So how do you get to Carnegie Hall? (Without the practicing part?)
To the uninitiated, navigating fast-paced New York City may seem overwhelming. At every turn, there’s something interesting and exciting beckoning for your attention, and not nearly enough time for everything. But with a little savvy guidance – found on some super-smart, in-the-know, city-centric blogs – navigating New York City is actually pretty easy to do.
A-maze-ing New York Blogs
Think of New York City’s five boroughs as a series of interlocking, overlapping mazes. It’s lined with countless paths for exploring, and as with any puzzle, it helps to be given a key, or a clue. For seasoned, born-and-raised-here urban natives – the ones who have the entire NYC subway map indelibly etched in their brains – there are still new avenues to step into. The city is always in flux, changing like pages turning as often as the NYC weather forecast can swap clouds for sun. So, from the occasional traveler through town, to the tourist family with a camera on every neck, to the guy to whom the local deli person just serves the ‘usual’, everyone needs access to up-to-the-minute information off that major NYC data drive (which is probably buried somewhere under Central Park).
I read the news today (on a NYC blog), oh boy!!
Newspapers, city magazines and local news all provide a wealth of information. But for current, ear-to-the-pavement commentary, real-time articles, turn-over-the-cobblestone discovery and astute Manhattan living advice, there is no better place to go than popular NYC blogs on your computer or handheld. Now, if you reside in some place like Two Egg, Florida there might only be one blog for each egg. But in NYC, the number of blogs pretty much out-numbers Yankee fans in the Bronx. Here, I’ve narrowed the field to a handful of the top NYC blogs that I find to be unique and informative, but most of all to have the inherent flavor of the biggest apple in the city bushel.
What did I just step in?
When you go to Walking Off the Big Apple , you can almost hear the sound of Converse sneakers as they hit the pavement. The border around the home page of this choice NYC blog is West 57th Street, and that sets the tone. The current notes in the far left column give you the immediate weather and event flavor of the day. This is a strolling guide to New York City by Teri Tynes. The photographs are stunning and bring you right into each neighborhood. Tabs to check out include Self-Guided walks, Architecture Works, Literary/Books, Cinema/Music, Apps/Maps, Seasons/Holidays, Public Art/Museums and Photography. Ms. Tynes, who lives in Greenwich Village with her “academic spouse and nonacademic dog,” created this site in 2007, and feels that “walking stimulates philosophical questions.” It is an inspiring blog that introduces the artsier components of New York step by step
….and the #1 friendliest Central Park pretzel vendor is:
David Letterman and NYC go hand in hand. He broadcasts Late Night from the same Broadway theater stage from which Ed Sullivan first hit the nation’s TV screens, and where John, Paul, George & Ringo first hit the city. His Top Ten List has become a requisite event that many viewers won’t go to sleep before hearing. The NYC 10 Best blog site is unrelated to Letterman’s creation, but the countdown format has now become one we all can relate to and process easily. Daily events and weather are in the right side posts, and the pages compel you to choose between such topics as NYC’s 10 Best of the San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy and New York City’s Best Beaches. With endless suggestions that can point you in many new directions, this is one of the best New York blogs.
Where can you get to-go lasagna on a stick? Only the Best NYC Blogs are in the Know
All that walking making you hungry? Good – you’ve brought your appetite to the right place. No matter where you’re standing, you are likely within a cobble stone’s throw of at least a dozen places to get a great bite. But how do you know which ones are any good? It’s often hit or miss, unless you first go to New York Magazine’s Grub Street blog. Grub Street is a fun, upbeat, city-flavored celebration of great food, from dirt cheap to pricy, sorted out from the thousands of choices in the culinary corners of this town. The recent post, “First Look at Tiny’s Not-So-Tiny Tribeca Digs (Plus: The Lunch Menu!)” will make you want to pull up a chair for a sumptuous lunch at the cozy 60-seat eatery, housed in a landmarked 1810 historic building. I can’t wait to see the dessert menu!
NYC stuff I need to know…
For fun, pertinent info – like the 411 about Girl Scout Cookies Pop-up Shops, to news about the Morrison Hotel Gallery on Bowery Presents: Roots of Punk and Hip Hop – the Glenwood Manhattan Living Blog is one of the best NYC blogs. As I scroll through the posts, each one feels like a whisper from a native New Yorker saying, “If you really wanna know where to go – I’ll tell ya — ” It’s a comprehensive tour of the boroughs, encompassing everything from Jamaican food to The Isamu Noguchi Museum. The relaxed, conversational style makes you feel like you just got the thumbs up sign from someone as they exited a show or a restaurant you were considering ducking into. This is a must-go-to site if you hope to stay in the NYC loop.
Wah, Wah, Waaaaaa!! A Popular NYC Blog for Parents
And let’s not forget the kids! Almost everywhere you look there are strollers, carriages, bikes, scooters, skates and sneakers. Those moms and dads pushing the kids around, or running after their exploring kindergarteners, often have their hands full and could use all the help, insight, resources and wisdom they can get. One great place to go is Urban Baby . This is a wide variety, multi-topic, info-packed site that tells you where and when kid friendly stuff is happening – from puppet shows to Kiddie music concerts. The three Talk, Buzz & Local tabs make for streamlined navigation. Abundant advice for parents and parents-to-be is included throughout. I love the whole big picture of this site, and I will be sure to enter it the night before my next trip to NYC with the kids in tow.
Make a USB (user satisfying NYC blog) connection to the city beat…
Staying connected with the pulse of New York City becomes easier, and more fun, if you get in the habit of cruising through these top NYC blogs on a regular basis. Like the sunrise each day, a new and different panoramic view unfolds; one that can impact and change your day as you live the city life.