MIDTOWN- W. 44th St.
DIRECTIONS:
Subway: Take the A, C, or E to 42nd St. (Port Authority)
Bus: Take M42 or M50 to 12th Ave or M11 to W 44th St.
Street parking and private parking lots are available
SIGHTS:
Times Square
Broadway, Seventh Ave and 43rd and 44th Streets
(212) 484-1222
www.timessquarebid.org
The Crossroads of the World is at the junction of Broadway, Seventh Ave and 43rd and 44th Streets. It's always a madhouse on this two-block stretch, probably because everyone is looking up at the neon and the jumbo televisions rather than watching where they're walking. For area events and information, visit the Times Square Visitors Center at1560 Broadway, between 46th and 47th Streets. It's open every day 8:00am8:00pm.
Broadway Theaters
Whether you're in the mood for a musical or a drama, the Great White Way has something that'll appeal to you - including discount tickets (see below). Most theaters are dark on Mondays but offer nightly shows the rest of the week and matinees on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. For tickets to any show, visit www.Broadway.com, or stop by the theater box offices in person.
Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
Pier 86, W 46th St. at the Hudson River
(212) 245-0072
www.intrepidmuseum.org
A retired WWII aircraft carrier, the Intrepid now serves as an interactive museum full of military history, technology and equipment. Sit inside a fighter jet cockpit, take a ride in a navy flight simulator, or experience the real thing on a walk through the strategic missile submarine U.S.S. Growler or the destroyer Edson, both docked alongside the Intrepid.
World Yacht
Pier 81, W 41st St. at the Hudson River
(212) 630-8100
www.worldyacht.com
Take a romantic dinner cruise and see the city and the sea by sunset. Some trips even feature a live band.
TKTS Discount Theater Ticket Booths
(212) 768-1818
www.tdf.org
The Theater Development Fund has two kiosks where you can purchase discounted tickets for select Broadway, Off-Broadway, dance and music events on the day of the performance. The shows available are the same at both TKTS locations and change weekly, sometimes hourly. The selection does not usually include the newest or most popular shows (for example, you will not be able to get tickets to The Producers at the TKTS booth). But if you're willing to wait on line -- you can get as much as 50% - 75% off the ticket price of some of Broadway's best offerings. But bring cash or travelers' checks; these booths don't take credit cards.
- TKTS Times Square, 47th St. at Broadway. Monday-Saturday 3:00-8:00pm for evening tickets; Wednesday, Saturday 10:00am-2:00pm for matinees.
- TKTS Lower Manhattan, at the corner of Front and John St. Monday-Saturday 11:00am-6:00pm, Sunday 11:00am-3:00pm. At this location, matinee tickets must be bought the day before the show.
EATS:
Esca
402 W 43rd St. at Ninth Ave.
(212) 564-7272
If seafood is your thing this is the place for you. Food Network celebrity chef Mario Batali offers his authentic Southern Italian dishes with his own special twist. Batali also owns Babbo (Waverly Place between Sixth Avenue and MacDougal Street, (212) 777-0303 and Lupa (170 Thompson Street between Bleecker and Houston Streets, (212) 982-5089
Frankie & Johnnie's
269 W 45th St. between Broadway and Eighth Ave.
(212) 997-9494
A no-frills steakhouse, this 76-year-old Times Square veteran doesn't need the frills -- it has the T-bone, porterhouse and filet mignons to prove its worth.
Iridium
1650 Broadway at 51st St.
(212) 582-2121
Recently relocated from its Lincoln Center digs, the new Iridium is bigger and better. It retains the same upscale American menu and big-name music talent (Les Paul has a Monday-night residence) but has added more star power to its jazz-performance lineup and more room in which to enjoy it.
Madeleine
403 W 43rd St. between Ninth and Tenth Ave.
(212) 246-2993
Traditional French cuisine and modern creations give this Theater District gem a joie de vivre. The glass-roofed garden with a small waterfall doesn't hurt either.
Pietrasanta
683 Ninth Ave. at 47th St.
(212) 265-9471
Pietrasanta's consistently good Italian eats offer moderate prices and flavorful twists on the usual pasta fare.
Ruby Foo's
1626 Broadway at 49th St.
(212) 489-5600
The decor is over the top at this Japanese-meets-Chinese haunt, but the food is delicious. The menu is designed for family-style sharing, but you might want to keep your dessert all to yourself.
Sardi's
234 W 44th St. between Broadway and Eighth Ave.
(212) 221-8440
The menu is quality at this American eclectic, but the real reason to come to Sardi's is its nostalgic feel. More than 1,000 celebrity caricatures line the walls, and the real celebs themselves even make an appearance once in a while. After all, this 1927 institution has seen years of opening-night parties, Tony-award nomination announcements and dinners with theater legends.
ABOUT:
Speaking of dinner, walk across 46th St. between Eighth and Ninth Ave. to find "Restaurant Row," a block of eateries that cater to theatergoers; as a result, these places are usually packed two hours before curtain time. For more options explore the new crop of bars and restaurants that are turning Ninth Ave. into a culinary destination for New Yorkers in the know.
This area just east of the waterfront and west of Eighth Avenue is colorfully known as Hell's Kitchen. In the second half of the 19th century, these blocks were home to the city's large Irish population, including the Irish mob, which gave it a rough image. In an attempt to scrub off the bad rap, the area was recently renamed Clinton (after DeWitt not Bill), and although it still has a rich cultural mix, many of its residents are now young professionals looking for affordable rents and theatrical types who want to be close to the lights.
Keep walking toward those bright lights, and you'll cross the formerly sinful Eighth Ave., where Show World, one of the last remaining peep show emporiums, still stands and screens sexy movies, but it also houses an art gallery and a theater complex for mainstream art (read: clothed and PC).
They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway. And they're right. Times Square, at the intersection of Broadway, Seventh Ave. and 43rd St., is one of the brightest spots man ever switched on. Even in the dark of night, you feel like it's the middle of the day here at the "Crossroads of the World." In addition to the talent shining on the Broadway stages, which are located on the side streets off-Broadway, talented street performers make their stage on these crowded streets. So be sure to drag your eyes away from the towering neon signage to take in the energy and the street culture of what's on the ground.
