The visitors are leaving NYC, soon to return again. In the meantime, enjoy a 1st and last time Shop Gotham shopping tour special discount. 25% off tickets for any Regularly scheduled tour tours for the remainder of Sept. Max: 2 tickets per buyers. www.shopgotham.com. discount code: Sept09. See ya on the streets!

Dont have tickets to the Bryant Park shows but going to be in NYC  Wed. Sept 16th? Being a bystander can be almost as much fun. Milly, Tory Burch & Anna Sui are among the hot designers showing tomorrow. Stand outside to see not just the designers arrive, but the oh so cool guest lists. Bryant Park, NYC. Fifth and Sixth Avenues between 40th & 42nd streets

www.shopgotham.com

The summer may be coming to a close, but outside it is still definitely hot hot hot!! When visitng NYC, you must spend some time outdoors at our world-famous Central Park. It’s accessible, offers tons of different sights, and is absolutely gorgeous. Grab a map and explore these great places: One is The Pool, between West 100 to 103rd streets, a body of water shaded by weeping willows and a collection of other pretty trees and nature. Similarly, The Pond (below) in the southeast corner of the park is an extremely attractive area, beautiful and shielded from Manhattan street noise by trees and rocks.

The Ramble (below) is a famous part of the park running from 73rd to 79th streets in the middle section, an entirely man-made sprawl designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and carved out of natural hillside. Feel free to lose yourself in this 38-acre expanse of pathways, cliffs, and streams—both figuratively and literally! It can be easy to get lost here, so remember that map!

If you won’t be visiting until the leaves fall and that cold weather returns, a trip to Wollman Memorial Skating Rink on East 62nd street is a must, offering a spacious ice-skating area, a great view of the famed Duck Pond, and plenty of time for handholding and couples skating. Winter admission is affordable, running $8.50 for adults and $4.25 for children. Curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and snacks at nearby concession stands.

There are so many neigborhoods in the city, you can’t seem ‘em all…but you sure can try! Get guided exclusive access to our hip, downtown neighborhoods through our Shop Gotham tours, and cap off the day by heading uptown and exploring the Central Park spots mentioned in this post!

3 More Reasons NYC Rocks

1) Almost All Shops are open on Sunday (exception: upper Madison avenue). We recommend taking our Soho & Nolita shopping tour at noon on Sunday. Wake up late. Take your tour. Follow it by a late leisurely lunch at a charming cafe in Soho or Nolita. Shop some more. Drag your bags home. Take a nap. A perfect sunday.

2)Cover bands at BBKings. Almost any musician you have ever loved is represented at BBkings by a “look-alike band”, who are often as good as the real deal. Typically $15. Civilized environment with food & bev.

3)Philharmonic in Central Park. True that about a zillion other people also show up to picnic under the stars. But there is always a patch of grass to snag and hey, its the NY Philarmonic for free!  July 17 2009.

This season offers a varied and unique array of things to do with your teen in the city. One of many: HBO has partnered with Bryant Park to offer the 2009 HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival, showing outdoor screenings of such classics as Harold and Maude and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Your teen will love the atmosphere, spending an evening picnicking with snacks from nearby ‘wichcraft kiosk (owned by Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio) at the famous site of New York Fashion Week! Grab a towel from your hotel room, pick up your gourmet sandwiches, sit back and enjoy! View the movie schedule here: http://www.bryantpark.org/calendar/film-festival.php

Today we went to see the cast of Hair play softball against the cast of Billy Elliot at Heckscher ball fields in Central Park. What a fun thing to do, even for long-time New Yorkers. If you are coming to NYC this summer, love to shop and also want to do some of the truly “cool” NYC stuff, here is a suggestion for a great 5 hours. 

Start out with a Shop Gotham 3-hour Garment Center “Insider” Tour commencing at 10am, Wed’s & Fri’s. Wholesale showrooms and sample sales – only in NYC. www.shopgotham.com 

Follow this with a stroll to the Heckscher field in Central Park, at 63rd street, just off Central Park West

Grab a sandwhich or burger at the Ballpark Cafe adjacent to the field.

Watch the world-class broadway stars compete against each other in the Broadway Show League. Again, only in NYC!   http://www.broadwayshowleague.com.

Peace & love in Central Park

Broadway cast of Hair, performing free, Fri, June 26, 7am – 9am (somewhere in this timeframe), Rumsey Playfield, 69th & Fifth Avenue (part of GMA summer concert series)