Travelling to New York? Bring along your dog.
People often wonder what to see in New York, what guidebook to consult, whose recommendations to heed, what time of year to visit…I would like to offer that visiting New York with a friendly dog is an excellent way to see New York and to meet New Yorkers.Dog in tow, you won’t be able to enter the M.E.T or MoMA, but perhaps you’ve seen the current exhibition elsewhere, or perhaps you visit museums because you think you ought to. Visiting New York with a dog means that you will enjoy the city and her residents in a way no guidebook, nor concierge, not even, or perhaps only, Bill Fischer can arrange without renting you a dog.People who love dogs are the warmest people. Whether or not they own a dog, people who like dogs are worth liking. Bring your dog to New York and you’ll meet people worth meeting.New York can use some warming up. I lived in a building of Gramercy Park for several years knowing no one, no one knowing me, until I adopted a castaway Dalmation named Coco who soon became my identity in my building and neighborhood. I became known to the dog-owning and dog-loving population in my building and my neighborhood as Coco’s mother.Here is my short list of places where you and your dog can fall in love with New York, and her residents.If you are coming downtown with your dog, stay at theSoho Grand310 West Broadway @ Canal & Grand (212) 965-3000If you are coming uptown, stay at the Lowell.28 East 63rd Street @ Madison & Park Avenues (212) 838-1400 The Carlyle35 East 76th Street @ Park & Madison Avenues (212) 744-1600Many neighborhood restaurants with sidewalk tables accommodate diners with dogs. Officially you may not bring a dog to the restaurant, but many restaurants permit dogs under toe at their café tables. Rather than bring the attention of the Department of Health to the establishments we like, let’s say that the neighborhoods with lots of outdoor cafes are Battery Park, the East Village, Union Square, Gramercy, the Upper East Side and Upper West Side.For sure, you can bring your dog to Shake ShackMadison Square Park @ 23rd & Madison (212) 889-6600There are recommendations on dog-friendly bars for the public at Chow Hound.If you’d like to outfit your dog with luxuries or necessities, you’ll want to visitCanine Styles Uptown1195 Lexington Avenue @ 81st & 82nd Streets (212) 472-9440trixie + peanut23 East 20th Street @ Broadway & Park Avenue South (212) 358-0881And don’t miss Central Park. The park’s 843 acres provide miles of walking paths and its green lawns are often overflowing with friendly dogs. Local playgroups dot the park and provide ample socialization. There are a few rules you need to obey. Keep your dog on a short leash between 9 am and 9 pm. If your dog is aggressive, never let him off the leash. Finally, always pick up after your dog. Central Park Paws lists more information.For more information, visit the dog listings at My Urban Sherpa or UrbanHound.com
Frog Exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History
In one hour of a hot afternoon you can visit a colorful selection of frogs in a comfortable air-conditioned wing of the museum. The frogs come from the same farm that raises the snakes, though their ancestries range from Africa to South America, Asia and America. Knowledgeable docents and interactive displays enhance the exhibit: one interactive display illustrates frog sounds, another is a virtual dissection. How nice to get that experience without torturing the poor frog or the poor child tortured by the torturing.
A nice break from the pace and heat of the city.
Filed under Children in New York City, Enjoying New York City, Museums, Navigating New York | Comment (0)New York Tourist Sites: Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
The recently refurbished Ellis Island joins the Statue of Liberty as stop number two from a Circle Line cruise boat that departs from Castle Clinton each day from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm every 30 minutes. Castle Clinton is found at the South West base of Manhattan in Battery Park.The NYC Department of Parks and Recreation staff has inadvertently created a scenario that enables visitors to share the frustration that the original immigrants, those arriving in New York via Ellis Island from 1892 until 1954 must have felt. Long lines, security stations, and mobs of people give you a glimpse of what 20th century immigrants faced. On a beautiful day in June, the short jaunt across the Hudson that is scheduled to take 20 minutes, took two hours, so you know.The Statue of Liberty is beautiful, and historic, and the views of Manhattan from the water are spectacular. Ellis Island is a masterful renovation of a National Monument.If you are short on time however, Ellis Island, might best be seen from the Manhattan shoreline, and visited in the beautiful book Ellis Island: Ghosts of Freedom, with photographs by Stephen Wilkes, an introduction by Bill Bradley, in an elegant presentation by SamataMason, published 2006.What cannot be captured in a book, or from the comfort of your home are New York’s fabulous neighborhoods. My advice is to get lost in Chinatown, the Lower East Side, or Little Italy. From there, it is a short walk to Battery Park, where you can enjoy the beauty of the Statue of Liberty, and the promise of Ellis Island, without the inconvenience of the lines, the wait, or the crowds.
Central Park
Central Park is free. Free to enjoy are gardens, lakes, fauna, and pop-up entertainment. Even a quick pass through the park will add joy to the day.
Sheep Meadow is an open field for lying about.
The sparkle in the Park is added by the city’s residents who pass through on route to work or play, to walk their dogs, stroll with loved ones, or earn a few dollars by playing their instruments. These touches of magic you must discover yourself.
Filed under Enjoying New York City, Navigating New York, New York City, Urban Life | Comment (0)
