The Tribeca ("Triangle Below Canal" street) neighborhood is pretty amazing. I took my own walking tour, guided by About.com. in January. They put together a list of sites to see on their Web site, so I printed it out and did it myself. It was a freezing cold day and I forgot my hat (and had just taken a shower), so my hair had turned to icicles a few minutes after getting out of the Brooklyn Bridge station.
The first place I checked out was Hudson River Park, located right along the Hudson river. I wasn't expecting something so nice as most parks around here (with a few exceptions) usually do not merit the word "park."
Around 5 p.m. I stopped by the Tribeca Grille, Robert De Niro's restaurant. It was pretty empty, but it's a huge place with chandeliers and a massive bar. A black escalade was out front with a driver, so I have a feeling De Niro was checking up on everything. He is one of my favorite actor's, but I know enough not to bother these people on their private NY stomping grounds.
Another surprising treat were the 19th century brick and wood homes on Harrison street. There are just nine of them left, and perhaps the most prized residential real estate in the city. I saw P.S. 234, a swanky elementary school, where kid's look far more stylish than in my hometown in Maine. But I don't think I would have liked to go to school there.
It was getting freezing, so I hopped back on the subway.