Anything & Everything New York (PART 2) - [please search thread before posting]

HGLTsuperstar

welshiebeth wrote: »

Right, have been reading this forum for past 18 months and finally saved enough to buy flights to NYC for our 10yr wedding anniversary in Oct.....

totally understand why Marky moo and all other wise peeps avoid Times Sq, and love the idea of UWS/UES where we can get a cheapER beer and maybe some live music without feeling like we're being ripped off, but have no idea which hotels to start looking at....are staying for 3 nights 1-4 Oct

would like to keep hotel costs low, and do TOTR on ann. night as our treat, but NEED my own bathroom too and clean, relatively quiet rooms

~Looking forward to all your esteemed advice!

I agree about the own bathroom. We stayed at Hotel Beacon on UWS, 2 double beds, little kitchenette (we didn't use) and en-suite. Walking distance from 72nd St subway which is one stop to 42nd Street and all the action. Contact them direct and haggle rather than through the on-line reservation form on their website.

phatbear

squee wrote: »

Also, this is a question for PhatBear... I take it you work at an airport customs...? Can you tell me why one may get picked to be searched entering the US? Myself and Mr Squee were ushered into the red channel and spent an unpleasant hour waiting to have our luggage searched. Is it at random that they pick people? Although we were travelling together we had to book our flights seperate as Mr Squee's company paid for his flight - do single travellers tend to get stopped more?

Alas I cant answer that question for you directly but there are a multitude of reasons a person may get stopped, for instance the situation you have described, ie both arriving together but booking seperately, I have no concept of how US customs works suffice to say I could tell you some stories about them though, all of this will be covered in the my upcoming autoboigraphy. :rolleyes:

You also have to consider the recent attempted bombing of that aircraft by that nice nigerian chappie, therefore homeland security will be on high alert so anyone out of the ordinary will probably be brought to their attention.

mattybully

Hi
Thanks for this some great advice. Yes I have emailed them to ask for a high floor? Is this reccomended?
Thanks
Matt

bb69 wrote: »

Ahhh how lovely I stayed at Marmara Manhattan for my 30th last year!! went for a week
Here are my answers:
Q1 - I know the Herseys store does a birthday message, if you search within the forum you'll find more info.
Don't know of other discounts/freebies too excited to be there but i'm sure there are others.
You could ask the airline staff to make an announcement before landing? that might be nice

Q2 - We landed at JFK so took transfers with virgin, but on the way back we went from Newark and took a taxi arranged by the hotel, we left in the early hours so not much traffic - and was quick. Traffic from JFK wasnt too bad either

Q3 - Where are you going for dinner? I was taken to the view at the Marriott, it's a revolving restaurant overlooking aspects of times square (48th floor) - was lovely although foggy the day I went the waiter made an extra effort as my birthday and sent out a medley of desserts with a candle for me.

I would also recommend - Top of the rock but more so to see the sunset - breathtaking! (although cold) by hey its NYC! - we didnt do the empire state building only because it was my choice to go to TOTR and took good photos of the ESB.
Statue of Liberty is one to see. Fifth avenue for shopping i'm sure she will love! Central park is beautiful! Whilst walking take in the Chrysler building, grand central station, ESB etc

Q4 - I can only recommend the view in the marriott as that was where I went, but I'm sure there are other lovely places. Food was nice, not extravagant - Desserts (cheesecake Mmmmmmmm) and cocktails - lovely

Q5 - I am sure £ will be, depends on how much shopping you would like to do (or your girlfriend) we took the bus a bit and taxis (dont really like tubes here so wouldnt take subway there) we also found that we left early each day so a taxi into say fifth avenue as a base wasnt too costly.. Get a metro card from a subway station that will save u £. Getting bus home (:D it did feel like home) was ok or taxi being out of the hustle meant a quicker journey.

lol just realised you have Q4 twice...

Q6 - Maybe nice to get your GF a keepsake - I bought a New york moleskine diary - you can get them from waterstones etc about £10 basically its like a posh map/diary of/for NYC but you can also mark places on the map using tracing paper and write down shops you plan to go sites etc.. it serves as something to use again as i'm sure once you have been once you'll go again!!
I have written down places i have been and also things to do, you can also keep cards, tickets for memories etc in the back its very compact and will last for life!

Go to the welcome meeting at Planet Hollywood they'll explain discounts etc

Breakfast we walked to a lovely place not far from Marmara do a left and about a 5 minute walk - i think its moonstruck diner but i'll check the name for you.. great service and food at a reasonable price! & fills you up so much! if you want to get a bus there is a bus stop outside the diner too - they run ok.

To the right there is a Macdonalds and to the left a lil walk away a papa johns pizza (but they can deliver to the hotel).. walk straight up to i think 3rd avenue and do a left and there are chinese restaurants etc.. also to the right (in between 2nd and 3rd) andis and not far is a grocers called gristede's - useful to pick up bits and bobs to tide you over and you'll have the kitchen very handy!
Shops I would recommend going into - Tiffany's, Abercrombie (only for the atmosphere!) Macys - 11% overseas discount, oooh Rugby Ralph Lauren is lovely thats near union square, DKNY etc etc depends what you like really..

I found places like century 21 and Daffy's a little hard work but if you like browsing then those are shops for you (i'm more of a i know what I want to buy so won't be in here long shopper!)

We didnt do a bus tour only because we walked to explore, but that would be nice..

Oh I am soooo excited for you! I can't wait to go back just looking at prices now!
I'll have a think of other ideas, but feel free to ask!!!

mattybully

welshiebeth wrote: »

Oooh sounds fab- can I be dead cheeky and ask how much you paid and via where?

Thanks!
WB x

Hi
I have just booked to go end of jan and the hotel has cost me £250 for 3 nights in a 1 bed premium suite.
Hope this helps
Matt

bb69

welshiebeth wrote: »

Oooh sounds fab- can I be dead cheeky and ask how much you paid and via where?

Thanks!
WB x

No problem
1K for 7 night with virgin 26 Dec 08 to 2nd Jan 09 - only was 1k as odd number of travellers with supplements for the room.
Memories ahhhhh

bb69

mattybully wrote: »

Hi
Thanks for this some great advice. Yes I have emailed them to ask for a high floor? Is this reccomended?
Thanks
Matt

No problem at all!
Yes I would recommend - there are subway works going on (didnt affect us as we went over the holiday period so not many workers around), but may be noisy - hopefully not for you.
We were on 4th and I heard some noise from lorries early in the morning going downtown.. I am a medium-light sleeper. My apt was facing 2nd avenue.
I do know sometimes the higher floors I think 6 and above are rented as long lets.. but ask just incase. 6th floor and above should be ok (some of us were on 6th medium to heavy sleepers)
Hope this hadnt put you off.. it didnt ruin holidays at all - we were out early and back late most nights
If you need any other info please feel free to ask

Savvy_Sue

You don't want to have been listening to Radio 4 from 8-9 pm tonight if you're planning a trip to NY, and you CERTAINLY don't want a hotel room on a high floor if you've been listening to that programme! :rotfl: The Night the Lights Went Out ...

Crabman

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

You don't want to have been listening to Radio 4 from 8-9 pm tonight if you're planning a trip to NY, and you CERTAINLY don't want a hotel room on a high floor if you've been listening to that programme! :rotfl: The Night the Lights Went Out ...

Here is a link to the iPlayer for anyone who is planning a trip to NY or expecting to travel to NY soon:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00pq8vp

Savvy_Sue

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

You don't want to have been listening to Radio 4 from 8-9 pm tonight if you're planning a trip to NY, and you CERTAINLY don't want a hotel room on a high floor if you've been listening to that programme! :rotfl: The Night the Lights Went Out ...

Crabman wrote: »

Here is a link to the iPlayer for anyone who is planning a trip to NY or expecting to travel to NY soon:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00pq8vp

To be fair, and before we scare you all off, that's well outside the 'normal' NY experience. We had a torrential thunderstorm one day when we were there in high summer, and had no problems at all. :rotfl:

uzubairu

HGLTsuperstar wrote: »

I agree about the own bathroom. We stayed at Hotel Beacon on UWS, 2 double beds, little kitchenette (we didn't use) and en-suite. Walking distance from 72nd St subway which is one stop to 42nd Street and all the action. Contact them direct and haggle rather than through the on-line reservation form on their website.

The Hotel Beacon is lovely.

We went there last year and will be hoping to stay there again this year.