Bagels, what is it??

Ok, I%26#39;ve been long enough on this site now, so I%26#39;m gonna ask right now: ... what the hell is a bagel? I don%26#39;t even know what it looks like?!

What it tasts like? Can anyone send me a picture of it? Or give me some web-link to a picture(s) of bagels?

Thx!

Bagels, what is it??

www.hhbagels.com

Click onto ';history'; for your lesson!

A New York food staple (and the rest of the USA now, but not nearly as good, no offense).

Bagels, what is it??

Bagels are shaped like donuts. While I don%26#39;t know the entire process for making them, I can say that they are first boiled, then baked. Can%26#39;t quite describe the taste but they are a bit on the chewy side. You can get different types, plain, garlic, onion, salt, blueberry, sesame seed, poppy seed---to name a few. I like my bagels with lox and cream cheese. However, there are so many other toppings that you can put on them, I would be hard pressed to name them all! Many people eat them for breakfast but you can eat them any time of the day. Some bagel places close in the early evening since they are mainly associated with breakfast.

As the previous poster mentioned, H%26amp;H Bagels is a good place to buy bagels. Just note that it is strictly take out--they only sell bagels, no toppings, no place to sit. Another place to go is Ess-a-Bagel (51st %26amp; 3rd Ave.). They do put toppings on their bagels and have a place to sit and eat them. You should try a bagel at least once. NYC has some of the best bagels around. None of the ones I buy where I live can compare!

I find bluberry, raisin and the like to be sacreligious!!! I love a toasted ';everything'; bagel though.

There%26#39;s another ';chainlet'; of shops called Tal Bagels that are excellent too.

I love Ess-a-Bagel! They give you so much cream cheese and you can get so many different types. And it was inexpensive too. I recommend going there.

IMHO bagels are just the best nosh there is, and NY bagels rule!

But find a ';bagel store'; not from a deli, or bakery (AU Bon Pain) for example. Be sure that they bake the bagels where you buy them. Some places have them delivered and they are not the same. Get em hot early in the morning with loads of butter. UUUMMMMM as it drips down your arm, with some coffee and the NY Post. Life is good..

blemishes

faults next to targus mini mouse

Looking for Greek near New Amsterdam Theater

Are there any good Greek restaurants within walking distance of the New Amsterdam Theater?

Thanks,

Nina

Looking for Greek near New Amsterdam Theater

Try Uncle Nicks, 9th Avenue @50th St ( not too far). Fun place with good food.

Check it out on www.menupages.com.

Looking for Greek near New Amsterdam Theater

I%26#39;ve never been to Uncle Nick%26#39;s, but I adore Green cuisine. Here are a few recommendations:

Kyma, on 46th St. at 8th Ave., might satisfy your craving. It%26#39;s good but not great, and only a few blocks away.

Milos Estiatorio, on 55th bet. 6th-7th Aves. (www.milos.ca) might be about a 15-minute walk, but is worth it! Extraordinary, but expensive.

Molyvos, on 7th Ave. bet. 55th-56th Sts., is another winner. (www.molyvos.com)

Periyali is an incredible, upscale, sophisticated Greek restaurant in the Flatiron District. For me, it%26#39;s worth the 10-minute taxi ride. (www.periyali.com)

Thanks for those recommendations, Bettina, always looking for good Greek places...will add to my list.

I am greek, my last name is Staros (was Stavros) Anyway enough with the history of my name.

I visited NYC a few years back for 2 days and the one Greek place I ate was Molyvos and it was the best Greek food I have ever had. Not home made good, but close.

Distance from China Town - Bus Terminal to Times Square.

What is the best way to get to the Hotel W Times Square from the Bus Terminal?

Thanks. I will be arriving March 11th.

Distance from China Town - Bus Terminal to Times Square.

The W hotel is on Broadway %26amp; 47th. The bus terminal is on 8th and 42nd. You can walk it in about 10 minutes.

Distance from China Town - Bus Terminal to Times Square.

If you%26#39;re taking one of the Chinatown busses, as opposed to Greyhound or something like that . . . . .

From Canal St. take the 6 to Grand Central then the S to Times Square. Or the 2/3 to Times Square or the A/C/E to Times Square or the N/R/Q/W to Times Square. Depends where on Canal St. you are (Canal St. is the main drag of Chinatown.)

What address does the bus you%26#39;ve chosen give as their stop in Manhattan? I have taken the Chinatown buses several times, and each time we have stopped in different places. Twice we have stopped on 34th across from Macy%26#39;s. A few times it has been West Broadway, other times Canal. We have stopped in several different places within Chinatown even- near different subway lines.

The Gates and MOMA

I am trying to squeeze in an overnight trip Saturday to NYC to catch The Gates and see MOMA. I will be taking my two kids-6 and 8. Staying in Jersey City where a van will drop us in Times Square. I want to minimize walking- last trip I made a tiny metro boo boo that added 10 blocks to our walk- the kids were not amused! If I get to Time Square at 2ish, should we walk or taxi to the park first to see the Gates in the warmest part of the day? Is the CPZoo worth visiting in the winter? Balto is a must, but anyother must see kids items in the park? Any family friendly restaurants to visit in the area? My kids are very well behaved, but have no appreciation of $40 a plate cuisine!

I appreciate any help! Colleen

The Gates and MOMA

Hi,

One small piece of advise...

Don%26#39;t call the subway, the ';metro';.

No one will know what you are talking about.

In NYC, it is either ';take the subway'; or ';take a train';.

Never ';the metro'; !

Sounds like Wash DC talk to me!

:-)

The Gates and MOMA

centralparknyc.org/virtualpark/southend/balto

That%26#39;s the info page on Balto from the official Central Park web site. It%26#39;ll help you locate him in the park. If you go to the site%26#39;s home page, you%26#39;ll find a link for things to do with kids. Lots of info there. Don%26#39;t forget the carousel ride, and ice skating at Wollman Rink.

If you guys don%26#39;t like walking much, you might want to take a taxi from 42nd to 59th, where the park begins. Or by subway, it%26#39;s only two stations away. You can also take any bus that runs up 8th Ave., they all go past Columbus Circle, the SW corner.

Times Square is 45 %26amp; Broadway. MOMA is 53 b/w 5th-6th. The park starts at 59 st. Here%26#39;s a map of the park and the gates

nymetro.com/nymetro/鈥ndex.html

I would take a cab to the park at Columbus Circle and enter the park there. I think the zoo is worthwhile if for nothing more than the polar bears.

For places to eat, I%26#39;d exit the park in the west 70s or 80s and find something on Columbus Ave. Any of the rest. in this area are family friendly. Isabella%26#39;s on Columbus %26amp; 77 st. is good and family friendly but very popular. There%26#39;s also a Pizzeria Uno at Columbus %26amp; 81 st.

Alice%26#39;s Tea Cup on 73 b/w Columbus %26amp; Amsterdam is another good place to eat with kids.

Make up in Macy's (etiquette)

I am in New York for my birthday - next Friday!!!

I would like to have my make-up done at Macys%26#39;

Can someone advise what the etiquette is for make overs

do you pay for them?

do you give a tip?

do you have to pay an abundence of products?

can someone recommend which counter is good - I wear clinique products at present - but I%26#39;m not exclusive???!!!!!

Make up in Macy's (etiquette)

We were in New York last week my daughter had her make up done on the Chanel counter in Macys, she just went up and asked, she bought some make up after she had it done, but she was going to buy some anyway. I would try [Serophena not sure if that is spelt right], they are cheaper than Macys and Bloomingdales.

Make up in Macy's (etiquette)

Sephora is the store you are thinking of. They wouldn%26#39;t be cheaper than the dept stores cause they sale everything at its retail price. (Either place is good for a makeover) Basically if someone does your make-up you should at least buy some products from them, so go to a counter that has things you would consider trying.

There is no regular ';etiquette'; for all counters at all stores. Some brands expect you to buy a certain amount of product after the makeup application, others charge, others will do it for free and hope to sell you something. You just have to ask. I have never tipped a makeup artist and as I said, they should tell you upfront what the ';deal'; is.

Sometimes there may be a special promotion going on at a certain store on certain brands. I just checked the Clinique website and you will miss their special event. It is going on now at Bloomingdales and ends on Monday. There%26#39;s one at Macys starting March 13. Here%26#39;s the web page

clinique.ca/templates/鈥?/a>

If you%26#39;ve picked Macys because of their foreigner%26#39;s discount, I%26#39;ll alert you that the make up counters in all dept stores afre franchised meaning they%26#39;re owned and run by the makeup cos., not Macy%26#39;s so not sure that discount will be accepted for makeup, but maybe.

I use a lot of Bobbi Brown and I think they have a set price (unless there%26#39;s a special promotion) for an application or a lesson. Looking on their website, Bobbi Brown herself will be at Saks next Sat. If you wanted to try this, you%26#39;d probably need an appt.

bobbibrowncosmetics.com/templates/door/store鈥?/a>

Bergdorf Goodman has a huge makeup dept too in their basement with lots of brands you won%26#39;t find elsewhere. I%26#39;d just be careful to pick something you will be able to get again if you like it. Saks and Henri Bendel are other dept stores with good depts.

Thank you very much for your advice, the reason I had thought about Macy%26#39;s is because I am staying very close by.

But I guess somewhere like Sephora has more choice!

Thanks again - I am getting so excited now - although my 7th time to NYC, the excitement never fades

Myself and two friends had our makeup done in January on the Clarins counter at Bloomingdales.

We were all really pleased with our look. My friends both spent well over $250 each but I was determined not to spend as much and just bought an exfoliator for $31. I may have been a little sensitive but I did feel that they were a little stroppy with me when I wouldnt buy any more, but I was really coerced into having it done so stuck to my guns.

Enjoy yourself.

I%26#39;m not sure Sephora does have more choice than Macy%26#39;s. In fact it may be the opposite and at Macy%26#39;s each counter has it%26#39;s own makeup artists whereas I think at Sephora, there are just a few for all the brands. But the Sephora website does say there are free makeup consultations. There%26#39;s one near Macy%26#39;s

www.sephora.com/help/stores/controller.jhtml鈥?/a>

Welcome back Nywhiz missed your reports

Hi Waterford. Thanks for the kind words.

I was just reading through some other post on makeup

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k72261-L鈥?/a>

and was reminded that people had reported great prices on Clinique at duty free at JFK. So while that won%26#39;t solve your makeover issue, maybe don%26#39;t buy everything you need of Clinique as it may be cheaper at the airport when you leave. ;)

Have just returned from nyc and spent a great hour in Macy%26#39;s having my make up done at the Clarins counter - Joan did the skincare and Chrissie did the makeup. I use Clarins anyway so was going to buy some stuff.

They were really fun, made me feel and look about ten years younger and offered to do the same thing again the next day as I had a big concert at the Lincoln Center.

They had a whole lot of stuff ready for me to buy but I just stuck to what I had come in for and that was fine.

Nearly waited to buy duty free on the way home - we flew out of Newark - thank goodness I didn%26#39;t wait as their duty free shopping is non existent!

Where to have dinner????

Hi there

Myself and my mum are off to NYC in 3 weeks time for 6 nights. We have booked 3 shows and were wondering what the best places to have dinner (near theatre) , and whether to go before or after show.

Heres where and when the shows are on:

The Producers

Wednesday, March 16 at 8:00 PM

St. James Theatre

246 West 44th Street

Riverdance

Thursday March 17, 8:00 pm

Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY

- we were thinking about eating at the rock centre cafe, whats it like? Also I found a site: www.restaurantassociates.com/corp/default.asp that offered a 50 dollar birthday voucher when you spend 50 dollars. The rock centre cafe was included in this offer. My question is has anybody used this voucher and if so do you need to prove its your birthday with ID. Its my mums birthday on 28th but I said it was the 20th so we would get the voucher in time - will this be ok???

Chicago

Sunday, March 20 at 7:00 PM

Ambassador Theatre

215 West 49th street

Thanks a million for all your help and advice so far

Niamh

Where to have dinner????

I do think you have to prove it%26#39;s your b%26#39;day with a driver%26#39;s license etc. and I think it can be within the week or two, no? The Sea Grill is another option and is a better rest. than the Rock Center Cafe. Whether to eat before or after is your personal preference. Many NYers prefer eating after so there%26#39;s no rush. You%26#39;re also more likely to see celebs after if that matters.

Joe Allen%26#39;s is a popular casual American rest. with good food, good atmosphere and not too expensive. Go after the show and you%26#39;re likely to see celebs. On the same street (known as restaurant row) is Lattanzi, Orso and Becco--all good Italians.

Depending on how long you%26#39;re in NY, I do urge you to get out of the theater district for dining. So if it%26#39;s a short trip, have at least a meal or 2 downtown.

Where to have dinner????

Thanks Nywhiz

we are staying for 6 nights - so we will get a chance to eat downtown and we are also staying on the UWS so I%26#39;m sure we%26#39;ll sample whats to offer in that area also.

Thanks for the great advice

(I%26#39;m SOOO excited to see Whiz back.... you%26#39;ve been missed, and talked about!)

THE PRODUCERS

You%26#39;re near Restaurant Row, so any of those are convenient. You will need a reservation wherever you go though. Joe Allen%26#39;s and Orso are the toughest to get into (by the way, they%26#39;re both owned by Joe Allen though the restaurants couldn%26#39;t be more different from each other). For the enormously popular Joe Allen, you even need a reservation for apres-theater dining.

www.joeallenrestaurant.com

www.orsorestaurant.com

The best pizza in the city is right next door to the St. James Theater -- John%26#39;s Pizzeria, in a converted church. You can usually get a table here even without a reservation.

The best barbecue in the city is also on W. 44th, just the other side of Times Square -- Virgil%26#39;s BBQ. It%26#39;s a big family-style place with scrumptious food.

www.virgilsbbq.com

A few blocks away are a few additional excellent choices -- the two bistros -- Le Madeleine (www.lemadeleine.com) and Marseille (www.marseillenyc.com) are very good (I prefer Le Madeleine), as is the Italian seafooder, Esca. All three are on 43rd St. just off 9th Avenue.

RIVERDANCE

I prefer Rock Center Cafe over the Sea Grill. They%26#39;re both touristy and both overlook the skating rink, so the view%26#39;s great. Rock Center Cafe is casual, with good burgers. The Sea Grill, even with the $50 coupon, is too expensive for too little food. You shouldn%26#39;t spend $100 and be hungry an hour later!

For expensive seafood, I much prefer Joseph Citarella%26#39;s, on 6th Ave. at 49th St. (www.josephcitarella.com)

There%26#39;s a moderately priced seafood place across the street, City Lobster. Avoid this place at all costs -- they give new meaning to the word mediocre.

On W. 50th St. between 6th-7th Aves. is Osteria Stella, a big noisy Italian restaurant that%26#39;s good.

(www.osteria-stella.com)

CHICAGO

In addition to the Restaurant Row choices and the ones just mentioned above, you might like Ruby Foo%26#39;s, on 49th %26amp; Broadway, a pan-Asian restaurant. It%26#39;s a bit on the glitzy side, and some feel it%26#39;s too touristy, but it must be popular for a reason and it%26#39;s always crowded.

(www.brguestrestaurants.com)

I like Vice Versa, an ';adult'; Northern Italian restaurant on W. 52nd. It has a subdued atmosphere and comfortable, well-spaced seating (unusual in NY). Next door to that is the less expensive casual Italian, Maria Pia. (www.mariapianyc.com)

Have a fabulous time, and bon appetit!

Thanks Bettina ;) Talked about?? Oh my.

You can Call Joe Allen%26#39;s excatley one week in advance of when you want to go and they%26#39;ll take your reservation...we had no trouble getting a reservation when we called last week.

Have fun!

asp hosting

Free guide and other tips for cheapskates

My girlfriend and I like to broaden our horizon by visiting a different city every year. After Paris, Barcelona and Dublin, we锟斤拷锟絩e ready to take on New York City. I锟斤拷锟絭e been there once before, accompanying my husband on a business trip, and I had no problems in convincing my friend that we should really go to New York for our next trip! Just 9 weeks till we leave and we锟斤拷锟絩e already having a great time, thanks to this forum! Being Dutch, we锟斤拷锟絩e real cheapskates, of course. On the other hand, we锟斤拷锟絩e (just a little) past the age for hostels and fast food chains. Basically, we锟斤拷锟絩e trying to get the most out of our trip best-value-for-money-style, without counting every dollarcent we spend.

For a start, we锟斤拷锟絭e booked the much recommended Belvedere hotel. Arriving at JFK, we锟斤拷锟絣l take the Airtrain and subway into Manhattan. We锟斤拷锟絩e thinking of buying a 7-day Fun Pass for unlimited use of subways and buses rightaway. Normally we walk a lot during our trips, but we don锟斤拷锟絫 want to waste time trekking through uninteresting neighbourhoods (are there any in NYC??) to get to where we want to be....

A starting tip for fellow cheapskates: you can get a nice guide for FREE from www.nycvisit.com. Mine was mailed to me here in the Netherlands, I got it within a week! The guide contains subway and bus maps, lists of hotels, restaurants, museums and sights, and even a couple of coupons ; ).

I also like www.cheaponewyork.com, a site recommended on this forum. I think getting something to eat from a street cart is as much a New York experience as having dinner in a nice restaurant, and cheapo锟斤拷锟絪 pages on street eats are great!

I锟斤拷锟絣l be back with the rest of our plans, which will of course include the Staten Island Ferry, Central Park and Brooklyn Bridge. Other cheapskate tips are very welcome!

Free guide and other tips for cheapskates

I just browsed through a terrific paperback in Barnes %26amp; Noble, called ';The Cheap B*stard%26#39;s Guide to NYC'; (naturally, I was too cheap to actually buy the thing). You can probably order it online through B%26amp;N or Amazon.

Free guide and other tips for cheapskates

nymetro.com/urban/鈥ndex.htm

If you like to walk maybe hold of on the city pass for the subway until you actually get into Manhattan and realise that everything is an awful lot closer than it sounds. You will have a fantastic trip and enjoy it.

A friend of mine gave me ';The Cheap B*astard%26#39;s Guide to NYC';. It does have some great suggestions. Maybe you can find it discounted on half.com.

NYC is entertainment in itself. I could sit in a coffee shop or at sidewalk table for hours and be amused. People watching is at it%26#39;s best in NYC. A day spent in Central Park or just browsing shops in one my favorite neighborhoods is a day well-spent in my opinion. You don%26#39;t have to spend a lot of money to have a good time there!

Great site, nywhiz! That%26#39;ll keep me busy for a few days.

Bettina NYC, I%26#39;ll buy the Cheap B*stard%26#39;s Guide and then sell it to you at half price at the end of my stay! (Just kidding..)

blemishes