A Year in Manhattan

Grant and Lee: Exhibit at The New York Historical Society

2009-03-01T03:20:00.000-08:00

An interesting exhibit at the New York Historical Society: Grant and Lee.

General Lee was perhaps the greatest general in the history of American warfare, and the near-mythological embodiment of the so-called "Lost Cause" of the South.

General Grant, while not the tactical genius Lee was, commanded the Union army, perhaps the most powerful army ever assembled up until that time.

Here's a bronze bust of General Lee on his famous horse, Traveller:

The New York Historical Society

2009-02-22T03:18:00.000-08:00

And if you're in the neighborhood of the Natural History Museum and you want to visit a less-well-known museum in the neighborhood, carve out a couple of hours to explore the New York Historical Society.
The focus of this museum is American history as well as New York history. The building may not have the imposing facade of the Natural History Museum, but it is actually an older museum, founded some 65 years earlier in 1804.

New York's Natural History Museum

2009-02-15T03:21:00.000-08:00

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City is located on 79th Street at Central Park West.

You can't miss it. There's an enormous statue of Teddy Roosevelt on horseback in front of the museum's gigantic white columns.
If you're a tourist bringing kids along to see New York, I'd certainly include this museum on your itinerary. Budget perhaps three hours to explore it. Admission is $15 for adults and $8.50 for children.

The Time Warner Center

2009-02-08T03:16:00.000-08:00

The Time Warner Center, located on Columbus Circle (intersection of 59th Street, 8th Avenue and Broadway), originally had a different name: The AOL Time Warner Center.

With construction beginning in 2000, this building was yet more proof of the so called erection effect: Cities, countries, and most notably companies, inevitably build monuments to themselves right at market tops. Construction of many of Asia's biggest skyscrapers began just months before the late 1990's Asia crisis. The Empire State Building was begun literally months before the 1929 stock market crash.

And in a fit of poetic irony, AOL had just made their top-of-the-market bid for the old media company Time Warner in January of 2000. And in one of the worst acts of timing from any tech company during this era, AOL announced plans for the combined companies' audacious new headquarters.
Construction on this building officially began in November of 2000, just months after the tech bubble had popped.

By the time the building was complete, AOL went from the "owner" of Time Warner to a despised and irrelevant subsidiary.

Now the building is not just a popular tourist destination, it features a number of excellent restaurants, lots of shopping outlets, and of course one of Manhattan's most popular Whole Foods Market stores.
We were here just before Christmas this year, and thoroughly enjoyed the enormous decorations suspended in the building's atrium. These stars changed colors in a beautiful and stunning display.
However, some people in this town still don't have much respect for this building:

Columbus Circle

2009-01-25T03:14:00.000-08:00

Even on a rainy, cloudy day, it's worth making a trip to visit Columbus Circle in Manhattan.

The statue in the center of the Columbus Circle roundabout, is, not surprisingly, a statue of Christopher Columbus. It stands 21 m high, and includes a depiction of the three ships he commanded: the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.
Across from the southwest corner of Central Park is the recently built Time Warner Center:
And of course one of Donald Trump's monstrosities overlooks Columbus Circle too:

The Dakota

2009-01-11T03:07:00.000-08:00

Possibly the most exclusive residential building in all of New York City, the Dakota became famous in 1980 as the site of John Lennon's assassination.

Security has been tight at the building ever since.

Anyone famous had to rethink their way of life after Lennons' death.

Detail, railing in front of the Dakota:

Architectural Details on Central Park West

2009-01-04T03:08:00.000-08:00

Here are some more photos of some of the beautiful architectural details found throughout the exclusive properties on Manhattan's Central Park West:

Subway sign, 72nd and CPW:
Railing, 72nd Street and CPW:
Art Deco Doctor's Office, Central Park West:

Utilitarian Buildings on Central Park West

2008-12-28T03:05:00.000-08:00

Once again, it's amusing to see examples of the utter utilitarianism of New York City. Last week, we were admiring many of the beautiful buildings on Central Park West on a walk from Columbus Circle north up to 75th Street. Ironically, most of these supposedly "fancy" buildings only bother to dress themselves up on the first couple of floors. Most of them change into plain, old, unremarkable brick--once you get up above eye level!

Central Park West

2008-12-21T03:02:00.000-08:00

On Manhattan's Upper West Side, alongside Central Park, there are some really beautiful buildings, many of which have interesting architectural details:
This avenue, Central Park West, features some of the most expensive residential real estate in all of Manhattan.
For a pleasant stroll of maybe an hour or so in duration, walk north from Columbus Circle (at 59th Street), up 8th Avenue/Central Park West, to 75th Street or so. You'll see a wide variety of buildings with many unusual architectural details.
And you'll see a lot of doormen.

Overheard Near the New York Public Library

2008-11-11T15:38:00.000-08:00

One tourist, shouting to another, outside the New York Public Library:

Tourist 1: "You know, here's the library from Ghostbusters."

Tourist 2: "Oh yeah!"

The New York Fed

2008-10-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

At Maiden Lane, Liberty Street and William Street in lower Manhattan. This is where they keep all the gold, and it's where many of the anti-Wall Street protests are happening.

From the ground it looks like a weirdly out-of-place castle. From up above--with its red tile roof--it looks like an even more weirdly out-of-place Mediterranean villa.

Note that this photograph was chosen for inclusion in the latest Schmap East Coast Guide!

Just off to the right of this next shot is a great pub, Jim Brady's.

For more of New York photos, feel free to take a look at my NYC photoset on Flickr.

The Special Tourist Hell that is the Port Authority Bus Terminal

2008-08-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

If you're a tourist, and you're planning to take a bus in or out of New York City, be sure to give yourself extra time to navigate the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Commuters who regularly take the bus in and out of Manhattan (this includes me--I did this for more than nine years) will of course know where they're going. Most of the time. But tourists be warned: you will find Port Authority to be an intimidating maze.

A typical example: to get to my bus stop in New Jersey, you can theoretically wait at three different gates--it depends on what time the bus departs. One of the gates has four separate doors and it's unclear which door is the correct one, because different buses stop at different gates, depending on what time of day it is and which day of the week it is.

Confused yet? Well, some of these buses might go to your bus stop, but then again, some might not. You're supposed to be clairvoyant and already know this, or you've been successful at deciphering the bus schedule pamplets that you can get from the information booth near the entrance of the terminal downstairs. When it's open. Of course when traffic is bad (which happens most every weekday rush hour and causes buses to arrive and depart late), you might as well throw the schedule totally out the window.

Nobody tells you anything. The bus driver might grunt at you when you ask him "is this the bus to ---- stop?" And god forbid if you miss your bus on a weekend; you get the privilege of waiting two hours for the next one.

My advice: embrace the fact that you have no idea where you're going. Ask a fellow commuter, or better yet, ask several fellow commuters. And good luck.

The Subway Knows When You Let Go of the Handrail

2008-07-06T18:31:00.000-07:00

I had a family member visiting me in town a week ago, and to my eternal discredit I forgot to give her the Eight Tips before she got on a subway train. Of course the train lurched badly at the exact same instant she innocently chose to stand up. Powerless, I watched her plant her face directly into the cleavage of a Caribbean woman seated next to her.

But it did make me wonder: do you ever notice the all-too-common coincidence that whenever a tourist lets go of the handrail, that's the exact instant that the train lurches?

The only possible conclusion is that the subway knows at all times exactly when you let go of the handrail. And it's waiting, just waiting, to put you into a position of maximum humiliation.

Hold onto something at all times!!

Sell Your Stuff on Craigslist

2008-06-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

One additional comment on moving out of New York City. If there is one truism that one learns when it comes time to buy or sell furniture, it is this:

CRAIGSLIST RULES!

We had a sofabed, chair/ottoman, dining room table and four chairs all for sale. I wanted to get rid of practically all of our stuff here because I had no desire to rent a van or hire movers to move a bunch of furniture that collectively was worth less than the probable cost to move it.

Within five minutes of posting my furniture on Craigslist I had two emailed responses from people interested in looking at the furniture. I tweaked the add slightly and cut the prices slightly, and within two weeks I had sold everything.

But what was so surprising was how everything seemed to work out into a preposterously convenient coincidence. The sofabed went to a guy who coincidentally lived in my building. The chair/ottoman went to a guy who already had the matching sofabed and wanted the exact model chair and ottoman I had. The dining room table and chairs (okay, I didn't actually sell the dining room table and chairs through Craigslist, but rather by posting something on the laundry room bulletin board, but still) went to a woman who worked as a nanny in my building.

The whole thing was so preposterously quick and easy--and free--that I can't understand why dead tree classified ads even exist anymore.

Thank you Craigslist!!

The U.S. Custom House and National Museum of the American Indian

2008-06-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

At the very bottom of Broadway in Lower Manhattan stands an imposing building that's one of the most beautiful in all of New York City.

The U.S. Custom House (officially named the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House) was originally intended to be the President's house back when it was thought that New York City would be the nation's capital. It was never used for that purpose. Now it functions as the National Museum of the American Indian.

View from Bowling Green park:

Detail of U.S. Custom House:

Side view, from (I believe) Stone Street:

It's Time to Leave Manhattan

2008-05-18T05:10:00.000-07:00

Well, our Year in Manhattan is nearly over. We're going to be moving out of the city and back into the 'burbs in a matter of days, in preparation for leaving the entire region (for a time at least) beginning in January. Our "year" is over.

This post is to alert readers that while I'll update this blog from time to time, it will be on a less consistant schedule. I'm not quite finished saying what I have to say about NYC, but I won't be able to put up the regularly scheduled Sunday posts as I've done over the past year.

Funny how things seem to be accelerating now that we're approaching the end. Just a few months ago it seems like it would be a long time before we would be leaving. As it turns out, these last few weeks raced by right before our eyes.

I was looking across the East River at our weekly lunch on the roof today and I realized that before we move away, we probably won't have the chance to walk over to the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge and take in the amazing view of lower Manhattan. Just a simple thing that I've wanted to do, but that I won't have time to do. Life is like that sometimes.

It's been a privilege to live in this city--but at times it has been a difficult privilege. The noise and the energy of New York can energize you, but it can also suck the life out of you.

However, it's been an unmitigated privilege to write about our lives here. Something about this place breeds creativity in me. How else would I have started up a photography habit (calling it an avocation or even a hobby inappropriately dignifies it), or had the courage to create Casual Kitchen, for example?

I know I will come back.

More New York Art Deco Architecture

2008-05-11T04:56:00.000-07:00

This art deco building, which looks like it's from the same era as the AIG and Chrysler buildings as well as the Empire State Building, is so unassuming that I never noticed until the other day.

At 29 Broadway, less than a block from the Bronze Bull. Now apparently owned by the Bangkok Bank.
Detail, 29 Broadway:

Lamp, entryway of 20 Broadway:

Detail, 29 Broadway entryway:

Five More Great Pubs in Lower Manhattan

2008-05-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

We've picked up a few new favorite lower Manhattan pubs since our last update, and I thought I'd share these with you as well:

The Mercantile Grill, on 126 Pearl Street:

The Killarney Rose, almost directly across the street from the Mercantile. A bit more humble, but still a great place to go and "bend an elbow."
Then on Stone Street, we have two favorites. Ulysses, which serves a solid burger and has friendly bartenders and staff:

And the Stone Street Tavern, which serves an even better burger and also has a friendly staff.

Also the Stone Street Tavern has a bit of a sense of humor: Here's the view of the other side of this pub, from Pearl Street:

Finally, The White Horse Tavern, on 25 Bridge Street, just off of Whitehall Street:

New York City at Night

2008-04-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

No city in the world is quite like New York City at night. The city is lit up and humming, full of excitement. Yet it's also lonely, overwhelming and depressing at the same time. Here are a few of my favorite night shots of the city:

The Woolworth Building:
View north from Lower Manhattan. The city Municipal Building is the one with the gold figurine on top. To the left of that is the Empire State Building, about three or so miles further north.

Looking westward from the terrace on the roof of 2 Gold Street, lower Manhattan:

The Bull on Broadway

2008-04-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

At least once a month a tourist will stop me and ask some variant of the question, "do you know where the bull is?"

Yep, I do.

It's on Broadway, almost at the bottom of the avenue, right smack in the middle of the road. You can take the subway to Bowling Green Station and walk a block or so north, or take it to Wall Street (which lets you off on the corner of Wall and Broadway), and walk south about two blocks or so from there.

You won't be alone. There's pretty much always several tourists taking pictures there. But be careful: Broadway can be a busy street. There are cars, cabs and buses zipping by on both sides of the bull. Don't be so much in "tourist mode" that you forget to look both ways before you cross:

The New York Stock Exchange

2008-04-13T06:14:00.000-07:00

If you're touring around lower Manhattan, you have to stop by the New York Stock Exchange, obviously. But a visit to the Exchange is nowhere near as fun as it used to be.

Back before 9/11, you used to be able to go inside the Exchange building to a glass-enclosed viewing balcony up above the trading floor. Not any longer. Now, you need an invitation from a firm with a seat on the Exchange, or you have to be invited in by companies with official business there. And even then they X-ray all of your bags and send you through a metal detector first.

And there are armed guards all around the building, at all hours. At least now the neighborhood is totally safe.

In any case, tourists unfortunately can only view the Exchange from the outside now. It's still an imposing and beautiful buildling and it's worth the trip down there.

Try standing on the steps of Federal Hall, across Wall Street, for a good angle for a photograph of the NYSE facade:

About This Blog

2008-04-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this blog is to document one entire year of living in lower Manhattan.

I've always dreamed of living in New York City. I've spent more years than I can count commuting into Mahattan for work, and prior to that I spent two years commuting in for graduate school. All along I've felt that I just lived on the fringes of this city and never really got to experience it fully.

So when the opportunity came to rent a small apartment right near my office, my wife and I jumped at the chance. She cut down her work schedule to four days a week, and we started spending Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays--and even occasional weekends--in the city, enjoying dinners out, socializing much more with our city friends and experiencing all of what New York has to offer. Our apartment is tiny, but it's big enough for the two of us (and an occasional couchsurfer too) for a few nights a week.

Yes, it was a fiscally irresponsible decision, but it's been one of the best decisions we've ever made.

So, I've been posting weekly updates to this blog, covering all the changes in the neighborhood in lower Manhattan, various restaurants we've visited, things to see and do, my thoughts and observations on what life here is like, and other frivolous trivia about New York City.

Actually most of this blog is totally frivolous. But it's been fun to write, and it's been a pleasure to keep a permanent record of what we've seen and done here. Sure, it's kind of sad that the "year" is drawing to a close, but all good things must eventually come to an end.

I hope you enjoy reading!

The Canyon of Heroes: Parades on Broadway in Lower Manhattan

2008-03-30T07:04:00.000-07:00

At the bottom of Manhattan, where Broadway starts, is the "Canyon of Heroes" where they throw the tickertape parades. The New York Giants just had the most recent parade thrown for them after winning the Super Bowl, and hundreds of thousands of New York faithful were out there, either taking the day off from work to drive into the city, or just wandering down during their lunch hour to see the goings-on.

The parade route generally runs from the north side of Bowling Green Park and goes up Broadway to just south of City Hall Park.

There haven't been a lot of reasons to throw tickertape parades recently. And mostly the parades seem to be only for New York sports teams these days (and of course we know what's happened to the Yankees the last few years!).

But New Yorkers received an unexpected treat when the the Giants won the 2008 Super Bowl.

However, in the early and mid-20th century, tickertape parades were thrown for generals, political figures and non-sports heroes. There wasn't always so much of a focus on athletes and sports teams. If you walk up and down Broadway, you'll see, in the sidewalks along the path of the parade route, the names of tickertape parade "recipients" like Harry Truman, Charles Lindberg, the Apollo astronauts, John Glenn, Amelia Earhart, Dwight Eisenhower and so on.

Not that any native New Yorkers will take the time to notice them while they're hurrying off to work.

The Original Delmonico's Steakhouse in Lower Manhattan

2008-03-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

There is no shortage of good steakhouses in New York City. But if you want be treated well and have a really good steak, Delmonico's (at 56 Beaver Street in lower Manhattan) is the place to go.

Maybe you can get an arguably better steak at Peter Luger's in Brooklyn, but be prepared, at best, to be treated with indifference by the staff there. And of course Luger's doesn't take credit cards.

But at Delmonico's the staff is actually nice to the customers, and it's not even that hard to get reservations.

But keep in mind that this is corporate T&E kind of restaurant--as you'll see by the prices on the menu. Most of the patrons here are Wall Streeters and their clients. Be prepared to get separated from your money.

Dirty Ryan's: RIP

2008-03-16T06:19:00.000-07:00

One of the cruelest jokes ever played on lower Manhattan's beer drinkers is the closure of Ryan's Sports Bar, affectionately known Dirty Ryan's.

This place had a really friendly bartender and the patrons were an eclectic and ethnic mix of construction workers, office workers, young and old.

The sign on the door says that Ryan's has "moved" to Cliff Street, where Ryan Maguires is located. That would be believable if Ryan Maguires hadn't already been there all along as a totally different bar with a totally different crowd.

We'll miss you Ryan's!

Pearl Street -- Revitalization in the Seaport District

2008-03-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

The new Rockrose building going up on Pearl Street (I understand that it's going to be a hotel) is really moving along. They have been completing at least two floors per week on this building. An astonishing construction schedule. I wouldn't be surprised if this building opens for business by the end of the summer.

Taken at the end of November 2007, when they had just poured the foundation:

Taken on January 2008, when they started pouring the reinforced concrete supports on the ground floor:

The first few floors took much longer to build, but once they finished the third floor, they've been knocking off at least a floor every few days.

Here's a photo from 3/7/08--building out the sixth floor:

City Hall and City Hall Park

2008-03-02T06:43:00.000-08:00

There's a enormous building with a big, gold figurine right next to City Hall Park.

Many people consider that to be City Hall. On the contrary: that's the Municipal Building. The real City Hall is a much smaller and older building in its shadow. And don't forget the New York expression: you can't fight City Hall. Either one of 'em.

While you're here, take a walk through City Hall Park in downtown Manhattan. It's just a short walk from the World Trade Center site, and it's right next to the Brooklyn Bridge and the thrilling pedestrian walkway across to Brooklyn.

The Fountain Pen "Hospital"

2008-02-24T06:36:00.000-08:00

They say the medical care in New York City is the best in the world. And if you have a sick fountain pen, here's where you can take it:

On 10 Warren Street, right near City Hall, in lower Manhattan.

This is How You Do Laundry in New York City

2008-02-17T06:30:00.000-08:00

This is what a typical laundry room looks like in a typical New York City high-rise apartment building.

The only thing that's not typical in these pictures is the number of people in the laundry room. This picture was taken midday when most people are at work. In the evenings, this room is jammed.

Proselytizing in New York City

2008-02-10T09:37:00.000-08:00

For a city that seems so amoral to many inland Americans, there is actually a surprisingly large number of Christian proselytizers in New York City. Perhaps New York attracts them because there are supposedly so many sinners here?

Commuters taking the 7 train from Times Square, or who walk down the tunnel between Port Authority and Time Square, will be intimately familiar with this particularly well stocked group of Christian promoters:

It's only happened to me once or twice, but every so often you'll get somebody who preaches to a captive audience in a subway car. The nerve.

Roadblocks in Lower Manhattan

2008-02-03T09:45:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons NYC is so much more pedestrian-friendly now, especially in the downtown/financial district area, is because of all the roadblocks everywhere.

These are a legacy of 9/11, and now almost every large office building has in front of it some form of roadblock or barrier. They range from big ugly cement blocks, to oversize planters, to rhombus-shaped metal blocks (see the corner of Wall Street and Broadway).

And then there are the suicide-bomber truck protection blockades:

These particular roadblocks are near the New York Stock Exchange. These things could stop a tank.

Free Wireless Internet in Lower Manhattan

2008-01-27T12:53:00.000-08:00

For tourists or locals wandering around lower Manhattan, you should know that there is free wireless internet in the 60 Wall Street atrium:

60 Wall is open to the public and is just a couple of short blocks away from the New York Stock Exchange. But unless you know the neighborhood, it's unlikely you'd find your way here since you can't see this atrium from the Exchange itself. And it's something you won't find in a guidebook.

There are on occasion some rousing backgammon or speed-chess matches in here too. Heated nicely in the winter and mercifully air-conditioned in the summer, with security provided by Deutsche Bank security guards.

Top 8 Ways New Yorkers are Different from Everybody Else

2008-01-20T06:20:00.000-08:00

1) They expect to find a good bagel, no matter where on earth they happen to be.

2) They think the whole country is politically liberal--just like they are.
a) Recall the embarrassing story from the 1970s about what film critic and liberal Pauline Kael said when she couldn't believe Nixon got voted into office: "I don't know a single person who voted for him!"
b) Another one: a New Yorker friend of ours was in a car with us in suburban New Jersey a few weeks after 9/11. His comment after looking out the window at all the homes: "Jeez. What's with all the flags?"

3) They have NO sense of geography.
White Plains might as well be a suburb of Buffalo, NY. They think it snows a lot there. Paris they might know, but Paris, Texas is some God-forsaken place nobody would ever go to.

4) They think going out for Ethiopian food is more normal than eating meat and potatoes.

5) They all seem to be thin.

6) A surprisingly high percentage of them smoke.

7) They think nothing of paying $400 a month to park a car in a garage and paying $2500 a month (or more) for a one-bedroom apartment.

8) They think everybody else speaks with an accent.

Inadvertantly Funny Signs in New York City

2008-01-13T09:28:00.000-08:00

English is a second (or third, or fourth) language for so many people in New York City that you just can't help chuckling at some of the signs around town.

Seen on Liberty Street, across from the NY Federal Reserve Building, in Lower Manhattan:

Yes, but "Danger" is my middle name....!

The Cheapest Muffins in NYC

2008-01-06T07:44:00.000-08:00

Breakfast is really the only truly affordable meal in NYC, and even it can seem expensive to outsiders. You can easily pay $1.75 for a muffin, or $1.50 for a bagel with a schmear. At a Starbucks or an Au Bon Pain, forget about it; scones or muffins can go for $3.00 or more.

But there's a tiny, nondescript diner called the Roxy Food Shop, at 20 John Street (between Broadway and Nassau Streets), that sells good muffins for $1.25 each. This place is so small that two people can't walk past each other without having to turn sideways.

But you'll get your muffins for next to nothing, and the friendly man behind the counter will ask you how you're doing and actually mean it.

A Great Meeting Place in Lower Manhattan: The Hideous Sculpture at Chase Manhattan Plaza

2007-12-30T07:02:00.000-08:00

There's a preposterously ugly outdoor sculpture in front of the Chase Manhattan Plaza that, despite its lack of aesthetic appeal, makes for a perfect lower Manhattan meeting place.

It's just above the 2/3 line Wall Street Station stop, and only a couple of blocks away from the Trade Center Site. You can even stand under it and get protection from the rain too... although not the wind.

If you arrive via subway, take the 2/3 line to Wall Street, then follow the signs in the subway to exit via Cedar/William Street. Go through the doors, take a quick right and head up the stairs to the outdoor plaza level and you're right there.

If you're arriving on foot, this plaza is basically a one block long segment of Cedar Street between William and Nassau Streets.

Night view from the corner of Cedar and William Streets:

View from above:

Four Reasons Why Are There So Many Starbucks in NYC

2007-12-23T06:45:00.000-08:00

Everybody's heard the joke about the latest Starbucks… opening in the bathroom of a Starbucks. Yet it does highlight one of the stranger things about Manhattan. You'd think NYC would be filled with tragically hip coffee shops, but instead it's been overrun by a Seattle-based corporate coffee chain.

For a town that prides itself on being cool, why in the world would there be a Starbucks literally on every other block? And why are all of these Starbucks busy all of the time?

1) Public Space
Starbucks serves somewhat of a broad and altruistic social function in New York by providing public space. The chain essentially offers up a heated (or air-conditioned depending on the season) indoor park every few hundred feet throughout the city. Admission is just an overpriced cup of coffee.

2) Cheap Wireless Internet
Even though New Yorkers try so hard to be cool, a high percentage of them are tools who can't seem to break away from their laptops. For just a few bucks you can get wireless internet at most Starbucks. Astute New York people-watchers will be able to name an entire taxonomy of laptop-wielding customers, ranging from the scruffy unemployed screenwriter, to the i-banking associate working on a PowerPoint pitch book, to the business school study group working on a group project, etc.

3) One of Two Key Food Groups
Coffee and nicotine are two critical food groups for a surprising amount of New Yorkers. Hence the expression that a New Yorker's breakfast is coffee and a cigarette.

4) Satisfying the Inner Snob
There's another joke about New Yorkers: How do you get a New Yorker to wait in line? Simple: put up a velvet rope and a bouncer. New Yorkers cannot resist the urge to wait in line for something that they'll eventually overpay for.

Oh, right, and maybe they actually like the coffee too.

Eight Pieces of Advice for Tourists Riding the New York City Subway

2007-12-16T07:08:00.000-08:00

Here are eight suggestions for tourists looking to ride New York's famous subways:

1) Hold onto something at all times.

2) Bend your knees just a little bit while the train is in motion. It helps you keep your balance.

3) Resist the urge to look around too much, and of course it goes without saying that you shouldn’t stare. New Yorkers expect to exist in a state of high anonymity, even when crammed into a subway car like sardines.

4) If you feel compelled to wear sunglasses in the subway system, you are trying much too hard to be cool.

5) It’s okay to ask somebody for help or directions, as New Yorkers have become friendlier in the past several years. But New Yorkers love to give you a zillion different ways to get somewhere via subway, so if you ask an open-ended questions, like “how can I get to Times Square from here?” be prepared to be confused by too many options. Instead, it's better to ask yes or no type questions, like "Is this the train to Times Square?"

6) The subway is safe. It was actually quite safe even in the 80s and early 90s, despite the impression you got from the media. But now it’s incredibly safe.

7) The subway is the easiest and cheapest way to get around town for any distance too great to walk. The $2.00 fare will get you from one end of the subway system to the other--you can theoretically take the subway from Rockaway Beach in Brooklyn all the way to Wakefield in the North Bronx and it will still cost you only $2.00. Not that you’d necessarily want to make that trip, since it will take you two hours. But this is in stark contrast to most major cities (D.C., Paris, London, etc.) where they charge you extra for riding longer distances.

8) Don’t expect to be impressed with the beauty of the NYC subway system. It’s dirty, some of the trains screech painfully loudly, and at times the entire system can truly tax one’s patience (timetables? What timetables?). Instead, try your best to be impressed with the utter utilitarianism of it all.

Related Posts:
The Subway Knows When You Let Go of the Handrail
Five More Great Pubs in Lower Manhattan

Century21: Inexpensive Shopping In Lower Manhattan

2007-12-09T07:18:00.000-08:00

They have good stuff here. And cheap too.
--Woman talking in the Century21 department store

One of the cheapest places to buy clothes in all of NYC is the Century21 department store on 22 Cortlandt Street in lower Manhattan.

You'll have to forgive the building’s almost Nazi-era looking external architecture, complete with art deco-style eagles. I’m sure these guys arrived at this location long after the building was built.

But once you get inside, you'll find a store filled with clothes of all sorts of brand names at prices so low you'll have trouble believing you're in New York City. Yves St. Laurent ties, $15.00. Pierre Cardin dress shirts, $29.99. About a year ago I picked up a sturdy black London Fog travel carry-on suitcase for the outrageously cheap price of $29.99.

And if you're an international tourist, you'll get even more mileage out of the weak dollar. You'll get some amazing deals here.

Century21 is right next to the World Trade Center site and just a couple of north from Trinity Church, both of which are major downtown tourist destinations. If you're down here anyway, why not catch a few bargains while you're at it?

Further Evidence of Enormous Opportunities in Lower Manhattan

2007-12-02T07:36:00.000-08:00

As further evidence that there are opportunities all over the place in Lower Manhattan, you need go no further than Maiden Lane, just a couple blocks west of the Seaport.

1) A new Gristedes supermarket, which is about 2 months old:

This now means that this area--now that it has three separate grocery stores in a three block radius--is officially residentially friendly.

2) A new Chipotle, which has been packed every day at lunchtime from the day it opened about four months ago. Today was a slow day: the line only extended out the door by one or two people.

As far as I know it's now the second Chipotle down here; the other is over on Broadway near the Bull.

The Polish Neighborhood of Greenpoint, Brooklyn

2007-11-25T06:50:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about New York City is that practically every ethnic group on earth has its own enclave here. We recently discovered the Greenpoint area in Brooklyn, which is a big Polish district. Despite the fact that we are locals here and have lived in the area for 15 or so years, we never knew about this neighborhood at all. We had to learn about it from a woman who lived her whole life in Poland!

This is a very friendly area, with lots of very reasonably priced restaurants, and of course a Polish butcher shop on practically every corner. Keep in mind that Polish food is fundamentally meat-centered, so don’t go looking for vegetarian cuisine here. But being a ravenous meat-eater myself, I recently tried two restaurants here and loved them both.

Damis Polish American Restaurant is friendly, very reasonably priced and casual. Be sure to order their pierogi sampler for a starter. The trout entrée I ordered was one of the best pieces of fish I’ve ever eaten, and it's conclusive proof that you don’t have to go to one of the “Zagat Top 50” restaurants in New York to have an amazing culinary experience. Damis was better by far (and at about 1/3 the price by the way) than a similar trout dish I had a couple of years ago at Le Bernardin.

Johnny’s Café was also very friendly, with similarly reasonable prices. I had a pork cutlet there that was uncomplicated and exceptional. These two restaurants are perfect for New Yorkers who want to step out of their typical habits and try a cuisine that’s not so easy to find in Manhattan.

To get there: Take the G line subway (connect from Manhattan from either the E line in midtown or the 2/3 line downtown) to Greenpoint Ave in Brooklyn. This stop is on the corner of Greenpoint Avenue and Manhattan Avenue, which is pretty much the heart of the neighborhood.

***************************
Damis Polish American Restaurant
931 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 349-7501

Johnny’s Café
632 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 349-7501

The Best Baklava in Lower Manhattan

2007-11-18T07:59:00.000-08:00

If you’re in Lower Manhattan and looking for a really inexpensive lunch or dinner of solid Turkish food, I strongly recommend The Country Kebab on 76 Fulton Street, on the corner of Gold Street.

We have a obsessive habit of always buying their simple but delicious falafel wraps (only $3.95 and it's big enough for a full meal), but they also have a wide range of casual Turkish food, all of it good.

This place is one of the least expensive restaurants in the area, so don’t expect to be impressed by the décor or ambiance. But it is surprisingly nice to sit by their big glass windows and people-watch, as this street corner now bustles with an interesting range of people around the clock.

And you’d never guess that this hole-in-the-wall restaurant would have such amazing baklava, but here it sits on their counter every day. Only $1.00 per slice or $2.50 for three slices. A relative bargain--at least for Manhattan.

New Condos in Lower Manhattan

2007-11-11T06:29:00.000-08:00

One of the things that accompanies a neighborhood renaissance like we’ve seen over the past few years in lower Manhattan is the influx of new condos and condo conversions. Buildings that were once full of commercial tenants (so many of whom left after 9/11) are now being converted into residential housing.

Here's 75 Wall:

And here's 15 William Street, otherwise (and borderline inappropriately) known as the William Beaver House:

A quote from the New York real estate gossip blog Curbed puts it best:

"The [William Beaver House] sales office, slated to open November 20, will serve up apartments from $890,000 for a one-bedroom to $2.5 million for the penthouse with terrace, which if you're going to be serious about this whole impress-your-junior-Goldman colleagues thing, is really the only way to go."

What a flawless way to put it.

It’s almost laughable to see so much new building and so many conversions down here. And I'm not even counting all of the new buildings going up west of here in Battery Park City. It seems like every third building is doing a conversion. And of course, this being the Wall Street area and all, these conversions are all going high-end, usually with trendy (and deliberately poorly-lit) lobbies like this:

This neighborhood used to have fairly reasonable rents at least for Manhattan. But even the more affordable buildings down here (for example, rents at 2 Gold Street are up some 30-35% from when the building first opened to tenants back in 2005) are quickly catching up to the rest of the city.

Another example of what I’d call the wrong kind of gentrification.

The Flip Side of Anonymity in New York City

2007-11-04T05:25:00.000-08:00

We spoke two weeks ago of how easy it is to be utterly lonely in New York City. But today we're going to talk about how you can weirdly bump into people you know at really random times.

I’ve run into friends on the subway in the middle of the night while coming back from a league tennis match. I’ve run into former work colleagues in the early morning hours on the way to work--both of us half asleep and recognizing the other verrrrry slowly.

I was once coming up out of the subway at 72nd Street, talking out loud to my wife, and when we reached the street level, hearing the person in front of me turn around and say, “Is that Dan Koontz?”

It was a high school friend I hadn’t seen in 16 years.

Of course, New Yorkers always seem a bit distracted or absorbed in their private thoughts (actually I’d even go so far to say they wear a psychological force-field around themselves at all times as part of their redefining of privacy).

Thus the average resident here rarely operates in “Hey, I should look around, I might see somebody I know” mode. They can be oblivious to the point where you have to be standing right in front of them shouting their name in order to get their attention. And even then, their attention comes with a long delay as they swim up out of their own thoughts.

So you can still bitch in a loud voice about your jackass boss or what a jerk your coworker is. Even if he (or she) is right behind you, he’ll never notice...

Beauty in Unexpected New York City Places

2007-10-28T06:25:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of beauty in New York City, and it often shows up in unexpected places. It can be a surprising architectural design or unusual details on a building you walk by every day but never really noticed. It can be a section of Central Park you hadn't seen before, or a small garden you happen onto while walking the streets.

But the typical New Yorker rarely looks around. He's more interested in getting to work, getting to the subway, getting home, etc., than taking it all in.

That's why tourists (as annoying as they can sometimes be to the residents) have a unique opportunity in New York. Sure, they can take in the same typical activities all the tourists take in. But if they open their eyes, they'll be the ones most likely to see some really beautiful and amazing things.

As Yogi Berra once said, "You can observe a lot just by watching."

180 Maiden Lane:

Detail, 180 Maiden Lane:

The George Hecht Viewing Garden, 3rd Ave at St. Marks Place:

Detail, 56 Pine Street:

Anonymity in New York City

2007-10-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

The first thing that shocks a newcomer to New York is the sheer human density of the city. There are people everywhere. No matter how hard you try, you just can't get away from all the people.

So New Yorkers simply redefine privacy. They shout into their cellphones as if there's no one around them; they talk to themselves while walking down the street. They have loud (and occasionally witty) conversations with their compadres without it even occuring to them that people around them can hear everything they say.

Of course most everybody around them is oblivious too, talking to themselves, or shouting into their own cellphones.

When you're surrounded all the time in a world like this, it can be at times highly amusing. But it can also become surprisingly easy to feel utterly anonymous, even lonely.

This at times makes it quite difficult to live here, especially as a single person. That's why one of New York's nicknames is "the lonely city."

Khyber Pass Afghani Restaurant

2007-10-14T06:02:00.000-07:00

We're still on a bit of an East Village bender here at "A Year in Manhattan" and we're going to share with you another unusual and inexpensive restaurant find in the neighborhood: Khyber Pass, at 34 Saint Marks Place (8th Street between 2nd and 3rd Aves).

We practically tripped and fell on this place, and we were irresistably drawn in by the eerie red glow that permeated the entrance and the inside.

We typically eat our Afghani food at Bamiyan on 3rd Ave at 26th Street (look for the beautiful heavy oak door), but I felt like the food here was quite a bit better.

The prices were very reasonable, a rare surprise for a NYC restaurant. Most of the entrees were in the $10-13 range.

Let me strongly recommend one of the dishes we ordered: the shireen palow. It was one of the most interesting and unusual things we've ordered in a while. I'll share with you the comments my dinner companion blurted out after her first taste: "This rice dish epitomizes everything I ever wanted in life. A little spontaneity, something exotic, new and different." And this is somebody who rarely gushes about a meal.

And if the inexpensive and exotic fare wasn't enough, be sure to rent one of the hookahs during your dinner. Only an exta $15. We're not huge fans of smoking, but when in Rome....

Khyber Pass Afghani Restaurant

34 Saint Marks Place (8th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues)
New York, NY 10003
212/473-0989

The East Village: An Oasis of Non-Gentrification

2007-10-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

In our prior discussions of New York City gentrification, we’ve mourned how the rundown old bars we frequent are losing ground to too-trendy hotspots filled with banker types.

Well, we were thrilled to go back to the East Village and find that it was still fairly hip. Somehow a couple of years had slipped by since the last time we had been around that particular portion of the Village, and as we approached the neighborhood (on our way to Dallas BBQ’s), we feared the worst.

We were expecting it to resemble the corner of Bleecker and MacDougal. This is where the guidebooks tend to place the so-called "heart" of Greenwich Village, and as a result, the place is overrun by tourists. Huge tour buses now pass through seemingly every few minutes. Worse, the last generation’s colorful residents are slowly, inexorably, being replaced by Wall Street types.

Fortunately, the East Village, especially the area on St. Mark’s Place between say 3rd Ave and Tompkins Square Park, seems to have kept its tattoo and body piercing stores, and there was hardly a banker anywhere to be seen. Sure, there were tourists, but at least there weren't any tour buses.

Uh, it's spelled "Henna."

Thank goodness: a tiny oasis of tradition in an inexorably gentrifying city. We'll see how long it lasts.

Dallas BBQs and the Texas Sized Margarita

2007-09-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

There are plenty of expensive restaurants in New York City where you can find dinner for two for the price of a month’s rent.

But today I’m going to talk about a casual restaurant chain in the city where the food is solid, the prices are really reasonable, and the Texas-sized frozen margaritas really are as big as Texas: Dallas BBQ's.

There are seven of 'em in New York, six in Manhattan and one lonely location in Brooklyn. The one we always seem to frequent is in the East Village, on 2nd Ave at St. Mark’s Place/8th Street:

My particular favorite menu item, dating back to my days when I was a broke grad school student, is the half chicken platter with cornbread. Only $6.99. I don’t think they’ve changed that price in years. Their burgers and fries are solid too.

But of course you must order a margarita, and heck if you’re in NYC, why not make it the biggest one they’ve got. Never mind the irony that you’re spending more on your drink than your dinner (at least if you order the chicken platter...). It’s worth it.

We’ve already talked about how you should never visit New York in the summer. But on a warm autumn NYC evening, come here, sit out on the sidewalk, knock back a huge margarita and watch the city go by with increasingly blurred vision.

Overheard in New York City

2007-09-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

“What you need to do girl, is get your shit and get the fuck out of there”
--Woman speaking into her cellphone on Maiden Lane in Lower Manhattan

New Yorkers have a weird and misguided sense of anonymity. Because we’re surrounded by people all the time, and because it’s seen as inappropriate to talk to a stranger on the street (unless you have something really, REALLY witty to say), we all go around like we’re in our own little hermetically sealed mental bubbles. So when we’re outside on a sidewalk surrounded by people, we egoistically feel like we’re alone.

The cellphone of course worsened this trend substantially. Now people don’t have to be talking to their friends or colleagues right next to them; they can instead shout into their cellphones for all to hear, oblivious to the fact that their conversations are part of the public domain.

As a result, you can get enormous humor value out of walking the streets of New York and actually listening to what people say. When you listen to random New Yorkers, who can quickly oscillate from sarcastic, to witty, to friendly, to boneheadedly provincial all in a matter of a few short snippets of conversation, you can hear some unforgettably amusing things.

There’s an entire site dedicated to this unique New York City phenomenon, and it’s highly worth a read: Overheard in New York.

We’ll discuss the New Yorker’s unusual concept of anonymity in future posts as well.

The Downside of Gentrification in Lower Manhattan

2007-09-16T09:20:00.000-07:00

We've already talked about the amazing transformation of both the financial district and Seaport district of Manhattan since 9/11. But there's a downside to gentrification too.

Of course it's just a fact of life that neighborhoods change and evolve. And yes, this area used to be pretty dumpy, so I'm not complaining.

But I'd like to see the right kind of gentrification. Maybe New York already has enough trendy bars filled with bankers and Wall Street people.

Really great neighborhood pubs like Jeremy's are starting to lose ground to places like this...

...replete with trendy yellow chairs like these outside on the sidewalk:

As well as places like this, where all the wait staff is obligatorily hip and wears all black:

It may not look "Wall Street banker-filled" now, but wait until the sun sets.... :)

Even Carmine's repainted their sign!! Here's the old look for you nostalgia buffs out there:

By the way, this place makes a mean lasagna, and (at least for now) it's very pleasingly unpretentious. A soon-to-be dying breed throughout Manhattan.

Business Congregations in The Bowery

2007-09-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

Something that continues to fascinate me about New York City is the fact that identical businesses tend to congregate in the same neighborhood.

For example, there's the Diamond District in midtown (on 47th street near 6th Ave), where dozens of diamond, gem and jewelry stores are located within a two block radius or the Curry District in the East 20s (on Lexington Ave) where you can find dozens of Indian specialty retail stores and restaurants all within a few blocks of each other.

You'd think that if you located your store right next to all your competitors it would make your life miserable. What stops your customer from threatening to walk right next door for a better price?

But it is certainly a boon for both consumers and tourists alike. The consumer can easily shop at multiple stores and can know with a high degree of confidence that prices are fair and reasonable (at least for New York). The tourist gets an interesting and condensed ethnic and cultural experience that rarely found elsewhere in America.

So, take a look at the pictures below. We were walking home from dinner in the East Village, and while walking through a completely nondescript three-block stretch of The Bowery, we found an Italian Pizza Oven District....

By the way, what the heck is a dough retarder? Could somebody help me out with that?

...and a Lamp District, where we saw several lamp showrooms, all within a block or two of each other.
You never know what you'll find walking around in this city!

We'll talk in future posts about some of the more obvious examples of this New York City phenomenon, like Chinatown and Koreatown, as well as some of the less obvious examples, like the little Poland district in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Rats in New York City

2007-09-02T07:54:00.000-07:00

This probably isn't the kind of rat you were thinking about is it?

Nope--these are union rats. This downtown building is employing non-union workers to do construction. The union stopped by with Mr. Rat to let the building managment know that they don't exactly appreciate it.

This rat seems to appear all over Manhattan as the mascot of electrical workers, sheet metal workers, carpenters, and various other construction unions.

I've always wondered if the various unions share a rat or maybe every union gets their own?

NEVER Visit New York City in the Summer

2007-08-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

The best months of the year to visit New York are September, October, April and May.

I feel terrible for the poor tourists down here, tromping around the Financial District and the Seaport during the brutal heat of July and August. Usually everybody's flushed beet red, stumbling around and worn out. They look like they don't know what hit them, and nobody's having any fun.

I know this is the time of year when kids are out of school and thus it's a logical time for families to visit the city, but don't do it. It is not worth the suffering.

If you HAVE to visit NYC during the summer, at least try for June. Early June.

Who wants to come to New York to experience that ubiquitous rotten garbage smell? To feel the blasts of roasting hot air from building exhaust fans?

And the subway system? Fuggetaboutit. A Dantean descent into hell.

It's just no fun to wander the streets of NYC at this time of year.

Parking in Manhattan

2007-08-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

They don't make it easy to deal with a car in Manhattan, or anywhere in New York City for that matter.

First there's the alternate side of the street parking rules, and the absolute dearth of on-street parking in nearly all parts of the city (the only part of Manhattan where I never seem to have a problem parking is way the heck up on Riverside Drive, above Columbia University--not exactly helpful since I live and work at the extreme other end of the borough).

Although now with NYC potentially passing a "congestion tax" sometime in the next few years, perhaps this problem will get better.

Then there's the exorbitant cost of parking in a garage. The cost for an indoor parking space can be $300 a month (for a cheap and inconveniently located place), or as much as $400 to $500 a month (for someplace less inconveniently located).

Note that there are also ways even a simple (and tiny) vacant lot can "create space" for extra cars:

Photo taken on Gold Street between Maiden Lane and Platt Street.

Two Really Good Downtown Thai Restaurants

2007-08-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

Those of you who are fans of Thai food, read on!

The best Thai restaurant in all of downtown (in my opinion) is Cafe Sage:

Located at the corner of John and Cliff Streets, Cafe Sage is an inexpensive and unpretentious restaurant with absolutely the nicest staff you could imagine. We eat here at least twice a month, and the food is consistently excellent.

Then there's Bennys, on the corner of Gold Street and Fulton Street. This restaurant is a bit tougher to find because it's hidden below street level. Quite frankly, it doesn't look like much at all from the outside. It's a classic example of the expression "a hole in the wall" restaurant...

Actually it's more like a hole in the ground...

...but don't let looks deceive you. This is a solid restaurant, not fancy and certainly not expensive, and they make a mean massaman curry.

5 Great Pubs in Downtown Manhattan

2007-08-05T05:24:00.000-07:00

Any New Yorker worth his Brooklyn Lager will know at least a few good neighborhood pubs. Today I'll share a few of our favorites.

1) Jim Brady's, on Maiden Lane between Gold and William Streets:

They also have very good pub food here, but it's a bit overpriced.

2) The Full Shilling, on Pearl Street between Pine and Wall:

This place can get a bit loud, especially with the happy hour crowd. I recommend coming here late on a weekday night--once all the financial types go home.

3) The Beekman, at 15 Beekman Street:

This is our favorite place of the five. It's the most sincere of all of the downtown pubs we've been to (I don't know how else to put it). More understated and casual than Jim Brady's with less expensive food.

4) Ryan's, on Gold Street just south of Fulton Street:
(Update as of 12/31/07--Ryan's has closed down! Oh, the humanity!)

Unassuming, casual, friendly and ethnically mixed. Known as "dirty Ryan's to avoid confusion with....

4) Ryan Maguire's, on Cliff Street, between Fulton and John:

5) And of course you can't leave out Jeremy's Ale House, on Front Street in the Seaport district. It doesn't look like much--either inside or out--but there's something special about this place. Be sure to try the fish and chips. Oh, and once you get in there, look closely at some of the uh, garments on the ceiling.

It's unfortunate, but this little Seaport neighborhood is showing alarming signs of gentrification, and much like the rest of New York City, it's beginning to get just a bit too hip. We'll address this issue further in a forthcoming post.

The Downtown Manhattan Renaissance

2007-07-29T06:38:00.000-07:00

Manhattan's financial district experienced a radical transformation after September 11, 2001.

This used to be a "business hours-only" neighborhood. Back in the mid-1990s when I first started working down here, the area became creepy and deserted after around 7-8pm. Literally NOBODY was on the streets, and none of the stores or restaurants stayed open past 6 or 7. It was a breakfast and lunch (and maybe happy hour) scene only.

After 9/11, a ton of businesses moved out of the area, and many of the office buildings converted into residential apartments and condos. Rents in the neighborhood were still somewhat affordable, at least compared to the rest of Manhattan. They're not quite so affordable now, unfortunately.

Over the next few years, the residential population here began to reach critical mass. Residential conveniences which were previously lacking in the neighborhood began to appear: grocery stores, nighttime restaurants, cafes, etc.

Below is a photo of the Jubilee market, one of two grocery stores in the vicinity. For a New York City grocery store (an admittedly low standard), it's reasonably clean and reasonably inexpensive.

Also, the flowers outside the front door are fresh and only $4.99 a bunch. One of the best deals in Manhattan.

A decade ago, you'd be nervous being out in the evenings down here because the streets were utterly deserted. This used to be the one part of New York that actually slept!

Now there are women pushing strollers, young people, dog-walkers, tourists, etc, everywhere, at all times of the day and night.

Sure, every part of New York is in a constant state of reinvention and flux, but this district of Manhattan has probably seen more change than any other over the past few years. For somebody who remembers what this neighborhood was like 10 years ago, the transformation is quite stunning.

More New York Art Deco Architecture

2007-07-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

I inherited my love of art deco from my mother, and I particularly like the dreary, serious art deco style of 1930s-era New York.

We've already seen AIG's contributions to the genre. Here's some more from a nearby building, 120 Wall Street:

Entrance, facing on Wall Street, between Front and South Streets:

Doorway, facing on South Street:

120 Wall doorway, detail:

A Classic Downtown Woman

2007-07-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

This is the paragon of femininity in New York City these days...

...with RIMM pager in hand and oblivious both to cabs and stealthy photographers.

This woman probably just finished up her day at Standard & Poors or Goldman Sachs, and is waiting for the uptown bus:

Taken right around here on Water Street.

The New York City Police Museum

2007-07-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

If you're a tourist heading to downtown Manhattan, save yourself some time and just skip the South Street Seaport. Heck, now that the actual fishmarket is long gone, it's nothing more than a lousy shopping mall.

Instead, walk a few blocks south to 100 Old Slip and The New York City Police Museum and see a real piece of New York history. Admission is only $5!

Main entrance of the museum:

Detail of main entrance:

Imposing green doors:

Door detail:

New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation Plaque:

Three Good Lunch Places on Cedar Street in Downtown Manhattan

2007-07-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

Cedar Street is one of those little alleys in NYC that you'd never see or find or even notice unless you worked in the neighborhood. Blocked on one side by Pearl Street (and one of AIG's several buildings downtown--in this case the totally mis-addressed 80 Pine), and blocked on the other side by Chase Plaza (and a really ugly sculpture that's I'll feature in another post), you can easily miss this tiny streetlet.

Nonetheless, I get probably 80% of my lunches in one of the three restaurants here.

For some reasonably priced good Indian food, this place is perfect. It kind of looks like a hole in the wall, but the food is excellent. Don't go in there expecting nice decor. :)

Right next door is Oriental Express, a really cheap Chinese buffet place. Not fancy and not that easy to find, but it works for a quick lunch. Most of the clientele here are AIG employees.

Right across the street from the back entrance of the AIG building is Liberato's Pizza. It's pretty new; maybe it's been open a year at the most. But they make a mean calzone here and their pizza and pastas are exceptional.

New York Art Deco Architecture from the AIG Building

2007-06-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

The AIG headquarters building on 70 Pine Street, between William and Pearl Streets is a great example of 1930's-era art deco architecture.

External details of AIG Building:
Details of AIG lobby elevators:

New York City Construction

2007-06-17T10:32:00.000-07:00

Construction is a key part of New York City life, both visual and auditory. Downtown is particularly noisy lately. There are several new buildings going up, as well as quite a few building conversions from office space to residential apartments--a result of so many businesses leaving the area post-9/11.

Also, almost all of the streets downtown have been dug up at one point or another since 9/11. Apparently the collapse of the towers damaged a lot of the underground infrastructure. Result: jackhammering. Usually it starts at around 7 or 7:30 am.

This is looking down onto Pearl Street and Platt Street.

And if jackhammers weren't enough, you should listen to the sweet sounds of pile-driving. The photo below is on the corner of Pearl Street and Maiden Lane. Supposedly this is going to be the site of a new hotel.

The Bull Run Restaurant and Pine Street

2007-06-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

The Bull Run is a surprisingly good restaurant for downtown. Corner of Pine and William Streets.

This next picture probably looks familiar from last week's "Caverns" post. You're looking east down Pine Street from William. AIG's headquarters is ahead on the left, Deutsche Bank's headquarters is on the right. The Wall Street (2/3 line) subway stop and atrium are directly to the right. There is free wi-fi in the atrium here too.

There are already tools heading off to work, even at 6:20 am (like me).

Detail, 56 Pine Street:
Detail, corner of Pine and William Streets:

Caverns of the Financial District

2007-06-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

The tourists in New York City always stick out like sore thumbs because they're always spraining their necks looking up at all the tall buildings. In the financial district, the buildings are particularly imposing.

When many of the buildings were built in downtown, the idea of requiring "building setbacks" didn't really exist. Instead, because space was so limited, it was all about going vertical. Worse, lower Manhattan has really narrow streets compared to, say, Midtown. Thus the entire area down here has this cavernous feel about it.

These shots were taken fairly early in the morning, but even at noontime around here you rarely see the sun.

The Treadmill

2007-05-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

New Yorkers for some reason prefer to do their workouts indoors, even on a cool beautiful May morning. This guy is walking on a treadmill inside a new apartment building on the corner of William and Liberty Streets.

It's about 6:15am on a Monday morning.

Tourists, of Course

2007-05-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

At the corner of Pearl Street and Maiden Lane.
I guess they wandered a little bit too far away from the Seaport.

Sunrise over Queens

2007-05-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

From the rooftop of 2 Gold Street, corner of Maiden Lane:
Great views of the East River and Brooklyn.

New York Federal Reserve Building

2007-05-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

At Maiden Lane, Liberty Street and William Street in lower Manhattan. This is where they keep all the gold.

From the ground it looks like a weirdly out-of-place castle. From up above--with its red tile roof--it looks like an even more weirdly out-of-place Mediterranean villa.

Note that this photograph was chosen for inclusion in the latest Schmap East Coast Guide!

Just off to the right of this next shot is a great pub, Jim Brady's.

For more of New York photos, feel free to take a look at my NYC photoset on Flickr.