Mandolin shopping in New York?

[cbroadbridge]

Hey everyone!

So to celebrate turning the big 3-0 this year my girlfriend and I are going to take a trip to New York in July time. Just wondering if any of you can recommend any good stores to visit, or indeed if there's any cool things to do in NY which maybe aren't quite so touristy!

We're gonna try and hit all the usual suspects (Central Park, Statue of Liberty, etc.) but sometimes it's nice to know stuff from locals, or people who go regularly. If anyone has any suggestions for anything to do, please let me know, they'd be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,


Craig

[dscullin]

Check out Mandolin Brothers in Staten Island NY.

[Django Fret]

Be sure to visit RetroFret in Brooklyn for all kinds of musical instruments and try to include a walk on the High Line in the lower west side of Manhattan.

[Matt Vuksinich]

YES--definitely go to Mandolin Brothers. Look at the directions on their website, but from the (southern?) end of Manhattan, get on the Staten Island Ferry (free), which takes you on a route which passes (doesn't stop at) Statue of Liberty; then take a bus to Mandolin Bros. It's a great trip.

Also, go to RetroFret in Brooklyn. They also have some great vintage mandolins--and, like Mandolin Bros, will leave you alone to try out anything. Just walking from the subway stop to their quirky location (up a narrow stairway, then across a rooftop to the showroom) will give you a taste of Brooklyn.

Plan a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. After getting numbed out for a few hrs there, Central Park is right across the street. When you tire of walking, get back on the subway, and stop at Grand Central Station--it's a gorgeous old building, so plan a good hour inside to take in the marvels. Then, back on the subway to Greenwich Village to walk to Rudy's Music (again, great people--when I was there 2 wks ago, not much in the way of high-end mandolins, but a staggering collection of D'Angelico guitars).

If Andy Statman is in town, he performs on Thurs nights at the Charles St. Synagogue in the Village--getting there and back to wherever is also a great trip, and his "manager" treats you like an old friend.

[Michael Weaver]

Wow Matt, you are making think about booking a trip..seriously!

[JeffD]

Andy Statman plays frequently and regularly in and around NY. Check his website and see if you can get to see him live.

[Pete Jenner]

YES--definitely go to Mandolin Brothers. Look at the directions on their website, but from the (southern?) end of Manhattan, get on the Staten Island Ferry (free), which takes you on a route which passes (doesn't stop at) Statue of Liberty; then take a bus to Mandolin Bros. It's a great trip.

It's a pretty crowded bus but it was a great trip. I couldn't believe the ferry was free. Can't remember the bus route number.

[Jim Garber]

You may want to check out my friend Jim Kendrick's site for music events in an around the city while you are there.

I second (or third) the suggestions for RetroFret and Mandolin Brothers.

[Mike Floorstand]

Hi Craig - I had a great time mandolin-hunting in New York last October, here's a link to my notes: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...Mandolin-Notes

[jesserules]

And for information on how to use the NYC public transportation system, might be wise to google "MTA information" before you leave the UK.

[Matt DeBlass]

Tons of stuff to do, and lots of fun instrument shopping (window shopping, mostly, on my budget). In addition to the museums and shows, there are a lot of great bars, restaurants and coffee shops around town as well. I live in NJ but frequently take the train in to the city to play gigs or have fun.
I don't know how much US-based TV you watch, but there are a lot of TV shows that are taped in NYC that have some sort of free ticket policy. If you happen to have a favorite, you can sometimes get yourself on the list to attend a live taping (usually a few hours before the show airs) and be in the studio audience. A couple friends and I did that for the Colbert Report on my birthday a couple years back, followed by dinner out, and it was pretty cool (and you could- just barely- see us on the final TV edit).

[CES]

TR Crandall Guitars was featured in the latest fretboard journal...looks like a really sweet place...

[verbs4us]

If you go to Mandolin Brothers, make it mid week in the middle of the day. Saturdays get crowded. A Wednesday at 11 am is perfect. The taxi from the ferry is only about $10 and saves you about an hour. The bus is pokey. Be prepared: Mandoloin Brothers is in a house, not a "storefront" and the sign is about the size of a cigarette pack. All the taxi drivers will know it. Stan & crew will call a taxi to get you back to the ferry.

[KEB]

I'll second checking out Andy Statman-- it's really pretty amazing to see someone of his caliber on his home turf.

Also, I highly recommend taking a walk over the Brooklyn bridge to get the best views of Manhattan (just noticed you said July, so I'll temper that recommendation a bit with the heat).

If you're into Jazz, check out the schedule of the Jazz Standard. Some of the best in the world play in this tiny little intimate venue, and I can't even count the number of fantastic albums that are named "Live at the Jazz Standard" (according to amazon, it's 29)

[Cecily_Mandoliner]

Plan a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Indeed! In my first trip to NYC, I made sure to get to the Metropolitan, and I went as directly as possible to the musical instrument section. It was amazing! Their collection is just beautiful!
I wish I had had time to see more, and find music shops as mentioned in the other postings. I had only been playing mandolin three weeks before my trip, and I didn't know about Mandoline Cafe yet.
Oh, the Carnegie Deli in Manhattan has the best and biggest pastrami/corned beef sandwich I have ever seen or eaten. My hubby and I shared it.
Have fun!

[Charlieshafer]

I second Retrofret, but as a side trip down in the village, you really can't miss Rudy's Music down on Broome Street. The village is cool, and Rudy will only have a couple of mandolins there (he did have a Monteleone mandocello last time I was in) but it's like a museum of cool stringed instruments. Mostly guitars, but the archtops are to die for. Not a stop for mandolins specifically, but a stop for high end unaffordable eye candy.

And yes, Andy Statman usually plays at the Charles Street Synagogue in the west village. Worth the flight alone.

[mandopops]

I love New York.

For Mandolins, RetroFret & Mandolin Bros, great places to visit.
Statman, yes check him out. (I heard him at Barbes in Brooklyn, he plays there a lot. Great.)

Good Pastrami/Corned Beef? Carnegie Deli, sure. Or Katz Deli in the East Village.

The wife & I are going to New York again next week, visiting our son & his girlfriend, some Jazz, couple of shows, Martin Guitars at the Met etc...

Joe

[EdHanrahan]

I third Retrofret!

I love New York. ... Martin Guitars at the Met etc...

YES!! Haven't been there yet this year, but the current exhibit goes along with the recent book on Martin's pre-Civil War history: "Inventing the American Guitar".

Not as big as Mandolin Brothers but still pretty deep, Lark St. Music in Teaneck, NJ, is only 5 miles west of the GW Bridge. (Closed on Saturdays.)