LATEST POST: Restaurant Week (January 14-February)

Restaurant week is back! One of the best times of the year in NYC for food lovers hands down!
Enjoy delicious set course meals at some of the best restaurants in town for low prices.

Check out NYCGO.COM for restaurant listings, menus, and prices.

You don't want to miss out believe me!

New York City

The first place we are going to explore is my home, New York City. I want to give everyone a little background on New York City as well as attaching a map so everyone can see the exact layout of the city.

New York City is the most populous city in the United States and 5^th largest in the world behind Tokyo, Mexico City, Mumbai, and Sao Paulo with 18.8 million people. As a leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment. As host of the United Nations headquarters, it is also an important center for international affairs.

Located on a large natural harbor, the city consists of five boroughs: The Bronx (4), Brooklyn (2), Manhattan (1), Queens (3), and Staten Island (5) as depicted on the map. New York was founded as a commercial trading post by the Dutch in 1624. The settlement was called New Amsterdam until 1664 when the colony came under English control. New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785-1790. It has been the country's largest city since 1790.

One of our most famous landmarks, The Statue of Liberty, once greeted millions of immigrants that came to America in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The city is the birthplace of many modern cultural movements including the Harlem Renaissance in literature and music, abstract expressionism in painting, the gay and lesbian rights movement, and hip hop, punk, salsa, disco, and Tin Pan alley music. It is also the home of Broadway theatre.

My favorite part, New York is most notable for the overall density and diversity of its population. In 2005, nearly 170 languages were spoken in the city with 36% of its population born outside the United States.

Many neighborhoods and landmarks in the city have become world-famous and the following posts on my website are going to explore some of my favorite neighborhoods and landmarks so that way when you come to New York City you can see it the right way!

The Seasons in New York

Autumn

A very important thing to know when travelling to any city is the best times of the year to go, and what are the highlights to do/see during each season. New York is very much a city of seasons and extremely different during each. The vibes are different, the styles change, outdoor music festivals come and go, etc etc. The following few posts will deal will each season respectively starting with my absolute favorite, AUTUUMNNN!

For myself, Autumn is the best best best time of year to be in New York City. As you may or may not know, NYC can be HOT in the summer and pretty damn cold in the winter. Autumn/Spring are the perfect times because the weather is most importantly comfortable! The summer heat is fading, the air is crisp, it is perfect weather to walk around, the subways are no longer 5-star sauna's, street festivals and music are everywhere, and the general vibe in the city is one of excitement for the arrival of this magnificent time of year.

Here is a list of a few of the highlights to make sure you experience while in NYC during Autumn:

-The leaves are changing color in Central Park.

-For all the women out there - Fashion Week (Sept. 9th-16th)
*For more info. check out (http://www.mbfashionweek.com/)

- Feast of San Gennaro (Sept. 16th - 26th):
If you have never had a cannoli before, a real Italian cannoli, this is your chance! Little Italy's Feast of San Gennaro is one of New York's oldest and most popular outdoor festivals. Live entertainment and lots of great food reign supreme. Easiest way to find Little Italy is to go to the corner of Mulberry St. and Grant St.

- Concerts at Carnegie Hall (http://www.carnegiehall.org)

- New York Film Festival (Sept. 24th - Oct. 10th)
*http://www.filmlinc.com/nyff/2010/ 

-The Village Halloween Parade:
In NYC for Halloween? The Village Halloween Parade is the nation's largest public Halloween party. It's crazy, crowded, chaotic and you'll probably see some things you'll never want to see again. It is most certainly one of those "must see in your life" things. Costume-up and join the marching bands, giant puppets, and more than 30,000 costumed partiers marching on 6th avenue between 21st St. and Spring St.

-The New York City Comedy Festival (November 3rd - 7th):
This week long celebration of stand-up comedy includes some of the biggest comics in the business. They'll be headlining at venues including Carnegie Hall, The Beacon Theatre, and Town Hall.

-The Famous New York City Marathon

EATING OUT

Tortilla Flats

Vamos a Tortilla Flats!

If you're looking for some incredible Mexican food with a fun atmosphere of tequila, music, authentic decor, and fiesta fiesta fiesta this is the place for you! Located at 767 Washington Street at the intersection with 12th Street, this restaurant is in the heart of the West Village and perfect for dinner parties or even just for a few cocktails. Always lively and lots of fun (check out their events including Bingo, Hula Hooping, and Trivia nights) Tortilla Flats offers the perfect lively atmosphere you're looking for to jump start your night. Be sure to check out the margaritas as they are a must here! Don't forget to look out for celebrities such as Drew Barrymore and Justin Long who often drop by to check out the scene here at this party spot!

Tortilla Flats could get quite busy especially on the weekends so make sure to call your reservation in advance. It also can be pricey for those who are looking to budget so be sure to check out their website so you can see their menu ahead of time. The food is absolutely delicious and comes in huge portions so you must certainly get your money's worth.

Perfecto! Now cha cha your way over to the West Village and get your Tortilla Flats on!

767 Washington Street

New York, NY 10014

(212) 243-1053

http://www.tortillaflatsnyc.com/

Sharaku Sushi & Japanese Restaurant

By far my favorite sushi restaurant in New York, this East Village spot not only has the best sushi but is cheap! For $5 you can basically choose any sushi roll you'd like. My personal favorite is the spicy tuna roll, but hey, that's just me. They also serve a wide variety of other items and have a pretty extensive menu. However, sushi does reign supreme here. If you find yourself in New York and craving some authentic sushi, Sharaku is your place!

Located at:

14 Stuyvesant St. (at 9th Street)

New York, NY 10003

(212) 598-0403

By Subway:

Take the "6" train to the Astor Place stop.

Rice to Riches

A favorite and regular hangout of Michelle and I's, Rice to Riches is for anyone out there who likes/loves/gotta have rice pudding! This amazing little shop located on Spring Street in SoHo serves over 20 flavors of rice pudding ranging from "fluent in french toast" to "coast to coast cheesecake" to "sex, drugs, and rocky road"!

You can ask to sample any flavor you might fancy and there is no limit on sampling! My personal favorite is cookies and cream but I try and taste every flavor I can.

Sizes:

-Solo which is $5

-Epic (Up to 2 Flavors) which is $7.50

-Sumo (serves 5) which is $20

-Moby (serves 10) which is $35

*Also note with the Moby size that they will ship that to anywhere in the country overnight so you can enjoy this delicious little piece of heaven wherever you are! It totally works too, my friend Jeff Gullo has done it before and vouches for it. Now go get some rice pudding!

Location:

37 Spring Street (Between Mott Street and Mulberry Street)

Phone Number:

212-274-008

Website:

www.ricetoriches.com

Ferrara's Cafe & Bakery

Since 1892 Ferrara's Cafe & Bakery has been serving NYC and most specifically Little Italy, it's delicious Italian desserts. With everything from authentic canoli's to gelati to pastries, Ferrara's has something delicious for everyone. Coming from an Italian household growing up I can tell you first hand that Ferrara's is the best, hands down.

Starting from their gelato cart outside the shop and moving inside into their cafe, make sure to walk by their display window and see all the incredible desserts they serve. They do have seating downstairs, but I'd recommend heading to the back and up the stairs to a more quiet seating area on the second floor. Due to its immense popularity, Ferrara's can be quite crowded on most nights. The staff is great though and you will never wait long there.

Ferrara's is a great place to stop by at after a delicious Italian meal in the surrounding Little Italy or a "must stop" if you are simply in the area. If you do eat in Little Italy, DO NOT have dessert where you are eating but be sure to head over to Ferrara's!

check out their website for more information --> http://www.ferraracafe.com

Located at:
195 Grand Street (between Mulberry & Mott St.)
(212) 226-6150

Hours:
Open 7 days a week
Sun-Fri: 8am - Midnight
Sat: 8am - 1am

Nearest subway trains:
J, M, N, R, Q, 6 - Canal Street Station (walk 3-4 blocks east and make a left onto Mulberry Street for 2 blocks and make a right onto Grand Street (walk 4 blocks west)

Heights Bar & Grill

Heading north to the Upper West Side, our next stop is the Heights Bar & Grill located on Broadway and 112th Street right near Columbia University. A favorite stop of Michelle and I's from our days living at 118th and Amsterdam, this place has some of the best Mexican food in the city. The entrance to this place can be a little tricky to find since it is actually located on the 2nd and 3rd floor of the building it occupies. Look for the sign while walking between 111th and 112th street on Broadway and head right in and up the steps. The full bar with t.v.'s usually playing sports is located on the 2nd floor along with some seating. I'd recommend heading up to the roof (ask the host if there is room available) where the atmosphere is relaxed and fun. They also have a bar upstairs so do not be alarmed!

As far as food and drinks go, you MUST have a margarita while you are there. Not only are they some of the best in the city, the price is unreal. During non-happy hour the price for one is $6 and they are HUGE. During happy hour they go down to $4 which is outright dangerous because they are strong so be careful. They have a bunch of different flavors but I usually stick to the original. For food I'd have to recommend the burrito anyway you'd like it. They are big and very very filling!

If you like Margaritas and Mexican food this is the place for you! Not only banging drinks and cheap food but a fun, relaxed atmosphere as well which is great for one on one dining or for a fun night out with a big group.

Address: 2867 Broadway (between 111th Street and 112th Street)

Phone #: (212) 866-7035

**On a fun side note: For any Seinfeld fans out there "Tom's Restaurant" which is used as the front of the coffee shop where the gang usually hangs out is right across the street. The food there is horrible so I wouldn't recommend anything more than a coffee but def. take a look!