I have a tip for New York City. Do your own thing bro.
best tip of them all 
Flano is the mano.
Great advice from the joint best poster on here (along with NCC).
Bar None is great if Frankie (the owner) is on the beer.
If not, it is a bit of a dive and cockfest. That said the bar girls in there are unbelievable, one of whom was one of the best looking birds I ever laid eyes on.
Frankie the Yankee.
Both Circus and Rudy’s beside each other approx 44th n 9th
Joe Strumme mural is on Niagra Bar, okay with great music, better is Bar 7 down the same block, both in Tompkin’s Sq Park in East Village. Best drinkin town in the world…
For some daytime activities head to Chelsea Springs,a harbour sort of place with a driving range,simulated baseball cages,bowling lanes,cool little two a side astroturf pitches,climbing walls all that type of stuff,its huge.If you have any sort of half normal male company with you at all ya could knock 4 hours out of it,a good place.
Great grub in The Press Box on 2nd Avenue and Annie Moores beside Grand Central Station in Manhatton,both these pubs are owned by two Inistioge brothers done good.
Inistioge my hole. I hate those immigrant bastards.
I always wondered how these two lads managed to just mooch over there around 25 Years ago without an arse in thier trousers and fairly soon after hey presto they own huge pubs in NYC,they actually own the buildings the pubs are in which is unusual,apparently most pubs are being leased over there.
In short you yanks are thick bastards compared with Inistioge folks, two of our lads raced up the ladder past tens of millions of Yanks living in NYC.
They’re criminals. That’s why.
Do The Sopranos tour, takes four hours but if you’re into the show it’s savage, the tour finishes in the Bada Bing.
As fine of a song that was ever penned.
Take a bow Philip Chevron.
The island it is silent now
But the ghosts still haunt the waves
And the torch lights up a famished man
Who fortune could not save
Did you work upon the railroad
Did you rid the streets of crime
Were your dollars from the white house
Were they from the five and dime
Did the old songs taunt or cheer you
And did they still make you cry
Did you count the months and years
Or did your teardrops quickly dry
Ah, no, says he, 'twas not to be
On a coffin ship I came here
And I never even got so far
That they could change my name
Thousands are sailing
Across the western ocean
To a land of opportunity
That some of them will never see
Fortune prevailing
Across the western ocean
Their bellies full
Their spirits free
They’ll break the chains of poverty
And they’ll dance
In Manhattan’s desert twilight
In the death of afternoon
We stepped hand in hand on Broadway
Like the first man on the moon
And “The Blackbird” broke the silence
As you whistled it so sweet
And in Brendan Behan’s footsteps
I danced up and down the street
Then we said goodnight to Broadway
Giving it our best regards
Tipped our hats to Mister Cohen
Dear old Times Square’s favorite bard
Then we raised a glass to JFK
And a dozen more besides
When I got back to my empty room
I suppose I must have cried
Thousands are sailing
Again across the ocean
Where the hand of opportunity
Draws tickets in a lottery
Postcards we’re mailing
Of sky-blue skies and oceans
From rooms the daylight never sees
Where lights don’t glow on Christmas trees
But we dance to the music
And we dance
Thousands are sailing
Across the western ocean
Where the hand of opportunity
Draws tickets in a lottery
Where e’er we go, we celebrate
The land that makes us refugees
From fear of Priests with empty plates
From guilt and weeping effigies
And we dance
What are you ya murdering cunt?
Good auld weekend in fairness although I was only in Manhattan for Saturday/Saturday night and Monday afternoon. The other days were taken up out in Connecticut visiting the brother and his kid.
Good call on MacDougall Street and Greenwich Village as I ended there all Saturday evening and night. Started in a very very resaonable but excellent Italian restaurant called Monteys. That was followed by some excellent stand-up in the tiny Comedy Cellar next door where Chris Rock made a surpise 20 minute appearance to warm up before going on Letterman on Monday - you could tell he came completely unprepared but still had the place in tears laughing. Finished with a drunken pub-crawl - names of the bars escape me though 
.
I was hoping to do the Sopranos tour on Monday before flying home but the bloody thing only runs on Fridays and Saturdays. Instead I had myself a look around Harlem for the first time and managed to get a ticket for the Letterman recording - a bit cheesey with all the forced “hell ya” cheering and fist pumping but good craic all the same.
I need to get back there again soon.
Did the Sporanos tour myself last summer, tour guide was none other than Vito Spatafore himself.
Needless to say the arse was cocked the whole way through. Highkly recommended although don’t get any food in Holstens especially the onion rings big T ordered.
Went to the Conan O’Brien show with Farmer before when we were there, good auld day out.
Greatest city in the world, so much to do, so much to see. I haven’t been there in a few months now, really need to get there again soon.
It’s a great tour isn’t it Special, I did it back in 2007 and a guy who was an extra was the guide, gave loads of trivia. Had timed my visit so that I watched the last two episodes on the plane over and was pumped about doing the tour. Loved the Bada Bing but thought it would have been way bigger.
Brian,
I shall be returning to NYC for a few days in mid December. As always, I am very much looking forward to it.
Any new and different recommendations for good nightlife, restaurants, things to do would be much appreciated.
Regards nightlife, I pretty much know where to find the dive bars (East Village I think??) Any thoughts on live music bars? Nightclubs that aren’t pretentious??
I’m delighted Brian is here to answer your questions but the chance of Brian recommending “non pretentious” nightclubs is fairly remote.