LOCAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Quick Notes

These suggestions are meant to help you plan after sessions on April 3–4. Please check hours and reservations as needed.

Near the Venue (Upper East Side / East Harlem)

Easy walks + culture (great between sessions)

  • Central Park Conservatory Garden (Fifth Ave near 105th St; calm, scenic).

  • Museum of the City of New York (1220 Fifth Ave at 103rd St).

  • El Museo del Barrio (1230 Fifth Ave at 104th St).

Food near the venue (examples)

  • Nearby spots frequently recommended around the Museum Mile / East Harlem area include:

    • Lexington Pizza Parlor

    • Earl’s Beer and Cheese

    • Pascalou

    • Paola’s

    • Sottocasa Pizzeria Harlem
      (Options vary widely—this area has many quick bites and sit-down choices along Lexington/2nd/3rd Ave corridors.)

Bookstores (Good “between sessions” stops)

  • Book Culture (112th St) — 536 W 112th St, Manhattan.

  • Barnes & Noble (Fifth Avenue store) — 555 Fifth Ave, Manhattan.

  • NYC also maintains a broad list of bookstores if you want to browse by neighborhood.

Family-Friendly Ideas

  • Central Park walks + photo spots near Museum Mile.

  • Museum of the City of New York (often a good daytime museum option near the venue).

  • Conservatory Garden (quiet, stroller-friendly paths).

Near the Hotel (Jersey City Newport)

  • Waterfront walks and views near Newport.

  • Newport Centre area for shopping/dining (walkable from the hotel).

Arun Mahizhnan

Advisor

He has spent most of his career in culture and communications fields as practitioner, policy analyst and educator. He works for the Institute of Policy Studies and taught at the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University. Beyond his professional career, he has been active in serving the Tamil community. Over four decades, he has collaborated with government agencies and community organisations to develop the community’s intellectual and cultural resources. His current project is to launch the first Encyclopedia of Singapore Tamils, an online resource in Tamil and English.