New York

Alright friends, I once again need your help. I am getting ready to take a group of high school students from our church to New York City, and I need your help. We are staying in Brooklyn at a church near 53 st. and 4th. We will most likely buy stuff to eat at the church for breakfast, except for maybe one or two mornings. We will be in that area for lunch at least twice. We will be in the financial district and need a lunch spot there, and will be near both Chinatown and Little Italy one day as well. We will be in Times Square for dinner, but have the flexibility to get out of there for something close, and need one meal for dinner that is nice but still won't break the bank for the night we go and see the Lion King. We are armed with subway cards for the week so we can get around so I am open to any suggestions. The South Street Seaport has been suggested as a decent place to get lunch one day, but I am not married to the idea. Please keep in mind that 1) cheap (by NYC standards) is good for lunch especially 2) I am dealing with 14-18 year olds who may not be terribly open to new things 3) I do want them to get a taste of NYC. Bagel shops, pizzerias, street stands would be great! Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Kris

Junior's in Times Square (across from Marriott on the South side of the street, I think on 7th and maybe 43rd?) has the original NYC cheesecake, plus huge deli sandwiches. It's definitely not the best, but it isn't bad, and would be a good introduction for a group of kids (plus reasonably priced in comparison to the top deli's). For example, their cheeseburgers and fries are at least as good as their corned beef sandwiches!

If you go West a block off Broadway, you used to be in a vast wilderness, but now there are dozens of ethnic places that are reasonably priced and accessible (and don't require reservations) . . . not sure of names, but someone here will! (I'm talking about 8th between 41st and 49th, and on most of the side streets).

In the financial district, there's a Japanese noodle place that is cheap and wonderful . . . again, the name escapes me, but if nobody here knows it I'll look it up.

There are also several Ollie's around the city - they are a local chain of Chinese restaurants, maybe in the 2.5-3 star range in NYC, but dependable, inexpensive, and still with a variety and range of menu items (from noodle dishes to braised duck feet, but with very accessible items also) that would be good to take kids to. (If they moved to Louisville, they'd be ranked right up with Red Pepper and Jasmine, but in comparison to some in Chinatown few will mention them).

Also, Brooklyn is famous for NY - style pizza. I'm not sure about the exact area where you're staying, but few pizza places are bad, and if you ask the church to recommend the best around you won't go wrong!

Kris- have fun, some of my favorite memories of my 20+ years in NYC were when my teenaged nephews came to visit. Seeing the city through a young fresh set of eyes is amazing.
The nephews rarely stray from steak and potatoes- yet they made me take them back to Ruby Foo's in Times Square 3 times. It is very accessible American/Asian food, served on platters made to be shared. If your group is large enough you sit at a huge round table with a lazy susan in the center so the food is easy to get at. It is on B'way at 47th St. and decorated in what I can only describe as Disney meets opium den. And only a five block stroll to Lion King. Outside the restaurant you can sit for a charcoal portrait for 10 or 20 bucks (the kids loved that for some reason.)
Other places that are good for kids on a budget (though not necessarily in the areas you mentioned)
The 2nd Ave Deli 162 E 33rd St. It is no longer on Second Ave but still has delicious cheap real diner/deli food. The servers are no longer rude and insulting which was part of the fun- but you will eat well.
The City Bakery 3 W. 18th- right off 6th Ave. It is a huge cafeteria where everything is made fresh and the offerings range from very safe to slightly edgy. IMHO the best chocolate chip cookies in NYC.
For lunch in Chinatown HSF 46 Bowery is insane fun- dim sum on trollies- enough egg rolls and sweet and sour to make any kid happy, and enough snails and duck feet passed around to make the kids realize that there is another world out there.
If you find yourself on the Upper West Side Big Nicks Burger and Pizza Joint is an institution. Always cheap- no frills at all, just good eats.
One site I recommend is: http://www.nymag.com/agenda go to restaurants and then you can keep narrowing your search as to location and price, etc.
Again, have fun Kris.

Big Nicks was our Favorite place to take visitors who liked to go out a bit late at night...miss that meatloaf and the burgers-I also miss Fairway!

Joe's Shanghai on Pell street in Chinatown, for soup dumplings (the soup is in the dumpling).

Gray's Papaya on the upper West Side if you are around there, or Papaya King on 14th St. 7th Ave,
Both of the establishments have been around a long time (Gray's the original), and they serve really delicious hot dogs and papaya drinks. The combination is great!

Also any of the pizza places are going to be good, and I think the suggestions of Juniors, (perfect before Lion King). and 2nd ave Deli are really good. It will give the kids a little bit of nostalgia of the early immigrants to NY.

If you can drag them out of bed early, they can be a part of the "Good Morning America" audience. (Right across from JR's)
I did it with my son a few years ago ..... Diane Sawyer is really tall!
It was weird for me because I felt like a tourist (raised in Queens)
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=144752



Say hi for us! Have fun

Two other small notes . . .

If you're going to Chinatown/Little Italy area, try to go to Chinatown sometime between 5-6 or so . . . all the tiny stores are open, people are bargaining at the top of their lungs, and some of the stores (one selling 50 types of mushrooms, for example) give a very different view of the area than a trip through not at a time when people are shopping for dinner.

Also, go just a tad further East, and hit the Tenement Museum. Not highly advertised, and not promoted all that much, but shows the movement of immigrants to and through the lower East side. One former tenement building has been restored, and kids can see exactly how their ancestors likely lived when they first came to the country (if I remember, shows Jewish/Italian/Irish/African immigrant lives).

Hey Andrew!
Good suggestion about the tenement museum, and right after that they can walk " a little ways" to the DOUGHNUT PLANT at 379 GRAND STREET. (brother lives down the street) they have extremely unique flavors of yeast and cake donuts, and if I am not mistaken.... can watch them being made! http://www.doughnutplant.com