Favorite Evening in NYC
Fellow New Yorker here, sharing the short and sweet about things to do in town. One of my favorite evening itineraries is (1) a dinner and (2) a show at Times Square followed by (3) a piano bar where you can sing Broadway tunes with people who know every lyric to every Broadway song. If you’re visiting town and could use an evening itinerary, here are the details:
1. Dinner in Hell’s Kitchen
Some of my favorite NYC evening vibes are in Hell’s Kitchen, especially on Fridays. Here, people are coming straight from their Midtown offices to meet their friends and everyone is excited for the weekend. For those who don’t know, Hell’s Kitchen is a neighborhood in New York City. It’s famous as a hub for actors and artists, and it is one of the best places to eat in town. You’ll find a wide variety of cuisine from various ethnicities, including Chinese, Greek, Italian, Irish, Mexican, Thai, and many more. Totto Ramen has lately been my go-to.
Friday/weekend evenings can be bit busy, so unless you’re fine strolling around for an open table I suggest making a reservation at your Hell’s Kitchen restaurant.
2. Some Live Entertainment
Option A: Broadway Show
Hell’s Kitchen is just a short walk to Times Square where visitors can bask in the electricity of evening Broadway. Just to say it, Broadway has some of the best live entertainment that the world has to offer. People will be standing in lines at the various Broadway theaters, and they will be dressed up or dressed down as they please—this is a chance to show your authentic self. There are many shows to choose from, but if you’re new to the scene consider catching a fun classic like The Lion King.
Option B: Drunk Shakespeare
Broadway tickets a little too expensive at the moment? No problem at all. There are other forms of live entertainment that are just as fun and quintessentially New York. I love catching a strong drink and a show at Drunk Shakespeare. In this intimate theater, you are feet away from intoxicated cast members who will fumble their way through one of several of Shakespeare’s famous plays. I’ve learned through these shows that Hamlet is best when performed with a drunk cast. It is riotously fun and I’m planning to visit again soon.
As with any show, you’ll want to book your tickets in advance.
3. A Night Cap At Marie’s Crisis Café
My last stop would be Marie’s Crisis Café, a popular local piano bar where many Broadway aficionados go after the shows. They offer late-night snacks and drinks, and the entire bar belts their hearts out to Broadway tunes until the early hours of the morning. Most people stand and surround the piano and sing and lose their voices in the process. Imagine singing tunes from Phantom of the Opera and Wicked with an entire bar of people who know all the lyrics—I get goose bumps.
If there is a line outside the door and you can’t stand the wait, the plus side is that there are other great bars in the very near vicinity. Still, I recommend waiting.
Enjoy!