The NEW YORK Megathread (questions & answers..not chat)

ncmc

Ganymede Glow wrote: »

This is a great thread for information on NY, thanks to everyone who contributed. I am a complete NY amatuer and I am looking for some advice. Myself & the girlfriend are flying out to NY next week (26th)for the first time mostly for xmas shopping but we would like to see some sights also. We are flying with Delta and we are spending 4 nights in the Hudson Hotel on 58th street. Has anyone had any experience in this hotel? Read mixed reviews so far. And also advice on transport from JFK to Manhatten, we dont mind taking a taxi really

Also for anyone who has flown with Delta recently it says on their website that your first checked bag is free but a second bag is charged at $55, is that correct?

We are looking to go Woodbury Common
Empire State Building
Top Of The Rock
Macy's / Bloomingdales
Times Square
Ground Zero
Statue Of Liberty

Would that be a reasonable itinerary or would it be pushing it?

I can't help you with Delta or your hotel, but I can give you a bit of advice about your itinerary.

Woodbury Common is about 45 miles outside of Manhatten, I believe it talkes about an hour and a half on a bus which costs about $45. There is a great 'shopping in New York' thread in the Fashion and Appearance forum. A lot of people feel that Woodbury Common takes up pretty much a whole day and isn't worth it if you are only there for 4 days. We went to Jersey Gardens instead, it is a shorter trip, it's cheaper and we thought it had some good bargains.

Ground Zero is just a building site, there isn't really anything to see. But there is a church near by that has a tribute to all the rescuers. It's quite moving. The church is called Trinity Church and is nicknamed 'the little church that stood' as it was not damaged in 9/11 despite a lot of the buildings around it being severely damaged. The area around Ground Zero is nice, you can walk around Wall Street and further on to Fulton Street and the Seaport. Centuary 21 is down near Ground Zero, it is a good discount store. I think 2-3 hours would suffice down that area.

Top of The Rock is lovely, beautiful views of Central Park. I would recommend going up there in the morning when it is quiet. 1-2 hours would be plenty of time to allocate to that. If you are doing TOTR in daytime then I would do the Empire State at night. The queues are quite prohibitive for ESB, but they stay open very late, so I would recommend you go as late as you can. It's freezing up there so dress warmly!

Times Square is fun for a while, but I found it headwrecking after a while. An hour or 2 would be plenty to allocate to TS in my opinion.

We didn't go to the Statue of Liberty, you can take the Ferry over there for free. Just note that there are limited tickets to the crown and they book up early so you might be too late to get those.

I don't see the attraction of Macy's and Bloomingdales (esp Macy's - it's a dump!) Bloomingdales is nice, but too big and expensive IMO.

I think you could try and fit a bit more sightseeing in, I would def recommend you try and get a walk around Greenwich Village and Central Park is my favourite place in NY. Enjoy!

jack presley

Can you pay cash on the MTA buses around New York (I'll be in Queens). Anytime I've been there I've only used the subway and had a metro card but I'll only be needing one or two trips by bus this time so I don't want to have to buy one

DingDong

Ganymede Glow wrote: »

This is a great thread for information on NY, thanks to everyone who contributed. I am a complete NY amatuer and I am looking for some advice. Myself & the girlfriend are flying out to NY next week (26th)for the first time mostly for xmas shopping but we would like to see some sights also. We are flying with Delta and we are spending 4 nights in the Hudson Hotel on 58th street. Has anyone had any experience in this hotel? Read mixed reviews so far. And also advice on transport from JFK to Manhatten, we dont mind taking a taxi really

Also for anyone who has flown with Delta recently it says on their website that your first checked bag is free but a second bag is charged at $55, is that correct?

We are looking to go Woodbury Common
Empire State Building
Top Of The Rock
Macy's / Bloomingdales
Times Square
Ground Zero
Central Park
Statue Of Liberty

Would that be a reasonable itinerary or would it be pushing it?

I went to Woodbury Common and Jersey Garden recently on a five day trip. Jersey Garden is better value and a shorter trip. Cost is about $13 return compared to $40 odd for Woodbury Common. Macy's was waste of time. Best to do all your shopping in Jersey Garden.

It's worth getting the New York pass We went for the 3 day pass and crammed a load in($125 online). Everything your looking to do is included in the cost of the pass. A weekly unlimited subway card is $27 and will cut your travelling costs.

Couple of other thing worth doing if you get the New York Pass:

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Uncle Sam's Heroes of the World Trade
NBC Studio Tour,
New York Skyride, not great but its part of the pass
Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour
King Tut Exhibition
Madison Square Garden, All Access Tour, Closed till December
Madame Tussaud's New York
Bodies...The Exhibition, Grossed me out a bit

furiousox

Is it worth buying an iphone or ipad over there?
Not sure if you can buy an iphone off the shelf without a contract?
Also, would there be ''iphones'' and ''ipads'' in Chinatown?

Ganymede Glow

Cheers guys that is extremely helpful advive

DingDong

One other thing when going to see Statue Of Liberty be there for 9.00am. The queue gets pretty big later in the day.

lorrylambo

Hey, me and my boyfriend are hoping to go to New York around march 2011 time. We have never been before and were hoping someone could maybe point us in the direction of a good yet cheap hotel or hostel etc we could stay in...

Cheers,
Lorraine

ncmc

Hi all, I have posted a trip report of my recent New York trip in the travel review section of Boards. If anyone is interested in reading it, here it is:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=69071152

cena

DingDong wrote: »

One other thing when going to see Statue Of Liberty be there for 9.00am. The queue gets pretty big later in the day.

were do you get tickets for this. i'm in new york now. how much are they. staying in brooklyn

Zymurgist

Hi,

This is a great thread for a NY Novice like myself.

One question I'm thinking of heading over in early January with my girlfriend for four or five nights.

Would I be better off booking filghts and hotels myself or going to a travel agents for this?

I'd be hoping to stay around Times Square if that makes a difference.

Thanks,

cena

Zymurgist wrote: »

Hi,

This is a great thread for a NY Novice like myself.

One question I'm thinking of heading over in early January with my girlfriend for four or five nights.

Would I be better off booking filghts and hotels myself or going to a travel agents for this?

I'd be hoping to stay around Times Square if that makes a difference.

Thanks,

you'll love central park. better than anything i'v ever seen. ireland could do with a few considering alls the fields we have. Times square is great. all them lights. if you go by a place called dallas bbq go into it food is great. was in it yesterday.

schemingbohemia

Ganymede Glow wrote: »

This is a great thread for information on NY, thanks to everyone who contributed. I am a complete NY amatuer and I am looking for some advice. Myself & the girlfriend are flying out to NY next week (26th)for the first time mostly for xmas shopping but we would like to see some sights also. We are flying with Delta and we are spending 4 nights in the Hudson Hotel on 58th street. Has anyone had any experience in this hotel? Read mixed reviews so far. And also advice on transport from JFK to Manhatten, we dont mind taking a taxi really

Also for anyone who has flown with Delta recently it says on their website that your first checked bag is free but a second bag is charged at $55, is that correct?

We are looking to go Woodbury Common
Empire State Building
Top Of The Rock
Macy's / Bloomingdales
Times Square
Ground Zero
Central Park
Statue Of Liberty

Would that be a reasonable itinerary or would it be pushing it?

If you're into Art, History or Culture at all you have to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the best Museum in the world. I wouldn't bother heading into the Statue of Liberty at all, you can take photos of it from outside and you only get to view from the crown for about 30 seconds before the next person wants to look out. Do visit Ellis Island too, very informative and emotional too.

If you're into indie gigs at all keep an eye on what's scheduled for the Bowery, they always keep about 10/20 tickets back to sell on the night to discourage touts so if you get there early enough for a gig you're bound to get a ticket.

DingDong

cena wrote: »

were do you get tickets for this. i'm in new york now. how much are they. staying in brooklyn

I used the New york pass which I bought online

cena

DingDong wrote: »

I used the New york pass which I bought online

were can i get them? what does it get me into.

ncmc

cena wrote: »

were can i get them? what does it get me into.

There are a couple of different city passes, some of them are quite expensive and get you into a lot of attractions that, in my opinion, aren't worth visiting. I did a lot of research before I went and felt that this was the best pass for our needs:

http://www.citypass.com/new-york?mv_source=partnerfusion&cmpid=google_New%20york%20%2Bcity%20pass&gclid=CJfh1q_muaUCFVBO4QodhWq8Yg

It covers the 6 attractions that I wanted to see (Statue of Liberty is included in it) and doesn't break the bank at $79 per person.

There is no entrance fee to the SOL, however there is a charge for the ferry (although I believe the Staten Island Ferry passes the SOL and it is free). You have to make reservations to get up to the crown months in advance, so if you are there now, I doubt you would get a ticket. More info here:

http://www.citypass.com/new-york?mv_source=partnerfusion&cmpid=google_New%20york%20%2Bcity%20pass&gclid=CJfh1q_muaUCFVBO4QodhWq8Yg

DingDong

cena wrote: »

were can i get them? what does it get me into.

I bought from here. You print off the email and collect your tickets from Planet Hollywood at times square.
You also get $10 free off anything in the gift shop or a meal there.Its $75 for a 1 day pass or $125 for 3 days etc. Basically fit in a much as you can to get the value out of it. You get tickets to 55 attraction plus discounts in a few stores. Like ncmc said some of the attraction wouldn't be the best but I definitely got great value from a 3 day pass.

ontheditch2

Am heading over in January with the better half for 4 nights, i want to get in a Basketball and Ice Hockey match, and to keep her happy will also go to see the Lion King and Jersey Boys (persuaded her she would like it). But what i am wondering, is there a cheap place to buy tickets over there (like in vegas where you can get great discounts from the booths on the streets) or is it best to book in advance off the official websites.
Apologies if this was already covered, big thread haven't the time to go through it all, yet.

Thanks

furiousox

ontheditch2 wrote: »

Am heading over in January with the better half for 4 nights, i want to get in a Basketball and Ice Hockey match, and to keep her happy will also go to see the Lion King and Jersey Boys (persuaded her she would like it). But what i am wondering, is there a cheap place to buy tickets over there (like in vegas where you can get great discounts from the booths on the streets) or is it best to book in advance off the official websites.
Apologies if this was already covered, big thread haven't the time to go through it all, yet.
Thanks

I think you'll get basketball & ice hockey in Madison Square Gdns, maybe have a look at their website.
I saw a ticket booth in Times Square offering reduced price tickets for Broadway shows but the queue was about half a mile long.
I'd rather pay full price than queue for 3 or 4 hrs tbh.
We went to Rock of Ages which was......ok.
We're both '80's hair metal veterans so it wasn't as good as we hoped.
Dee Snider was in it though! \m/

Toto Wolfcastle

furiousox wrote: »

I saw a ticket booth in Times Square offering reduced price tickets for Broadway shows but the queue was about half a mile long.

There's also one at South Street Seaport that is much shorter. http://www.tdf.org/TDF_ServicePage.aspx?id=56 That's the website. You'll have trouble getting discount tickets for The Lion King that way though. It's very popular and sells out in advance.

furiousox

So here's a summary of our recent trip to NY.
I hope its not too long for this thread, just trying to give a taste of the city and hoping some of you find it interesting and can take some useful info from it if you're going over.
Firstly I think it's worth mentioning that the people are really friendly (“Have an amazing day!”) and both the streets and the subway are completely safe day and night.
We stayed in the Clarion hotel at Dublin airport the night before we flew to avoid the rush hour traffic from Drogheda to Dublin next morning.
Great idea I must say, we were able to unwind with a couple of drinks, wake up early refreshed and ready to go..like having an extra night's holiday!
We departed from T1 which was cramped and slow downstairs in the US immigration area.
I presume T2 is up and running by now?
We flew with Delta who were just great, the cabin crew were the friendliest and most helpful I've ever encountered and the flight was very pleasant and didn't seem long at all (even though their in-flight entertainment system wasn't working)
On arriving at JFK we made our way to 42nd St by train.
Tbh I found the train to be more hassle than it's worth (you had to make a couple of changes) and I'd just jump in a yellow cab instead next time.
We stayed in the Helmsley New York hotel which is on East 42nd St.
It's the hotel we stayed in on our honeymoon so it's got some nice memories for us but I'm sure there are better hotels for the same price in Manhattan right now.
There was no double glazing in our room and the air-con wasn't up to much so the room was noisy and constantly cool/cold.
Still, the room was big and looking out your window at the Chrysler building was a nice way to wake up every morning!
We arrived on Friday evening, checked in quickly and hit the streets.
A quick walk took us to the main concourse in Grand Central Terminal, beautiful of course, and a definite must see.
From there we went to have a look at Madison Sq Gdns, Times Square (which is fantastic) and called into the huge 'Toys R Us' store for presents...the only time we missed the kids! :-(
We just went wandering then as we were a bit tired, had some Chinese food and ended up in an Irish bar called the 'Irish Times' which was fairly good.
Up early on Saturday and we found the 'Mad Men' office building on Madison Avenue (not much to look at and no sign of Don!)
We then wandered onto a film shoot on 5th Ave which turned out to be for a movie called 'Man on a Ledge'.
When the extras realised we weren't actors they turned hostile and suggested we leave the area!
We walked up as far as Central Pk and called into Saks, FAO Schwarz, the Apple Store, Trump Tower, Abercrombie & Fitch, Forever 21, Tiffany's and the Plaza hotel (all worth seeing apart from Fitch which is pretentious, loud, dark, and annoying)
We had lunch in 'Bill's Burgers and Bar' which is around the corner from the Rockerfeller and the wonderful 'Radio City' building.
Fantastic burgers (ask any cop, they'll know where it is)
That evening we got the subway (great to use and absolutely safe) to Chinatown where I got some lovely 'watches' and Mrs ox got some lovely 'bags' on Canal St.
We then went to Da Nico's in Little Italy for a very average pizza (try Lombardi's instead)
On Sunday morning we got the bus from the port authority out to the Jersey Gardens mall which is great fun and well worth a visit, Irish accents everywhere!
We both bought lots of clothes, more than expected
(Levi's jeans $37, Aeropostale t-shirts $9)
Sunday night we went to the musical 'Rock of Ages' which was....ok.
After the show we went to the 'Top of the Rock', great views of the city and another 'must see'
Nice to watch people ice skating late at night in the plaza too.
On Monday we went to an electronics store called B&H (East 34th and 9th) which was vast.
Got some nice toys and ticked off the shopping 'request' list there anyway.
We then went to the lobby of the Empire State which is worth seeing, even if you don't go up to the observation deck.
Got the subway down to Ground Zero which is still heartbreakingly sad but again is a must see, especially St Paul's church right beside the site.
On Monday night we saw Saks Christmas display which is called 'The Snowflake and the Bubble'
It's beautiful and can be seen on youtube.
We then ended up in PJ Morans for our last night in the city where we both got into good spirits and had a bit of craic with the barman Shane who's from Tipperary (first time I've ever had remy martin...won't be the last!)
We flew home on Tuesday so that just gave us time in the morning to check out of the hotel, check out the flatiron building then take a subway downtown to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge which was a great way to round off our trip to our favourite city (so far)...NY.
Thanks for a great trip mrs ox, lets not leave it another 15 years!

barney85

Folks,

What's the best way (cheapest!) to get from Newark Airport to Queens?

PH4T

What high end restaurants would people recommend in Manhattan?

cheesehead

Just some thoughts on those traveling over for the Christmas season:

(some are more "off-the-beaten path", but worthwhile)

Grab a burger at J.G. Melon's.

Get Pizza @ Lombardi's or Grimaldi's.

If going to Grimaldi's, take the 6 train (not the 4/5) to BkBrdg stop, then ride it around the loop to see the old City Hall station (oldest one in the system), before walking over the bridge.

Take a walk through Central Park or ice skate at Bryant Park (skip Rock Center rink)

Grab a cocktail at: the Stone Rose or Pen-Top or revolving bar atop Marriott Marquis Hotel

Visit the Tenement Museum (lower East Side)

Visit The Frick Museum or The Morgan Library

SoulTrader

PH4T wrote: »

What high end restaurants would people recommend in Manhattan?

Hope this isn't too late...

Daniel, 3 Michelin stars is very good. It is pricey as you would expect. It was recently named the 8th best restaurant in the world (link below), so can't get more high-end than that. I liked Gordon Ramsay's at the London as well. And one I haven't been to - Le Bernardin, a seafood restaurant, is supposed to be exceptional.

Keeping with the same topic, does anyone know of any real quality dine-in Chinese restaurants in Manhattan? There is lots of info online but would like to hear any recommendations from Boardsies. Cheers.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/7635677/The-Worlds-50-Best-Restaurants-2010.html

mastermichael20

Gift Vouchers with aer lingus?

What about purchasing the flight (new york) to be used at any time...any airline offer this service?

PH4T

Could anyone recommend any specific things to do in New York in the week after Christmas (27th to the 2nd)?

PH4T

Could anyone recommend where I could buy a birthday cake in/near Queens tomorrow?

Black Swan

PH4T wrote: »

Could anyone recommend where I could buy a birthday cake in/near Queens tomorrow?

Not known as a bakery, Trader Joe's is a large specialty market and typically has a yummy selection of baked cakes, ice-cream cakes, cheese cakes, pies, and other related goodies at very reasonable prices. Found this one:

Trader Joe's
9030 Metropolitan Avenue
Rego park, NY 11374-5328
(718) 275-1791

tankbarry

I want to go on the thursday 30th of june 4 nights 2 adults. I think at the moment its too expensive. I might try and wait till the week before and book a last minute deal. Does anybody know if this is a good idea. A friend said she done it before and saved money she went to 3 or 4 travel agents at home and tried all of them..

what she does with all her holidays is prices it 6 months before their departure date. Keeps the money it costs then and goes in for a last minute deal. she never pays the full amount. sometimes she wouldnt save much but sometimes she would save a fortune...

borderlinemeath

tankbarry wrote: »

I want to go on the thursday 30th of june 4 nights 2 adults. I think at the moment its too expensive. I might try and wait till the week before and book a last minute deal. Does anybody know if this is a good idea. A friend said she done it before and saved money she went to 3 or 4 travel agents at home and tried all of them..

what she does with all her holidays is prices it 6 months before their departure date. Keeps the money it costs then and goes in for a last minute deal. she never pays the full amount. sometimes she wouldnt save much but sometimes she would save a fortune...

It doesn't really work that way for New York - flights tend to get more expensive as your date draws near, hotels are always at a premium as well.
Package holidays are different - tour operators may reduce prices if there's too much availability as they've chartered the flights and booked apartments in blocks.

There's plenty of tips in this thread ,plenty of suggestions of search engines to choose from, I usually check ebookers.ie for flight/hotel deals and also skyscanner.ie for cheapest flights (great if your dates are flexible)