Ask and Ye Shall Receive

HAPPY SUNDAY!

I am sitting in my pajamas, drinking abuelita hot chocolate, and ignoring the fact that it's raining outside. Luckily, I'm uploading pictures from my recent FL vacation on facebook. Also luckily, I received the following submission for my advice column:

Dear Becky (if that's your real name):

I have a friend visiting from out of town next week. She has come to visit a few times before, and we have conquered all the usual touristy stuff. I want to show her a good time, and I know that you are really into doing stuff, so do you have suggestions for us?

Sincerely,

Jaded New Yorker

Dear Jaded New Yorker,
First of all, good call on giving your self an alias. Everyone else who's written is has left their names blank, allowing me to somewhat embarrass them by making up silly names. Actually, they probably weren't embarrassed...damnit. Anyway...Thanks for writing in. Blah Blahbity.

I sometimes do things, and sometimes I don't. But, I do live in New York City, and when I do things, they're usually there. That being said, I think I should be able to help you with this situation. First of all, it's a good thing you've already done all the touristy things...because...touristy things usually involve lines, and waiting, and that's not a recipe for fun. And you probably want to have fun when your friend is here. That being said, I think you live in Astoria so why not do some fun Astoria/Queens things?


How about The Museum of the Moving Image? (I believe there's free admission on Friday nights) Or a trip to the Beer Garden? What about a night at Sweet Afton for some tasty beers and mac and cheese? And, if you're feeling really adventurous, I heard good things about The Queens Museum. There's a lot to be said for the Chinese food scene in Flushing, and let's not forget Sripraphai...our favorite Thai place out in Woodside.

There's also tons of stuff to do in Brooklyn (barf). You could do a bar crawl in Williamsburg (though, if you're feeling cranky or on edge, the hipsters might be too much for you to handle) or hit up the Brooklyn Brewery.

If you want to actually go into Manhattan, There's our old standby Shake Shack, in multiple locations. One of my coworker's also has good things to say about a Masonic Temple downtown that offers free tours at least on weekend mornings...not sure about weekdays. While you're in 'the city', why not go for some cheap margaritas at Blockheads and do some shopping by Herald Square?

I hope some of these tips are helpful! If not, go fly a kite! YEAH! THAT'S RIGHT! I SAID IT!

Thanks for writing in,
Becky