Visit New York City Off the Beaten Track

When most tourists come to New York City, they stay in circumscribed areas, eat in the best restaurants and think of the 'arts" as only
Broadway and Lincoln Center.

As a former resident of New York City, I can tell you that itinerary leaves out so much of the beauty of New York City.

First, any time I had visitors, I took them on what I called my "two cent tour of New York." Take an M15 bus on Second Avenue . Ride down
to the Staten Island Ferry. On the way, you will see Chinatown, Little Italy and the Lower East Side- all famous parts of New York City. Go on
the ferry . It is a free and pleasant ride. If you want to explore Staten Island, you could see the world's largest garbage dump or you could see
two very interesting and unique places. Richmondtown Restoration is the only restoration in the five boroughs. The Tibetan Museum is a
small but excellent museum. It is the only one of its kind in the United States. Then return on the ferry. On your way back, you will pass the
Statue of Liberty closeup. Then board the M15 bus on first avenue for the return trip. You will pause by the United Nations Building and see the
Upper Eastside of New York City.

At night, instead of Broadway, there is a HUGE amount of great entertainment off Broadway and off off Broadway. If you like Improvisation,
Chicago City Limits is hysterical. They are located on W.58th St. Great theater can be found at Westside Arts Theater, The Flea Theater,
Mint Theater, Second Stage , Lambs Theater and many others at a fraction of the cost of a Broadway ticket. Many of these theaters have a
rich history.

For Opera Lovers, Amato Opera is a charmer. The true blue professional opera outside of the Metropolitan Opera and City Opera is
Opera orchestra of New York. They only perform for one night several times per year.

Do you really want to know about the history of various areas of New York City? I recommend walking tours . Most of them are led by
Ph.D students in history. They can be fascinating. Okay, so you like the Seinfeld show. There is a bus tour that takes you to all of the
places shown on that show.

Enjoy the beauty of a park that stretches from 59th Street up to 96th Street. Deisgned by Fredrick Lawe Olmsted, Central park is a
quiet oasis in a bustling city. There are always unusual activities in Central park. A stroll in the park om beatiful weather is a great
way to spend the day. Did you see the bowling alley in the park? Yes, it does exist on the grass.

As for museums, why not visit The Museum of Folk Art or The Museum of the City of New York? How about the Museum of the
American Indian. It is a small but fascinating place. Did you know that there is a branch of the Smithsonian in New York?
The Cooper Hewitt is the National Museum of Design.

Why not be adventurous and see the off the beaten track places that have made New York City famouse also. You might see a

struggling actor/actress in a play who will later become famous. That is the beauty of New York City.