Anyone been to new york or vancouver?

[theholygideons]

I'm going there on holiday start of december. What exactly is there to do in a big city? I'm going to watch a concert at Carnegie hall, but other than that, I have no idea. Are people in New york friendly?

[j_menz]

What's Vancouver got to do with it?

What exactly is there to do in a big city?

Being mugged?

[theholygideons]

What's Vancouver got to do with it?

Being mugged?

because i'm visiting both. Nah.. I don't think it's as muggable as Paris though.

[Bob]

It's more romantic to get mugged in Paris though.

"Donnez-moi tout votre argent!"

[cabbynum]

I have had great fun in the past just walking around And find interesting things. Go to the street with all the piano stores. Its awesome! Go to klavierhouse its on 58th I believe. Tell them I sent you and ask for Nick.

[1piano4joe]

Hi theholygideons,

I live in Long Island just a short train ride from NYC.

How about going to the Theater at Madison Square Garden to see "Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical," which runs through Dec. 28. The sprightly musical is one of the countless holiday offerings in New York this month.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.

St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Macy's Herald Square.

Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

What is there to do? Seriously? Just bring lots and lots of money. Finding things to do and see won't be a problem.

How about the Lincoln Center? NYC Ballet The Nutcracker.

American Museum of Natural History.

Metropolitan Museum of Art.

How about the Holiday Train Show at the Botanical Gardens?

Central Park Zoo and not to mention Piano Row. Ever play a 9 foot concert grand Bosendorfer?

We are not overly friendly but as a rule we are not unfriendly but there are exceptions.

I hope this helps, Joe.

P.S. There are some incredible restaurants as well. Unfortunately, they come with an incredible price tag but hey you only live once.

[awesom_o]

I just won a piano competition in Vancouver recently! It's a lovely city. Be sure to visit Stanley Park!
If you would like to try some nice pianos, you can visit Tom Lee, the Steinway dealer. But a walk around the sea wall in Stanley Park is a real treat!

[chopincat]

What exactly is there to do in a big city?

Everything!!!! As a born and bred New Yorker, I can tell you that it's impossible to run out of things to do here!

I'm assuming you're into music, so I'd recommend:

The Philharmonic (you can usually get tickets for pretty cheap)

The Metropolitan Opera (very expensive, but worth it if you're into opera)

Jazz clubs (some of the best ones are Smoke, the Blue Note, the Village Vanguard, and the Jazz Standard. Jazz at Lincoln Center is also a great venue for jazz).

The Chamber Music Society

The Miller Theater at Columbia often has some interesting stuff.

A Broadway musical! There are so many good ones playing right now.

Steinway Hall is incredible for any pianist to visit.

Some non-music stuff that I'd still recommend:

Museums! In my experience the best ones are the Metropolitan Museum of Art (which has a choose-what-you-pay policy), the Museum of Modern Art, and the Museum of Natural History. The Frick Collection, the Whitney, and the Rubin Museum are smaller but often have some interesting exhibits. I've heard that the Brooklyn Museum is really great as well (but I don't really go to Brooklyn  )

The ballet (again, expensive, but worth it if you're into ballet. The best companies are the ABT and the NYCBT. I personally wouldn't recommend the Nutcracker because it's very cliche and touristy, but to each their own).

Theater - both on and off-broadway.

The Bronx Zoo

There is so much great food in the city and not all of it is as expensive as you might think! Check out TripAdvisor for some restaurant ideas.

Some things I wouldn't necessarily recommend:

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Honestly, if you want to see really good music, dance and acting, there are thousands of better options in the city, some of which are cheaper. The Christmas Spectacular is just kind of childish and goofy. If you're really into Christmas, it might be fun. But I think there are better things to do.

Holiday shopping is great in New York, but I'd steer clear of places like Times Square and Herald Square unless you're prepared for gigantic crowds and endless lines.

But in a place like New York, it's really hard to go wrong. If you just wander around some hip neighborhood for a little you'll probably find something amazing. It's great to have plans in advance, but it's also great to just enjoy the city and see what comes your way.