This upcoming weekend will be the inaugural BrittCon Event, 2008 in none other than New York City.  Since BrittCon is in my hometown… I figured I would help prepare BrittCon attendees by giving them a little information about touristy stuff from a local perspective.  All of this is information will be broken down by borough area they want to see.

Mid-town Manhattan

The true tourist mecca of New York City is contained in the area known as Mid-town Manhattan.  With so much to see, so much to do, you’ll have to choose wisely lest you miss your flight home.

Mid-town Sights

• Times Square @ 42 Street and Broadway/7th Avenue - The Crossroads of the World is actually an eight block tourist trap.  The bright lights that turn night into day have entranced many a mid-westerner into a stupor leading them to get hit by a cab.  Some sights within the “Square” are the MTV Building @ 1515 Broadway, the Virgin Megastore, Toys R Us (a MUST visit for the indoor ferris wheel alone), M&Ms World, Hershey’s Chocolate World, The Ed Sullivan Theater @ 1697 Broadway, and the HBO Shop @ 1100 Broadway.
• The New York Public Library @ 455 5th Avenue (between 40th and 42nd Streets) - It may take some Patience and Fortitude to pull yourself away into the world of books… but just think about both the Ghostbusters and The Day After Tomorrow significance.
• The Empire State Building @ 5th Avenue and 34th Street - King Kong ain’t got nuthin’ on this building… at least not anymore.
• Madison Square Garden @ 7th Avenue and 33rd Street - So, how about those Knicks?  Yeah… they suck… but The Artist Formerly Known As Squiggly Line played here!
• The Naked Cowboy @ Times Square - If you can catch a picture of him in front of M&M’s World, you have blogging gold! [Link]
• Rockefeller Center @ Between 5th and 6th Avenue and 48-51 Street - Prometheus, Atlas, the Peacock Network and The Rockettes can all be found here.
• St. Patrick’s Cathederal @ 5th Avenue and 50 Street - The home of the current, and past, Cardinals of New York.  The Pope was here too.  A few of them.
• The United Nations Headquarters @ 1st Avenue and 42 Street - The site of daily protests on everything from Tibet to Darfur.  This is also the business place of people who owe the city a bazillion dollars in unpaid parking tickets.  Throw eggs at will.

And that’s just naming the big things…

Mid-Town Food

• Carmine’s @ 200 W. 44th Street/Broadway - Got a family?  Eat family style!
• Hallo Berlin @ 626 10th Avenue (44th Street) - Ya!  German fare!  More importantly, German beer!  Ya!
• Gray’s Papaya @ 539 8th Avenue (37th Street) - Made famous by the last bastion of the $1.00 hot dog… the dogs are now $1.25… but not a better one can be found!  When in doubt, bring $5 and ask for the “Recession Special” (2 dogs and a drink)… and you get change back!
• Virgil’s BBQ @ 152 W. 44th Street - Southern cookin’ done right by a bunch of Damned Yankees.
• Bread Factory Cafe @ W 43rd Street and 9th Avenue - I haven’t been there in awhile… but to be honest… the food was damn good when I was there.
• The Hot Dog Stand On The Corner @ the corner of wherever you are - Look, here’s the deal… everyone always says, “Oh, it’s so much better from the cart!” when the truth is, it MAY be better from the cart.  Pick and choose your carts wisely… and look for the carts where New Yorkers go to.  Seriously… a cart with a long line of construction workers or cops has that line for a reason.  Personally, I’m all about the guy across the street from the MTV Building @ 1515 Broadway and in front of the Nokia Theater… but that’s just me.  Also, seriously consider your hunger pains vs. getting a sausage instead of a hot dog.  Yes, there is usually a $.50 difference… but sometimes the hot dogs just don’t cut the mustard.

Travel

The Crossroads of the World could also be called the Crossroads of the Subway… because really, there is no subway line not obtainable in the city from this central location.

A Final Note On Safety

I know as bloggers we prefer to believe that there is good in everyone.  Unfortunately, less than 1% of the population in New York City are bloggers.  Just keep that in mind… not so much for the streets… but for the bars, clubs, and restaurants.  In the case of an emergency, dial 911 and give them an address.  The enhanced 911 only gives the cell tower your calling from… and it may not be the one nearest you. 

Make sure there is an ICE Contact in your cell-phone.  ICE stands for In Case of Emergency… and either EMS, NYPD, or the hospital will be looking for that number if by some chance your unconscious or altered mental status.  It may be good to have two or three ICE Contacts, just in case someone isn’t home.

In the case of a medical emergency, call 911 and when the EMS crew gets there request either Beth Israel South @ 1st Avenue and E. 16 Street, Saint Vincent’s @ 7th Avenue and W. 12 Street, NYU Hospital @ 1st Avenue and E. 34th Street, or Roosevelt Hospital @ 10th Avenue and W. 59 Street.  If the EMS crew gives you a problem, tell them you want to speak to their Lieutenant… plain and simple.  Avoid Bellevue… as historic as it may seem.

Yeah… we’re a whole lot safer in New York than most people think… but that’s because we just tend to trust no one.

Most Important Information

Have fun!

This upcoming weekend will be the inaugural BrittCon Event, 2008 in none other than New York City.  Since BrittCon is in my hometown… I figured I would help prepare BrittCon attendees by giving them a little information about touristy stuff from a local perspective.  All of this is information will be broken down by borough.

Brooklyn

The borough of Brooklyn lays to the south of the island of Manhattan.  It is connected to Manhattan by the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, The Williamsburg Bridge, The Manhattan Bridge, and the world reknowned Brookly Bridge.  It is also the only borough connected via the Verrazano Narrows Bridge to the borough of Staten Island.

While there are a number of interesting things in Brooklyn to see, the one outstanding landmark that stands out in my mind is the area known as Coney Island.  The reason is that because of purchases and land development by Thor Equities, this will be the last year that Coney Island will be open in its natural unsanitized and ungentrified state.  This will be the last year that you will be able to see such attractions as Shoot The Freak, The Circus Sideshow/Freakshow, AstroLand Park, and the dozens of other store front attractions that are lined up along Surf Avenue and the boardwalk.  Some attractions such as The Cyclone and the Original Nathan’s will undoubtedly be reincorporated into Thor Equities new vision of the boardwalk, but half the charm is in what surrounds them… not necessarily what they actually have to offer.

Outstanding Coney Island Attractions

•The Cyclone - Scream your head off not from the ride… but the SOUND the ride makes… like the ride is collapsing!
•Shoot The Freak - Let your aggressions out on someone willing to take it for a change
•The Original Nathan’s Famous - July 4th the annual hot dog eating contest will be held there again.  No purer piece of Americana can be found than the Mustard Belt
•AstroLand Park - Great for the cheap thrill at the expensive price.
•The Coney Island Sideshow - They feature women with more facial hair than I have.  Needless to say, I don’t go.
•The New York Aquarium - An aquarium… by the ocean.  How novel!
•Deno’s Wonder Wheel - This is a must for teenage make-out sessions and for easter-egg meteors hitting the ocean in overhyped monster movies… and not expected to survive after this year.

Coney Island Food Features

•The Original Nathan’s Famous - Cheese dogs + cheese fries… with bacon.  ‘Nuff said.
•Totonno’s Pizza - Over on Neptune Avenue and West 15th Street, but this IS New York pizza.
•Taco Bell - Yo no quiero Taco Bell?  Right across the street from Nathan’s
•The Grill Works - a few paces from Nathan’s but on the actual boardwalk, it’s usually freshly made and good fare along the lines of a Mexican Grill
•The Candy Shoppe - On the opposite end of the Nathan’s block (doesn’t it seem like all food revolves around there?), this is a must stop for freshly made confections and retro candies not readily available elsewhere

Travel

Car: The easiest way by car is to take the Belt Parkway to the Ocean Parkway South exit.  Sticking to the main road, Ocean Parkway will loop you onto Surf Avenue at the end.

Train: The notorious F Line stops at the Stillwell Avenue Station which is diagonally across Surf Avenue from the Original Nathan’s Famous restaurant.  The F Line’s notoriety comes from the fact that it originates in Jamaica, Queens, goes through Manhattan, and ends in Brooklyn… making it notorious as a tourist line.

Other Brooklyn Destinations

•Brooklyn Botantical Gardens - Located in Flatbush, it’s great if you like flowers.  It sucks if you have allergies.
•Brooklyn Museum of Art - Located near Grand Army Plaza, their exhibits are fascinating… but their air conditioning is unreliable.
•Prospect Park/Prospect Park Zoo - It’s a park with a zoo.  It’s in Brooklyn.

So that pretty much wraps up Brooklyn.  Tomorrow we’ll discuss my favorite borough in the whole world… Queens.