New York for Gamers? Any recommendations?

[Alexander Heppe]

Hello everyone,



in october I'll have the chance to spend about 8 days in New York, NY. Since I've never been there before, and because my wife and I have agreed upon each of us having one "free" day to pursue our individual interests, I decided to start this thread and ask for your hints, tipps and assistance.



Keeping in mind that I'm a gamer as well a fantasy and science fiction fan plus a lovecraftian horror geek, my question is:



"What should I seek out?"



I'd appreciate recommendations for

• 
  
  
  [*]bookstores
  
  
  [*]game stores
  
  
  [*]libraries (where it is allowed to take pictures?)
  
  
  [*]good photo spots (for later use as handouts - if possible "roariing twenties" style)
  
  
  [*]curiosity and magic shops
  
  
  [*]horror, sf, or fantasy themed attractions
  
  
  [*]old and used book stores
  

In short, anything that might come in handy later at my gaming table.



Additionally, just post what -in your oppinion- should be treated as a "must-see"... (and "must-eat", while we're at it)



many Thanks in advance



Alex (writing this from the beautiful town of Eschwege, situated within the Werra-Valley in central Germany)



P.S.: I already decided to ride the Battletech-Simulator, if anybody has experiences with that thingy, I'd love to read your comment...



P.P.S.: I’d like to ask you to kindly ignore my poor English, I’m far better in conversation than in written text...

 

[VorpalBunny]

Hello everyone,



in october I'll have the chance to spend about 8 days in New York, NY. Since I've never been there before, and because my wife and I have agreed upon each of us having one "free" day to pursue our individual interests, I decided to start this thread and ask for your hints, tipps and assistance.



Keeping in mind that I'm a gamer as well a fantasy and science fiction fan plus a lovecraftian horror geek, my question is:



"What should I seek out?"



I'd appreciate recommendations for

• 
  
  
  [*]bookstores
  
  
  [*]game stores
  
  
  [*]libraries (where it is allowed to take pictures?)
  
  
  [*]good photo spots (for later use as handouts - if possible "roariing twenties" style)
  
  
  [*]curiosity and magic shops
  
  
  [*]horror, sf, or fantasy themed attractions
  
  
  [*]old and used book stores
  

In short, anything that might come in handy later at my gaming table.



Additionally, just post what -in your oppinion- should be treated as a "must-see"... (and "must-eat", while we're at it)



many Thanks in advance



Alex (writing this from the beautiful town of Eschwege, situated within the Werra-Valley in central Germany)



P.S.: I already decided to ride the Battletech-Simulator, if anybody has experiences with that thingy, I'd love to read your comment...



P.P.S.: I’d like to ask you to kindly ignore my poor English, I’m far better in conversation than in written text...

Two game stores spring to mind:

The Compleat Strategist
11 East 33rd Street (between Madison and Fifth Avenue)

and

Neutral Ground
122 West 26th Street, 4th Floor
(Between 6th and 7th Avenue)

As for libraries, the only recommendation I have is the New York Public Library's 5th Avenue branch is a must see (it's the one that was in Ghostbusters). More information here: http://www.nypl.org/

A must-eat for a sci-fi fan - Mars 2112 restaurant. http://www.mars2112.com/

Good photo spots: look around - Manhattan is filled with 'em. Your best best for "Lovecraftian" architecture would probably be below midtown (south of the Empire State building).

Hope this helps and have fun!

 

[HiLiphNY]

Those would be the picks - although there are some magic stores of repute in the city to - not sure of the names, but a Google would find them.

I found NYC to be a bit weak in the gaming department when I moved here 8 years ago, and it hasn't gotten any better. I think the addage: Big city, crap gaming is true. However, if you're in on a Tuesday night, shoot me an email or IM. My group of 6 players always like a new face at the table!

Have a great trip!

 

[Zander]

I've recently come back from New York and I second (or is that third?) the Compleat Strategist. Very good store if a bit cramped.

I went to Neutral Ground once several years ago and was not impressed. Maybe it has changed since...

You may also want to try Toys R Us on Times Square. They don't have RPGs but I did pick up Heroscape - a wargame - for half the European price. The store also has some spectacular attractions including a full size ferris wheel you can ride (yes, inside the store!) and a life size animatronic t-rex.

As for food, I highly recommend Woo Chon. It's a great Korean restaurant. By European standards it isn't expensive and the food is outstanding, especially the Korean-style barbecue. Here's a link with the address etc:
http://new.york.diningguide.net/data/d101592.htm
I ate at restaurants every evening for a week and this was by far the best.

You didn't ask about museums but if you have any interest in arms and armour, check out the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They have a very good collection, beautifully displayed and it's free.

If you're interested in medieval architecture or decorations, I recommend The Cloisters Museum, part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art located at Fort Trion Park. It's a bit out of the way in the north of Manhattan but it's worth a visit. If you're wondering how the US can have (European) medieval architecture, the answer is they shipped it over stone by stone!

For general shopping such as clothes I suggest Century 21, a discount store, and Macy's. If you shop at Macy's, make sure you go to the customer service desk and get a free foreign visitor's discount card. You get 11% off most purchases which basically means you don't pay tax.

Have a great trip

 

[darkbard]

couldn't agree more with the suggestion of visiting the cloisters. it is a bit out of the way but very much worth the trip, especially if your games have elements of medieval europe [though, that said, i'm sure you've got plenty of similar medieval structures and museums in your neck of the woods....)

compleat strategist is the best gaming store in the city. it's cramped but very comprehensive in its gaming stock.

if you're interested in comic books, don't miss jim hanley's universe--about 1/2 a block from the strategist on 33rd street. http://www.jhuniverse.com/

 

[Ed Cha]

I'll second the Compleat Strategist and Neutral Ground. The former has a very good selection of RPGs, while the latter has more CCG's and gaming space. Both great places! The comic store that darkbard mentioned is also very popular and close to the Compleat Strategist.

Also, there are a bunch of good Korean restaurants in that area. I think though, for restaurants, your best bet is getting a Time Out New York magazine or going to MSN CitySearch and checking out reviews for the types of restaurants you like. I think Italian and Japanese are really good in NYC.

The Strand Bookstore has tons and tons of unsold books at cheap prices. It's on Broadway near NYU. You might also want to check out Forbidden Planet when you head down that way. It has comics, toys, games, and RPGs.

 

[GMSkarka]

if you're interested in comic books, don't miss jim hanley's universe--about 1/2 a block from the strategist on 33rd street. http://www.jhuniverse.com/

Damn I miss Jim Hanley's. Best Comic Book store I've ever seen.

I miss the Strat, too.

..and the Strand.

Hell, I just miss NYC.

But moving back out to where I went to college (KS) is what allows me to afford to write full-time, so I guess it's all about the trade-offs.....

 

[Alexander Heppe]

Wow, thanks for your responses so far. I'm gonna make sure that I won't miss the Compleat Strategist. Forbidden Planet and Neutral Ground made it on my to-do-list, as well. Metropolitan Museum and The Cloisters are next. And the Strand Bookstore sounds like I am going to spend several hours there alone...

@darkbard : yup, there are plenty of castles and old architecture where I come from. My hometown, Eschwege (http://www.eschwege.de), was build around an old cloister-hill, and only a couple of miles east lies the Wartburg, where Martin Luther hid himself and translated the Bible

@all others : Keep the tips coming, you can never have too much advice and recommendations...

 

[John Morrow]

If you are into movie soundtrack CDs, you might also want to check out a little record store called Footlight Records. It's not far from the Strand and they specialize in hard-to-find soundtracks.

If you want 20s-style Art Deco, you might want to take some "above the crowd" shots around Grand Central Station.

People have mentioned the only two useful game stores on Manhattan.

As for horror or SF theme restaruants, you might want to try either Jekyll & Hyde (http://www.virtualtourist.com/vt/cd624/2/fb38/) or Mars 2112 (http://www.nyctourist.com/topten_mars.htm). I've been to both. Of the two, I was more impressed by Mars 2112, which includes a short simulator ride as part of the experience.

As "must see" attractions, I'd suggest:

The Museum of Natural History and Hayden Planetarium (which was shown in the latest Spider Man movie).

The Intrepid Air and Space Museum (a WW2-era Aircraft Carier, other ships, and airplances, including an SR-71 Blackbird).

Grand Central Station (make sure you go outside and look at the Chrysler Building).

The lower end of Manhattan including The World Trade Center site, Wall Street, and the large broze Bull statue down near the end of Broadway (all are within quick walking distance of each other). You should also be able to get some photos of the Brooklyn Bridge if you walk over to the East River side.

The Empire State Building (close to The Complete Strategist and across from Jim Hanley's Universe comic shop)

The NYC Subway System. I suggest staying in the lower half of Manhattan if you look like a tourist, though New York City is generally a lot safer than it used to be.

Rockefeller Center, Radio City, and St. Patrick's Cathedral.

The UN Building

You can get boat rides around the island and up as far as West Point over on the Hudson River between the Javis Convention Center and the Intrepid Air and Space Museum.