Visiting New York

[svenne]

My mothers planning on visiting New York, and she's gonna bring me and my little brother with her. Since i've never been outside Europe (and really hasn't been outside northern Europe either...), i'm looking for recommendations on:

good bookshops, i'm looking for Marx and stuff from the libertarian marxist currents (no Mao, please :D)

historical stuff, monuments and crap. From the american working class' history, it's oughta to be SOMETHING out there.

standard recommendations, do's and dont's...

I've been trying to google, but hasn't found anything particulary good...

[progressive_lefty]

Try to avoid racist demonstrations against Muslims around the former World Trade Centre area. lol

I'm sorry I couldn't resist making this post.

[mikelepore]

General advice about visiting New York.

Keep your wallet in an unusual place, not a back pocket.

People who have purses or camera cases with long straps, keep the strap wrapped around a couple times around your arm.

Try the soft pretzel from a vendor.

If you want to order tea in Chinatown, make sure they're not going to bring you just a cup of warm water and a Lipton tea bag.

Staten Island ferry. Nice boat ride for free.

Skip the Statue of Liberty. You'll be in line for about four hours, and then, when you're inside of it, you can't see it. Real nice stairway you have here.

McSorley's, an old Irish ale pub at 15 East 7th Street in the East Village.

That's all I can think of right now.

Marxian things, I have no idea.

[The Red Next Door]

go to the empire state building and visit harlem and spanish harlem.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Pick pocketing and camera snatching aren't very common in the city nowadays. More common is the broken glasses/bottle scam (someone bumps into you and drops a pair of glasses or a bottle, claims you broke them, and demands you pay). More common still is police harassment (bag searches when entering the subway, random searches on the street, etc.).

Judging from what you've written, you may want to visit Bluestockings Books (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBMQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbluestockings.com%2F&rct=j&q=bluestockings%20nyc&ei=FwRhTIn2IYH98AaLg82kCg&usg=AFQjCNHWXyDSKf8e70PBkdm746RlnytpNQ&cad=rja) and Vox Pop (http://www.voxpopnet.net/). Strand (http://www.strandbooks.com/) isn't a "radical" bookstore, but they have quite a selection. You can search their inventory online, but visiting their "18 miles of books" in person can sometimes be better, as not everything they have shows up on their website. You'll likely want to avoid Revolution Books (http://www.revolutionbooksnyc.org/).

There's been a lot of activity in Union Square (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Square_%28New_York_City%29#Site_of_social_an d_political_activism), which is in itself a tourist/visitor attraction, over the years. There's also a fairly large Barnes and Noble bookstore there with lots of books and magazines.

The East Village has quite a bit of "labor" and "radical" history as well, though you won't find any of that sort of thing there now.

If you're interested, there's a labor history walking tour (http://www.bigonion.com/description/index.html#17) available. I don't know whether or not it's good, but I've heard that it's not bad.

I can recommend some great and inexpensive places to eat if you'd like. PM me.

[Bright Banana Beard]

Go visit Time Square and visit Toy 'r' us.

[redSHARP]

Go visit Time Square and visit Toy 'r' us.

as much as i hate 42nd street, i am kind of happy i can say i was in the largest toys r' us in the world.

union square and blue stockings is cool to visit, ABC No Rio might have a decent show going on, look them up on the web. a lot of cool bars in lower Manhattan near st. marks.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

It's funny that most of the places people who visit/visited New York as tourists name are the same places most of the people I know who live here avoid as much as possible (and I don't just mean on this board, but in general).

[leftace53]

It's funny that most of the places people who visit/visited New York as tourists name are the same places most of the people I know who live here avoid as much as possible (and I don't just mean on this board, but in general).
:lol: I think this applies to everyone, I mean I know to avoid the CN Tower like the plague.

On topic: you could visit my family while you're there...

/useless post

[Bright Banana Beard]

Chelsea is the only part where you find "industrial" section of New York City, they didn't re-decorate the place yet but they will either way and it is a pretty much cool place to visit.

Also "visit" Lower East Side, it is originally where I am from and it is where the working class buy their goods. I specially love the fish market there. Beware of the bootleg products, especially a trading card that costs 3 dollars.

(So many "nostalgic." :( I missed NYC.)

[svenne]

Thanks for all the answers, i won't travel for a while but i'll keep this thread bookmarked :)


It's funny that most of the places people who visit/visited New York as tourists name are the same places most of the people I know who live here avoid as much as possible (and I don't just mean on this board, but in general).

I hate tourists as much as other people, but what the heck, it's gonna be funny trying to be one :laugh:

[Comrade Wolfie's Very Nearly Banned Adventures]

Go laugh at the 9/11 hole.

[ContrarianLemming]

:lol: I think this applies to everyone, I mean I know to avoid the CN Tower like the plague.

On topic: you could visit my family while you're there...

/useless post

it's true, I can't stand places that are popular with tourists in ireland

except Dingle, dingle is like a story book village.

seriously, Americans there all the time, and you can always spot them: shorts, camera around neck, fat, sun glasses, fishin hat.
theres clearly sometype of idea in America that Ireland gets good weather.

[Pavlov's House Party]

is it just me or is public transit in new york needlessly confusing? i took the subway a while ago and got completely lost, thinking it would be easy like taking the metro in montreal.

[Sugar Hill Kevis]

158 Rivington.


Go laugh at the 9/11 hole.

Dick.

[Raúl Duke]

Chelsea is the only part where you find "industrial" section of New York City

I heard there's some light industry going on in Gowanus, Brooklyn.


is it just me or is public transit in new york needlessly confusing? i took the subway a while ago and got completely lost, thinking it would be easy like taking the metro in montreal.

To be honest, I found Japan's subway more easier but I didn't have much difficulty with NYC subways except one night when I was very drunk and many trains where just not running or going where I wanted.


shorts, camera around neck, fat, sun glasses, fishin hat.

There's a variation of this, without the camera, that applies to most native SW Floridians; many people in Ft.Myers dress like tourists to me.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

I heard there's some light industry going on in Gowanus, Brooklyn.

There is still industry in New York. Long Island City is full of warehouses. There are loading docks in Brooklyn. There is stuff in the Bronx, still some textile manufacturing, etc.


is it just me or is public transit in new york needlessly confusing?

It's not just you, but I also don't think it's very confusing. The subway map is clear and concise. You can get around without trouble on your first hour in the city.


I found Japan's subway more easier

Are you kidding me?!?

Look at Tokyo's train map and tell me that again:

http://mybackpackandme.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/tokyo-train-map.png

[Raúl Duke]

Look at Tokyo's train map and tell me that again:That map includes rail-way lines.

That would be akin to me taking a map of NYC subway transit with Amtrack lines included.

I really found it easier (although not by much; and only when you get it) to be honest, it has more stops and lines which cover more area.

[leftace53]

Visit Toronto if you want to visit a place with an easy subway system.... It'll get you no where

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

That map includes rail-way lines.

Which are integrated into the transit system of Japan.

It's not like New York, where there is a subway system for inner-city travel and a completely separate train system for commuting in and out of the city.


That would be akin to me taking a map of NYC subway transit with Amtrack lines included.

Still wouldn't be anything near what I just posted. Not even close. There is only 1 Amtrak station in New York City.


I really found it easier (although not by much; and only when you get it) to be honest, it has more stops and lines which cover more area.

Not to mention that different lines are owned by different companies... and your fare depends on how which line you ride, how many stops you travel, etc.

New York's subway system is $2.25 no matter where you go.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Visit Toronto if you want to visit a place with an easy subway system.... It'll get you no where

How about Detroit? The People Mover just travels in one big circle. It doesn't even have a driver.

Quite a few cities are using these things now.

[Bright Banana Beard]

$2.25!? Fuck.... What happen to $1.50!?

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

It hasn't been $1.50 since 2003.

[Raúl Duke]

Not to mention that different lines are owned by different companies... and your fare depends on how which line you ride, how many stops you travel, etc.

New York's subway system is $2.25 no matter where you go.

Ok you got me; when I was in Japan I only used one company's service of lines.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

:thumbup1:

[Bright Banana Beard]

And when did they change from 2 bucks to $2.25?

[Fawkes]

Last year, fucking pricks.

If you intend on doing touristy stuff, the right time helps. For one, Times Square is infinitely cooler at night time, and if you're there sometime before 2 am, you can sit on the red TKTS stairs which is pretty cool if you're just hanging around. Taking a walk across the Brooklyn or Manhattan Bridge gives you a pretty sweet view too, day or night. I've never been to or intend to go to the statue of liberty, so I can't really comment on that.

Central Park is always cool, but if you get a chance, check out Inwood Hill Park. It's in Inwood (as you could guess), and you can get there by taking the A train all the way uptown to 207 st. Inwood's cool cause it's the only place in Manhattan where people live in houses with yards and stuff. While you're up there, stop in Washington Heights or Harlem where you can generally find really awesome food.

Also, if you get a chance, hang around Tompkins Square Park. They have free shows, mostly punk, there a lot and despite gentrification you still get a good punk/freak/homeless junkie crowd great for people watching. That's in the East Village and right off St. Marks Place, which is definitely worth checking out. You can get there by taking the 6 train to Astor Place. Two clothing stores on St Marks that are pretty sweet are Trash and Vaudeville and Search and Destroy. They're both pretty expensive, Trash more so than S&D, but even if you aren't buying anything, the clothing itself is just entertaining to look at. On St Marks right by Tompkins Sq. is a really awesome hot dog place called Crif Dogs. The hot dogs are expensive ($5 on average), but it's worth checking out at least once because they have the most insane toppings for them.

On the topic of food, if you're able to, go to 53rd and 6th some night after 7 pm for the best halal food ever. You can tell which one it is cause the cart will have an incredibly long line, but it's worth the wait. Be careful with the hot sauce though, cause it's really fucking hot.

Also, if you have the whole day or a good part of it, you can go to Coney Island. It's not the gigantic circus it used to be cause a lot is getting bought up, but it's still a cool place to hang around on a nice day. Keep in mind that if you're going there from Manhattan, it's gonna take you over an hour to get there.

A good number of museums in the city have sliding scale, pay what you want admission, most notably the museum of natural history and the met. Check some of these out, they're definitely worth it.

And I just realized how much I just wrote... that should be enough for now.

[Sasha]

i very much enjoyed this museum: http://www.tenement.org/