Manhattan on Saturday
January 14, 2013 2:01 PM   Subscribe

Can you recommend some things to do in Manhattan this Saturday. Particularly interested in a bagel spot for breakfast, late lunch/early dinner restaurant, museums, interesting film theaters, and any other ideas.

I'll be in Manhattan this Saturday to see The High Line and eat food.

The High Line is around Chelsea...can you recommend a great bagel spot to stop at beforehand? Other interesting sites nearby? Also thinking about seeing either the Guggenheim or the MoMA while in the city, and possibly a movie if there is a really cool theater I should check out.
Other ideas needed are good snack/street food places while roaming, and looking for a great late lunch/early dinner without reservations and vegetarian friendly.
The more walking and less cab/subway travel the better.

Any other ideas specific to this Saturday or just in general would also be great. Thanks!
posted by pilibeen to Travel & Transportation around New York, NY (16 answers total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: IMO best bagel place highline adjacent is Murrays on 8th ave in the lower 20's. Its just not a great bagel neighborhood.
You could then walk over to the high line from there. Take the C or E to 23rd street. There are lots of places to eat that will be open for Saturday lunch in that area. The Veg friendly thing is not a big issue.

Here is an older thread on dining in that part of town.

I would suggest a very early dinner at a no-ressy place is the best path to avoiding the shitshow that is Saturday night eating out downtown.
posted by JPD at 2:11 PM on January 14, 2013


Depending on how late you stay, try to get tickets in the Book of Mormon ticket lottery.

For bagels, Murrays at 242 8th, appears to be what you're looking for, although frankly, I've never had a bag bagel in Manhattan.

I think that A Salt and Battery at 112 Greenwich St is a hoot, and yummy, although it ain't vegan, although if one is into fish, I give it 12 thumbs up.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 2:13 PM on January 14, 2013


This is not an endorsement...a salt and battery is on Greenwich Ave not Greenwich St. (yes they are two different streets a few blocks apart)
posted by JPD at 2:16 PM on January 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Best answer: The fantastic Rubin Museum is much closer to the High Line and will be much less crowded than the MoMA or Guggenheim, if you're flexible on museums.
posted by oinopaponton at 2:17 PM on January 14, 2013 [3 favorites]


Best answer: Chelsea Market is at the southern end of the High Line, and there are loads of little restaurants and kiosks there for breakfast or snacks.
posted by bcwinters at 2:25 PM on January 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


Well, if you can make it to MoMA, Christian Marclay's The Clock happens to be playing. (MeFi post here). It's almost over (comes down January 21) and you may never get a chance to see it projected again. And while I would normally tell you to stay away from MoMA, I would say don't miss it.
posted by The Bellman at 2:28 PM on January 14, 2013


I saw some of The Clock a few months ago and the lines were long. Really long. Really, really, really long. I joined the line on a weekday at 10:00 AM and the first film clip I saw was 3:10 to Yuma long. It was worth it, but I wouldn't even try it on a Saturday.
posted by bcwinters at 2:38 PM on January 14, 2013


This is not an endorsement...a salt and battery is on Greenwich Ave not Greenwich St. (yes they are two different streets a few blocks apart)

You are right. Our cab driver took us somewhere weird first.

Sorry!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 2:40 PM on January 14, 2013


I live in the Midwest but NY is where I grew up & where the family's at, so I'm in town 2-3x a year. The New Museum is one of the places I always try to make for art now - have never had a disappointing visit there.
posted by deliciae at 2:40 PM on January 14, 2013


Best answer: Unfortunately, the High Line's food vendors are all closed for the season. (Please come back in the spring! It's a great place to walk, stop, people watch, and snack.)

Chelsea Market is near the south end of the High Line. Inside, I like the following:
Amy's Bread - sticky buns, cakes, cupcakes, cinnamon twists, challah knots, etc
Sarabeth's - brunch, cookies, jams, awesome scones
Chelsea Fruit Exchange - lots of good odds and ends here in addition to the produce, but not especially helpful if you are a tourist
Ronnybrook Milk Bar - milk, obviously, and ice cream, but I tend to buy things to consume at home here
L'Arte de Gelato - excellent sorbets and gelatos, especially the olive oil, mascarpone, and strawberry
Buon Italia - mostly for dried pastas and nutella sometimes
Jacques Torres - filled chocolates, chocolate covered oranges, chocolate covered potato chips, chocolate covered cherrios, malt balls, etc.
9th Street Espresso - espresso, and surprisingly good drip coffee, too
People's Pops - for a somewhat healthier popsicle treat made from local fruit
Tuck Shop - my husband is a sucker for Aussie meat pies, they do have vegetarian ones but I've not tried them
The Green Table - a farm to table restaurant inside of Chelsea Market

Chelsea Market is built inside the old Nabisco Factory, BTW. The first Oreo was baked there in 1912.

If you don't eat at Chelsea Market, I would recommend Co aka Company, on the corner of 9th Av. & 24th St. It's open continuously from 11:30am to 11pm on Saturdays. This is important to note that many restaurants will close between 3 and 5 (approximately) between brunch and dinner. You don't say when your late lunch/early dinner will be. The more popular places will still be packed with brunchers from about 11 to 3pm.

Another option is Westville, on West 18th between 7th and 8th Avenue. Open all day from 10am to 11pm, and brunch runs until 4pm. Vegetarian friendly and known for their market sides.

If you still want to wander after walking the High Line (start at the north end and go south), I suggest walking and noshing your way down to the West Village, specifically Bleecker St.

Stop at:
Magnolia Bakery for ice box cake, skip the overrated and too-often-dry cupcakes
Taim for falafel, sabich, lemonade
Joe the Art of Coffee
Blind Tiger - for a beer
Bosie Tea Parlor - cookies, scones, macarons, a cup of tea
Murray's Cheese - cheese lover's heaven and they have a good antipasti bar, benches in front, be sure to look down at some cheese aging below the sidewalk
Rocco's - freshly filled cannoli, usually filled to order
Grom - hot chocolate made from melted down chocolate gelato
Famous Joe's - for a regular slice
Victory Garden - salted caramel goat milk soft serve
Blue Ribbon Bakery Market - housemade matzoh
Mille-Feuille Bakery - croissants

During your roaming, you might want to look for:
Hess Triangle on 7th Avenue and West 4th, outside the deli, on the west side of 7th Avenue. This triangle is all that remains of a five story building owned by a Mr. David Hess, who had his property taken away through eminent domain to widen 7th Ave.
Edna St. Vincent Millay's House at 75 1/2 Bedford St Between Morton and Commerce. Wedged between 75 and 77 Bedford, 75½ is only nine-and-a-half-feet wide on the outside, eight-and-a-half-feet wide on the inside, and 32 feet deep.
Greenwich Locksmiths at 56 Seventh Avenue South at Morton Street. A giant wall mural made entirely out of keys.
The Minetta Brook tube. In the lobby of the apartment building at 2 Fifth Avenue is a clear tube through which Minetta Brook used to bubble up out of the ground.

Walk over to Washington Square Park, and have an early dinner or glass of wine at the bar at Otto, 1 5th Ave. Hopefully Dennis, old-school dapper bartender extraordinaire, is working.

The IFC is a short walk away at 6th Avenue and West 3rd St. afterwards, if you want to catch a movie.
posted by kathryn at 3:40 PM on January 14, 2013 [7 favorites]


If you meant the space rather than what's playing, go to the Ziegfeld, built for the impresario himself.
posted by brujita at 4:43 PM on January 14, 2013


I see that "Les Mis" is playing at the Ziegfeld. That's as good a selection for that screen as you are gonna get for a current release.

One of my favorite bars, Automatic Slims, is near the southerm end of the High Line.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 6:24 PM on January 14, 2013


Ess-a-Bagel is the absolute best bagel in my opinion (and I have eaten a lot of NYC bagels) so I second Afroblanco.

There's also a nice little doughnut shop that opened in Chelsea Market recently; they're a bit expensive but they make tiny donuts for you while you wait and dip them in different flavors of sugar. Quite tasty!

I believe the Guggenheim is pay what you wish on Saturday evenings.
posted by mlle valentine at 5:57 AM on January 15, 2013


The question wasn't "what's the best bagel" - it was "what's the best bagel near the highline"
posted by JPD at 7:55 AM on January 15, 2013


It looks like the opera Maria Stuarda will be screening at the Ziegfeld Saturday.
posted by brujita at 11:55 AM on January 15, 2013


Response by poster: Thanks everyone for the help! Kathryn, that's an awesome list of ideas - thank you!
posted by pilibeen at 10:55 AM on January 16, 2013


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