12 grandes cosas para hacer cerca de Union Square
Publicado 01/23/2018
Union Square, un nombre compartido por un ajetreado parque y el vecindario que lo rodea, ha sido una zona animada desde su desarrollo a mediados del siglo XIX. El parque en sí es un lugar de encuentro prominente asociado durante mucho tiempo con rallies y protestas; en 1861, el Gran Rally Sumter, un espectáculo de apoyo a la Unión en la Guerra Civil, marcó la asamblea pública más grande de la historia de EE. UU. hasta la fecha. Hoy en día, es probable que sigas viendo a manifestantes políticos, músicos callejeros, jugadores de ajedrez, skaters, equipos de baile y vendedores de todo tipo. Las calles cercanas tienen muchas cosas divertidas para hacer y ver. Sigue leyendo para ver algunas ideas.
1
Union Square Park
1
14th St. to 17th St.
In addition to street artists, performers and the occasional protest group, Union Square’s namesake park hosts a popular Greenmarket, with produce and baked goods from local vendors, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. There’s also a busy dog run in which four-legged-friends tire themselves out while their owners chat, drink coffee or dig into a book they just bought at The Strand. Speaking of which…
2
Forbidden Planet
2
832 Broadway
This nerd-friendly shop specializes in sci-fi books, comics and graphic novels—plus a healthy helping of action figures, toys and collectibles from the superhero, fantasy and sci-fi universes. Forbidden Planet is a UK-based chain, but this is its only American outpost. The selection is good, so if you’ve been scouring your local stores for a rare find, you may happen upon it here.
3
Fishs Eddy
3
889 Broadway
Stock your home with stylish—and sometimes whimsical—glassware, flatware, dishes, mugs, tablecloths and more. The main factor differentiating Fishs Eddy from other popular stores of its kind is a pervasive sense of fun; some of our favorite recent finds include a "Bull Moose Party" mug featuring Teddy Roosevelt atop a party-hat-wearing moose, another mug with diagrams of the proper grips for various baseball pitches, and a taffy snack called "Orthodox Chews."
4
Irving Plaza
4
17 Irving Pl.
This cozy, 1,000-ish-capacity concert hall is one of the City’s go-to spots for mid-level touring musicians (or occasional intimate gigs by larger acts like Green Day, U2 and Paul McCartney). First opened in the late 1970s, it has charming architectural details and good sound. And, maybe because of the history (the Ramones played here back in the day) and the fact that it’s NYC, the bands always seem to bring it.
5
Metronome and Countdown Clock
5
1 Union Square South
This public artwork, installed in 1999, is on the exterior of a building on the south side of 14th Street between Broadway and Fourth Avenue, facing Union Square Park. The sculptural element (Metronome) represents abstract interpretations of time. The clock’s seven leftmost digits tell time from left to right, as hours, minutes, seconds and tenths of a second (in military time). The seven rightmost numbers, from right to left, display the time remaining in the day. The number right in the middle moves too fast to see, but represents a hundredth of a second.
6
Dear Irving
6
55 Irving Place
Irving Plaza’s Irving Place neighbor, Dear Irving, is a cocktail bar with a laid-back vibe and the novel theme of time travel. Dear Irving’s period rooms (with buzzer-press service) take drinkers back to the past: the mod 1960s, the jazz age of the 1920s, Abraham Lincoln’s presidential era and late 18th-century France. Try an expertly mixed throwback cocktail, and consider signing up for a class with a mixologist so you can learn to replicate it.
7
Pete’s Tavern
7
129 E. 18th St.
One of a few places laying claim to being New York City’s oldest continuously operating bar-restaurant, Pete’s Tavern has plenty of history—established in 1864, it survived the Prohibition by disguising its facade as that of a flower shop. O.Henry was said to have written “The Gift of the Magi” in the bar room’s first booth back in 1905 (he was a customer, but that tale is likely apocryphal). Not much seems to have changed inside since. Order the coppery orange Pete’s 1864 ale to accompany a meal here; we’re particularly fond of the eggplant parmigiana.
8
Academy Records
8
12 W 18th St
For a certain type of traveler, a new city is an opportunity to dig through a fresh set of record crates. In New York City, Academy Records is one of the best places to do that. This place specializes in used classical records but also has a great selection of jazz and rock LPs. If you’re patient, you may even find a real gem in the $1 bin.
9
Union Square Café
9
101 E. 19th St.
This Danny Meyer–helmed restaurant opened way back in the 1980s and spent 30 years at its original address as it piled up honors from Zagat and the James Beard Foundation. A few blocks away and a few years after a brief hiatus, it’s again a go-to spot for refined New American cuisine; book ahead if possible.
10
Breads Bakery
10
18 E. 16th St.
They’ve got babka and rugelach made with Nutella at Breads Bakery. Our listing could easily end here. But if for some reason you need more inducement, know that they also excel at handmade croissants, cookies, quiche…and, naturally, bread.
11
Ribalta
11
48 E. 12th St.
Hey, it’s pizza! The Neapolitan variety, to be precise. Ribalta has quickly become a local favorite, in part because its owners pride themselves on importing ingredients like buffalo mozzarella and flour from Italy. For those with restricted diets: Ribalta offers gluten-free crusts.