

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

My mom just surprised us all with Wedding Singer tickets for tomorrow night. I'm excited to see the show (our tickets are Orchestra, 11th Row Center), but it means no Williamsburg carousing.

I do have to say that is much more difficult to coordinate a group of five people than it is to coordinate three of us. There's always someone who doesn't want to do what everyone else wants, doesn't want to go off on their own, and wants to stop along the way while everyone else gets frustrated, wanting to get to the destination.

I think that from now on, I'll travel only with smaller groups. . .

Meanwhile, I'm not sure what we're doing for the rest of the week. I think it's statue of liberty/ellis island one day, nights are Wedding Singer tomorrow, Lestat Wednesday and New York City Ballet on Thursday. One day to see my aunt, one half day for Soho, one half day for the lower East Side, one half day for Wall Street/Little Italy/Lower Manhattan, a half day for Central Park, possibly some museums, a Yankee game on Thursday, possibly the South Street Seaport, and nobody can agree on the day for anything or to go to everything.

ARRRGGGGHHHH!

Take a DEEP breathe , an umbrella and enjoy the rest of the week.