paasan

I will be going to New York City next week with my mother, and I'd be very happy if any of you in here were able to recommend some restaurants and/or events in and around Manhattan that are worth a visit.. apart from the obvious "tourist traps", which I'll probably have to visit anyway

I've been to New York six times before, so I'm not a complete newbie But some fresh input on where to go is always appreciated!

Probably I'll be going to the Garden to watch the Rangers vs. Bruins in a pre-seasonal on the 25th too.. Anyone know if those matches fill up quickly? Or will the Garden be half-empty? If so it isn't too tempting, considering the fact that much of the fun is in there being a huge audience.. Anyway, hope somebody have a few tips

robg

Pre season Ranger games are usually half empty, though t here may be a slightly larger than usual cowd becasue this is thefirst game in a long time. I would check stub hub and other similar sources for cheap (less than fac) tickets.

What kind of food / price range are you looking for? Happy to offer my $.02

paasan

Thanks.
Is Stub Hub reliable? Used to have a contact in the NHL that got me tickets, but she was laid off along with 70% of the HQ staff during the lockout. But it seems the tickets available at Stub Hub are way better than those available through Ticketmaster.

Restaurants? No idea.. Some I'll consider going to are Smith & Wollensky, River Cafe in Brooklyn, La Bonne Soupe on W55th, Union Square Cafe or Paola's on the upper east side.. and something in between these, price-wise, is preferred

robg

Stub Hub has proven very reliable. I, and others I know, have used it without incident. If you end up going, let me know and we can meet for a drink. I have season tickets and will most likely be there.

As for restaurants, River Cafe in Brooklyn has great scenery, good food, but is over priced. I lived very nearby and used to go just for drinks. Nurse one at the bar and watch the sunset. S&W is just another steakhouse to me and there are many I prefer. If you are going to Brooklyn, I would try Peter Lugers, which is my favorite steakhouse. Union Square Cafe is one of my favorites in all of NYC, just make reservations ASAP. For a taste of "real" NY, I always take people to John's Pizza 278 Bleecker St. in Greenwich Village. One of, if not the very best, pizza places in in NYC.

paasan

Brooklyn may be out of the question.. How long does a taxi ride take from 44th & 5th and to e.g. the River Cafe?

Thanks a lot for your helpful replies. How strict are bars etc. on serving beer to minors? I'm not a minor here, but as I'm 20 I'll be one in the States Most likely I'll go to either Mustang Sally's or Mustang Harry's with my mother (joining me for the match) prior to the match That used to be the tradition when I went to matches with my father.

Me2002

Go see The Producers on broadway. Its hilarious.

robg

The River Cafe is just over the Brooklyn Bridge. How long all depends on traffic. Could be 10 mins or could be an hour. If you are adventurous, you an take the subway to Brooklyn. Or, if you are going to be in Manhattan before hand, you can walk over the Bridge. There is a seperate pedestrian path above the traffic and the are always people on it (it is safe). Gives you one of the best views of lower Manhattan, Staute of Liberty, etc.

I do not know the two bars you mentioned, but how strict the bars are is hit or miss. If you pick an Irish bar / pub, or somethin not geared to a young crowd, your chances of not getting carded are much better. There are many of these right around MSG.

paasan

Thanks for the tip on Stubhub.com.. Bought two tickets in section 51.. Looks like a good spot. I assume those are "The Club" tickets? Never really understood the real benefit of having a "The Club" stamp on your ticked, besides from the fact that you're easily identified as an over-paying moron? Sounds like a bit of a gimmick.

UUronL

If you want to see some celebrities for sure, go to Nobu Next Door - I'd recommend Saturday night. "Next Door" has all the same food as Nobu, but doesn't take reservations - so you can get in, you just need to wait a bit.

If you want a nice steak, Peter Luger is the way to go. As far as chain steak places, I personally prefer The Palm. The original "Palm One" is in NYC. French - I'd hit Cello, it beats the hell out of Montrachet. You'll need a suit jacket though.

robg

Section 51 seats are tremendous. http://newyorkrangers.com/default.asp Follow the "tickets," "seating chart" links, highlight your section, and you can see a photo taken from the section with the ice in the arena. Club seats give you waitress service. Someone will come and take your food and drink order and bring it to your seat. Nice for a game or to, but expensive for season tickets. Your tickets are club gold - $117 per ticket for season tickets.

If you are still looking for a steak place in Manhattan, I like Sparks. It was outside Sparks that John Gotti has mob boss Paul Castellano killed.