New York

barsan

Hi
I would appreciate your views / thoughts on the following - We are thirty years married this year and we have never been to the States - We have often talked about it and are thinking if we don't do it now we never will- So we are looking at going to New York for 6 / 7 nights in July -

I dont know anybody who has done this so would appreciate any help / guidance you may have

From looking at flights and some hotels we think we can get them for around 3100 euros and will hopefully have about 3000 euros to spend including presents for the kids

Some of our questions are as follows sorry if they sound stupid but they are the things that worry me - Is it worth the trip - Do we have enough spending money or would we need to saye more - From what I see the weather in Jul is around the late 20c I could cope with this but not much higher - I am a hard smoker are they very strict - Any reasonable hotels you could recommend and finally whats the flight like as we have never been on a flight that long

Many thanks

naughtysmurf

barsan wrote: »

Some of our questions are as follows sorry if they sound stupid but they are the things that worry me - Is it worth the trip - Do we have enough spending money or would we need to saye more - From what I see the weather in Jul is around the late 20c I could cope with this but not much higher - I am a hard smoker are they very strict - Any reasonable hotels you could recommend and finally whats the flight like as we have never been on a flight that long

Many thanks

Worth the trip? Yes, it's a great city, you're fine moneywise, NY can be a bit stiffling weatherwise in July, I'd probably pick a cooler month if possible
Former smoker, similar to here, fine out on the street but bars, restaurants, public buildings, NO
Stay in Manhattan, you can get cheaper hotels with larger rooms in Brooklyn & Long Island but I think waking up in Manhattan, walking, hopping in a cab or onto subway is the way to go for a short trip

Manhattan felt very safe to me, flights should cost no more than 1300-1500 at that time of year, cheaper if flexible as regards when you go, flying into Newark can be as handy as JFK

august12

barsan wrote: »

Hi
I would appreciate your views / thoughts on the following - We are thirty years married this year and we have never been to the States - We have often talked about it and are thinking if we don't do it now we never will- So we are looking at going to New York for 6 / 7 nights in July -

I dont know anybody who has done this so would appreciate any help / guidance you may have

From looking at flights and some hotels we think we can get them for around 3100 euros and will hopefully have about 3000 euros to spend including presents for the kids

Some of our questions are as follows sorry if they sound stupid but they are the things that worry me - Is it worth the trip - Do we have enough spending money or would we need to saye more - From what I see the weather in Jul is around the late 20c I could cope with this but not much higher - I am a hard smoker are they very strict - Any reasonable hotels you could recommend and finally whats the flight like as we have never been on a flight that long

Many thanks

we went last October, flights cost 1700 euro for four adults. Flight was about 6 and half hours over and about an hour less coming back. I personally wouldn't go there during the summer unless you really have to. It's extremely humid and crowded given school holidays etc. Weather in October went from high 29s down to about 10 degrees in the space of 7 days. Was it worth it? Definitely. We loved it. Stayed in long island city as Manhattan rooms were too expensive for us as we were a family of four looking for two separate rooms. If you can get a reasonable room in the centre of Manhattan, would recommend for your first trip. There is a big advantage as you can walk to most things and can pop back to hotel during day for a break. Check skyscanner for cheap flights. Maybe check hotelscombined website for special deals, book a cancellable room and then try to book flights for these dates or else pick your date for flights and book accommodation that is cancellable and keep searching for a deal. Spending money you suggest is plenty.

Del2005

Look at getting an apartment or AirBnB. We went over a few years ago and got an apartment about 10 minutes walk from Times Square and close to the Intrepid. Wasn't the biggest apartment, lots of fish eye cameras for the shots but everything in NY is tiny or expensive, but big enough for 4 adults and baby.

naughtysmurf

Isn't airbnb illegal in NYC?

august12

naughtysmurf wrote: »

Isn't airbnb illegal in NYC?

yes, most are illegal rentals, there are some legal i.e. owner/occupied where owner lives on premises and home is registered as two or three unit. We considered this but opted for hotel for first visit, will probably look for a rental next time.

finbarrk

naughtysmurf wrote: »

Isn't airbnb illegal in NYC?

I stayed in an AirBnb apartment in Manhattan last November. No problem.

ace_irl

I highly recommend getting the New York City pass.

http://www.citypass.com/new-york

I used it the first time I went and it worked out great value and covered all the attractions we wanted to see. Another company offers a different one with more attractions on it such as the wax museum but I found we didn't have the time to do everything so this one was better value over all.

The subway is brilliant! We booked a car when we arrived to take us to my friends house which was quite far out (woodlawn in the Bronx) and it was much cheaper then if we had gotten a taxi.

Taxi was $80 to Manhattan and then a meter after that, so would have been crazy expensive whereas the private car was $80 total.

But I never book cars now, the air train is fantastic and will only cost about $12 to get into grand central. That's what I have used every trip since. I haven't been in awhile but last time I was there the Air train brought you from JFK to Jamaica in Queens and then you just transfer onto a subway going to Grand Central.

https://www.panynj.gov/airports/jfk-airtrain.html

And bring extremely comfy shoes!

Spanish Eyes

I wouldn't go in July full stop. Been there, am still wiping the sweat off me!

Would you consider going later in the year? Mid Sep to October can be lovely, so easy to walk around etc.

I was there last year in November and it was just fab. Crisp cool and very sunny. Could walk forever in that kind of weather, but it is kind of uncomfortable in Summer. High humidity.

circular flexing

finbarrk wrote: »

I stayed in an AirBnb apartment in Manhattan last November. No problem.

Just because you had no problem doesn't mean others will be the same. Short term rentals of whole apartments are illegal in NYC and anyone renting one runs the risk of ending up with nowhere to stay (not to be too dramatic). The only time it's legal is if the host is staying in the apartment with you, if there's less than 3 units in the building or if it's a whole house (not sure whole houses exist in Manhattan).

circular flexing

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

I wouldn't go in July full stop. Been there, am still wiping the sweat off me!

Would you consider going later in the year? Mid Sep to October can be lovely, so easy to walk around etc.

I was there last year in November and it was just fab. Crisp cool and very sunny. Could walk forever in that kind of weather, but it is kind of uncomfortable in Summer. High humidity.

Even late September was crazy humid last year.

longshanks

It's a brilliant city, you'll never be bored there, and you'll walk miles. The people are friendly, it's safe at night, the food and drink is unreal but can be pricey and I'd love to go back. I was there end of October, start of November and was walking around in t-shirts during the day. Bit cooler at night but nothing extreme.
Have fun.

Barney92

One thing you might think of is staying in Jersey City, near Grove Street, which is just the other side of the Hudson. It's the same distance from Manhattan as Brooklyn is. There is a tram that runs regularly between Grove Street and Midtown Manhattan every 20 minutes or so.

It can be nice to go into the City for the day and then come out for a bit more of a relaxed atmosphere in Jersey City. If you want to be immersed in it though, maybe try stay in Manhattan.

tedpan

Give trailfinders a call. I always thought it was cheaper online but I've saved thousands over the past few years with them on trips to the States.

InTheTrees

Personally I would highly recommend a hotel in Manhattan. It might be just me but i'd rather stay in a small expensive hotel close in than something cheaper further out. I want to be able to walk out the front door of the hotel and be in the middle of things. I'd rather be in a one star hotel in the centre of the city than a four star hotel somewhere out by the airport, especially as its your first visit too.

With precautions the heat shouldnt be an issue. Pace it slow, wear a hat if you're going to be in direct sun, always be drinking from a water bottle that you're carrying with you (you can get Heat Exhaustion even if you're not in direct sun). Its a tall city, there will always be a shady side of the street. And all the shops, hotels, museums etc are air conditioned.

InTheTrees

barsan wrote: »

I am a hard smoker are they very strict - Any reasonable hotels you could recommend and finally whats the flight like as we have never been on a flight that long

I was reading last week that New York is raising the price of a packet of cigs to over $15 so I would get some duty free.

Get some nicotine lozenges for the flight if you think you might need it, I used to do that on long flights when i was a smoker.

The flight will be....boring. Depending on the airline you should have some kind of tv, Entertainment, Films which passes the time. Get a window seat on the right side (not over the wing!) and you might get some good views in the last few hours of the flight as it goes down the eastern coast of north america.

Which airport are you arriving at?

dee_mc

If you don't like heat and you don't want to spend a fortune, don't go in July. Autumn, Spring and Winter are just as beautiful in New York (Autumn can be just as expensive or more so than mid-summer but is stunningly beautiful and usually more comfortable temperature wise, though it can still be very warm) and you'll get a better hotel for the same or less money.
I've stayed at the Holiday Inn in Chelsea twice now and it's a great spot, less expensive than others in the area and far less expensive than anything around Time Square. I've also stayed at one of their hotels in Woodside in Queens which is cheaper again, very clean, a characterless but functional spot!
I wouldn't bother looking at hotels in the Time Square area to be honest unless you have a very recent personal recommendation as some of them are unbelievably grim and very costly!
Don't take a taxi from JFK or Newark to your hotel, AirTrain is excellent and cheap.
Get a 7 day subway pass and a map and make good use of the excellent subway system. This covers you for many bus routes too.
When choosing your hotel bear in mind that taxes have to be added on, as well as city tax. Calculate this before you decide.
New Yorkers will be very fast to tell you where you can't smoke - on street, in parks and in areas where there is public seating don't light up; you'll figure out where's ok very easily.
Nicotine gum for the flight is a good shout. There will be plenty of entertainment inflight eg new films, old tv shows and documentaries, trivia games etc and usually you can follow the flight path on this screen too which passes the time! Between this and a number of meals, you probably won't feel the time going!
If you're worried about comfort, Aer Lingus trumps United for me every time but with the typical price difference I'd tend to suck it up and bring a few painkillers just in case (bad back)!
The open top bus tours are great and really help you get your bearings - consider one that comes with free or reduced access to attractions. Some of the guides are not very informative or hard to understand - don't be afraid to hop off and wait a few minutes for a new one!
If you want to see a broadway show but you're not prepared to pay big bucks, you can get much cheaper tickets on the day at a TKTS booth. The one at Time Square gets manic but the one at the South Street Seaport is much quieter so you've a better chance of getting good tickets without the hassle! It's a lively, historic area too.
Ah I want to go back now!

cena

If you're into skating or sports October onwards is a good time to go. trees changing colours

cactusgal

Hi OP,

If you don't like the heat, do NOT go to New York in July. I grew up near Florida, and New York is hotter in the summer - it's the combination of high heat and humidity, blacktop pavement, and the skyscrapers that kind of press the heat in and keep it there. The subway trains are airconditioned, but platforms are not, and you will die. Seriously. The best part about New York is being able to walk around the city and the parks and enjoy it - you cannot do this in July. The heat is unbearable.

I'm actually in New York at the moment and it's already warming up (27 degrees today), but spring (April) is a nice time to be here because it's not too hot and all of the cherry trees are in bloom. It's lovely.

Autumn is a wonderful time to go as well - beautiful autumn colours, Halloween decorations, pumpkins, etc.

Summer and winter, just don't.

Good luck with planning your trip!

naughtysmurf

The last time we were there we went just after Christmas, back early new year, we got lucky with the weather, cool in the morning, only a few degrees but the sun shone all week, stayed in a Holiday Inn on W26th Street between 6th & 7th Avenue, because the weather was good we did a lot of walking which is the best way to enjoy the city

Didn't use the subway much, just once to get the ferry to Liberty island otherwise we just hopped in a cab but Empire State was about 15mins walk from hotel, Penn Station, Times Square, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, all less than 30 mins walk from the hotel, we did a lot of walking & ice skating in Bryant park

Any attractions we definitely wanted to do we pre booked in advance, this is important especially for Statue of Liberty as the queing & security down there was brutal but we got a skip the line ticket included, we also pre booked a time for Empire State

barsan

Hi
Genuinely thank you all for taking the time to reply - It was really appreciated

Unfortunately the only time we can go is late July or early August as our eldest daughter heading off travelling after this had kindly offered to look after the three younger ones for us

I really struggle in the heat - For the last number of years we have always headed to Carcassonne in July and even though the kids and my wife enjoy the heat I really struggle even in the shade

It was always a dream to go to New York and I never thought we would ever be in a position be able to do it / afford it so it is with regret that we wont be going this year

Again many thanks for all your advice - I suffer from the darkness and it might sound stupid but I had been researching this as a little project for me / us and even though it hasn't worked out I have enjoyed it

Rodin

New York is great.
Don't go in July - but if you must, stay somewhere new with great a/c.

Air conditioning is vastly underrated when it comes to choosing somewhere to stay.

august12

barsan wrote:

Again many thanks for all your advice - I suffer from the darkness and it might sound stupid but I had been researching this as a little project for me / us and even though it hasn't worked out I have enjoyed it

By darkness, do you mean depression, if so, I am happy we brought some light into your life, don't give up yet on that holiday, just postpone it and work towards getting there another year. We had planned on going for a special anniversary as well and that didn't work out for us but got going the following year, even if you put it off for a few years, save really hard and bring some of the family with you, it makes it even more special, it did for us anyway.