Everyone knows New York City is an expensive town, especially in December around the holidays. To save some money, try these tips for free things to do this December during your visit.

1) 9/11 Memorial

The 9/11 Memorial, on the site of the former Twin Towers, opened on September 12, 2011, in time for the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and was easily the most anticipated new project in the city for years. The memorial features two reflecting pools nearly an acre in size each, each filled with the largest man-made waterfalls in North America. Surrounding the imposing structures are the names of the nearly 3,000 victims inscribed on bronze parapets surrounding the pools.

Though entrance is free to the park is free, access to the new 9/11 Memorial and Museum must be purchased in advance. It takes about two hours to visit the museum, and you can purchase tickets in advance here.

2) The High Line

One of the world’s premier examples of urban preservation, the High Line is an elevated train line located on Manhattan’s West Side that has been transformed into a public park featuring Hudson River views, natural landscaping and a rotating collection of public art projects. Popular among city-dwellers and visitors alike, the park has become a major draw to a neighborhood once only populated in the evening hours.

The High Line is a perfect way to spend the afternoon with a coffee in hand, taking in the sights of New York in one of the most unique ways possible. Click here for dining options and things to do in the area.

For the High Line hours and directions click here.

3) Free Central Park Tours

Central Park, one of the world’s most iconic parks, not only offers hundreds of free ways to explore its 843 acres (which makes up 6% of Manhattan if you were wondering), but is also home to daily free tours led by park representatives.

For example, the Ramble Tour will take you over streams, under arches and through the woods along a maze of pathways in the secluded 36-acre woodland section of the park. The Iconic Views of Central Park Tour will take you to the park’s most iconic landmarks including, the Dairy, Sheep Meadow, Cherry Hill, the Lake, Bow Bridge, Bethesda Terrace, the Mall, and Literary Walk.

For a full schedule of all of the park’s ticketed and free tours, visit the Central Park tour calendar.

4) MoMA For Free

It’s nearly impossible to visit New York without spending at least one morning or afternoon visiting one of the world’s greatest collections of art at MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art). If you’re visiting over the weekend, MoMA has free admission every Friday from 4:00 p.m. until closing at 8:00 p.m. Lines form quickly, especially during the holidays, so be sure to get there early to leave plenty of time to take it all in.

For hours and information about MoMA click here.

5) Christmas Markets

Remember when Harry Potter and the crew visited Hogsmeade Village and found themselves in a Dickensian Christmas wonderland? Well, this might be a stretch, but if you happen to go at night after some snow has just fallen to one of the various holiday markets that spring up around Manhattan every December, you just may get the same experience. I know, it’s a stretch, but it’s still a great experience to help get you in the holiday mood.

Head to the Union Square Holiday Market for the city’s largest holiday market with nearly 100 vendors selling everything from German chocolate to decorative socks. Nearby, on Broadway between 13th and 14th street, is Max Brenner, where you can pick up the granddaddy of hot chocolate drinks.

Visit here or a list of 10 of the best holiday markets around New York.

6) Ice Skating In Bryant Park

It may not be as well known as the one at nearby Rockefeller Center, but the free ice skating rink (or Citi Pond for you corporate-minded folks) at Bryant Park is a full $28 cheaper, saving you much-needed cash for the inevitable trip to the emergency room (come on, you haven’t done this since you were 10, you think you’re not going to take a few spills?).

However, take note that the skate rentals are $20 if you don’t bring your own pair.

For more information about the rink click here.

7) Christmas in Midtown

I wouldn’t normally advise anyone to spend too much time in Midtown in December given the throngs of tourists and exorbitant prices charged for everything from coffee to street pretzels. But, from Thanksgiving through New Year’s, a large swath of the neighborhood transforms into some the city’s most iconic holiday sights that even a travel snob/Scrooge would have trouble staying away from.

Start at the corner of Sixth Avenue and 50th Street to see Radio City Music Hall with its giant Christmas tree and tin soldiers decorating its marquee, then make your way down 50th Street and through the massive crowds to catch a glimpse of the ice skaters and Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center (last year’s tree was an 80-foot Norway spruce hailing from Flanders, New Jersey).

Across the street on Fifth Avenue are the iconic holiday window displays at Saks Fifth Avenue. After walking by them, head north on Fifth Avenue to see some of the country’s most expensive shops along the famed stretch of Fifth Avenue leading to Central Park. Here you’ll also see some of the most expensively decorated shops as well, including the Cartier Building with its red ribbon wrapping the entire facade and the window displays at Bergdorf Goodman.

Finally, eight blocks north at 58th Street, you’ll come to FAO Schwartz, the world’s most famous toy store (and site of some massive lines come Christmas). To wrap things up, take in the glitzy Plaza Hotel across the street (and grab a bite to eat at the new The Plaza Food Hall), then make your way through the 59th Street entrance of Central Park and stroll down to Wollman Rink and watch the ice skaters underneath one of the world’s most famous skylines.

8) Barbes

From accordion-playing divas to Slavic soul, Barbes in Brooklyn’s Park Slope offers some of the city’s best and most eclectic variety of free music every night. Drinks are standard price and collection hats are usually passed around after the performances.

If you’re staying in Manhattan, don’t worry about getting lost just because you’re leaving the island. Barbes is literally across the street from the F stop, a 20-minute ride from Midtown.

9) Free Juilliard Performances

Heading to Lincoln Center for world-class performing arts? Good news for you, many of the performers you’re paying to see started out just next door at Juilliard, and all of them spent a good chunk of their time performing for free at recitals open to the public. These free performances range from Jazz, Chamber Music, Orchestral, Solos, Dance, Opera and Drama.

For a full schedule of the wide variety of performances, click here to visit Juilliard’s calendar of events.

When you’re at Lincoln Center, stick around for a free performance by the new fountain in the center of the plaza. Designed by the same people who brought you the waterworks at Vegas’ Bellagio, the fountain’s 353 nozzles are able to shoot water 40 feet in the air to create an “aquatic ballet.”

10) A New England Winter In New York

A good majority of visitors to New York this time of year are from far-flung and usually much warmer locations, and for many of them, this whole northeast United States thing is a novelty to them. Why not try fitting in a whole other region, all while staying in New York?

Stay with me here. Take a short subway ride to Prospect Park, in the heart of Brooklyn, and get your Thoreau on by making your way to one of the four nature trails that meander through the woods — a spectacular sight in the summer, and simply magical in the winter. Snow-draped pines, squirrels foraging in the fallen leaves, a rastafarian drummer playing for loose change: just like a Frost poem.

Finish up with a stroll through scenic Park Slope (like Hogsmeade, but with strollers), and cozy up with a warm drink in front of a roaring fire at nearby Union Hall, New York’s preeminent winter bar.

For information about Prospect Park click here.

For information about Union Hall click here.

11) Arthur Avenue

Sure, Manhattan has Little Italy, Brooklyn has, well, Brooklyn, but many visitors don’t know that the Bronx has New York’s most intact, most authentic Little Italy this side of the Mediterranean: Arthur Avenue.

Head north to the outer reaches of the outer boroughs to this five-block stretch for the afternoon and wander in and out of the many delis, bakeries, and coffee shops, all with nary a tourist in sight. And dont’ worry, you can be sure every business will be decked-out for the holidays.

Visit here for directions and a list of businesses.

Miscellaneous Resources

For more ideas for free things to do in New York, check out these resources:

• NYCGO (New York City’s official marketing, tourism and partnership organization)

• Time Out’s Guide to Free Things to Do in NYC

By Matt Stabile /

Matt Stabile is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Expeditioner. The Expeditioner began in 2008 and is headquartered in New York City. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos or contact him at any time at TheExpeditioner.com.

The post Top 11 Free Things To Do In New York City This December appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

If there’s one thing New York City does really well, it’s eschewing the cookie-cutter chains that dot much of the American landscape, especially when it comes to hotels (okay, maybe not banks and certain coffee shops, but that’s another story).

If you’re coming here and are tired of staying at traditional hotel chains, then The Kimberly Hotel, located in Midtown on 50th Street just off Lexington Avenue, is the place for you.

This newly built, independent hotel is home to posh suites, walk-out balconies, two restaurants and one of the best-known rooftop bars in the city. And for a reasonable price, The Kimberly Hotel is a great option for those looking to enjoy some of the best New York has to offer, without breaking the bank.

I was recently invited to stay the weekend — one very cold, cold January weekend — at the hotel to check out what the property has to offer, and to show off my nascent skills as an indoor photographer. The following hopefully gives you a small introduction as to what it’s like to stay here.

*

The Kimberly Hotel will welcome you with its old-world lobby and large circular aquarium, a throw-back to the days when hotels didn’t all look like they had started their life in a Portland neighborhood (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

There are two restaurants within the hotel, Bistango, a newly opened Italian restaurant serving fine pasta dishes and a killer cheese and cured meat tray, and Ibis, a 10,000-square-foot Mediterranean restaurant featuring grilled meats, fish, and vegetables delicately paired with fresh herbs and spices (plus live piano music).

At the top of the hotel, 30 stories up to be exact, is the aptly named rooftop bar, Upstairs at the Kimberly, one of New York’s best rooftop bars (as confirmed by many a list on the Internet).

Upstairs features a hip crowd (they let me in because I was a guest), artistically inspired cocktails and a small-plates menu. It also serves one of the best brunches I’ve had in a long while. If there is a better view in the city to take in while you sip on your Manhattan, I don’t know about it.

Of course, this being a hotel and all, The Kimberly Hotel doesn’t hold back when it comes to their suites. The beds are covered in luxuriously fluffy linens and pillows, freshly laundered bathrobes await you in your closet, and the hotel itself offers enough varieties of rooms — from one-bed traditional rooms to full-blown multi-room suites — to fit any requirement. 

You’ll also receive a complimentary copy of the New York Times delivered to your door every morning. Rooms also include satellite T.V., plush couches and writing desks for you to sit down and blog about your experience (okay, maybe that’s just me). Also, the rooms have kitchenettes with a microwave, fridge, sink, coffee maker and utensils, along with two complimentary bottles of water.

Needless to say, with views like these from nearly every room, chances are you’ll be spending more time gazing out the window than glued to the T.V.

Here at The Kimberley Hotel, you will be sure to turn any hectic trip into a fun, and relaxing adventure, ensuring that you’ll be ready to book another stay, even before you’ve left.

By Matt Stabile /

Matt Stabile is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheExpeditioner.com. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos, purchase the book he co-edited or contact him via email at any time at TheExpeditioner.com.

The post My Weekend “Away” In New York At The Kimberly Hotel appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Free things to do in New York City in the summer? I know it sounds like an oxymoron. Let’s face it, the words “free” and “New York City” are rarely used in the same sentence, but visitors to the city are often surprised both at how expensive it can be ($400 for a hotel room?) as well as the number of free things there are to do and see around New York, especially during the summer when the sun comes out and the city’s urban dwellers are itching to escape from their cubicles and cramped apartments and get outside as often possible.

For those looking to save money and experience some of the best of what New York City has to offer, here are 10 free things to do in New York City this summer.

1) Explore Governors Island

Originally developed as a military base, in recent years Governors Island has been an unpopulated 172-acre island sitting enticingly close to the tip of Manhattan (and even closer to Brooklyn). Then, in 2003, the island was sold to New York City from the federal government, and the island was opened up for free to the public for access to its amazing views and open parkland.

The island itself is made up of bike lanes, parks, the remains of the military base and even the homes that the military families lived in, which are all ripe for exploration. You can rent bikes at a kiosk just down the hill from the ferry dock, and the rest of the island is easily accessible by foot. Head to Picnic Point at the far tip of the island for views of the harbor and open space to have lunch or throw a Frisbee around.

Visitor to the island this summer will get to be the first to experience a newly opened 30-acre park that that has been years in the making (New York magazine called it a “jewel”). The new park features a section full of hammocks called Hammock Grove, a new playground featuring a wooden climbing gym, and a green plaza full of food vendors, public art and communal sitting space called Liggett Terrace

Throughout the summer there are numerous free events that take place on the island, including:

• River to River festival featuring numerous free art shows throughout the summer;

• The Fourth Annual New York City Poetry Festival;

• The NYC Volkswagen Traffic Jam, a  spectator-judged vintage Volkswagen car show and picnic featuring Volkswagens from the 1950’s – 1970’s;

• The New York City Unicycle Festival.

*

• For a full list of all the activities going on at Governors Island this summer, check out the Governors Island Calendar of Events

• For more information, visit the Governors Island Home Page

2) See Free Music Outside

Music lovers in New York know that one of the best times in the city to see live music (oftentimes free) is during the summer when the many ongoing music festivals around the city gear up, offering everything from indie rock, classical, jazz and world music on a daily basis. Here are a few of the biggest and best of the lineups.

The 4th Annual Village Voice 4Knots Music Festival

Once again taking place at New York’s legendary South Street Seaport, The Village Voice’s 4Knots Music Festival will be back for its fourth year on July 12, 2014. Continuing the Voice’s 14-year history with live music festivals, 4Knots will be showcasing renowned and emerging artists on today’s breaking music scene. Most exciting of all was the announcement that Dinosaur Jr. will becheadlining this show, along with Mac Demarco, Those Darlings, Speedy Ortiz, Rad Key and many others. And best of all, like every other year, the show is free to all.

• For more information, visit the 4th Annual Village Voice 4Knots Music Festival official site.

Central Park SummerStage

This year’s SuumerStage shows, which takes place at the famed Summer Stage in Central Park, are as eclectic as ever, featuring free performances by everyone from:

• Andrew Bird (July 8);

• Amanda Palmer (July 21);

• Dr. John (August 2); and

• Blood Orange (August 16).

For a full list of all the shows, visit the Central Park Summerstage Full Calendar

Prospect Park Bandshell Celebrate Brooklyn Series

Of course, one of the best music festivals in the city is in Brooklyn — Prospect Park’s Bandshell to be exact. I’ve been going to concerts here every summer since I moved here, and they easily have one of the best lineups in the city, and this year is no exception. This summer you can see the following for free:

• The Dum Dum Girls/Hospitality/Teen (June 21);

• Bebel Gilberto (July 17); and

• St. Vincent (August 9).

For a full list of all the shows, visit the Prospect Park Celebrate Brooklyn Full Calendar

Best of the Rest of the Festival

• Northside Music Festival: (June 12 – 14, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, featuring free shows from CHVRCHES and Thee Oh Sees)

• River Rocks (Pier 84, July 10, 24, and August 7, featuring free shows by Wild Beasts, Teenage Fanclub and Temples)

• Bryant Park After Work (Bryant Park)

• Broadway in Bryant Park (Bryant Park)

• Live on Pier 26 (Pier 26)

• Seaport Music Festival (South Street Seaport)

For a full list of all shows taking place this summer, check out The Village Voice’s The Ultimate List of Free Summer Concerts in NYC, 2014.

3) Hit the Beach

Rockaway Beach, Fort Tilden and Coney Island

Visitors to New York are often surprised by the fact that New York City actually has beaches that are both clean and fun to visit, all within a close distance. Rockaway Beach, Fort Tilden and Coney Island are all less than an hour away, and are all accessible by subway and bus.

Rockaway Beach has become a favorite getaway in recent years due to the growth of the many restaurants and bars that have opened up nearby recently. However, recent damage by Hurricane Sandy has meant that portions of the boardwalk and beach are not yet ready for visitors, though most of it is accessible and even open for surfing.

Nearby Fort Tilden beach, which has recently come into favor by the local hipster and gay communities due to its slightly more remote location, is back open after being shut down from Sandy.

Finally, Coney Island has been welcoming beachgoers for generations, and this summer the nearby park is welcoming several new attractions, including the refurbished Cyclone and the newly constructed Thunderbolt roller coasters.

• Rockaway Beach Information and Directions

• Coney Island Information and Directions

Long Island

Though a little more difficult to get to, the Long Island Rail Road serves many of the island’s favorite beaches, including Jones Beach, Long Beach, Robert Moses and Fire Island.

Even better, due to increasing demand, the LIRR now offers non-stop service to one of New York City’s favorite Long Island getaways: Montauk (the Cannonball Express). Sitting at the tip of the island, the train will take riders there in a little over three hours via service from Penn Station.

• LIRR Beach Getaways

• LIRR Montauk Cannonball Express

4) Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Roof Exhibit

Artist Dan Graham created this site-specific commission for the Met’s Roof Garden, which is comprised of curves of steel and two-way mirrored glass set between ivy hedgerows. Though difficult to explain, the exhibit has been described as “part garden maze, part modernist skyscraper facade.”

The exhibit itself is free with admission to the museum, and despite suggested prices, if you’re really in a bind, you can pay whatever you want (including nothing) to enter the museum (though, be prepared for a scowl from the staff if you only pony up spare change from your pocket).

• For more information, visit the Met’s Roof Garden Exhibit site.

5) Shakespeare In The Park

Okay, this one’s not exactly a revelation. Shakespeare in the Park has been attracting massive crowds for over half a century (5 million people over 50 years to be exact), and a look at the number of people who still line up every day for tickets is proof it’s as popular as ever. This year, the two productions being staged are Much Ado about Nothing (June 3 – July 6) and King Lear starring John Lithgow (July 22 – August 17).

You could line up like everyone else at the theater in the morning in the center of Central Park, hoping to snag a couple of tickets as they’re given away at 12 p.m. But, for those in the know, the days of waiting on line are a distant memory. Now, you can simply get in line virtually by signing up online on the day of the show. If you’re picked, you’ll get an e-mail alerting you about your free pair of tickets. If not picked, just try again the next day.

• Shakespeare in the Park Home Page

• To learn how to sign up for ticket virtually, visit the Shakespeare in the Park Virtual Ticketing

6) Shop and Eat at the Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg

Where else are you going to find vintage sweaters, living room furniture made from reclaimed factory walls, and artisanal hot dogs all in one spot? Brooklyn, of course. The Brooklyn Flea, which is the actual flea market, now operates in two different locations, including its original Fort Greene location on Saturdays and Williamsburg on Sundays. Smorgasburg, the food-centric outdoor market, can be found in Williamsburg on Saturdays and Brooklyn Bridge Park on Sundays, and each features 100 local and regional vendors.

• To learn more about the Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg, please visit the official Brooklyn Flea site.

7) Watch Free Movies Outside

Not only is New York home to the locations for many movie and television shoots, but it’s also home to an active outdoor movie-watching culture. Come summer, parks, piers and rooftops set up outdoor projectors and show movies around the city, a nice change from watching Netflix from your 300-square-foot studio apartment.

The most popular of these screenings occurs in Bryant Park, which this year will be showing Saturday Night Fever, Blazing Saddles, National Lampoon’s Vacation and The Karate Kid.

In Williamsburg, you can find plenty of ironic ’80s and ’90s nostalgia with showings of Back to the Future, Heathers (greetings and salutations TheExpeditioner readers) and The Big Lebowski.

Finally, for one of the more scenic views while you watch a movie (see above), head to Brooklyn Bridge Park, where this summer they will be showing Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day and The Wizard of Oz.

• For a complete rundown of every movie playing for free outside this summer, check out this comprehensive list.

8) See the World in Jackson Heights

Just a short ride on the subway (7 Train) from Manhattan is Jackson Heights, Queens, one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city (if not the country) with over 65% of the population made up of immigrants, and an estimated 138 languages spoken here. Most notable is Little Colombia and Little India, where immigrants have opened restaurants and bakeries featuring the best of their country’s delicacies. Among other countries (and restaurants) represented here include those from South America, South Asia, and East Asia. In other words: basically everywhere.

To explore, head down the main thoroughfare of 37th Avenue from 72nd Street to Junction Boulevard and find yourself in what seems like another country. And the best part? You’ll have visited a part of New York few other travelers — and even New Yorkers — have ever been. Yes, off-the-beaten-path travel is possible in one of the world’s most heavily visited cities.

Come hungry, and check out some of the best restaurants and bakeries in the neighborhood, such as:

• Phayul (Tibetan food, 37-65 74th Street (37th Road), second floor);

• Pio Pio (Peruvian, 84-02 Northern Blvd., between 84th & 85th streets); and

• Rajbhog Sweets (Indian sweets, 7227 37th Ave, Jackson Heights, NY 11372).

9) Friday Means Free Museums in New York

While Friday afternoons for most New Yorkers means happy hour, it also marks the time when some of city’s biggest and best museums throw open their doors and let visitors in for free, including otherwise pricey museums such as the Museum of Modern Art (normally $25!) and the International Center for Photography (normally $14).

Here’s a full list of museums that offer free admissions on Fridays:

• Museum of Modern Art (4 — 8 p.m.)

• Whitney Museum of American Art (pay what you will, 6 — 9 p.m.)

• Morgan Library and Museum (7 — 9 p.m.)

• The New-York Historical Society (pay what you will, 6 — 8 p.m.)

• New York Aquarium (pay what you will after 3 p.m.)

• International Center of Photography (pay what you will after 5 p.m.)

• Museum of the Moving Image (4 — 8 p.m.)

• Japan Society (6 — 9 p.m.)

• New York Hall of Science (2 — 5 p.m., September through June)

• Rubin Museum of Art (6 — 10 p.m.)

• Asia Society (September through June, 6 — 9 p.m.)

10) Visit Famous Graves

Okay, stay with me here. Where do travelers flock in Paris? Père Lachaise Cemetery to see Jim Morrison’s grave. How about Buenos Aires? Recoleta Cemetery for Eva Peron. Well, New York has its share of famous graves, most of which go unvisited by travelers (even though the price to do so is free).

Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx is famous for the great jazz legends buried there. In fact, so many are there, the cemetery has its own “jazz corner,” where such greats such as Coleman Hawkins, Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, Miles Davis and Max Roach are found.

Over in Queens is Saint John’s Cemetery, home to the city’s most notorious mafioso, including John Gotti, Lucky Luciano, Joe Colombo, Carlo Gambino and Vito Genovese.

And perhaps most famous, Green-Wood Cemetery in Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn, is the city’s most scenic final resting place. Here you can find the graves of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Henry Ward Beecher, Leonard Bernstein, William “Bill The Butcher” Poole (of Gangs of New York fame), and William Marcy “Boss” Tweed.

• Woodlawn offers guided tours, and directions and information can be found on their site.

• You’re on your own at Saint John’s, but plot locations can be found here.

• The Green-Wood Cemetery site can be found here.

*

Other Helpful Links to Help You Find Free Things to Do In New York City

NYCGO Free Event Listings

Time Out New York’s Guide to Free Things To Do

*

[New York City skyline from the Sheep Meadow in Central Park via Shutterstock; Governors Island by Timothy Schenck Photography courtesy of The Trust for Governors Island; Real Estate performs at Prospect Park Bandshell by John Dalton/Flickr; Rockaway Beach by traxus440/Flickr; The Roof Garden Exhibition by Clare Henry; Shakespeare in the Park by Dan Nguyen/Flickr; Brooklyn Flea by Chris Oakley/Flickr; Jackson Heights by Aleksandr Zykov/Flickr; MOMA via/Shutterstock]

By Matt Stabile /

Matt Stabile is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheExpeditioner.com. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos, purchase the book he co-edited or contact him via email at any time at TheExpeditioner.com.

The post Top 10 Free Things To Do In New York City This Summer appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Where were you on New Year’s Eve? I’m going to guess you probably weren’t hanging around the tops of a couple New York city skyscrapers in Times Square with enough expensive camera equipment in tow to finance the purchase of a small home in Boca Raton.

Lucky for you, The Timelapse Group was, and they captured the images to create this stunning New Year’s Eve timelapse video of Times Square from early in the day before most of the crowds showed up, to the time the ball dropped at midnight.

In case you were wondering, according to their Vimeo page, the video was produced using more than 18,000 still frames, shot over the course of 12 hours from two hotel rooftop locations.

*

For more great travel videos like these, visit our Travel Video group at Vimeo.

By Matt Stabile

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matt Stabile is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheExpeditioner.com. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos, purchase the book he co-edited or contact him via email at any time at TheExpeditioner.com. (@TheExpeditioner)

The post New Year’s Eve + Timelapse Video + Times Square = The Best Travel Video Of 2014 So Far appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Apparently, if an Australian gives your city the thumbs up for being up on the coffee culture, you have succeeded. You see, you may not have known it, but the Australians are actually java connoisseurs, something I learned while reading this recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald, which shows caffeine fanatics where to look in New York for a decent sip of brew.

They not only highlight the cool cafes in Manhattan (such as Bluebird Coffee Shop in the East Village — run by Melbourne expat Alex Hall), but they also knowingly delve into coffee-centric Brooklyn where Toby’s Estate, the well-known Australian coffee company, opened its first American branch.

Still, when reading the article, I had one question burrowing in the back of my brain: Who would have thought that coffee would be loved so much down under (far from the coffee-growing regions of the world)?

Upon further investigation, I learned there is a general consensus that Australians have a strong (or bold?) coffee obsession. They savor Italian-inspired stove-top espressos as well as the divine shot pulled from a La Marzocco machine. So ardent are they in their love of a quality cup, some even claim to detox before venturing to North America to avoid having to succumb to getting their fix in a Starbucks. In fact, it wasn’t too long ago (2008 to be precise), that Starbucks was struggling so much in the Australian market that it had to close 61 of its 84 outlets as a result of the country’s sophisticated coffee palate.

Perhaps it comes down to geography. Perhaps as a result of being simultaneously surrounded by breathtaking scenery and dramatic landscapes, they have become accustomed to the bold and the beautiful. Whatever it is, I am happy that they push the bar and pull the shots.

By Brit Weaver

[Bluebird Coffee Shop by Jill M/Flickr]

About the Author

Toronto born and based, Brit is an avid leisurely cyclist, coffee drinker and under-a-tree park-ist. She often finds herself meandering foreign cities looking for street eats to nibble, trees to climb, a patch of grass to sit on, or a small bookstore to sift through. You can find her musing life on her personal blog, TheBubblesAreDead.wordpress.com.

The post The Australian Coffee Invasion Has Begun In New York appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

I recently picked up an old film camera and thought it would have been the perfect platform to capture the sights and people in New York City’s Chinatown. The gritty streets, cluttered shops and graffiti were effectively emphasized through the medium of black and white film.

It was late in the afternoon during a muggy summer’s day as I walked through Chinatown. It was cooling down and I could feel the heat rising from the pavement. The sun was beginning to set and the lighting was just right.

The first photo I snapped was of this jovial chef standing in his kitchen behind rows of cooked ducks. Due to some previous troubles I’ve had when photographing people, I was careful to not to intrude on his privacy. I was lucky with him though. He managed a smile for me as I was fumbling around getting the manual camera into focus. His smile ending up being framed nicely by the succulent glistening ducks.

As I walked deeper into Chinatown, I became intoxicated by the overwhelming pandemonium — the chaos of sights, smells and movement overstimulated my senses. This was a busier part of the street and I couldn’t remain standing still for long as pedestrians would brush past me.

A shopper looked on intently and began his purchase at the fresh food stall. By now the street merchants had noticed I was stopped in the middle of the street. I raised my camera up to my eye and captured the moment. At the time I don’t remember any specific noise from the merchants, but his mouth is clearly open and it appears to have distracted the shopper. I turned and left, marching on faster, wanting to beat the remaining daylight to finish this last roll of film.

Further down the street I passed a busy merchant who was handling customers alone. With a cigarette propped in his mouth, his hands moved swiftly from vegetables to the weigh scales. The photo portrays his speed with a slight blur on the vegetables he is about to place in the scales. I saw the customer watch on in anticipation of the cost of the final product. Everything happened swift and deftly: the weighing, the exchange of money and the return of the change. He was a master of his own efficiency.

Around the corner I encountered a man who sat calmly and quietly, completely still, his gaze transfixed on the characters in his newspaper. I had managed to sneak unobtrusively into his shop area, and he did not notice that I had stopped and he continued reading on in his own world. The street was quieter around this area, but dirtier. The pavement was splattered with unrecognizable fluids and a pungent odor emanated from an unknown source. I took my time to settle on a composition I liked and focused on him.

Garbage parks itself around a fire hydrant on the street in New York City. There  is an idiosyncrasy to the city’s sidewalks: I have never seen so much trash in the world discarded to the side of the street, but also so quickly picked up and removed. I watched as a passerby meandered through Chinatown. Old rickety garage doors display the “No Parking Anytime” that is so commonly seen throughout the city. To me, the lettering was reminiscent of an old advertisement billboard.

The familiar tinkering sounds of empty soda pop bottles and hollow cans reverberated throughout the street as this lady hurriedly passed me. The cans and bottles were stacked up high. I could feel her sense of urgency, and felt as if I should offer some kind of assistance. In the fleeting encounter I decided and realized all within a moment that it would seem absurd. The rattling continued all the way to the end of the street before she turned the corner.

I came past the man with the newspaper again, whom the surrounding sights, sounds and smells were nothing more than feeble attempts at distractions. A passerby searched intently at the stall for something that might interest him. I noticed the graffiti on the wall, painted in black and white and completely illegible. It was scrappy and emphasized the cluttered nature of the street. Across from the man, many boxes sat propped up next to the street. They performed a great job of cordoning off the road from the pavement.

As nightfall approached I had almost run out of time to take anymore photographs before I snapped this one last gem. A group of people had excitedly huddled around a storefront. Their voices racing, and although they were speaking a different language, their excitement was tangible. I watched as the shop attendant dashed backwards and forwards before I focused on the crowd and took this last photo.

By James Grundy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Grundy devours travel and culture like a shot of tequila and regularly contributes to the youth travel website Wandering Youth. With a penchant for black and white film photography, he covers many areas of youth culture including skateboarding, surfing, photography and youth travel guides. Check it out at WanderingYouth.com.

The post Getting Gritty In New York’s Chinatown: A Tour In Black And White appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

What does New York City look like through the eyes of a San Franciscan? How about through the camera lens of a San Franciscan videographer/production company founder who’s in town for 12 days?

This video, from Brian of Sunset District Pictures, takes a look at New York through one second snippets of footage (reduced down in slow motion for full artistic effect), which results in a stunning portrait of a city full of unforgettable images and experiences. Although I can assure you, the real thing is even better when experienced beyond one second.

By Matt Stabile

About the Author

Matt Stabile is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Expeditioner. The Expeditioner began in 2008 and is headquartered in New York City. You can read his writings, watch his travel videos or contact him at any time at TheExpeditioner.com. (@TheExpeditioner)

The post Here’s What New York City Looks Like In One Second Snippets [Video] appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

In the recently aired series finale of No Reservations, Tony, while exploring Brooklyn, had the awesomely crazy coincidence of eating a Caribbean meal with Brooklyn native Michael K. Williams (or Omar as he’s better known from The Wire) in Crown Heights when, who should show up, but Jamie Hector, the actor who played Marlo Stanfield, bitter rival to Omar in the show (there to order up a big to-go cup of sea moss — a Caribbean drink made with seaweed extracts and known for its, as Omar points out, baby-making nutritional value).

[No Reservations: Bourdain Visits Crown Heights]

The post Watch As Omar From “The Wire” Runs Into Rival Gang Member With Bourdain [Video] appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

We at The Expeditioner know you’ve heard about the sights, nightlife and legendary attitude of New York a million times. So we’re going to focus on something just as important: the food. And hopefully we’ll introduce you to a few New York landmarks you’ve never heard of.

Now, we know what you’re thinking, it must have taken ages (not to mention lots of money) for us to run all over town sampling New York’s finest eats. Well, not that we wouldn’t do that for our dear readers. But, luckily for us, we didn’t have to. This summer, chefs from some of the tastiest restaurants across the five boroughs gathered in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, for The Great Googa Mooga, a two-day food and music extravaganza. I and my trusty photographer were on hand both days to brave the extreme temperatures, four-hour lines and disturbing lack of water to bring you a list of some of the best places to eat here in New York. You’re welcome.

Here were some of our favorites from the festival and where you can find them around the city.

Appe-Teasers

First things first. Before we go telling you where to go to stuff yourself until you can’t see straight (and don’t worry, we’ll get to that), here are a few places with delectable small bites. After all, slow and steady wins the race.

Souvlaki GR

The Greeks are great at a lot of things, such as creating democracy, pontificating about philosophy and festively breaking dishes. But, if there’s one thing the Greeks are really great at, it’s cooking. We New Yorkers are extremely proud of the fact that you can find any type of cuisine in our fair city, and that it will taste as good as it would in its home country. So, when I tell you that you don’t need to go to Greece to get amazing souvlaki, I speak the truth. The namesake of this Lower East Side eatery, available in pork and chicken, is juicy, tender, tasty and, best of all, portable, since it comes on a stick. Craving more than just meat? We recommend the Greek fries, which are hand-cut and sprinkled with Feta cheese.

Arancini Bros.

The Arancini Bros. are famous for one thing and one thing only: balls. Rice balls, that is. Arancini is actually the Italian word for these deep-fried wonders. So, unfortunately, you won’t find any picturesquely mustachioed members of the Arancini family at this Brooklyn-based establishment. Or any brothers, so far as we know. But you will find over 20 types of rice balls, both sweet and savory. Some of our favorites include the Lobster, Three Cheese, Strawberry Mascarpone and Nutella. And, no, we didn’t try them all in one sitting. Okay, yes we did. Don’t judge us.

First Course: Between the Bread

It is a truth universally acknowledged that almost everything tastes better between two slices of bread. So, fittingly, the next few stops on our food tour feature the kind of delectable sandwiches that lunchboxes all over the nation dream about at night.

Little Muenster

Just down the block from Souvlaki GR, you’ll find Little Muenster, a specialty restaurant whose tagline is “Super Fancy Grilled Cheese.” We couldn’t have put it better ourselves. At The Great Googa Mooga, we waited two-and-a-half hours for our sandwich from Little Muenster. Actually, in the interest of full disclosure, I waited two-and-a-half hours for our sandwich. My trusty photographer sidekick was on the beer line (for an equally long time, I might add).

Anyway, during the wait, all I kept thinking was, “There is no way this sandwich is going to be worth all this suffering.” But, for the sake of the faithful Expeditioner readers, I stuck it out. Finally, I got to the front, ordered our sandwich: a blend of Oaxaca and Cotija cheeses with corn puree, jalapeño and tomatillo, and hunted down my sidekick and our brews. After that, I ate my words. Literally.

This sandwich was so good that, if there had been enough hours in the day, I would have gotten back on line for a second one. And then a third. The organic bread was crunchy and buttery. The cheese was creamy and gooey. The corn puree, jalapeño and tomatillos were flavorful and spicy. Little Muenster is all about comfort food to the umpteenth degree. At the restaurant, you’ll find seven more grilled cheese varieties, from the classic (White American and Bacon) to the upscale (Asiago, Parmesan, Butternut Squash and Sage Brown Butter) as well as Tomato Soup for dipping.

Porchetta

There was one food stand that my partner insisted we try: Porchetta. This East Village spot has a simplistic approach to food. They marinate the pork in a variety of herbs and spices, cook it slowly at a low temperature, slice it, slap it on a thick bun and blow your mind with it. The meat is tender and melt-in-your-mouth good, the bread is soft and tasty, and the combo is filling enough to make the hungriest carnivore roar with delight. Porchetta’s menu is a bit small, as it’s basically just the sandwich, a soup, a salad and some sides, but with a namesake this good, what more do you need?

Kutsher’s Tribeca

One of the most storied sandwiches in New York is the pastrami on rye. You’ll find it nearly any place sandwiches are made. However, if you’re going to do it right, you’ve got to get one from a kosher deli. Kutsher’s Tribeca, an upscale Jewish American restaurant, is a bit pricey, but absolutely worth it. Their house-cured pastrami is tender, smoky, peppery and tastes divine on rye bread, with or without mustard. Kutsher’s also serves up a variety of other kosher favorites, including Reuben sandwiches, Mrs. Kutsher’s matzo ball soup and bagels with shmear. Don’t forget to eat your pickles!

Second Course: Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? Who Cares? Let’s Eat It

Red Rooster

In case you didn’t know, this Harlem-based soul food joint from famed chef Marcus Samuelsson is very popular. So popular, in fact, that it often takes weeks to get a reservation. We were able to cut down on this time (slightly) by waiting in line here. However, those in-the-know are privy to the fact that you can skip the lines and reservations by sitting at the restaurant’s bar. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone else!

The Red Rooster booth here — which was manned by Samuelsson himself — served up Berbere roasted chicken with barbecue sauce. Though they sold like the proverbial hotcakes, we were able to get our hands on a plate, and it was life-changing. The only way to describe it would be to say that it was everything you would ever want in a chicken and barbecue sauce dish: perfectly seasoned chicken; sweet, sugary sauce; and ooey, gooey messiness. The kind of meal where half is left on your face and fingers after you’re finished. And, let’s face it, you wouldn’t have it any other way. Uptown at the actual restaurant, you’ll find a menu chock-full of other soul food faves like corn bread, grits and collard greens.

Kasadela Izakaya

An Izakaya is a Japanese restaurant/bar popular among businesspeople for the Far East version of Happy Hour. At Kasadela Izakaya, you’ll find the atmosphere and, thankfully, the menu of a Tokyo sake den in Manhattan’s East Village. Best of all, everything on the menu is reasonably priced, so you can try a few different dishes (or sakes) without breaking the bank. We recommend the Tebasaki, which are Japanese-style chicken wings. The wings are double-fried without batter or breadcrumbs and coated in soy sauce, black pepper and garlic, resulting in a dish so juicy, spicy and finger-licking good, it’s nearly indescribable.

Looking for some small bites to go along with your sake? Try the Nori, which is roasted seaweed. We were a bit scared of it at first, thinking it would look (and taste) like the kind of seaweed you see floating past your legs at nearby Rockaway Beach. But it was warm, crunchy, salty and melted in your mouth, like a healthier version of potato chips.

Get Your Just Desserts

By the time we got to dessert at Googa Mooga, we were tired, hot, stuffed and wanted nothing more than to go home and rest. Until we heard what was available, that is.

Momofuku Milk Bar

Three words: birthday, cake and truffles. These were the hands-down best things we ate over our entire two-day stint at Googa Mooga. They were so good, in fact, that I’ve been back to Momofuku twice since, even though it’s totally out of my way when I’m commuting home from work.

Imagine a ball of cake batter mixed with sprinkles, covered in powdered sugar and ready to eat (but without the risk of salmonella from eating raw eggs) and you’ll know what it’s like to have a Momofuku Birthday Cake Truffle. At the festival, we bought a pack of three. We each ate one. Then, though they are about the size of a Snapple cap, we cut the third one in half to maximize the amount of truffle we got to eat. They’re that good. Even better, Momofuku has a full menu of sweets, including pies, cookies, ice cream and more truffle flavors.

Big Gay Ice Cream Shop

This East Village sweet shop has some of the best homemade ice cream flavors in town, paired with some of the most unique toppings (sea salt and cayenne pepper, really?). BGICS is the kind of place where you look at the menu, think “that can’t be good,” and then get pleasantly surprised.

For example, at The Great Googa Mooga, they were serving up Ginger Curry Milkshakes. “That can’t be good,” I thought, picturing the pinkish flakes I always — ahem — gingerly scrape off my sushi with a look of disgust. And then, you guessed it, I was pleasantly surprised. The flavor was there, but sweeter, and light enough that you weren’t overwhelmed by it. Plus, the shake had the perfect level of creaminess and didn’t get watery, despite the heat of the day. At the actual shop, you’ll find a great selection of ice creams and toppings, as well as offerings from such other New York eateries as Melt Bakery, Danny Macaroons and La Newyorkina.

But wait, there’s more! The Big Gay Ice Cream Shop is also available in truck form! Check out their official website or Twitter feed to find out where you can catch the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck.

Pass the Pepto

There you have it, foodies. Some great places to try in New York City this fall. I don’t know about you, but I am stuffed. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go take a nice, long, carb-filled nap. Happy eating!

*

Souvlaki GR
Souvlakigr.com
116 Stanton Street

Arancini Bros.
Arancinibros.com
940 Flushing Avenue (Brooklyn)

Little Muenster
Littlemuenster.com
110 Stanton Street

Porchetta
Porchettanyc.com
110 East 7th Street

Kutsher’s Tribeca
Kutsherstribeca.com
186 Franklin Street

Red Rooster
Redroosterharlem.com
310 Malcolm X Boulevard

Kasadela Izakaya
Kasadela.com
647 East 11th Street

Momofuku Milk Bar
Momofuku.com
251 East 13th Street

Big Gay Ice Cream Shop
Biggayicecream.com
125 East 7th Street

By Cindy Klimek

[All photographs by Alexis Michalakis]

About the Author

Cindy Klimek is a Brooklyn, New York, native and recent graduate of the University of Sussex in Brighton, England. She aspires to become a multilingual travel writer/filthy rich jetsetter.

Alexis Michalakis is a photographer/foodie/food pic aficionado from Brooklyn, New York. She is currently working on a coffee table book of her work. The girls have been friends since freshman year of high school. This is their first creative collaboration.

The post Where To Eat In New York City This Fall appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Just in case you were one of the 50.6 million visitors to New York City last year, and you happen to be a germaphobe (or have a healthy aversion to the sudden onset of stomach ailments), you may want to think twice about not washing your hands after using a local taxi. New York magazine recently swabbed the door handles and seats of a random sample of New York city taxicabs and sent the samples to the NYU Langone Medical Center microbiology specialist Dr. Philip Tierno to find out what was lurking there.

The results weren’t good.

Tierno noted the presence of mold, E. coli, oral organisms (which are found in saliva), and, unnervingly, what was either vaginal or anal yeast. Staphylococcus aureus and staphylococcus epidermidis were also detected on several backseats. (In fairness, Tierno says that most of the bacteria his lab discovered already exists in or on the human body, anyway.)

Touching your mouth or nose after coming into contact with these microbes can cause a taxi-goer to become infected with toxic-shock symptoms, wound infections and/or severe diarrhea from these microbes, ailments once reserved for those who inexplicably ordered hot dogs from street vendors around the city.

Tierno goes on to note that as a good precaution, just like after you go to the bathroom, visit the doctor’s office or shop at an American Apparel store, make sure you wash your hands as soon as possible, don’t shirk on the use of hand sanitizer, and avoid touching your face as much as possible (remember Gwyneth Paltrow in Contagion?).

[How Gross Is Your Taxi?]

The post Thinking Of Not Washing Your Hands After Taking A Taxi In New York City? Think Again appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

If you hadn’t heard already, One World Trade Center (the building formerly known as the Freedom Tower) just reached 100 stories high and is well on its way to becoming the tallest building in North America. In honor of the milestone, MSNBC sent a photographer up to the 69th floor to see what the views are like 2/3 of the way, and they are already stupendous.

Above is a snapshot of the view looking north over Manhattan with the Empire State Building in the distance. On their site you can utilize their interactive photo-thingy (to use technical terms) to scan the view from Brooklyn (east) to New Jersey (west). For more pictures, including what the new 9/11 Memorial looks like from hundreds of feet in the air, click though to the site.

The post Check Out The Incredible Views From One World Trade Center appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Mealworm sushi from a past Explorers Club annual dinner.

If python, larvae, scorpion, jellyfish and yak were on the dinner menu, one may assume a night camping in an Amazonian jungle was in store. But don’t start stuffing your pack with teepee and GORP just yet, because this dinner is taking place in New York City — and you’ll need a tuxedo.

On March 17th the 1904-founded Explorers Club (whose members run the gamut from the late mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary to astronaut Buzz Aldrin to marine biologist Sylvia Earle) will hold its annual black-tie member dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. As tradition dictates, the cocktail hour prior to the main dinner will feature an array of peculiar culinary curiosities.

Gene Rurka, 64, dubbed the culinary curiosities curator of the club, has been spearheading the dinner for over a decade. “We’re getting a little soft with our eating habits,” he said in an interview. “The rest of the world has a larger variation of proteins. Americans primarily eat factory-raised chicken, beef, and pork. I hope these unusual appetizers will broaden people’s minds.”

Explorers Club members are no strangers to roughing it in subpar conditions. For example, Danish explorer and club member Peter Freuchen (1886-1957), whose portrait hangs on the sixth floor in the club’s renowned Trophy Room (vegans stay far away — this room is lined with vintage taxidermies) was once trapped by ice in Baffin Island, Canada. Finding himself with no means of escape, legend has it that Freuchen ingeniously pooped (yes, you read that right) in his hand, waited until his fecal matter was rock-hard frozen, and used his homegrown “shit knife” to chip his way to freedom.

As reported by ExpeditionNews.com, Freuchen later wrote, “Repulsive as the thought was, I decided to try the experiment. I moved my bowels and from the excrement I managed to fashion a chesellike instrument which I left to freeze. This time I was patient, I did not want to risk breaking my new tool by using it too soon.  At last I decided to try my chisel, and it worked! Very gently and slowly I worked on the hole.”

So it’s only natural that the most crusty men and women on the planet should feel right at home during the gala dinner.

What can members look forward to this year? “I source animals that are normally considered inedible or pests,” Rurka explains. “This is an experiment in sustainable, alternative forms of food.” For example, Python Patties and Stir-Fried Jellyfish will make an appearance at the party.

“The python population is out of control in Florida — it has nearly wiped out the raccoons. And jellyfish normally aren’t thought of as a food source, even though they are overabundant on the East and West Coasts.” Jellyfish can also be dehydrated, shipped to hunger-stricken third world countries, and re-hydrated for sustenance, says Rurka. “Here, the shipping carbon footprint would be pretty low.”

Rurka plans on soaking the jellyfish in a marinade of white soy sauce (a dark soy sauce would splatter and stain the ladies’ evening gowns, he thoughtfully explains), sesame oil and vinegar. “It will look like a small, flat noodle.” Scorpions, earthworms and cockroaches will also be made into appetizers.

While these ingredients may sound downright disgusting in their original state (although with their low-fat content and sustainable farming, bugs are projected to be the super-protein of the future [we have a lot to look forward to folks!]), many say they are delicious. “Part of the fun is walking around to each station, and seeing people actually like the food, despite its foreignness,” says Rurka. What is he particularly excited about this year? Tasmanian leatherwood honey. “This a great ingredient, it has a distinct flavor — I’m infusing big, juicy Madagascar hissing cockroaches with it. I raised these guys myself.” For the majority of the year, Rurka runs a farm 45 minutes outside of Manhattan.

While it’s fun to imagine people in fancy clothes eating bugs, the culinary curiosities table has a more complex rhetoric at play. With Earth’s 7 billion-plus population, the unusual appetizers are actually a commentary on world hunger. Our current methods of factory farming and genetically engineered crops (whose very nature promotes massive increases in herbicides and pesticides) are not only unsustainable, but also detrimental to our well-being and to the health of our planet.

At the dinner this Saturday, as black-tie- and-gown-clad men and women mill about, it won’t be a surprise that what were once considered throwaway parts will now be coveted components of the appetizer list. Food sources that were common 50 years ago are now exotic, if not extinct. Rurka explains even organ meats are foreign now. “You used to be able to get a good tongue sandwich in New York. Now a tongue sandwich is 30 dollars!”

 [Photo by Jeff Blumenfeld/ExpeditionNews.com]

By Jenna Blumenfeld

About the Author

Jenna Blumenfeld, (Jenna Ogden Blumenfeld when she’s in really big trouble) hails from the wee state of Connecticut. Although her childhood dream of becoming a bug doctor — with a specialization in ladybugs — has gone unfulfilled, she is content writing about travel, cuisine and culture. A vegetarian, she currently resides in the food hub of Boulder, Colorado. Read more of her food-centric writing at NewHope360.com.

The post Waiter, There’s A Bug In My Appetizer appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

The opening of the National September 11 Memorial Museum is being pushed back from its scheduled September 2012 opening date. The construction of the newly-opened memorial and the accompanying museum is a joint project between The National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center Foundation, Inc. and The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, two entities that have recently been at each others’ throats over cost overruns on the project amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.

As The WSJ reports, “[f]ueling the battle is $156 million that the Port Authority . . . says the foundation owes for construction costs. Port Authority officials have said privately they are concerned about the museum having enough money to finish the job, people familiar with the dispute said.”

For visitors to the site, rest assured that the memorial itself was opened on time, and tickets — though somewhat hard to come by — are available here at the 9/11 Memorial’s web site.

The post September 11 Museum Opening Pushed Back Past 11th Anniversary appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

New York may not be L.A. when it comes to attending live broadcasts of TV shows, but it’s at least a close second (followed by Chicago, Miami, and surprisingly Tulsa — it’s true, look it up). Here are some of my picks and how to score tickets.

For those of you looking for a little political satire, both The Daily Show and the Colbert Report are taped in New York. For the best chance, follow their Twitter feeds for ticket alerts (@DailyTix).

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Colbert Report

If you’re looking for some late-night action, both Letterman and Jimmy Fallon tape shows all week, and SNL goes live beginning in the fall and lasts through the winter.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Show with David Letterman

For SNL, stand-by tickets are distributed at 7 a.m. on the 49th Street side of 30 Rockefeller Plaza on the mornings of the tapings for both the 8 p.m. dress rehearsal and the 11:30 p.m. live taping.

Saturday Night Live

If you are a stronger person than I, there are several other options such as The Rachel Ray Show, The Tyra Banks Show, The Martha Stewart Show, Live! With Regis and Kelly, and, gulp, The View.

For a full list of links on scoring tickets for these shows as well as a few others, check out NewYorkology here.

The post How To Score TV Studio Tickets In New York City appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Who better to let you in on the secrets of New York City’s famed Chinatown than a real-life tour guide? (A dream job in my book). From the neighborhood’s Jewish past to the seedy opium dens that you can still visit today, join host extraordinaire Rob Hollander for an insider’s look at Chinatown.

The post Video: Visit Opium Dens In New York (And Other Reasons To Visit NYC’s Chinatown) appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Other insights our dishy vendor gives is that celebrities often frequent them (Richard Simmons even tries to cut the line), they are quite charitable to the homeless, and bathroom breaks are infrequent — if any at all. Keep that in mind next time when you’re considering what to tip.

[A New York City Street Vendor/Flickr]

The post New York City Food Vendor Tells All appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Sure, you could do the desirable task of finding the best tapas in New York City — a city that is rife with neighborhood tapas joints — by simply eating your way through the myriad of options. But if you’re limited on time, money, and/or allowance on waistline expansion, then I suggest you simply check out this definitive list from local travel show celebrity AnneLise for her picks on where to find the best tapas in New York.

Looking for something a little more in the Catalan tradition of tapas? Try Las Ramblas, in the West Village, for their bright-red pimientos del piquillo stuffed with blood sausage and saffron rice, and their creamy ham croquettes, or head east to the Flatiron staple Boqueria (named after the famed market in Barcelona) for “Catalunya’s best-known staple, pa amb tomaquet, grilled bread rubbed with tomato and drizzled in olive oil.”

And if celebrity chefs/restaurateurs are your thing, of course New York has a couple options. He of the Crocs and odd ponytail, Mario Batali, is well known for his Casa Mono, which specializes in Andalucian fare and has enough bottles of wine on hand to ensure that even those with the highest of tolerances may be tricked into thinking they’ve landed on the Iberian peninsula.

And finally, Bar Basque, from Jeffrey Chodorow, takes tapas to the upscale in this Midtown establishment. Though the food may elevate the senses, the atmosphere isn’t exactly authentic Spain (the NY Times memorably described it as a “strange, glass-walled and tube-shaped spaceship” in its one-star review this February).

Click here for the full list of great tapas.

The post The Best Tapas In New York City appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

In a city where the average hotel rate is a robust $310 (up 13% from September 2009 to September 2010), it’s a no-brainer that budget travelers (or any traveler, really) should explore the possibility of staying in one of New York’s hostels to save money. (And, yes, there are hostel opportunities in the city).

The Washington Post recently stayed over at four of the best hostels in New York — whose prices ranged from $39 (Hostelling International), $20 (New York Loft Hostel) and even as cheap as $15 (Tone on Lex) — and found that they really liked them (no bed bug stories!). The one I’m most familiar — not least of which because it’s down the street from the The Expeditioner headquarters — is the New York Loft Hostel, which, given its location in the young, hip, and travel blogging-friendly ‘hood of Williamsburg/Bushwick, Brooklyn, is probably the most popular with the traditional backpacking crowd.

I’ve also stayed in quite a few hostels in my day, but I have to say, this has got to be the only one I’ve seen that has a gourmet kitchen, complete with hostelgoers actually using it (and not just to drink in!). Another perk of hostels: just try making your own grass-fed, organic grilled cheese sandwich with gluten-free bread in the kitchen at the Waldorf Astoria at 3 in the morning and not get kicked out. Yeah, not happening.

The post Your Guide To The Best New York Hostels appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Congrats New York City, despite recessions, snowpocalypses and life-threatening comic b0ok musicals, you manged to break all previous numbers by welcoming a record 48.7 million visitors in 2010, 9.7 million of whom were international visitors. That translates into roughly $31 billion for the city and 300,000 jobs. Now if we could just convince more visitors to stray from Times Square . . .

The post New York City Breaks Tourism Records In 2010 appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

By Grashina Gabelmann

Warhol: the glasses-wearing, shiny silver haired artist who invented and perfected pop art and rightly predicted everyone is to have their 15 minutes of fame. His art, books, movies and legacy are rooted deeply in our culture and if you find yourself in New York City you can discover where he partied, ate and created. Step back into New York’s grimy 70s scene where Warhol ruled the night turning girls into superstars and bars into “hipster hot spots”.

1) Head over to Serendipity 3 Diner (225 East 60th Street), famous for its outrageously delicious sundaes. Warhol satisfied his sweet tooth here way before his Factory days. He used to pay his food in drawings.

I had to wait ages to get a table, but once I was sitting in a booth surrounded by colorful chandeliers, tastefully tacky ceramic, glass and crystal decorations sipping my Frozen Hot Chocolate (a secret blend of 14 types of cocoa, topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings), I was feeling pretty all right.

2) Check out where infamous Studio 54 used to be (255 West 54th Street) — a club so exclusive that Frank Sinatra, Woody Allen and Diane Keaton were denied its Wonderland-like pleasures on the opening night.

As I approached the spot I closed my eyes and imagined Warhol strutting past me and the red velvet rope with no effort at all with “it-girl” Edie Sedwick in tow wearing belly button-reaching earrings, a fluffy fur coat and eyelashes so long and thick her eye color remained a mystery. Today, the club is now a Broadway theater, but hey, you can still say you’ve been there.

3) Head over to club and restaurant Max’s Kansas City (213 Park Avenue South) which, being the meeting place for poets, musicians and artists in the 60’s and 70’s, was the beating heart of New York’s pop culture. Warhol’s cohort Glenn O’Brien recalls: “In one corner was a big Dan Flavin fluorescent sculpture, which bathed the room in a reddish light, earning it the nickname ‘Bucket of Blood.’ In the opposite corner was the round table, a black vinyl banquette. Like the Round Table at Camelot, this table ruled the roost. This is where Andy sat.”

There is an unspectacular diner where Max’s used to be, but I was adamant to get a feel for the place that once was, so I came back armed with my iPod in ear playing The Velvet Underground live at Max’s Kansas City and the book Max’s Kansas City: Art, Glamour and Rock and Roll by Steven Kasher in hand. I drowned out my fluorescent surroundings and with the help of my book and music I felt taken back into time.

4) There is no avoiding Hotel Chelsea (222 West 23rd Street) on your Warhol pilgrimage. The hotel still operates today and is known for its famous residents including Bob Dylan, Jack Kerouac (he wrote On the Road there), Patti Smith and Jimi Hendrix to name but a few. Warhol’s film Chelsea Girls was filmed there depicting the life of Chelsea residents including Edie Sedwick and Brigid Berlin.

Walking in I could have easily mistaken the lobby for an art gallery. As the broke and not-yet-famous residents used to pay their rent in art, the walls bear home to a random and eclectic mix of paintings that are now probably worth just about as much as the hotel itself. The bar was being renovated when I was there but I am jealous to say it is open now.

5) Check out 192 Books (192 Tenth Avenue) an independent bookshop where you can poke your nose in the current issue of Interview Magazine, a magazine founded by Warhol in 1969. Steven Heller, Interview’s designer in the 70’s said: “Interview evolved into the definitive guide to the most significant stars of today and tomorrow and it was the first magazine to employ a unique Q&A format to delve candidly into the minds of celebrities, artists, politicians, filmmakers, musicians and literary figures. In many of the issues, celebrities interview other celebrities, which was a Warholian conceit that gave Interview its deliciously voyeuristic appeal.” The publication maintains its Pop-Arty vibe and its revealing interviews making it an interesting and beautiful publication to this day.

6) Don’t miss a collection of soup cans, Marilyn Monroes and car crash silkscreens at MoMA (11 West 53rd Street). Though I have seen Warhol’s art in London’s Tate Modern I felt a certain pleasure to be around these monumental works of art again. We grow up seeing his work on postcards, replicated onto canvases, mugs and T-shirts, so you might think seeing them in real life is completely unspectacular, but, at least for me, the opposite is true. You are face-to-face with the most recognizable pieces of art the 20th Century has to offer in the city where it was created. I’ll take that over a Da Vinci any day.

7) In 1968, Andy moved the Factory to the sixth floor of the Decker Building (33 Union Square West) from its original location in East 47th Street (the building does not exist anymore). It was here in the same year that Warhol survived an attempted assassination by the radical feminist Valerie Solanas. As bustling as Union Square might be this is hands down the most eerie spot on the Warhol tour to visit. After staring hard enough I swear I saw a washed-out, blood stain on the pavement. I call it being immersed, not crazy.

* * *

Sure the New York of today is worlds apart from what Warhol experienced, but use these spots to transport you to a Zeitgeist long gone and let your imagination take a hold of you.

About the Author

Features Editor of a London culture magazine:Flamingo Magazine, daughter of a pair of globetrotters and lover of men, gin and New York, Grashina is pursuing the only sensible career for a curious and wordy explorer . . . she’s agitating the gravel and you can read about it at AgitateTheGravel.com.

[Chelsea Hotel by Stephen Balleger/Flickr]

The post 7 Ways To Relive Andy Warhol’s New York appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.