Planning a Trip to NYC? Ask Pat

Thursday, 20 October 2011 | by Pat's Picks

I was just asked by NYC Go, the official tour guide of the city, to offer up some of my favorite activities for out-of-town guests. In return, they called me “a boyish, indefatigable presence, whose Mojave-dry wit is best observed during…“In the Papers.”

I told Jonathan Durbin, who interviewed my for the piece, that one of the first things I do when guests arrive in the afternoon: take them right down to Times Square via subway. This accomplishes two things: it gives them a very, ‘I’m in New York’ moment and mitigates any nervousness they might have about riding the subway. Other things I suggested to Jonathan: a ride on the Staten Island ferry (at 7:30 am if you want to see Staten Islanders in their natural habitat); a stroll through Greenwich Village; riding the wooden escalators at Macy’s; and a pastrami on rye at Katz’s.