<p>Any ideas for a Sat afternoon/evening in NYC this month? Thinking about a show: Billy Elliot, In the Heights, or maybe Cirque du soleil in MSG. Don’t want to break the bank. Any ideas for restaurants? How specific is that question? But I’m sure some people have a few favorites they wouldn’t mind sharing. THanks!</p>
<p>I have a favorite restaurant not that far from the theatre district: The West Bank Cafe, on 42nd Street west of 10th Avenue. 407 W. 42nd Street, NYC 10036 | 212.695.6909</p>
<p>Very casual, reasonable, and good.</p>
<p>We had a very good meal recently at Molyvos. (Greek/mediterranean) They have a pre-theater pre-fixe menu that’s reasonable, and I suspect it’s even more reasonable for lunch. It’s at 57 St and 7th Ave.</p>
<p>Check out Trattoria TreColori on West 47th St. 212 997 4540. Great food; affordable; and they get you out in time. The fruitta del mare appetizer is almost a meal in itself.</p>
<p>go to tkts in time square in the morning to get discounted tickets for b’way shows. i recommend american idiot, memphis, and ESPECIALLY next to normal -actually best show ever.</p>
<p>i went to a cute tiny little restaurant called graffitti on the lower east side last night but it’s a little out of the way from the theater district. </p>
<p>also i really recommend strolling by the big lord&taylor by grand central and lookin in their holiday windows - they do a little storybook thing that’s kind of hard to describe bu it’s adorable and so classicly tourist new york i love it</p>
<p>If Grand Central is doing their holiday market that’s fun to visit and they’ve just finished putting new lights in the ceiling of the concourse. There’s also usually a light show at Grand Central at this time of year.</p>
<p>We just took in the brain show at the American Museum of Natural History and loved it. We also saw the butterflies. Stunning! But these exhibits aren’t included in the price of admission (which is actually a donation; you don’t have to pay the full recommended amount). If you go, allot about an hour and a half for the brain exhibit.</p>
<p>“John Lennon at Liverpool” is at the Paley Center for Media (25 West 52th Street) until Dec. 31. </p>
<p>There’s free ice skating at Bryant Park on 42nd Street between Fifth and Sixth. Skate rentals are available. If you don’t care to skate, you can get a hot chocolate and just watch. It’s a nice looking rink, and lots larger than the one at Rock Center (and cheaper). The holiday bazaar is also set up now in Bryant Park.</p>
<p>my favorite restaurant is Avra, 148 E 48th. Greek seafood. Prices are quite good for Midtown, east side. Lunches portions are quite large. Dinner is good. It’s a local hangout, not really a tourist place.</p>
<p>Arte Cafe – a great restaurant at 73 and Columbus in a Brownstone. Amazingly inexpensive, and the food is wonderful and ample. Italian.</p>
<p>Lincoln Square movies are the ones you always see in the movies.</p>
<p>Paris Theater right by the Plaza is really fun for movies too because you can take in the whole scene at the Plaza.</p>
<p>The Apple Store on Fifth is great fun.</p>
<p>Great time of the year for F. A. O. Schwartz.</p>
<p>We have fun at Ruby Foos near Times Square. Asian fusion in a touristy, kitsch but fun atmosphere, and the food is really good, too. Not overpriced.</p>
<p>Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson is another show to consider.</p>
<p>Jersey Boys was AMAZING!!! I laughed, I cried, I sang. Simply a perfect “10”. There are lots of holiday markets right now. Just saw one at 42nd and Ave. of the Americas. You can find lists of them online. As for restaurants there are so many. The Central Park Boat House is nice during the day - not too far from the theater district. Right in the theater district you can pretty much bump into one everywhere. Joe Allen is good. Ate at Becco recently. Very yummy if you are up for Italian. They have an all-you-can-eat pasta option which is soooo good. A few doors down there is a little hole-in-the-wall pizzeria with KILLER cannolis. They will make em fresh for you while you wait. Not sure exactly when he will be on but I saw that Tracy Morgan will be at Caroline’s comedy club right around now. They always have good people if you miss him so that is another option.</p>
<p>Just thought of something else…Spiderman just opened on Broadway. How could I not mention that? Tough seats to grab since it is new, but naturally it sounds good to me.</p>
<p>I recommend “In The Heights”. D loves “Next to Normal”. Both of these shows are closing in early January.</p>
<p>we were there over T’giving - loved Memphis but also highly highly recommend Merchant of Venice with al Pacino.</p>
<p>We have loved Molyvos for years but this trip tried all new to us places </p>
<p>if you can wait until after the show to eat - Bubbles after Broadway </p>
<p>Bubbles After Broadway Post Theatre Prix Fixe
Location: Aureole, New York
Join us in the Bar Room and indulge in a prix fixe menu featuring your choice of entr</p>
<p>^Haven’t done the Bubble meal at Aureole, but we had a wonderful (expensive) regular meal there for my birthday this year.</p>
<p>We liked “Fela” quite a lot. The one I’d really like to see is Pee Wee Herman–but tastes vary on that. As for restaurants, we liked “Ma Peche” recently. We also had a very nice early dinner at Gotham Bar and Grill (but that’s not cheap).</p>
<p>As for holiday markets, the one at Union Square is quite a bit bigger than the one in Bryant Park. The one at Grand Central Station is smaller, but has some very nice stuff, and it’s inside. You could eat at the Oyster Bar.</p>