In Queens for a few days

[triangleforge]

I'm about to board a plane here in Phoenix AZ to head for a training in Long Island City through Sunday for training. I'm staying with a college buddy in Yonkers on Saturday night, but am largely unencumbered most of the other evenings.

Anything doing that fits in the budget of a high school math teacher?

Cheers,
BRAD

[1.21GW]

Nothing legal in this city fits in the budget of a high school math teacher. 

What type of stuff are you into?  How adventurous are you?  There are all types of historical stuff (museums, tours), food/drink (whiskey bars, speakeasies, food from all countries and cultures), plays/movies, music of every genre, and so on.  Lots of it pricey, but some of it cheap or even free.  All of it a subway ride ($2.50) away.

You can checkout Timeout New York's webpage for some specific events this weekend.  Weather isn't going to be great, especially for an Arizonian, so you might want to skip the outdoors stuff.

[Howie]

Brad, PM me if you want to get together. 

[triangleforge]

PM Sent, Howie!

For what it's worth, I lived in Manhattan for two and a half years in the mid 1980s while in grad school - that experience gave me a look at how expensive NYC can be, but also how much fun you can have with nearly nothing in your pocket.

After six years living in rural Arizona, I suspect that just walking down the street will be almost as much entertainment as I can stand. My buddy is talking about taking a walk in (on?) High Line park with dinner & drinks in the Meat Packing district one evening, and tells me my hotel in Queens is probably near some great Greek restaurants & way too much ouzo & retsina. Whiskey bars & speakeasies sound mighty appealing as well.

I'll check out Timeout New York, thanks!!!
 

[1.21GW]

Whiskey Bars:
Flatiron Iron Room (Flatiron/Chelsea---one of my favorites.  Live music (usually jazz or old standards) after 9p. Lliterally hundreds of whiskey/bourbon/scotch with a very knowledgable staff.)
Brandy Library (Tribeca)

Speakeasies and cocktail bars:
PDT (East Village---one of the originals, behind a hot dog shop.  Hard to get in and not worth the hype because staff kinda sucks, IMO)
Employees Only (West Village---another one of the originals.  Good)
Milky & Honey (Flatiron---can get hard to get in certain times because they don't let it get crowded, but staff is always nice and it doesn't feel as pretentious as the other speakeasies.  one of my favorites.)
Little Branch (West Village---cash only, last time i checked)
Middle Branch (Midtown/Murray Hill---cousin of Little Branch, not cash-only)
The Blind Barber (East Village---behind a barber shop.  Kinda fratty feeling inside, but well made cocktails)
Bathtub Gin (Chelsea, gin-focused)
Lantern's Keep (Midtown, in the back of a hotel)
Mayaheul (East Village---tequila bar)

Clearly, I have a drinking problem. 

[1.21GW]

Not sure if it is up your alley, but the Museum of the Moving Image is in Queens and may be near your hotel.  They have stuff from film/television history, but the current exhibit is actually pretty cool.  Something about independent or alternative video games---conceptual and a little weird but I found it interesting:

http://www.movingimage.us/

You're a few months late from seeing 5Pointz, which was a unique Queens landmark that was recently destroyed.

http://5ptz.com/about/




Oh, and if you haven't been since the 1980s, you will be blown away but what Time Sq looks like now.

[thought]

If you havent been here since the 1980's... just walk around Hell's kitchen, the meatpacking, and williamsburg and you'll be shocked enough as is.

[cokey]

lol hope you pack your sweater..   -20 with wind chill starting tonight i believe.  friday night if everyone doing anything i probably can make it..  saturday i'll be in the circus (our daughters first time) around 7pm.. so i'll be around madison sq 5pm..   

i 3rd just walking around will give you a chuckle..  i grew up in williamsburg, it's not safe to walk around.

[triangleforge]

A big thank you to Howie & his lovely wife Ellen for a splendid evening last night! Meeting up tonight with a friend from college at a Cuban place on the Upper West Side & then who knows.

Fortunately, I packed a lot of winter gear - since we're getting the filp side of your weather (normally, we get lots of rain & snow over the winter up in the AZ mountains, but this year not a drop!), it hasn't gotten a whole lot of use since last winter.

Thanks for all the leads!

[Howie]

Our pleasure Brad.  Great seeing you.