Tips and advices in New York City

Quick access to the chapters

      A good guide book
      Web Site
      Nice sea side
      Internet connection
      The cloister
      Boat trip and Statue of Liberty
      Eating out
      For the photographers
      Clubbing & Concerts
      Recommandations
      Buying electronics

A good guide book

New York City Time Out (it's updated every year, and things move so quickly that you'd better buy the most recent one).
When in New York City, buy the Time Out magazine at newspaper shops to get the listing of the week activities: concerts, expositions .... as well as reviews of the latest restaurants, bars and night-clubs !

Web Site

www.entrenewyork.com site of French people living in New York City. Tips and adives, social gatherings, ...

Nice sea side

South Street Port: I found it nice although it's really commercial (plenty of restaurants and shops). But you can admire the view and eat or drink outside next to the water with a view on the bay and the Brooklyn bridge.
Do not miss the limonade street seller, just next to the street after the fish market: really good limonade. Tell him that they're good (with a french accent) and he'll make you a discount on the secound one (well that worked for me anyway) !

Internet connection

Downtown park with the wireless internet connection.

The cloister

Quite unusual (for more info, read my report about NYC).

Boat trip and Statue of Liberty

The cheapest of all, is the ferry trip to Staten Island ! It's free and it goes by the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and it's quite cool ... even romantic at night !
WATCH OUT
Due to terrorist threats it's not possible (in July 2003) to get into the Statue of Liberty.

Eating out

Avoid the classic restaurants i.e. chains, go for your guide book advices or as you go along in the little sandwich shops or the streets sellers (good kebabs at the south east entrance of Battery Park - other side of the street not far from the subway).
South of France special: Aix
2398 broadway ny 10024 (@ 88th)
Expensive and smart ... but good !
AOC, L'Aile Ou la Cuisse
Another special address (not in Time Out ... yet):
314 Bleecker St. Tel: 212.675.9463
A French restaurant with nice food, nice wine, not too expensive ... and a nice little garden at the back: isn't it nice ! ;-)

For the photographers

Shops
A shop you have to visit: www.bhphoto.com
420 9th Avenue between the 33rd et 34rd street
It's huge, they've got every thing (photo and video), and usually they know their stuff. It's managed mainly by jewish people hence strange opening times.
Taking pics

Clubbing & Concerts

Best to have a look at Time Out to see what's going on ... but I had a good time at the Culture Club with all their bachelorette party (hen night). Check out www.birdybp.com.
Also the Knitting Factory has got some nice concerts.

Recommandations

I have been told (but I didn't have time to do):

Buying electronics

Datavision
445 5th Avenue, NY, NY 10016 @ 39th st.
Web site: www.datavis.com
J&R
I would not recommend J&R as they're too busy and don't know much.
But they're good for music and DVD.
PDA
Other wellknown shops for PDA: For everything ... or nearly: Radioshack .