Mission Boston - New York

museummaker

In New York:

Les Halles for steaks! http://www.leshalles.net/ny_downtown.php

McSorley's for beer http://www.mcsorleysnewyork.com/

For cheap eats try Cuban-Chinese at La Caridad http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-caridad-new-york

Alan Fraser

You don’t need much guidance for Boston, the centre is fairly compact and full of heritage trails and sites around the Boston Common area. Check out the area around Fanueil Hall and sample the delights on offer inside Quincy Market, next to it.
Avoid all the fake Cheers bars. If you want some good, cheap seafood, simply prepared, try the No Name Restaurant on Fish Pier St...with all the other tourists.
The transit system is pretty efficient…you could take trips out to Lexington or Harvard or head down Boylston St or Commonwealth Ave towards the Prudential Center, Apple store and Fenway Park.

thomthom

Any tips on some of the lesser known secrets and gems of Boston and New York?

jeff hammond

monday nights at zinc bar..

Zinc Bar Home - Zinc Bar

Zinc Bar (www.zincbar.com)

some serious guitar playing via ron affif and his trio..
super cramped in there but super worth it.

i dunno, what are you in to?

thomthom

I'm open for any suggestions. I had great fun with the random ideas from the London thread.

Alan Fraser

See the "View from the Pru". Take the new high speed elevators to the observation deck on top of the Prudential Tower.
Bring back a photo of this...that isn't off Google Earth.

david_h

Maybe if you have the Time see if you can get tix to Letterman. I did. Guy just handed me some on hte street. it's a bit of a todo to "Finally" get in but it's fun. It's on 53rd and B'way. Rupert's Hello Deli is right around the corner.

battery Park is fun. Yeah. . New York City. .. I am sure you will have a lousy time. Never been to Boston myself.

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Statue of Liberties.jpg

Gaieus

What's that second picture, David? The new Ku-Klux-Klan fashion?

linea

I enjoyed just walking around Lafayette and China town , very interesting to see how people actually live in NY.
Also, unless you are really into history, I'd avoid Ellis Island, the ferry takes ages and the museum was too busy.

We went to see the Nicks play at Madison Sq, they lost but the atmosphere was great.

david_h

Yeah. . .the KKK is very popular In Lower Manhattan as you well know.

Actually. . .These guys. . .And I don't know why they would do it=--especially in August-- dress up like Lady Liberty and you pay them to take a picture with them. Is this a great country or what!

chuck

My vote for Boston is Durgin-Park - and talk kindly

EscapeArtist

Lived in Beantown for almost 10 years now, and there are certain places we take or suggest to all guests that visit us:

See:

The Freedom Trail - hits a lot of historical sites
The Boston Commons/Botanical Gardens
Boston Museum of Fine Arts
Science Museum
Walk around in Beacon Hill (by the Commons)
Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market
Sam Adams Brewery - tours Th/Fr/Sa, free samples!
Whale Watching tours from Boston's waterfront
Head to the observation deck of the Prudential Building for a view of Boston
Note the park that was formerly the Big Dig

Places to eat:
The Black Rose - Authentic Irish pub near Aquarium "T" stop, not some cheesy tourist trap - live music most evenings.
Mike's Pastry - In Boston's North End (old Italian section of the city), unbelievable desserts, cookies, cakes, etc...
Cafe Vittoria - Same location as above, good espresso and cannoli (next door to Mike's)
Finale or Maggiano's in the Theater District for more "high end" desserts and meals
Union Oyster House - by Faneuil
Legal Seafood
Pho Pasteur - towards Boston's China Town, excellent and inexpensive Thai food

Shows - I guess see The Blue Man Group if you haven't already.

Plenty more to see than that, but these are the ones we frequent with guests. Boston's very compact and easy to get around, so all of these can be reached with no difficulty.

arail1

In New York -
Chinatown, especially the far eastern section which is more connected to mainland China than it is to mainland USA.
Chelsea art galleries.
Wander around the lower east side and the east side of Soho (beyond Lafayette into the neighborhood which used to be Little Italy)
The store Evolution in Soho (skeletons, fossilized snakes, spiders, meteor fragments, etc.)
MOMA and the Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Natural History
The top of the Empire State Building
JandR in lower Manhattan for computer stuff
The Apple store across from the Plaza Hotel
Jacques Torres chocolates on Hudson St
Johns Pizzeria on Bleecker
Peter Luger's steakhouse in Brooklyn (if you can spend approx. $100 per person)
Central Park