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New York's stunning skyline.
New York's stunning skyline.
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Gents in the Big Apple

Dexter Davis
24/ 6/2008

THINK New York and you think what? Shopping? Taking in a show? Strolling through Central Park with your best girly by your side? Think again. There is another New York out there, and one in these emasculated times that is best kept hidden under the testosterone counter. Say it quietly - New York for Gentlemen.

Impossible? Not so. Get brownie points stacked to the 94th storey, promise to lavish gifts on your return and the dream can be a reality. Twenty First Century Man has it rough - balancing the antler-clashing macho world of bringing home the bacon, with making time for the ironing. But just for once let it go - hit the Big Apple and do what gents do best: drink, eat and listen to music.

Sharing a boys' weekend in New York is the ultimate wind-down, and for those who have to nozzle in the corners with the Hoover on a Saturday, go mad and let hotel staff pick up your towel. Go on, let them do it!

So, let's follow those three simple steps to heaven.

Food:
Five or six square meals a day is vital to keep up the energy for walking between bars, restaurants and clubs. Breakfast is the ultimate hangover cure and boost for the day, and you'll find none better than The Red Flame Restaurant (67 West 44th St), where the food is good solid fare and the service brisk. When asked for a minute to peruse the menu, 59 seconds later a waitress appeared and declared `time's up'. It's that kind of place.

For the finest pizza known to man take a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, amble for half an hour aimlessly until you find Grimaldi's (19 Old Fulton Street), wait another half-an-hour in a queue before you can get in... and then die in pizza heaven. The blisters were well worth it.

To escape the mid and upper town prices, get down to Bleecker Street, where the area is dotted with fine eateries. Seafood risotto at Trattoria Pesce Pasta (262 Bleecker St) takes you right back to Italy, and the service was fantastic. A meal for two, including wine, came to £35, which ain't bad for NY.

Drink:
Well, you could drink yourself to oblivion, as did Dylan Thomas at The White Horse Tavern (Hudson St, Greenwich Village) but it is best to take it steady, or you'll miss out on the hundreds of fantastic watering holes available in the city that never slurps.

Jimmy's Corner (144 West 44th St) is a truly amazing den whose ageing jukebox plays ONLY Stax and jazz. It's a true oasis from the madness of Times Square and the Sam Adams beer is divine. You really could stay here quite a while, if the inclination took you. Other best places to prop up the bar are Pete's Tavern (a former speakeasy) on 129 East 18th and the Old Town Bar and Restaurant, which is, handily, within staggering distance on the same street (45 East 18th).

Music:
You just cannot go wrong. We were lucky enough to catch Aretha Franklin at Radio City Music Hall, and although the capacious Queen of Soul has plainly lost an octave, there were just enough occasions for the voice to rise above what is humanly possible to remind you that you were in the presence of something really special. It was a pity the 66-year-old couldn't be bothered with an encore, but when the 30-strong orchestra is walking off stage with instruments already in their cases, the message is clear. If you peered close enough you would have noticed Cissy Houston - that's Whitney's mum - on backing vocals.

For the finest jazz - and food - The Jazz Standard (jazzstandard.com, 116 East 27th St) is a fantastic venue. Drummer Alvin Queen blasted through a brilliant set which was made that extra bit special by the arrival of oysters from Fanny Bay, which I'm told is in British Columbia, but the fact it exists anywhere was good enough reason to try them. Alvin's worked with Oscar Peterson and Horace Silver, and it's easy to understand why he's kept such good company.

For sheer good old honking soul and R&B, a visit to Arthur's Tavern (arthurstavernnyc.com, 57 Grove Street) is a must. If you get a seat, be thankful, and be very nice to the extremely surly, yet strangely alluring waitress who holds the future of your night's drinking in her hands. If you tip generously she smiles - like the Mona Lisa. The band here is the tightest four-piece I've heard in years. If you go nowhere else, search out Arthur's.

The greatest joy, from a middle-aged, retail-phobic bloke's point of view, is the sheer pleasure of striding purposefully past vast dollar-draining fashion emporiums, grinning gleefully at the comatose males staring glassy-eyed into mid-space, and walking into a very fine bar to sit down and talk rubbish with your mate. Now that's priceless.

Factfile: Accommodation: You're always close to some sort of activity wherever you stay, but the Mansfield Hotel (mansfieldhotel.com, 12 West 44th St, off 5th Avenue) is a great base and in a perfect position to head up or downtown. You're also only five minutes' walk from the gentlemen's retail hell of Times Square. Breakfast is continental and there's free coffee in the lounge all day. Getting there: Continental Airlines (0845 60 767 60; continental.com/uk) flies to New York from Manchester from £259.40 return. There are two daily non-stop flights from Manchester to New York Liberty. From Liberty Airport a taxi to Manhattan costs about £35 ($70) including tip and tolls. The rank is right outside the building and airport staff sort out your cab while you're queuing.


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