New York City: Cafes – Cafe ‘Snice

by Erik Olsen on

Having spent six years here in New York City, I have also spent many
many hours in cafes around town. And following up on Kelly’s favorite places post, I figured I’d name a couple of these
places because if you are visiting, these can make a nice alternative to the multitudinous and often sterile
Starbucks.

Cafe ‘Snice: run by the very cool, impossibly laid back,
Mike, Snice started up at 45 8th Ave, on the corner of 8th Ave. and W. 4th just a year or so ago. It’s a spot whose
popularity is growing rapidly. And for good reason. This is one of the best places around to hang out with friends,
have a cup of coffee, maybe a salad. I’ve run into Malcomb Gladwell there and others from the hood (though Gladwell
doesn’t know me from Adam). ‘Snice is spacious, well-lit and they serve some of the best coffee and food around. It’s a
vegetarian place, which ain’t really my bag, but I can still usually find something enough “meat like” to get by.

Doma: another killer Village cafe. Run by a couple of
Czech women, Doma provides one of the best “hang-out” environments in the city…if you can find a table. It gets
crowded, especially on the weekends. But you’ll be hanging out reading the New Yorker and Phillip Seymour Hoffman will
walk in, and well, that’s pretty cool.

DTUT: sort of a Friend’s rip-of, this is still one of
the best cafes in the city. I used to frequent the DTUT on 2nd Ave. almost every weekend. Great coffee, some guy who
has an uncanny ability to select great music. And couches. The beauty of DTUT is the couches. Oh, luscious wonderful
couches, how I love thee.

New York City: Latest Favorite Restaurants

by Kelly Amabile on

There will always be an endless list of NYC eateries to try, and
there are already a bazillion resources to turn to for comprehensive ratings and reviews. I’ll just share some personal
favs from my own recent NYC dining experiences:

Upper West Side:
Ruby Foo’s (pictured here)

Part of the B.R. Guest Restaurant chain, but certaintly didn’t feel like a chain to me. Voted best Pan Asian in 2005
by CitySearch and amongst Zagat Survey’s Top 50 Most Popular New York restaurants of 2005.

Times Square: Maria Pia

Located in the heart of Broadway, this Italian bistro is a perfect place for a pre-show meal. Just be sure to make
an early reservation so you get to the theater in time!

Union Square/Gramercy:
Bar Jamon

I have not yet eaten at popular big brother Casa Mono, but the Spanish wines, cheeses, breads and, of course ham, at
this tiny tapas bar next door were more than enough for a fun night on the town.

East Village: Max Restaurant

We had to wait fairly long for a table at this tiny cash-only hideaway, but the sangria at the bar kept us happy in
the meantime. We finally feasted on generous portions — an affordable and delicious meal well worth the wait.

New York City: Catch Woody Allen at the Cafe Carlyle

by Erik Olsen on

For the young New Yorker or city visitor, chances are if you’re heading out for an evening of entertainment, you
will head to the Lower East Side for rock music and food. Or maybe, depending on your taste, you’ll do the Village for
jazz, dropping in late in the eve at, say, Arthur’s Tavern or the Vanguard. All good places, good venues.

But here’s another suggestion that you might find both unusual and strangely satisfying.

Now, you may not be a fan of Dixieland Jazz. If you’re like me, mere mention of the genre conjures up childhood visits
to Disneyland and goofy-looking dudes with Farrell’s moustaches. But if you really take the time to listen to it, I
think you’ll find Dixieland oddly appealing. And if you go to the Cafe
Carlyle, for a somewhat steep $85, you can not only hear Dixieland performed live, but the clarinetist, the stooped
little guy with the thick glasses, yeah him, he looks familiar doesn’t he? Well, yes, that is Woody Allen. For years
and years Woody Allen and his New Orleans Jazz Band have played jazz on Monday nights. He’s playing, in fact, right
now. Anyone can go, and if you get a good seat Woody will
blow his horn and probably cast a speck of spittle right in your martini.

What do you think about that? How about three words: ONLY IN NEW YORK.

Here is the calendar.

New York City: Shopping on Canal Street

by Kelly Amabile on

Last summer I found myself playing tour guide to three Melbournian
men on a one-day whirlwind excursion through lower Manhattan. All three Aussies had been to NYC on previous visits, but
this trip required the expert skills of a savvy New York shopper, which I, (unbeknownst to them) am most certainly
not.

But my pal Deano had promised to return to Oz with some grouse Louis Vuitton knock-offs for his sheila, so me and
Men at Work headed to Canal Street, the premiere discount-shopping
strip in Chinatown. We scanned street vendors and stores selling electronics, perfumes, souvenirs and all things faux —
but caught no glimpse of the desired designer bag.

After almost a half hour of searching, we were ready to give up and grab lunch when a young Asian woman pointed to
me, frantically whispering “Louie?? Louie??” Next thing I knew, the whole lot of us huddled in an alley — the
Aussies waved photos of purses, the woman chattered fiercely into a walkie-talkie, while I just stood there laughing at
this international fashion transaction. A guy on a bike soon appeared, towing two garbage bags full of fake Vuittons.
My mates quickly negotiated a deal, the woman hopped on the back of the bike, and the pair disappeared around the
corner.

Probably not the smartest way to shop in Manhattan, but we got what we came for. Weeks later, I learned all about
the crackdown on the sale of counterfeit
purses along Canal Street. Yup. Like I said, I’m no expert shopper. I haven’t been back downtown since that day,
but I can only assume that if you want to buy a top brand knock-off, you won’t find it on display when exploring this
area. (But if you really want one bad enough, someone will find you!)

What you will find easily, however, are lots of great bargains, cheap tasty food and a quintessential NYC
shopping experience. Here are maps of the area that highlight the
shopping district, as well as historic landmarks and restaurants nearby. Oh, and if you happen to be down there between
October 20 and the 31st, check out this neat
outdoor art installation on the corner
of Canal and Centre Streets.

Coming Tomorrow: Gadling CityScapes

by Erik Olsen on

Tomorrow we are going to try out a new feature which we hope you’ll like. We’re calling them Gadling
CityScapes, and the idea is simple: We’ll take one city and make every post that day about it.

 

We’ll cover hotels, sights, cultural events, food, blogs, travel ideas, you name it, we’ll cover it. If you have any
cities you’d like to see covered, by all means let us know. In the meantime, we’re kicking this thing off tomorrow with
one great city, the place I consider one of the greatest places in the world: New York City.

Tune in tomorrow.