usefulMusic

Not really, but if you get your kicks seeing people in business attire, this is where you wanna be! Take a tour at the NYSE, or just throw your money away there. There's mediocre museums in the area. And quick food for people on a businessy schedule. For some financial inspiration, check out the bull statue. But where's the corresponding bear one?

Sure, they try to get you every which way, but a trip to Whitehall St/South Ferry is essential for all tourists. The Battery Park area is gorgeous, especially with recent renovations and additions. Taking the ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty is a must-do for tourists. And worth one visit. That's all you'll need.

As you walk down W. Houston, you can't help but be struck by how trendy all establishments are. And they're usually good. The Angelika is a great movie theater of Mercer and Hudson, showing independent and foreign features. Excellent vibe, but suffers from its close proximity to a subway line. All theaters are watchable even though.

Anytime an outoftowner talks to me about Canal Street, they're talking about handbags, and apparently it's great for them. Though a bit secretive, they're cheap and plentiful. Also fake, minor detail. Many of the Chinatown to Chinatown buses leave from Canal Street or close by. By far the best cheap way to travel along the Eastern Seaboard. All in all, a crazy crazy hodgepodge of...well...hodgepodge.

Mercer Street is the home of some really great establishments, with great environments. The cheap Japanese cafe Dojo is a must-visit. Also, think Coffee is my favorite coffee joint in the entire city. Although there is plenty of seating, it fills up regularly. Independent bookstores and music stores also make this street a must-see.

In 2008, the majority of the park is undergoing renovation due to a (unnecessary) move of the fountain. However, the musicians, activists, and park lovers are all out on the park side of the street. The south side of the street bustles with NYU students going in between the student center, library, law school, and other campus buildings that reside on this stretch.

Union Square South is where all the cool kids (and artisans) are hanging out on the north (park) side. It’s also where you can find Whole Foods, the Virgin MegaStore, and DSW, and Shoe Mania. So there is some definite good shopping to be done, if you need shoes or some good organic or specialty groceries. The counter on the south side is a clock. Counting up on the left and counting down the seconds, minutes, and hours of the day on the right.

Museum Row, home to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, and the Frick, among others is a nice stretch of Central Park E that is a busier walk, but features the houses of many international ambassadors (i.e. it's kind of beautiful). Close to the entrance to the Central Park Zoo and the bandstand, home to free concerts in the summer.

Though the street is home to the Museum of Natural History and the New York Historical Society, the biggest draw to Central Park West is the park itself. The street runs right by Strawberry Fields, the tribute to John Lennon right across from the Dakota. It is an especially homey walk, filled with playgrounds, trees, and quiet.

Walking along the Hudson is a requisite for any warm New York visit. Though the view is only of Jersey, it's beautiful. The piers are gorgeous in the day. The Chelsea Piers are one of Manhattan's few places for outdoor and largescale indoor sports. Romantic walking and ideal conditions for jogging, biking or blading. Especially beautiful are the parks further south, Battery Park.

The south side of Central Park is full of over-priced restaurants and high-class high-volume stores. At the eastern end of the street, the Apple Store is essential visiting. As is FAO Schwarz, though both are prettier than they are good values. The hotels are gorgeous but pricy. The west end's Columbus Circle is fun for a bit, after one realizes that the mall is worthless.

Second avenue in the East Village is home of a gathering of fun places. The two big highlights are Telephone Bar (featuring London style telephone booths at the gate) and Pommes-Frites, Belgian-style fries with delicious sauces. The prices for the fries are high, but the happiness one gets from them is priceless. Best sauce in my opinion is the mango chutney mayo.

Theater Row is flashy, splashy, and not for the faint at heart. Push your way through the tourists posing for their neon light requisite photos and coming out of their theater shows. The stores are over-priced. The theater for the most part is sub par spectacle. The lights are nauseating. Not the place for the local yokels. Also just plain too crazy to be fun!

The gayness of this street is infectious. Male-dominated Pieces is a great dive bar for the twenty-something crowd (though it does feature karaoke on a few nights...). Monster and Stonewall are for the middle-aged crowd. The Oscar Wilde bookstore has a great selection of LGBT print media. Duplex is good for the caberet bar market. Full of history, the Stonewall Inn was the site of what typically is thought of as the start of the gay rights movement in American history.

The Pyramid Club, home of Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Pepper's first NYC shows is now a dive bar that spices it up with late night 80's dance parties. The restaurants all look delightful from the outside and in. And Tompkins Square Park provides a nice venue for a break from the work day or an after school hangout.

Little Brazil, W 46th Street, is a collection of Brazilian restaurants and hangouts. The food is good, but nothing stands out on the street. The green and yellow flags get drowned out by the midtown office buildings that dominate. The potential of vibrancy and flavor implied by the moniker is muffled by its location and assumedly high rent.

The food on MacDougal is good and cheap. And so are the bars. Mahmoun's is the place to go for falafel. The comedy bars here are a good alternative to the Times Square fare (including a disparity in annoying advertisers). For a chill place to hang out and wax philosophic and great coffee, check out Israeli hangout Esperanto Cafe, but beware of bad service.

The people watching is good on St. Mark's as the hipsters flock to get CDs, DVDs, and everything media at Kim's. The street is lined with great Japanese restaurants, not all of which cater to the casual consumer of Japanese food. Mahmoun's also has a falafel place here, a bit bigger than their MacDougal location, but the food is still as cheap. Crazy fun times had by all.

Out of town tourists may go to the restaurants that remind them of home in Time Square or once-in-a-lifetime experiences at tourist traps like Bubba Gump and Planet Hollywood, but they're missing out on the great food and fun they can find on 9th Ave in Hell's Kitchen (West Midtown). Great food especially Thai. Highlight: VYNL (music-themed restaurant known for its themed bathrooms and great value)

Walking down Greenwich Avenue in the West Village exposes you to some of the greatest restaurants NYC has to offer, all under the radar. Maracas does a great, young brunch, $20 with tax & tip for meal and free unlimited brunch drinks. The older crowd can get their kicks at Elephant & Castle, which has some of the best food in the city without any flourishes. For the Anglophiles, Tea & Sympathy (store) and A Salt & Battery (fish & chips) are tons of fun. Other restaurants and specialty boutiques abound.