NYC for a day?

[Benny Profane]

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I've been to a Christmas concert in that space twice. The music was performed on thirteenth century instruments. The chapel itself is a twelve century small church from Spain that one of the Rockefeller children brought over stone by stone and reconstructed on the spot. Pretty unique thing to experience in America.

[Benny Profane]

Benny's funny...somehow unless you're in a very narrow range of income level (say the 20-23% range), anyone below is scum and anyone above deserves to be put in prison for stealing from the people.

That said,
Its not hard, not far to reach,
you can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach

Ok, wise ass, I suggest you take your next family vacation there. You'll love it. I guess it does have it's advantages. You can probably score some scag in the projects and then shoot up on the beach.

There is an interesting remnant of the forties right in the middle of the island. It's a very Irish neighborhood that the kids in the protects know is off limits to shenanigans, since it's basically all cops and firemen. My ex introduced me to it going to her relatives house every now and then. Very clean and solid place, but, an island on an island. It was in the news right after 911, if you remember, when a jet taking off from JFK lost a tall piece and nosedived straight down into the middle of that neighborhood. Only took a few houses out, believe it or not.

There are a hundred better beaches in the NYC area to visit. Shit, Orchard Beach is more interesting, just for the Robert Moses classic architecture.

[nutmegchoi]

I've been to a Christmas concert in that space twice. The music was performed on thirteenth century instruments. The chapel itself is a twelve century small church from Spain that one of the Rockefeller children brought over stone by stone and reconstructed on the spot. Pretty unique thing to experience in America.

That sounds like an experience!
But how long was the concert??!!
You know, them 13th century Harpsichord can get old real fast. lol

Yeah, I know the whole background story of The Cloisters.
How the numbered each brick and such.
Did you know they even purchased land cross the Hudson not to get developed?

There are a hundred better beaches in the NYC area to visit. Shit, Orchard Beach is more interesting, just for the Robert Moses classic architecture.

I don't know about Orchard Beach.
Too close to The Bronx.

Robert Moses is nice.
If you are willing to travel a little further, Coopers Beach is real nice.

[ex-powderbroker]

The Rockaways are awesome. And I'm not saying that because you were dick in the other cycling thread and now you're posting this thread without doing the bare minimum of research to see that Harlem is part of Manhattan.

If you want to go hang out by the surf beach, read a book, and hit some fairly inexpensive but tasty restaurants, you can do that there. The water is still in the upper 70s and pretty pleasant. The bike paths are decent too without many peds and you make some really nice loops out there. And FT is practically burning man on a nice weekend day. Not joking.

So while the neighborhood isn't for everybody it is pretty unique for a major city to have a hippie/punk surf scene like nyc actually does. And yeah, don't wander down too far east, but it's pretty obvious at this point where it is.

If that sounds interesting I'll send you a pm.

[Benny Profane]

That sounds like an experience!
But how long was the concert??!!
You know, them 13th century Harpsichord can get old real fast. lol

Yeah, I know the whole background story of The Cloisters.
How the numbered each brick and such.
Did you know they even purchased land cross the Hudson not to get developed?



I don't know about Orchard Beach.
Too close to The Bronx.

Robert Moses is nice.
If you are willing to travel a little further, Coopers Beach is real nice.

The concert takes place maybe six times in December on the weekends (?). Check the Web site in I guess October. It's not pop, for sure, but a unique experience. About two hours.


Yeah, the views of the Palisades are great. Practically in the city, but, you wouldn't know it.
There was a long running controversy over that view until recently. Some Asian electronics firm proposed a tall building over there that would stand on the ridge that they finally were, ahem, talked out of. Don't fuck with the Rockefellers.

I didn't suggest Orchard beach for the beach, just for what it is. Moses was a prick in the end, but he built awesome parks for the people. If you want a decent beach nearby, Long Beach or Jones Beach. Jones Beach is a Moses masterpiece.

[Dexter Rutecki]

I was thinking of The Rockaways for some nice mellow beach time, actually more like a beach cruise on a bike. Not looking to wander neighboorhoods. But it seems to be crowded there? Either way, I'm gonna go to harlem.

Dex, thanks for the reccos. There are no Citibikes way up there, which is a bummer. I'm looking for a long cruise, but not a real road bike ride. Not sure if I want to deal with a local rental, it could be quick and easy to rent or a big pain.

Smalls looks good, but I am going to save that for my next trip there at the end of the month. Looking to walk to some music in Harlems, maybe Shrines, I dunno. And restaurants like Red Roosters. Maybe I'll jet to midtown Monday morning if there is not a bunch to do In Harlem or I can't get a bike.

I think you can do a very easy local bike rental, question is do you want to be responsible for renting a bike and (presumably?) leaving it locked up on the street. Again, I don't know much about any bike scene, but gravitylover could probably tell you more than you'd ever need to know (he worked for a long time in a pretty big bike shop here).

Red Rooster is way overrated IME, unfortunately. Same with Sylvia's, although it's obviously historic. There are a few really good restaurants up in Harlem I've been to, but I'd have to ask someone to remind me of the names. Those shots of the Cloisters have me more convinced it would be worth a stop--haven't been for a long, long time and forgot how cool it is (especially the fact that it's in Manhattan but you feel like you're in some ancient monastery in Europe).

If you think you're going to find an uncrowded beach around here on a nice Sunday afternoon...hmmm, I guess that's a good one? Now if you went to a Rockaways beach Monday AM that would be a different story.

There are 10,000 different itineraries for you that could all be great--I'm just really bad at thinking of this stuff when people ask me. On Tuesday morning I'll probably think of a dozen places you should have gone.

[nutmegchoi]

Just realized.
It's gonna be a hot mess downtown on Sunday.
Especially around the memorial.

[Dexter Rutecki]

Why? Big party or something? (Sorry...too soon?)

Gotta laugh sometimes to keep from crying.

[gravitylover]

Belle Harbor is pretty much the best part of the Rockaways. Within 8 or 10 blocks of B116 is where you want to be. I think the A Train ends there so you can get back into the city fairly easily. Unfortunately it's at least a 90 minute ride on the subway from there but the first half is actually kind of pretty. It runs elevated so you have really great beach views then it turns and goes straight through the middle of Jamaica Bay and past JFK then into Bklyn. The surf scene on B116th is pretty hoppin' and a few blocks up it really mellows out, there are some great places to eat there and on B129th and just below too, I think around 110th, but I'm kinda fuzzy on that neighborhood since my grandparents died I haven't spent any time there but there used to be a hardcore Irish pub that all the firemen hung out at. Looking at google earth it looks like Sandy wiped out a lot of the places that I remember. I don't know if anybody rents bikes or even if there's still a bike shop in that neighborhood but check Rogoffs Toy Store on 116th, they used to sell bikes when I was a kid (many eons ago )

[nutmegchoi]

Why? Big party or something? (Sorry...too soon?)

Gotta laugh sometimes to keep from crying.

I hope the day we'll celebrate their lives than mourn their death will come soon enough.

[whitekingsalmon]

I love nyc...
As long as I'm sitting in jfk going somewhere else

.jajaja

[Flea]

NYC=product from the bottom of hell.

[shroom]

I worked with a guy recently that was retired army. he told me on a weekly cadence how terrible NYC was. finally, I asked for the story. he had been there one time.

and that, flea, is when I learned people like different things.

[Dexter Rutecki]

Unfortunately it's at least a 90 minute ride on the subway from there but the first half is actually kind of pretty.

I guess with all the stops it does make sense, but I still can't wrap my head around that (I've done the A from Chelsea to JFK before--long ago). How the hell do they make 10 miles take 90 minutes? And why didn't they make the Airtrain go all the way to...ahh, never mind.

I worked with a guy recently that was retired army. he told me on a weekly cadence how terrible NYC was. finally, I asked for the story. he had been there one time.

and that, flea, is when I learned people like different things.

Yeah, and if you don't at least appreciate NYC it makes you an uncivilized troglodyte. But it's not like you're ever going to be missed, so whatever. Stay in hayseed land.

[FLS]

Stay uptown, Harlem if you like. Walk a few blocks in any direction, you will find a cool spot or spots to hang out. Jump on the subway to your meeting. You will be there in 15 mins. tops.

[gravitylover]

NYC=product from the bottom of hell.

No that's Boston

I guess with all the stops it does make sense, but I still can't wrap my head around that (I've done the A from Chelsea to JFK before--long ago). How the hell do they make 10 miles take 90 minutes? And why didn't they make the Airtrain go all the way to...ahh, never mind.

The speed limit going across the bay is pretty low. All of those bridges are on sand and there are pretty strong currents through there as the tide goes in and out so I don't think they trust the footings. There's also no fast way to go through Bklyn unless you're flying over it.

Yeah, and if you don't at least appreciate NYC it makes you an uncivilized troglodyte. But it's not like you're ever going to be missed, so whatever. Stay in hayseed land.

uncivilized troglodyte = Hahaha

[St. Jerry]

Coming to NYC to visit the Rockaways? Wut do fhuck is wrong witchu?

[iceman]

Go to an irish bar in woodside queens and get hammered. I recommend Donovan's but any of them will do.

[muted]

The Rockaways are awesome. And I'm not saying that because you were dick in the other cycling thread and now you're posting this thread without doing the bare minimum of research to see that Harlem is part of Manhattan.

If you want to go hang out by the surf beach, read a book, and hit some fairly inexpensive but tasty restaurants, you can do that there. The water is still in the upper 70s and pretty pleasant. The bike paths are decent too without many peds and you make some really nice loops out there. And FT is practically burning man on a nice weekend day. Not joking.

So while the neighborhood isn't for everybody it is pretty unique for a major city to have a hippie/punk surf scene like nyc actually does. And yeah, don't wander down too far east, but it's pretty obvious at this point where it is.

If that sounds interesting I'll send you a pm.

Thanks, I'm doing a Harlem trip though, decided on Harlem on Page One.

I was a dick in the bike thread, but I thought I was just a (condescending too) dick to Jamal. As for Harlem, I've always thought it was one of the five boroughs. Oh well.

[muted]

Thanks to all the advice! Very helpful. I'll be in Harlem walking around Sunday night, and then try to rent a bike and do part of Dex's route Monday morning. I might hit The Rockaways for an hour or so after my meeting, but it might be too tight before the flight. And ST Jerry put it pretty succinctly on my Rockaway idea on his last post, ha.

[Benny Profane]

Just realized.
It's gonna be a hot mess downtown on Sunday.
Especially around the memorial.

Yeah, stay away from the lower tip of Manhattan. Although it's turned into a tourist hell trap most nice weekends.

[nutmegchoi]

As for Harlem, I've always thought it was one of the five boroughs. Oh well.

Harlem is in one of the five boroughs.
Borough of Manhattan.
It is very tip of Manhattan.
Where Harlem ends is the beginning of the Bronx.

[ex-powderbroker]

No

[gravitylover]

Washington Heights and several other neighborhoods are above Harlem center and west side, on the east side 125th is the entrance to the Willis Ave bridge with the Bronx right there.

[nutmegchoi]

I keep thinking Washington Heights is the Bronx.
Just because...