Central Park is what provides oxygen to New York, in more than one way. Time runs to a different beat here - A sleepy hollow in the middle of the city that never sleeps. In addition to the fresh air that the 843 acres of greenery provides, Central Park also serves as a daily getaway for New Yorkers fed up with being corraled into a concrete jungle of high rise condos, air conditioned office cubicles and a merciless daily grind, but unable to take that much needed getaway vacation. 

The dense foliage and jogging trails, the restaurants, the zoo, the cheek to cheek tango dances and organized events, the classic architecture of the landmark buildings, the outdoor theatre and concerts, the skating rinks, the walking tours, educational activities and extensive sports facilities with basketball, tennis and handball courts and 26 ballfields all put together are the life and soul of New York, which keeps the Big Apple’s residents fit and ready to battle another day in the mayhem of the subways, the noisy bumper-to-bumper traffic, and all that smoke and grime and the claustrophobia of being locked into a sea of commuter clogged streets.

Central Park Tours:

• Walking Tours - These are pre-designed tours with podcasts, interactive guides and maps designed to allow visitors to experience all the wonders and pleasures of Central Park. The walking tours are available in two formats - The ‘Family tour’ which includes popular attractions like the  children’s zoo and Balto Conservatory Water with minature sailboats, and secondly the more inclusive ‘Arts & Architecture tour’, which features all the attractions of the family tour in addition to detours to the Loeb Boathouse, Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, the Mall, the Dairy, the Carousel and Wollman Rink.
• Bike Tours - The Central Park Bike Tours offer a way to go through all of Central Park in a couple of hours. The tour ticket costs $40 ($20 for 15 and below), and includes the bike rental and a tour escort who leads the group. There are three groups each day, at 10 am, 1 pm and 4 pm. Call (212) 541-8759 to purchase by phone or reserve online. The bike tour takes you along to  Strawberry Fields, the 3 acre international garden of peace honoring John Lennon, the Belvedere Castle and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, the Shakespeare Garden and Paul Simon Concert, in addition to other stopovers along the way.

In addition to these ‘official’ tours, you can also book yourself a spot with one of the many NYC tour companies, such as the Big Onion Walking Tours, who offer guided and themed tours inside Central Park, such as movie tours and picnics.

Central Park Restaurants: Central Park offers many restaurants and concession stands spread across the Park. The most famous of these is the Tavern on the Green (West Side between 66th and 67th Streets ) which serves as a formal restaurant with valet parking which offers lunch, dinner, pre-dinner theatre and a Sunday brunch. 

Also well frequented is the Loeb Boathouse (East 74th Street at the East Drive) which offers a picturesque location with a view of the lake for a romantic date or dinner, with informal snacks additionally available on the outside terrace, a bicycle rental concession, rowboat rentals and a quaint ride in a gondola across the lake. Like I said, it’s a great place to spend half a day, frolicking lakeside in the late afternoon, watch the sunset across the lake and then enjoy a sumptous buffet dinner.

Other dining options include the Wollman Rink, Leaping Frog Café, Kerbs Ice Cream Café, Ferrara Italian Café, Ballplayers House and the Sheep Meadow Café.

Central Park Zoo & Tisch Children’s Zoo: Located on the East Side between 63rd and 66th Streets, the five plus acres of the zoo have been carefully constructed and zoned to recreate the natural habitats of the zoo’s 130 species including the Polar Circle which houses the stars of the zoo - The polar bears Ida and Gus.

Next to the polar bears are the harbor seals and then the Ice Pack building inhabited by  dozens of funny penguins. The Rain Forest is a raucous collection of tropical birds, frogs, lizards, snakes, monkeys and other exotic species which are as fascinating for their oddball behavior as they are for the brlilliant canopy of colors and the incredible din they create. In short, the zoo is the perfect place to let loose cranky kids bored stiff by the Big Apple’s adult pleasures. Admission cost for adults is $8.00, senior citizens $4 and children aged 3 to 12 can get in for $3.00. Free for children under 3.  212-439-6500

Central Park Concerts: Concerts and music at the park include Summerstage, free performances by the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic, and the concert series at Naumberg Bandshell. Central Park SummerStage (Rumsey Playfield, 70^th St. at Mid Park; (212) 360­-2756) is a performing arts festival which promotes a variety of artistic presentations, including readings, one-person theatrical productions and a dance series in outdoor settings. Every summer, both the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic perform for free on the great lawn. In addition, there’s a summer jazz festival near the Dana Discovery Center, at Harlem Meer (Eastside from 106th to 110th Street )

Info: 5th Ave to Central Park W and 59th St to 110th St New York, NY 10024;
(212) 360-3456  Web Links: Central Park - Maps, live webcam, photo gallery. Directions: 1; A, B, C, D at 59th St-Columbus Cir; C at 72nd-110th Sts; 4, 5, 6; N, R at 59th St; 6 at 68th-110th Sts. Hotels near Central Park include the Comfort Inn Central Park West, Belnord, Bentley Hotel, Dream Hotel and the Park Central NY. 

Only in New York could someone dream up a museum which turns sex into an exhibition of academic pursuits and historical insights. The New York Musuem of Sex (http://museumofsex.com/), is one such bone-headed venture which, nevertheless, is generating quite a bit of enthusiasm with its colorful exhibitions among history buffs, tourists and just plain old kinky New Yorkers looking for a kick. The museum hosts ’sexhibitions’ based on themes such as the ‘underground evolution of early sex films’, ‘Vamps & Virgins: The Evolution of the American Pinup 1860-1960′, ‘Come whet your appetite and encounter the pleasures of Bacchanalia…’.  

For the record (yes, I googled it), the bacchanalia were wild and mystic festivals of the Roman and Greek god Bacchus. Funnies aside, this musuem is actually a release valve for America and New York’s pent-up prudishness. Why all the big hoopla about sex? The French don’t give two hoots about their recently elected President getting divorced, and both him and his wife getting re-married before their electoral honeymoon is over. The Swedes take pride in their openness about sex and nude camps. New Yorkers take pride in having ousted a Governor who paid for extra-marital sex, even as hookers are servicing clients in family friendly hotels in New York. If the museum manages to raise the curtain on some of the hypocrisy and double-standards which prusidhness leads to, it might actually be beneficial, than just a place you visit for entertainment value.

So yes, this museum does have some significance, and if they don’t cross the line (which is going to be a tad bit difficult considering it’s New York), it might actually help liberate New York’s culture and views about sex and end up changing the future, rather than be a bunch of pictures and artifacts cataloguing the past.

Besides, the museum isn’t as debauched as it may sound from this post. It’s actually more art than explicit portrayal, and some of it, such as the current exhibition ‘Sex in Design/Design in Sex’, is actually quite stimulating (not in that sense) and inspiring if you’re an artist or a designer. And some exhibitions are a testament to American ingenuity, such as the ‘US Patent Office Sex Inventions’ which focuses on technological innovations and the way these new inventions intermingle and fit in with changing perceptions about sex and conventional thought.

Info: 233 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10016; (212) 689-6337. Open Sunday to Friday from 11:00am – 6:30pm and on Saturdays from 11:00am – 8:00pm. Tickets - Adults $14.50 + tax  and a dollar less for students and seniors. You can get a $3 discount if you print out a coupon and from their website and take it along when you go to the museum. Further group discounts available for groups of 10 or more. Transportation: Subway: N, R to 28th Street (Broadway); 6 to 28th Street (Park Avenue). Bus:
M2,M3,M5 going downtown on Fifth Avenue; M6,M7 going downtown on Broadway; M2,M3 going uptown on Madison Avenue.

Most visitors to New York want the ‘real’ tour, but very few are willing to venture out of their comfort zones. I mean, its a pain in the butt to forgo an airconditioned coach and wander the streets looking for a small street vendor who sells some cheese, even if it does happen to be the best cheese in New York. But if you want to get to know the real New York, ain’t no bus going to take you there. You’ll have to take the subway or a cab and work out a sweat walking the streets and talking to people in bars, cafes and restaurants.

A more palatable option, if the thought of getting lost in NYC intimidates you, is to tag along with the Greenwich Village food and culture walking tour, organized by the Food of New York Tours, Inc., which takes you along on a guided tour of the West Village, with halts at quaint food shops hawking specialty foods along Bleeker Street which you won’t find anywhere else, Italian eateries and charming neighbourhood restaurants, all sprinkled liberally with a dose of culture, customs and the historic landmarks found along the way.

Tour info: Available 7 days a week, starts late in the morning and lasts for 3 hours. Meet up at 6th and Bleecker St., one tour guide assigned for a group of 16 people. Included in the ticket cost ($42) are all the food tastings and a ‘Foods of New York Neighbourhood Guide’. Wear clothing and shoes comfortable for walking. Advance booking recommended.

If you’re going along on this tour, a few more recommendations. For foodies, the tastings might not be enough to be called a proper lunch, so you might want to have an early brunch before you head off for the tour. You might also want to buy some takeaways and specialty foods and gifts when you hit these famed eateries and walk the streets, so take along a fairly big size bag or something to carry along all the stuff you buy.  Believe me, you walk Bleeker Street, you come out with a bag full of goodies. Take along a bag if you don’t want people to stare at all the things you’re carrying… 

Also, the tour involves a slightly strenous walk of around 2 miles all put together, so it might not be advisable to take along kids (unless they’re small enough to be carried) or anyone who has a problem walking long distances. The tour doesn’t stop for bad weather, so you might want to check the weather forecasts to see if you’re up to it. Featured stops along the way include Murray’s Cheese Shop (254 Bleeker St.), with a mind-boggling display of heaping baskets of fresh ricotta, basket cheese, buffalo mozzarella and specialty foods including Lillie Belle handmade chocolates and Rosebud spiced plum chutney.

Another stop on this gastronomic odyssey is at Rocco’s Pastry Shop and Espresso Cafe (243 Bleeker St.), where you’ll find cakes which are the stuff of dreams. You take one step into Rocco’s and the sight of the loaded racks of cookies, baked goods and freezers chock-a-bloc full of cakes, not to mention the heavenly aroma of fresh baked breads, is enough to set your mouth watering worse than a bull dog with a bone just out of reach of his leash. Eat your fill, wash it down with a strong espresso, and take along a few slices of cakes and some cookies for later consumption, and maybe a gift basket for someone you want to make really, really happy.

Some more stops at a couple of Italian pizzerias and a Mediterranean olive oil shop rounds of the Greenwich Village food tour, and you can take home a slice of New York with you. The company also offers tours of Chelsea Market, Soho and Chinatown, so if you have a full week, I suggest you wrap up Lady Liberty, Times Square attractions, Fifth Avenue shopping and other cookie-cutter tourist options in a day or two and spend a couple of days stomping around with the Food of New York tours.

Except for the sizzle and sauciness of deep fried Southern cooking, it amazes me how unsatisfying American cuisine is for your taste buds. The tastes and culture and customs of most other countries seem so deep and vibrant, that it comes of no surprise that most immigrants are downright miserable and totally fed up with the Big Apple. Of course, it doesn’t help that New York is a heartless city that will stomp on you and spit you out if you don’t have a thick skin. As my new and good friend Stuart says, NYC hates you right back with a visceral passion.

Be that as it may, there are some bright spots. Immigrant communities have established their own cultural beachheads in this faceless concrete jungle of skyscrapers and high-rise apartments. So if you miss the olives of Greece and you’re stuck in New York, here’s a list of Greek restaurants, clubs and hotspots in NYC, where you can feel at home.

Periyali: With more than two decades of experience serving authentic Greek food to New York, the Periyali restaurnat, in the Flatiron District, provides a cozy, comfortable and upscale environment with hanging wines and shades of white and service with a friendly smile.

The charcoal-grilled octopus marinated in red wine and lamb chops are recommended, with spanakopita as an appetizer. The total tab for a meal is highly reasonable, considering the quality of the food and the generous portions served, not to mention the fact that side dishes with brocooli or couscous are a part of the entree, rather than being seperately charged. Info: 35 West 20th Street New York, NY 10011; (212) 463-7890.

Anthos: A more hip and happening establishment, in contrast to the staid Periyali, the Anthos is run by the vivacious Donatella Arpaia and the talented and hyperactive Michael Psilakis. With a balance of delicate pink and chocolate brown decor and artsy furnishings, the Anthos aims to offer more than just Greek cuisine. It’s more of an experience, a place to meet, and a place to be seen, by the young and the famous on the Greek cultural circuit.

While Anthos serves a bevy of Greek dishes, the one which is most authentic is probably the charred orange flavored Octopus with lobes of garlic. Also recommended are the pink, salty lamb chops with cinammon flavored moussaka. Info: 36 west 52nd St, between 5th and 6th; (212) 582-6900. 

Other noted and recommended Greek restaurants in New York include:

Molyvos - 871 7th Ave, between 55th and 56th St, New York, NY 10019; (212) 582-7500
Avra - 141 E 48th St, between Lexington and 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10017; (212) 759-8550
Agnanti - 19-06 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, NY 11105; (718) 545-4554
Eliá - 8611 Third Ave, Bay Ridge, NY 11209; (718) 748-9891
Kefi - 222 W 79th St, New York, NY 10024; (212) 873-0200
Estiatorio Milos - 125 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019; (212) 245-7400

Now you might not want to miss Agnanti, considering its location in Astoria, Queens, which has more than its fair share of Greek establishments and has long been considered as a ‘Greek neighbourhood’. The Titan Foods supermarket has every concievable thing a lost Greek soul in New York could possibly want for. A stroll through this market will make you forget which country you’re still in - A dazzling selection of olives at the olive bar,  anchovies in the refrigirated section, stacks of aromatic olive oil cans, Greek desserts such as baklava, canned and bottled Greek groceries - You name it, and if it’s Greek, Titan Foods has got it. In fact, a whole day off in Astoria might not be such a bad idea.

If you’re looking for late-night entertainment, you might want to consider the Zodiac Cafe, on 3015 Newtown Ave Astoria, NY 11102-2126; (718) 726-3995, which is one of the most happening nightlife hotspots with live Greek music and dancing. During the day, you’ll see a lot of Greeks at Zodiac’s restaurant and bar, digging into traditional mezze with spinach pie, feta cheese and stuffed grape leaves, as also kebabs, sandwiches and pasta dishes.

Another option, with a slightly more New Yorkish crowd is the Cavo Cafe Lounge, located at 42-18 31st Avenue, Astoria, Queens; (718) 721-1001, which is huge and has everything from a restaurant and lounge bar to a vast dining room which serves slightly modernized Greek cuisine with marinated grilled octopus, sweet roasted peppers, baby arugula and olives, along with Greek tapas, including keftedes, a Greek sausage, baked shrimp with stewed tomoatoes and feta and a host of other deliacies. After 7.30 in the evening, the fun starts at Cavo, with dinner and live flamenco’s. It’s a wild party, with a youngish crowd and blaring music.

The places mentioned here should be more than enough to cover a full fun filled Greek weekend in New York. And if you’re the artsy type and you hate the glass and steel monster buildings in NYC, you can always visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a taste of Hellenic architecture and sculpture, and wander around the newly renovated Greek gallery.

Nice article about the best way to spend a full day in New York on St. Patrick’s Day, which falls on 17th of March. Here’s the summary - The day starts with mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral (460 Madison Ave New York NY 10022). Next up is the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Fifth Avenue, which starts at 11.30 a.m., and proceeds from 44th Street to the 86th. Parade ends around 3 in the afternoon, so that’s a good time for finding an Irish pub for some Sheperd’s Pie and free flowing Irish beer. 

If you see an all-green restaurant, head right in. It’s likely to be an Irish pub. The New York Times helpfully lists a survey and its opinion of the best Irish pubs in NYC.

WHAT qualifies a New York bar as Irish? Irish ownership is good; Irish accents behind the bar are better. Multiple ever-flowing Guinness taps with skilled, patient pourers are good; supplementing them with Smithwick’s ale and Magners cider on tap is better. Irish flags and Guinness signs are O.K.; old posters from County This and County That are really cool. Even with those qualifications, though, there are dozens if not hundreds of Irish bars to choose from should you be in New York for St. Patrick’s Day (or any time).