Daily needs in NYC and Washington

Food and beverages
Colleting tipps from friends and colleagues before our trip, we were provided with very good addresses allready and found some more on our way.

• Burger: Try TGI Fridays, even if it's a chain, these are real restaurants with one of the most delicious burgers
• Chinatown: Doesn't depend on the city, if you crave for Asian food and atmosphere you should hang out there
• Cheesecake: It's a little tricky to find (as Lonely Planet wrote down the wrong address), but Junior's will not disappoint you. This is the most delicious, most creamy Cheescake - try the classic one or chocolate cream cheescake, but beware that you don't need anything else to eat for the rest of the day :) (and never order a chocolate milk shake as a side dish - cream-overload!). There is one just next to the Marriot Hotel at Times Square.
  
• French Breakfast: Balthazar serves you a fine breakfast, even if it's not that low priced it's a good thing to start a day with a delicious breakfast. In Wahington you could try Le Pain Quotidien on Pennsylvania Avenue at Eastern Market Station.
  
• Sushi: Our lessor in Williamsburg recommended us Ako Sushi at 205 Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg. This is the best Sushi I ate so far outside of Japan.
  
• Pizza: If you're on Pennsylvania Blvd heading away from the Capitol in Washington, try the fresh slices and the best variety of housemade lemonade at We are Pizza.
• Slow Food/Market/Coffee: It's not a street market, but if you want to watch the bakers baking your bread, get a meditationally made crepe, buy original italien ingredients and even just for the look you should go to chelsea market
• Mexican: You can try one of the Chipotle branches, as a fast food store it's ok, quick and cheap
  
• Icecream: Find the small vendor in Little Italy :)
• Softdrink: Don't miss Bubble Tea at Chinatown. I have to admit, it's even better than Zagu's becaus it's freshly made out of real fruits - I think we had it at Vivi's
  
• Supermarket: You can find almost everything in Wholefoods. This organic supermarket chain serves even fresh made sushi, soup and other meals. And I found a Schneider Weisse in the alcoholic section. Other supermarkets could learn from their cashier system, there are six lines for around 15 cashiers and a computer anounces the next cashier per line (starting from the first line to the last).

Aus New York 2011

Aus New York 2011

Aus New York 2011

Shopping

• Department Stores: Don't miss Macy's and JC Penney (Bloomingdales turned out to be to expensive - again)
• Shoes: Payless is unbeatable, but be careful to not get addicted and fly home with their whole collection :D
  
• Century 21 is the mecca for outlet-designer-shoppers on Manhattan. It's really worth a try, but in my opinion you could skip the clothes department (stick to bags, shoes and maybe accesories)
  
• You can also try Nordstrom on Union Square, but you have to be lucy for what you're looking for
• Our insider's tip: Queens Center has everything you need, is less expensive and less crowded than the shops in Manhattan. Actually these are to malls connected with a closed overpass and with a Target Departmentstore just one corner away. The Daffy really has clothes you want to wear, JC Penney is huge and . In addition the food court covers your need for lunch without going out (you could go there with the E, M, R Line / Wodhaven Blvd. Station or Grand Station
  

Housing
As for our housing, we tried airbnb.com this time and weren't disappointed at all. The apartments were as described, getting the key from a friend of the lessors were no problem and having a complete apartment with kitchen and washing machine was quite handy.

In New York, we lived in Williamsburg along the L-Line. Pefect there is no apartment left in Manhattan or if you want to save some money. It's only 15 Minutes to Union Square station. And if you want to spend a nice evening in a pub or restaurant outside of the busy center you could go to Bedford Street.

In Washington we had right on the Capitol hill just five streets behind the Capitol. The area was so save and sound and the apartment totally neat.


Last but not least
You should think, to take a leak is no big deal in such a developed country as the US. But as we're not the only ones disappointed by lots of the public facilities, let me list some nicer possibilities ;-)
If you're in NYC you can sneak in to the Hard Rock Cafe (it's hard to select who was buying something), St. Peter's Chapel was a nice surprise downtown and Chelsea Market has some nice ones as well, but use the ones in the rear of the alley, these are the modern ones.
In Washington it's not that bad as in NYC, just try the toilets in the museums or the capitol and don't use the ones nearest to the entrance.