NYC Restaurants - 24 Insider Favorites

1. Cafe Sabarsky
2. Cafe Un Deux Trois
3. Centolire
4. Del Frisco's
5. Eleven Madison Park
6. Fifty Seven Fifty Seven
7. Four Seasons
8. Gabriel's
9. King's Carriage House
10. The Kinsale Tavern
11. Lever House
12. Libertador Parrilla Argentina
13. Marchi's
14. The Modern
15. New Leaf Cafe
16. Orso
17. Robert
18. Sea Grille
19. Sfoglia
20. Sparks Steak House
21. 21 Club
22. Water's Edge
23. Wo Hop
24. Zebu Grill

 

 

7 Ways to Explore NYC's History

1. Pick up Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 by Edwin G. Burrows and Mike Wallace - an epic look at New York that starts with the Native Americans and ends with the consolidation of the five boroughs into the city we know today. Unlike most histories, it is an engaging and fun read. Also the winner of the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for History.
2. See George Washington's Revolutionary War NYC headquarters at the Morris-Jumel Mansion.
3. Learn about the influx of immigrants to NYC at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.
4. Go back in time with a visit to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum.
5. Page through Kenneth T. Jackson's The Encyclopedia of New York City - the most comprehensive reference book that we've ever found, with over 4,000 entries by 650 NYC experts.
6. Explore NY's seafaring history at the South Street Seaport.
7. Read Time and Again by Jack Finney - detailed descriptions make 19th century New York come alive in this sci-fi adventure.

10 Things New Yorkers Can't Live Without

1. NY pizza.
2. Fresh bagels, still warm from the oven.
3. Central Park and other great urban oases.
4. NY1 and WINS.
5. Real estate talk.
6. Walking at a fast NY pace.
7. Fast, free delivery - of just about everything.
8. Getting a great deal... on something.
9. The subway, buses and taxis.
10. Being at the center of it all.

51 Reasons to Love NYC

1. The always-there-bustle and day-or-night-bright-neon of Times Square.
2. The jewels in the Diamond District.
3. A good run around the loop of Central Park.
4. The food in all the ethnic neighborhoods: Chinatown, Little Italy, Greek food in Astoria, Indian and Pakastani food in Jackson Heights and lots more.
5. A walk over the Brooklyn Bridge.
6. Baseball and football games on Randall's Island.
7. Fresh Direct.
8. Top-notch restaurant choices.
9. One word: shopping.
10. It is officially the most walkable city in the country (one of the reasons New Yorkers are slimmer than the national average, and why there are shoe repair shops on every corner).
11. Fifth Avenue museums - and the wonderful Museum Mile Festival they sponsor each June.
12. Food trucks.
13. Movie filming, catalog shoots - there is always someone taking pictures of something!
14. The Mets and the Jets.
15. Shakespeare in the Park.
16. Running the NYC Marathon through all five boroughs -- and being greeted by crowds, bands and more.
17. The cyclone on Coney Island.
18. The Central Park Zoo, the Prospect Park Zoo, the Bronx Zoo, the Queens Zoo, the NY Aquarium - wildlife in almostt every borough.
19. The cherry blossoms in Brooklyn in the spring.
20. The Tibetan museum on Staten Island.
21. Street music with performances everywhere - on subway, in parks, etc.
22. Free delivery of almost anything
23. Sidewalk cafes and people-watching.
24. The ever-changing Manhattan skyline.
25. The Stonehedge effect of Manhattan buildings - often called Manhattanhenge.
26. Vest-pocket parks.
27. The Conservatory Garden in Central Park
28. Songs about NYC.
29. Harold Altman paintings
30. Art museums and galleries
31. The fact that you can find anything and everything within NYC.
32. Diversity - of  race, creed, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, ethnic origin, opinion, and much more.
33. Manhattan's simple and orderly grid - making it easy to get around town.
34. Romantic movies that feature NYC.
35. The plethora of public transportation.
36. NYC's boundless spirit and energy.
37. All the pluses of raising kids in the city, including a terrific variety of school options.
38. Car-free days on Park Avenue in August.
39. The city's colorful history - and the pivotal role NYC played in much of the nation's growth.
40. A ride on the Staten Island Ferry.
41. Broadway.
42. The focus of industries: Wall Street, Madison Avenue, fashion, publishing, theater.
43. Bagels.
44. NY pizza.
45. The Big City Book Club - focused on books in and about NYC (see NYTimes.com/books).
46. Free wi-fi in the parks - including Central Park, Prospect Park, the High Line and 17 others.
47. Lincoln Center.
48. The top of the Empire State Building.
49. NYC biking, including the annual Five Boro Bike Tour.
50. The night-time view from the Roosevelt Island Tram.
51. Books that feature New York City.

New Ways to Enjoy Your Vacation Photos

We've posted several times about how we believe that vacation photos top many, many other types of souvenirs.  But what to do with all the photos from your trip this summer?  Share them on Facebook, of course (photos are one of the top reasons that many folks spend time on social networking sites).  And check out the other ideas we've posted in the past for enjoying your favorite photos.
Still need some more ideas?  PureWow suggests these:

Make a book.  Create a bound coffee-table book from Pinhole Press ($43 to $65) by digitally dragging images onto a Web page and choosing a layout.

Make wall art.  Turn one amazing photo into wallpaper via Better Wallpaper ($45 per square foot).  Simply upload your picture and desired dimensions and the company will mail you the bespoke creation along with mounting instructions.

Make a moving image.  Create a "home movie" with GifShop for iPhone and GifStitch for Android. Both $1 apps help you link smartphone pictures into a flipbook-like animated video.