Vilken vy... © Jenny Graan

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Today, June 2, at 5p.m. thousands of people will gather at Times Square to join Taste of Times Square, one of New York City’s most visited food festivals. Visitors can taste delicious dishes from more than 50 restaurants including Chilean Pomaire, Italian family style Carmine’s and Cuban Havana Central.

“Nowhere else can you find such a diversity of chefs and cuisine from all around the world as you can in Times Square,” says Times Square Alliance President Tim Tompkins, “and it is this that makes dining out in Times Square such an adventure.”

Besides food tastings from Times Square’s best restaurants, participators can watch the moves of skilled street performers and enjoy local entertainment on three stages.

Didn’t have the chance to make it to this year’s food festival? No problem. Just keep an eye out for Taste of Times Square 2009 at The Official Website of Times Square.

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Columbus Circle © Kevin De Ridder

The Columbus Circus mall is located just across Central Park. The Shops at Columbus Circle range from fashion and accessories to health and beauty, books and food. I’m pretty sure you can find a favourite. I can recommend:

AVEDA – Terrific hair and skin products made out of green ingredients. Many samples to try.

Face Stockholm – This Swedish cosmetics company sells high quality products made from only natural ingredients. Very helpful staff!

Crabtree & Evelyn – Luxurious bath and body care, fragrances, accessories and gourmet foods.

Elixir Juice Bar – Delicious smoothies and tasty nutritious wraps, salads and soups.

Jamba Juice -  Smoothies and freshly squeezed juices of fresh pure ingredients.

Whole Foods Market – Their organic quality food is outstanding, and the buffet is a dream for vegetarians.

Borders – Books, music, movies and a café in the same store must be one of the best combinations ever.

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People visiting New York City will most likely sooner or later come to Times Square around 42nd and 47th Street. Before I came to Times Square I knew it was a famous theatre district, but I honestly didn’t know so much more than that.

Although the safety is much better today than before 9/11, keep your wallet and other valuable belongings in a safe place to avoid pickpockets. And don’t get fooled by the photographers who assure you a great picture of you with Times Square in the background. The results don’t turn out half as good as their example photos. So bring your own camera and take the pictures yourself.

I’d say skip the souvenir shops around Times Square and listen to free music in the spacious Virgin Megastore instead.  Afterwards, I would recommend Asian food from Ruby Foo’s or drop by the family friendly Carmine’s for an Italian meal.

During our stay in NYC, we chose to see the Broadway musical Aida. If you rather watch the latest movie from Hollywood you won’t be disappointed either.

One of my favorite shops on Times Square is Quicksilver, I like watching the different takes on surf- and snowboard sessions on the huge screen above the store.

For happenings and things to do around Times Square, check out the online issue of Times Square or visit The Official Website of Times Square.

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The Empire State Building © Danie Pratt

I’ve always loved city views, especially at night, and the sight from the Empire State Building is my favourite so far. We were lucky when we got there, only had to wait in line about thirty minutes before we could take the lift to the 86th floor at 448 m.

The Empire State Building is located on 350 Fifth Avenue between 33rd and 34th Streets, open from 9.30am – 23.30pm every day.

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Every day between 5.30am and 1.30am, about a half a million of people pass through Grand Central Station located at East 42^nd Street and Park Avenue. Opened in 1913, it’s one of the most beautiful and original railway stations in the world. I’ve always been fascinated by airports and railway stations and Grand Central Station is one of the better, if not the best. Even if you don’t have any travel plans, you can come here to just admire the building – the beauty of the place is a real contrast to the busy atmosphere.

The shops in Grand Central Station range from health and beauty to clothes and accessories. Apart from Aveda, Origins and L’ Occitane in Lexington Passage, I love Penzeys Spices and Li-Lac Chocolate in Grand Central Market. Their chocolate is expensive, but one or two hand-dipped truffles are just enough to satisfy the occasional chocolate craving.

Don’t miss a walking tour though the terminal or book a private guided tour through Grand Central’s website.

Before leaving, stop by The Campbell Apartment at Vanderbuilt 15. I can also recommend a savoury Italian lunch at Cipriani Dolci.

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The risk of getting bored in NYC is not big. For first-time visitors I would recommend anything of the following… the Staten Island Ferry from Battery Park, the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, Central Park, Broadway musicals, an early morning at the top of the Empire State Building, the Rockefeller Center, Times Square…

… a walk through South Street Seaport at 19 Fulton Street, admire Brooklyn Bridge, a stroll along the classic film-kiss walk (Brooklyn Heights Promenade) by the East River…

… funny copies and good food in Chinatown, the clubs in Greenwich Village, a comedy show in East Village, eating out in Lower East Side, people watching in the Meatpacking District, visiting some of the 350 art galleries in Chelsea, hear Woody Allen play with his jazz band at The Carlyle a Monday evening…

When your feet are tired from too much walking, stop by Barnes & Noble Booksellers – Lincoln Center at 1972 Broadway. The magazine section just next to Starbucks on the highest floor has lots of good magazines you can browse through with no obligation to purchase.

Whenever you visit NYC, I’m pretty sure you will find something in your taste.

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If you happen to be in New York City on a Sunday morning, take the subway to 116th Street in Harlem where there are more Baptist Churches than in any other part of the city. The gospel service begins at ten and can sometimes be heard from the street. We discovered a beautiful Baptist Church at St. Nicholas Avenue between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd and Lenox Ave/Malcolm X Blvd not far from Central Park. I had never heard gospel before and everything was such a contrast to the reserved atmosphere in Swedish churches — in a good way.

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Pier in Coney Island

Saturday afternoon. We stand by Stillwell Avenue, Coney Island’s main station. Most people living on Coney Island, located in southernmost Brooklyn with its famous beach on the Atlantic Ocean, are Hispanic or African-American. Previously the area was a major resort and home of amusements parks as the Steeplechase Park, the heart of Coney between 1897 and 1964. Its founder George Tilyou once said: “If Paris is France, Coney Island, between June and September, is the world.”

Above the beach is the Riegelmann boardwalk, named from Borough President Riegelmann and reputed to be the world’s longest. On the crowded boardwalk we see a teenage girl in the middle of a crowd. She sings with a clear, powerful voice resembling of Beyonce and receives lots of whistles after her performance. On Coney Island, it’s the mixture of people that contribute to the special atmosphere.

Before you leave New York City, visit Coney Island at least once. The D-line from Bronx in north passes through Manhattan and over the East River on Manhattan Bridge to Brooklyn. The ride with the subway from Midtown Manhattan takes about an hour.

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Central Park © Thomas Debray

Central Park is, in my opinion, the best park in the world. A park for everyone offering plenty of fun things to do. You can jog, walk, play boll, rollerblade, go to the zoo, rent a boat, swim, sunbath, play baseball, play tennis at the tennis courts on 96th Street West near the Reservoir, have a picnic on the lawn, visit John Lennon’s memorial place, check out the street artists, listen to saxophone players and other musicians, stroll over the Great Lawn and admire the mid Manhattan skyscrapers, rent a bike by Loeb’s Boat House, or sit down on a bench and just look at people and enjoy the original atmosphere.

Throughout the winter (from November to March), you can ice skate at Wollman Rink at East 63rd Street or Lasker Rink at East 107th Street. During the summer I recommend the Shakespeare’s Garden, Belvedere Castle, the Strawberry Fields and the performances at Delecorte Theatre by Belvedere Lake. And don’t forget the area toward Harlem, like Harlem Woods and Harlem Meer, in the northern part of Central Park.

Central Park is located between 59th and 110th Streets and 5th to 8th Avenues.

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New York City has plenty on offer for shoppers with all budgets.

People seeking great discounts should check out these stores:

Century 21

This discount department store in the Financial District is not a secret anymore. Avoid peak lunch time when more people make their way through the maze of the price cut clothing.

Location: 22 Cortlandt St. between Church St. and Broadway.

Gabay’s Outlet

Family owned Gabay’s sells overstock from fine department stores as Bergdorf Goodman and Henri Bendel at 50-80% reductions. Designers include Chanel and Manolo Blahnik. Sign up for their mailing list to get news and updates from this East Village gem.

Location: 225 First Ave between 13th and 14th.

Loehmann’s

Enter their well-known “Back Room” for designer clothing at bargain prices. This Chelsea shop typically offers 30-65%, but you can join their “Insider’s Club” online for further shop discounts.

Location: 101 Seventh Ave at 17th St.

Syms

Different colour tags for each size make it easier to find what you look for here. Designs from Oscar De La Renta, Tommy Hilfiger and Kenneth Cole. By registering on their website you can get 10% of your first purchase.

Location: 400 Park Ave in the Financial District, or 42 Trinity Place in Midtown East.

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© Erin Monet

When we visited New York City in 2004, we went to see the Broadway musical Aida. We decided to go the same day and lined up by one of the two TKTS discount booths in Times Square. Sometimes you have to wait more than an hour, but we bought our tickets for $50 each (normal price is $100) within 20 minutes.

The two discount booths are located on West 46th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue. The tickets are sold for 25-50% of the original price. You can pay with cash or traveller’s checks. Even though the most popular musicals may not be available this is a great deal if you want to enjoy a Broadway musical without needing to pay full price. You can get more information at the Theatre Development Fund.

For evening performances:

Monday – Saturday 3 pm – 8pm

Sunday from 3 pm

For matinee performances:

Wednesday and Saturday 10 am – 2 pm

Sunday 11 am – 3 pm

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