Is it timing? New York Vacation Filter

October 12, 2016 6:27 AM

My partner and I are going on holiday to New York from the 5th-11th November. Yay! It's a big trip for us for lots of reasons, including a couple of milestone birthdays, his being on the 7th which is why we're travelling then. What we didn't figure in was the NY Marathon being held on the day after we arrive, and something about an election or something on the 8th idk apparently I've been on Mars? So in addition to the usual questions I'd like advice on navigating these events please.

Firstly, how does the marathon affect things? We're staying near Grand Central Station. We arrive on Saturday and had imagined a lazy Sunday wandering around, eating and drinking (pretty much the plan for the whole trip). Is there somewhere in particular we should head to or should we plan just to stay in the hotel the whole time and avoid the crazy? Is everything closed down and getting around is a nightmare, or is it confined to a fairly small area? I can't really get an idea of how much it takes over things so I'm not sure whether we should plan to just get swept up in crowds of people or take the subway to somewhere quieter if possible. Or should we just surrender to it and stand on a street and watch, and if so, where?

Secondly, the whole election thing. I honestly hadn't clocked that it would happen when we're there, despite the campaign having been fought for my entire lifetime it feels like. So while it will certainly be memorable to be in the US when either the first woman or the first fascist Oompa Loompa is elected President (oh please God the former) is there some way in particular we can make the most of it? I'm not sure how long it takes the results to come through. Are there any good places where we can go and watch them come in? Is there a place people traditionally go to celebrate? And does voting itself cause any disruptions or is it the kind of thing tourists wouldn't notice?

Lastly, I'd like to do something special on the 7th as that's my partner's Big Birthday. I realise that's good and vague, but any ideas? It's costing us a lot to travel and stay, and the exchange rate is bollocks at the minute (thanks, Brexiteers!), so nothing massively spendy would be good. At the least I'd like to take him out for a nice dinner, so recommendations would be appreciated. We like to eat but we're not terribly fancy - no 7 course tasting menus with offals and foams - and I'm vegetarian, so just a nice place where I can wear heels and a little dress but he doesn't need a tie and we don't need to re-mortgage to pay the bill would be good. There's a large and noticeable age gap between us (I've just turned 40, he'll be turning 60) so somewhere we won't stand out would be nice, so nowhere too young I guess but still with a cool or quirky atmosphere. Someplace with great desserts would be a bonus (for me anyway...)

We've both been before separately and seen the obvious touristy sights so we're planning a really low-key break. At most we'll be visiting a museum or two, and we're not into going to a show, but if there's a place to visit that you think is especially memorable or must-see, or a walking-trail type thing, or a relaxed, people-watching hotspot or great cocktail bar these would all be great to know, but if not we're happy just to stumble across places. Thanks so much.

posted by billiebee to Travel & Transportation (25 answers total)

The marathon is kind of fun to watch, but if that doesn't interest you and assuming you weren't planning on a taxi ride to the outerboroughs its very easy to not even realize its going on. In Manhattan all of the crowds will be on the Upper East Side - which probably isn't where you want to wander around anyway.

Election Day as well will be a non-issue. But there isn't really a scene for watching the votes come in. In the US electoral system NY is basically uncontested, so its not really a super big deal locally.

NYC has a huge serious cocktail bar scene that goes from the very classic (Bemelmans Bar) to the super hipster-y - so which way do your tastes go?

Very very few places in NYC demand a jacket to feel properly dressed, and none that I can think of in the non-spendy category. However it might help if you have a sense of what your budget would be.
posted by JPD at 6:32 AM on October 12, 2016

A special meal on Monday the 7th could be enjoyed at Dovetail, a Michelin-starred restaurant on 77th St, near the Natural History Museum. They serve a vegetarian / vegetable focused four course tasting menu on Mondays for $58/pp. You could dress up but no tie is required.
posted by stachemaster at 6:41 AM on October 12, 2016

If you're looking for a nice walk, The New York Botanical Garden has the last bit of native forest in the city, and has lots of indoor greenhouses in case its really cold.
posted by hobgadling at 6:44 AM on October 12, 2016

Seconding that the marathon is no big deal - you can look at the course map if you want to particularly see it or avoid it, but if you are just walking around it won't be a problem even if you stumble upon it. The crowds are not so extreme that you can't just walk down the sidewalk, and there are places you can cross the street if you need to.

For vegetarian food I really like Candle Cafe, it's reasonably priced (for NYC) and you could definitely wear what you want and won't stand out at all. But it may not be "special" enough because it is pretty casual. It might be more fun for a lunch or drinks if you happen to be on the Upper East Side for museum-related reasons.
posted by cpatterson at 6:46 AM on October 12, 2016

Coming the weekend of the marathon is actually good from a travel perspective, in that the subway will have many fewer weekend service changes than normal, which is otherwise a thing that can confuse tourists on the weekend.

I'd agree with JPD in that if you don't go seek out the marathon, once you're more than a block or two away from it you wouldn't even know it's happening. Here's the course map: as a tourist, you're unlikely to get close to the parts in the outer boroughs unless you are checking out some more off-beat or residential areas. In Manhattan I would avoid the eastern half of Central Park and the Met and Guggenheim museums (since you mentioned museums) the day of if you don't feel like navigating crowds, but that's pretty much it.

In terms of election day, there's very little impact on day-to-day life, especially in an uncontested state like New York. (Some Americans, such as myself, think that it should be a holiday to facilitate voting, but it is what it is.) I would bet almost any bar with a TV, with maybe the exception of some sports bars, would show election coverage.
posted by andrewesque at 6:51 AM on October 12, 2016

Two weeks ago the Thain Forest at NYBG was closed due to dryness. I have no idea if the recent spate of rain means its re-opened.
posted by JPD at 6:52 AM on October 12, 2016

ABC kitchen has a wonderful vegetable-focused menu, and it's nice but not horribly overpriced with a lovely atmosphere. 10/10 would recommend.
posted by R a c h e l at 7:06 AM on October 12, 2016

Of course New York is uncontested, but this is a giant deal nationally, obviously, and it will be pretty exciting. When Obama was elected the first time I watched the results come in at Standings, a sports bar in the East Village, and I had the time of my life.
posted by cakelite at 7:09 AM on October 12, 2016

Thanks so far, and I'm glad the marathon doesn't seem to be a thing.

I had a birthday dinner budget in mind for about $150-200 (absolute max) for the two of us, but I'm not sure if that's realistic for somewhere nice because I was just basing it on what a fancy pants dinner here would be?

Cocktail bar-wise I adore gin so ones that specialise in that would be excellent. Partner likes a gin also but would be more partial to red wine so don't know if that helps at all. I don't think we can carry off hipster places but we both still think we're 19 so nothing too classic or grownup. Cheers!
posted by billiebee at 7:12 AM on October 12, 2016

You know, this might be one of a vanishingly few times I'd suggest going to Times Square. They will surely be displaying the election results on huge screens as they come in. Otherwise go to a bar, there will be hundreds showing the results.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:15 AM on October 12, 2016

one more thing, if you like nice drinks and vegetarian food, you should probably check out Dirt Candy.
posted by cakelite at 7:35 AM on October 12, 2016

I'd like to second Candle Cafe as a great vegetarian fancy dinner location. And do please watch the election results in a bar — it's funny to see people say it's no big thing because, at least out in hipstertown where I live, few people have TVs so watching at the bar is New York camaraderie at its best. Unless things are crazy tight, the big races should be known by midnight. I'd recommend trying to head out of Midtown / really touristy areas though for extra funtimes. if you're near Grand Central, heading to the East Village is probably easiest.

Cocktail-wise, if you wanted to take a nice walk through Brownstone Brooklyn, you could take the train to Dumbo, follow the park to the Promenade, then take a leisurely wander over to Clover Club on Smith Street for excellent classic cocktails. Otherwise in the city Pegu Club and Angels Share are by the same folks.
posted by dame at 7:37 AM on October 12, 2016

I would highly recommend watching the election results in Rockefeller Center. MSNBC and NBC broadcast live and there is a giant display showing the electoral count up the front of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. I have been there the last two elections and it's very exciting.
posted by brbmaroon at 7:58 AM on October 12, 2016

Cocktail-wise, if you wanted to take a nice walk through Brownstone Brooklyn, you could take the train to Dumbo, follow the park to the Promenade, then take a leisurely wander over to Clover Club on Smith Street for excellent classic cocktails.

This is a great suggestion, but let me modify it slightly - take the East River Ferry down to Brooklyn Bridge Park, walk down through the park, then over to Clover Club. The ferry will give you a great, quick 'tour' of NYC landmarks, and Brooklyn Bridge Park is an awesome, innovative, beautiful park with the best view in NYC.
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:01 AM on October 12, 2016

Marathon day, the Upper East and Upper West Sides will be a mess. Avoid at all costs.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:27 AM on October 12, 2016

The Marathon: This tends to mostly affect driving, in that several major roads are closed due to the race, and foot traffic in the immediate area of the finish line (which is in Central Park). Sidewalks in that area will be crowded with people coming and going to and from the finish line, people trying to meet up, etc. Away from the immediate area around the finish line, though, if you weren't hoping to take a taxi anywhere, you're fine. Business as usual. I'd highly recommend watching the marathon for a bit if you can; it's a classic autumnal thing for New Yorkers to do. It's worth noting that marathon related stuff is mostly in the morning, as it starts staggeringly early (friends who've run had to be at the start at 6 AM IIRC) and the competitive runners finish quickly. Even a typical runner will be finished before noon. Road closures and the clusterfuck in Central Park is a longer-lasting phenomenon because of stragglers, people celebrating with friends, etc.

The Election: watch the returns in a bar (unless you're a Trump supporter, and then probably don't). Otherwise this doesn't really tend to affect the city in any more than a sort of mental energy type of way. You might see lines outside schools and libraries, people wearing I Voted! stickers, etc.

I defer to others on birthday restaurant ideas, but happy birthday to your partner! Candle Cafe and Dirt Candy are both great restaurant suggestions!

FWIW, while the New York Botanical Gardens are a lovely place to take a walk, they're in a distant outer borough and as such would be almost impossible to get to on Marathon day due to road closures. If that was the idea for that?
posted by Sara C. at 9:36 AM on October 12, 2016

Well, you can certainly tell from these responses that most Mefites don't live particularly far uptown. The Marathon is not a big deal unless you want to cross the route at surface level...you basically can't. The Marathon route essentially splits Harlem in half, and there aren't really crosstown subsurface options. So consider the route map carefully when planning your day.

$200 for $2 is (absurdly, I agree) pretty low-end for a fancy meal in Manhattan. If a little fanciness is desired, might I suggest doing a lunch instead? A number of NYC restaurants have relatively affordable prix-fixe lunches. For instance: Jean-Georges.
posted by praemunire at 9:54 AM on October 12, 2016

I would like to amend my suggestion to include the ferry. :) I always forget about them.
posted by dame at 9:55 AM on October 12, 2016

If you have any friends in the city, I would go and hang out with them on election night, and do whatever they're doing.

Otherwise, I'd find a bar someplace near your hotel with a vibe you like, either with or without TVs depending on your preference, and watch the returns come in with whoever's there. Keep in mind, thought, that the polls won't start to close until like 9PM, and west coast states like California close at 11PM New York time -- don't show up at a bar at 6PM and expect much to be going on.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 9:56 AM on October 12, 2016

Seconding the suggestion to hang around Times Square on election night.

As for the Marathon - whether you notice depends on where you go. Check out the marathon route linked above; you would not be able to cross the street that the marathon runs on, say, but the city wouldn't be shutting down nearby subways, for instance, and if you go a couple blocks away from the route, you wouldn't be affected. (Or, if you're looking for a place to stop in and check it out, there is a school in my neighborhood that has a tradition - the route runs right past their school, so they have the school band assembled on the sidewalk,all playing the theme to Rocky in a continuous loop as the marathoners run past.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:22 AM on October 12, 2016

You can do a very nice dinner at The Ribbon for under or just over $200. This is our go-to spot.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:55 AM on October 12, 2016

Rockefeller Plaza will be fun on Election night. NY (and especially NYC) is heavily Democratic so if things go well for Clinton you'll be in good company. Results aren't reported till the polls close so there will be results starting on the East Coast about 7 and going until 10-11 as the west coast results come in.

As praemunire said, the Upper East Side is going to be a giant pain on Marathon Day. The crowds are mostly limited to the streets where the runners are (First Ave and Fifth Ave and Central Park), and they are not crazy except near the finish line--you can still get by on the sidewalks etc. There are a few crossing points but you will probably need to walk a few blocks and then wait for a while in order to use them. (Marathon Day was a couple of days after the due date of my second baby. I lived in Central Harlem west of 5th at that point and was delivering at Cornell on York Ave. My OB joked that if I went into labor, I should just head for the hospital at the first sign of a contraction and I would hopefully get there in time for the delivery). That said, the Upper West Side and anything south of Central Park will just be business as usual and you shouldn't have any problem navigating. Also, if you have any interest, it's actually really fun to go spectate for a while and cheer on the runners.

The High Line is a really nice stroll if you haven't already been there. The last section opened in 2014 so my guess is that you haven't seen all of it.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 11:21 AM on October 12, 2016

-you can still get by on the sidewalks etc.

This is not true anymore. CPW is closed from 72nd to 86th.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:57 AM on October 12, 2016

FWIW, while the New York Botanical Gardens are a lovely place to take a walk, they're in a distant outer borough and as such would be almost impossible to get to on Marathon day due to road closures

The Gardens are a bit out there, but you can easily take Metro-North's Harlem line to the Botanical Garden stop (20-25 min from Grand Central) which is directly across from the Mosholu Gate, or you can take the 4 or D trains to Bedford Park Blvd (two stops with the same name) and walk about 20 min to the gardens. There will be no interference with the Marathon as it just touches the southern tip of the Bronx as it is.
posted by andrewesque at 1:38 PM on October 12, 2016

You can get a very nice dinner for 150-200 if you pick somewhere with a reasonable drink menu or choose to not drink (much easier).

I like japanese food, here are a few suggestions (as I find their veg options often are quite good, but YMMV):
En Brasserie (fancier)
Kano Yama (less fancy)
Hibino (less fancy, can be integrated into the ferry to downtown brooklyn itinerary as described above)

Pretty much any restaurant in NYC will not require a tie and being dressed nicely (hot dress, heels or etc) will not be weird .. even if you go to a taco joint with two tables (I'd highly reccomend Downtown Bakery). Also wouldn't worry about the age gap... nobody is going to find it weird that you're 40 unless they find it weird because you aren't 19.

I would not plan to cross the marathon path unless you are INSANE but aside from car traffic nothing is likely to be affected outside of a few blocks of the route.

Basically any bar with a TV will be showing the election results, and normally that would finish ~midnight depending on how close it is and recounts, etc. Obama's first election was a full on "event" and everyone at the bar I was at got free shots and champagne.. people were partying in the streets. It was kinda wild.

I feel like the Cloisters are worth the travel time but it is fairly gothic/morbid, maybe that is your thing. The park it is in is also very nice and you get free entry to the Met on the same day (although I have not found it possible to hit both in one day, someone who gets up earlier than me could probably manage). Note: this is suggested donation, they probably don't need your money.

Any nice cocktail is likely to cost $14 even in Brooklyn or Queens. Just a heads up for budgetary reasons.
posted by shownomercy at 5:57 PM on October 12, 2016