A Day and Night in New York City

Description:

Situated along Manhattan's Upper West Side, The Lucerne Hotel grants tourists an easy commute to attractions such as The American Museum of Natural History, Times Square and Central Park. Visitors appreciated the hotel's on-site fitness center, state-of-the-art spa, free hotel-wide Wi-Fi and 24-hour room service. Guestrooms come equipped with flat screen televisions, marble-countered bathrooms, Gilchrist & Soames toiletries and coffeemakers, fully stocked with Wolfgang Puck Coffee products. Sole complaints concerned cramped guestrooms, although return visitors suggested booking corner units, as they are slightly more spacious.

Description:

Located on the ground floor of the Lucerno Hotel, Nice Matin is named after the largest daily newspaper in the South of France. It offers French and Mediterranean cuisine in an ambience of casual elegance. The menu is diverse; there's everything, from vegetables stuffed with braised beef to Roast Codfish and Pissaladiere. You can never go wrong with the Monday Night special - Aioli Montre. Infact, go ahead, try anything! All dishes are superb and very well-presented.

Description:

Cuban comfort food has arrived on the Upper West Side, to the delight of local residents. This bright, sociable spot serves simple fare like Seafood and Rice Soup and Arroz Con Pollo to a lively, eclectic crowd. The cafe is popular and not very big, so you will probably have to wait if you go at peak dining hours. The namesake Café Con Leche is delicious.

Our Local Expert Says:

For just a few of the many diversions available in the park, check out some advanced roller blading skills at "The Hill" west of Sheep's Meadow, or have a drink/meal at the Boathouse, near 74th Street on the east side of Rowboat Lake and open all summer.

Description:

The idea for Central Park was born in 1858, which a competition was held to choose a design for what would be the first public park built in America. The winners were Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, whose Greensward plan proposed an entirely man-made park that would be intended only for public use, as a refuge from the relentless rhythms of New York City's already overcrowded streets. It took more than 15 years and $14 million (the equivalent of about $200 million today) to build the Park, with its 843 acres and six-mile perimeter extending from Central Park West to Fifth Avenue and from 59th Street to 110th Street. Those 843 acres include 136 acres of woodlands, 250 acres of lawns, and 7 different bodies of water totaling some 150 acres.

Starting in 1980, a public-private partnership between New York City and the Central Park Conservancy restored and preserved Central Park, and attendance has only been rising in recent years. Now, more than 25 million visitors per year stroll its 58 miles of pedestrian paths, go horseback riding on 4.5 miles of bridle paths, bike or jog on its 6.5 miles of winding roads, or simply relax on the grass or on the nearly 9,000 benches provided.... read more

Our Local Expert Says:

The Costume Institute, a curatorial department of the Met, does not have a permanent installation but hosts two special exhibitions each year featuring items from its vast collection. Past events dedicated to star designers like Chanel and Versace have drawn huge crowds.

Description:

Don't expect to fully take in all that this enormous museum has to offer in one visit. With the finest collection of American art in the world, a collection of more than 3,000 European paintings, an expansive array of art from ancient Egypt, and recently renovated halls of Greek, Roman, Cypriot, and Asian art, there is a reason the Metropolitan Museum is considered the foremost symbol of arts and culture in a city chock-full of arts and culture. Often referred to simply as "The Met", the museum is located on Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, on the eastern edge of Central Park and at the center of the so-called "Museum Mile".

First opened in 1872, the Met has been significantly expanded over the years, and its permanent collection now contains more than two million works of art, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. In addition to its giant holdings of American, European, Egyptian, African, Asian, Oceanic, Byzantine, and Islamic art, the museum is also home to encyclopedic collections of musical instruments, costumes and accessories, and antique weapons and armor from around the world. A number of notable interiors, ranging from 1st century Rome through modern American design,... read more

Our Local Expert Says:

Seriously delicious pizza in a newly expanded space, though the bigger Lombardi's has definitely lost a little of its gritty charm from the old days. The pizza is still great, though—a contender for the best in the city.

Description:

Established in 1905, Lombardi's stakes its claim as America's oldest fully-functioning pizzeria. Its influence stretches into every corner of the New York pizza establishment, as Gennaro Lombardi taught pizza-making to the founders of several other New York pizza institutions: John Sasso of John's, Patsy Lancieri of Patsy's, and Anthony Pero of Totonno's. Today, the restaurant is often overcrowded with tourists and faithful waiting to sample the classic brick-oven pizza served with a huge selection of fresh toppings. Prepare for a wait on weekends, and dining in the backyard garden (weather permitting) is more pleasant than the crowded indoor area. In the heated battles over New York's best slice, Lombardi's has its passionate defenders, many of whom cite the pizza with fresh chopped clams as one of the more memorable options.

Our Local Expert Says:

A chic, bustling Parisian bistro in the heart of Soho, Balthazar is perennially one of New York's top dining destinations.

Description:

When it is this difficult to get a table, you know something has to be special about Balthazar. A recreation of a French brasserie, it is bold, loud and exciting. The space is dominated by red leather banquettes, and retro mirrors add to the room's spaciousness. The restaurant is the creation of Keith McNally, who also owns Pastis in the Meatpacking District. Balthazar serves such excellent dishes as rillettes of rabbit with marinated mushrooms. So grab a table (if you can find one).

Description:

This Greenwich Village park is popular with students and residents. It is one of the few green spots in the area. At the northern end of the park is a triumphal arch, built in 1789 to honor George Washington, the late President of the United States. The area was home to artists and writers, including Henry James, Edith Wharton and Edward Hopper; many lived in the still intact row houses across from the northern end of the park. Other parts of the park are surrounded by the campus of New York University.

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When New York University was founded in 1831, most higher education in the United States focused on such classical studies as Latin and Greek. NYU was determined to concentrate on more practical studies, and today over 30,000 students from all over the world get degrees in medicine, dentistry, business, law, education, social work and many other areas. This is much more than just an urban commuter college, and cultural events and lectures are readily available and usually open to the public.

Our Local Expert Says:

Natives may avoid Times Square whenever possible, but its neon lights and cast of weird characters (including the Naked Cowboy) make it a must-see for the first-time visitor.

Description:

Located at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Street, its glittering lights and neon signs make Times Square one of the most iconic sights of New York City. Formerly the property of fur trading and real estate tycoon John Jacob Astor, the square got its name in the early 1900s when the New York Times moved into a new skyscraper on 42nd Street. After new subways brought thousands of commuters to 42nd Street, the city's theaters moved up from the Bowery and lower Broadway, and the area is now the center of New York's bustling theater district.

In the decades after the Great Depression, Times Square became known as a dangerous neighborhood and a symbol of the city's decline and corruption from the 1960s to the 1990s. After a long-term development plan and a comprehensive crackdown on crime by the city government, the infamous center of pickpockets and porno theaters has been thoroughly reinvented and filled with more upscale and tourist-friendly attractions, hotels, vendors, and street performers.

Description:

Named after London's famed St James Theater, this Broadway theater has been home to many classics like 'The King and I' starring Yul Brynner and "Hello Dolly'. With a capacity to seat more than 1600 people, this venue has had a tumultuous history and has seen a change of ownership many a times. But this has not had any effect on the quality of productions it stages. Mel Brooks' The Producers has been playing at this theatre to full houses.

Our Local Expert Says:

Most critics agree this is the best dining experience Times Square has to offer, with standout sushi and other seafood offerings served in a large, sleek two-level space.

Description:

You'll probably feel silly for not going to this gem in Times Square before... it is that good. Traditional American recipes and seafood delicacies will keep your tummies busy, while the décor soothes the eyes. The abstract fish sculpture, the large white staircase, plush seating and spacious interiors all contribute to a calm eating space. The place is popular so somehow the 400-seat restaurant never looks too empty. Bring along some friends and discover why critics rate it as one of the best eateries in the city.