Pounding the Pavement in NYC

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New York, ‘the Capital of the World’, offers something for everyone, and no matter what your taste or interest there’s bound to be some enthusiastic specialist ready to show it to you.

NYC walking tours

NYC walking tours

Most people have heard of the ‘Sex and the City’ tours, where you’ll tread in the footsteps of Carrie, Samantha and Co, visiting, amongst other things, the SoHo art gallery where Charlotte worked and the boutiques where the girls loved to go shopping. But for something a little more highbrow, you could choose to take an historical tour. Big Onion Tours specialise in off-beat walking tours, with themes including ‘The Gangs of New York’ tour, which tells the legends of the infamous Five Points neighbourhood, and a walk along The Bowery, New York’s original ‘Skid Row’.

Gotham Walking Tours is another respected company who offer a host of tours. As an introduction to New York, their ‘Big Apple Sampler’ is a great idea; Lasting over seven hours, it takes in al the major areas and sites, such as Ellis Island, the Financial District and Chinatown. They also have a handful of indoor tours (a good option in bad weather) that let you discovers landmarks such as Grand Central Station and the Rockefeller Centre.

Naturally, with New York’s dining scene being the most diverse on the planet, there are plenty of food tours to choose from too. The gourmet guides at Foods of New York show you around the specialist food shops and ethnic eateries of New York, with plenty of sampling along the way. Interested also in Brazil and Rio travel, from NYC? A quick shameless plug for our friends who have started the Rio Travel portal.

Two Wheels Good in New York City

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With its congested streets and heavy foot traffic, New York City may not seem like the ideal place to go cycling. But even New Yorkers need to slow down their place once in a while, and over the years the city’s cycling community has been successful in reclaiming stretches of the city for two-wheeled use. Riverside Park, along the Hudson River, offers a long narrow track that goes on for miles.  The Battery Park area is also good, though be careful of the bumpy, cobble-stoned streets around Wall Street. Over the bridge in Brooklyn, there is a fabulous bike loop around Prospect Park and bikes are allowed on the Coney Island boardwalk in the afternoons and evenings.

Of course visitors to New York will need to hire a bike in order to be able to enjoy any of the above. Another option, which is perhaps better for the first time visitor, is to take a bike tour.  Bike Rental Central Park (www.bikerentalcentralpark.com) both hires out bikes to be used within the vicinity of the park and offers tours. Bike

Cycling in NYC

Cycling in NYC

and Roll (www.bikeandroll.com) offers tours over the lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Whether you go with a tour or go it alone, keep these things in mind: you must wear a helmet and it is illegal to ride on footpaths and wear headphones. Oh be very careful of opening car doors! With that said, happy cycling in NYC!

Get ready for the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival

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Film buffs have a date in New York City April 1 to May 31 this year for the Tribeca Film Festival. The festival was founded in 2002 by the actor Robert de Niro, along with producer Jane Rosenthal and the well-known philanthropist Craig M. Hatkoff.  The thrust behind the project was to rejuvenate the Manhattan

Tribeca film festival

Tribeca film festival

neighbourhood of Tribeca area post the 9/11 attacks (TriBeCa means ‘Triangle Below Canal Street).

Eight years later, it has become one of the most important film festivals in the world. Not only does it give directors and producers a chance to show their work to a savvy New York audience, but also the calibre of the festival is such that the panels, discussions, workshops and other related events are some of the most awaited of the year. One of the

unique elements of the festival is the ‘Artists Awards’ whereby established artists donate their works as prizes to budding filmmakers. The Tribeca Film Festival has also travelled abroad; this year a mini-version was held in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

Tickets are best bought on-line at www.tribecafilm.com and can be picked for as low as US$10. If you can, try and see a show in the Tribeca Cinema, which De Niro purchased in 2003 as the flagship venue of the festival. Tribeca hotels and accommodation is also avalable online.

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