New York, minus the tourist traps

From a private art collection to a bike ride along Hudson river to the best of the city’s famed comedy clubs, this is the New Yorker’s New York. Geetika Jain offers some suggestions

MICHELLE NEVIUS PRIVATE TOURS
Guided walks are a wonderful way of discovering a city in a short while. Book yourself for a one-on-one tour of the history and architecture of Soho and Nolita and learn innumerable interesting things about the two neighbourhoods.

Michelle and James Nevius, a husband and wife team, came up with the private tours idea a few years ago. Not only are they licensed NYC sightseeing guides, they also have a background in history. They lead the tours personally, and bring along a folder of relevant pictures and lithographs that make the past come alive.

 

Info: http://www.walknyc.com 1-212 666 2903
A guided walk costs $ 80 for two hours.

THE FRICK COLLECTION
The former mansion of Henry Clay Frick, a steel industrialist, houses an important art collection in a delightfully intimate setting. The backdrop of an 18th century European- style residence and an unhurried ambience makes for relaxed viewing of paintings by masters like Velazquez, Van Dyke, Vermeer, El Greco and Goya. As you wander through the rooms, you can’t help imagining what it must have been like to live here, surrounded by the exquisite art, furniture, carpets and chandeliers. The emphasis here is ‘collection’, for what you see is Frick’s own selection, unlike a theme at a museum. According to his daughter, Frick collected paintings “that were pleasant to live with, that had an absence of violence”. A short film on Frick and how his collection came together is worth watching.

Info: 1E 70TH St. NY, NY 10021; Ph- 2122880700

STAND-UP COMEDY
Stand-up comedy in New York is particularly good and very accessible. Several celebrity comics began their careers in the Big Apple’s many cramped venues, and now have their own TV shows. The Comedy Cellar, Dangerfield’s, Comic Strip Live are all excellent venues. They can be zany, deadpan, naïve or cynical, but they’re always, always funny.

Info: The Comedy Cellar, 117 Mac Dougal St; Dangerfield’s, -118 1st avenue and 61st St.; Comic Strip Live,156 2nd Avenue and 81St.

THE ANNEX FAIR AND FLEA MARKET
For an early morning flutter, there’s nothing like a visit to the Annex. Although it is open on Saturdays and Sundays, the best time to visit is early on Sunday mornings. What started as a few kiosks in a parking lot has sprawled across several spaces, outdoors and indoors. The unmissables are The Garage at 112w 25th street, The Showplace on 6th and Broadway, and the Grand Bazaar at 25th street between 6th and Broadway. The stalls overflow with decorative objects, silver, carpets, textiles, rare books, lithographs, vintage clothing, furniture, china, and a host of other collectables.

Info: 6th Avenue, between 24th and 27th streets.

THE RIVERSIDE BIKE PATH
A continuous lip has been created on the west side of NYC by filling land and joining several parks. It runs for several miles along the Hudson River, from the top of Riverside Park in the North, all the way down to Battery Park, the southern tip of the island. This wonderful outdoors space can be used for biking, roller-blading, or walking. Throughout, the views are breathtaking. Arriving into the Southerly tip, one can look out on New York bay, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Info: 125th St to Battery Park City, along the Hudson River.

THE CLOISTERS
Plunge yourself back into the 12th century at The Cloisters, a beautiful, hilltop abode with its own cloister, chapel and chapter house. A dungeon-like walkway leads to Romanesque halls displaying the celebrated unicorn tapestries, stained glass, ceramics, metal work and art from the Middle Ages. A branch of the Metropolitan museum of art, The Cloister’s medieval art collection comes alive in this charming setting overlooking the river.

Info: Fort Tyron Park, NY, NY 212 923 3700
You could take a train to 190th Street; an M4 bus to The Cloisters; or drive to Fort Tyrone Park.

South Street Seaport Diwali festival
If you're in town this October, celebrate the festival of lights NY style. This year, the celebrations are slated for October 3. There’s a street fair with Indian food stalls, cultural events and a grand fireworks display.
Info: If you’re going by the subway, take the 2,3,4,5,J or Z trains to Fulton Street. South Street Seaport itself is worth checking out: it’s a historic, open marketplace in lower Manhattan with curio shops to big name brands, restaurants and street performers.

Broadway for half
You can get same-day half-price tickets for Broadway shows at TKTS booths. You may have to wait in line for an hour or two, but the booths are in Times Square, so you can take in the sights as you wait. Info: The Times Square booth is located on Father Duffy Square under the red steps, on Broadway and 47th Street. You can take the 1,2,3,N,R,W,A,C,E trains on the subway.
For evening shows, tickets sell from 3-8 pm, Monday to Saturday, and from 3 pm till half an hour before the last show on Sundays. For matinee performances, tickets sell from 10 am to 2 pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and from 11 am to 3 pm on Sundays.

Staten Island ferry
This is a commuter ferry service between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island. The 5-mile, 25-minute ride provides fabulous views of New York harbour and the Statue of Liberty along the way on a clear day. Boats leave the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in lower Manhattan every half hour, and tourists typically get off in Staten Island and take the next ferry back To reach the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Manhattan by subway, take the 4,5 trains to Bowling Green or the 1 train to South Ferry. Best of all, the ride on the Staten Island Ferry is free.

— Indira Kannan

Geetika Jain is a London-based freelance writer