Another NYC thread, but please indulge me anyway

[ThomCatsAreNotJustForXmas]

First off yippee, D's Xmas pressie to me, and I'm well happy!
Been before, this will be my 3rd, his 4th.

Staying in the Amsterdam Court Hotel, anyone been and can say whether it's nice or not?

What are your top 5 top tips / things to see and do in NYC.

What hidden gems might I not kn ow about that I simply must do this time?

I did this before I went to Tuscany in the summer and your girls came up trumps, so on my first break without Lottie please help me make it a memorable one andsuggest things I HAVE to do!

TC xx

What a wonderful present! No idea about the Amsterdam Court - what's the address? Also, do you know when you'll go? Time of year can make a difference to some activities. I lived in NYC for 10 years, so may have some suggestions.....

Empire State Building at night
Bloomingdales and not Macy's
Leisurely walk in the park
Always take the subway
Visit Harlem
Baseball match at Yankee Stadium
Ice hockey at Madison Square Gardens
Eat in delis
Brunch in the village
Shopping & galleries in SoHo
Chinatown by day and by night
Village blues bars after midnight
Frick museum
New MoMA
Don't eat anywhere in the Times Square region - v touristy and completely overpriced
Cafe Mozart on the mid/upper west side
Pop Shop on Lafayette & Broadway

Hiya. Thanks girls. The Amsterdam Court is in the theatre district, not ideal but not worried about that tbh.
It looks halfway decent and I don't intend on being in my room very much at all!
It's here
and here

We're going the last weekend in january, God, it'll be freezing, but been there and done that in the biggest snowstorm ever in NYC in 2000 over New Years and done blistering heat as well so not worried about that either.

Just after some little top tip gems from the best source of info ever - you lot

TC, what do you particularly like to do or eat? That would help narrow things down a bit. FYI, there's a half-price TKTS booth in Times Square, where you can get theatre tickets....

It's more that I want to know your personal favourite thing to do / see / go in New york.
We like all types of food, French & Italina probably favs.

But it's more your favourite spot in NY, your all time fav shop, that sort of thing. As we've been a few times this time I want to mak sure that I do things i didn't do before.

Like last time we went to Colney Island for a day, I just want to do something different each time I go.

have dinner at Two If By Sea ... v romantic

One If By Land, Two If By Sea

Huge vote for the Frick museum here.
Also recommend the American Girl shop on (I think - 57th and 5th or thereabouts) for wonderful dolls, dolls clothes, babies and Angelina Ballerina stuff for Lottie.

Barney's is great fun for checking out v. expensive clothes and seeing some very old women with their very gay escorts telling them how wonderful they look.

Holy Basil - Thai restaurant is delicious (2nd Ave.,between 9th and 10th Sts., S 212/460-55S7)

Loved The Whitney but it was 100 years of America when we went so I don't know what it is like normally.

Circle Line Cruise? Sounds dull but they employ actors and it was really enjoyable to just sit, look and listen for a while.

I always loved going to the Metropolitan Museum on late night openings - think it's Friday and Saturday, but you should check. I'd arrive about 6/6.30 when most people are leaving, spend about 2 hours in a nearly vacant museum (be sure to see the Impressionist Painting and Temple of Dendur areas), and then go for dinner around 8.30 or 9.

Sunday brunch at Cafe Des Artiste was always wonderful followed by a walk in Central Park (check to see if it's still open, and reservations must be made far in advance).

Loved dinner in Soho at Raoul's (haven't been there for years, so again check to see if it's open). Reservations required, and ask for a booth.

Agree about the Frick museum. Really wonderful. Also look into ice skating in Central Park. Or you can eat lunch/dinner in one of the restaurants around the ice rink at Rockefeller Center and watch the skaters there - but be sure to request a table near the windows overlooking the rink. Have fun!

how about a sunday gospel brunch?

ooh lucky you TC - I enjoyed drinking cocktails at Gramercy Park Tavern, also the pizza at Grimaldi's underneath the Brooklyn Bridge (Brooklyn side). Haven't been since 2000 myself. If I was going now I would love to check out both Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles restaurant and Thomas Keller's Per Se.

Let's see, lots of things mentioned already that I love to do. I'd add to go eat in Little Italy, on Mulberry street, I think, right by Chinatown. Last time we went, we ate at a different place there every night, and they all were great. Oh, and if you ever find yourself in need of a "genuine Chanel watch with diamonds" for only $12, go visit the shops along Canal Street. Laugh if you must, but I bought mine in September of 2000, and it is still going.

Fab pizza restaurant on Houston - will look up address for you.

Going to MoMA and having Japanese noodles at Menchanko-Tei (56th between 5 & 6)

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Our first trip without DS was to NYC this September - fabulous! My top recommendation would be to get the Zagat restaurant and nightlife guides. If you don't know them they are written from reviews from real people (ie not snotty professional reviewers) and include a complete mix of places for all meals and all budgets. We used it for just about every meal from breakfast to dinner and never had a duff.

My best best place to go is the Duplex bar on Christopher Street. It'a a piano cabaret bar and a guaranteed good laugh. Will try and do a link to their website theduplex

One of the reasons I love mumsnet. Who needs stuffy guide books when i have you lovely lot