New York

moby125

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I just thought some of you might like too read this. My wife & I went too New York in April, for our honeymoon.

These are our thoughts on the attractions and places we visited.

Please don't hesitate too ask any questions, or post your own thoughts, especially if you have visited the same attractions.

Moby125 & Mrs Moby125.


Firstly, we flew to New York from Manchester, with Continental Airlines, perfectly ok.

Secondly we stayed at the Novotel, Times Square on West 52nd St & Broadway. (Hotel Novotel New York Times Square: travel, stay or vacation, holiday at NEW YORK)

A fantastic view of Times Square from the terrace provided the hotel with an excellent location. The foyer and bar of the hotel were very clean and concierge was helpful as well. The rooms in my opinion were large, clean and tidy, but were now due a new coat of paint, wallpaper and carpet, too freshen the look up. From our room, on the 28th floor, we looked down on to Broadway, with a bit of craning of the neck; you could see Times Square as well. By the lift there was an excellent view westward toward Union City, North Bergen, West New York & beyond with excellent sunsets!! The wife had visited before with the mother in law and did have a view from their standard room of Times Square!

So what was our itinerary for our 9 night stay?

Day 1 Monday - Was obviously the flight over & check-in to the hotel. That evening we ate at Ellen's Stardust Diner, (Ellen's Stardust Diner) just across the road from the hotel. Food was excellent, but the big attraction was that all the waitresses/waiters sang hit songs from the 50‘s, which led too a great atmosphere! We then walked down to Times Square too savour the atmosphere and constant din of NY.

Day 2 Tuesday - The next morning up early and off to breakfast at Lindy's World Famous Cheesecake diner, (http://www.lindysnyc.com/) again only a short walk from the hotel, a superb omelette for the wife and for me, pancakes with apples, delicious and of course copious amounts of coffee!!!

Then onto the subway and northwards, too the American Museum of Natural History. (American Museum of Natural History)
What can I say, this place is fantastic, not just for the 2 of us, but especially if you have children. Fantastic displays of dinosaurs look out for the huge turtle, dioramas of all different animals, and fantastic models of ancient communities. We also went to the Hayden Planetarium which is attached to the museum and watched the visually stunning Cosmic Collisions film.

Then a short walk across Central Park, past the Swedish Cottage and Belvedere Castle, you can really relax through here, people watch, especially all the dog walkers, only in NY!! (The Complete Guide to Central Park and Central Park Zoo)

Next stop The Metropolitan Museum of Art. ( The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: metmuseum.org)
Again this museum is absolutely breathtaking; you really need a whole day for this museum. Outstanding exhibits are Arms & Armour, Egyptian Art and the interior set-ups of French Chateaux's. If you want too visit any museums, and then these two are by far the best!!

Then walked down 5th Avenue pass Tiffany's to St Patrick's Cathedral, well worth a visit inside, as the architecture is outstanding, also just to get a little peace from all the hustle and bustle of NY! (Saint Patrick's Cathedral - The Catholic Church of New York City- Catholic Store)

Anyway back to the hotel for a short rest & too freshen up!

For tea this evening we ate at the Dallas BBQ. (Dallas BBQ - NYC's best!) Oh my lord, the portions are huge and certainly value for money. I had ribs and chips and no joke it was spilling over the plate! It was huge; needless to say I struggled to finish it off. Many other customers were the same; the amount asking for doggy bags was unreal.

Finished off with another walk around Times Square / Theatre District.

Day 3 Wednesday - Again up early and caught the subway southwards on the Red 2, 3 line down into Clark Street, Brooklyn. We ate breakfast at Clark's Restaurant, right on the corner of Clark St, Henry St as you come out of the subway station. Really nice little diner, food was excellent and the prices a lot cheaper than in Manhattan.
(Clark's Restaurant - NYC Restaurant & Menu Guide. Menus, Ratings, Reviews. New York City, NY)

Then a short stroll northwards on Henry St to the Brooklyn Bridge, as we walked across the bridge you have fantastic views of Manhattan island and Brooklyn. Look out for the brass plaques mounted on the walkway, telling you about the construction of the bridge.

From the Brooklyn Bridge we ventured into Little Italy and Chinatown. We had a guide book which featured half day tours through both districts; to be honest we had covered both in about 45 minutes.

Then late morning brought some shopping time, so off to B&H Photo. (B&H Photo Video | Digital Cameras, Camcorders)
Lunch at a diner along West 34 st; think it was called Andrews Coffee Shop.

Just a short walk then to Macy's, some bargains to be had, check out the old wooden escalators on the lower floors, if I remember correctly. (Macy's - Clothing, Shoes, Bed & Bath, Kitchen, Beauty Brands & Sunglasses)

From Macy's we then went Century 21, near to Ground Zero. Plenty of bargains again here, though you do have to rummage around, the women's dept is more like a rugby scrum!!! For every $50 spent you get a $10 voucher return to spend on something else. The wife got a Nine West Handbag for £5!
(Century 21 Department Store)

Across the road is Ground Zero, here they were showing off the new plans on what they are redeveloping. Not exactly a lot too look at the moment; it really is a big hole in the ground with construction workers. I do not mean to be disrespectful. Although on the corner of Liberty St / Greenwich St, there is a long brass memorial plaque to all the fire fighters who died on 9/11. An emotional place to visit. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsB9s8En_SQ)

Back to the hotel for a quick freshen up, then out again.

We decided to go for a horse and carriage ride in Central Park; you pick up a ride from Central Park South. All of the Carriages are licensed, be prepared to barter on the price and certainly keep on eye on the time of the journey. We paid $40 for a 30 minute journey, which seemed all over after about 20 minutes, so be careful of being ripped off. Although saying that the actual ride was relaxing as dusk descended and the carriage driver did point out points of interest and famous landmarks.

We then went to Applebee's on 50th & Broadway again food is excellent, good portions and the staff are helpful and friendly. (Welcome to Applebee's®)

Day 4 Thursday - Breakfast at Pax this morning, the diners were getting a little expensive!! Plenty of these around Manhattan, food good, service ok too. My favourite was porridge or yoghurt, with granola, brown sugar and strawberries for less than $4. (http://www.paxfood.com/home.action)

Then off to the Statue of Liberty, caught the subway southwards on the Red 1 line. Make sure you sit in the first six carriages as you won't be able to get off at South Ferry. When we got there it was really foggy, couldn't even see her.

So decided to walk along Wall St. We saw the NYSE, Trinity Church and the Merrill Lynch bull.

As it was still foggy around Battery Park, we decided to go on the subway to Grand Central Station, what a lovely building, saved by Jackie Onassis, no doubt. There are some interesting secrets about the building, so well worth checking out. (Secrets of Grand Central Terminal Train Station)

Outside on 5th Avenue is the New York Public Library, which you may walk past on the way down to the Empire State Building.

We had brought special tickets which entitled us to the Observatory Audio Tour.

The high point (no pun intended) of every visit to New York is the Observatory, of course, the spectacular 360-degree view of the Big Apple and the metropolitan area.

Luckily the skies had now cleared, leaving us with perfect views of all New York and its boroughs. I wouldn't bother going up to the 102nd floor, as the view is no better.

Narrating the tour is Tony, a fictional, but nonetheless authentic, native New Yorker born 50 years ago in Chelsea, an area of Manhattan not yet the hot, trendy neighbourhood it is today. The tour is written from Tony's point of view and is filled with his colourful, amusing and informative observations about his favourite city . . . and his favourite building. The audio tour is actually quite good, it points out a lot of landmarks and stories, and you would normally miss.

Later that evening we went to Lucille's Bar & Grill for tea at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill. Again food is excellent, in a nice relaxed atmosphere, along with a little blues to wash over you!! (B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, Lucille's Grill)

Day 5 Friday - Off to Pax for breakfast, then off to the Skechers store to buy some new trainers. One thing for sure, you'll need a real comfy pair of shoes for NY. You'll be doing a lot of walking, as there's so much to see!!!

On the agenda today was Soho and Tribeca. So from our hotel we headed for the subway down to Broadway & Lafayette St on the N, R, and W line.
On Broadway you get all the big department stores, Banana Republic, Zara as well as the more designer boutique stores. Look out for Dean & Deluca deli. A deli with brass knobs on. (Dean & DeLuca - New York)

Across Canal St, into Tribeca head for Greenwich St to find the Tribeca Grill which of course is co owned by Robert De Niro. (Myriad Restaurant Group : Tribeca Grill)

We really enjoyed walking around Soho and Tribeca; you really do get a feel for the real NY, away from all the tourist spots. We may even consider staying in Tribeca next time we go.

This evening went to Tkts, to see which shows were available, although none took our fancy.

So off toward 6th/7th Avenue to find somewhere to eat, settled on Maison, on the corner of 7th Avenue / 53rd St. Again food was good, although watch out for the service tax charged at 18%. (..::: Maison :::...)

Day 6 Saturday - Off to Pax again. Then we went to MOMA (Museum of Modern Art). (MoMA | The Museum of Modern Art)

Well the 2 best exhibitions are a helicopter and a desk fan swinging from ceiling!! There are works of art by Picasso, Van Gogh, Pollock, Kandinski, Mark Roth and Andy Warhol. The sculpture garden is good. The rest I found incredibly uninteresting and very dull. Unless you are an art buff, then I would certainly consider giving this museum a miss. (MoMA.org | The Collection | Arthur Young. Bell-47D1 Helicopter. 1945)

Next stop Teany. I bet you're all wondering what this? Well it's a tea shop owned by Moby and his wife!!! Located in the lower east side we took the subway to Delancey St on the F line, then a short walk to 90 Rivington St. I had a chicken salad and a Raspberry Lime Ricky to a drink. Nicola had soup of the day and a Red Cooler. Both were absolutely superb, the drinks the most refreshing I have tasted! (https://www.teany.com/)

That afternoon we went back to the Statue of Liberty. Both Nicola and I had been before separately, but it's always worth a visit again. You get great views of Lower Manhattan from the ferry. As the ferry circles around her, you also get great views of the Statue of Liberty
Disembark onto Liberty Island, really nice to stroll around the island and take numerous photographs of the statue and lower Manhattan.
Check out the gift shop for really brash gifts and some very good books on the history of the statue. Although one worth buying is a New York Digital Picture Postcard (250 photos of New York on a disk). (Statue of Liberty National Monument (U.S. National Park Service))

Never been to Ellis Island so cannot comment. Although people say it is very interesting.

Back to the hotel too freshen up. Then of to Applebee's for tea again, we haven't got the energy to look for any other restaurants. We then returned to the hotel.

Day 7 Sunday - Pax again for breakfast, so cheap! We then walked around the Rockefeller Centre. Nearly persuaded Nicola to ice skate with me. Although she wasn't tempted. We didn't go to the Top of the Rock, so again cannot comment. Across the road is Sak's and not to far away is Radio City Music Hall. (http://www.rockefellercenter.com/)

That afternoon back to B.B. King Blues Club & Grill. For the world famous, Harlem Gospel Choir.
Really well organised and the food is excellent. Basically a gospel brunch buffet, so eat as much as you want, pile that plate up high, then go back for seconds. Once everybody has eaten the gospel choir come on stage and sing their hearts out. The audience get going; people are standing up singing along and clapping away. A really great atmosphere, praise the lord!!! Hallelujah!! (B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, Gospel Brunch, Harlem Gospel Choir)


We then returned back to the hotel, to chill out. For tea we went to La Bonne Soupe. Not too far to walk as it's on West 55th Street. Really nice little restaurant tucked away, great atmosphere and the food is excellent as well. (La Bonne Soupe)

Day 8 Monday - The helicopter ride!!!! Really looking forward too this, first time in a helicopter. Anyway, Pax for breakfast. Then onto the subway to, 34th St & Penn station, on the red line. Then a walk westwards, towards the VIP Heliport located at 12th Avenue at West 30th St, on the Hudson River. Our journey was with Liberty Helicopters.

We had booked the Big Apple tour, which takes in sights of the Statue of Liberty, Empire State, Chrysler, Woolworth, Met Life buildings. You also get a good view of Jersey City and Ellis Island.

You take off over the water and as I was sat on the starboard side of the helicopter, initially I was taking photographs of New Jersey, much to the disgust of my wife. Anyway as you circle around the Statue of Liberty, I was now sat nearest to Manhattan, so I could get some really good photographs of Manhattan and the buildings mentioned earlier. My advice is keep snapping away, especially if you have a digital camera, you can always delete later!! (Liberty Helicopter Sightseeing Tours)


After the tour, we headed back to B&H Photo, Macy's and Andrew's Diner again, all on West 34th St.

That afternoon we went to the Guggenheim Museum (Guggenheim Museum - New York).

Only the one artist called, Cai Guo-Qiang on display. Apart from the car explosion display, there were many paintings incorporating gun powder and also what appeared to be stuffed animals.

(Cai Guo-Qiang: I Want to Believe)
(cai_exhibition) (cai_exhibition)

It would have been more interesting if there had been more than one artist displaying their work. Again it got a little boring.

The best feature about the Guggenheim is the actual building itself.

For tea tonight we went to Pain au Bonne, a little bit like Pax.

We then walked up 5th Avenue to the bottom of Central Park then along to Columbus Circle, where there is a new shopping plaza and hotel, then back to the hotel.

Day 9 Tuesday - Shopping!!! So back to the Soho, for some excellent shopping.

That evening we had a table book at Gordon Ramsay's Maze restaurant. Anyway we'd booked a table for 9pm, after 50 mins of waiting, enquiring to see how much longer we had to wait, even with free tables behind the maitre d‘, I told him they could compliment us for the drinks and promptly walked out of the restaurant. Our last night in NY spoilt!! (Maze The London NYC - New York)

Anyway we made the best of a bad situation and went to Rosie O'Gradys, on the corner of 52nd St / 7th Avenue. Once again food is excellent and the atmosphere lively. (Rosie O'Grady's)

Day 10 Wednesday - Time for some shopping, so to 5th Avenue and Tiffany & Co.
A little out of our price league to say the least, anyway head for the 5th floor, where items are more reasonable. (http://www.tiffany.com/Locations/Store.aspx?StoreId=682&CountryId=-1&RegionId=1&)

Look out for the M&M's store at Times Square, all sorts of colours available. Now got a hankering for peanut M&M's. (SHOP.MMS.COM > MERCHANDISE)

Also Hershey's for those all important chocolates to give to relatives. (HERSHEY'S Chocolate: Home)

Come dinner time it was time to make our way to Newark, for our return flight home.

So our Top 5 attractions of New York would be;

1 Statue of Liberty
2 Empire State Building
3 Central Park
4 American Museum of Natural History
5 The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Best to do would be;

1 Walk across Brooklyn Bridge
2 BB King
3 Horse Carriage Ride
4 Shopping in Soho
5 Teany

Helpful links;

New York City Pass. A booklet containing vouchers for the following attractions; Empire State Building Observatory and audio tour
Guggenheim Museum
American Museum of Natural History
Museum Of Modern Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
2 Hour trip on the Circle Line Harbour Cruise, Harbour Lights or the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island

Certainly worth purchasing as you manage to fast track a lot of the queues for the attractions and save money!! The link doesn't want to work, but if you goto Expedia, click on attractions, type in New York and scroll down, you will see the City Pass.

New York Subway Pass. We purchased a 7 day Unlimited Ride Metrocard from the New York Visitor Information Centre. (Ny Visitor Information Center - Google Maps)

Some pictures;

Empire State Building from the helicopter.

Statue of Liberty from the helicopter.

Teany.

Times Square.

French Chateaux interiors.

Brooklyn Bridge.

Wall St.

View from Empire State Building.

Belvedere Castle.


2 dioramas from the American Museum of Natural History.

Brownstone buildings.
 
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Top thread, seems to be a lot of useful info here, hope I can get to NY next year (money permitting), always wanted to go, sounds like you had a grand time!
Thanks for taking the time to write up in such detail!
:thumbsup:
 
WOW nice thread.

New York is great isn't it. Walking through Central Park with a coffee on a crisp morning, bagels Mmmm, general atmosphere of the city shame the pound is weak at the moment as I fancy another trip soon.
 
Great thread!

I'm off to NY next weekend (Thurs - Mon) for the first time, so I'd appreciate any advice to me in regard of the must sees with only three full days there.

We're lucky enough to be there for the Halloween parade, and we've also managed to get a table at Gordon Ramsays's restaurant for Saturday night. (Bit worried now after seeing your experience!)

The only things I really do want to visit are the Statue, the Empire, the Guggenheim, Ground Zero. We wanted to visit a really good restaurant in Chinatown as well.

A friend of mine who's been before recommended getting one of the yellow bus tickets valid for the whole weekend - you can just hop on and off apparently.

Any tips?

Shandy
 
Hi Shandypants,

For the attractions you want too see, I would certainly think about getting a Citypass. I've edited the post as the link was not working. But if you purchase it off Expedia, you basically print off a voucher, which you take with you, too New York. Then exchange the voucher for a booklet of passes. We exchanged ours at the American Museum of Natural History.

As for Chinatown, I can't really recall any nice looking restaurants. There is a good one recommended near Times Square; (Ruby Foo's, New York City - Restaurant Reviews - TripAdvisor)

As for the tour buses around NY, certainly a good idea too get orientated with the city. Yes, you certainly can hop on/hop off when you want too. There are loads of touts trying too get you on the buses, around Times Square. We never actually went on them, as we had both been to NY before and actually prefer to walk around. As you only there few a days, I certainly wouldn't discount it.
 
Top post mate. This is what you emailed me a little while back. Off to NY on 19th November so looking forward to it!

Not long too go now. Hope it was of help too you. Yes, pity about the exchange rate. You'll still have a good time though!!!
 
wow 10 days in NY i'm jealous

we went 4 years ago for our honeymoon but only had 5 days there and it was no where near enough. We stayed in the beekman tower which was great especially the cocktail bar at the top :D

the hard rock cafe is worth a visit for a meal at night, not expensive like i thought it would be, good food and plenty of it plus we had great entertaintment from the staff

just a bummer about the exchange rate now
 
I went for five days ad managed to see several drinking establishments amongst a few other drinking establishments :) Next time we go I'll be sure to look at more stuff, I've saved your post for ideas!
 
Never been or planned to go, but that thread has made me think again. Thanks
 
I went in january for my 40th and it's fantastic..... best place I've ever been........ done ESB on 102nd floor and it was freezing that time of year but well worth it.......done the heli ride with liberty helicopters and we also had a 4 day pass FOC to use the guided bus tours, which take you on two separate journeys..... the north(central park my 12 yr old lad had a go at ice skating in the park, cost approx $12 and approx $5 to hire skates, harlem, museums, John Lennon's apartment where Yoko still lives) and south tour(ground zero, tribeca, chinatown,little italy, financial district).... don't miss the church where all the rescue workers went when the towers came down, can't remember name but it's a very moving experience(nothing to see really at ground zero, as it's just a building site)......

you do need comfortable shoes, I hate walking, but this I really loved, we walked absolutely everywhere..... cabs are cheap, we only got one cab right at end of 5 day trip and that was to get back to hotel in time for our lift to airport, but they are cheap....... best to walk to see everything, walk passed Tiffany's(too scared to go in!!), the Apple store just by Tiffany's on 5th ave.... Maceys is awesome(for the women anyway) as is Century21 for shopping.......

walk around, take it all in and enjoy........HTH
 
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Great post by OP. :thumbsup:

For info, BA's last direct frlight from Manchester to NY was today. Now all via Heathrow.

Other carriers continuing though. :)
 
I enjoyed my trip in January.
I would advise anybody who goes to Ground Zero to visit the museum on the corner. As well as being insightful, it also allows you to sign up for a free walk and talk (an hour or so) which made it so much more real.
I dont usually bother signing up for talks etc, but I am so glad that I did. It turned it from looking at some construction work into a really fascinating experience.

Also get to Madison Square Garden and catch an Ice Hockey or basketball game if you can. I was surprised to find the Ice Hockey more exciting of the 2.
 
Couple more recommendations:-

Just off Times Square (and the original one in Brooklyn) is Juniors - for the best cheesecake you will EVER eat. Don't have lunch before though - you won't manage it... I know after having corned beef and pastrami on an onion roll - boy it tasted good.Junior's Most Fabulous Cheesecake and Desserts

Also the view from the Top of the Rock is arguably better than the Empire State - as you can see the Empire State (not being on it of course), and also Central Park.

Would also recommend, if going to the site of the WTC, stopping in the park opposite the City Hall for some lunch. The other side of the square opposite the City Hall (where the Gray Line tour buses stop) is a deli with a long counter to the left. The guy looked at us as we were trying to choose a sandwich for brunch - and after some time he asked whether we liked bacon, sausage, egg etc. After saying yes he said 'leave it to me' - and knocked up the most delicious (and largest) breakfast batch I have ever eaten. We took these and a couple of coffees and sat in the square next to the fountain watching the squirrals at play.

If going to the WTC, go the to little church - virtually undamaged by the tragedy. I defy you not to have a tear in your eye by the end...

Also, if stopping for some time and want to do some shopping - go to the outlet centre at Woodbury Common (tickets from Gray Line). Stupid prices to be had on Timberland boots, DKNY bags and jeans.

Oh to be back - if not just for Juniors...
 
Great thread, most useful. I intend to go with Missus at some point and appreciate your time in writing this up.
 
Resurrecting an old thread, but just returned from a long weekend to NY and wanted to add some footnotes to the OP's (excellent) original post:

I went with not very high expectations tbh, and if I'm honest I expected an agressive, unwelcoming city packed with tourists, litter and queues and not much else.

Couldn't be more wrong! What an amazing place this is! Literally within half an hour of arriving at the hotel and having a wander round, all 7 of us in our party were so completely into a relaxed vibe it was untrue!

Our hotel was off Wall Street in lower Manhattan, so we were away from the main touristy hotels up towards 5th and Central Park etc. The bonus we discovered within half an hour of arriving was that we could walk down to the South Port Sea Ferry area within ten minutes - and there's loads of bars down in that Pier 17 area, which leads around to Brooklyn Bridge.

On the first evening we took the night ferry trip out to the S of L and back with a really good commentary from one of the crew. It was bloody freezing at night but gloriously sunny during the day so we were lucky. The manhattan skyline at night really was something else - real picture library stuff.

We then walked to Chinatown (one of the things that really struck me was how short the distances are between areas) and had a cracking meal.

Next morning we found a really genuine diner called Pearl's and had a monstrous sized breakfast with loads of NYPD guys (presumably just coming off shift or just about to go on shift). The waffles and eggs benedict were awesome!

Then we spent most of the day doing the tourist stops such as Empire State, Rockerfeller, Guggenheim, Chrysler, WTC site etc etc, and finished off the day with an absolutely brilliant night in the BB King Blues Bar (thanks to OP for the recommendation) where we ate a garganutan sized meal in Lucille's and listened to some cracking blues (shame about the Death Metal club on the other side of the stairwell!).

The best was yet to come however, as when we got back to our hotel at 1am, we found a bar near our hotel called Ulysses, which was absolutely bangin' - great crowd, live DJ or band, good prices on any beer you care to name, and it stays open til 4 (so we did too!)

Next day we went to Central Park, did a bit of sight seeing and shopping on 5th avenue etc, and also went to Grand Central station - what a building that is!

That evening we had made a reservation at Maze (Ramsays restaurant) at the London Hotel. After the OP's unfortunate experience we were really apprehensive, but luckily for us there was no problem with our booking and we walked straight in and were seated immediately. This was, quite simply, the best (and most expensive) meal I've ever eaten - just magnificent!

Quick subway ride and a short walk and it was back to Ulysses until 4am again - ouch!

Last full day was spent walking over the Brooklyn Bridge (breathtaking views), riding the ferry to Liberty and Ellis islands to take better pics, and a really chilled out afternoon back over in Battery Park area. That evening we ate at a really nice New Zealand owned restaurant off Pier 17.

Another late one at Ulysses followed......the next half day until going to the airport was one spent by most of us nursing very sore heads and continuously yawning after only 10 hours or so of sleep in the last three days (we'd been out til 4 and back up for breakfast by 9 at the latest)!

Anyhow I could go on but it would bore you all - suffice to say that I came away just wanting to go back immediately. What really surprised me was how friendly all the New Yorkers were - several times as we all huddled round our map they stopped, said hi and asked if they could help. Whilst wandering around Chinatown on our very first night a guy waiting at traffic lights wound is window down and asked if we needed help, then directed us to his favourite restaurant!

If you haven't been and you get the opportunity to go - despite these diificult times in terms of the financial squeeze on us all and the **** poor exchange rate - then I urge you to do it.

I genuinely loved it and can't wait to go back next autumn - and all 7 of us were in agreement to get it organised.

Cheers

dr_m
 
The wife and I stayed in NY on 2 occaisions during a U.S. holiday. We loved it.

Echo a lot of the good vibes here.

My 2 pence, is get one of the bus tours - they are worth every penny.

Also, if you want a lbit of luxury in your hotels, NYC can be expensive. On our second stay we commuted to NYC from New Brunswick, NJ which takes about 1 hour each way. There is an excellent hotel called The Heldrich and New Brunswick itself is a lovely university town with great bars, places to eat, fun things to do - and is also close to Six Flags, NJ.

Enjoy!
 
Glad you enjoyed it....but try living there for 10 years and you'll learn to despise the ****ing place as much as I do.
 
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If anyone is visiting NY soon,then have a look at a website called......Ask a New yorker.

The site is run by NY people for the benefit of visitors to the city. They will advise you were to stay depending on your budget,and how to get about.

Very friendly and helpful. I stayed at the New Yorker situated on 5th Ave 34St. Got picked up by a hooker on my first night with my wife sat next to me in the New Yorker bar:eek: which means............

1. Im very handsome

2. I look very rich

3. She was desperate:)
 
Just back from the best 6 days of my life! What an amazing place NY is. I stayed in three hotels, one in Soho, one near Central Park and the last in Tribeca.

Central Park is amazing and looked beautiful on a sunny cold morning. Went up both the Empire State Building and The Rock. Preferred The Rockafeller Centre as it had amazing views of the Empire State Building and slightly warmer so we were able to take in the view a lot more. Took tons of pics aswell. Went to Ellis Island aswell which is a great place to visit and very informative of what people went through to get to the promised land.

There are some crazy parts of NY. Times Square and parts of 5th Avenue are manic. For me they are fine for spending just an hour or so in Times Square and a morning in the busy part of 5th Avenue but that part of NY is not for me.

I'm quite happy with the quieter parts. Particularly Tribeca and Soho which are beautiful areas. Away from the normal busy touristy part of NY that most people would visit, spent a day or two just walking around Soho, Tribeca and The East Village. Superb shops and just great areas with amazing places to eat and visit.

The subway is easy to use, but if you don't fancy buses or the subway just use taxis. They are dirt cheap when compared to the UK. If there are 4 in your party aswell, it often makes it cheaper than using the subway anyway.

Also at the north side of central park, near the posh bit of 5th Avenue and the 24hr Apple store, we managed to catch an amazing sight. The NYPD do this exercise every so often, an Anti-Terrorism drill, a policeman we asked called it, basically the NYPD close off a few streets and swamp an area with pretty much ever police car they have. I'll post a few pics up if anyone is interested, but it's a real sight to see hundreds of police cars standing around then all roaring off.

Couple of things, when you need a taxi from the airport, ONLY take a yellow cab. The other guys that hang around in the arrivals area will only try and rip you off. Unfortunately this almost happened to us, but there were 4 of us and only 1 of him, so he didn't quite get what he wanted. But ONLY take yellow cabs in NY. All the guide books clearly say this but for some reason we had a brain bypass, probably the crappy flight.

Secondly if you visit Ellis Island or Statue of Liberty, there are people dressed as the Statue of Liberty who beckon you over and dress you up for a picture. This is fine but beware they want $5 for doing so.

If you want a cheap flight, take Delta, but don't expect comfort, entertainment (no screens in seats) or decent food. If I went again I would probably go for BA or Virgin. Worth paying that little extra.

Anyone after further info on some great places to go or the hotels I stayed in PM me and I will get back to you.
 
My wife and I have booked a flight to New York at the end of Feb 2009 and we're looking at staying in a holiday/rental apartment.

With the exchange rate not being too healthy at the moment we're hoping to spend around £750 for the week (but may go higher). Just wondered if anyone had any experience or pointers for booking this type of accommodation and where the best places to stay around NY are? Has anyone stayed in Brooklyn?

Thanks in advance... :lease:
 
I've looked at apartments and they do seem cheaper, but that is with a few staying. A couple may find them more expensive.

Just do a search for New York holiday apartments and you should find some good websites to look over.

£750 for a week should get you an average hotel. I've looked on hotels.com (great site for booking hotels!) and there are loads of decent enough hotels for about £100 a night. Just remember none of these will include breakfast or dinner, but it's more fun going out for these anyway.

Try a hotel call 'On The Ave'. It has a fantastic location and the basic queen room can be had for £107 per night. If you do go through hotels.com, make sure you go via quidco for about 8 to 10% cashback depending on their current rate.

Hotels.com

Get a guide book such as Time Out. You will find these most useful and it gives great insight into the whole tipping procedure in the US.
 
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