Our Editor, Melissa, talks through the most memorable things she's done in Manhattan with her boyfriend and Driftyland contributor Chase Harrison.
Eat Cheesecake (And More) At Junior's
This is touristy. Thankfully, my love of cheesecake outranks my need to be unique. Junior's is famous for cheesecake, and rightfully so. There's two locations (one in Brooklyn as well), but we visited the one near the Ambassador Theatre, where we were seeing Chicago. I got the original and a glass of red wine (duh), while Chase got the red velvet cheesecake (which is just red velvet cake around the original.)
If you love cheesecake, look beyond being snobby about chains and popular things, and come here. I'm sure you could find equally delicious cheesecake at a local bakery... but why? Why, when the promise of delicious Junior's cheesecake is RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU?!
Sigh. The cheesecake was delicious.
1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
Swing Through Midtown Comics
While Chase and I were planning our trip, going to Midtown Comics was one of this only requests. So we spent a little wandering around their two-story location near Times Square, which was a nice and cool reprieve from the heat. Chase is the comic book fan, and he found plenty to keep him occupied, while I browsed titles I might be interested, mainly she-hero stories about Captain Marvel and Tank Girl.
I did spy the third book in a series about Kimi no na wa (Your Name in English.) It's an anime movie that my friend Amber got me into, and I considered buying it. So despite your interests, it's likely you'll find something you like at Midtown, which has a few other locations in the city as well.
Take In A Show
For theater fans such as Chase and myself, going to see a play in New York seems obvious. But for people not as familiar with theater, take solace in this: not every show is going to sing and dance you to death. Our favorite show of the trip was The Play That Goes Wrong, a play within a play where (literally) every single thing that could possibly go wrong... you get it. If you're interested in the show, check out some clips from the shows they've done in London.
Even beyond Broadway are a variety of (affordable) and interesting theaters and shows. There's King's in Brooklyn, where you can see David Blaine, as well as St. Ann's Warehouse, home to more independent and lesser known works such as People, Places, and Things. It all depends on your taste. That being said, Chicago (another show we saw) is also another strong option, if you want a more familiar show that will sing and dance you into the ground (though that's not really a bad thing, right?)
The Ambassador Theater, The Lyceum, and beyond, all over the city.
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Visit The New York Public Library
I'm going to have to insist you go to Manhattan for this. While we couldn't take pictures outside because of the weather, we got to explore an awesome exhibit, You Say You Want a Revolution: Remembering the 60's. There's a lot of other exhibits that the library hosts at any given time, so this is a nice (and dry) way to spend a few hours. Best part? It's totally free.
(Unless they get you in the gift shop. They almost got me.)
Alternatively, it's just a nice place to wander around. They have a giant map room there that I was in awe of. They had all of the old maps of the city on display (even illustrations) which was a lovely, an unexpected surprise.
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Get Caught In Torrential Rain
When Chase and I were leaving The New York Public Library, we got caught in a storm. No big, right? We'll catch a cab, right? We didn't. As we desperately tried to hail a cab, waving our hands in the downpour, they whizzed by. Apparently, when it rains in the city, everyone has the same exact plan.
So we ran. Six blocks. When I say downpour, I'm also not exaggerating. This is - can't see a foot in front of you - rain. I was soaked, Chase was soaked. The silver lining was that this was also right after I buzzed my head, so I got to live every Natalie Portman in V For Vendetta fantasy I've ever had. That was fun.
Literally anywhere when you forget an umbrella and there are no cabs.
Pick A Park, Any Park
Just like theatres, there's no shortage to the amount of parks in New York. Since it was Chase's first real visit to the city, we headed to Central Park. Despite the heat (we ended up paying too much for a bottle of water), we walked around, took pictures, and listened to music from street performers.
(Obviously, we also pretended to be in an episode of SVU and started to narrate out of the box scenarios and things that ICE-T would say.) Central Park (like most) are perfect for a lazy afternoon or picnic. Pick one of the literal hundreds of take out places, food vendors, or hoity toity food stores, and plant down in a patch of grass for a wonderful, sun-soaked few hours.
Literally everywhere, (even Brooklyn.)
Smoke Some Hookah
Mom, if you're reading this - hookah is not pot. It's not an illegal substance. Hookah is just flavored tobacco, and when Chase and I were in New York, we tried green apple and watermelon flavored. The first place we went to was in Manhattan (after seeing Chicago.) It was $40 for both of us, and we got to smoke it at the bar. Overall, a really nice way to spend the evening.
The second place we went to was busted, so I'm not even going to talk about where it was, or what happened. Just a general, well-known travel tip: beware of places that are uber close to major attractions (like Times Square.)
There's a million places in New York to smoke hookah, and definitely not just Manhattan. So whether you want to grab some hookah in Brooklyn or Greenpoint, there's likely a place to check out. The one we went to (and liked) was Gardenia Terrace, which is a restaurant as well.
826 10th Ave, New York, NY 10019
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