Midtown Comics for teens, 20s--and other Times Square ideas

I hate Times Square. If you have lived in NYC for more than a month, so do you. But i admit I also harbor a strange, intermittent fondness for the iconic spectacle of lights. In fact, in theory, it is not bad. What spoils it is the only-in-TS tourist trap restaurants and stores, and crowds of out- of- towners that make the 42nd-50th Street area seem like a foreign country. An annoying one. However a recent NY post story actually has some good ideas about what to do in Times Square --for every member of your family. Why does it matter? Because like it or not, everyone who visits you in NYC wants to go to Times Square. And if you don't want to grit your teeth during your "nth" visit to the M&Ms store (though you'll probably be doing that anyway...and actually it isn't that bad except for the crowds)--take a look at some of these suggestions. My favorite suggestion is to take teens (And honestly my nieces in their 20s would also love this)-- to Midtown Comics at 200 W. 40th St. Here is the entire review from the site: "Your average “been-there-done-that” teenager might sniff at the gaudy lights and endlessly moving ads of Times Square. But hidden away at the top of a staircase of a nondescript building, the original location of the citywide Midtown Comics chain is a two-story teen mecca (above). You could spend hours in here catching up on your favorite stories, from new releases to old back issues. Much of the store is taken up with collectibles and toys, such as Doctor Who’s sonic screwdriver and Wolverine figurines.

Soho clothing stores for teens

And..here we go! Clothing stores for teens; right now I am concentrating on Soho and Broadway, where a host of stores from rityzy to chintzy attract all pocketbook levels.... H&M: bway bet broome and prince-2; TopShop 478 bway; Necessary Clothing, 442 Broadway

Restaurants for teens and 20's

I've a friend with a 16 year old daughter who I am meeting for lunch in NYC...and am a bit perplexed where to take her to show what a cool person I am! 30 years in NYC, but I really don't eat out that much--and when I do it is usually someplace like Sido, sitting on a plastic seat outside! I want someplace sort of trendy-- but not standoffish or too sophisticated. Here are some ideas I heard about after some research online at Chowhound and a few other spots: Cafeteria : 119 7th Avenue New York (at 17th St), NY 10010 212.414.1717 Schiller's Liquor Bar 131 Rivington St., New York, NY 10002 at Norfolk St 5 Napkin Burger Many locations including: 2315 Broadway @ 84th Street; 150 E. 14th Street, (212) 228-5500; Hells Kitchen-630 9th Ave @ 45th Street Delicatessen 54 PRINCE STREET, 212 226 0211 Gemma (Bowery Hotel): 335 Bowery bet 3rd and 2nd Pulino's Bar & Pizzaria-- Bowery and Houston Lunch Menu LePain Quotidien: (all over --these are Soho locations) Grand & Mercer; Bleeker bet Bway and Lafayette; (between Grand St & Howard St) Lombardi's-Spring&Mott 7A Cafe: 7th Street At Avenue A Cafe Orlin (st Mark's bet 1st and 2nd Grey Dog Coffee : 244 Mulberry Street and 90 University Place and 242 West 16 Street