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

MoyVilla9

BaZmO* wrote: »

For me, the Brooklyn Bridge walk is a must do if you go to NY. The views are amazing and it's free.

Totally agreed. I've walked it countless times and still amazed by it.

athtrasna

MoyVilla9 wrote: »

Is Grimaldis' really that good? I've heard a lot about that place but going all the way to Brooklyn for a slice.......

They don't do slices Grimaldi's is one of only two (or maybe now just the only one) pizza places in NY that are allowed use coal burning ovens (they were licensed pre environmental concern days) and the pizza is truly amazing.

It's not about going there for the pizza. You go there, have great pizza and then stroll back over the bridge. It feels more special than just getting the subway to Brooklyn and walking back over the bridge. Make an evening of it!

tobias12

Folks,

I am heading to the USA (New York) in late April/early May. So far I am getting prices over and above €600 which is very expensive.

Does anyone know some good websites which offer cheaper travel or even discount codes for air travel to the USA.

I am realistic that I won't get it for much cheaper but I was hoping for a return fare around 500/550.

Any ideas would be gratefully accepted.

Thanks.

leesadin

Hey there!!! I'm heading to new York in November and have heard from a few people that the customs are going crazy on people coming back! Was just wondering if anybody has come through recently? Also the things I brought back from the states from previous visits will I need receipts to prove that they are old?!

jack presley

leesadin wrote: »

Hey there!!! I'm heading to new York in November and have heard from a few people that the customs are going crazy on people coming back! Was just wondering if anybody has come through recently? Also the things I brought back from the states from previous visits will I need receipts to prove that they are old?!

I flew in from the States on Sunday and no one in customs batted an eyelid at anyone coming off my flight (or the one from Chicago who's bags were coming out at the same time).

MoyVilla9

leesadin wrote: »

Hey there!!! I'm heading to new York in November and have heard from a few people that the customs are going crazy on people coming back! Was just wondering if anybody has come through recently? Also the things I brought back from the states from previous visits will I need receipts to prove that they are old?!

Would you consider August recent? I didn't encounter any problem at all then. I'm flying to the States next friday for a week so if they say anything to me I'll put it on here.

malvec

Hi,

Just back from NY yesterday. I saw no one being stopped by customs at all, many people had multiple bags.

leesadin

Thanks very much for the replies! That's a great weight of my mind! :-)

iwsf

same here, just back from NY and no hassle.

JeanLucPicard

Hi

Im flying into JFK and staying in Jersey City.

Whats the best/cheapest way do you think to get there?

Thanks

Zero-Cool

Hi,

I'm planning a 5 day break to New York in November with the gf. Will be the 1st time in America and was wondering if anyone knew good sites where I could book a hotel/flight deal. So far, the hotels are over 1000 euro for 5 nights which is a bit pricey. Saying that, I don't want to stay in a crap hole.

Any recomendations for hotels?

Thanks!

furiousox

Try www.ebookers.ie

jack presley

sheehy83 wrote: »

Hi,

I'm planning a 5 day break to New York in November with the gf. Will be the 1st time in America and was wondering if anyone knew good sites where I could book a hotel/flight deal. So far, the hotels are over 1000 euro for 5 nights which is a bit pricey. Saying that, I don't want to stay in a crap hole.

Any recomendations for hotels?

Thanks!

Welcome to NY pricing! Any decent hotel is going to be over $150-200 a night. If you're not too fussy and don't mid a bit of a gamble, you can get great deals on hotwire.com. The downside is you won't know the exact hotel that you'll be staying in until you pay so there is a bit of a risk but I've used it 4 times now (3 in NY and 1 on Chicago) and never been disappointed. I got great deals and the hotels were decent. You can specify the area you want to stay in and the grade of hotel so you won't end up out in the sticks in a dump.

Coolnabacky1873

JeanLucPicard wrote: »

Hi

Im flying into JFK and staying in Jersey City.

Whats the best/cheapest way do you think to get there?

Thanks

The cheapest way is a combination of the Subway and PATH train.

1. From JFK take the airport air train to Howard Beach stop.
2. Then take the Manhattan bound A train (subway) all the way to West 4th St/Washington Square stop in Manhattan.
3. Get off, come above ground and walk 5 blocks north to the PATH train stop at 9th St. The PATH train stops at various places in Jersey City.

Subway map http://mta.info/nyct/maps/subwaymap.pdf
PATH train map http://www.panynj.gov/path/maps.html
General subway info http://mta.info/
General PATH train info http://www.panynj.gov/path/

Total cost will be $5 airport air train (a pain but unavoidable), $2.50 subway (one trip ticket) and I think the PATH is about $1.75 per ride too, total is less than $10.

From the airport this trip will prob take 2 hours and might be a bit tricky for the uninitiated.

Other than that the easiest would be a taxi but would probably cost about $70-$80+ dollars.

Just found this link, would have saved me writing all that!
http://www.destinationjerseycity.com/getting-around/airports/john-f-kennedy-airport-jfk/

adox

The hotels seem to have got even more expensive in the last couple of years. We are heading over in September and usually stay at The Red Roof Inn. A couple of years ago, the last time we were there, its around $160.00 per night.
This time its over $200! Cant justify the price.
Has anyone found a half decent hotel sub $200?

The Mrs has relatives out in Brooklyn who we have stayed the odd night with before. We are going to stay out there this time and get the subway in and out of the city.

tankbarry

anybody use the New York City pass just wondering is it worth buying, can you get into empire state building , top of the rock, statue of liberty, intrepid and all the usual stuff. Just trying to decide if its worth it.

athtrasna

In a word No. Unless you want to schedule every minute of every day you simply won't get value out of the ticket compared to picking a few things every day and spending as much time as you want to appreciate them.

The Intrepid and Statue of Liberty are currently no go areas, and as for Top of the Rock and Empire State, the only thing you get out of doing both is seeing the other one from the top - it's the same Skyline. I would recommend Top of the Rock as a more pleasant experience plus you get to see the iconic Empire State from it.

bbeck11

tankbarry wrote: »

anybody use the New York City pass just wondering is it worth buying, can you get into empire state building , top of the rock, statue of liberty, intrepid and all the usual stuff. Just trying to decide if its worth it.

Are you looking to buy the "New York Pass" or the New York "City Pass" They are two different ways to see attractions. The city pass gives you access to certain attractions within a longer period of time versus The New York Pass is a card you purchase and once you start it...it expires at Midnight on the last day. Lets say you purchase the two day pass for $130 USD and you can then go to over 80 different attractions for free over the two days. You have to use it for two consecutive days and you will want to start it early on the first day so you get the most for your money. The tourist attractions are extremely expensive in NYC so THIS IS WORTH THE MONEY. You will go from attraction to attraction guilt free. Instead of the mentality of "i want to see it but it is expensive" you will have time to explore and think "the more I see the more I am saving".

Tips for the New York Pass:
-Start early on your first day and it expires at midnight on the last day.
-You can get the hop-on/ hop-off bus package in addition but if you can brave taking the subway...you will see a lot more!
-Use the restaurant discounts- certain places give you free drinks and appetizers
-If you go to the statue of liberty... go first thing in the morning when it opens. You get a fast track for your tickets but the airport-like security lines grow up to 2-3+ hours by the afternoon.
- Take advantage of the fast track. If you are limited with time choose to go to Top of the Rock over the Empire State Building. If you go to top of the rock you can SEE the empire state building in the skyline which makes the experience better.
-Check out broadway shows at the discount. (You can go anytime during your trip which means you do not have to see the show while the pass is active!)
-Plan your days in a way that makes sense. If you are going to statue of liberty---- start there and do attractions downtown before going to midtown so you make the most of your time and metro card money. A metro ride is only $2.25 each.

crapmanjoe

athtrasna wrote: »

In a word No. Unless you want to schedule every minute of every day you simply won't get value out of the ticket compared to picking a few things every day and spending as much time as you want to appreciate them.

The Intrepid and Statue of Liberty are currently no go areas, and as for Top of the Rock and Empire State, the only thing you get out of doing both is seeing the other one from the top - it's the same Skyline. I would recommend Top of the Rock as a more pleasant experience plus you get to see the iconic Empire State from it.

Plus with top of the rock you get to see the park and the line is generally really quick

MoyVilla9

athtrasna wrote: »

In a word No. Unless you want to schedule every minute of every day you simply won't get value out of the ticket compared to picking a few things every day and spending as much time as you want to appreciate them.

The Intrepid and Statue of Liberty are currently no go areas, and as for Top of the Rock and Empire State, the only thing you get out of doing both is seeing the other one from the top - it's the same Skyline. I would recommend Top of the Rock as a more pleasant experience plus you get to see the iconic Empire State from it.

If you plan on actually sight seeing for the day, and not just hopping into one or two attractions, then you can very well make it worth it. You just need to plan it right.

If you start early in the morning and go until evening you can make some huge savings. I have. Used The New York Pass from 9am to 3.30 and ended up saving quite a bit, but that was full on going from place to place (i.e. starting in downtown, seeing all the stuff there and then heading up to midtown/times square.)

In the end it depends on what type of tourist you are. Do you like to see a lot in a day or will you spend hours in one place? I'm the type who likes to see a lot so it worked for me.

tankbarry

I would like to see a lot. Not sure what pass to get probaly get the pass that you can see the most with

MoyVilla9

tankbarry wrote: »

I would like to see a lot. Not sure what pass to get probaly get the pass that you can see the most with

I think The New York Pass is the only one which has a large amount of attractions and the number you can visit is unlimited. I would personally use them.

ButtersSuki

Hi folks,

Can anyone answer this?

I'm buying a large dog bed in NY next week and the retailer won't/doesn't ship to Ireland.

Does anyone have any experience of posting or shipping via courier from NY to Ireland?
Anything I should watch out for?
Is it prohibitively expensive?
Will I still have to pay duties etc. here when it lands?

Any help greatly appreciated!

silja

It is quite expensive, yes. International post is very expensive, and coruiers more so.
Do you have a friend or family member over in the USA that would agree to receive the dog bed and ship it on? I have done that a few times for mates who wanted specific things where retailers would not ship abroad.

ButtersSuki

silja wrote: »

It is quite expensive, yes. International post is very expensive, and coruiers more so.
Do you have a friend or family member over in the USA that would agree to receive the dog bed and ship it on? I have done that a few times for mates who wanted specific things where retailers would not ship abroad.

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.

I do, but don't really want to ask them. I was going to ship or post myself to myself and mark it as a "gift". What difference does a resident posting/shipping it mean? Could I for example make up an address for my American-self if that would help?

silja

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.

I do, but don't really want to ask them. I was going to ship or post myself to myself and mark it as a "gift". What difference does a resident posting/shipping it mean? Could I for example make up an address for my American-self if that would help?

I am not sure I understand.. are you currently in NY and have the bed in your possession? If so yes, just ship it to your address in Ireland if you don't want to carry it in the lugage.

If you are in Ireland and want to buy the bed online, then you cannot ship it "yourself to yourself" if the retailer won't ship to Ireland. I am saying it would be significantly cheaper for you to have it sent to a friend in the USA, when then changes the address label and sends it to you in Ireland (with you paying postage of course), than to get a courier company to do same.

ButtersSuki

silja wrote: »

I am not sure I understand.. are you currently in NY and have the bed in your possession? If so yes, just ship it to your address in Ireland if you don't want to carry it in the lugage.

If you are in Ireland and want to buy the bed online, then you cannot ship it "yourself to yourself" if the retailer won't ship to Ireland. I am saying it would be significantly cheaper for you to have it sent to a friend in the USA, when then changes the address label and sends it to you in Ireland (with you paying postage of course), than to get a courier company to do same.

Sorry for the confusion.

In Dublin today, in NY next Wed where I'm collecting the bed and then to decide whether to post/ship or take it in my luggage. It is big, so I'm guessing it will one of the former.

My real question then I guess is will I have to pay duty/excise when it lands here in Dublin?

silja

Good question. If the retailer sends it then you'd have to, but if you as a private person send it then I would say no, because once you have taken posession of it it is a "used item for personal use".

NewYork1979

Hi there

Does anyone know anything about the following hotels:-

Sheraton Tribeca or The Hilton Fashion District?

I'm between those two and the New Yorker..

BaZmO*

NewYork1979 wrote: »

I'm between those two and the New Yorker..

Why don't you pop in and have a look so?