"As soon as I was old enough (1964), I got myself to New York. I learned the subway, went to (now long gone) little movie theaters, sketched in the Bleecker St. Café, and saw everything at the Museum of Modern Art. I was going to college in Brooklyn and found the best free thing to do in New York was to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, and it still is, although now I usually do it from Manhattan and then stroll along the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. The two best movie theaters in NY are now the Film Forum on West Houston St. and the Paris on 58th St. just west of 5th Ave. (You'll understand why when you go.) If you're walking around Midtown, you'll appreciate the bathrooms at the fabulous Japanese department store, Takashimaya, on 5th Ave. between 54th & 55th. The best place for breakfast is the Dining Room at the Neue Gallery, 5th Ave. & 86th, home to the world's most ... [more]
Lloyd Ziff, Photographer
Taxi?
Nothing cries 'tourist' more than waving one's hands vigorously and fruitlessly as off-duty and fare-carrying taxis speed by. Here's the simple rule: if the taxi's numbers on his rooftop are lit, he's free. If they aren't lit, he's not. And if they are flanked by "off duty" lights, he's not. Here's the exception: sometimes an off-duty driver can be convinced to take you to your destination: if it's on his way home. If he stops for you, inquire.
Here's another vehicular tip: those town cars honking at you as you stand on the corner are livery cabs. They are not licensed to carry passengers but have a brisk business. If you are desperate for transportation and air-conditioning, it's an option.