New Yorkers on Doing New York

New Yorkers have an opinion on everything. In the hopes of finding some favorite spots and unknown treasures that most tourists miss, we asked some authors, editors and publishing professions for their favorite "don't miss while in New York."

"Okay, so my wife works for this company. But I swear, I'd recommend it even if I didn't happen to share an apartment and shampoo bottles with her. Watson Adventures puts on highbrow, intellectually challenging scavenger hunts around New York City. The weekend of BEA, there's one called Naked at the Metropolitan Museum [1000 Fifth Ave.] wherein you can run around the museum looking for clues among the scandalously disrobed subjects of paintings. I've done it. It's fun. And my wife is nice. Check it out at www.watsonadventures.com." —A.J. Jacobs,Esquireeditor and author ofThe Know-It-All(S&S)
"There's three great views: the terrace at the Stanhope Hotel, overlooking the Metropolitan Museum; Tavern on the Green, outside looking at the topiary garden in Central Park, but... very crowded and touristy; and there's a great ladies' room in Bergdorf's, with a view of the Plaza and Central Park." —Sally Richardson, president and publisher, St. Martin's Press
"I highly recommend Norma's for breakfast, at Le Parker Meridien Hotel [118 W. 57th St.]. There's great people watching, and the best breakfast in New York City. And if you stay at the hotel, they have a burger bar for those late-night cravings." —Joanna Pulcini, Joanna Pulcini Literary Management
"Go to thetheater. Whether Broadway, off-Broadway, Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music or La MaMa, etc., it's the one thing you can't do anywhere else quite the same way you can here." —Julie Just, deputy editor, theNew York Times Book Review
"The cheese blintzes at the Edison Cafe [228 W. 47th St.] have not yet been declared a national treasure, but it's only a matter of time before someone at the Kennedy Center bestows a national arts award upon the operators of this New York institution, known as "The Polish Tea Room" for its spirited service to the Broadway community. August Wilson has been known to write there. Producers take phone calls from a roped-off section where you will never be allowed to sit." —Jonathan Karp, senior v-p/editor-in-chief, Random House
"Visit the West Bank Café [407 W. 42nd St.]. It's where my career as a comic began, and for over 25 years it has been a mainstay of Hell's Kitchen. More importantly, Steve Olsen, the proprietor, has created one of the most comfortable places in the city to hang out in, with terrific food and a wine list that has been critically acclaimed. It is a home to many notable theatrical artists and yet it is not a "scene." I sleep in my apartment, but I live at the West Bank." —Lewis Black,Nothing's Sacred(Simon Spotlight)
"After you've visited the world famous Oscar Wilde Bookshop, have dinner at Lips [2 Bank St.], a drag restaurant in the Village. It's really fun and really queer. Make sure you order your drinks from bartender Frankie Cocktail, who dresses as Dolly Parton with a wig that almost touches the ceiling." —Kim Brinster, manager,Oscar Wilde Bookshop
"Chumley's, at 86 Bedford St. in the West Village. It is unmarked on the outside, as it was formerly a speakeasy during Prohibition. It was a big writers' hangout and the book jackets of many famous people line the walls. Good for both food and drink. Also, the White Horse Tavern on Hudson St., just a few blocks away, where Dylan Thomas drank his daily pint and where he walked out the front door and dropped dead of a heart attack." —Seale Ballenger, director of publicity, Harper Entertainment
"Make your way to the The Half King [505 W. 23 St.], Sebastian Junger's literary hangout in Chelsea. The kitchen—unlike most Irish pubs—is first-rate, and real writers actually hang out here. And while Sebastian gets all the press, true insiders know that co-owner Scott Anderson is the real heartthrob." —Pamela Clarke Keogh,Elvis Presley(Atria)
"Son Cubano [405 W. 14th St.] in the meat-packing district has Cuban tapas, really great mojitos and sangria, and live music." —Christine Duplessis, marketing manager, Simon & Schuster
"Spice Market [403 W. 13th St.]: make your reservation early. The scene is very New York in this hip eatery that offers delicious Asian fare. It's also a great place for drinks at the bar downstairs, where you can share a few of the dishes with friends." —Ron Longe, publicity director, Stewart, Tabori & Chang
"I like Hudson Bar & Books [636 Hudson St.] in the West Village... and not just because I live around the corner. The place feels like an old library and they serve great martinis. Also on Hudson, there's MaMa Buddha—my favorite Chinese restaurant. A few steps away on Bleecker is Magnolia Bakery, where you can get the city's best cupcakes." —John Searles,Boy Still Missing(Morrow)
"Up a flight of stairs from the crowds and ringing cash registers of SoHo is artist Walter de Maria's quiet, free-of-charge New York Earth Room [141 Wooster St.], a white loft filled with 280,000 pounds of the darkest brown soil. There's something weirdly rejuvenating about looking at a room full of dirt smack dab in the middle of New York City. Smells nice, too."—Sarah Vowell,Assassination Vacation(S&S)
"Katz's Deli [205 E. Houston St.], because it has both the most diverse clientele and the best pastrami on earth. Only in New York, folks, only in New York." —Arthur Schwartz,Arthur Schwartz's New York City Food(Stewart, Tabori & Chang)
"As a Brit who has lived in New York for just over seven years, my favorite thing and the thing that I always do with guests is walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. There is also the Jacque Torres Chocolate Shop, with the best hot chocolate in DUMBO [Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass], and a beautiful park between the two bridges—Manhattan and Brooklyn—which is really special and there is an excellent view." —Lisa Gallagher, senior v-p/ publisher, HarperEntertainment
"Boca Chica [13 1st Ave.] has totally killer margaritas, perfect for June, and great South American food that's cheap as well. My choice is certainly the coconut-coated shrimp." —Bryan Christian, marketing manager, Simon & Schuster
"If rare manuscripts and secret stairways make your heart race, check out the Pierpont Morgan Library [29 E. 36th St.] in lower midtown." —Leslie Silbert,The Intelligencer(Atria)
"I highly recommend choosing a restaurant or bar with outdoor seating. Among my favorites: Luna Park in Union Square, Bryant Park Hotel on 40th St., Hotel Gansevoort with the roof open, and any itsy-bitsy restaurant in either the East or West Village." —Orly Sigal, marketing coordinator, Atria
"Where do I begin? I love clothing at Escada or Bergdorf's, jewelry at Tiffany or Bucciari or Kenny Lane, handbags at Suarez or Bottega, luggage at T.Anthony, antiques at James II or Burke's or Linda Horn, cashmere at Malo, shoes at Tod's. And, most importantly, pens and writing materials at Mont Blanc." —Linda Fairstein,Entombed(Scribner)
"If you really want an elegant—don't wear sneakers or sweatshirt—New York experience, have a drink at the bar of the Pierre Hotel [Fifth Ave. at 61st St.] between 8 p.m. and midnight, when the superb Kathleen Landis plays lush piano. She has performed at Carnegie Hall and sings the great standards—Gershwin is her favorite. Drinks are expensive but there's no cover or minimum" —Otto Penzler, Mysterious Bookshop
"Visiting the Frick Museum [1 E. 70th St.] is about my favorite thing to do in New York. All the art was collected at the turn of the century and it was all designed to be really pleasing to the eye— lovely landscapes, portraits, some Renaissance paintings and two Vermeers—all housed in what was a beautiful private home." —Jeannette Watson, Lenox Hill Bookstore
"I recommend a walk around the Central Park Reservoir, followed by mint chocolate chip gelato at Ciao Bella on E. 92nd St." —Gillian Blake, exec. editor, Bloomsbury USAReturn to the BEA 2005 Preview Main Page