Going to NYC, new to the city Options

[freeridefight]

I'm going to NYC March 10-17 for a Model UN convention and I have no idea what to do. How much money to bring for a week, where to eat, where to shop, what to wear, little tips and tricks, hot parts of thw town, what to do. I'm staying in the hilton hotel, and wanna have a great time. You New Yorkers, tell me some things.

[hi-C]

My favorite parts of town are Union Square, the East Village, and the LES (not to mention BROOKLYN! f*cking love Brooklyn). I begrudgingly began to like the West Village towards the end of my school career, specifically because of $3.50 margaritas. Damn, I sound like such an NYU kid.

If you're into H&M there's a gigantic one near Rockefeller Center. If you wanna go to Soho to shop, the cheaper places are all along Broadway. The pricier places are east and west of there.

Food's gonna get kinda expensive but if you ever find yourself near NYU, make a trip to Mamouns, a Middle Eastern hole-in-the-wall on MacDougal (there's one on St. Marks, but it's not the original). They have falafels, chicken kebabs, shawarma, etc, and most sandwiches are under $3 (a falafel is $2.50; they used to be $2, but the stupid economy made them go up). And if you like falafels there, go to Moaz Vegetarian (there's one on 8th st around University Place and another one on 17th st, near Union Square). Their falafels are more expensive than Mamouns but they have a toppings bar with a whole bunch of tasty items, like cucumbers and roasted cauliflower, and different sauces (there's a yogurt sauce and a few salsas).

OH! Speaking of St. Marks, just off of it, on 2nd Ave is a Belgian fries place called Pommes Frites. They serve awesomely thick cut fries and a myriad of sauces. My favorite is barbecue but they have crazier flavors like pomegranate teriyaki, and something with pineapple, and Irish curry, and blue cheese, and rosemary garlic. Makes me hungry just thinking about it.

As for where to go, my favorite places to take visitors are the Toys R Us in Times Square (it has a ferris wheel!), FAO Schwartz, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, Washington Square, and the Empire State Building.

Also! If you want to take in a show, a lot of have (student) rush tickets where when you show up the day of when the theater's box office opens, you can get deeply discounted tickets. I was in the front row center for the Color Purple and only paid $25.50 or something like that. I think most rush tickets for Broadway shows are $25; I think they might be cheaper around Lincoln Center (if you wanted to see an opera, ballet, or an orchestra).

Hm. This post was a lot longer than I thought it was going to be.