What is the best place to get a traditional Manhattan in Manhattan? I don't want a trendy or creative interpretation. I just want the old school cocktail made perfectly. Preferably close to Murray Hill or at least in the lower halfish of Manhattan. So far I've gotten the recommendation for Bemelmans Bar on East 76th but am wondering if someplace like Bull and Bear at The Waldorf or anywhere else might be a better place to have my Manhattan in Manhattan.

 

It might be best to make a day of it and try many places. Then you could let us know.

 

Of course wait until you can walk again. I've only been to Manhattan once, discovered I didn't lose anything there, and never returned. Sounds like quite an adventure. Be safe, and don't let your North Carolina accent get you in trouble.

 

New York has changed a lot in the past 20+ years. It's much cleaner and safer than it was. Gone are the peep shows and drug dealers on 42nd street to be replaced by Walgreens and Applebee's. As for the Manhattan's I'm trying to have one in all the great, major cities of the world. The trouble I'm having is most reviews these days are of "creative" places. Nobody seems to review who can make a good classic cocktail.

 

It sure has including the on street parking which has become a racket.

I rent sound systems and work in NYC. Usually there is no parking at the site and since I have a big van I need an outdoor lot or park on the street. The street parking rate is $3.50 an hour. The streets are labeled 1, 2 or 3 hour time limits. You need to have a degree in advanced sign reading to sort out the parking requirements.

My last job I had to park in a 2 hour limit spot, three blocks away, and had to feed the meter with my debit card every 2 hours to the tune of $49.

 

Hopefully it is better in the garment district than it was 30 years ago. Worst parking ever was backing a tractor trailer into Hunts Point Market. Alley was too narrow for west coast mirrors.
I guess a lot has changed everywhere. Dane, let us know about the trip and all your stops. Sounds like a blast

 

Any bartender in Manhattan can mix a Manhattan. My favorite neighborhood is Greenwich Village. That's the West 4th stop on the E, F, D, & A lines or Bleeker St, on the #6 train. At one time, I was a regular in Washington Square Park. The talent on a summer day or night is better than any show, in the entire city. One night I saw 2 jugulars on unicycles throwing flaming torches to & from each other against backdrop, of the night. Other times, there were vocal harmony groups & the Calypso Tumblers, a West Indian acrobatic group. You can see them on youtube. That was in the 80s

In the late 60s, early 70s, I used to attend the Filmore East where I saw Jimi Hendrix, The Jefferson Airplane, The Allman Bros, Frank Zappa, the list goes on....

Anyway, that's just a few stops from Murray Hill, where I used to work. Some street tips: Don't carry a wallet. If you do, don't keep your money in it. Stand against the wall while waiting for the train. Keep a photo copy of your credit cards with the customer service #s.

Chandler, Hunts Point is in The Bronx not in Manhattan but I feel your pain. That place is lunacy.

 

Funny you should mention the barber. I go to a tiny shop on East 37th where they have a little bar station set up in the corner.

I've seen Central Park beautifully covered in snow many times but this will be my first non-working trip to NYC in the summer so I'm excited to do some new outdoor things. I'll have to add Washington Square Park to the list. I've had walking across the Brooklyn Bridge on my list for a while but it's always been 34f, raining and windy when I had the time.

 

I never walked across the Brooklyn Bridge but I walked across the Williamsburg Bridge. That took about 30 minutes from one end to the other. The BB will probably take about 45 minutes. It's longer than most people think.

What hotel will you be staying at, if you don't mind saying?