The New York City Traveler

Didn’t think the words gourmet and doughnuts could possibly go together? It’s entirely possible at the Doughnut Plant located at 379 Grand St. in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Flavors like Vanilla Bean, Roasted Chestnut, Cranberry, and their rich Valrhona Chocolate are all made with no trans fats, preservatives, artificial flavorings, or eggs. Glazes are concocted on site using seasonal fruit, and fresh roasted nuts instead of loads of icky sweet sugar and corn syrup. The flour is custom milled to exact specifications and the fry oil is changed daily. Twice a week, owner and founder Mark Isreal visits the local …read more

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Established by a collective of political activists and artists about 20 years ago, The Castillo Theatre on 543 West 42nd St. is still the place to go for cutting edge avant garde productions that continually redefine modern theatre in this country. All subjects are on the table including gender identity, the shortcomings of American democracy; the rise of fascism and communism throughout the world; and the legacy of slavery and racism. Genres include the American musical, vaudeville, choreo-poems, historical dramas, hip-hop, and improvisational comedy. Showing Saturdays December 6 & 13, 2008 at 7:00 PM This Is Your Ridiculous Life, an …read more

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Remember when Times Square was far from a tourist destination…a place you’d never want to take the kids…with peep shows, grime, and scores of men down on their luck hitting a paper bag encrusted bottle? No? Well then, do yourself a favor and take the free Times Square Exposé Free Walking Tour sponsored by the Times Square Alliance. Originally called Longacre Square, this neighborhood was dubbed Times Square in 1904, when as legend has its name was changed when the New York Times headquarters was built at the intersection of Broadway and 7th Avenue.  Today over 26 million people visit …read more

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So what the heck is stir brewed? It just happens to be arguably the best coffee in NYC! It’s difficult for New Yorkers to give a definitive answer on which shop offers the best coffee. Some are better than others for different reasons….heck, your absolute favorite coffee shop may go out of business in a year and the next best place is two train rides away…from everything else that you do. So that being said, there are definitely some independent coffee purveyors that consistently stand above the rest. I most recently raved about Oren’s but if I have to pick …read more

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You’ve just arrived at New York’s busiest airport and you need a quick infusion of good home cooked food to supplement that bag of complimentary peanuts you ate on board hours ago. You need to rustle up some real vittles…preferably some local cuisine that’s always so hard to find in an airport. Sure, it may not be the best soul food in NYC, but Sylvia’s definitely stands miles above the panoply of chain restaurants located in terminal 4. Operated by the original flagship restaurant in Harlem, steaming plates of fried chicken, ribs, pork chops, and corn bread are served up …read more

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This is a guest post from Mary Jo Manzanares, b5media’s Travel & Culture Channel Editor and travel blogger at Flyaway Cafe.

I have many favorite places to visit when I’m in New York. There are lots of great places for shopping, eating and drinking, and just wandering around. One of my very favorite places, however, is a quiet oasis in the otherwise frenzied pace that is Manhattan — the New York Public Library.
I’d seen the library in movies long before I saw it in person. It was featured in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Escape From New York, and the library’s basement was …read more

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If traveling to the Kingdom of Bhutan and exploring the Himalayas is on your must-do list but you now find yourself in NYC, do the next best thing and check out The Dragon’s Gift at the Rubin Museum. Happening now through January 5th, this is a groundbreaking exhibition of rare religious Buddhist art focusing on ancient ritual dances. 87 works feature intricate paintings and images created using applique and embroidery framed in brocade, called thangkas; gilt bronze and wooden sculptures; and ritual objects ranging in date from the 8th to the 20th century. Because most of these objects come from active …read more

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Right in the heart of bustling Chelsea, the Desmond Tutu Center evokes a castle-like setting complete with lush grounds surrounded by recently renovated 19th-century Gothic buildings. Made of stone and outfitted with wrought iron banisters,this South African-inspired retreat offers a startling juxtaposition of modern conference center alongside the General Theological Seminary. The hotel’s 60 historic guest rooms are fully equipped with wi-fi, flat screen TVs, and are only a few blocks away from the subway on 23rd St. but also accommodate those who want to tune out the modern world. Original architectural highlights include a refectory dating back to the …read more

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Happening now through Mon. Nov. 10th, the 2nd annual Asian Contemporary Art Fair will be held at Pier 92, 52nd St at Twelfth Ave.. One of the most extensive exhibitions of contemporary Asian art in the country, 80 international galleries and non-profit organizations will be displaying a wide range of work by artists from 14 countries including China, Japan, Korea, India, Bangladesh, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam. This year, the scope has been diversified to include art from the Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries of the United Arab Emirates, Georgia, Iran, Turkey, and Kazakhstan. Many of the paintings, sculpture, photography, …read more

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From a Hershey’s kiss to the finest Belgian truffle, there are few things in life as satisfying as a bite of chocolate. This year’s 11th Annual New York Chocolate Show (Nov. 7th – 9th) is jam-packed with events celebrating the most coveted of sweet treats. It will be held at Pier 94 on the far west side hosting tastings, cooking demonstrations, book signings, a master chocolate competition and even a chocolate couture fashion show. All this for the admission price of just $28! Highlights of this cocoa infused weekend include:
Opening-night benefit and fashion show: Talented designers (including "Project Runway" alumni …read more

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