All stories about "New York"
Thursday, July 3, 2008
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Food
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Nothing compliments 4th of July celebrations like BBQ. Fortunately, Concierge.com has done the legwork and narrowed down the US’ best BBQ joints for you. Top picks include South Carolina’s Po Pigs Bo-B-Q, Harold’s in Atlanta and NYC’s own Plataforma Churrascaria. [MSNBC]
New York's Urban Beaches
During the summer, weekends in New York City are sort of dead. With people hopping the jitney to the Hamptons or off to the Jersey shore for the weekend, you'd think that the city was a landlocked desert. Not so! You can enjoy seaside fun even in the heart of the city, and not just at perennial favorite Water Taxi Beach. The travel time is minimal, and there's no need to join an annoying house share with people you will inevitably grow to hate. Oh, who are you kidding ... you already hate them.
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Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Meanwhile in Atlantic City

Atlantic City's new hotel, the Chelsea, is showing its first signs of life! The pink neon signs out front and on top of the new hotel were up-and-running as of last night. The non-gaming boutique hotel, which officially opens August 1st, is boardwalk-adjacent and will house two restaurants overseen by Stephen Starr, nightlife courtesy of the boys behind NYC's Beatrice Inn, as well as a 15,000 square-foot rooftop pool. The countdown begins...
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Meanwhile in the Hamptons
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FYI Montauk is so not part of the Hamptons. A tipster set the following to our inbox: “Many locals that live and work year-round in Montauk do not consider this town as part of the ‘East Hampton Scene’ nor the Hamptons. Montauk is know for Attractions and Entertainment
This is for all ‘new yorkers,’ if you did not come for this reason please stay home. Especially guests, visitors, at the Surflodge.com/Montauk.” Ouch. Looks like guests at Sam Talbot’s new spot aren’t exactly charming the locals
Monday, June 30, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Manhattan by Boat
Forget pulse-pounding cab rides, stifling subways, or touristy buses -- the best way to see Manhattan is from a vantage aboard the nautical vehicle of your choice. Barring seasickness, one can find a multitude of excursions to satisfy your boating desires while observing this surprisingly tiny island. That can mean doing the physical rowing yourself, gorging on a three-hour waterborne brunch, or getting trashed on a happy hour cruise, depending on your concept of pleasure and the depth of your pockets. One of the simplest and most flexible options is the ever-expanding New York Water Taxi, with 12 stops and counting; but there are, of course, other choices.
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Thursday, June 19, 2008
New York Whiskey Bars
Everyday on Gridskipper we give you a new map. Some are new, some are fetched from our archive, newly updated. Happy Gridskipping. Whether it's rot-gut bourbon in a Waylon song or high-priced single-malt in a Wall Street boardroom, the lure of whiskey is universal. This brown elixir has long drowned the woes of everyone from hard-luck cowboys to the business elite, leaving its victims moaning with throbbing hangovers in the process. And in a city filled with breakups and bad investments, New Yorkers need a place to hang their head as much as anybody, hence the following list of noteworthy whiskey dealers in NYC. Feel free to supply your own favorite bronze elixir haunts in the comments or the tip jar.
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Friday, June 13, 2008
New York's Best Gardens
Everyday on Gridskipper we give you a new map. Some are new, some are fetched from our archive, newly updated. Happy Gridskipping. Given you visit them once the extreme heat subsides, gardens can provide a haven for those with urbanity overload, even if you still see the tops of skyscrapers or hear car engines from within. In New York especially, personal gardens can be limited to window boxes or patches of plants dominated by evacuating canines. Manhattan is the only borough without an official botanical garden, but there are many a plant oasis amongst the hustle and bustle. Although not mapped here, there are also over 100 community gardens that dot the city, and many can be found on the Garden Locator. Regardless, there are many examples proving that "the Garden" does not always mean that eyesore of an arena in midtown.
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Tuesday, June 10, 2008
New York's Best Ice Cream
Everyday on Gridskipper we give you a new map. Some are new, some are fetched from our archive, newly updated. Happy Gridskipping. Let's be honest: New York City is not exactly a summertime haven, and right now, given the unbearable heat, it's even less tolerable. Our rivers are not the balmy breeze types, and it's hard to hang a hammock between skyscrapers. The one summertime treat we can enjoy? Besides frozen liquor beverages? Ice cream. In one of the most gourmet-centric cities in the country, ice cream in New York isn't merely a cup-or-cone affair. Check out our picks for the very best cold stuff in the city, and feel free to add your own.
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Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Balazs's Standard Hotel First Looks

Guest of a Guest has new photos of the views and construction rubble that will soon be the Standard Hotel. One of the most eagerly anticipated hotels NYC has seen in awhile, the hotel, which is owned by Andre Balazs Properties, will join the ranks of the Standard’s handful of sister outposts – Hollywood, Downtown LA and Miami.
· The Standard Hotel View from the Inside [GofG]
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Finding Street Art in NYC
". . . walking through Williamsburg several years ago, I was stopped in my tracks by the haunting face of a young girl peering out at me from within a doorframe. Pasted on a door was a beautifully detailed woodcut print I would later learn had been crafted by the street artist Swoon. Down the street, I discovered what looked like a cover of a tawdry pulp fiction novel stenciled on some wooden scaffolding by a collective known as Faile . . . from that moment on, I was hooked. With a little patience, you too can develop a street art habit."
Drinking Outdoors in Williamsburg
Come summer in NYC, few things compare to being able to drinking outdoors (that is, unless you're lucky enough to have summer Fridays, but that's another story). Be it in a backyard or on a rooftop, pairing a cocktail with a cool summer breeze is pretty much the best it gets. And what better place to do so than the epicenter of all things hip? That's right folks, next stop: Williamsburg, where there are dozens of places to slap on a pair of wayfarers and down a few PBRs while basking in the sun. (photo)
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Latest & Greatest
Atlanta•
Straits: Bay Area chef Chris Yeo teams up with Ludacris to open an East Coast branch of his sophisticated Asian fusion restaurant.
Boston
• Orinoco: South End Venezuelan restaurant opens a new location in Brookline Village.
Chicago
• Angels & Mariachis: A two-story taqueria and "rock cantina" opened on Monday in the East Village.
• Veerasway: New restaurant in the Warehouse District offers Indian small plates by chef Angela Lee.
• Zed 451: New River North restaurant served global fare made with seasonal market products.
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Monday, April 28, 2008
New York's Yarn Shops
There are only three categories of purchasables that genuinely motivate me to shop: books, food, and yarn, in that order. Since independent bookstores have been done, and I don't want to bore you with my philosophical musings on Pathmark, deli counters, and self-checkouts, it looks like I'll be pointing you in the direction of fuzzy bunches of mohair and bamboo knitting needles. Hooray! In the past 10 years, yarn shops have gone the way of a lot of small New York businesses, transforming from mom-and-pop joints into upscale boutiquey venues with a painstakingly "curated" array of goods. The latter shops are fun for browsing, but when you calculate that your knitted sweater pattern will take upwards of $150 and 18 hours of labor to create, the whole do-it-yourself ethic loses it appeal. If balls of cashmere fibers don't get you going, perhaps the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Project at the World Financial Center will. Pictured at left, the exhibit seeks to raise awareness about dwindling coral reefs, but at the very least, it should convince you to pick up that crochet hook and join the rest of us cool I-craft-on-the-subway folks. (photo)
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NY Magazine has taken on
NY Magazine has taken on the topic of the TVs with tiny screens now playing in taxis, posing the question: "Turn it on, or turn it off?" Most of the readers and the handful of celebrities they asked want it off, but the film director Brett Ratner doesn't. He "likes watching it [for the] movie trailers." [NY Mag]
Friday, April 25, 2008
Ads on Hotels:In the Eye of the Beholder?
Hotel Chatter thinks that Brooklyn's Hotel Jolie is a less promising place to stay now that they've sold out the side of their building to a Grand Theft Auto IV ad (other minuses: the hotel is next to an abandoned gas station and the website includes a Manhattan beauty shot that still has the World Trade Center). But back to the ad. . . . is it really that much of a turn-off? Maybe it's just the type of ad rather than the ad itself. For comparative purposes, a lingerie-filled example from an LA hotel after the jump. Better, worse, or the same?
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Debriefer: Comedian Paul Mecurio
Paul Mecurio is comedy's resident virtuoso; after graduating with high honors from Georgetown Law, Paul ditched a bright future in law for ... well, an even brighter career in comedy. He's even got awards to prove it. Let's see the firm Willkie, Farr and Gallagher hand out Emmys. We caught him in a brief moment between shows in the midwest and two headlining nights at New York's Comix (this Friday 26 and Saturday 27) and got him to dish on politics and why he's gotta have his 3am hot dogs with a side of "coffee milk."
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We Run New York
As we emerge from the long winter, we begin to realize that our bodies aren't the same as 7 months ago. As things heat up in the city we shed layers of our clothing and are faced with new pear-shaped forms. But there is hope. Giving up drinking isn't realistic, but maybe getting outside and going for a jog is. Running in New York City can be an unfriendly and extremely unpleasant experience. Our city's crowded, bustling streets are criss-crossed with honking traffic, choking pollution, and slippery dog crap that all work together to prevent you from getting out there and shedding that weight. So whether you're visiting New York or a native in the summer, stay away from the treadmills. Join a running club or just go solo, just get out there and see the city. Don't forget to leave a comment; we would love to hear about your favorite jogging routes in the city. (photo)
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Thursday, April 24, 2008
Cooling Off in NYC: Public Pools
Spring is in the air in NYC, which means the hot, unbearably sweaty days of summer aren't far behind. While lots of people seem to think that the most pleasant place fow when the temperatures are approaching 90 is the members-only roof of the Soho House (or the equally exclusive, soon-to-be-open Thompson Hotel rooftop pool), not everyone can get in. And that doesn't mean your only other option is to be stuck swimming in someone else's urine or catching gangrene from unidentifiable mold in the ladies locker room. So, for all the little people out there (myself included), the best places to cool off sans a hefty membership fee. (kcjc/flickr)
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