<p>H and I are trying to arrange a long weekend at the end of June in NYC with our two Ds and son-in-law before older D heads back to her PhD program in PA and younger D started medical school in the midwest.</p>
<p>Any recommendations would be appreciated!!</p>
<p>*Best airport to fly into
*Hotels within walking distance of shows and restaurants
*Restaurants to go to prior to shows
*Show recommendations
*Your favorite sights to see during the day, etc.</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>The one thing I would recommend at that time of year would be to have brunch at the beautiful Boathouse Restaurant in Central Park. You can look it up on-line and make reservations on-line or by phone. It is dressy casual and the food and view are wonderful. You are seated overlooking a big lake and the lake has swan rides and small boats…very picturesque atmosphere and the food was good too!</p>
<p>Hope you’ll be able to fit that into your weekend plans!</p>
<p>Do a search on this forum and you will find many threads on this topic.</p>
<p>Thank you CCC - great idea!</p>
<p>Cbreeze - I’ve done the search and read through the threads. Shows change, restaurant recommends change, hotels go in and out of favor,etc. so I was looking for current suggestions relative to June 2011.</p>
<p>We used this great site to plan our weekend in NYC: nycvp.com</p>
<p>They have special packages and you can also customize an itinerary to suit your desires. My friend and I were able to book our hotel, dinner reservations, tours and shows. She was flying in from Utah and they even prepared transportation to and from the airport for her. Prices were very reasonable compared to booking ourselves. We saw Mama Mia and the seats were awesome.</p>
<p>Our complete itinerary package including show tickets, hotel info, etc. was mailed to me before the weekend. Everything went smoothly and we packed a lot of things into 2 days! It even included free tickets to the CBS early show, Top of the Rock observation deck and some other discount coupons.</p>
<p>Highly recommend them! Have fun planning.</p>
<p>Last August we stayed at the Comfort Inn Theatre District on 44th between 8th and 9th about two blocks west of Times Square. [Manhattan</a> hotels, Comfort Inn Theatre District, New York City hotel near Times Square](<a href=“http://www.comfortinn.com/hotel-new_york-new_york-NY464]Manhattan”>http://www.comfortinn.com/hotel-new_york-new_york-NY464) We walked to the three shows we saw on Broadway, caught a cab for about $10 to and from Penn Station, and took the subway to catch the boat to Liberty Island. Since we live in the DC suburbs, we didn’t fly into town. We took the Vamoose Bus.</p>
<p>If you create a login for yourself at [Playbill:</a> Broadway, Off-Broadway, London News, Listings and Tickets](<a href=“http://www.playbill.com%5DPlaybill:”>http://www.playbill.com) you will get lots of email with discounted ticket offers, and you can link directly to some of those offers through their website. We reserved “La Cage aux Folles” that way before we left. We bought tickets to “Lend Me a Tenor” at the TKTS outlet in Times Square. Both of those sets included some service charges. For “Mamma Mia” we were able to get the tickets at the box office with the print-out from playbill.com and didn’t have to pay any service charges.</p>
<p>Happykid wants to go back this summer for “Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical”.</p>
<p>My D just spent spring break in NYC. She stayed at the Paramount Hotel this time and liked it a lot. Great location and nice hotel. We have stayed at a lot of different hotels in the theatre district area as I just Hotwire one based on location, numbers of stars and price. So far we have enjoyed them all.</p>
<p>As far as shows, defintely join Playbill and also check out [BroadwayBox.com:</a> free Broadway shows Discount codes for broadway theater tickets](<a href=“http://www.Broadwaybox.com%5DBroadwayBox.com:”>http://www.Broadwaybox.com) for discounts. Playbill also lists the most up-to-date rush/student rush/lottery policies for the shows. And since it sounds like you will have some under 35s in your group they can join [HIPTIX</a> - Discount Broadway and Off-Broadway Tickets From Roundabout Theatre Company for Young Professionals](<a href=“http://www.hiptix.com%5DHIPTIX”>http://www.hiptix.com) to get $20 tickets for shows at the Roundabout. You will be there just before “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” closes. My D says it is an amazing show - Robin Williams plays the tiger and she said he was brilliant but not even the most amazing part of the show. She would also recommend “Catch Me If You Can” for a great musical. No earth-shattering story here but lots of fun and great performances from Aaron Tveit and Norbert Leo Butz. She could not get tickets to “Book of Mormon” but friends of mine who have seen say it is great. </p>
<p>Have fun!</p>
<p>Thanks all! I have joined Playbill and BroadwayBox and will check out the nycvp site! Keep those great suggestions coming!</p>
<p>Highly recommend “War Horse” at the Vivian Beaumont Theater up at Lincoln Center. You will see Lincoln Center too–an added bonus. Do not miss the 42nd Street Library and its free tours and exhibits, and you can hang in Bryant Park, where they may be having a free concert. Very close to the library is Grand Central Station–totally beautiful. And make sure to visit the Shake Shack on 44th and 8th, great burgers and a happening place. June is a great time to be here. Have fun!</p>
<p>^ We have tickets to War Horse in May. Can’t wait. </p>
<p>Chocchipcookie - thanks for the recommendation on the BoatHouse. We will be there for our anniversary and I was trying to think of some place special for dinner. I completely forgot about the Boathouse - never been there but now we have reservations. Thanks!</p>
<p>Over the years I’ve stayed at:</p>
<p>The Milford Plaza - good location but a little rundown. Our room was very, very small. Reasonable price. Probably wouldn’t stay there again but if you’re on a tight budget, it’s fine.</p>
<p>Doubletree Times Square - right in the middle of Time Squares. Location and room was great. We had a two room suite on a high floor and never heard any street noise. Unfortunately, rather pricey. I was leery about staying in the middle of Times Square but it turned out to be very convenient. Only down side is you have to battle the crowds getting in and out of the hotel. So far, this is probably my favorite if I want to be close to Times Square and wanted to spend that much $$.</p>
<p>Courtyard by Marriott Midtown East - a few blocks off Times Square in a quiet business district. The rooms are very large and reasonably priced. Would definitely stay there again.</p>
<p>I try to book us into different hotels each time for the sake of sampling it all. This time we are staying at the Fairfield Inn and Suites - Times Square. Although I keep changing it when I find other hotels that meet my requirements. This trip, I’m trying to keep it close to $200 a night.</p>
<p>The thing I find frustrating about booking hotels in NY is the price is very dependent on the time of year and seems to be constantly changing (probably true of hotels everywhere). So, a hotel that cost me $300 a night on our last trip is $400 a night this trip. A friend told me they paid $200 a night at the Kimberly last year during the US Open but for the weekend I have planned in May it’s $350 a night!</p>
<p>^^^Momlive:</p>
<p>I’ve only been there that one time for brunch, but I bet it’s amazing at dinnertime too, especially when they put all the lights on! Let me know how you enjoy it! 
I would definitely go back again, hopefully for dinner too sometime!</p>
<p>arghh…just typed long response on airports and computer spazzed…</p>
<p>I would look for the cheapest airfare & consider the cost to/from where you are staying. </p>
<ul>
<li>Newark: cab will run $60+. AirTrain comes into Penn Station (33rd & 7/8th Ave), but is pricey at $15 each/$25 roundtrip. This is walking distance to TImes Square.</li>
<li>JFK: cab is flat fare $35. Another option is AirTrain to Jamaica Queens Station for $5, where you can pick up subway ($2.25) to anywhere in NYC or Long Island railroad to Penn (not sure on cost).<br></li>
<li>LaGuardia - cab without traffic can be $15-25 depending where your hotel is. Traffic can be ugly.</li>
</ul>
<p>Google “comfortdiner”. Good food (especially known for breakfast/brunch and shakes), decent prices</p>
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<p>Yikes! I forgot it’s so expensive from Newark and that’s where we are flying in…guess I need to research other modes of transportation from the airport. I chose that flight because it was direct and the times were right. I assume there are shuttles.</p>
<p>Bus from Newark Liberty to Manhattan: $15 one way, $27 round trip
[Olympia</a> Trails | Newark Airport Express](<a href=“Seize your potential | LocaliQ”>Seize your potential | LocaliQ)</p>
<p>Train: $12.50 one way
[New</a> Jersey Transit](<a href=“http://www.njtransit.com/rg/rg_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=AirportConnectionsTo]New”>http://www.njtransit.com/rg/rg_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=AirportConnectionsTo)</p>
<p>If you’re really pinching pennies…take #62 NJ Transit bus from Newark Liberty to Newark Penn Station, then take train from Newark Penn Station to NY Penn Station. Total trip may be under $5.00 per person. Check to find out about luggage restrictions on NJ Transit bus, though.</p>
<p>If you have nice weather, NYC is delightful in June. If you like museums, check out the exhibits at each one. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has some wonderful eating spots, and a couple are outdoors.</p>
<p>Also…for a treat…look into eating at the Morgan Library. For the ambiance, you can eat in the Morgan family dining room!<br>
<a href=“Dining | The Morgan Library & Museum”>Dining | The Morgan Library & Museum;
<p>If you’re coming from newark I’d take a nj transit bus like the post says above. I believe they are 2.50 (if I remember right). If you take a cab it’s going to be $$$. There’s another bus (not a NJ transit bus) that runs between NY and NJ also. I don’t know what it’s official name is but the people who live there call it a gypsy bus. Not sure if it runs to newark or not.</p>
<p>Booked two rooms for 3 nights at the Fairfield Inn - Times Square recommended by MomLive. It was the ONLY hotel of 10-12 I checked that was below $300 a night! Room with a king bed was $207 and one with 2 double beds was $247.</p>
<p>Now collecting information on shows so everyone can give their vote on what they want to see!</p>
<p>Thanks for all the information and recommendations - they are greatly appreciated! We welcome any more ideas anyone has!</p>
<p>Wicked is excellent. I would stay away from Adams Family. Sister Act is suppose to be good.</p>
<p>Thanks, I’d like to skip the bus, too much of a hassle with luggage but we will definitely take the train. Our hotel is only a few blocks from NY Penn Station and it will be less than 1/2 the cost of a taxi. Glad you guys mentioned it. I knew in the back of my mind that Newark was more expensive than cabbing from LGA but hadn’t looked in to it. Would have ended paying the $60 for the taxi. Trains are fine with us…we spent 2 weeks last summer riding trains everywhere in Japan.</p>
<p>Midwestparent - we are going in mid-May. Will let you know what I think of the Fairfield Inn. Our rate is $223 for a king. The reviews on it seem pretty decent.</p>
<p>ETA: LOVE Wicked…have seen it twice on Broadway. War Horse got rave reviews in London and just opened this month in NYC. That’s what we’re seeing this trip.</p>
<p>We’ve seen Wicked twice, but not on Broadway. Being from Kansas, it is always fun to see. </p>
<p>We saw Lion King when it first opened many years ago. Would be fun to take our girls back as adults. </p>
<p>War Horse, Bengal Tiger, How to Succeed, and Book of Mormon all sound good. Saw a review of Championship Season on the Sunday Morning program. Anyone seen Rain - the Beatles tribute or Driving Miss Daisy?</p>