Keira, when in NYC you must “Shoot the Freak”!

This one is for you, Keira McPhee!

Image of Shoot the freak in Coney Island by PhotoPunk

Image courtesy of Default Punk

OK, Keira is going to NYC in the next few days and she sent a request for recommendations of places to go, eat, see, etc. via twitter. Man, what a fun request! I started putting together a google My Maps page of some of my favorite spots with some idiosyncratic recommendations (it is a work in progress, Keira, so be sure to check back often while eating the Apple!). You can view this mini-map-masterpiece here.

Now, I need all you maniacs out there to build upon my very Brooklyn-centric approach to Keira’s request and use the comments (anyone know if they can add to my Google maps?) to offer up some of your own favorite spots in the Greatest City in the World (period). Can you do it? Or are y’all too busy dreaming of that cheap knock-off across the ocean known as Paris. I know you NYC folks are cordial and giving, build upon my near perfect list. 🙂

Oh yeah, be sure to “shoot the freak,” Keira, and enjoy yourself lots. What a great time you will have!

Update: I refer to Dante’s Inferno at Coney Island on the map. Here is a photo of this crazy, crazy funhouse (be sure to check out the original for details and search “dante’s Inferno Coney Island” in flickr for some much wilder shots.

Image of Dante's Inferno at Coney Island
Photo courtesy of J Cody Simms

What a blast writing this post was, the blog still blows Twitter out of the water, despite how much I like that little sounding board!

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

23 Responses to Keira, when in NYC you must “Shoot the Freak”!

  1. Brian says:

    Hmm… should check the bargain sites and see if I can score cheap tix for me and the lad. I’m sure we could crash on the hotel room floor.

    JG, you are one serious dood.

  2. jimgroom says:

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHH -I love it!!!!!!

  3. Shannon says:

    Ok I’ll add a few of the places I’ve enjoyed

    *Magnolia Bakery – I know this has gotten a lot of notoriety since the SNL skit but, their cupcakes are really great. I don’t even like cupcakes and I thoroughly enjoyed them. The shop is so small you can’t even sit inside but, their is a little park area right across the way to sit enjoy.

    *La Giara Restaurant – If you are in the area it is a good restaurant to hit. Italian food and if you go for the early dinner special you get a lot of bang for your buck. The wall that faces the street is made up of a bunch of large doors that are more like large windows. When it is warm they open them up so you can soak up the ambiance of NYC, also outdoor seating.

    *TKTS – If you weren’t planning on seeing a broadway show maybe you should. There is a TKTS booth in Times Square (and somewhere else) and you can get greatly discounted tickets to see shows. The most popular and sold out shows aren’t going to be available but, there is usually something good. The TKTS booth ONLY takes cash or travelers checks so be prepared. People tend to line up early to get tickets too.

  4. jimgroom says:

    Shannon,

    I can’t keep up with you. You may very well be one of the best social networking Web 2.0 folks out there: blogging, twittering, commenting non-stop. I genuflect in your general direction. Wow!

  5. Keira McPhee says:

    After meeting you in the flesh just once I knew you’d be my perfect tour guide around NYC. And you are! This is everything I want to do, see, be in and eat. I am the beneficiary of your generous imagination, deep, deep coolness and blogging brilliance. You rock!

    It’s been a frustrating day on the web; back to the early, unreliable days of high-speed. We’ve had connectivity enough for me to read the post and get out one tiny tweet of gratitude. The rest of the time I’ve been doing some last minute kamikaze gardening (Must get plants in ground NOOOOOOOOW!)and reflecting on the power of the web.

    Twitter is a creaky, funny sort of tool but if anyone doubts that it can inspire some amazing stuff, I’d point them here.

    Thanks so much.

  6. keira says:

    Hey Shannon- you rock too! Thanks for the destinations. Suddenly I’m wishing I had more mobile technology so I could be tracking this stuff while I walk.

    When I login to google I get this map up right away which is cool but I don’t seem to be able to add to it yet. It comes up as “view only- Public”. Perhaps there’s a setting to make it edit-able?

    Does anyone know about this stuff?

    I want to add the other suggestions that have come in via Facebook, Twitter and phone. This is going to be my kick in the ass course in google maps too- how cool is that?

  7. Shannon says:

    Jim – I’ve been working 9-5 all week so I’m probably just making up for that loss during the weekend. Interestingly enough I think my friends from college and high school probably don’t even think I go on the computer anymore because I am never where they are, it is a weird shift. There needs to be a dtlt trip to the city, whaddya say?

    Keira – Enjoy your trip to the city and if you somehow end up lost in Jersey I’ll point you back in the right direction 😉 . I’m pretty sure Jim must be making fun of Jersey when I’m not looking.

  8. jimgroom says:

    Keira,

    Yeah, good question. I think this is a limitation to Google’s My Maps right now. I looked into it, at least surfacely, and I don’t think others can edit this map I created. But maybe I can export to you for your google account? I have been updating the recommendations on the blog and from twitter (I’m gonna add Frank’s Restaurant now), but have yet to check Facebook. Does that new-fangled technology guy you shack up with have any ideas? 🙂 P.S. -Just updated the Facebook recommendations as well. Ok, but now to do some more research on handing control over to you of the google my map… hmmmm.

  9. Keira McPhee says:

    More suggestions have come in.
    Via Facebook messages:

    From Shana:

    For the love of god, don’t miss this place! (If you’re going to the lower east or west side – there are two)

    Hummus Place
    http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/hummus-place01/

    From Deb:
    Another vote for the Lower Eastside Tenement Museum.

    From Gabrielle via Jake:
    Walk through Soho, hit the Village, stop at cafe’s etc.

    Via Twitter:
    From Alan:
    Central Park. Real NY deli. Chinatown. The Ear bar Canal street (20 yrs ago). Random ride subways. Staten Island Ferry out n bak.

    Wooohooo- ’bout to board the tin can. Wish I was tranquilized!

  10. Shana Myara says:

    Oh, and Gus’s Pickles!(right near the Tenement Museum) And The Donut Factory! Sorry, don’t remember exactly where in the Lower East Side. And The Orchard Corset Centre (on Orchard St) where the Orthodox Jewish man tells you your bra size and you go into the back room and strip in front of one of his staff, and they make sure it fits just right. Quite a treat.

  11. jimgroom says:

    Excellent stuff, I’ll make the updates to the map. Just think about it, we’re a regular lonely planet travel guide here!

  12. Mikhail says:

    The Donut Plant? Grand Street a little ways past Essex — next door to Kossar’s Bialys — another great NYC destination.

  13. Scott Leslie says:

    Jim, NYC should slip you a fiver for the free PR. I wasn’t even thinking of going to New York and now I’m trying to figure out a way to finagle my way there. Plus I love the http://ongopongo.com reference, hadn’t seen that, very handy way to embed the maps. Cool!

  14. Keira McPhee says:

    Hey all you freakers:

    I’ve been taking my usual crappy, quality pics:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/keiramc/ but you can track my progress throughout this amazing town.

    Eva, who Brian and I taught with in Mexico is a Staten Island girl who fled to Brooklyn at first opportunity. She loves Vancouver and comes every summer. Why haven’t we been doing the reverse?! Are we nuts? I could easily spend a month a year here with a quick trip home to Toronto to go the cottage. I’m ready to rearrange my life.

    Time for some Coney Island action. I’d wear my black jeans and VU shirt in honour of Lou but it’s damn hot here and I’m trying to NOT look like a total poser.

  15. jimgroom says:

    @Keira – I can see from those pictures that you have already treated yourself to possibly the greatest Pizza on earth. The underneath the Brooklyn Bridge on Front street is such a nice spot. And all I can think of when I go heir is Walt Whitman as journalist, effusive poet of “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry,” and Strong Islander! Waiting with great anticipation for Coney photos.

    @Scott -The ongopongo was something I stumbled upon while doing this, it is a cinch which is nice. Although, in the end I was kinda bummed that google doesn’t let you share a map with others for collaborative editing, that kinda stymied some of my aspirations for playing a NYC tour guide on TV:)

  16. Scott Leslie says:

    Sorry Keira, not to be mr edtech-all-the-time, but just to conitnue on from Jim’s comment – collaborative map editing is one of two things I’ve been looking for for a while but don’t think I have found. The other is wiki-like Calendars. If you know of sources for either let me know. Cheers, Scott

  17. Keira McPhee says:

    Scott, aka mr ed-tech,

    Frappr is one we played with for our workshop. On Twitter, Chris suggested http://www.wayfaring.com

    Keira

  18. Scott Leslie says:

    Keira, thanks for the tips. Frappr isn’t exactly what I am after, but wayfaring my be – I’ve used it before a few times but never realized you could make your maps collaboratively editable by all. Thanks for the tip!

  19. Danna McPhee says:

    Thanks Keira for hooking me up to “You-Must-Shoot-The-Freak” site BIG APPLE suggestions.

    I’m ready to hop on a plane!!!

    .”Start spreading the news, I’m leaving today. I want to be part of it- New York New York.

  20. jimgroom says:

    “If you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere!”

  21. I am in agreement your viewpoint. My study has shown your ideas to be true, however I have also heard the opposite from other sites like this one. Do you have any suggestions for locating more savvy information on gardening or related topics? I would certainly appreciate it!

  22. Brian says:

    I am in disagreement with Jasper’s viewpoint. My own study finds your ideas to be lies, though I have also heard the opposite on this very site. Maybe someone has an idea of where I can find wily data on small gardens? Maybe a small garden guide? I would hate that!

    • Reverend says:

      I tend to think you’re both crack babies, but given I love crack babies—I find myself in a pickle, and needing one.

Leave a Reply to Reverend Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.