Episode 65: Top 5 Insider Tips for Visiting New York City with Pauline Frommer

Angie Orth:

You've been daydreaming for months about taking off for your big trip to New York City, and now the day has finally arrived. You know that this city is its own universe and you've only got a week to cover as much ground as you can, but rather than being overwhelmed by it all, you are feeling cool, calm, and confident because thankfully you were clever enough to take notes from this very episode.

Travel guide author and native New Yorker, Pauline Frommer, is back to share her top 5 insider tips for visiting New York City. So, grab a pen and paper, or better yet, save this episode. Here's what you need to know before you go. Views are always a top priority when visiting New York. Do you have a favorite, possibly less touristy, spot to capture the city in all of its glory?

Pauline Frommer:

Billionaire Ronald Perelman created a little island. He actually built an island off the shores of New York. It's free to visit, and from the top of the hill there, you get the panoply of New York in front of you. It's really beautiful and it's absolutely free. It's not a bird's eye view, but because you're in the water, you can see a lot of the shoreline and it's spectacular. The island is called Little Island.

Angie:

What is your favorite quintessentially New York food that visitors must eat, and where's the best place to get it?

Pauline:

You got to have a good bagel when you're in the city. Right near me, there's a place called Bagel Bobs that nobody knows about. They have really good bagels.

Angie:

I love a good bagel. Do you get yours with cream cheese?

Pauline:

You got to get a schmear, which is just enough cream cheese. If I'm really celebrating, I might get some smoked salmon on top.

Angie:

Yum. What's an underrated New York experience that you think more people should seek out?

Pauline:

Going to the galleries of New York and seeing the brand new art. It's really fascinating to see what the zeitgeist is for the art world, even when [the art] is bad. A lot of visitors don't even know that you can go to galleries for free.

Angie:

We're seeing the old, old, old, art. The classics have value, but it's cool to see the new stuff.

Pauline:

Oh, it's fun to see the new stuff because you really see where the culture is going, and a lot of these galleries, you go into the buildings and there will be a gallery on the first floor, but you got to take the elevator upstairs and see the galleries that are tucked away in these buildings. There might even be things you can afford to buy. I mean, it's a really fun experience just to wander through the warrens of the Chelsea Gallery District.

Angie:

And what a great souvenir.

Pauline:

If you go to one of the third-floor backroom galleries, you could find something very affordable.

Angie:

What is your favorite New York neighborhood that definitely deserves a day trip?

Pauline:

I'm lucky enough to live in Greenwich Village, so I guess I have to say Greenwich Village. It's what you hope New York will be. It's where the girls from Sex and the City would hang out. It's all of the cute little streets with the brownstones, and you're almost inevitably going to see a star. There are a lot of celebrities who live in The Village, and there are very cute cafes, and lots of sites of history.

I actually have a walking tour in my book of Greenwich Village because so many wacky things happened here. Like the Telegraph was invented in Greenwich Village, and you'll see the place where the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire happened. That was a tragic event in the early 20th century where women were locked in a factory and had to jump to their deaths when a fire took over the building, and it started the labor movement in the United States. You'll see that in The Village, so history, and cute places to have coffee, and I think it's a great area to hang.

Angie:

What should people eat in Greenwich Village?

Pauline:

There's a cute place called Emmy—not Emmy Squared—but just Emmy's, and I hate to say this, but they have really good Detroit-style pizza and excellent burgers, and it's just so cute and Greenwich Village-y, the whole restaurant. That's where I'd send you to eat.

Angie:

You get the whole vibe.

Pauline:

You get the whole vibe, even though it's Detroit-style.

Angie:

What is something special about New York City that a lot of people don't know?

Pauline:

That it's friendly. People assume that they're going to be treated gruffly and that they're going to be made angry when they're walking on the streets, and the opposite happens. People get into great conversations with New Yorkers on the subway, or when they're eating at the bar, or when they're just wandering around. It's a very friendly city.

Angie:

Pauline Frommer, thank you for joining us, and thank you to our listeners for being with us. If you're planning a trip, be sure to connect with a AAA Travel Advisor, check out AAA.com/Travel, or visit your local branch.

This podcast is a production of Auto Club Enterprises. If you enjoyed it, please subscribe, and leave us a review. I'm Angie Orth, thank you for traveling with AAA.