NY in Jan-HELP for a So CA native :)

[crucero-amante]

Of course walking isn't bad. It's wonderful!!:)

 

Thanks for the webcam. How cool! Funny but yesterday was so warm, some people were in tee shirts and as you can see, today, it's down jackets w/ hoods.

 

I've got a silly question. Why do tourists like Times Square? I mean what makes it enjoyable? To me, it's just a crowded place I often have to walk through to get to where I'm going. It's got "tourist trap" restaurants that you can probably find in your local mall and some big stores, like Sephora (which I think have nicer shops in Soho and the east side). Unless you're going to the theatre, why would anyone want to go there?

 

Thanks,

Jane

 

Jane, we never eat or shop while hanging out in TS (which is probably 15 minutes) and the main attraction for us is people watching. We love to see the difference between New Yorkers and tourists. When my husband and I go to NYC we aren't normal tourists we tend to do un tourists things. Before we go we search out restaurants that locals go to and find cool shops in the different neighborhoods. One time we did the Empire State building and regret the waste of time and having to be around all the DT's. I agree that walking through groups of tourists is a big pain in the b*tt, it's like "hello wake up and figure out where you are and get moving" I do enjoy seeing the marquis for the different shows. I also want to say we don't always go to TS but if we are with others that haven't seen it we usually feel it's something to see at least once. Since most cities have nothing like it. You would never catch me at any of the TV studios, morning shows or TS for New Years Eve. One more thing if "things to do" are touristy we don't do them. We pride ourselves in not looking like tourists or acting like tourists.

J.

[crucero-amante]

This is really neat!

 

I've never been to NYC, so this is quite interesting!

 

Oh..and how are you feeling? How's your recovery coming along???

 

~e

 

My foot is coming along nicely, I am walking around the house without the boot but haven't been able to get shoes on because there is still some swelling. I am driving with my left foot; at first it was wierd but now I'm a champ. I can only imagine once I can drive normally, I'll probably get all confused and wreck into a brick wall by hitting the gas instead of the breaks. :confused: My foot does look better and I can tell it's not going to hurt while walking. :)

Thank you for asking.

J.

[crucero-amante]

And I would NEVER wear tennis shoes to walk around NYC or anywhere for that matter. I never did it in the eighties and I'm not doing it now. I own one pair of tennis shoes and I can't remember when I wore them last. I have several COOL looking shoes and boots that I can walk miles in that I can wear with slacks/jeans or dresses/skirts. Tennis shoes are only for tennis. Sneakers are only for athletic activities.

Oh just my opinion.

But hey "wear what you want" or "what makes you comfortable" :D

 

j.

[Jane110]

 

Before we go we search out restaurants that locals go to and find cool shops in the different neighborhoods.

 

J.

 

Next time you visit, I'd be happy to recommend some of my favorite restaurants and shops to you, if you'd like.

 

Glad to hear your foot is healing.

 

Jane

[crucero-amante]

Next time you visit, I'd be happy to recommend some of my favorite restaurants and shops to you, if you'd like.

 

That sounds great. We are planning on May or June. I'm cruising in April and anything before that won't work. We might spend a few days in Greenwich and then drive back into the city; for the remaining days. Thanks for the offer.

 

J.

[MrsMoose2001]

Of course walking isn't bad. It's wonderful!!:)

 

Thanks for the webcam. How cool! Funny but yesterday was so warm, some people were in tee shirts and as you can see, today, it's down jackets w/ hoods.

 

I've got a silly question. Why do tourists like Times Square? I mean what makes it enjoyable? To me, it's just a crowded place I often have to walk through to get to where I'm going. It's got "tourist trap" restaurants that you can probably find in your local mall and some big stores, like Sephora (which I think have nicer shops in Soho and the east side). Unless you're going to the theatre, why would anyone want to go there?

 

Thanks,

Jane

 

Oh Jane this is so true, so very true. I don't get it either, I only go to TS to go to a broadway show. I don't understand either. Then again, I'm not really a toursit having been born and raised in Manhattan so I don't consider myself a tourst when I go, I consider it "going home", lol, but I never did understand either.

 

And the New Year's eve thing, that I really don't get, I know someone who went to NY specifically to stand in TS for new year's eve, she was amazed that in my entire life in NYC I never did it and most likely never will.

 

Good question, you raise excellent points!!!!

[MrsMoose2001]

Just as a note for anyone who wants to go to brodway and wants discount tix,

 

www.broadwaybox.com , www.theatremania.com, www.playbill.com

 

These places have discount codes so that if you call up ticketmaster or telecharge you give them the code and you get the discount up to 50% on some shows.

 

You have to register with the second two, but it's free and no big deal. You can unregister at any time but they do have good discounts.

[MrsMoose2001]

Sorry, but I strongly disagree. There are SO MANY cute style shoes out there with flat soles for those that can't master walking in heels or have troubled feet. I have a few friends who live in the 'burbs and commute in and wear very chic flats walking from their suburban gardens and gravelly train stations to the city.

Those commuters with skirts and sneakers were ugly in the 80's when the look started because of the NYC subway strike, and look even more awful today because of the other options available. The vision of the surban working woman with their mink coats, skirts and sneakers is like chalk on a blackboard for me.

 

Jane

 

Are we talking the white shoes like Reebok and Addias? re sneakers or are we talking the Chanel type trainers (that's what channel calls them I think or is it runners?). Like the Hogans? They are "sneaker style" but not sneakers to me?

 

I personally love to wear the Hogan and Chanel type "sneakers" and last spring Dior came out with a pair that I bought and I got so many compliments on them, they sold out really fast? What sneakers are we talking about please?

 

Jane, can you please shed some light on this? most appreciated

[crucero-amante]

MrsMoose, I know when I made my comment I was talking about Reebok looking shoes.

 

J.

[Jane110]

Are we talking the white shoes like Reebok and Addias? re sneakers or are we talking the Chanel type trainers (that's what channel calls them I think or is it runners?). Like the Hogans? They are "sneaker style" but not sneakers to me?

 

I personally love to wear the Hogan and Chanel type "sneakers" and last spring Dior came out with a pair that I bought and I got so many compliments on them, they sold out really fast? What sneakers are we talking about please?

 

Jane, can you please shed some light on this? most appreciated

 

The ugly look is definitely the Reebok/Adidias catagory.

 

The Hogans and the Chanels and the Puma's are definitely a more sophisticated fashion look. Kind of like the difference in jeans - there's the Eddie Bauer/Mom Jean type and then there's the Sevens/D&G/Designer type.

 

Sometimes ladies who live in the 'burbs commute in wearing dressy coats, expensive bags and nice skirts and hose and then wear ugly white sneakers til they get to their office.(often with a pair of thick socks too! double ugh!) Usually it's the Reebok class. But to be honest, even if they were Hogans or Chanels, it's a horrible look, IMO. The Hogan's and Chanels should be worn as part of the whole outfit and not look like "Oh I threw these on until I get to the office and put on real shoes". My point was that there are so many cute & comfortable flats out there, those ladies who wear flats to commute and then heels in the office can make choices that look ALOT better than gym shoes w/ tailored skirts.

 

DH and I had a business meeting with a gentleman who wore a suit/shirt/tie. He was wearing a pair of white Reeboks. When we met, he apologized for not wearing regular leather dress shoes and told us his foot was healing from something. I didn't say it, but my thoughts were why didn't he buy himself a pair of black sneakers? Those big white ugly sneakers with his business suit looked gross.

 

Jane

[MrsMoose2001]

Thank you Jane, I understand what you mean. Yes, I agree the Chanel/Hogans etc are part of the outfit, and that's how I wear them.

 

The sneaker/shoe with the man, that is funny. Hubby had a foot accident last year, the recovery was over 6 months long. He could not wear his dress shoes at all for the full 6 months. His foot was swollen and it hurt.

 

When he was first allowed to wear a shoe, after wearing the "recovery boot" thingy which was not a boot or a shoe, more like a walking cast thing, he was told he could wear a sneaker. The only pair in his size here in Montreal was white with blue trimming. I do mean the only pair, one pair left in a size 15 (2 sizes larger than his normal size 13). He had no choice but to wear them.

 

When we went back to Plattsburgh NY (very very small town) to see the doctor again, he thankfully found 2 pairs of shoes. They were not sneakers but not dress shoes. But they had the required size 15 and he bought 2 pairs one black and one brown.

 

When he had to wear the white sneaker with the suit, we had to go to a restaurant for dinner for my Kentucky Club. We were wating at the bar (upscale french restaurant), for the other members, a lot of the upper echelons of business men come to this particular restaurant. One man at the bar got to talking with hubby, he asked hubby where he grew up and hubby told him. He also asked for my hubby's card and when he saw the name he asked if he was a relative of XXXX, hubby said yes, that was my father, he then said, that is impossible, you could not have been born in that neighborhood and that man could not be your father. Hubby was shocked and so was I, I mean why would he say this? I kept asking him why and finally he told me, because of his shoes.

 

I said, what? he said, if he is who he says, he would not be wearing those shoes with the suit, I said, well gee, maybe you should ask why, and I said, he had foot surgery and he is recovering, pull up your pant honey and show the man the ace bandage and the special compression sock you are wearing.

 

The man turned beet red and appologized profusely. Hubby hated those white sneakers, thought they were so ugly, but until he could cross the boarder and get something better he really had no choice in the matter.

Internet ordering was not an option as he had to be sure the shoe would not press on the area of surgery.

 

I understand about that man in the business suit, but in NYC, he could have found a better color than poor hubby.

 

Thanks for the explaination about the sneakers. I remember the look when I lived there, women wearing their Armani or some kind of really conservative business suit and the white sneaker with the thick sock over the stockings.

 

The funny part was when a woman here who was so beautifully dressed for business, really what anyone would call well dressed, went to NYC for business and saw this and came back and started doing it. She didn't even have a reason as she came to work in her Mercedes but she would stroll in in her white sneakers and designer suit because she said "that's what they are doing in NYC". Then said, to me isn't that true? What was I supposed to say? So I said, yes you do see that look in NYC often.!

 

I also remember the long mink coats with the sneakers. Back in the early 80's.

[LittleBit]

So sorry, I wear my white 'boks year round when running around The City, often through TS. . . most comfy . . . and definately not a "tourist" thing. But boots are best in the winter - something with a thick sole -- I tend to switch to my hikers for the extra warmth and traction. . .

 

Of course, never in fancy dress, usually jeans as I'm running to the theatre or off to CBS or NBC. The folks at the studios really don't care what we wear. Basically we ask that you not stop in the middle of the sidewalk blocking traffic and gawking.

 

I recommend the museums, and just hanging out in Central Park - go to the zoo, watch the skaters at the rink (or go skating yourself!). Watch some of the classic NY movies and visit places that are there... (But don't eat the hot dogs from the carts.....). Unless it's reeeeaaaallly cold (like last Dec/Jan) I wouldn't bother with the subway (unless you've never ridden it - then do it at least once!). I've walked Manhattan tip to top, east to west, it's a great place to stretch your legs - you never know what you will see.

 

 

And really, what's wrong with being a tourist?? It's a great way to have fun -- every now and then, we don our cameras and pretend to be tourists - hit the ESB, TS, the Statue of Liberty, take a cruise around the island . . .You can miss alot by pretending you are a "local" - can't tell you how many locals I know who have never seen the highlights of NY (how many "locals" had visited the top of the Towers and now never will?)

[LittleBit]

So sorry, I wear my white 'boks year round when running around The City, often through TS. . . most comfy . . . and definately not a "tourist" thing. But boots are best in the winter - something with a thick sole -- I tend to switch to my hikers for the extra warmth and traction. . .

 

Of course, never in fancy dress, usually jeans as I'm running to the theatre or off to CBS or NBC. The folks at the studios really don't care what we wear. Basically we ask that you not stop in the middle of the sidewalk blocking traffic and gawking.

 

I recommend the museums, and just hanging out in Central Park - go to the zoo, watch the skaters at the rink (or go skating yourself!). Watch some of the classic NY movies and visit places that are there... (But don't eat the hot dogs from the carts.....). Unless it's reeeeaaaallly cold (like last Dec/Jan) I wouldn't bother with the subway (unless you've never ridden it - then do it at least once!). I've walked Manhattan tip to top, east to west, it's a great place to stretch your legs - you never know what you will see.

 

 

And really, what's wrong with being a tourist?? It's a great way to have fun -- every now and then, we don our cameras and pretend to be tourists - hit the ESB, TS, the Statue of Liberty, take a cruise around the island . . .You can miss alot by pretending you are a "local" - can't tell you how many locals I know who have never seen the highlights of NY (how many "locals" had visited the top of the Towers and now never will?)

[caviargal]

I've got a silly question. Why do tourists like Times Square? I mean what makes it enjoyable? To me, it's just a crowded place I often have to walk through to get to where I'm going. It's got "tourist trap" restaurants that you can probably find in your local mall and some big stores, like Sephora (which I think have nicer shops in Soho and the east side). Unless you're going to the theatre, why would anyone want to go there?

 

Thanks,

Jane

 

I was thinking this over the weekend. I HATE this part of NYC, find it charmless and utterly unappealing. I had to go to Times Square to get to the theater and, as always when I have to go there, I am soooo grateful not to be staying anywhere closeby. Masses of people, neon, bad restaurants and tacky porn shops.

 

I truly hope that most tourists do not consider this the "real" NYC!