East Midtown has multiple personality disorder—in a good way. It’s got the tranquility of elegant Sutton Place, the rowdy nightlife along Second Avenue, the commuter bustle of Grand Central Terminal, and the international crowd around the U.N. Not to mention the legendary architecture (the Chrysler and Seagram buildings, to name a few.)
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This Neighborhood Featured in...
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Hearst Tower: A Defense of Green
By
Tommy Rudnick
Go green. Live clean. Writer Tommy Rudnick : His noble-spirited environmentalism is evidenced by his mien.
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The View from Roosevelt Island
By
Emily Pecora
It's not just a pig farm-turned-prison-turned-insane asylum-turned-real estate. This odd little island has been muckraked by Nellie Bly and unhappily visited by a captive Boss Tweed. It's technically part of Manhattan, but a weird little world of its own. With one main street and the absence of addresses, it has been compared to a crappy college campus and Soviet town. Emily Pecora lovingly reports.
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East Side Kids
By
Jessica Feder-Birnbaum
Kids these days. So full of life. Sometimes you gotta put them in their place and sometimes you just gotta take them on the town. And what part? The East Side. From Kosher bakeries to high-falutin' libraries, the East Side has it all. Come. Join us on this kid-friendly journey.
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On Our Radar:
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Friday, July 17, 2009
Posted By:
Ilona Virostek
Photo:
Ilona Virostek
Grand Central Terminal
Seeing as how this is the best city ever, it should come as no surprise that
outdoorsy New Yorkers can hop a quick, inexpensive train from the quintessential
American train station to the quintessential American hiking path. On
weekends, the Metro-North will take you from Grand Central to the Appalachian
Trail in under two hours, for just $13. When you get off the train, you'll find
yourself standing directly on the fabled footpath, free to trek as far as you
see fit: across bogs, through forests, past lakes and along the edges of farms.
You'll likely encounter fellow travelers, some of whom will readily boast
through scruffy beards that they've walked here from Massachusetts. You won't
get that far if you want to make the last train back to Manhattan, but pack some
evening attire in your backpack, and meet friends afterwards at the swanky
Campbell Apartment in Grand Central to brag about where you've been. They don't
need to know you only hiked for 45 minutes and stopped twice to munch on takeout
you brought from the city. Click here for more info.
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Thursday, July 02, 2009
Posted By:
Craig Nelson
Photo:
Craig Nelson
Jeffrey Wine & Liquors
Finding a good wine shop is harder than it looks in Manhattan. Luckily, I had the NFT iPhone app with me the other day when I needed to find some booze in East Midtown (yeah, not my usual hangout, but the mom-in-law is in town). After checking out some random places I saw on the street that we're ridiculously overpriced, I pulled out the iPhone and searched the Shopping category. One liquor store stood out from the crowd with the blurb, "Jeffrey will treat you right. No Midtown attitude." You know it's a good sign when there's a friendly guy hanging out playing Michael Jackson (RIP). Then I start looking at the prices--at least 25% cheaper than the surrounding places. Finally, I chat with Jeffrey who has been running the store for 33 years. He shares some stories about the old days when ladies with white gloves from Beekman Place would come in to shop. Those old timers from the neighborhood may be long gone, but thankfully Jeffrey is still going strong.
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Monday, June 29, 2009
Posted By:
Rob Tallia
Photo:
Rob Tallia
Aquavit
Okay, so Craig just reviewed Aquavit in March, but he did the brunch, so I'll do lunch, and we'll let Trump do the dinner radar (he's a big NFT fan, really). And lest you think we're all making bank here at NFT, I was taken there by some supercool folks at an ad agency; we're reciprocating with street cart Chinatown food today. But seriously, the restaurant itself is a little "greatest hits" of Scandinavian furniture design, the service is what a real restaurant reviewer would call "impeccable," and the breads, amuses, appetizers and main courses are all "flawless." I would go for the power lunch version of the "smorgasbord" (pictured), which is 9 little goody bits of herring and salmon arranged perfectly on a plate. I'd also recommend that someone else pays. Food ALWAYS tastes better that way.
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Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Posted By:
Sara Bogush
Photo:
Sara Bogush
Dessert Truck
Food trucks feed
our most impulsive cravings, and Dessert Truck is the ultimate pusherman.
Parked on a chain-food infested corner of Third Avenue and Saint Marks, the truck
sells irresistible highbrow desserts packed in travel-ready tinfoil cups for $5
a pop. Most popular is the chocolate bread pudding--a kind of fudge brownie take
on the classic recipe--topped with vanilla or lightly-flavored bacon anglaise.
Creme brulee is caramelized to order, and slow-baked apples with puff pastry
tastes like pie in a cup, improved only by a scoop of vanilla ice cream. During
daytime hours, Dessert Truck rolls uptown to Lexington and 55th street, peddling to all
the jonesing dayjobbers. Check their website for frequent menu updates and
occasional closings due to inclement weather.
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Friday, April 17, 2009
Posted By:
Rob Tallia
Photo:
Rob Tallia
Oyster Bar
Going to the Oyster Bar is simply one of the top experiences
in New York.
As much as is vanishing in
our fair city, so much remains--and the Oyster Bar is near the top of the list.
Simply deciding where to sit is the first of many tough
choices--the dining room? The front bar? The actual “oyster bar”? The low-slung
white counters? The Saloon? (Answer: either the white counters or the Saloon,
which many people don’t even know exists, it’s that well-hidden in the back
corner). And once you’re actually sitting there, what do you get? The menu can
be overwhelming; it’s simply best to eat as many oysters from among the many
selections as you can, then get an order of whatever your favorite
fish/shellfish is. If the prospect of eating a dozen raw oysters makes your
stomach turn, then please, don’t go to the Oyster Bar and take up space—leave
us be and go sample this fine eatery’s
fabulous wood-grill selections. The rest of us to will decide between west
coast vs. east coast, creamy vs. briny, and sweet vs. salty. Ah, the joys of
life.
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Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Posted By:
Craig Nelson
Photo:
Craig Nelson
Aquavit
What's that you say? There's a deep recession going on? I
guess I didn't notice because I was too busy stuffing my face with herring, salmon, and
meatballs from the outstanding $48 smorgasbord every Sunday afternoon at Aquavit. They call it "brunch"
but that's just wrong. This isn't just some overpriced French toast and a
couple of weak mimosas. This is an all out celebration of Swedish food with 8
kinds of herring (apple curry, vodka lime, sour cream dill) 4
kinds of salmon (with gorgeous sauces like lemon mayoand espresso
mustard), 5 kinds of cold cuts and cheese (salami, ham, roast beef), 6 kinds of salads
(egg and dill, baby shrimp, potato, caper, and onion), 4 kinds of hot
entrees (meatballs with ligonberry, roast elk, grilled lamb), and so many tasty
desserts I finally lost count. If you break it down by the bite (over thirty
different tastes in one sitting!), it's actually a fabulous deal. A beer or bloody mary
is included, but you might as well splurge for a couple of shots of house made coriander and dill aquavit to wash down that boat load of herring. As the Swedes say, "Jette bra!"
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Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Posted By:
Rebecca Katherine Hirsch
Photo:
Rebecca Katherine Hirsch
Waldorf=Astoria
I say, Simon, a wretched shame our olde institution's been run amok by dirty urchins larking through the hotel floors, frolicking past the golden chandeliers! These riffraff storm our fabled gates, bypass the wood-and-mirrored elevators and make right for the medicinal-smelling servant stairwell! What if they discover our dilapidated hiding nooks, the tears in carpet, the things that time forgot? How mindlessly they disregard our storied history--our strange double hyphen masquerading as an equals sign, our mayonnaise-based salad, the fact that we came into existence as the result of a family feud. What's up with that, Simon? How I long for the past! When did we fall so low? When we let the American Psychoanalytic Association hold their meetings in the Empire Room or when the Bronx High School of Science was given free reign o'er the premises for the duration of their promenade? To think! Our private luxury, ripped to shreds by rough-mannered plebeians! Upon my word! My wistful heart aches.
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Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Posted By:
Alex Steed
Photo:
Alex Steed
Cipriani Dolci
This is where I go when I have more than four and a half dollars in quarters in my pocket and more than five minutes to spare in Grand Central (OK, that's only been the case once, but I wanted to celebrate the occasion by blowing said cash). The food beats the old, brown-lettuce salads that are available elsewhere in the terminal, though of course you'll be paying out of your ass for it. There is a decent view of, of all things, the Michael Jordan Steak House (OKed by the best basketball player in history), so you can stare across the way, look down at your nicely cooked salmon, and be pissed about not having gotten a prime rib. Further, I found the following review by a diner on a restaurant blog: Being in Grand Central can be nice and it can be weird. Some homeless guys looking like they want to steal your dinner can be strange. If all else fails, it's always entertaining to soak in the grandeur of one of the greatest public spaces in the world. And watch the bourgeois grow uncomfortable, eating among the intimidating stares of hungry class warriors.
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Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Posted By:
Dave Cook
Photo:
Norwegian Seamen's Church
Glug, gløgg, gloog: Non-Norwegians like me never can quite pronounce the name of this mulled, sometimes alcoholic wintertime drink. That didn't stop me from knocking back a couple of hot ones at the three-day Christmas fair, which lands at the Norwegian Seamen's Church in mid-November. Why so early? Maybe it's a Scandinavian thing. After navigating through the crafts-and-rummage main level—one corner was lined with Scandinavian packaged foods and a lesser number of baked items—I found myself in a trim basement cafeteria, contemplating open-faced sandwiches bedecked with shrimp, salmon, herring, pork, cheese, and some cryptic Norse "hamburger." For dessert: waffles and jam. Did you miss it? No matter, on Wednesdays, from September till May, the church serves up a $17 all-you-can-eat lunchtime buffet. Just sail on in!
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Thursday, June 01, 2006
Posted By:
Michele Langer
Photo:
Michele Langer
If Victoria Beckham, aka “Posh Spice,” were in New York and wanted to watch David play in a match for England, Opia would be her kind of place. Typically this is an upscale restaurant and lounge overlooking 57th Street, where one could recline in one of their plush seats and feel rather posh themselves while enjoying a drink or dinner. Come June, however, Opia is breaking out of the mold and rolling out the red carpet with a launch party on Saturday, June 3rd. Taking place prior to the actual start of the World Cup, they will celebrate the spirit of the games with a cosmopolitan and decadent fete that will take up nearly the entire space. A veritable circus of performers will be on hand to add some spice, from dancers to drummers to DJ’s mixing up music aimed to appeal to Opia’s motley crew. The revelry will all take place against the backdrop of three large screens placed conveniently throughout the space, playing World Cup highlights and goals from past series. And once the games kick off, the celebration continues as the restaurant opens early especially to host live viewing of the matches, while offering a special prix fixe version of their Mediterranean menu. With service like this, it would be enough to make even Ms. Beckham crack a smile.
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See
East Midtown...
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Restaurants (42)
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Nightlife (12)
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Shopping (30)
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Landmarks (20)
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Other East Midtown Restaurants |
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Aquavit
Stellar dining experience: top-drawer Scandinavian.
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BLT Steak
Pricey and good, not great.
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Burke in the Box at Bloomingdale's
Chef David Burke's offbeat take-out eatery inside Bloomies.
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Caffé Buon Gusto
The bread is addictive. Sop it in sauce.
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Chola
Pricey south Indian cuisine.
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Convivio
Solid Italian on one of the coolest blocks in the city.
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Dawat
Top-end Indian.
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Docks Oyster Bar
Great seafood, good atmosphere.
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F&B
Belgian street food that makes our carts look nasty.
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Felidia
Top Northern Italian.
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Four Seasons
Designer everything. Even the cotton candy.
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Menchanko-tei
Japanese noodle shop.
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Monkey Bar
Graydon Carter does Midtown with old-New York menu.
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Nikki
Eclectic Miami vice with pillows.
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NY Luncheonette
Where Obama lunched with Bloomberg.
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See more restaurants
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Other East Midtown Nightlife |
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Bill's Gay Nineties
Party like it's 1899.
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Blarney Stone
The only bar in purgatory.
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Le Bateau Ivre
Open-till-4 am French wine bar.
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Manchester Pub
You could do a lot worse in this part of town.
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Metro 53
Celebrities and suits.
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PJ Clarke's
Old-timey midtown pub.
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Sir Harry's
Nice little Art-Deco bar inside the Waldorf-Astoria. Bring $$$.
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Sofia Wine Bar & Cafe
Italian wine bar, plus food goodies...
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Sutton Place
Fabulous roofdeck makes it worth the climb.
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The Campbell Apartment
Awesome space, awesomely snooty!
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See more nightlife spots
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Other East Midtown Shopping |
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See more shopping
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Other East Midtown Landmarks |
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Central Synagogue
NYC’s oldest continuously used Jewish house of worship. Architectural gem.
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Chrysler Building
The stuff of Art Deco dreams. Wish the Cloud Club was still there.
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Citicorp Center
How does it stand up?
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Grand Central Terminal
Another Beaux Arts masterpiece. Ceiling, staircases, tiles, clock, Oyster Bar, all great.
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Roosevelt Island Tram
As featured in Spider-Man
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Seagram Building
Or, "how to be a modernist in 3 easy steps!"
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The Lever House
Great example of modernism, but even better, it's so fresh and so clean!
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The Seven Year Itch
Marilyn Monroe's lucky subway grate.
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United Nations
The diplomatic version of the World Cup.
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Waldorf=Astoria
Great hotel, although the public spaces aren't up to the Plaza's.
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See more landmarks
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