newyorker1001

Orchard Street is home to the Tenement Museum and lots of cheap stores, but its main claim to fame is the one and only Guss's Pickles. Pickle making used to be a big industry in the area when it had not gentrified and there were still thousands and thousands of Jews living nearby. That aspect of the Lower East Side is gone, but it is not forgotten thanks to Guss's Pickles. I try to go downtown into the LES every year to see Katz's and Yonah's and get a half sour pickle at Guss's. It's especially good in the summer to go for one in the summer - not the usual ice cream, but just as refreshing.

Ok, the title might be a little full of hyperbole, but take my advice and head down to Ludlow anyway if you want to see a music concert. There is not just one but three great venues in the area. Start off by heading to the Living Room, home of the singer-songwriter type who will strum on his or her guitar and sing you a melancholy tune. If that's not your sort of thing, try heading over to Piano's, where many student bands and newly formed bands play their first gigs and establish themselves. If you're still not satisfied, consider heading over to the Cake Shop, where many established bands have played some smaller gigs. After all of that, why not try heading over to the Sombrero restaurant and getting some decent, inexpensive food while you're at it?

Speaking as a resident of the Upper West Side, Amsterdam Avenue is a great place to go to eat at a nice restaurant and feel relaxed while doing it. There is a stretch of great breakfast places including Good Enough to Eat, Sarabeth's, Popover Cafe, and Barney Greengrass. If it's lunch you're looking for, consider Fred's, Harriet's Kitchen, or Roppongi. And for a fancier dinner, Celeste, The Neptune Room, or Haru are all good bets. Stop at the New York Public Library along the way if you're eating alone and pick up a good book to read while you sit outside and relax.

Sandwiched between the two massive housing institutions of Castle Village and Hudson View Gardens, Cabrini Boulevard is a quiet, leafy street in Upper Manhattan. There is a ton of affordable housing in the area compared to downtown Manhattan, and it is well worth it to consider living in the area. One thing to take note of is the fact that Castle Village recently had problems with its supporting walls over the West Side Highway. A wall collapsed and this drastically increased the maintenance costs for tenants in the building so that renovation and repairs could begin. On the bright side, this probably won't be an issue in the future.

East Houston Street has the best of the Lower East Side going for it. Start off with a potato knish at the famous and delicious landmark of Yonah Schimmel's. Then go to a great arthouse or indie movie at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema, which serves gourmet popcorn and has the most comfortable seats in town. If you have a craving for something heavier, head to Katz's Deli and try to score the table where Harry sat with Sally and Sally had a very good time while eating a pastrami sandwich. They really are almost that good. Head off a little ways to Pianos and listen to some great local bands. Then call it a night - you've done enough!

Times Square is all around overrated. The true attraction of modern Broadway, the theaters, has been overshadowed by the gaudy and annoying electronic signs on every inch of wall surface in the area. The signs must burn at least as much electricity staying on as the rest of Manhattan. The only businesses that can afford to be in the area, particularly restaurants, are less than average quality as well. The key to having a decent time here is to stop by the recruiting station, snap a few pictures, and go.

Coney Island is not what it once was. Of course, people appreciate it a little too much for a dirty, creepy seediness that it used to have, but it did have its charms. Coney Island is now being gentrified at an astonishing pace, with new condominiums rising all over the place and the amusement parks being buried underneath them. I was disappointed that the go-kart tracks and mini golf courses have now been closed. It's hard enough to find those in a city of so many people already. Hopefully there will be better days ahead, but unless you want to see a neighborhood in flux and trying to figure out what it is, I say steer clear until the decision is finally made.

Water Street has to be one of the nicest streets in New York. Whenever I visit here, I find myself looking at the real estate around and considering moving to DUMBO. There is a great restaurant sitting at the edge of the river right under the Brooklyn Bridge called the River Cafe. The Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory is right next door and looks over the Fulton Landing which has been featured in many movies. Jacques Torres Chocolate Shop is a great place to head for a rich hot chocolate and then there is the new carousel and St. Ann's Warehouse to tide you over entertainment wise until the summer comes and Brooklyn Bridge Park concerts restart.

The Brooklyn Bridge is a classic attraction to New York. You've seen it in films, on television, couples holding hands and kissing on the bridge under the stars, with the Trade Center behind them and maybe the Empire State Building too. The walkway on the bridge still exists, providing a great way to check out the Manhattan skyline for free. Bring a picnic and have it on the middle of the bridge. If you're feeling adventurous, walk into Brooklyn and hang out in DUMBO for a while. It's a nice neighborhood and Brooklyn Bridge Park has had U2 play there and has a great view of New York as well.

The most solid advice to give on South Street is to come if you're a tourist, but avoid it until the summer. South Street is now mostly a mall without any real attractions - the main dining spot in the area is, after all, a Pizzeria Uno. Not exactly classic New York right there. So wait for the summer and for the River to River Festival to begin. Then free concerts will be put on every couple of days at the Seaport, and the Bodies exhibition will be nearby. Many decent entertainment options exist if you have the patience to wait that long, and after all, why wouldn't you wait if all you're missing is Pizzeria Uno and chain stores that you could find in an upscale mall in Pennsylvania?

As the other reviewers have pointed out, W 47th Street is the center for diamond shopping in New York City. With over 2500 shops, there is no excuse for paying too much for a diamond here - haggle your way to the cheapest piece of jewelry you've ever bought for your loved one or for yourself! Then skip the hustle and bustle and head to the TKTS booth - there are discount tickets on Broadway shows sold here every day. That's a much better way of relaxing and having a New York kind of night than hanging around Rockefeller Center would be. All in all, 47th Street alone will provide you with enough entertainment for an entire day.

125th Street is the center of historic Harlem. Get off the subway at 125th Street and head to the Apollo Theatre, home of the popular television show, "Showtime at the Apollo." More recently, the Gorillaz have performed here, and James Brown's viewing was held here, a line of his fans and impersonators and tribute bands snaking down 125th Street for several blocks. Consider taking a historical tour of the area - many Civil Rights leaders made this area their residence, including Langston Hughes.

5th Avenue is really two streets in one. Uptown from 59th street, 5th Avenue is a quiet, wide boulevard with many, many old and stately buildings. They are all constructed in similar elegant styles and can be quite nice to look at as you walk by. The Uptown section of 5th Avenue is also famous for its Museum Mile, containing, among other museums, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Guggenheim Museum, The Museum of the City of New York, and El Museo. It is also the home to many gorgeous brownstones and the consulates of several countries. Go down below 59th street, however, and suffer the commercialization - big F.A.O Schwartz and other flagship shopping stores that are attractive to tourists only. If shopping is your thing, however, you may find it heaven.

One of the other major connections to the central running and biking trail in Central Park, Central Park East Drive has many good things to call its own. Running very close to the reservoir, Central Park East Drive's location makes it very easy for someone to leave the road and sit on a lovely bench overlooking a gorgeous day and the water. Or if you'd prefer, you could head to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and enjoy the beautiful Egyptian sculptures or the medieval suits of armor, which are always exciting to the kids.

Located on the Southern side of Central Park and running between east and west, Center Drive continues along the path started by West Drive to provide space for runners and bikers. Along Center Drive, however, there are several unique attractions. The Wollman Ice Skating Rink owned by Donald Trump of the Apprentice (and a much despised figure in New York) can be easily accessed nearby. 59th Street, which runs close to Center Drive, also has a host of hotels and fancy restaurants, so tourists who come into the city may consider going to Center Drive for a run if they prefer to do so outdoors and not inside their hotel gym.

Forging a circuitous route through Central Park along with several other roads, West Drive provides a perfect escape for runners and bikers who want to run on a solid track inside a beautiful area. There are very few days when the Drive won’t have many people exercising on it – rain or shine, night or day, you are likely to encounter another person doing the same thing as you. There are public bathrooms and water fountains nearby if you need, and also many vendors selling water and food if you wear yourself out.

Central Park West is one of the premiere attractions of the Upper West Side. It is particularly good for three things: spotting celebrities, visiting cultural sites, and simply having a nice walk. The celebrities living in buildings along the park include Jerry Seinfeld and Yoko Ono. Strawberry Fields, the New York Historical Society, The Museum of Natural History, the Society for Ethical Culture, and some lovely churches are all located on the street. Lastly, you will find Central Park just beyond the eastern sidewalks. Stop for an ice cream or a hot dog on the way if you like – there will be many vendors selling food along the way,

West End Avenue is a residential street, plain and simple. There are few businesses on it - in fact, if one were to travel from W 72nd St all the way up to W 96th St along WEA, they would not encounter a single business. West End Avenue is an avenue of doorman buildings and wholesome, quiet, family living.

This is not to say that WEA has nothing besides a comfortable housing situation. It is situated in between a busy street with lots of businesses (Broadway, which has many restaurants to order delivery from) and a beautiful park (Riverside Park). Escape to this street, but you don't have to walk far to find some civilization.

85th Street is one of the lovely streets on the Upper West Side that you can walk down and escape the hustle and bustle of New York City. Starting on Riverside Drive and continuing to Broadway, you'll walk past gorgeous brownstones and several independent local businesses. Deli Kasbah, a Jewish Deli between West End and Broadway, serves delicious Jewish staples and is run by lovely people. A laundromat on the same section of the street also does a very good job for a reasonable price.

Continuing forward, you may already be hungry from your walk. Consider eating at Dean's Pizzeria, which serves amazing New York style thin crust pizza (and which delivers, which definitely comes in handy). French Roast and La Cucina, a French restaurant and a Spanish restaurant respectively, each also serve delicious food.

After having a meal, continue walking down W 85th St and admiring the brownstones. Before you know it you'll be at Central Park, and you can take a lovely walk onwards from there.

West 86th Street may just get the best of both worlds in New York City. Running from the beautiful Riverside Park to the equally beautiful and more well known Central Park, W 86th Street benefits from a green, natural feel while being connected to the rest of the city by subway stations and bus stops located on its corners, as well as a busy West-to-East side thoroughfare.

These dual realities are reflected in day-to-day life on W 86th Street. One can easily walk to a quiet stoop at the intersections with Riverside or West End Avenue or instead choose to shop at Banana Republic, have a cup of coffee at Starbucks or visit a whole host of specialist doctors near the intersection with CPW. Likewise, one may hear buses stalling in between West End Avenue and Broadway in the night, but a quick glance out the window would reveal a clean, quiet, safe, and doorman guarded street.

W 86th Street has its attractions if you are religious. Two churches and a synagogue make the street their home.

All in all, if you're looking for excitement, look elsewhere, but if you want to settle down, W 86th Street might be the place for you.