Table of Contents: October 2010

Readers' Choice Best food city and best shopping city There's an irony to New York that few visitors realize. For as big a city as it is, the comment you consistently hear is that it's really just a small town. That's because those of us who live here have tracked down a handful of intimate restaurants and affordable shops where we feel right at home. For travelers, however, the thousands of options can be dizzying. So we decided to translate our city of 8.5 million into a small town for all, whittling the countless restaurants and shops down to a far more manageable 17. Then we plotted them on a map to make sure, as in any small town, that no matter where you are—uptown, downtown, or somewhere in between—you're never more than a few blocks from a place you'll feel comfortable. 1. Century 21 At this epic Financial District discount department store, you're almost guaranteed to find a jump-up-and-down deal. Prices on pieces from designers like Marc Jacobs, Narciso Rodriguez, and even Prada can be slashed up to 70 percent. It should come as no surprise, then, that you're also guaranteed a lot of company. Attack plan: Go early (the store opens at 7:45 a.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. on Saturdays, and 11 a.m. on Sundays), scan the accessories on the first floor, and then hightail it to the designer collections upstairs, the well-stocked men's department near the west entrance, or the shoe store next door. 22 Cortlandt St., c21stores.com. 2. 88 Palace New York City can transport you to a foreign country in the time it takes to cross an intersection—or, in the case of 88 Palace, ride an escalator. With an entrance on the top floor of a Chinese shopping mall, the restaurant is a sea of local families and carts teetering under the weight of classic Hong Kong–style dim sum: tender pork spare ribs, pan-fried dumplings, and steamed beef meatballs. At about $1.50 apiece, the dim sum is as good a deal as any in Chinatown. 88 E. Broadway, 212/941-8886. 3. Peasant Wine Bar You probably wouldn't notice this place if you passed it. Underneath the high-toned Italian restaurant Peasant, this subterranean wine bar is one of downtown's best-kept secrets. With a discounted menu cribbed from its parent, it's the perfect spot to spend an evening over wood-fired pizzas, a heaping meat plate, and a simple green salad. Add to that a carafe of red wine, along with complimentary olives and bread, and you might wonder why anyone springs for the pricier entrées upstairs. 194 Elizabeth St., peasantnyc.com, pizzas $14. 4. Ina While it can be tough to dig up deals in the swish boutiques and well-stocked vintage shops of Nolita—SoHo's quieter, less flashy neighbor—the side-by-side Ina outlets (one men's, one women's) are a pretty good bet for deep discounts. In these high-end consignment shops, it's totally conceivable to find Manolo Blahniks worn for a night at 60 percent off or a Christian Dior dress for less than you'd spend on a pair of Nine West boots. 19 & 21 Prince St., inanyc.com. 5. Freemans Once the exclusive domain of the über hip, this Lower East Side restaurant, set in an unassuming alley flanked by old tenement buildings, has mellowed with age. Now the 19th-century-America-themed spot (note the emphasis on taxidermy) is simply a place for great food and drink. Best of all is the brunch, where nothing—not the poached eggs with cheddar-cheese grits and buttered toast, nor the waffle with crème fraîche and bananas—tops $14. Freeman Alley, freemansrestaurant.com, brunch from $10. 6. The Mermaid Oyster Bar If there's one secret Greenwich Villagers guard jealously, it's the daily blue plate special at Danny Abrams's oyster bar. On a good night, the rotating $20 special—offered until 7 p.m.—will be the shrimp and avocado sandwich with chipotle mayo, or the whole roasted Idaho trout. Along with your dish, you get a glass of sauvignon blanc or a Blue Point beer. If the special doesn't appeal, you can always hit the bar for a dozen fresh oysters (from $26). 79 MacDougal St., themermaidnyc.com. 7. De Robertis Caffe In the 106 years since De Robertis opened, the East Village has evolved from a neighborhood of Polish butchers into one of New York's nightlife capitals. Yet from the café's black-and-white mosaic-tiled floor to the freshly baked Italian desserts, you wouldn't think anything had changed. Order a cappuccino; a crisp, cream-filled cannoli or sfogliatella (a pastry stuffed with barely sweet ricotta); and a couple of pine-nut-crusted cookies. Presto: You have the makings of an unhurried afternoon in old New York. 176 1st Ave., derobertiscaffe.com, pine-nut-crusted cookies from $17 per pound. 8. Biergarten For all the fabulosity swirling around the Meatpacking District, the Biergarten at the Standard Hotel is a welcome reality check. At this low-key spot, visitors can take a seat at one of the communal picnic tables, order a dinner-plate-size pretzel, and relax with a stein of German pilsner. 848 Washington St., standardhotels.com, pretzel $8. 9. Nordstrom Rack This recession-friendly discount department store arrived in Manhattan last spring, and it's been rightfully mobbed ever since. Located in Union Square, on the threshold of Greenwich Village, the store has a shoe collection that's already a local legend; its floor of last-season goods and overstock items from labels like Marc by Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, and Dolce & Gabbana manages to be chock-full but well-organized at the same time. 60 E. 14th St., nordstrom.com, Frye boots $200, marked down from $318. 10. Fishs Eddy A utilitarian housewares store isn't usually a must-see, but Fishs Eddy gives you hundreds of reasons to add the deal-heavy emporium to your itinerary. Every inch is piled with unique and affordable dishware: vintage-style cereal bowls edged with a flower print ($8); Blue Plate Special dishes modeled after the Manhattan diner variety (from $11); and teacups, marbles, mugs, and salt and pepper shakers in all colors and patterns. What's more, whatever won't fit in your suitcase, the store will ship at reduced rates. 889 Broadway, fishseddy.com, marbles from 10¢ apiece. 11. Defonte's of Brooklyn When this classic Italian sandwich shop opened a Manhattan location in 2009, it caused quite a stir. Like the 88-year-old original in Red Hook, Brooklyn, the new East Side branch serves gargantuan heros worth questing after. Our picks: the peppers and eggs (just like it sounds; order it with red sauce), the hot roast beef (with fried eggplant and mozzarella), or the Sinatra special (fried steak smothered with tomato sauce and mozzarella). 261 3rd Ave., defontesofbrooklyn.com, sandwiches from $8.50. 12. SSS Sample Sales At any given moment in New York City, a high-fashion, low-price sample sale has designer clothes marked down as much as 80 percent. It's finding that sale that's the hard part. The Garment District's SSS Sample Sales solves the problem by creating a permanent home for truckloads of clothes, shoes, and bags, all from this season and last. Labels like Kate Spade, Tory Burch, and Theory are in regular rotation. 261 W. 36th St., clothingline.com. 13. J.G. Melon The city has no shortage of hyper-creative meals, but sometimes you just want a good old-fashioned burger. This dark, pubby Upper East Side institution is filled with post-collegiates, polo-sporting locals, and downtown faithfuls on a pilgrimage, all hunkered over the main attraction: eight juicy ounces of a secret ground-sirloin blend on a soft white bun with American cheese, red onion, and pickles—all for the old-fashioned price of $9.25. 1291 3rd Ave., 212/744-0585. 14. Muji Times Square For 30 years, Muji has cultivated a devoted following in Japan, and now New Yorkers have access to the goods. All four U.S. stores are in the city, and the best of them all is just off Times Square. You'll find high-quality nylon Dopp kits, foldable speakers designed for travel, and souvenirs that even non-tourists can appreciate, such as pint-size sculptures of the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building that double as rubber stamps. 620 8th Ave., muji.us, Statue of Liberty from $5.75. 15. Bouchon Bakery Among the Time Warner Center's glossy boutiques and jacket-required restaurants, the casual Bouchon Bakery is a nice change of pace. From a seat in the café overlooking Central Park, visitors can order star chef Thomas Keller's ham and cheese sandwich, plus a glass of sparkling wine, for a price that rivals most neighborhood diners. If time's tight, consider taking a couple of house-made Oreos (chocolate sablé cookies stuffed with white-chocolate ganache) to go. 10 Columbus Cir., bouchonbakery.com, sandwiches from $11. 16. Fatty Crab Chef Zak Pelaccio gets a fair share of attention for his inventive, pork-happy Malaysian-inspired food—so much so that waits at his Meatpacking District and Williamsburg, Brooklyn, outposts can seem endless. That's not the case at the Upper West Side branch, where a weekday $19 prix fixe lunch rotates in some wildly creative Southeast-Asian small plates. Think pork-belly tea sandwiches, green mango salad, and scallop satays with peanut sauce and more. 2170 Broadway, fattycrab.com, prix fixe noon–4 p.m., small plates from $7. 17. Salumeria Rosi New York has some of the best Italian food in the country. Case in point: Cesare Casella's cool, cave-like wine bar and meat shop, where hocks of cured ham hang above the butcher counter and seating is at simple marble tables. The menu is made entirely of shareable small plates—stellar cured meat, the freshest mozzarella outside Italy, and, on occasion, duck meatballs stuffed with nuggets of perfectly salty pecorino. 283 Amsterdam Ave., salumeriarosi.com, plates from $3. MORE ON NEW YORK CITY Check out New York's hopping beer scene. See 20 unexpected, authentic photos of New York City. Video: How to get Broadway tickets for less.

Rent with somebody you trust. Most likely, that means renting via a worldwide service like HomeAway, or with city-specific specialists such as Rentals in Paris or Haven in Paris. With these sites, you can read feedback on rentals from other travelers, and you can rest assured that any would-be scammers will quickly be sniffed out and booted. If you're unsure of a company, look to see if consumers have filed complaints about it at the Better Business Bureau. As for finding a rental via Craigslist, proceed with extreme caution—we've all heard stories of people being ripped off on Craigslist. Always pay with a credit card. Sending a check—or worse, sending money via Western Union—is unwise. Use plastic instead, because your card company provides several layers of protection, namely a safeguard to reimburse you for services not rendered. Ask specifically about the owner's right to rent. If you're at all concerned that the owner may be violating local housing regulations, ask directly what's up—and whether the owner can prove there's no lawbreaking going on. Owners who list properties with a major service like vrbo.com are required to abide by local laws and will be kicked off the sites if they're found in violation. Get everything in writing. You need a contract, and you need to read it carefully—especially when it comes to components regarding cancellation rules, the terms and schedule for the return of your deposit, and any fees above and beyond the rental rate (e.g., cleaning fees, taxes, etc.). Monitor the news. And pay particular attention if you're renting a place in New York City after May 1, 2011, when new rules go into effect—and when no one is completely sure how, when, why, and what rentals will be affected. Be a considerate guest. Housing authorities hear about short-term rentals from the complaints of neighbors. So if and when regulations are enforced, it stands to reason that authorities will target apartment buildings and pseudo hotels where there's a frequent turnover of loud, unruly transient guests.

For years, we've been advising our readers to rent short-term apartments whenever they plan to spend more than a few days in expensive cities like Paris and New York. Short-term apartment rentals can help travelers save money on both lodging and meals, while providing a more authentic experience. (Learn everything there is to know about vacation rentals.) Regardless of recent headlines concerning new rules—or supposed new efforts to enforce old rules—for short-term rentals, we still endorse the option as a smart, fun, and safe way to stay. While there may be new implications for owners seeking to rent out their properties in these cities, renters themselves face no possibility of fines or problems of any kind with the local authorities. "There's nothing illegal that the traveler is doing when staying in a vacation rental," says Carl Shepherd, chief development officer of direct-from-owner rental specialist HomeAway. "None of these cities have any penalties for renters." The announcements of lawmakers and housing officials seem to imply otherwise, hinting that because some home owners may technically be violating unenforced local ordinances by renting out their properties, renters are somehow guilty by association. The truth is that based on years of precedent—and the fact that restrictions are vaguely worded and that the municipalities involved are uninterested or incapable of enforcing them—the risks encountered by renters are extremely minimal. So fear not. Arm yourself with our 6 Tips for Safer, Smarter Rentals, and read on for specific advice about Paris, San Francisco, and New York. PARIS Here's the deal: Late last year, city officials started to enforce a 2005 law that restricts owners from renting at their properties for periods of less than one year. Citing a lack of affordable housing in the central city—always a popular topic among voters, and, yes, this began in a run-up to elections—Mayor Bertrand Delanoë ordered a local housing agency to warn some of the estimated 38,000 offenders that they were violating the law by renting flats for shorter spans. How many warning letters did the housing authority send out? As of midsummer 2010, about 25. "For the moment," says one property owner who prefers to remain anonymous, "any enforcement of this law is minimal to the point of being invisible." If enforcement efforts are ever ramped up substantially, short-term rentals could be harder to come by in Paris. Even though no owners have been hit with the maximum €25,000 ($32,304) fine for violating housing regulations, the possibility of such a fine will probably be enough to turn some short-term listings into long-term rentals. Bottom line: In Paris, there has been no noticeable drop-off in owners posting short-term apartment rentals. At last check, homeaway.com listed an all-time high of 1,605 properties in Paris. SAN FRANCISCO Here's the deal: San Fran's obscure, long-ignored law prohibiting rentals of less than 30 days is nearly 30 years old, but few people thought about it until news arose about crackdowns on tourist rentals in other cities. Rather than inquire as to the legality of such rentals, the city has traditionally preferred to subject owners to the local 14 percent hotel tax, bringing in millions annually that would not have been raised had the properties been occupied year-round by owners or long-term renters. For the sake of the city budget, there's an obvious incentive to keep ignoring the ordinance. NEW YORK CITY Here's the deal: Of the trio of cities, New York is the only one to actually pass new rental legislation. As in Paris and San Francisco, the primary target is not the small-time owner who rents out a place from time to time. Instead, the focus is on "illegal hotel" operations: large-scale attempts to convert residential apartments intended for permanent occupants into travel accommodations. So how will the law be enforced, and exactly what rental scenarios will be deemed illegal when the rules become effective as of May 1, 2011? No one's entirely sure. State Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, the cosponsor of the bill, was quoted as saying, "Somebody who is going away on vacation and once in a blue moon rents the apartment is probably not going to be affected by this." Probably. That's right: Even the bill's cosponsor can't say exactly how the law will play out. Nominally, the purpose behind the legislation is to provide more affordable housing for city residents and to protect travelers from sketchy quasi hotels. But the law might not have become a reality had it not been for the lobbying of hotel and motel associations—which obviously compete with vacation rentals, and which would obviously benefit if travelers turned away from short-term rentals en masse. Among all the confusion and uncertainty, one thing is clear: Travelers want their vacation rentals. In the second quarter of this year, HomeAway recorded a 104 percent increase in inquiries for New York City apartments compared with the same period in 2009.

Growing up in one of the world's most beautiful cities is a strange thing. You can't help but become a bit blase when a sight like the Golden Gate Bridge is best known as just another place you get stuck in traffic. I guess that explains why, when Budget Travel readers voted San Francisco, my hometown, the most beautiful city in the world, I went through a range of emotions: surprise (it beat Paris!), curiosity (how could it beat Paris?), and, finally, begrudging acceptance (it beat Paris—I guess I get it). Yet as I sat back and thought about our poll—and the fact that readers voted overwhelmingly domestic in most categories—it occurred to me that it's human nature to overlook what's closest to us. And sometimes it takes other folks to snap some sense into you. When I was a kid, I didn't walk the curvy part of Lombard each morning, climb the street so steep it has stairs, or catch a cable car to get to orchestra practice. In fact, I really only thought about San Francisco's most beautiful spots when I had occasion to play guide, during those weekends when cousins or friends came to town and I'd happily embark on my tour of the city's greatest hits. We'd start at Twin Peaks, where we'd get a panoramic perspective I considered equal to, if not better than, what you'd take in at Coit Tower. We'd careen down the steepest street in the city, 22nd between Church and Vicksburg, which, according to the Willdorf family, was just as steep as the legendary 1100 block of Filbert (and also much more convenient to our house). We'd then set off for a cup of coffee in the Mission. Swinging past the Embarcadero, through the Civic Center, via Market Street, we'd dutifully check out the cable car turnaround at Powell. And by sunset, I'd make sure we'd found our way to Ocean Beach to watch the surfers ride the waves. For all the friends and family I took on this tour, I never had a disappointed customer. More to the point, I loved giving it. There was something gratifying about seeing my town with fresh eyes, tapping back into my own sense of wonder. And I liked to think that, as a local, I was able to share something more nuanced than a garden-variety guidebook hit list (Ghirardelli Square, Fisherman's Wharf, etc.). What's most special about San Francisco is often what you don't find published anywhere else—the surprises over the next hill, and the ones known only to the folks who live there. We thought it would be nice to craft a tour of just those spots, from the perspective of the people who know San Francisco's beauty best: seven local photographers. For them, seeing the city in unique ways is a profession, and this collection of their favorite places helps capture San Francisco's many sides. It's the farthest thing from your standard-issue tour, and that's precisely why I'll be incorporating it into mine—the next chance I get. HOW I SEE IT Seven local photographers share their visions of the world's most beautiful city Carmen Winant "In San Francisco, you come across spots that are so beautiful and unlikely you're surprised that they exist. I snapped this shot at Louis', a 73-year-old diner on the cliffs in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The building is so close to the edge that you're afraid it could tumble into the water. People come more for the scenery than for the food, so it makes sense to stick to something simple, like a burger. You expect a place with a view this stunning to be cutesy and overrun. But Louis' has somehow remained perfectly preserved." Louis' Restaurant, 902 Point Lobos Ave., 415/387-6330, burger $8. [SEE THE PHOTO] Jen Siska "I've always thought of San Francisco as a free-spirited place where people come to find themselves. The women here were in a band called Rad Cloud. I was shooting pictures for their MySpace page. During a break, we scrambled to the top of Bernal Hill. I like the spontaneity in their interaction, but I'm also drawn to the setting and the light as it plays off the hills." The trailhead to Bernal Hill is located at Ripley and Folsom Sts. It's about a 15-minute hike to the top. [SEE THE PHOTO] Ericka McConnell "The Golden Gate Bridge has to be one of the most photographed landmarks in the world, but the design is so stunning it never looks cliche. I shot this from Cavallo Point, a hotel on a former military base in Marin County. The vastness of the sky and the absence of urban congestion show the kind of open spaces that surround the city. And then you've got the bridge. It's not the centerpiece of the picture, but it pokes its head up as it does from so many points around San Francisco. One glimpse of it, and you have no doubt as to where you are." Cavallo Point, 601 Murray Cir., Sausalito, cavallopoint.com, doubles from $265, hiking-trail access free. [SEE THE PHOTO] Ron Koeberer "Despite being a tourist destination, Chinatown has managed to maintain its traditional character in the face of change. Most of us imagine it as bustling, crowded, and crazy. So I wanted to catch it at a different moment, early in the morning, when the light is soft and the streets are empty—a kind of island of sanity amid the madness. I took this shot at 6:30 a.m., on Grant Avenue near Bush Street. To me, the image captures Chinatown at its most magical, with those mystical red lanterns repeating themselves into the distance until they begin to fade away." A gate marks the main entrance to Chinatown at Grant Ave. and Bush St., a short walk from the cable car turnaround at Powell and Market Sts. [SEE THE PHOTO] Brown Cannon III "This shot was taken at breakfast at the Grove Fillmore in Lower Pacific Heights. From the outside, there was nothing particularly notable about the restaurant. But when I opened the door, a surprising scene emerged. The woman clutching her dog gives you a sense of San Francisco's quirkiness. And the light and movement in the background are an indication of the kind of energy you might discover behind any door." The Grove Fillmore, 2016 Fillmore St., 415/474-1419, macaroni and cheese, made with fontina, cheddar, Monterey Jack, and blue cheese, $10. [SEE THE PHOTO] "It may sound strange to say this, but when you're surrounded by the action of downtown San Francisco, it's easy to forget that there's an ocean only a few miles away. What I like about this shot is that it describes just one of the many ways San Franciscans enjoy the beach. On any given day, you'll see bikers, walkers, surfers, hang gliders. And people will often just stop, like this couple, to appreciate the sunset in stillness and quiet." Ocean Beach stretches for more than a mile along San Francisco's western edge. For more information, visit 511.org or nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/ocean-beach-accessibility.htm. [SEE THE PHOTO] Aya Brackett "People often describe San Francisco as a European city. It's old-world without being stodgy. This shot was taken in North Beach, a historically Italian neighborhood, outside Caffe Trieste, which is a landmark in itself. It's where Francis Ford Coppola wrote the screenplay for The Godfather, and where beatniks like Jack Kerouac and Lawrence Ferlinghetti hung out. What draws me to the image is the way it reflects the city's traditions. The sky is blue, and the guy in the photo is taking a break, enjoying the good life, pausing to appreciate time passing by." Caffe Trieste, 601 Vallejo St., 415/392-6739, caffetrieste.com. In North Beach, street parking is tricky and garages are expensive. An affordable alternative is North Beach Parking Garage, 735 Vallejo St., $3 an hour. [SEE THE PHOTO] Hal Bergman "There's a drama to the geography of San Francisco that you don't find in other cities, and this really graceful way in which the buildings match the contours of the land. From every hill, you see things in a different light. I took this picture at sunset from the fire escape of a Chinatown hotel, looking toward Coit Tower. I like the scope of the shot and what it takes in, with the light playing off the Marin Headlands in the background, and the brightly colored buildings that are so much a part of the city's character." Coit Tower, 415/362-0808, open daily 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m., adults $5, kids 5–11 $1.50. [SEE THE PHOTO] Interviews by Josh Sens More from BudgetTravel.com Think you know San Francisco? Take our trivia quiz! Check out San Francisco's best street food. Wine country confidential: Napa's top secrets.