*Bridge & Tunnel is a somewhat perjorative term used by city dwellers to describe heavily-accented, big-haired visitors from Long Island and northern NJ (actually, it used to include pretty much anyone who didn't live in Manhattan, but with neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens and even the Bronx taking off, it really only applies to Long Island and NJ - and I guess Staten Island - these days). Truthfully, it doesn't have as much to do with location as it does with behavior, mannerism, appearance and attitudes - think of the characters on "Growing Up Gotti."
How come everybody wants to visit the city, and nobody wants to tour Long Island?
Hey, I do enjoy Robert Moses Beach. But in general I try to not think of the Island... for numerous reasons. One being all those preppy kids who go tanning, get that Long Island Blowout haircut like the Gotti kids. But hey, they can do what they want. That pink alligator polo with the collar popped may look silly to us, but not to the other 25 guys at the bar wearing the same exact thing....
Well, I'm 26 so 2nd ave works for me But there a a few different "bar scenes" on 2nd ave if you are choosy about where you go. And I resent that B&T crowd comment :p Actually, I dont. I go to the city to avoid people from here, NYC has much better crowds, generally.
And yeah, I know Zum's lease is in danger, hopefully if he is forced to move he doesn't end up in the boonies somewhere. It'd be a shame. I've never had a dish there that wasn't good, and I've tried just about everything on the menu. Im glad to see other people appreciate that place as well
My town, as well, is absolutely INFESTED with NYers this year. It's the worst it's ever been.
Jon, where in Jersey are you? I'm going to have to assume you are on the shore somewhere. I live in Monmouth County, near Middletown/Red Bank and I have to agree that the Benny invasion has been pretty intense this year.
Hey, I do enjoy Robert Moses Beach. But in general I try to not think of the Island... for numerous reasons. One being all those preppy kids who go tanning, get that Long Island Blowout haircut like the Gotti kids. But hey, they can do what they want. That pink alligator polo with the collar popped may look silly to us, but not to the other 25 guys at the bar wearing the same exact thing....
Haha. It's funny, but true.
I guess I fit into that mold. Oh well, can't please everybody.
"I'm from Long Island. I curse alot and I say "yo" and say it often. I know what real pizza tastes like and I know that a bagel is more then a roll with a hole in the middle. Oh yea, it's a friggin hero, not a hoagie or a grinder, and I wash it all down with soda, not pop or cola. 4 am is an early night out and all good nights must end at a diner. A beer can be known as a cold one and we can get it at all hours. I don't go down to the shore, its called the beach. I know that 55mph really means 90. When someone cuts me off they get the horn and the finger and they expect it.I can hold my own in a fight & Im not afraid to curse at anyone. I'm from Long Island WhAT!"
Last edited by Draft Guru: 07-13-2006 at 03:33 PM.
I guess I fit into that mold. Oh well, can't please everybody.
"I'm from Long Island. I curse alot and I say "yo" and say it often. I know what real pizza tastes like and I know that a bagel is more then a roll with a hole in the middle. Oh yea, it's a friggin hero, not a hoagie or a grinder, and I wash it all down with soda, not pop or cola. 4 am is an early night out and all good nights must end at a diner. A beer can be known as a cold one and we can get it at all hours. I don't go down to the shore, its called the beach. I know that 55mph really means 90. When someone cuts me off they get the horn and the finger and they expect it.I can hold my own in a fight & Im not afraid to curse at anyone. I'm from Long Island WhAT!"
Those pictures you posted are hands down the weakest examples of Brooklyn blowouts you could possibly have chosen (unless these are pictures of your own "crew', in which case I sort of, but not really, apologize).
My best Li memory, from riding LIRR was one friday afternoon, the 4:10 to Montauk. Packed with the pink gators going to Fire Island, the burly construction workers downing a few dozen cold ones and seats being nowhere to be had.
We are hurtling through east queens and there is a fire island bound pink gator sitting in a seat and next to him he has his favorite puddy cat in a cat carrier. A big old boy construction worker says excuse me could I sit down. The PG says no my cat is sitting there. The BBCW says excuse me does the cat have a tix for the seat? No say the PG. Well says the BBCW I have a monthly pass and I would like to sit down. I;ll hold your cat on my lap. No says the PG. In one foul swoop the BBCW grabs the cat carrier, open the door, flings the cat carrier out the door onto the track grading! The PG is beside himself screaming about his puddy cat! Classic LI!
If you want to try some Thai food, there's this place called FAAN in downtown Brooklyn its located on Smith Street between Baltic and Butler. If you're taking the train take the F to Bergen. Just search for FAAN restaurant on google for more information if you'd like.
If you dont want to go there there are a lot of restaurants and bars on Smith street to choose from.
If you want to try some Thai food, there's this place called FAAN in downtown Brooklyn its located on Smith Street between Baltic and Butler. If you're taking the train take the F to Bergen. Just search for FAAN restaurant on google for more information if you'd like.
If you dont want to go there there are a lot of restaurants and bars on Smith street to choose from.
*Sigh.* CJB, if you'd been paying attention to the thread, you would have realized that the restaurant in questions is CLEARLY in the neighborhood known as Boerum Hill, not Downtown.
*Sigh.* CJB, if you'd been paying attention to the thread, you would have realized that the restaurant in questions is CLEARLY in the neighborhood known as Boerum Hill, not Downtown.
Its technically not downtown Brooklyn but Bouerum Hill is close to Smith St. and Atlantic Ave. And its just border of Brooklyn Heights.
Well, I'm back from a couple of days in the city with my wife and I had a great time.
It helped that the weather was absolutely stunning, but as a result, I didn't do too many "indoor" type things, like visiting the mecca of New York hockey (sorry Nassau Colliseum), MSG.
What I did do:
-took the Circle Line "Zephyr" boat around Manhatten. The sun was setting, I got some great pictures, and it was a wonderful way to spend a hot and breezy evening. Impressive to see the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty from the water.
-had a few drinks at the "drink in the rink" bar at the Rockefeller Centre. Funny to see all the worker bees show up at around 6-7 pm because apparently the drinks there can be cheap and its central (so said the locals I spoke with). Most of the places I ended up at were obviously filled with tourists, but this was an exception of sorts.
-ate in Little Italy at a very touristy but fun place along the street
-walked through Chinatown and Soho
-ran through Central Park on Saturday morning
-walked up and down Broadway, Times Square, 5th Avenue, Wall Street, Battery Park, Bryant Park, that kind of thing
-visited Ground Zero to pay my respects and see in person what billions around the world had seen live. Very eerie. I'll never forget where I was, it was the first day of class of my last year at university, and after dragging myself away from the TV at one of the student bars to get to my "Homeland Security" course, the prof basically told us to go home and watch TV while he intended to throw out the curriculum he'd planned for that year.
-I stayed at a place on 50th and Broadway called the Amsterdam Court. The rooms were small but pretty nice and the place was relatively cheap (I'm told) at $189.
-unfortunately, I never got a chance to try one of the multitude of great restaurant suggestions because usually we just ended up eating at a great restaurant that happened to be nearby at the time when we got hungry. I'll have to go back.
Thanks again for all of your suggestions. There really is so much to do and see and New York that I barely scratched the surface of what I could have done. I'm hoping to come back at some point in the winter, to catch a Rangers game, see the big tree and catch a show/see a museum. As it was, I was glad to be able to wander around with such beautiful weather.
Well, I'm back from a couple of days in the city with my wife and I had a great time.
It helped that the weather was absolutely stunning, but as a result, I didn't do too many "indoor" type things, like visiting the mecca of New York hockey (sorry Nassau Colliseum), MSG.
What I did do:
-took the Circle Line "Zephyr" boat around Manhatten. The sun was setting, I got some great pictures, and it was a wonderful way to spend a hot and breezy evening. Impressive to see the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty from the water.
-had a few drinks at the "drink in the rink" bar at the Rockefeller Centre. Funny to see all the worker bees show up at around 6-7 pm because apparently the drinks there can be cheap and its central (so said the locals I spoke with). Most of the places I ended up at were obviously filled with tourists, but this was an exception of sorts.
-ate in Little Italy at a very touristy but fun place along the street
-walked through Chinatown and Soho
-ran through Central Park on Saturday morning
-walked up and down Broadway, Times Square, 5th Avenue, Wall Street, Battery Park, Bryant Park, that kind of thing
-visited Ground Zero to pay my respects and see in person what billions around the world had seen live. Very eerie. I'll never forget where I was, it was the first day of class of my last year at university, and after dragging myself away from the TV at one of the student bars to get to my "Homeland Security" course, the prof basically told us to go home and watch TV while he intended to throw out the curriculum he'd planned for that year.
-I stayed at a place on 50th and Broadway called the Amsterdam Court. The rooms were small but pretty nice and the place was relatively cheap (I'm told) at $189.
-unfortunately, I never got a chance to try one of the multitude of great restaurant suggestions because usually we just ended up eating at a great restaurant that happened to be nearby at the time when we got hungry. I'll have to go back.
Thanks again for all of your suggestions. There really is so much to do and see and New York that I barely scratched the surface of what I could have done. I'm hoping to come back at some point in the winter, to catch a Rangers game, see the big tree and catch a show/see a museum. As it was, I was glad to be able to wander around with such beautiful weather.
Glad you had a good time, NyQuil. I love my city and am pleased when visitors can glean even a portion of what makes it so wonderful. Random thoughts:
Fantastic to hear you enjoyed your walk through SoHo and Chinatown - love that part of town, especially the way the vibe changes so drastically from street to street.
I have VERY mixed feelings about the whole ground zero thing. If you went and were moved, I can appreciate that... but as a life-long NYer, I am not happy with the way visitors typically experience that part of town. It makes me kind of angry that people push you towards it (like George Steinbrenner mandating when I have to feel patriotic by playing "America the Beautiful" during the 7th inning stretch at every Yankees game. I love my country, but I'll be patriotic when I am inspired to do so, thank you very much.) And the fact that there are vendors there selling tee-shirts .
Any decent hotel in in NY that you can reserve at $189 per night is a GREAT deal. I will recommend that place to any future visitors based on your comments. If you aren't fortunate enough to get that deal next time, you should also consider the Marriott in Brooklyn (just over the Brooklyn Bridge) - it's better than many of the hotels in the City and a fraction of the price while only a single subway stop from Mantattan.
Last but not least, as a hockey fan, you must come back during the winter - not for the tree as much as for the rink at Rock Center (right by where you had drinks). It sounds cheesy, I know, but still a great time in a Norman Rockwell kinda way, even for us jaded natives. AND of course you have to go to a Rangers game. I am a diehard fan, but even an impartial obsever I think would tell you that it ranks in the top ten best sporting events to see live.
P.S. Fletch, I was out in Slope this evening and actually by The Gate - no AC! The layout is fantastic (love the patio and the darts room with walls that double as blackboards), but in the summer the B.O. is a real turn-off. I will wait until September before I go back. Loki a couple blocks down, on the other hand, was fantastic - good bar scene, but not TOO crowded, with 4 or 5 TVs showing sports. Then a pool table and two dart boards. Then a very sexy lounge area. Then an outdoor patio. Combined with good funky grooves and good beers on tap... my new favorite bar!
I have VERY mixed feelings about the whole ground zero thing. If you went and were moved, I can appreciate that... but as a life-long NYer, I am not happy with the way visitors typically experience that part of town. It makes me kind of angry that people push you towards it (like George Steinbrenner mandating when I have to feel patriotic by playing "America the Beautiful" during the 7th inning stretch at every Yankees game. I love my country, but I'll be patriotic when I am inspired to do so, thank you very much.) And the fact that there are vendors there selling tee-shirts
Interestingly, there was a sign there which encouraged visitors not to buy anything from any vendors who showed up around there, which was followed by those that I saw there.
we rambled on for days and the originator of the thread has come and gone through the City already. That seems a bit comical.
Just goes to show that you can never see all of NYC in one visit. Plus, we've seemed to rack up a nice list of restaurants. We should start our own HF NYC Tours agency.
I stopped in at the Gate for one beer yesterday (a nice pint of Arrogant *******). The AC was cranking inside, but I sat outside. Loki's a hit or miss kind of place. Sometimes a decent crowd, sometimes totally empty. The outdoor space is interesting, to say the least. If you want to try a new Slope bar (and I forget if I mentioned this, so I apologize in advance), it's Union Hall on Union Street b/t 5th and 6th. Big place. Two bocce courts. Decent beer selection, with a couple cheap ones ($3 buds and Pabsts). A small outdoor area for smokers. And, while I didn't make it downstairs, my friend told me that there's a large downstairs, almost club-like. It is an odd place, as you walk it, there's bookshelves stocked with books, library-type chairs (thinking a nice library), kind of like they're catering to slope heads, artists, and beer drinkers alike.
Also hit 200 5th for the first time. 37 beers on tap, OK selection in terms of quality, and a bunch of TVs, pool table, nice bathroom. Food was OK. My friend and I found it odd that we were the only white people there, aside from the waitress, out of about 25 people.
***? It was bright and sunny, doing some shopping with my girlfriend, or watching her shop, rather, and all of a sudden everything exploded. I guess this is August in NY though. Getting back to the hotel was hell, though.
But there a a few different "bar scenes" on 2nd ave if you are choosy about where you go. And I resent that B&T crowd comment :p Actually, I dont. I go to the city to avoid people from here, NYC has much better crowds, generally.
The PG is beside himself screaming about his puddy cat! Classic LI!
