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going to New York-want to travel light


steed

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My wife and I are going to New York to celebrate our 25th anniversary. She and the Leicas don't get along that well, so I want to travel light. The 35mm Summicron is definitely going. Other choices: 50mm Summicron, 90mm Summicron, 25mm Voightlander. What comes, and what stays? The wife definitely comes along.

John W (Steed)

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Of course, I'd be tempted to take the 25 and 50 too but here's a better thought: take only the 35 Summicron and lavish your esteemed spouse with all that estra attention you would otherwise "waste" on swapping glass. No camera bag; simple and easy leaving you free to mess with your warm wife instead of your cold camera.

 

(Ask her to carry extra film in her bag.)

 

The discipline of limiting yourself to only one focal length is good for the soul too.

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what is the problem? Pack before she sees you and unpack when it is too late!

 

And when you are there, give her a wad of cash (equivalent to half a lens) and say she is free to go out, while you are tired and resting...

 

Game over - I mean does she ever look at your films after developing, so there you are.

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John -

 

Travel light without buying anything new? Body & 35 only.

 

Please tell me your interests, tastes, etc. and I'll make some recommendations to you -- we make ecceptionally good use of what New York has to offer. Regarding restaurants, also indicate budget. If you'd rather do this off the forum, stuart.nordheimer@verizon.net

 

Stuart

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Hey,

I'm traveling to London w/my wife for our 25th, Congrats! I was in NYC last week, and took just my 35mm Summicron. If you find you need more, pop into B&H, Adorama or Photo Village and p/u a lens. Have a good time. Try the Stage Deli near Broadway. Do the tourist thing and get a great (but pricey) sangwich and some cheese cake. It'll cost almost as much as a Leica lens.

Dan;)

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If the wife could stay problem would be solved but create another... :D

 

I agree with the recommendation for one M and one 35.

 

25 years is an achievement worth more than any picture you will take in NYC with any lens. Happy Anniversary.

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Thanks to all. Its the wife, the M and 35mm only. The Stage Deli was on my list, but my wife likes to dine on the lighter side (and is on the lighter side). Otherwise, we plan to whoop it up without much regard for responsibility (older daughter just finished private university). Within those almost non-existent parameters, we're open to suggestions.

Steed

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John -

 

Skip the Stage Deli -- It's pure tourist. If you decide to do a deli I have the best one to suggest to you, but it requires some explanation. Give us some hints on what you like. NYC has over 300 museums, over 500 live perfromance spaces and over 16,000 restaurants. If nothing else pick up a copy of the NYC Zagat's Restaurant Survey, but for suggestions on what to do, give us a hint on your likes and dislikes.

 

Stuart

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Hi guys,

of course the Stage is for tourists, that's half the fun! It's hard not to get a good meal in NYC, like it's hard not to get good pix. NYC is a visual treat. Enjoy, sip a glass or two of bubbly, and hope you have another 25! Good shooting.

Dan

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Hi John,

IMHO The best pizza in NYC is John's on Bleecker street, 1 block east of 6th ave. JFK JR and I used to hang out there. If you try it, you'll know what I mean.

See here: http://www.leica-camera-user.com/showthread.php?p=9526#post9526

By the way...35 mm Lens is all you need.

Regards,

 

Ed. :cool:

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

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I completely agree with your choice to take just the M7 and 35mm Summicron. I'd make just one other suggestion. Instead of taking several rolls of film with you, just load one in the camera and have it hand checked. When you get to NY, buy film there (42nd street is loaded with camera stores). Then, before you return, find a lab that can give you a quick turn-around (there are some that will give 2 hour service) and get the slides processed before you return.

 

The reason for this suggestion is that the x-ray devices are becoming more potent and unpredictable. Additionally, some security agents get baffled and leave your items in the x-ray until they can figure out what it is. In some cases this can be up to a full minute of exposure. Even for slow films, you can get burned.

 

Have fun!

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Congratulations on your 25th!

 

Unless you plan on making this trip more about photography than about your anniversary, all you really need is a 35mm Summicron and 1 body. I'll second the suggestion to buy your film here......but not on 42nd St. Go to either B&H or Adorama and avoid the tourist-trap camera/electronics stores like you would the plague.

 

Give us some idea of what you'd like to do and you'll get plenty of suggestions. All contradictory to each other. :-)

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A deli is definitely on my list and recommendations are most welcome. Thin crust pizza and gelato are on the list for my most excellent bride. Coming from Los Angeles, we are not exactly deprived of good food, so we're looking first for the best essence of New York. We have been recommended to Lombardi's, Trattoria del Arte, Spice Market, Tao, and Il Mulino.

As far as accomodations: St. Regis and Penisula are at the top of the list. It may cost me a trip to B&H to stay there, but after surveying the camera drawers, I can say with confidence that the spouse deserves it all!!

 

Thanks again to all for displaying the best of what this forum is about.

 

Steed (and Mrs. Peel)

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John –

 

Your hotel choices are fine, though you might want to consider one of the small, boutique hotels. Hotels in NYC are among the lowest value items you will find here.

 

You are most certainly correct about opportunities for great food in the LA area, but after many years of touring six continents I can say in confidence that New York is one of but a small handful of great eating cities. Prepare yourself to be amazed.

 

The deli experience to end all deli experiences is Katz’s Delicatessen (205 East Houston St) in the lower east side – A section of town that had been at the center of immigrant melting pots for several generations (there’s even a tenement museum not far from Katz’s that deals with the area’s immigrant history). You will get the absolutely best pastrami in the world at Katz’s, but only if you follow these guidelines: Go up to the counter and order the pastrami sandwich (one will probably do for both of you) extra lean, and then, while the deli man is watching put one or two dollars into the tip cup in front of him.

 

Il Mulino is a classic, Northern Italian that is very tough to get into, though in the summer you’ll do better. Exactly one month to the day before you want to eat there, at 10:00 EST call to make your reservation, and then use the auto redial a few times when you get a busy signal. In fact, consider that approach for all hot restaurants in NYC. There are alternatives to Il Mulino that we prefer: Babbo (http://www.babbonyc.com/) is Mario Batali’s flagship, and it’s lovely. However, we prefer his down market offering, Lupa (http://www.luparestaurant.com/restaurant.html). Less pricey, but wonderfully authentic (his osso buco is as good as mine) is Crispo (http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/35177379), a place we just discovered a couple of weeks ago on West 14th. Then therei’s this little known place so far east it’s nearly in the river, L’Impero (http://www.newyorkmetro.com/listings/restaurant/limpero/), and if you go be certain to have their signature polenta appetizer.

 

How about French? One of the most perfect restaurants in the world is Daniel (http://www.danielnyc.com/), Daniel Boulud’s flagship. His lesser offerings (Café Bouloud and DB Bistro Moderne) are amazing, and the latter has a $25 hamburger that is actually more than worth it. Open 24 hours a day, and still hot after over a decade is Balthazar (http://www.balthazarny.com/), and if you go for lunch or brunch be sure to order the bread basket as well as whatever else – their breads are on a par with fine bakeries in Paris and Brussels. Other French worth mentioning are Jean Georges (http://www.jean-georges.com/), this restaurateur’s finest (and to our tastes far better than his other restaurants) offering, and very close to as good as Daniel. For seafood there is none better in the US than Le Bernardin (http://www.le-bernardin.com/). How about places with superb food and over 100,00 bottles of wine in their cellar? Cru (last time we assembled our own tasting menu) (http://cru-nyc.com/), or Veritas (http://www.veritas-nyc.com/). All these restaurants continue to be superb because their rightfully celebrity chefs still supervise the restaurants, unlike so many others (such as Wolfgang Puck, whose work, we believe, suffer from his managing business and not supervising the kitchen).

How about the best chocolate you can get in North America, and one of the three best in the world (the other two are in Paris and Brussels), la Maison du Chocolat (http://www.lamaisonduchocolat.com/commerce/accueil.php?x&PHPSESSID=b24131ef4e1045553f5d02f3d5872c41)

 

I could go on for quite some time, but you get the idea, and I can recommend that you buy a copy of Zagat’s NYC restaurant guide. But, one more: Per Se (Thomas Keller of French Laundry fame) (http://www.frenchlaundry.com/perse/perse.htm) has been open for about two years and the reservation process is so horrid and dismal that I wanted to hate the place when I went. It is one of the best restaurants in the world.

 

We’ve been to many hundreds of museums on six continents and can most highly recommend the Metropolitan Museum of Art (http://www.metmuseum.org/home.asp). We’ve been members since 1986 and go between 5 and 20 times a year – We’ve still not seen the entire collection.

 

Other information/suggestions, or to bounce ideas off me (I need to know Steed’s & Peel’s interests and expectations), stuart.Nordheimer@verizon.net.

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