People love to visit this city. Upon arrival, they are shuttled into an array of interesting venues: Penn Station and the Port Authority. All are very “New York” but that’s not all the city has to offer. (Times Square is not the best the city gets.) There are just so many areas of the city with so many great places to eat and so many places to shop and so many places to drink (and so many great drinks to be consumed!). So very many. How do you even begin to entertain guests with all of the options? On top of that, how do you entertain underage guests (who cannot consume so many – or any – great drinks)? The solution is a day of under 21 fun. Tell your out-of-towners to bring their walking shoes because they are going to experience the city in a way very few tourists do.
Start: After picking up your travelers, let them see the (fake) light of day in Times Square. They will be dazzled. Make it quick though before they (or more so, you) get overwhelmed.
8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Head to Ellen’s Stardust Diner (1650 Broadway – B’way and 51st Street) for breakfast and a song. Bypass the thousands of Starbucks for a place where the servers sing while and in between taking orders. It’s cheaper than a Broadway show and the food is not that bad either.
9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Hop onto the subway and head downtown to the Fulton Street stop. (By starting at the bottom of the island, you are able to work your way back up to where they will depart at the end of the evening or to their hotel). This will give your visitors a chance to see Ground Zero, shop at Century 21 (22 Cortlandt Street near Church Street) and to see the Brooklyn Bridge (by heading East, you won’t miss it). Walk to the middle of the bridge and turnaround for a great photo op of the city!
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
From the bridge, head north on Broadway towards Chinatown (Canal Street) where knock-offs are all the rage. Once Chinatown begins to feel too hectic, continue walking north on Broadway, popping into the various shops lined on both sides of the street as you make your way into the heart of SoHo.
Shopping can make tourists hungry! Make a trip to MarieBelle (484 Broome Street, near Wooster Street) for a pre-lunch chocolate treat. If you feel like kicking up your feet with some hot chocolate for a few minutes, head to MarieBelle’s Cacao Bar located in the rear of the shop.
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
For some quality lunch-time paninis, head to ‘ino (21 Bedford Street, near Downing Street). It is cozy as can be but do not let the miniature-sized kitchen fool you: it pumps out some of the best-tasting, perfectly-toasted paninis in the city! Sweet tooth still nagging you? Walk West on Bedford Street until you hit Carmine Street and your next stop, Sweet Revenge (62 Carmine Street, near Bedford Street), which in my opinion, beat out Magnolia Bakery cupcakes hands-down. (But if you want to try one of the famous cupcakes, the bakery is not that far away at 401 Bleecker Street at 11th Street).
3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
It’s probably high time to walk off all the dessert so why not head over to The High Line (Gansevoort Street to 20th Street, near Eleventh Avenue)? This above-ground park is about a mile long with not really the best views of the city but it is definitely too cool to miss. (See our previous story on The High Line).
Once you hit 14th Street, hop off of The High Line and head to the L train at Eighth Avenue, which will shuttle you and your visitors to Union Square (14th Street at Broadway). Many stores surround Union Square’s park and it is an avenue away from the Fifth Avenue chain stores like Express, Banana Republic, etc.
Hungry again? I bet you are. Why not walk down to Crif Dogs (113 Street, Marks Place, near Ave. A) for a quick bite (these are not the kind of hot dogs the street vendors sell). For $5, try their Morning Jersey hot dog (Taylor ham wrapped house dog with melted cheese and a fried egg). On your way out, be sure not to miss the small telephone booth across from the arcade games. The booth is the entrance to a secret bar called PDT (Please Don’t Tell). Your guests won’t be able to see the inside of this “hot dog joint for grown-ups” until they hit the big 2-1; however, their interest is sure to be piqued for a future “21 and Over” trip. (See our earlier story on Crif Dogs).
5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Scoot yourselves back uptown to Tao Asian Bistro (42 East 58th Street, near Madison Avenue) for an impressive dinner venue.Be sure to make reservations. And even if you have reservations, be aware that there is usually a wait. Out-of-towners do not always seem to understand this (and your younger guests can grow a little impatient).
Finish: Penn Station and the Port Authority never looked so non-NYC now, right? Perhaps you, the tour guide, will even love this city a little more than you did before after your bar-free journey. There really are so many wonderful finds packed into our tiny little island. All you need to do is walk around.
