June 30, 2005

Virgin Atlantic launches podcast guides to NYC

Virgin Atlantic has launched a series of free podcast guides to New York for tourists.

The first four in the series are a mix of good advice and bad, all delivered in a stereotypical "New Yawker" accent.

The guides, each five to six minutes long, hits a top 10 list of Manhattan and Brooklyn's restaurants, shops, offbeat sights and must-dos for first timers.

Although the pickings have some spots far under the radar of the typical tourist, there were a couple factual errors that might make you wonder whether the guide is actually a New Yorker, or a Londoner faking it. The guide will certainly confuse tourists heading to the Statue of Liberty: "The place was reopened last year and once again you can go inside and look out over the harbor from right up in the crown." True, the statue reopened in August 2004 but the crown remains closed. The base is open, but only to savvy visitors who know to reserve a pass in advance or show up at 8 a.m. before the day passes are gone. The Virgin guide doesn't warn you of such things, or mention why the statue had been closed. In fact, the guides make no mention anywhere of Sept. 11 or Ground Zero.

Virgin's "10 hottest restaurants in New York right now" are Katz's Deli, Gotham Bar & Grill, Freeman's on the Lower East Side, Cru, Spice Market, Great New York Noodle Town, Peter Luger, The River Cafe, English is Italian and Per Se.

The offbeat guide suggests visits to Harlem, the Diamond District, Little Italy, Moby's Teany, the Tasting Room in the East Village, Duvet for cocktails, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, Coney Island, "the club scene" and 30 Vandam to shop for designers not yet famous.

The shopping guide also hits some of the obvious ones such as Barneys and Bloomingdales, and throws in some others not in the typical guidebook, such as 3r Living in Brooklyn, I Hate Perfume, Patricia Field's Hotel Venus and the SoHo Apple Store. Though it also suggests Banana Republic and Duane Reade drugstores for their "unbelievable array of hair and beauty products, most of which you can only get in the States." And unfortunately, their guide to Century 21 seems destined to make the megastore's downtown location "New York's best kept secret," since they locate the bargain center not across the street from Ground Zero, but at 472 86th Street, between 4th and 5th avenues." (Actually 472 86th Street is the address for Century 21 way out in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.)

Virgin Atlantic will add more podcasts guides, including ones for other cities. (Podcast link found via Corante New York.)

Earlier: Bargain madhouse Century 21 expanding downtown
It's Monday, so we must be at the Apple SoHo shop
Babbo, Per Se, Craft, Veritas garner Beard awards
All-you-can-eat Northern Italian at English is Italian
Tasting menu at Per Se rises to $175
Dinner at Per Se: Is $440 too much?
Peter Luger's hamburger takes a beating in NY Times
Carnivore's guide to New York from Mr. Cutlets

June 30, 2005 08:18 AM in Cheap Stuff, Foodology, Out of Manhattan, Shopology, Techology

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