My main goal in contributing to and editing the Culture section of The Fordham Ram has been to give Fordham University students a full understanding of the city that we have the privilege of studying in. There are so many nooks and crannies of New York and guides to the city these days are a dime a dozen.
Here is a tailored guide for Fordham students that lays out a weekend in New York, for Rams, by a Ram.
Friday night, we’re skipping the bars and restaurants on Arthur Avenue. Trust me, you’ll be back next weekend and won’t miss them for a night or two. Take the Metro-North Railroad to Harlem-125th and follow the 6 train down to 77th Street on the Upper East Side. For the roughly one-third of Rams who are of age, pop into The Stumble Inn on 76th Street and 2nd Avenue. Perfect for a Knicks or Rangers game, there’s electricity and catchy tunes purposefully played during the commercials of big games to blend an ideal mix of pop music into the roars of New York sports fans. You can drink and eat (responsibly) here on a budget. Under 21 or with a mixed-age group? Make a play at Jones Wood Foundry on 76th Street and 1st Avenue, a cozy pub with British favorites and an outstanding Shepherd’s pie. Offering a warm ambiance, Jones Wood is ideal in the coming colder months.
While doing something on a budget on the Upper East may seem like an oxymoron, Tha Phraya of 81st Street and 2nd Avenue joins Stumble Inn in proving this sentiment wrong. The Thai spot has fantastic service, a can’t-go-wrong menu and an energetic atmosphere that is neither pretentious nor boring. If you play your cards right, you’re out of there for under $35.
Saturday morning, take a trek to Brooklyn. The best casual brunch in the city is waiting for you at Park Slope’s Little Purity diner on 12th Street and 7th Avenue. Get the challah French toast. I’m totally not considering skipping class to go down there right now to get some. Tip some of the best service I’ve seen in any restaurant well here and you’ll still only be down $25 at most.
Walk up 7th Avenue at a leisurely pace (you can do that in Brooklyn!) and dip into Prospect Park before spending an hour or two at the Brooklyn Museum. A stand-out exhibit on display until late January is the Brooklyn Artists Exhibition, uniting over 200 artists of the borough to display their diverse array of work.
The permanent collection of the museum is phenomenal as well. Their American Art Gallery on the fifth floor is fantastic and combines visual art with insightful New York history incredibly. Even the most casual museum-goer will be pleased.
Towards the late afternoon, fuel your commute back to Rose Hill with a slice or two from Joe & Sal’s just two blocks away. Barstool’s Dave Portnoy rates this an 8.1 and pizza and soda is always an economical and tasty move, if not just classic Brooklyn.
Sunday morning is a buttoned-up brunch on 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue. Harvest American Bistro (previously called Harvest Kitchen and still called that according to Google Maps), is one of my favorite lunch and dinner spots in New York because you can throw on a sweater, button down or any smart-casual outfit, dine on Columbus Avenue and easily avoid a bank alert for spending too much. The steak and eggs get my endorsement, but the menu is classic new American brunch that will be loved by all.
Walk seven blocks over to the New York Historical Society. The museum is dense and not overwhelming. Admittedly, even though I love writing, I hate reading. Which is why it’s worth noting that I read every single word of the Robert Caro exhibit the last time I went. Caro’s monumental work, “The Power Broker” is honored with a 50th anniversary exhibit of the book that is critically informative and masterfully curated. An exhibit showcasing the role of “Pets and the City” is in their halls until April and paints a picture of the relationship pets have had with New York for centuries. Spend no more than two hours here and you’ll still be consumed with a wealth of New York knowledge.
To cap off the weekend, take a late-afternoon Ram Van back to Rose Hill and grab a bite at a familiar dig. A Burning Beaks chicken tender combo perhaps? A Rams Reuben or a Super Best Chopped Genius? Any move is the right one, except White Castle.
Humbly, I think this is a great guide for students who respect our role as sort-of half-residents of New York. We’re all equipped with four-year visas to the greatest city in the world, that may be renewed when we graduate, but might not. Let’s not let them go to waste.
