<p>Hello again, I am taking my 15 year old daughters (twins) to NYC for their first trip there, in mid-October. Having done the neophyte trip with son this summer, I am fairly up to date on the primary things to do. But if anyone has suggestions on (a) favorite stores/shopping streets for teenagers (2) good Italian restaurants and (c) best shows for teenage girls, suggestions would be welcome. They are anxious to see Wicked (have recently seen the SF production) and Lion King. I would rather see Rent; but am more anxious that they have a good time and see what they want to see.</p>
<p>We will visit Columbia and NYU “because we are there” and to get a flavor of college campuses, although they are just sophomores and it is too early to know where they may ultimately fit as applicants. I realize that those are both reach schools but they just happen to be in the right place for the tour :). </p>
<p>Thanks in advance for your thoughts. (We will be there from Thursday night to Monday afternoon)</p>
<p>Seeing three shows in that space of time isn’t a problem, unless you count the price of tickets! I would recommend that you look for and order Wicked tickets NOW. It consistently runs at 100% attendance in NYC so tickets are hard to come by. Lion King is another show which almost always is at 100% so ordering ahead of time is a necessity. Rent has done better in recent months due to the anticipation of the film release but you should be able to get good tickets. Rent is one of the few shows which have performances on Sunday evening at 7 so that may be an option for that night when you might not be seeing something else.</p>
<p>Shopping is always fun. Bloomingdales is a place you can spend a considerable amount of time in with daughters. I know because I have four! Lunch at Serendipity is always fun after a morning of shopping at Bloomingdales. South St. Seaport area is also fun. Lots of shops and the pier now is converted to three floors of shops, restaurants, etc. There are often street performers which can be entertaining. Fifth Avenue is good for window shopping. For a re****l hour or so, a visit to the Central Park Zoo is always something we do when visiting the city.</p>
<p>Restaurants are so abundant, it’s difficult to recommend just a couple. John’s Pizzeria on 44th between Broadway and 8th is a good place for an informal meal of excellent pizza. Not much ambiance but it’s good food and relatively inexpensive. Angus McIndoe, also on W.44th is an excellent restaurant. You will almost always see some theatre person eating there but the food is worth it even if you don’t. Restaurant row on W. 46th has several very good restaurants. Lattanzi is one of our favorites.</p>
<p>Where are you staying? Let me know if I can be of further help. :)</p>
<p>We saw & loved Phantom while in NYC this August. We went to a great french restaurant near the theaters called “Marsaiiles.” It was farrly reasonable & convenient to the theater district. We also enjoyed a 2 hour cruise around Manhattan. Never had any Italian food in NYC–maybe next time.
My sister & brother pre-purchased Lion King tickets & got a decent price & seats. You can search on-line for deals & sometimes get really good ones.
Have fun! We never did see Columbia or NYC while we were in NYC, but did drive around RIT & URochester while we were there. Somehow, I don’t really see my son enjoying living in NYC, but who knows? I think he’d freeze!</p>
<p>Well…my favorite Italian is very near NYU/Washington Park and you will need to call for a reservation or eat at the bar which is allowed in NYC. Mario Batali’s
Babbo but it is not the usual low cost Little Italy experience. It is divine food and close to the one area you are looking to spend time in.
<a href=“http://www.babbonyc.com/mariob2.html[/url]”>www.babbonyc.com/mariob2.html</a></p>
<p>Odd Couple w/ Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick is starting in the Fall and you could probably get tickets on e-bay or aftermarket <a href=“http://www.brooks-atkinson.com%5B/url%5D”>www.brooks-atkinson.com</a> </p>
<p>Babbo is supposed to be the best in NYC. Make reservations now! Best food site is <a href=“http://www.chowhound.com%5B/url%5D”>www.chowhound.com</a>. Gotta go shop in Soho…</p>
<p>Miss Sixty <a href=“http://www.misssixty.com/[/url]”>www.misssixty.com/</a> and all the others. Also another fun serves late restaurant is Balthazar perfect place for it can be breakfast early morning or late eats…following theatre. <a href=“http://www.balthazarny.com/[/url]”>www.balthazarny.com/</a></p>
<p>Oh yes, Balthazar. I took D there. She loved the dessert and the ambience. BTW, Rent is the quintessential teen girl musical unless it violates any of your moral codes terribly strongly. D also loved the meat packing district restaurants, great belgian waffles for breakfast at Markt, plus good people watching on a Saturday morning.</p>
<p>“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” with John Lithgow might be a kick for your girls, if they already know him from Third Rock from the Sun. My son said it was great.</p>
<p>The Columbia Spectator online this week published a round up of restaurants in that area. Certainly not Baboo, which is the place to go for a Donald Trump sighting. But, good, cheap eats, and a more realistic view of how the college students in NYC actually live. Of course, if they’re Seinfeld fans, there’s Tom’s, which is where it’s filmed and which is a Columbia hangout. Milk shakes and fries at 2 am, right across from some dorms. </p>
<p>Little Italy, like North Beach in San Francisco, is mostly touristy but has some restaurants that would probably pass muster with your girls and is fun. Just north of it by a block or so, look for Rice to Riches – a restaurant that sells nothing but tons of varieties of rice pudding. At least, if you like rice pudding. How many cities have a rice pudding restaurant?</p>
<p>A lot of the kids seem to shop at (help me out New Yorkers) H and M? H and R? (or is that the tax prep outfit?). Anyway, more in line with Old Navy than Bloomies, but still fits into the category of “I got it in New York.” South St. Seaport also seems to be a popular shopping destination for Columbia students.</p>
<p>I saw John Lithgow in DRS and it was/is a very funny show. For teenage girls the other dance show which is phenom is Movin Out…Billy Joel music and Twyla Tharp choreography…I have seen it 2X and always thought the dancing great. Do the “girls” like dance? It is also a love story…great live music/dance.</p>
<p>sac, it’s H & M, and it’s right across the street from Bloomingdale’s. It’s a Swedish chain of inexpensive clothes, stores are abundant now almost worldwide. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a fun show but the highlight is Norbert Leo Butz, rather than John Lithgow. </p>
<p>Odd Couple tickets will be practically impossible to get unless you’re willing to pay for premium seats, approximately $300-500 each, and even then, may not be available. Light in the Piazza is a nice show, although if your daughters are not big theatre fans, they might be bored. Two of my Ds liked it, the other two didn’t. Also a popular show so tickets would need to be ordered in advance.</p>
<p>Tom’s, near Columbia, is fun but the real Seinfeld diner where the show was conceived by him and Larry David is the Westway on 9th Ave. in midtown. Better food and prices than Tom’s, too! One after theatre place we try to go to at least once each trip is Ellen’s Stardust Diner on Broadway at 51st. Good for food or sundae’s or desserts. Wait staff sing karaoke and perform while you eat. It’s a fun place and VERY popular so be prepared to wait for a table.</p>
<p>Something else you might be interested in. There’s a production company which has events at a few midtown hotels where you can meet an actor from a Broadway show and have drinks/food, etc. and the chance for discussion, autographs, photos. They can also arrange backstage tours after a show. Naturally, you have to pay for this service but for a one time trip, it might be worth it, depending on your budget. If you’re interested, PM me and I’ll get you the contact info.</p>
<p>Go to Times Square outside of MTV Studios at 5 (or before) for the taping of TRL live, my girls stood in the pouring rain</p>
<p>Hopefully, the Naked Cowboy is still around, he was hunky and sweet</p>
<p>Subway to China Town, or walk from NYU, through the neighborhoods
(unlike SF, everything is flat)</p>
<p>We did the double decker bus tour from Times Square, got a really good feel of the city-one takes you all over, we didn’t have that much time, but were able to go by ground zero, around Central park, stop at the Museum of Natural History, the Imagine (John Lennon) and walk back to Times Square</p>
<p>We didn’t have time during the day to visit the Statue of Liberty, so we took the Staten Island Ferry (free) took the subway there, went at night, so saw the night skyline and the Statue lit up, it was so much fun, took the subway back to Times Square, which was a perfect place to stay</p>
<p>(H&M is coming to Union Square soon!!! My Ds are psyched)</p>
<p>PS- my Ds were 8 and 10 graders when we went, it was good, gave them a feel</p>
<p>Patient, This is my best of for teenagers in New York:</p>
<p>Museums
The Museum of Natural History: Go directly to the dinosaurs. After that choose one or two areas of interest.
The Metropolitan: Pay what you want, say $1 each. No one will blink an eye. Dont try to see the whole thing. My favorites are the Egyptian wing and Early Renaissance Painting.
The Frick: A gem of a museum on Fifth Avenue and 70th. More masterpieces per square inch than any where (Rembrandts, Holbeins, Renaissance masters etc.) </p>
<p>Restaurants
The favorite of my son and his friends for casual Italian is Pomodoro on Columbus at 71st. Convenient for Lincoln Center, upper Westside strolling.
We also like the Barking Dog for uptown (Third & 94th) burgers and all-American fare. This is good in combination with the Met.
Zabars deli on Broadway and 80th is a real NY experience. You can get something to go and take it to the park.</p>
<p>Shopping
Browsing up and down Columbus Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue between roughly 72-86th Streets. Tons of interesting shops
I agree the favorite teen shopping in NYC right now is H&M. Cheap and fun.</p>
<p>Miscellaneous
Top of the Empire State Building on a clear night
Central Park: Take a long walk from the zoo to the Met or sit on a bench and people watch
Circleline tour: When you just can’t walk another step. :)</p>
<p>Which week are you coming? Do you know any students currently atending NYU? Students can purchase discount tickets through ticket central ($30-45)at NYU’s box office.</p>
<p>Some of the upcoming events are :</p>
<p>9/28/2005 8:00 PM Weekly Special: WICKED
9/29/2005 8:00 PM Weekly Special: DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS 9/29/2005 8:00 PM Weekly Special: SPAMALOT
9/30/2005 8:00 PM Weekly Special: LENNON
9/30/2005 8:00 PM Weekly Special: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 10/6/2005 8:00 PM Weekly Special: THE LION KING
10/6/2005 8:00 PM Weekly Special: SWEENEY TODD
10/7/2005 8:00 PM Weekly Special: THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA
10/14/2005 8:00 PM Weekly Special: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
10/15/2005 7:00 PM Weekly Special: NY RANGERS </p>
<p>Definitely purchase the 7 day unlimited metrocard (for $24 each it is the best way to get aroung the city)</p>
<p>Shopping, You must go to century 21 (never pay full price). Filene’s basement at Union square, hugh DSW shoe store. You cna even grab a quick lunch at the Whole foods in union square.</p>
<p>Serendipity- get there early as the line could get long.</p>
<p>Great Italian food Carmines, everything is served family style, so you can order 2-3 dishes and share.</p>
Restaurant row on W. 46th has several very good restaurants. Lattanzi is one of our favorites.</p>
</p>