Trip to New York City-where to stay

Parent Cafe
21

<p>The ‘Times Square’ Residence Inn is the one on 6th Ave betw 38/39th that I mentioned. I wouldn’t technically call it Times Square, but that’s marketing for you! I believe it’s new construction within the past 10 years (which is new for a NYC hotel). The Marriot Maquis is in the middle of Times Square (44th & 7th), however the rooms are tiny and you will wait FOREVER for an elevator. </p>

<p>FYI - in NYC the streets go east/west and approximately 10 blocks = 1 mile, the Avenues go north/south and are spaced much farther apart - each block is probably 0.25 miles, so it’s <0.5 miles between these 2 hotels. I would take the Residence Inn, which is just 2 blocks south of Bryant Park, which is a lovely green space in the spring/summer and just west of the NY Public Library. (right now it’s sporting an ice rink).</p>

22

<p>Montegut, I sent you a private message.</p>

23

<p>NYC has changed a lot in the last 20 years, especially Manhattan, very few areas in Manhattan these days are particularly dangerous. Times Square used to be sleaze central (the theater district is technically part of it), now that and the surrounding area have been disneyfied as others have said, Times Square is tourist oriented, with the Hard Rock Cafe and so forth kind of things, but it is safe. The area to the west used to be known for prostitution and such, now it is full of restaurants and high end apartments and such. Likewise, despite the rep many out of towners still hold, the subways are fast and easy to use, they are one of the best ways to get around. In terms of safety, if you keep your eyes and ears open you will be fine, a lot of the time when people get into trouble it is being in the wrong place at the wrong time, which is still rare (like when you find out the suburban kid that got mugged was looking to score drugs…). Some personal recommendations of mine, based on a lot of years of living and working in NYC:</p>

<p>-Greenwhich village, despite being way, way gentrified, still has a lot of charm to it, wandering around the west village is nice, and the park on the waterfront is worth going to (I would recommend doing that during the day; at night there are some issues there), and the beltway park around manhattan is fantastic</p>

<p>-The high line, lot of fun. Personally, I would stay away from the meatpacking district, not because it is dangerous (used to be pretty wild) but rather because it has become so chi chi it isn’t my thing. </p>

<p>-The Metropolitan Museum is a wonderful experience, as is the Museum of Modern Art (met is 81st and 5th, MOMA on 53rd between 5th and 6th).</p>

<p>-The Staten Island Ferry is fun, and it is free. You board it at South Ferry and it travels through NY Harbor to Staten Island, and you get incredible views (good way to cool off if it is warm out, too). You stay on the boat, and ride it back to its ferry terminal. You could combine that with seeing the 9/11 memorial, Wall Street, etc…</p>

<p>-Go for a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, that is something not to be missed, and it is walkable if you do other things in lower Manhattan.</p>

<p>-If you like Deli Food, Katz Deli at Houston and Ludlow street is worth the trip, plus there is Orchard Street nearby, which is a major shopping destination. Hint, if asking where it is, pronounce Houston as “How-ston”, otherwise they will make you for a rube <em>lol</em></p>

<p>-If you like Asian food, check out Chinatown, lots of great restaurants and such. If you like to try something new, try the Nom Wah Tea Parlor on Doyers street in Chinatown, it is the older Dim Sum (dumpling) house in Chinatown, and was recently renovated from being a wreck to being clean and nice…</p>

<p>-Central Park is a lot of fun, again I recommend in the day time. Check out the boat pond on the East Side and on the 5th avenue side, check out Pale Male and his mate (they are hawks who nest on the facade of a co-op across from the park). There also is a zoo there as well as a lake where you can go rowing. </p>

<p>-FAO Schwartz is always fun to check out, it is at 59th and 5th near the park.</p>

<p>-Check out Lincoln center, which is the home to the Metropolitan Opera, NY Philharmonic and the City Ballet as well as Juilliard, it is fun just wandering around it, and there are always shows and programs there. Likewise, check out Carnegie Hall at 57th and 7th avenue, they offer tours of the place that are fun, or better yet, see if anything interesting is going on while you are in town. It is an absolutely beautiful concert hall with incredible sound. </p>

<p>-If you are feeling like you want more of an adventure, if the Yankees are in town check out Yankee stadium, it is pretty quick and easy to get there by subway from Manhattan and it is a nice experience. </p>

<p>-For food, NYC has a ton of restaurants and I would recommend staying away from the tourist places or the chains, there is food at every level available. 9th avenue in the 40’s and 50’s is loaded with all kinds of restaurants, wander until you see something you like. </p>

<p>Carmines on west 44th street should be experienced, but bring an appetite. It isn’t particularly cheap but the portions are huge and you kind of share it family style with whoever you are eating with. Their caesar salad has to be seen to be believed…down the block a bit is John’s pizza (whose original place is still open on Bleeker Street in Greenwich Village), great thin crust pizza. </p>

<p>-If you really want to do the tourist thing, try the circle line at the foot of 42nd street and the hudson River. Also while there, check out the Intrepid air and space museum, it is a pretty cool display as well.</p>

<p>-In terms of plays and such, I agree with others, if you are looking to go to a hit show, get the tickets as far in advance as possible, things like book of Mormon and Spider Man are booked way down the line. On the other hand, there are a lot of shows you can see, broadway and off broadway. If you don’t mind waiting in line, there is the TKTS booth in Times Square which has half off tickets to shows, including often top shows that had unsold tickets. </p>

<p>Just some favorites:).</p>

24

<p>Hotel Beacon.</p>

25

<p>Rose Center/Hayden Planetarium
Guggenheim
Shake Shack Madison Square Park</p>

26

<p>

</p>

<p>This cannot be emphasized enough. Please, for the love of all that is holy, stay away from the Olive Garden/Hard Rock Cafe/McDonald’s, etc. places. You’ll be in one of the greatest eating cities in the world, so take advantage. For a tasty and inexpensive meal on the go, have a hot dog at Gray’s Papaya or Papaya King. Or get pizza at John’s on Bleecker St. (whole pies only) or Stromboli on University Place.</p>

27

<p>Booklady - best chuckle of my day!</p>

<p>We live in PA and for my birthday and our anniversary we take the train into the city, go to one of the aforementioned destinations and then have dinner and come home. Are we nuts or what? Actually, we once just drove into NYC just to have dinner at Candle 79. In fact, the more I am talking about this, I am starting to feel the need for a dinner out.</p>

28

<p>My office is on 31st between 6th and 7th and there is a Hampton Inn on our rather nondescript street… There is also a classic NYC Greek coffee shop for cheap breakfast along with both Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks. The Residence Inn mentioned above is a good location as right by Bryant Park and close to Times Square and Herald Square. Heading downtown, easy walk to Madison Square Park. There is a Hilton Garden Inn on 37th street off 6th. There is a Doubletree right in the heart of the theatre district along with the Marriott Marquis as well as a Crown Plaza and the Novotel. You can go to any of the discount travel sites as well as the hotel sites themselves to check out pricing.</p>

29

<p>wnp, since you’re in Amish country, you probably live about an hour away from us (we live just west of Philadelphia). We’re going to NYC for the day on Saturday to see Follies. While Philadelphia has become a fun and interesting city, there’s nothing like New York. And you can’t get any decent pizza here!</p>

30

<p>Courtyard by Marriott Midtown East is a nice place to stay.
Courtyard by Marriott Upper East Side is a bit out of the way.
Check the subway map and try to find a hotel conveniently located to a major subway stop.
Check Tripadvisor for reviews. Keep looking for deals online. Prices change. Don’t lock yourself into a non-refundable fare until a little closer to date of check-in.</p>

<p>Safety? LOL. Most of Downtown and Midtown NYC is really safe. Safer certainly than most smaller cities in America. Young women in stylish clothes feel completely safe walking around alone at all hours of the night. For good reason.</p>

31

<p>You might not enjoy the B&B in Harlem that my D and I stayed Spring of 2009 when she was checking out Columbia. It was advertised nicely with decent photos, near some jazz clubs, but the online write-up neglected to mention the shot out store windows, nor the fact that taxi’s don’t actually drop you off at your door there … they drop you off in the nearest main avenue. It was an adventure, but I learned my lesson in the big city.</p>

32

<p>^^^Sounds like my hometown of New Orleans. I’ve seen some misguided tourists hightailing it out of some seedy hotels in awful neighborhoods. Yet, the websites make them seem so nice. That’s why I’m here asking you guys questions.</p>

33

<p>I live across the river from manhattan and if you want to stay somewhere in the area with good prices, check out jersey city, nj. There is a marriot ther by the
Path train which gets you into the city faster than some subways from outer boroughs. You can still see all of the famous sites, plus you are able to splurge more because you are not spending nyc prices on a hotel. Just my 2 cents</p>

34

<p>We liked Comfort Diner (which closed but seems to have re-opened)
[The</a> Comfort Diner - Midtown East - New York, NY](<a href=“http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-comfort-diner-new-york-2]The”>http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-comfort-diner-new-york-2)
214 E 45th St
(between 3rd Ave & 2nd Ave) </p>

<p>When we went (a few years ago) you could get a decent lunch for around $10. Or more if want to add a yummy milkshake.</p>

35

<p>Unless you are prepared to shell out big bucks, you are unlikely to have a memorable hotel stay in Manhattan, so (for the OP) stay in a Marriott. If you can’t use points, at least you will get points.</p>

<p>I vehemently agree with the advice not to eat in chain restaurants. You might enjoy going to the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station–it’s touristy, but it’s an experience (the oysters are better than the fish). I would also suggest that you avoid chain store shopping–there are interesting stores in NoLiTa.</p>

<p>

One additional tip on this: the TKTS booth has long lines, but they move pretty quickly–but if you’re interested in a play, as opposed to a musical, there is (usually) a separate and much shorter line–ask the staff people where it is.</p>

36

<p>^Yes. There’s also a TKTS booth at the South St. Seaport, and you can buy tickets there the day before for a matinee the following day: [TKTS</a> Discount Booths](<a href=“Discount Broadway Tickets for On, Off & Off-Off Shows | TKTS by TDF | TDF - Theatre Development Fund”>Discount Broadway Tickets for On, Off & Off-Off Shows | TKTS by TDF | TDF - Theatre Development Fund)</p>

37

<p>While TKTS is a great option for many, I would caution anyone who wants to see a particular show, and who is not in the city often, to make arrangements to purchase their tickets ahead of time. You can never guarantee what shows are going to have tickets available at TKTS on any particular day. If you decide you might want to see a second show, and are flexible as to what you see, then it’s a good way to do it, i.e., if you don’t mind the time standing in line. While it’s true that the line moves relatively well once the windows open, it’s not unusual to have to spend a couple of hours in line to make sure you get the show on the board that you want.</p>

38

<p>So many good recommendations, I have nothing to add other than put United Nation on your visiting agenda, its very rewarding to take the tour. Personally, I have not taken the tour for 30+ years, even I worked around UN for many years and have been to the inside many times.</p>

39

<p>The UN complex is undergoing a massive remodeling project, including asbestos remediation, so check if tours are still be offered and, if so, what you will see. </p>

<p>If you are coming in June, you should be able to get tickets to all shows right now, however I wouldn’t wait. (still kicking myself I didn’t buy Book of Mormon tickets as soon as I heard of the show. Having had Mormon nannies for nearly 10 years, I know I will get every joke!)</p>

40

<p>^^^Thanks so much for the United Nations reminder. I would love to see that. And the New York Public Library. I am thrilled to see that Starry Night is in New York. Son wants to see the Louvre one day, and I’m betting he’ll find some things he’ll love at the New York art museums.</p>

<p>I didn’t realize there was a distinction between play and musical. While he would like to see The Book of Mormon, son also wants to see Mousetrap. He’s a big Agatha Christie fan. I don’t even know if Mousetrap would even be playing anywhere stateside. </p>

<p>Thank you all so much for all your suggestions.</p>