Trifter

Hotel Chelsea, located at 222 West 23rd Street in Manhattan. If you need a place to stay, Chelsea Hotel is famous for its many artist guests, some who stayed years. Some former inhabitants are Allen Ginsberg, Dylan Thomas, Stanley Kubrick, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, and The Grateful Dead. Andy Warhol filmed Chelsea Girls here which followed some of his Factory stars who lived at the hotel. Most notorious of all, young groupie Nancy Spungen was stabbed to death here- her boyfriend, Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols, one of the suspects.

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Coney Island Coney Island is still alive and well worth a visit. Some historic rides that are kind of creaky but still operating are the Wonder Wheel ferris wheel, Cyclone roller coaster, and the Parachute Drop. Besides that, there is arcades, bumper cars, burlesque and freak shows, Nathan’s famous hot dogs and a wonderfully gritty boardwalk. See it while you can, “renewal” and “development” plans are in the works and it may soon look a lot like your local mall.

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McSorley’s Old Ale House, located at 15 E. 7th Street in the East Village. If you want to stop and have a beer at a place that seems like it is right out of a Robert Deniro movie, try McSorley’s Old Ale House. Established in 1854, it is the oldest Irish tavern in NYC, and has been visited by such famous people as presidents Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. It was also the last holdout of men’s only pubs, and only accepted women within its doors after a District Court ruling in 1970.

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Greenflea Flea Market, located on Columbus Avenue between 76th and 77th Streets in Greenwich Village, open on Sundays 10:00 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. year round.  This is a huge flea market with a large outdoor section.  It is a great place for bargains, antiques, unique handmade items, bizarre collectibles, and people watching.

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Brooklyn Heights Historic District, located between Cadman Plaza West (Old Fulton Street) on the north, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway on the west, and Atlantic Avenue on the south. This historic area has many beautiful examples of Nineteenth Century architecture.

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Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square Odditorium, located on New 42nd Street in Times Square, Manhattan.  There are Odditoriums in a few other US cities, but this is still worth seeing.  It is filled with grotesque, bizarre and, yes, cheesy exhibits you’ll be glad you spent an afternoon gawking at.

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Mars 2112, located in Times Square.  This restaurant is, without a doubt, a tourist lure, and you won’t find anything authentically New York here, except for a unique concept and over the top sense of style.  However, you’re not going to find one of these in your neighborhood and the decor is fun- even the waiters wear quasi-futuristic uniforms.

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