Traveling

[aquila1nz]

I've just realised I've been talking about this everywhere but here.

I'm visiting the US! My tickets are booked, I'll be going to New York for a week from the 20th January, and then going to LA to go to Xenacon and then stay with a friend. I'm so excited!

I have packing lists!

I have touristy things to do lists!

I'd love to meet up with peeps, so if you're in or near either city let me know and we might be able to arrange a get together.

And I'd love more advice on must-do things in NYC and LA.

Comments

[hellga.livejournal.com]

Well, in New York I would say just walk for at least a mile on each of the following streets: Broadway, 5th Avenue, Madison Avenue.

Go down to the Battery Park to look at the Statue of Liberty. Statue itself is closed for maintenance, and I am not sure whether the boats run in the winter. If they do, you can go to the Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty.

Go to the Empire State Building and/or the Top of the Rock (you can do one in daytime and one after nightfall to see the city from above both ways).

Go to a Broadway show. Visit Guggenheim museum (the building, the exhibits only if you are into modern art). If you feel like museums - both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and American Museum of Natural History are very nice, I like the second one more.

Go to the Metropolitan Opera if you like opera. Go to a hockey or a basketball game. Just walk around exploring the many restaurants big and small. Go shopping for eclectic and retro souvenirs in SoHo and Chelsea...

[goseaward.livejournal.com]

I'm only familiar with New York, and not very much with that, so:

If you like medieval art, the Cloisters is really nice, though pretty far uptown. The Museum of Modern Art has some wonderful stuff, too, and is free on Friday nights I think.

If you want to see a Broadway show, but are less picky about which one, the TKTS booth is the way to go. If you're looking for a more popular show among the shows offered at the booth, especially on the weekends, show up an hour or two before it opens to get in line. (Or you could try to get rush seats: that's how I got to see Urinetown when it was on Broadway.) Plays are way easier than musicals to get tickets for.

There are some cool scifi/fantasy-heavy bookstores in the city, iirc, though I couldn't point you to a particular one.

The Hayden Planetarium/Rose Center at AMNH is a great planetarium, you may have my professional opinion on that one ;)

And you could do what I always do, and get lost in Central Park trying to take a nice little stroll...

[aquila1nz.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the TKTS link, I've had friends say "do that" but not known a lot about how.

I've been poking at online lists of bookshops and mapping what they are close to *g*

If it was summer I'd love to hire a bike in Central Park, will definitely visit it.

[goseaward.livejournal.com]

(Er, sorry, that wasn't supposed to be a reply directly to you! Drat the new comment pages.)

[aquila1nz.livejournal.com]

Hellga! Have you seen the Hobbit trailer?

I'll probably take the Staten island ferry, and look from a distance.

I'm staying near Times Square, so will definitely walk lots of all three.

And I'd like to see all three Museums, I imagine I'd spend longest at the Natural History one *g*

I'm not really into opera, and sports are completely wasted on me, but I will catch a Broadway show. I'm lucky that I have various locals nad occasional visitors from the internet to spend time with, so exploring is going to be fun!

Thanks for the ideas!

[hellga.livejournal.com]

Yep. Looks very promising... and when Torin starts to sing, it almost sends shivers down my spine. I expect the Hobbit to be better than LotR, I don't think PJ really connects with the Elves and the psychology of the epic characters.

I love the Museum of Natural History, I have membership there. Lots and lots to explore. :)

I can come down to New York on January 22 or 28/29 if you want to meet up. Just send me a note via LJ message.

[nerdycellist.livejournal.com]

I love living in LA but I always draw a blank when trying to come up with fun touristy things to do.

I'd say you should definitely go to the Griffith Observatory because it's awesome and also has nice views. Also the La Brea Tar Pits, because it's one of a kind. Also, if you don't have any dietary restrictions, check out Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles. Om nom nom nom. These three places are actually within a few miles of eachother - you could probably fit them all in one day.

Also, agree with hellga that the American Museum of Natural History is the better museum in NYC. I love that place. Also in NYC is the Cloisters, which has a fabulous collection of medieval art and artifacts in an appropriate setting.

[aquila1nz.livejournal.com]

Thanks. The Tar Pits is on my list, good to know what else is close.

[resin-ga-miteru.livejournal.com]

Holy Nat, you eljayed! D:

<---is totally unhelpful.

[aquila1nz.livejournal.com]

q-:

[batarang.livejournal.com]

If you like art museums, my favorites are MOMA in NYC and the Getty in LA.

New York: I used to live on an old sloop in the boat basin here :) Some of my favorite activities were watching the dogs play in the dog parks (New Yorkers have some FANCY dogs!) and reading cafe menus as I was walking around. I have never had food that wasn't excellent in NYC.

The Nuyorican poet's cafe http://www.nuyorican.org/ is AMAZING. Even if you don't think you're super into slam poetry, go. This is at a caliber above and beyond.

And for bookstores, I liked Bluestockings http://bluestockings.com/ It's small and has friendly staff, and was packed with so much good stuff it kept me occupied for a long time.

MOMA! http://www.moma.org/ Wandering through this modern art museum was one of my favorite things to do. I like to go by myself to this one because I am super into modern art and don't like other people to rush me :)

LA:

The Huntington Library: http://www.huntington.org/ Seriously amazing gardens, art, history exhibits, anything you could want really!

The Getty: http://www.getty.edu/museum/ Gorgeous architecture and gorgeous art.

[enna-vic.livejournal.com]

Jealous much :) Just came across this and late as usual!

La Brea Tarpits / Page Museum would have been my top must visit in LA. Love the place. Apart from that I would be visiting old haunts down the coast at Laguna etc.

Hope you are having /had a fantastic time!

[(Anonymous)]

ey....you still friends with karyn?

[aquila1nz.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen her in ages.