Legendary and unique, enrapturing by its greatness, the city of New York is located in the Northeast of the USA. The city is the symbol of courage and talent, dynamic progress and all-fired hurry.
The greatness of New York is unchangeable; the city seems to be frozen in time, when you are looking at skyscrapers near the Time Square (the heart of the city). The Empire State Building grandiosely overtops the stone jungles of the NYC. A view over the city from the Brooklyn Bridge will stop and amaze even the most experienced tourists. Use the car rental in New York JFK International Airport and make sure that this beauty is worth to be seen. The list of six unusual places, which are known mostly only by the locals, would make your trip to New York unforgettable, and you will certainly fall in love with this city.
- Since 1903, on Coney Island in Brooklyn, the “Polar Bear” club of winter swimming fans arranges a massive bathing for everyone, on the first day of each New Year. There actually come 3-4 thousand townspeople to get a renewal of wellbeing from the 7°C Atlantic Ocean. The weather on January 1 is different from year to year, but many people come in fancy dresses, as on Halloween, and this is also a part of the big Show. There will be television, lots of photographers, and the police will not pay attention to people, who drink alcohol in a public place. So, take a towel that warms well (if bathing in the winter is not a part of your everyday life), and get an ocean of positive.
- Everybody knows about the annual pre-New Year’s “Saks”, “Lord & Taylor”, “Macy’s” window cases contest with new stories and characters every year. Moreover, in New York, there is also a “competition” of houses decorated with New Year themes. The most concentrated area of the city, where you can see this symphony of light for free, is Dyker Heights in Brooklyn. This elite area was built 100 years ago for brokers from Wall Street. The houses in Dyker Heights are striking with their size and diverse architecture. Better, come and see it with your eyes.
- When tourists think about Chinese food, only Chinatown comes to mind. Where else, if not in the Chinatown, could you try the Peking duck and traditional dumplings? Of course in Chinatown, but not in Manhattan- in Queens (another area of New York). New Yorkers regretfully say that the largest Chinese quarter, located in Manhattan, has become completely touristic. It means that the prices are high, the service is low and the food is often not tasty. Therefore, in order to enjoy the eastern cuisine, you should visit Flushing, Queens. Most tourists even haven’t heard about this Chinese district. Here, not only are the prices, the quality of food and portion sizes pleasing, but also the fact that the guests of any restaurant and cafe are either Americans or the Chinese people. This should be considered as a very good sign. There is also a huge number of Asian markets at this area, making you feel as if you have mysteriously moved to China, and not just to another area of New York.
- Apotheke Bar
Location: 9 Doyers St #1, New York, NY 10013
Nevertheless, the locals still visit the Chinatown of Manhattan. Here they come for original cocktails, to a secret bar, where there is almost no tourist, because even the taxi drivers do not know where this bar is. It is located on a small street, called a “bloody corner”. You will get there only if you know the exact address for the automotive navigation system. During the dawn of the Chinese mafia, many murders were committed on this street. It was easy for criminals to hide around the corner, where the street is sharply turning, and to wait for their victims there. Therefore, the corner received the nickname “bloody”.
However, in the 1920s, the times of the prohibition law, there was a drugstore, which sold not only medicines, as you can guess. It was a perfect place, as most people tried to avoid it. Today there is a bar on this spot, which is called “Pharmacy”. Here, the bartenders in the lab coats of pharmacists prepare cocktails from natural herbs and tinctures.
All ingredients are organic, purchased in farmers’ markets or grown in their own garden, on the roof of the bar. The tinctures are stored in pharmacy flasks, just like in real pharmacy. Each cocktail, as a medicine, has its own property – relaxing, relieving stress, painkilling and so on. Therefore, everyone can choose his or her “medicine”, depending on the goal and personal preferences. New Yorkers like to drink in unusual places and, in this regard, the ‘Apotheke Bar’ is just perfect. Perhaps, one of the most interesting and atmospheric bars in the city, where only the locals come.
- ‘Campbell Apartment’ in the building of the Grand Central station.
You will see the famous Central Station in all tourist guidebooks. However, the “pearl” of the station, is the “Campbell Apartment” bar, which is loved by locals, who are zealously trying to preserve this place for themselves. The “secret” bar is located at the top of the station.
The bar does not look like any other bar in the city. It imitates the apartment of businessman John W. Campbell, who bought a part of the railway station in the 1920s, and set up a personal work-room in the Renaissance style here. In the daytime, John Campbell worked there, and in the evenings, turned this place into a club, where closed parties, for the most influential and respected people of the city, were held. Of course, in our days, Campbell’s “apartment” has undergone some changes, but it is still a cozy, atmospheric place, in an old-fashioned style, where you will be served the best and the strongest martini in the city.
The entrance to the bar is from the side of Vanderbild Avenue, but you would get a special pleasure if you would use an elegant elevator in Art Deco style, located on the first floor of the station.
- Every summer there are free concerts in New York, which gather thousands of music admirers. Starting from the end of May, every Friday, the morning shows “Good Morning America” (GMA) and “TODAY” compete in their ratings, inviting the most famous musicians to perform at their concerts. GMA arranges a show in Central Park, and ‘Today’ – at Rockefeller Center. The recording of “Good Morning America” (ABC) takes place from 7.00 to 9.00. The artists sing several songs. If you want to get to the concert, it is better to arrive to the opening of the Central Park at 6.00. The scene is set on the Rumsey Playfield. Be sure to bring water, camera, comfortable shoes and something to entertain yourself while waiting for the performance of your favorite artist. In 2014, GMA invited such stars as Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias, Demi Lovato, Robin Thicke, Kings of Leon, 50 Cent, Paramore, and others.
Concerts of “Today Show” (NBC) are recorded from 7.00 to 9.00. To get to the scene, it is better to come to the Rockefeller Center by 5:00. Free tickets are distributed on 48th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenue), but the number of them is very limited. The queues to the show depend on the popularity of the performing artist. In the summer of 2014, NBC pleased the guests with the performances of OneRepublic, Maroon 5, Fall Out Boy, Pharrell Williams, Mariah Carey, Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Jason Mraz and others.