nyc ::: cheap & fabulous

[INDEX] nyc ::: cheap and fabulous

2010-08-10T15:44:00.002-04:00

cheap. 1.costing very little; relatively low in price; inexpensive.What's NewRock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC (Too bad if you missed it, it's now closed)The Newest Art MuseumsThe High Line The Basics10 Tips to New York CityAlphabet SoupIn New York you walk!NYC TippingCheap(er) NYC hotelsNeighborhoodsForget about TriBeCaFlorent is gone (Meat-Packing District)SoHO during the dayNolitaLower East

[Off Off] Off the Beaten Path: Grounds for Sculpture

2010-08-10T15:26:00.001-04:00

I first heard about this idyllic sculpture park two years ago from a Brazilian journalist who lived in New York, and kept it on the back of my mind until Sunday, August 1st. Grounds for Sculpture is a relatively small park in Hamilton, NJ, not too far from Princeton. It has over 250 sculptures by world-renowned artists, an incredibly good restaurant, a cafeteria, and indoor exhibits. It's full

SPRING

2010-05-08T00:59:00.000-04:00

A Light exists in Spring Not present on the Year At any other period — When March is scarcely here (Emily Dickinson) Photo: Madison Square Park

Lucky Sighting

2010-01-26T14:31:00.004-05:00

"There were fewer screaming, crying fans in pleated skirts this time, but Paul McCartney delighted a New York City audience on Wednesday (7/15/09) with a performance on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater."

The High Line

2009-06-10T23:03:00.002-04:00

It opened to the public yesterday. The High Line is an old elevated railway turned into a garden, with plenty of seating space and great views of the Meatpacking District. Althought not yet complete, it is beautiful and worth visiting.

U2 Way

2009-03-16T22:53:00.007-04:00

- You're walking down the street and all of a sudden you see your favorite movie star! OK, this doesn't happen every day but there's always a possibility. Here's proof.(I knew that U2 was going to be in NY for a week to promote their new album No Line onf the Horizon in the beginning of March. I also knew that they were going to be on the David Letterman show, which happens to be across the

10 Tips to New York City

2009-02-06T16:27:00.028-05:00

1.Call 311 or 212-NEWYORK for all information about the City. 2.Fifth Avenue divides Manhattan into the east side and west side. 3.When getting directions, always ask for the cross streets (i.e. 810 Seventh Avenue between 52nd and 53rd Streets). 4.In Manhattan, if you walk 20 blocks north or south, you have walked one mile. 5.If the number on the top of the taxicab is lit, it means the cab

Happy X-Mas 2008

2008-12-12T01:45:00.003-05:00

Parade Movie

2008-12-05T21:57:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving Day Parade

2008-12-03T01:21:00.016-05:00

Thanksgiving Day, a national holiday that falls on the last Thursday in November, is the most American of the holidays.It has nothing to do with shopping or religion though it marks the beginning of the holiday season. It's said to be the busiest travel period of the year (more than Christmas and New Year's) and it's certainly on of the quietest days on the streets of New York from 4:00 pm

NEW: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC

2008-11-23T12:40:00.007-05:00

It opens to the public on November 25, 2008 and it's set to be a "temple of rock culture" in SoHO, New York, an annex to the existing museum in Cleveland, Ohio.A visit should last 90 minutes and costs US$ 26 for adults. For complete information please visit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC website.Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC76 Mercer Street, SoHO

Off Off the Beaten Path: Storm King Art Center

2008-11-18T21:17:00.012-05:00

For a lovely afternoon in a beautiful sculpture park, this is it. A little over an hour from New York City, Storm King is one of the most beautiful places I have been to in the region.Storm King is a huge park containing sculptures by world-renowned artists such as Alexander Calder, Henry Moore, Isamu Noguchi, and many more. Except for winter, when it's closed, it is worth the trip (by bus or by

Watching the NYC Marathon

2008-11-17T00:20:00.010-05:00

If you're in town on the first Sunday in November, watching the marathon and cheering for the runners is a must-do activity. Better if a friend or a co-worker is running but it doesn't really matter. It's fun.One thing to do is to go to Central Park and watch the runners arrive in the park, where the finish line is. Alternatively, a great spot to watch the runners up close is Long Island City, in

Celebrating a new spirit

2008-11-10T00:18:00.006-05:00

Nobody knows how long it will last, but there's a new spirit in the air. I've been noticing a new politeness on the subway, people saying "I'm sorry" more frequently than ever if, for example, they step on your foot or hit your arm with an oversized backpack.This must be because of the election of Barack Obama. While I missed the live celebration, I watched every minute on TV and even sheded

Favorite Bars

2008-10-27T04:13:00.026-04:00

In the winter it's always a good idea to find a cozy bar where the music will be, hopefully, not too loud and there will be a place to sit. In the summer you really don't want to be indoors...Domaine*** [wine] (50-04 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City)Why: cozy, great wines and foodFresh Salt*** (146 Beekman St., near Front St.)Why: small, cozy and tasty appetizersJimmy's # 43 (43 East 7th St.,

Lower East Side (LES)

2008-10-26T16:15:00.024-04:00

The Lower East Side is the neighborhood that has been flourishing with new bars and restaurants, where the young and hip (and not so young and hip) go for night time entertainment. Of course there's also Williamsburg in Brooklyn, which is a little farther East, across the river.The LES still holds the look of an older, more "authentic" New York, only we don't know for how long. (And of course

Events (Parades, Sports, etc.)

2008-10-26T14:09:00.017-04:00

New York City has a parade for every nationality, cause or celebratory fact. Watch out because every now and then the streets will be closed and you will not be able to cross from West to East or vice versa. Then the thing to do is to relax and enjoy it!While it would be impossible to list them all here due to flexible dates and because it is not the point of this blog, I will list a few

Bookstores (Beyond Barnes & Noble)

2008-10-26T12:52:00.007-04:00

Barnes & Noble and Borders are all over the place. They're are fun and cool and have almost everything you're looking for from books and magazines to CDs, DVDs and coffee. I enjoy them, but also enjoy smaller bookstores that focus, well, mostly on books.Here's a list of some worth checking. I always go in if I'm in the neighborhood:Strand Books (828 Broadway at 12th St.) [discounted books,

Tapas

2008-10-15T20:07:00.026-04:00

You don't have to go to Spain to have incredible Spanish tapas (small plates)! Tapas bars are very popular in New York these days. Not exactly cheap, but a cool alternative for "a happy hour with wine", "a light meal", "wine tasting", "a full meal".I guess you can make a lot of it, it all depends on your mood.My absolute favorite is Mercat, which is actually classified as a wine bar, but has the

Visit the campus

2008-10-14T23:26:00.011-04:00

There are two important universities in New York City: NYU and Columbia. NYU's campus, faculty and student residences are located at the heart of Greenwich Village, around Washington Square Park.You get a completely different feel when you visit Columbia's neoclassical campus in Morningside Heights on the Upper West Side. Columbia is an Ivy-League School, which is an athletic conference composed

NYC Tipping

2008-10-13T15:36:00.006-04:00

In restaurants, the rule is very simple: 20% for good service or 15% for mediocre service. But the fact of the matter is that tipping is expected, as it is a large part of the servers' salaries.So, to make things really easy, just double the tax, which amounts to approximately 16%.For example, if your check is US$ 25.00:Food & Beverages: $25.00NYC tax (8.375%): $2.10Total: $27.10Double the tax

Affordable & Fabulous Restaurants

2008-10-13T14:18:00.073-04:00

This is probably the longer list of all. By affordable I mean "great value without breaking the bank".The fabulous part is a more complex attribute: it can be the food, the atmosphere, the decor, or all three combined. Each has something that stands out and makes you want to go back.All entries in this list are highly recommended, with the caveat that without wine (alcohol in general) your check

Cheap & Fabulous Restaurants

2008-10-13T14:05:00.043-04:00

By cheap I mean: 1.costing very little; relatively low in price; inexpensive: a cheap dress. [source]The fabulous part is a more complex attribute. It can be the food, the atmosphere, the decor, or all three combined.All entries in this list are highly recommended, with the caveat that without wine (alcohol in general) your check will turn instantly cheaper. But then part of the fun is gone.

Museums (V): Off the Beaten Path

2008-10-12T17:33:00.073-04:00

There are lots of smaller institutions, and sometimes institutions not that small, that are worth visiting either because of their unique collections or simply because they tend to be a lot less crowded.Listed here are the ones I've visited through the years. I'm sure there's more to see, but let's keep the focus.I highly recommend the ones marked with ***. They're interesting because of their

Museums (IV): New

2008-10-12T17:30:00.026-04:00

The newer New York museums are also worth a visit, even if only for the sake of architecture:New Museum of Contemporary Art (235 Bowery) [December 2007]Why: "New Art, New Ideas". And an unusual building that resembles an uneven stack of white boxes. Cool.Museum of Arts and Design (2 Columbus Circle) [September 2008]Why: Brand new. Actually, neither the museum nor the building is new. It's the new

Free tourist attractions

2008-10-12T16:16:00.016-04:00

A checklist of places/landmarks to visit for the cost of a subway ride:Brooklyn BridgeBrooklyn PromenadeBryant ParkCentral ParkThe Chrysler Building* (42nd Street and Lexington Ave.)The Dakota Building* (1 West 72nd St.)The Flatiron Building* (175 Fifth Ave. at 23rd St.)Fifth Avenue from 50th Street on upGrand Central TerminalGovernor's Island (summer only)***Why: It used to be a military post,

Museums (III): Museum Mile

2008-10-12T14:14:00.020-04:00

Another approach to New York museums is to visit all museums on Fifth Avenue. There are nine museums from 82nd St. to 104th St. and I've been to seven of them. (Note: the Frick Collection is down at 70th St.).There's even a festival in the beginning of the summer called The Museum Mile Festival, which provides free access to all of them for one day.El Museo del Barrio (1230 Fifth Ave. at 104th St

Museums (II): Fridays

2008-10-12T12:35:00.016-04:00

Fridays in New York are "museum day". It's when most museums have discounted admissions or are free at certain times.Here's a short list (please visit the museum website for details):FridaysAmerican Folk Art Museum (45 West 53rd St.)Asia Society and Museum (725 Park Ave. at 70th St.)Brooklyn Botanical Garden (1000 Washington Ave., Brooklyn)Bronx Museum of the Arts (Fordham Road and the Bronx

Museums (I): Met or MoMA?

2008-10-12T11:07:00.020-04:00

Met or MoMA?If you can only visit one museum, I'd say visit MoMA. Others will say the Metropolitan. They're both great and very different. MoMA is much smaller and more manageable. And it's about modern art.The Modern, as MoMA is referred to by New Yorkers, was fully renovated from 2002 to 2004 and is an incredible piece of architecture. The Met is a giant institution that covers almost

NYC Theatre 101

2008-10-12T01:12:00.012-04:00

Everything about going to the theatre: Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off Broadway, TKTS, etc.: Theater Development Fund.@import url(http://www.google.com/cse/api/branding.css);(Photo: New TKTS booths, 10.16.08) Custom Search

SoHO during the day

2008-10-11T21:57:00.023-04:00

SoHO is the place that you go to shop or window shop, during the day. It is incredibly crowded with tourists and locals, and there's not a lot to do in the evening. Still very charming due to its cast-iron architecture and cobblestone streets, SoHO is now home to a number of high-end stores and expensive lofts. And the sidewalks are crowded with vendors of all sorts of knick-knacks.The list of

Alphabet Soup

2008-10-11T13:40:00.011-04:00

Every now and then a new acronym comes along, but here is a list of the basics:SoHO - South of HoustonTriBeca - Triangle Below CanalNoLiTa - North of Little ItalyNoHO - North of HoustonDUMBO - Down Under the Manhattan Bridge OverpassLIC - Long Island City (Queens)LES - Lower East SideLGA - La Guardia AirportJFK - Kennedy AirportMTA - The Metropolitan Transit AuthorityLIRR - Long Island Rail Road

Soul of the City

2008-10-11T13:22:00.025-04:00

What is it about this place that so gets under your skin?That draws so much greatness and never ceases to amaze.A magnet for the eclectic.A haven for the extraordinary.The ultimate collision of extremes.Could it be that its intrigue lies in its endless contradictions?Its faces have seen so much. Its buildings patinaed with history.Its pace beyond electric.Because what happens here today effects

Nolita

2008-10-11T03:52:00.037-04:00

North of Little Italy (and south of Houston Street), Nolita became cool when SoHO became synonymous with high-end stores. It has lots of restaurants and small boutiques and a different feel than SoHo, just a couple of blocks away. It's still very charming but it's also changing and becoming more clean and less alternative.My No. 1 restaurant in the category cheap and fabulous is in Nolita. The

The WTC site

2008-10-10T13:02:00.011-04:00

Nobody really knows what it will become of the WTC site. Seven years after the tragedy of 9/11, it still looks like a construction site.Information about the site and visiting tours can be found on the website Tribute WTC Visitor Center.(Photo taken on 9/11/08 - Tribute in Light)More photos:Day photos (8/23/06)Night photos (9/30/05)

A Heart In New York (Illustrated Song)

2008-10-09T18:17:00.004-04:00

Welcome to my blog!

2008-10-09T14:04:00.008-04:00

All photos in this blog, as well as text and opinion, are mine.Tais Melillo 2008

For shoppers

2008-10-08T20:50:00.018-04:00

Of course everybody likes a good bargain and for that the best place to shop is the outlet Woodbury Common, which has over 200 stores and is one hour away from Manhattan.In ManhattanCentury 21 (22 Cortlandt St.) [across from the World Trade Center site]T.J. Maxx (620 Ave. of the Americas)Filene's Basement (620 Ave. of the Americas and 4 Union Square South)In QueensTarget (8801 Queens Blvd,

Basic tourist attractions

2008-10-08T19:59:00.022-04:00

If you have the time, go. It's fun and it makes for great photos. There are plenty of tourist guides to take you there, but here is a list of must-see basics:Brooklyn Bridge*Statue of LibertyEllis Island (Museum of Immigration)Empire State BuildingTimes Square*Grand Central Terminal*Rockefeller Center*Top of the RockSaint Patrick's Cathedral*Fifth Avenue from 50th Street on up*Central Park*

Not big on reading? See the photos!

2008-10-08T19:42:00.014-04:00

If you don't like to waste a lot of time reading and agree that an image is worth a thousand words, just cut to the chase and visit my Flickr.All photos in this blog, as well as text and opinion, are mine.Tais Melillo 2008

Chelsea art galleries

2008-10-08T17:57:00.026-04:00

Roughly the square between 20th and 27th Streets and 10th and 11th Avenues, Chelsea is currently home to over 300 art galleries. Lots of fun if you have any interest in contemporary art. Go on a Saturday afternoon. The galleries are closed on Sundays. And it's free!Chelsea Art GalleriesThese are the larger ones, located on the buildings' ground floors for the most part. Always something

Art-house movie theaters

2008-10-08T17:01:00.017-04:00

Art-house movie theaters means "movie theaters that show foreign movies". Anyway, it's not your regular multiplex and it's where you will find, well, foreign movies. And documentaries.Angelika Film Center (18 West Houston St.)Sunshine Cinema (143 East Houston St.)Film Forum (209 West Houston St.)Quad Cinema (34 West 13th Street)Lincoln Plaza Cinemas (1886 Broadway, bet. 62nd/63rd)Cinema Village (

Cheap(er) NYC hotels

2008-10-08T15:24:00.064-04:00

Updated: January 26, 2010Quite frankly, it seems that cheap hotels are a thing of the distant past. While to compile such a list would be a major task, if not impossible, here's an initial list of recommendations from friends through the years. I hope to get more hints as time goes by.Worth exploring based on location (my research) [I don't know anyone who's stayed there]:Hotel Wolcott (4 West

In New York you walk!

2008-10-08T15:06:00.020-04:00

And ride the subwayNot everyone will agree, but the best way to explore New York is to go on foot.Pick the neighborhood you want to visit, take the subway there and walk around. As of this writing, it is safe and still the fastest way to get there. Therefore, comfortable shoes or sneakers and a Metrocard are a must!Cool tool to avoid getting lost (door-to-door subway and bus directions): HopStop.

Florent is gone (The Meat-Packing District)

2008-10-08T14:30:00.033-04:00

Below 14th StreetThe pioneer of the Meat-Packing district closed in June 2008. After Florent came tens of hip restaurants, bars, and shops. But Pastis (9 Ninth Ave., Little West 12th St.), which was second to Florent, remains a cool French bistro with moderate prices for brunch, lunch, or dinner (it gets very crowded on weekends!)On 14th Street (and 9th Ave.) Visit the Apple Store right at the

Forget about TriBeCa

2008-10-08T14:10:00.021-04:00

If you'd like to go to Tribeca, go at your own risk. Of course there are restaurants and shops there, but Tribeca is mostly synonymous with expensive housing and Robert De Niro's neighborhood. Not a lot to see, except when it's time for the Tribeca Film Festival (usually every year in April).I mean, it's just that Tribeca is generally quieter than any other New York neighborhood. But if you'd