Hey guys,
My gf and several of her friends are going to NYC for spring break, starting on March 19th for a week. They're cheap and they want to stay in a hostel. Anyone with a good recommendation? Thanks in advance.

angel's share is amazing. I second this recommendation.

i was in nyc back in January and blogged some of my cheap eats. some of you may find it useful.

click here.

Bump because the IFC center on 6th ave and West 4th in Manhattan (and probably a few other theatres) is screening all the live-action and animated short films that are nominated for the Oscar. I love short films but don't get a chance to see them much, so this was really cool.

The live-action and animated categories are two different shows airing at different times during the day. I saw the animated one last night. FWIW, my vote is for "I Met the Walrus", a very clever film using audio the filmmaker recorded when he was 14 and snuck into a hotel to interview John Lennon in 1969.

For anyone in NYC there is a OOT NYC Happy Hour on 3/1/08.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/sh...d.php?t=130348

what's the best site online to browse apartments online? rental

www.ardorny.com is a broker place but gives you a great idea of whats out there for the price.

thank you, this is just what i needed

Yea, just keep in mind that no matter what you do (online broker, craigslist, real estate agent, going building to building in your area of choice looking for vacancies, etc) the process is a ****ing pain. Also, nearly everyone I know has had at least one terrible experience with a real estate agent. Brace for it.

Once you're done with the process though, living in ny is pretty damn fun, imo.

That was a hijack; back to the main thread:

> Eastside Billiards (86th and lex): Sweet pool hall. Great atmosphere, always plays good music, and a decent bar. Bartenders are really friendly, and quite receptive to random drink-related bets.

> Pier 40: Best open spot for quality soccer in manhattan. International flavour, and games ranging from 4v4 to full field 11v11.

> 53rd and 6th "chicken and rice" cart: Chicken and lamb on crack. Awesome when drunk and even when not. Beware the long line, order the combo platter, and dont be stingy with the white sauce.

> Teriyaki Boy: Super value japanese food and sushi. You can get large platters with chicken/salmon teriyaki, with rice, salad, tempura, california rolls, and the works for <$8/9. The sushi too is great value and tastes pretty good. Best spider roll (soft-shell crab) for $6.

I've lived here for almost three years now. I'll second a few items:

Museum: MoMA.

By far my favorite museum in New York. The permanent collection is seriously like walking through an Art History 101 textbook. It includes important works by Monet, Matisse, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Picasso, Dali, Mondrian, Warhol, and much more. The new space is also spectacular and many of the temporary exhibitions are great. Also, the design collection is cool and unusual.

Also, if you're coming soon, the Guggenheim has a really cool exhibition now through May 28 by Cai Guo-Qiang, the centerpiece of which is nine Chevy Metros (seven of which are suspended from the atrium ceiling) in a progression that simulates a car bombing.

Restaurant: Otto

This is Mario Batali's "low-end" restaurant, which means you'll probably get out at around $40 per person. The menu is just antipasti, salads, thin-crust pizzas, pastas and gelati. Go with a group, get a lot of things to share (I especially recommend the Pizza Vongole with fresh, in-shell clams; the pasta with hazelnuts and butternut squash; and the shrimp with chiles). The Olive Oil Copetta dessert (olive oil gelato with salt and a seasonal accompaniment like blood oranges) is unique and super-delicious. They also have a wide selection of high-quality wines by the quartino (1/3 bottle).

Bar: Pegu Club

This place's focus is innovative mixology, so you'll see lots of unusual drinks like an Earl Gray Martini. Unfortunately, I find the menu to be a mixed bag: I've had some drinks that were unexpected and outstanding, and others that I found unpleasant (usually because they were too bitter). It is never boring, however. I find the champagne cocktails are the best bet. The atmosphere is super-chill and plush, and you can usually get a seat.

Transport: The Subway

If you're not from New York, definitely try to explore by subway. The New York subway is unlike any other system I've seen (and in fairness, I haven't been to Tokyo) in terms of the sheer volume of people moved. Day and night, the system is busy. I've gotten used to commuting on it every day, but I still think it's a sight to behold for outsiders. Also, it's an outstanding deal.

However, if it's 2 AM and you're drunk, definitely treat yourself to a cab.

I ****ing love Otto.

i'm not a super-rich dude, so my suggestions are geared more toward moderate budgets. and i live right outside the city so i'm not gonna mention any of the touristy stuff. and i'm a musician so my recommendations are heavily geared toward music.

1. The Bitter End. music is almost guaranteed to be good. anyone who's not big enough to play the Bowery Ballroom or sell out the Mercury Lounge will be here. the place has a ton of history and you catch some serious old-school guys playing here sometimes.

2. Spike Hill (in Williamsburg right off the L stop). live music w/ no cover. often good. one of the best single malt scotch selections that i've seen anywhere.

3. Les Paul every monday @ The Iridium - seriously. dude is the godfather of so many different things musical. and he still gets up on that stage every monday despite being like 300 years old. absolutely worth seeing while he's still alive.

I'll second this.

I went to Jazz Standard this weekend, a really nice jazz club located underneath (and affiliated with) Blue Smoke BBQ. While Blue Smoke is very polarizing among the BBQ crowd, you can order off their menu in the jazz club, and they have a very nice beer/cocktail list.

I just stopped by to eat at the new Ramen restaurant in Astor place Ippudo. I love ramen and have been a regular customer at Minca in the east village for some time now.

Ippudo is apparently a popular Ramen chain in Japan. The NY restaurant is the first of its kind outside of Japan. I found the bowl I ordered to be very good. Not really as many toppings as I expected, but the pork tasted good, the noodles were tasty, and the broth was perfect. Apparently the dinner selection of soups is different, so I will be back soon. Nice looking place, really friendly staff.

If I lived in ny, I'd be at Vol De Nuit every night.

I just found this thread. I moved to NYC on February 20th so I've been here a little over a month. I work downtown right near the Staten Island Ferry---close to Wall Street/Fulton Street.

I live on the Upper East Side.

The Lower East Side is tremendous for bars. For food I like Il Riccio a lot for Italin food on the Upper East Side.

Brother Jimmy's is a solid location; reminds me of college. There is one on the west side and one on UES.

dallas BBQ has really cheap and good margaritas.

Stone Street is good for bars right near my work.

I'm FGators by the way and would like to start to hear more about these poker games that are going on in the city-preferably 1/2ish NL.

You'll love Stone Street in the summer.

Has anyone been to BLT Steak in NYC and have a review? I tried searching and came up empty. Going to be up in NYC next week and owe my friend a steak dinner.

Thanks for any input.

-Phil

I haven't, but I've been to BLT Fish and BLT Burger - both were very good.

Has anyone been to a place called Forum? 14 street, 4th avenue I believe.

It looked neat but I haven't found too many reviews on it.

I haven't been to BLT steak. Zagat likes it, and rates it a 24/21/21 with a price estimate of $70. New York City has more than 30 upscale steakhouses with a Zagat food rating of 23, 24 or 25. (Only Peter Luger is higher, at 28). My experience from eating at six of them is that the steaks are similar in (high) quality across the board. The main differences are sides and decor. My personal favorites have been Del Friscos (which has enormous windows over Sixth Avenue) and Quality Meats (which has a sort of butchershop-chic decor and delicious corn creme brulee as a side).

So, my point is that if you like steak, it's hard to go really wrong.

I like Otto but I found the clam pizza inedible three years ago. Everything else I've had there I've loved, particularly the olive oil gelato. I would sometimes stop there and have it at the bar with friends after dinner.

Say what one will about Blue Smoke, their Key Lime Pie is terrific.

I'm planning my first trip to New York City in June via Stars travel certificate. From what I've read I think I would like to stay by Central Park / Times Square and just spend the weekend walking around from there. I did not see a single hotel recommendation in the entire thread. Any suggestions in the $300-$350 range?

Hotel rates in Manhattan vary widely from day to day in Manhattan, so if you want recommendations in a price range, you should provide exact dates. There are some dates when that will get you a quasi-swanky hotel, and others when you won't find anything of Hilton/Sheraton class in Manhattan at that rate.

Edit to add: Orbitz shows you can get the W Times Square for $329/night on the weekend of June 13-15. That's right in the middle of everything (47th and Broadway) and has very nice common areas; I've heard good things about the rooms but haven't stayed.