I know, I know- lots.
Basically, I'm going to New York between the 27th Oct and the 1st Nov for an ill-thought out holiday. I'll be staying with a couple of friends in Harlem, and we have plans for the evenings but I'd appreciate suggestions for day-time things (as my day-time guide doesn't actually live in NYC).

I know that I want to go to Central Park, the new Banksy shop/ exhibition, the Met art gallery but after that... well, I have no idea. I like exploring and finding streets and little shops that are a bit off the tourist-beaten track and I like music and art and interesting things.


Any ideas?

Go see Lenin--there's a statue of him (plus a giant clock reminiscent of the Red Square) on top of a luxury apartment building at the corner of Houston and Avenue A (one farther east than 1st Ave). Spoon and I went looking for him on his visit but I couldn't remember the exact location.

Stand reverently at the former site of CBGB (St. Marks between 2nd and 3rd) and then go get delicious juice/smoothies at the stand across the street from the 2nd Ave/Lower East Side subway stop.

Explore. Wander. Wall Street + the surroundings have cool weird little streets, as does Chinatown (but you risk never getting out again--Chinatown is beautiful and strange and frightening (if you know where to look) and never quite ends. You think you're out and then there are fifteen old women shoving fake Prada into your hands and bargaining you up.) The east village is quaint and pretty and full of head shops, community gardens and delicious, overpriced food.

See if you can follow this link: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=3583...&topic=5296 --->it's a list an acquaintance compiled of interesting places to see.

And if that fails, go find Balto in Central Park. My mom and I used to spend entire afternoons looking for him; we both could never quite remember where it was, but knew some landmarks ("It's the creepy clown next to the playground with only one swing! We're close!") I was super into Balto as a kid. Cool, I know.

I hear the Guggenheim is always worth a visit, if only to see one of the most bonkers architectural ideas for a gallery ever invented.

I haven't been back in YEARS, but whereabouts in Harlem are you staying? My old street (W 125th) is worth a wander. I wouldn't exactly call in non-touristy, though, as pretty much everyone who goes to Harlem ends up looking around there.

Hmm, you'll be there too late in the year to see fireflies in Riverside Park. That was one of my favorite things, since we don't have them in Oregon and I'd never seen them before. The vodka also probably contributed to the happy feeling, though. Catching fireflies whilst drunk is more difficult than you'd think.

Most of my favorite New York memories that didn't involve booze and insects happened when I just chose a random direction after work and started walking.

Yeesh, has it really been nearly a decade since I lived there? That is frightening.

Nothing! It's boring and smells of poo!

Heheh, I forget where it was exactly, but there was a wicked awesome comedy club I went to with a friend, the drinks were expensive, but the comedy was...y'know, funny. Also, I know it's touristy, but, Empire State, do it at night, it's all sparkly. Just a warning, take gloves....and a hat, also a scarf.

Go to the Village, there is always some little place to go to there.

Really makes me still want to make a trip soon, maybe once I get all settled next spring I'll go there for like a week.

Hahha. Thank you everyone for your responses, especially the pr0ns, Andramettrost. Sweaty naked lesbians are always appreciated.

Throw pennies at people from the Empire State Building! Dooo iiiitttt!

Throwing things from the Empire State Building is, I believe, illegal. I never bothered to go to the top (I just went there once for a job interview), but apparently there are signs up there that say "Don't throw stuff, it makes you a stupid tourist." Maybe not THOSE words, exactly.

Okay, I just looked at a video of some silly person throwing pennies on YouTube. The sign says "Notice: throwing objects from observatory or climbing fences is dangerous, unlawful, and prohibited." I liked my version better. From what I hear most stuff thrown off of there just lands on a ledge right below, anyway.

Yeah, but it being illegal makes it fun. It's not like throwing pennies in a fountain, it's from the top of an insanely huge and high building. It's not like it'll hit anyone...

You could always go visit my town, say hello to it while I'm not there. $7 train ride--what is that, like three pounds? We have a haunted boat and a museum with a fake jail cell in, and the beautiful heartbreaking river to walk alongside. It would be crazy to get somebody else's perspective on it, actually.

I personally try to avoid doing illegal stuff when I'm in a foreign country. I'm cautious and paranoid, though. Plus I just hate that particular urban myth. A penny thrown from up there can't kill anyone, and if the person throwing it thinks it can then it's just messed up for him/her to try it in the first place.


I wish. £1 currently equals $1.74. *mumbles bitterly about US student loan repayments* Ahem, anyway. The train ride would still only be £4ish, though.

Don't worry, Barack will fix the economy as long as no-one puts any kryptonite nearby him.