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SECRETS OF N E W YO R K CITY

THOMAS SQUIRE

three Alternative views of the big apple

More than just a stroll down Times Square, a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, and a visit to the Empire State Building

230 Fifth Avenue

The Atlantic Avenue Tunnel

The Empire State Building and the Top of the Rock might offer some spectacular panoramic views of New York City, but do they offer a delicious brunch, a year-round heated outdoor bar, and a rooftop garden?

Well, if your looking to check out Manhattan from the view of a bird (with an adult beverage or two in hand), 230 Fifth is a “must visit” for any visitor. With rave reviews from the likes of the New York Times and NBC New York as the best rooftop view in all of Manhattan, this is by far one of the coolest places to get away from it all down below and get sauced in the process over brunch

Did you know that the world’s oldest subway tunnel is not accessible via a train? Instead, you will have to meet up with a group at a corner in Brooklyn for a tour that starts off with a climb down a manhole. The once monthly 90-minute trek through the 166-year-old half-mile long abandoned tunnel is narrated by guide Bob Diamond. You will learn a lot along the way from Diamond about the history and one-time importance of the station that was supposed to link New York and Boston.

Staten Island Ferry Many Big Apple insiders still consider the Staten Island Ferry as one of the best and affordable ways (it’s free!) to get an awesome view of Manhattan’s skyline. The Staten Island Ferry might be used mostly as a means of transportation each weekday morning and evening for thousands of Staten Island residents working in Manhattan, but it is also an enjoyable ride for visitors to the area by way of the Upper New York bay.

deadseriousness.com/9-unwritten-codes-of-new-york-city

Homeless people are invisible. Homeless people are at every corner just passed out all the time.

Urinate anywhere you want, it’s cool. There is just a thin urine cloud that covers the whole city.

If someone hands you a camera, you must take a photograph of them.

Eye contact on the subway is prohibited.

No bathing necessary.

New York City is one big landfill so no need to shower.

Know your ethnicity and racial background, you will be questioned daily.

When the light turns green, honk your horn immediately.

YOU ’ R E A N EW YOR K ER , AC T L I K E ONE Unwritten codes of New York

If you see oncoming traffic approaching, cross the street anyway. You have places to go and people to see.

TH E BI G APPL E INSI D ERS Hidden gems not many know about in the culturally diverse, fast paced city of New York.

Williamsburg is known as “hipster heaven,” and it is by far my favourite place in Brooklyn.

It is divided into two sides (North and South), and the area has undergone a massive transformation in the past 15 years.

It’s hard to imagine that it was once a largely industrial landscape spotted with modest housing for the immigrants who worked in its factories.

Stone Street is the heart of the Financial District. This centuries-old pathway recalls the magic and ambience of nineteenth century New York, and is home to an international mix of restaurants and bars.

Brooklyn is only a hop and a skip away from Manhattan, and the borough has so much to offer.

The Brooklyn Flea Market offers a great mix of art, clothing, and not to mention food vendors on a different level!

Hudson River Park is a waterside park on the Hudson River that runs through the Manhattan neighbourhoods of Lower Manhattan, Battery Park City, Tribeca, Greenwich Village, Gansevoort Market/ Meatpacking District, Chelsea, Midtwown West and Hell’s Kitchen.

East Village speakeasy PDT, Also known as “The Best Bar In The World,” PDT (Please Don’t Tell) is infamous for its attempts at secrecy If you can fight the urge to get off the 6 train at the last stop (Brooklyn Bridge), you’ll be treated to the abandoned but beautifully preserved old City Hall subway station, as the train loops around to go back uptown.

The station was first closed in 1945, and plans have been raised on a few occasions to turn the station into part of a transit museum. For now, the station remains out of reach unless by guided tour, as one of the many abandoned stops that can be partially explored.

Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in Manhattan.

The UCB is like a cheap hipster’s wet dream: it gives you the opportunity to see upcoming comedy acts before they hit the big time, and at great prices.

There are live shows every night, from stand-up to improv.

Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien, The little known hole-in-the-wall (of one of New York’s most elegant hotels), Burger Joint is a no-frills spot with some of the best burgers and fries in town. Despite its Midtown location, the Joint has surprisingly low prices, an unparalleled time-worn vibe and high scores from almost every reviewer in town.

BY R E B B ECA DAV I S

FAC ES O F N E W YO R K ’ S S U B WAY C O M M U T E

You can travel the world without leaving your neighbourhood.

Where else can you stand on a street corner and hear 10 different languages spoken?

N YC B AR HO PPER Top three best Happy Hour bars in New York City

Pianos This hipster joint located in the Lower East Side has $3 beers until eight, and $4 frozen margaritas which go over well with the ladies. It runs from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. You can also take in some live music for cheap too!

McKenna’s Pub Located on 14th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenue, this dive can give you some delicious greasy food and 2-1 drinks until 7 p.m. It’s a huge bar with games in the back room.

The 13th Step Back to East Village area, this is definitely a college crowd (you’ve been warned) but its deals are pretty top notch. Perfect for football and the entire bar is half price until 8 p.m. It’s on Second Avenue.

s o lo ng , mr. s o f t ee Few things inflame the passions of New Yorkers on a hot day quite like the subject of their favourite ice cream.

Few things inflame the passions of New Yorkers on a hot day quite like the subject of their favourite ice cream.

Just ask the Platt girls.

Daughter No. 1 (Jane, age 11) enjoys elegantly creamy European-style gelati served in long tapering cones.

Daughter No. 2 (Penelope, age 8) eats vanilla soft-serve only, preferably encrusted in a thick layer of rainbow sprinkles, gummy bears, or both. Recently, we spent a contentious couple of weeks haggling over our favourite frozen treats. We slurped sundaes in old-fashioned ice-cream temples in Forest Hills, argued the merits of trendy artisanal toppings in the wilds of Brooklyn, and tasted countless varieties of fancy Manhattan gelati on hundreds of tiny plastic spoons. Here, the results of our labor, ranked in order of preference from one to sixteen. In the cases where the girls agreed to disagree, their weary, sugar-addled dad broke the tie.

Winner: Éclair Cone, Dessert Club, ChikaLicious Daughter No. 1 praised the structure of this inventive soft-serve creation. Daughter No. 2 enjoyed the vanilla soft-serve and “sugary bottom part.” Either way, it’s the epitome of big-city, summertime-ice-cream chic.

Runner Up Stracciatella Gelato L’Arte del Gelato The buttery cone is made in front of you, and the smooth, chocolate-laced gelato was the best we tasted. “I like it, Dad,” said Daughter No. 1. “It’s very delicate on the tongue.”

fo o d an d d r i n k o f t h e nat i v es

Stroll in the sky in NYC’s high line park, raised above the city built on old subway tracks Going Underground A huge hit with both kids and grown-ups, the New York City Transit Museum remains off the beaten track

Visit rooftop sculptures Even born-and-bred New Yorkers still get a little giddy at the sight of bird’s eye views of Manhattan

Go marketshopping Swap dreams of shopping on 5th Avenue for New York City’s artisan markets

Hit the beach, there’s more to New York than skyscrapers and suspension bridges

Find an open house, if you’re in New York City in October, you’ve got the chance to discover bits of the city that most locals, let alone visitors, never see.

sev en untold secrets o f N YC Places and activities to explore your average tourist doesn’t know about

Drink tea Think all New Yorkers fit the ‘quawfeedrinkin’ cliché? Well, true to NYC’s spirit of embracing the alternative, the city’s had a full set of tea rooms spring up in recent years

E X P E R I E N C e t h e c i t y t h at n e v e r s l e e p s