Best Thai in town...

I live a block from Ground Zero and I see so many tourists outside my doors these days that I thought I would share my favorite Thai restaurant located in New York City's Chinatown. It is officially the restaurant I have visited the most times in my 15 years in NYC and I go alone all the time. It is called Thailand Restaurant and sometimes Pongsri Thai at 106 Bayard Street (cross street Baxter). The green curry is to die for and everything is fresh and perfectly seasoned. Chinatown can be overwhelming and this restaurant never disappoints. Cheap with low rent decor, it is authentic NYC and delish! I've recommended it to all my friends.
Jo, goHibiscus.com, New York City

Joyce Gold History Tours...

I'd like other women to know about Joyce Gold History Tours of New York. Joyce is a marvel. She makes the city come to life with a blend of history, architecture, literary & music history, politics, and gossip through the ages. Whenever I've taken one of her tours, something wonderful happens to the group. We get invited into a church, we meet a city official, people from the neighborhood extend themselves to us. Joyce is so respectful and joyful about what she does, everyone gets in the swing of it. I'm a New Yorker for the past 35 years and Joyce keeps helping me love the city more. You'll find her web site at http://www.nyctours.com; her address is Joyce Gold History Tours of New York, 141 W 17th St., New York, NY 10011
Leslie, New York City, New York

Wine and food tastings...

I have a tip for JourneyWomen who may be in New York on the right day. I attended a wine tasting at a great wine store at 108 East 16th Street called Italian Wine Merchants, just east of the Union Square Greenmarket. You need to get buzzed in and when you enter you know that you're not in just another wine store. They display one of each bottle they sell and they have a wonderful selection of the best of the best Italian wines. The tastings are offered every other week in their back room that is also used as a demo kitchen by one of the owners, Mario Batali, chef owner of Babbo and a number of other New York eateries. This week they offered a total of eight wines to taste, however, the high point of the visit for me was the delicious and plentiful food tastings. Their comfortable tables and chairs are just the ticket for someone who has walked her feet off all morning. The tastings are held from 1 - 4PM. Check their website for further information. http://www.italianwinemerchant.com
Ellen, New York City, New York

Big Apple Greeter...

People coming to New York (families, women, whoever) who want a personalized look at a particular part of the city -- free of charge -- should contact Big Apple Greeter, a volunteer organization that provides visitors with volunteer "greeters" for up to 4 hours. These people are residents or otherwise knowledgeable about particular neighborhoods, and they take the visitors around those areas. It's not a guided tour exactly, but an informal attempt to humanize NY and get people to know areas other than the main tourist ones (although you can do a visit to midtown Manhattan if you want to). The visitor can express a particular interest, and it will be accommodated, if possible, such as food or architecture or history. It's a great way to see Harlem, for example, or some of the ethnic areas of Queens, or my favorite neighborhood, Park Slope in Brooklyn, or Manhattan's financial district, etc. Big Apple Greeter can provide foreign language volunteers, too. Their phone number is 212-669-8159 and the website is http://www.bigapplegreeter.org.
Rena, Park Slope, Brooklyn

The best views in town...

Who says you have to spend a fortune to enjoy New York? Take a cruise on the Staten Island Ferry for spectacular views of the lower Manhattan skyline, harbor and the Statue of Liberty. This ferry is free at all times (Tel: 718/815-BOAT).

Or take a walk across the footpath on the Brooklyn Bridge for another fantastic and free view of the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn.

Now there is a park on the Brooklyn side to give visitors a reason to stay awhile. What used to be a parking lot on an industrial waterfront has just opened as a landscaped park with views of Manhattan, a bluestone plaza and a children's play area. The new park, which is next to another waterfront recreation area called Fulton Ferry Park, has a maritime theme with a nautical flag pole and a 15-metre ship's hull in the play area. (The Associated Press)

For $4.00 round-trip, you can also ride the Roosevelt Island Tram across the East River and enjoy Manhattan and Queens from a different point of view. (www.roosevelt-island.ny.us).
Arleen L Kropf, nycvisit.com, New York