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.

Department store restaurants-blast from the past with a view

Like the author of this excellent review of NYC department store restaurants, I'm nostalgic for restuarants-within-stores, a holdover from my childhood when my mother would take me to Woolworth's for an open-face turkey sandwich, an experience I remembered both for its culinary pleasures, and the bonding experience with my mother while my older siblings were in school). That, trips to Boston Store as a pre-schooler, where (I am told) I was more than content with just a roll and butter, make me long for the experience of the department-store cafe.
Some of these restaurants sound like an excellent place to take mom and dad or nieces and nephews on a NYC visit, as many come with a view: Here are some that I'd like to explore:
1- Saks Fifth Avenue’s Cafe SFA, on the eighth floor. "The view alone is worth it: Rockefeller Center Promenade and rooftop gardens on one side, and along the other wall of windows, the neo-Gothic spires of St. Patrick’s Cathedral across East 50th Street"
2- Le Train Bleu at Bloomingdale’s "appears to be suspended between the sixth and seventh floors."
3-"Bergdorf Goodman houses the two best department store restaurants in town. BG Restaurant is a seventh-floor stunner: robin’s-egg blue whisper chairs and chinoiserie wallpaper. The vista of Fifth Avenue and Central Park leaves me awestruck. Meals are served, but I opt for afternoon tea ($35). The sun is shining as I start on the finger sandwiches (smoked salmon, egg salad, turkey and dill). By the time I’ve finished a perfect scone with Devonshire cream and four petits fours, it is dusk, and Manhattan is ablaze."
4- "Bar III at the Bergdorf Goodman Men’s store. Different décor — dark wood and white marble — but the same food as its sister restaurant, and there’s never a wait."

New in Town: Clipper City Tall Ship in South Street Seaport

Manhattan By Sail has just introduced a 160' tall ship--Clipper City --to the the South Street Seaport (downtown Manhattan), at Pier 17--and this experience of being on a genuine 19th century schooner (extensively refurbished) is not to be missed if you are even remotely adventurous. The 90 minute sail around the tip of Manhattan, with views of the Brooklyn Bridge, The Statue of Liberty, and more, is spectacular. There are places to sit-- but this is NOT a comfort-voyage, in the sense that you're not sitting on padded seats. Still, it worked for my 85 year old mother. And frankly, no one in their right mind would sit throughout the voyage when you can hang on the edge of the boat and take in the view, and feel the sheer joy of the wind and water.
A nice touch was the young and totally hip bluegrass band that played throughout the trip. They were VERY good, and it added verisimilitude to the atmosphere.
Once they raise the sails, you can imagine, if just briefly, what it was like to be on the open seas a century ago...except. of course, for the great advantage of having a 21st century lunch in one of the many outdoor cafes in the Seaport afterward!
And yes --South Street Seaport is VERY touristy. Really the only designated tourist-spot in Manhattan, with lots of shops and overpriced stuff. But it's great for families, kids love the ships as do adults, and the many restaurants are quite decent.
I will add that this is not the same type of trip as the Adirondack Schooner & Yacht Cruise Tours --I still highly recommend the Schooner Tours from Sail NYC. They are smaller schooners and have a different feel. I recommend the small schooner for those wanting a more intimate atmosphere.
Clipper City tall ship hours and costs
7 days a week- 90 minute sails-10AM 12:30PM 3PM 7PM
Tickets: $39 for adults- $17 for kids (18 and under)
Clipper City is docked on the east dock of South Street Seaport at Pier 17

Pier I - On the (Upper West Side) Waterfront

A part of the river-walk along the Hudson, Pier I is one of the best-kept-secrets of the upper west side (though it may seem busy, many NY friends I have know nothing about it). A beautifully renovated, expansive pier, with an extensive outdoor cafe (tables and chairs are for both customers and non-customers), this is a great place to hang out. The pier itself has a gorgeous, uncluttered view of the Hudson. A wonderful place to relax on a Friday night--or any night--though the live music events, movies, etc. can really interfere with your solitude, so it is hit and miss in the summer if loud music bothers you (you can guess how I feel about it). You can check for upcoming events online. This is also a GREAT place to sit as long as you want in the morning with a coffee and croissant (bring your own, or they have coffee and pastries there). It's much quieter on weekday mornings than weekends, of course. The Pier I Cafe can get crowded but it's a far better choice than the way-overrated 79th Street Boat Basin cafe (which is getting noisy and dirty and beer-y). You can reach the pier by walking down along the river-walk, which you can enter from various exits in Riverside Park...or take the path from 72nd and Riverside, walking west, past the Eleanor Roosevelt Statue and dogrun. This takes you down some (steep) steps; or, there is an entrance at 68th and Riverside that takes you under the West Side Highway (I have yet to find this--but I have been told it is there!).
There is also a lovely boardwalk continuing down (south) from the cafe, with sweeping prairie grasses, and space for kids to run and play.
Oh--don't miss the FREE kayaking there as well! It's loads of fun and just scary enough to be exhilarating...and you can say you kayaked on the Hudson. One more cool thing about NYC!
Cafe Hours (May 1-mid, Oct-weather permitting)
Pier I Cafe is at W. 70th St. and Hudson River. RESTAURANT Hours: Monday-Thurs @ 12PM-11PM Friday 12PM-12:30AM Sat 11AM-12:30AMSunday @ 11AM -11PM. CAFE hours (coffee and pastry): M-F 7AM-1PM Sat and Sun. 7AM-4PM
Nearby Subway Stops: 1, 2, 3 at 72nd St.