Help with Trip Planning in NYC!

Parent Cafe
1

Hi everyone,

So I’m an incoming freshman at UC Berkeley and this Winter Break, my parents have allowed to go alone on a trip to NYC. I know it’s a little early to be doing all this planning but I want to book things early and I don’t want to get bogged down with it during the school year before midterms/finals etc. So what I’m looking for advice on is

-What to do in NYC besides the super popular touristy attractions (Empire State Building, Central Park, etc) Hidden gems, one might say. I’ve always been a pretty independent person.

-Hotel recommendations in Manhattan; my price ceiling is around $200 a night (is that possible?) but $150-175 is preferable. I plan to stay the week before Christmas so I understand if the price goes up at the end of my stay.

-Which airport/airline? I’m leanings toward LaGuardia and Southwest.

-Winter things! Being a resident of SoCal, I’m clueless on how to deal with the cold and what to expect.

-Any tips/advice/comments would be appreciated.

Thank you!

2

First, you need to find a hotel that will allow you to rent a room.

I just looked up the hotel I stayed in the last time I was in NYC, and it won’t rent rooms to anyone under age 21.

3

Hey this is out of context but
Was it hard to get accepted into it Berkeley.

4

I would wait till after Christmas to go to NYC. It will be cheaper and a lot less busy. The City Pass is a good deal if you’re doing a lot. Do you want to shop, museums, shows, history? I’d take a friend too!

5

Is this over the holidays or is this in February? Around the holidays, it is usually a lot more expensive with hotels and such. One hotel I recommend checking out is the Chelsea Savoy Hotel, it is on 23rd and 7th in Chelsea, and their room rates are pretty reasonable. They call it a European style hotel, it means the rooms aren’t that big or fancy, but it is definitely well run, I stayed there quite a bit, and looking at their website the rooms aren’t that bad, especially for a single.

There are a lot of things to do that are well known, I won’t mention those (the only one I will is the High Line, it is nice to walk even the winter).

The East Village is nice walking through, it still retains a bit of its young, hip vibe, even though like so much of nYC it has become very pricey. Walking the lower east side is interesting,very young and hip, but you can see the tenements, now luxury rentals and condominiums, that some of their ancestors probably lived in when they were miserable cold water flats and the lowest east side had the densest population in the world at one point.

A lot depends also on what you are looking for, I think that people can give you a lot of ideas if you can say what kinds of thing you like. You can rent a bike easily (they have this citibike program where the bikes are right there, you pay for it with a credit card, then peddle off).

Walking across the brooklyn bridge, if it is not so cold, is a lot of fun. There also is a transit museum in Brooklyn Heights that if you like that kind of thing at all, is fun.

Want to do something different, that takes a little bit of travelling? Take the subway out to Coney Island and try the NY Aquarium, it is a neat little place, and right down the street is Nathan’s Hot Dogs, the original, and there is nothing like a hot dog there, if you aren’t a vegetarian:).

There also is the cloisters in Northern Manhattan, it is dedicated to medieval art and culture and is a castle that was moved. They often have music there as well, that can be fun.

Again, I think that people will be better able to guide you if you give them an idea of your kinds of ‘things’, I wouldn’t want to steer you to a chamber music festival at Juilliard if you are into world music or something else;)

6

Thank you for all your responses! To be clear, I currently plan on going from the 19th to the 24th of December. I was considering going in January, but from what I’ve read, the temperature drops a lot and snow is much heavier? Please correct me if I’m wrong. Cost is not that much of an issue, within reason of course (I withdrew full pay from Carnegie Mellon to attend UC Berkeley after getting off the waitlist to the delight of my parents so they’re very grateful for that :P) The price ceiling is more of my consideration towards my parents.

@Marian Thank you for the heads up! I always thought the age was 18 but I guess hotels can set their own policies no?

@Ducky312 @musicprnt I adore art and sculpture galleries. I’ve been blessed in LA to have access to the Getty, the Broad, etc etc and would love to see what others recommend in NYC besides the MOMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I also enjoy gardens (rose gardens in particular) even though I get made fun of a lot. Shopping is not one of the biggest things on my list, though I do anticipate I will be doing my fair share.

Food. Food food food. I’ve never been much of a foodie but once I started driving and now that I’m in SF, I would like to definitely look at good food in NYC.

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I would stay on the Upper West Side (the Beacon might be a good hotel). You’re between Riverside and Central Parks, near the Natural History Museum and across the park from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim and not far from the Museum of Modern Art. Whatever you do, don’t stay near Times Square - uber-crowded and generally unpleasant (but for the theatre, which is wonderful). If you are interested in theater, the TKTS booth offers discounted tickets the day of performances (forget Hamilton, of course!).

If you run into a problem with hotels, you can always try your luck with airbnb. There are always people going out of town that are happy to have people stay in their apartments.

8

This article on the best spots for solo dining might be of interest.
https://www.thrillist.com/eat/new-york/the-13-best-restaurants-for-solo-dining-in-nyc

Do you like theatre? Dance? Opera?

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“To be clear, I currently plan on going from the 19th to the 24th of December. I was considering going in January, but from what I’ve read, the temperature drops a lot and snow is much heavier?”

The most expensive packed time of year to visit NYC is right before and right after Christmas. The week after New Years would be less crowded, less expensive and most of the Christmas decorations will still be up. Tree at Rockefeller Center, Radio City Holiday show, 5th Avenue holiday department store windows, skating in Central Park. The week after that would be even better.

The weather is no big deal. Good chance you would see zero snow on your trip regardless of whether you go in Dec or Jan. But snow days in NYC are actually great and lots of fun!

10

Both the Met and MOMA are great museums. If you love sculpture, I highly recommend the Noguchi Museum in Long Island City is a quick trip from Manhattan and is definitely worth it,it is a little more intimate than the big museums, one of the hidden gems of NYC.

If you are thinking that time of December, then book early for the hotel, it will also be likely you will be paying a lot, prices during that time are high. If you are going during the holiday season, you may want to consider a trip to the NY Botanical gardens in the Bronx (fast trip by train from Grand Central). They have a wonderful holiday setup in the conservatory, it is decorated and they have trains wending through buildings made of natural material resembling NY landmarks, it is stunning.

As for food, well, that is going to be a loong list, NY has everything from basic food carts to gourment food carts and almost any kind of food you could think of. I still recommend the NY aquarium and Nathans, it is a great combination:)

11

Second the train show at the Botanical Gardens. 9/11 memorial is worth a visit (outdoors part is free and there’s a paid museum you can visit as well). Go up 1 World Trade Center for a great view. Across the street is a small tribute to Irish immigrants with a teeny cottage. Staten Island Ferry (free! but probably chilly in the winter). Do the iconic things. If you google “walking tours ny” you can find interesting and quirky experiences.

Personally, I’d wait til prices go down in January. No great difference in weather, and you’ll miss the holiday crowds.

12

Look into The Pod Hotel. It’s literally a tiny little room with almost no space, but I don’t think you’ll be able to find anything else in your budget over Christmastime. I just searched the several go-to cheap hotels I know of, and even though they’re usually about $200, they’re around $600 for that week.

Download TodayTix for cheap Broadway tickets, but you can’t buy them until the week of.

13

Definitely take a walking tour – we have enjoyed some of the ones offered by Foods of New York and Big Onion when visiting our D. +1 on Botanical Gardens. Suggest you spring for a ticket on the Metro North train from Grand Central that stops across the street from the gardens; much faster than the subway.

Can you go the week after New Year’s? Prices will drop, and things will be much less crowded. We like Jet Blue to JFK and then the Air Train to the subway. Easy, cheap, and usually faster than taxi or Uber.

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I guess the general consensus is to go in January! I can definitely do that.

@missypie I am ashamed to admit I have never gone to a play, watched a show, or attended an opera, but I’d be open to it.

The Botanical Gardens sound amazing, definitely on my list now.

15

Bundle up when you go. It can be very windy…damp and cold in Janauary. BUT it can be the same in December!

Prices in January will be much better…possibly including your airfare costs. If you can fly midweek, you will likely find less expensive flights.

I agree…you need to check hotel policies. You may find that places won’t allow you to stay there because you are under 21. Get that sorted out before you make any additional plans!

I think you will be able to have fun in NYC by yourself…but is there any chance a friend or,relative could travel with you?

Lots to do…the natural history museum is also a good one. When you walk to Rockefeller Center, take a few block walk to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It’s gorgeous. Go to Grand Central Station even if it’s only to just see it. There is a short hop from Times Square to Grand Central…worth it! Grand Central is an old beauty of a train station. Lots of food downstairs…so go for lunch…or breakfast.

Agree…go to a show of some kind. TKTS is located in Times Square. You go and stand in line in the morning…and can get 1/2 price tickets to some shows. If you haven’t seen anything, you will find something appealing!

The Metropolitan Museum of Art charges and donation for admission. I believe the suggested donation is now $25 but they will take any amount. I think one day is free (don’t know which).

Eataly is fun, and so is Chelsea Market.

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Museums: The Whitney and the Met Breuer

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I don’t know if they are “hidden”, but The Frick and the Morgan Library are very nice. And check into the age thing - my D went to NYC when she was 20 with a group of other 20 year olds, and they were not permitted to check into their reserved/paid in advance hotel because no one was 21. (payment was refunded)

18

One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is go ice skating! I would actually recommend Bryant Park downtown, but Central Park is also lovely :slight_smile: definitely support going to gardens, as well. The windows at Saks and Bergdorf are awesome, too
Most of my favorite restaurants are in the village or gramercy-- if I was to recommend one it’d be Buvette
Also, if there’s snow in the forecast, be sure to be boots to avoid slush

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@thumper1 I completely overlooked mentioning that I will be visiting a friend.

@GCmom Thank you for your suggestions! The Met Breuer was already on my list but I will look at the Whitney.

@college_query Is this age thing really common? In the hotels that I’ve checked into, being 18 was enough, but I haven’t been to many places by myself.

@northeastgirl24 I will look at the Buvette!

20

If you have time, the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side is very interesting - definitely Google it. I second walking the Brooklyn Bridge is weather permits. Ground Zero Museum/Memorial is a must. I would check out Airbnb for places to stay. My 20 year old and his girlfriend got a room thru Airbnb in Manhattan and had a great time. It was very reasonable-well below your budget and fewer age restrictions. We recently got an Airbnb in Brooklyn for $110/night- a separate cottage in the back yard of a house. Manhattan is more expensive but I would definitely check out doing this instead of a hotel.