The New Yorkers Answer Your Questions Part 2!

0:00At QVC, fall shopping is more than just checking out. It's discovering the brands you love across beauty, fashion, home, and culinary, all in one place. Whether you're getting ready for crisp mornings, cozy nights, or everyday moments, QVC has what you need for the season ahead. With brands like Laura Geller, Philosophy, Ninja, and so many more. Shop now at QVC.com. Hello, everyone, and welcome to The New Yorkers, a podcast by New York City Cop. I'm your host, Kelly Copp, published photographer, New York City tour business owner, content creator, podcaster, and above all else, a New Yorker. Ladies and gentlemen, the next book looks about, Trace is now high.

0:49Stand clear of the closing doors, please.

1:06This is Time Square. This is Time Square. And with me today, everybody, is Jay, as you know, the executive producer, and my dear friend, as Jay is too, Melissa Bickleman. Hey, Melissa. Hi. Hey, Jay. What's up? I'm good. How are you, Kelly? I'm good. You know, Melissa, I met, well, you tell them too, but Jay, do you want to say anything to you before we get going? No. I'm curious to know how you guys know each other. Oh, perfect. Perfect. Well, Melissa, take it over. How do we know each other? Hi. Well, basically, I started following Kelly. I am totally obsessed with New York City. I have been traveling by myself most of the time probably 11 years, 11, 12 years now.

2:17I come, oh, last year I was here seven times in the year. Yeah. This is either five or six for this year. Yeah. And I do plan on coming back one more for this year, but I travel by myself. I'm just obsessed. I do a lot of research on New York City, and YouTube has a lot of people who cover a lot of New York City content. And I started following Kelly, and it was actually, I had meant to do it several times to take a tour. but um when I first started following you it was bad weather and I'm like I'm not gonna and I don't think you had um you don't have them up until Christmas time and then after that right that was it so I did have to wait until the weather got nicer and everything but um I finally booked a tour and I've already had a lot yeah a lot of tours yeah I've talked to Jay about you a lot too you're amazing just the best experience thank you amazing I find what did you say?

3:32it's a personal ad for your tour business I was thinking that

3:39I have done other tours like I did the Sex and the City Bus tour which was fun but I think a lot of the other tours in New York City, they're very cookie cutter they're very timed like okay everybody we got five minutes okay let's do this let's every tour is the same just a different day and different people this is not like that you actually got to pick your depending on which tour you booked right you got to pick where you wanted to go what you wanted to do that day and my area wasn't there just wasn't there and mine was Tribeca yep and I had just finished up watching Love Story, which I was obsessed with.

4:23Did you see it, Jay? Did you see Love Story? No, I've not seen Love Story. JFK Jr. Oh, my gosh. But I remember everything about them was obsessed with porn. Yeah, I remember, too. Everything. So my tour was basically like all their spots, so many different places. I mean, just from the apartment. I'm actually like holding the handle, going in. Right. To their penthouse building. Yes, absolutely. Right where they lived, right where, oh my gosh, you can watch so many clips. It was really fun too because, you know, I didn't know much about the locations from, you know, JFK Jr. and Carolyn, their life, you know.

5:06And so I learned a lot about Tribeca because of you. You know, I just study and look it up a little bit because. I remember you rewatched it after we went. Yeah, thanks to you. And what a great, great series. Got to see everything. Yeah. Yeah. The apartment building looked exactly the same. Yeah. And I had never been to Tribeca. So it was interesting. And now I love Tribeca. It's very industrial. I agree. Tribeca is... It's unique. You know what I love about the neighborhoods of New York City? I mentioned this before. And is, I think I've mentioned this to you, Jay, too, is the different types of awnings, so to speak.

5:42Like the awnings in Tribeca are telling me that we're in the Tribeca neighborhood, that they're very specific. and how the meatpacking district looks with their awnings, too, tells me it's the meatpacking district. And I love how the different styles of architecture tell me specifically which neighborhood I'm in. And Tribeca is very distinct. Right. Somebody could blindfold you, put you in a cab and drop you off somewhere, and you could tell by looking around you, not street. It's a beautiful neighborhood. Nothing, but you could tell where you were. Jay, do you ever run through Tribeca? I do. I used to work over there.

6:14Oh, really? And so, yeah, I'd walk through it sometimes. we were actually at the Tribeca Film Festival a few years ago and that was a cool experience to get to see our movie on the big screen. That's pretty cool. Yeah. Wow. Love Tribeca. I think it's expensive. It is. It's very expensive. And a lot of I think celebrities that's why I live there. I do not live there. Trust me. But thank you Melissa. I didn't expect you to say all of those nice things so But thank you. I am a New Yorker, but I'm from Buffalo, New York. That's a good point. Right. I would love to be a true New Yorker. Buffalo? You were born in Buffalo?

6:58Actually born in Buffalo. I've been there. But you're a New York stater. So you're still a New Yorker. It's not the same. But in your heart, you're a New Yorker like most of our viewers and most of our listeners. You know? Yeah. Because people all over the world feel like they're New Yorkers. and I think that's a beautiful thing by seeing, you know, movies and TV shows and songs about New York City. Right, exactly. Absolutely. Everything about this. I think what truly started to be, I'm a big Sex and the City fan. Oh, yeah. I just watched it recently. You mungus. You just watched it recently? I mean, last year.

7:36But like you saw the whole... Yeah, I watched it all the way through. Like the movies or the series? The series and the movies. Really? Yeah, and then I started watching the new show, but I didn't finish it. And just like that? And just like that, yeah. Today's show is all about the viewers' questions from my social media. So do you guys want to get into the questions right now? Do you have anything else you want to say? Because we have a lot of questions. Let's get to those questions. Yeah, I think so too. Our first question, everybody, is from Anne-Marie Lewis. She asks, what is your favorite observation deck in New York, my friends?

8:15I like both your faces. You're both really thinking. I've actually never been to an observation deck in New York. Are you joking? How can you? Yeah. Okay, show's over, everybody. Show's the executive producer of the New Yorkers. He's never been in it. You keep inviting me to come to the Empire State Building. Exactly, and your family. Yeah, but I haven't been yet. Yeah. And then I also haven't been to the one in Hudson Yards. The Edge? Yeah, I haven't been to The Edge. Oh, yeah, that's really nice. Are there other ones? Okay, there's six. I'll tell you right now. I'm going to go over them all real quick, everybody.

8:55So we have the Empire State Building. Right. We have the Top of the Rock. Okay. We have the Summit at 1 Vanderbilt, which is at Grand Central Terminal. We have the Edge, or Edge NYC, at Hudson Yards. Okay. We have One World Trade down at World Trade Center. And lastly, we have a newer one, which is One Times Square, which was just finished this year. It's brand new, and it's beautiful, too. So there's six total in New York City, everybody. At the New York Times building? No, no, that's a good question. No, it's at One Times Square. It's where the New York's Eve ball drops at midnight right there.

9:32It's one of the bookends I call up Times Square. There's a jumbotron or whatever at 42nd, 42nd, where one Times Square observation deck is way up there. And then the other bookend is behind the red stairs. You know, so I call them the bookends of Times Square. So what do you think, you guys? What are your favorite observation decks? But you've never been to one. I've never been to one, so I don't know. How did I not know that about you? We need to go. The Empire State, but I need to take you. Yeah, yeah. Tell your mom and dad. Yeah, we just went. Yep, we did too. And what's your favorite? Melissa?

10:05Melissa? I don't want to, we were talking about it earlier. Yeah, we were. I do love going to the Empire State Building. I just love it. I love the inside of the building, the art. Art Deco, amazing. Yes. But, like I told you, you can't see the Empire State Building from the Empire State Building. Exactly. I agree. Most people associate. you know if you see a picture of the empire state building people know automatically new york city right what comes to your mind correct you can't see that you can't get any that's so true for me but it is beautiful i always want the empire state building in in my photos and my videos because it screams new york you know that is the epitome of new york city empire state building um i love the empire state building but that's why i want to go to the top of the rock because they're both art deco the origins of art deco and you hear in new york city like the chrysler building as well right um but you know i want the empire state building in my photos and videos but i also love to be in the empire state building because i love how i feel inside of the empire state building that classic new york love of you know love of new york city so i have a tie you know but i like them all like i said i you know i say i like them all they're all beautiful they all create a different perspective of the city from where they are um they're all designed differently they're all beautiful um sadly for me personally I cannot go into one world trade um I think it's a beautiful building I just can't go in it um I can't explain why specifically but obviously it's tied to 9-11 so I just haven't been in that one and I would love to go but I don't see myself going in it.

11:57I will never go again. What'd you say? I will never go again. You've been in it? Once. Yeah. And was it beautiful? Well, of course it's beautiful but it's also very I just get very emotional going down there. I don't even like to go down there. I find it very like people who want to go to the museum. I've been through the museum like four to five times now. I just went again recently. I know. We didn't talk about it. Yeah. I do recommend if people are going to go to that museum, go on your last full day here. Because you're going to be super depressed. Because you're going to be leaving the next day.

12:40So you might as well just like cry it all out. Get out of the way. Exactly. Because it's a very draining. It's just draining. I remember the first time I went in there, I came back to the hotel and I slept for like four hours. I had to take a nap. It's just emotionally, it's just so hard. Yeah, it was my second time. Beautiful. What they have done. And oh my gosh, it's absolutely incredible. Yep. I went with my dear friend, Steve and Denise. Yes, you just did. It was their anniversary. It was their 40th anniversary just recently. And they came and visited New York City and we spent some time together as well.

13:22and we went there, and I hadn't been there since it originally opened, and I can't believe how much they added to it as well. I didn't know they were continually adding, you know, exhibits and things like that. If that's the correct word, I want to be respectful. But, yeah, I mean, it's beautifully memorialized, if that's an okay sentence or two words to say, but it's heartbreaking. I haven't been there in about four years. Yeah, it was, yeah. it's very emotional for me to go to yeah but you know those are the observation decks and we're gonna make Jay go very soon be dragged whether I like it or not yeah you're gonna go I didn't say what my favorite one what was your favorite what was your favorite you know what I hate to Empire State Building I would love to say but I can't say Empire State Building but I do think the summit was absolutely Oh, it is.

14:20The views were incredible. And I've been during the day and also at night. And both were. At night was really beautiful. You know what? And the Empire State Building is right in your face. Beautiful. I think it's such one of the closest views. Beautiful. Yeah. Gorgeous, too. The Edge has some stunning views, too. Emery asked another question. If you had one full day to spend in New York City, what would you do? Why don't we each pick a season? Okay. Why don't we each pick a season and say, what would we do? Go ahead. What season do you want? I'll take the spring because springtime is like one of my favorite seasons.

14:58Go ahead. So I'd say that you should take a, if you're staying in Manhattan, I would say Central Park is probably, you know, Central Park's great all year round. But in the spring, everything's blooming. The weather's perfect. and the cherry blossoms are in season period in time for cherry blossom season. So I would say, yeah, Central Park is a must-do during the day. I would eat at a restaurant somewhere on the, you know, in the 50s area, right below the park. West side or east side? Oh, you said the 50s. Yeah, right below the park. What am I thinking? Yeah. And there's a lot of good food around there.

15:44Yeah. And then maybe go see a show. Theater district right there. Go see Broadway show right before the Tony season. So that way you can, you know, know what's good. Yeah. So I'd say that would be my day for spring. Yeah. Where would you start in Central Park? I like to start near, maybe near the museum. Is it the Met? Right. Is it over there? Walking around. That's in like the 80s-ish. Right. So you could walk from the 80s-ish down to the 50s through the park. Yeah. I like that. Are you talking about the History Museum? No, on the east side, the Met. Oh, okay. Perfect. I like it. Yeah. That's what I do too.

16:36Melissa, what would you do in what season? Oh. Well, I'll pick winter. And I don't come here a lot, but. You do come here a lot. Well, I don't come here a lot. Oh, just a specific spot. Like January, February. You know, and it's that. Understandable. There's nothing like Christmas in New York City. It's just magical. And it's something you have to experience. You absolutely have. You just, you have to go see the tree. You have to go see the Rockettes. there's just nothing like it you know ice skating I have I've gone ice skating twice now I'm too old I don't need to break a hip but that was like a while ago funny you're like I'm not doing that anymore yeah no no we're done it's crazy isn't it how we get to that point in our brain we're done no because I'm afraid I'm scared so funny but sad it wouldn't be funny if I yeah exactly that's my whole point but go ahead

17:46absolutely beautiful and love it love it love it all the shops and the decorations it's there's nothing like that Brian Park is my that's your favorite spot in the world it is my favorite that's my favorite place in New York City yeah want me to go? Yeah. Yeah. So I'll say autumn time. And you don't realize how many trees are in New York City until it's autumn time. I know. And all the dead leaves are flying around every way. Or, you know. And then you got to be careful slipping on the wet leaves. Exactly. You have to be so careful. You put the golds and yellows and reds and oranges on all the trees around the city are incredible.

18:38you know and I mean they're everywhere you look and I would definitely start in Central Park without a doubt I would start in Central Park and work my way down as well um I mean it's just breathtaking and then you know what I would hide out to um I would head down actually in Midtown there's some trees by Radio City Music Hall that you notice until it's the color of the season and I took these beautiful photos of Radio City Music Hall sign with all these gold and yellow leaves in the trees like right along 50th Street there between Fifth Avenue and 6th Avenue yeah they're just starting I mean go I would go to I would also go to Governor's Island Governor's Island has some really pretty leaves that change and you can get the back line are the you you can get the background of the midtown a Manhattan skyline, you know, throughout the trees.

19:38And it's just this entire city, even Little Island. I like to go to Pier 57 down on the west side of Manhattan on the Hudson River where Little Island and Pier 57 are, is. So if you go up to Pier 57, you overlook Little Island with the lower Manhattan skyline behind it. But Little Island is just completely gold and yellow and orange. And it is breathtaking. I should go there then because maybe I'll start to like it. Oh, yeah. It's so pretty. I mean, the city itself. I just don't think Little Island is there. You don't like Little Island? No. I don't know because I've taken some of the boat tour, you know, the cruises.

20:19Yeah. It just doesn't look right from the boat. You see everything else. Oh, from the boat. I see what you're saying. It just. The boat view, you don't feel like. Mushrooms or something. I don't know. It's just weird. It's not the prettiest sight. No, it's not. Like golf tees. And now that it's been there for a while, it's like dirty. It's dirty. If there's rust or something, I don't like it. Yeah, they're like whitish, you know, golf tees, so to speak. I get what you're saying. Yeah, I get what you're saying. I guess, you know, I mean, that's funny you say that. I mean, it's very unique. Yeah.

20:52From walking on the street, it's really cool. I get that. But I guess from the Hudson River, where Sully landed his plane. it's um yeah i get that it was it's just odd but from pier 57 it's beautiful i think so i also for fall um i just saw this today but prospect park is having a like fall themed festival uh with like pumpkin patch and like uh psychic readings and i knew you're gonna say that oh that's because they have like apples and yeah I love doing things like that what I love too is Central Park does this awesome Halloween festival too oh the Haunted House yeah Haunted House where? at Prospect Park oh I didn't know that I love I just walked through Prospect Park I did a tour recently too with my friends Jill and Lily I've done like five or six tours with them or more now too and then we went to Prospect Park and there was a point I was trying to say I can't remember.

21:54You were saying how you like Prospect Park. Yeah, I love it. I love walking through it. I think it's a park that's underrated that people don't go to. They come to New York City, they don't know about Prospect Park. Right, yeah. There was something else I was going to say you reminded me of. Haunted House? Oh, yeah. Thank you. So, you know, Central Park has the Halloween Festival, too, up by Harlem, the Harlem area, or by the Harlem Mirror, M-E-E-R, the Harlem Mirror. And I found out this year they're not doing the Pumpkin Flotilla, which I absolutely love. It's really cool. anyway breaking news everybody I also love to go look at all the brown stones that are decorated during the fall season oh that's right I can't believe I didn't say that on the upper west side and upper east side especially beautiful and our friend Hillary who has that beautiful home she decorates every year I'm going to see her tomorrow with all the pumpkins she's bringing out oh I will hopefully I'm going to see her tomorrow too yes um speaking of the next question is um from patty dunn uh which one nyc what is one nyc neighborhood that visitors often overlook and but absolutely shouldn't i we talked about that i try back uh yeah um it was my first time being there after the love story and taking my very first tour um i love it and i and like i said i don't hear many people i'm going to try back today yeah you know what i mean it's i never hear that as a destination of somewhere they really really want to go right i highly recommend i agree how about you jay i'm trying to think of the name of the neighborhood um what's the do you know what the one is like right below Brooklyn Heights

23:49you're probably not super familiar with it either down below Brooklyn Heights yeah like above Red Hook but below Brooklyn Heights there's like oh Carroll Gardens yes they have a great restaurant I like there too yeah so it's not like a very tourist like you wouldn't think it's a tourist attraction because it's not it's mostly families that live there but I feel like a lot of tourists think of New York as just kind of skyscrapers where I feel like Carroll Gardens is very much a neighborhood that you could find in the suburbs somewhere. And so I feel like tourists might enjoy the local food that they have.

24:27It's right on the Atlantic Ocean East River Estuary, so there's great river views. There's views of the Empire State, not the Empire State, well, you can see the Empire State Building, but also the Statue of Liberty is what I was thinking of. And so it's a nice neighborhood and i feel like people visiting new york get a lot of the city but they don't get a lot of the neighborhoods that like new york is known for yep i like that yeah you know what for me is i've spent recently the last few months some amount of time in this neighborhood and i didn't really know much about it and i fall in love with it greenpoint in brooklyn oh yeah greenpoint's great it is gorgeous yeah have you been there to greenpoint it is it is kind of behind barclays center in a sense, I think.

25:14No. What else is in the other neighborhood right there? You're thinking of... But it is Greenpoint. No, Greenpoint is up near Queens. I don't think so. Greenpoint's up near Queens. I know what you're thinking of. It's where the play with the Brooklyn Bridge. It's Greenpoint that was right next to it because I remember people telling me. point so it's gonna be a surprise everybody but it's fort green in brooklyn okay i mentioned fort green before you guys um it's beautiful i just for the first time this year kind of spent more time out there because you know i was collaborating with the brooklyn's bridge play right and it was and jen and i were doing that and jen and i explored the neighborhood before and after the play um and it was a stunning neighborhood i was in love with it with the brownstones i just loved the vibe in fort green everybody's sitting outside at restaurants and walking around the neighborhood it was really cool i loved it i recommend it to everybody go to fort green you guys just as on your vacation here and just stroll around that neighborhood it's gorgeous did you go to fort green park we did we walked through fort green park because Because before the, so Jen and I had to speak about the tour where we're taking people over the Brooklyn Bridge after they saw the play Brooklyn's Bridge.

26:46So we had to go up in front of the audience and speak, you know, mention the bridge. So Jen and I would walk around Fort Greene Park and practice our lines. I wish that would have been up longer. Oh, it's an amazing play. Oh, incredible. I think it's coming back, though. I'll keep you posted. Oh, really? Yeah, it's coming back. I really love it. It's an incredible play. So Maxima Gabby Mac asks, what are your top three to five places for unconventional tourists who want to see New York City? Three to five? We'll say three. We'll bust out three, each of us. I'll go first this time. Okay. So I say Coney Island.

27:25I think that's the best. I've never been there. Oh, it's so fun. Jay, you've been there, right? Yeah, I work over there now. Yeah, I would assume, yeah. I love Coney Island. another one is Roosevelt Island have you been to Roosevelt Island no I love it love it on the east river in between Manhattan and Queens yeah but you don't like the I don't like the tram I took it off my tours I don't like it the heights drive me crazy so I took it off yeah I do the tours I'm like they're like this is amazing I'm like I love it yeah so I don't do it anymore and then another neighborhood is Harlem okay I love Harlem I just did a live video the other day there I love going to the restaurants which is Red Rooster and Sylvia's, two of my favorite restaurants there.

28:08I love going to the Apollo Theater for amateur night. In love with Harlem. How about you? What's your next one? What's your three? Definitely Brian Park. I know. I agree. Love, love, love. Yeah. Also, the East Village. Oh, yeah. The East Village, definitely. Love walking around there. Me too. I mean a lot of people you hear are going to say like Soho but they're shopping I don't think I've ever shopped in Soho I can't afford that nor would I I do

28:49I do like Battery Park I love Battery Park in the summertime I think it's beautiful the gardens are beautiful there it's a really nice day to spend in the afternoon and it's beautiful there's so much construction right now that's the only thing did you know there's a wild pheasant that lives there and I forget it's name and there's a woman I've met who's really sweet oh I yeah who takes care of it that's kind of funny what's yours we talked about it a little bit but I'd say Prospect Park they always have something going on if you like want to do things if you're like an activity person like they have ice skating they have The boats you can take out.

29:31There's people fish there. And if you're not, it's a great place to relax. There's a lot of cool out-of-the-way locations where you can just hang out for the day. Or there's hiking trails. You can go hiking if you want. And they also have activities like the Fall Festival. So there's always something to do in Prospect Park. Or there's nothing to do if you don't want there to be. I'd say Red Hook actually some friends are going there to celebrate the birthday but it's a great kind of like it's a weird neighborhood because it feels like you're in the country because there's no train stop that goes out there that's true that's where I've never been everyone has a car not me everyone in Red Hook has a car but there's a great there's incredible views of the Statue of Liberty there's great food there's a lot of really small shops that are like super local and it's a really cool neighborhood to like walk through but you have to like walk a bit to get there which I think is why people don't really go there but if you do go there it's cool and I don't really have a third well I want to thank you Jake because you're the one who introduced me to Prospect Park I'd never been before you you know before you took me and you showed me like the real prospect bark and it's the same designers and architects as central park yeah so the similarities are amazing it's beautiful i love it there yeah yeah last one i'll say barclay center i work there too but it's a cool event hall i think madison square garden gets a lot of the new york city event hall press but i think barclay center is a cool modern uh event hall so if you want to see a concert or a game i highly recommend I completely agree.

31:23I have not. There's been shows that I wanted to go to that were there, but I haven't. I just go to Madison Square Garden last night. I saw Harry Styles. Awesome. Harry Styles. Tell them a story, too, that you told me about after the show. Oh, last night. And I walk everywhere. I am not one. And, you know, it is a good thing, and I probably should learn more on your tours to use the subway. Because I'm, like, strictly an E-train person, like, get me into the city. But I find that I walk. Because I'm going to miss a hundred things if I get on the subway. Not that I don't mind the subway. In bad weather, that's why I need to do it.

32:15Because if it is bad weather, I would prefer the train. but came out of Madison Square Garden, walked up 8th Avenue to get there by myself. And what time is this? Well, the show started at 8th. And it is getting to be that time of year and it was already, it was dark. Yeah. As I was walking there. Probably had to be like 10 or 11, no? Well, no, that was on my way to there. I walked all the way down 8th Avenue. So when I got out of the show, I'm like, I'm going to go back down 8th Avenue. Right. We'll just go the same way. So I'm walking and I'm walking and I'm not really paying. I'm just walking.

32:49It was a beautiful night. It was exciting. And you could hear Harry Styles music. It was playing everywhere in the little. Right. The little pedicabs. Pedicabs. Yeah. It's so fun. And then I looked up and I was at 22nd Street. Mm-hmm. And I was supposed to be at 47th. Oh. So I went the wrong way. Yeah. I've definitely done that before. Not even knowing. Yeah. I just turned around and I walked back. And I wasn't scared. I wasn't. And a lot of people, you know, there was a ton of people going that way because that was their direction. Unfortunately, it wasn't mine. Right. But by that point, pretty much the crowds had cleared out.