Everything & Anything New York City

richardw

Just booked it, Holiday Inn W 31st St

ghdgirl

Hi, I just booked hotel through name your price at priceline- the Warwick....is it any good?! Hope so!!

Also, bit confused about the Ground Zero tour/museums on offer. I went in 2007 and there was a museum (?) just across from Century 21 but it was fully booked so I was disappointed not to be able to visit so am making it a priority for this trip. Anyone have any advice about which tour/museum?


Thanks

ghdgirl

Sorry, me again! Also been looking at the Sex and the City tour or shopping tour- think it is showroom visits (?) Anyone been? Advice?

thatsfabulous

Hi I thought I would tell you a little bit about my recent trip to NY not a trip report as such but some info which may help others.

4th Trip to New york
Dates: 2-7th October
Route: Manchester- Amsterdam-New York JFK with KLM
Hotel: Hilton Manhattan East

Flights were great we were impressed with KLM they were very good we were travelling as Elite Plus passengers and we got to board first and use the buisness line in check-in etc which made it a little bit special.
Arrived at JFK around 4pm local and had to wait about 1hour 20mins at immigration lines were quite long as a flight had landed just before us. Got a taxis from JFK and arrived at our Hilton hotel about 6.30pm, very happy with hotel rooms were nice and location central
but nice and quiet. Very comfortable beds!!

We got the 7 day Subway pass for our duration which was $27, we only got a taxis once so we made full use of our pass.

We had breakfast at the Pershing Square Cafe right near grand central under the bridge it was just 10mins walk from our hotel, it was very nice we went back on our last morning as we enjoyed it that much however they only had waffles no bacon or sausage etc not sure why maybe they ran out?!
Another place we went for breakfast during our visit was Prime Burger which we found on our first visit in 2008 its right near St
Patricks and they do great breakfasts at a reasonable price.
Other mornings we ate at Deli's like 'Pax'


We went to the street market near grand central on the sunday morning we didnt know about it just seen it while we were going for the subway. It was good went on and on for blocks.
Also went to city hall park, Wall Street, Century21 and southstreet seaport on our first full day. Only accessories and shoes at Century21 though as you can look at the accessories then leave the shop go around the side door and right into shoes so its not too much of a nightmare, I bought some converse & sunglasses and mum got a handbag.
At Seaport there was the Diwali ( Indian Christmas) festival which ment there was quite an atmosphere it was great so we stayed there that evening there was also lots of fireworks which we really enjoyed.

We done the Radio City Tour which we also really enjoyed it was very informative and we got to meet a Rockette which was good as we were too early to see the 'Radio City Spectacular'.

Went to Jersey Gardens for one day, I know people say its a shame to leave the city for a day however it's close and we pretty much done all of our shopping in this one day. We have been before and really like it here, we went first thing and stayed until the evening. We had planned to get the 7.15 bus back but there was quite a line and we didnt get on the bus so ended up waiting ( in the rain) for over an hour for the next bus back. We ended up just eating local that evening as we were quite wet and all shopped out.

Other places we went were:
Central Park Zoo- It was a little sad with some of the animals
Washington Square park- really liked this area
Union Sqaure
Of Course Times Square- went to Virgils BBQ we liked it here big portions and couple of bars

On our final night we went to see Wicked which was fabulous, I got us partial view seats at the Gershwin theatre sat on the left side which were a real gem we didn't really miss anything but they were half the price.

We left the next day about 6pm for our 10pm flight, Terminal 3 which I have flown out of before most of the good shops/ places to eat are landside. We were checked in by Delta on behalf of KLM and we went too impressed with them they were treating us as Delta passengers not KLM which was rather annoying as it was different to the outbound flight which should not have been the case and we had a few problems at the airport which we will be writting a letter to KLM about.

Any questions please ask

Overall had a really great visit, I'm missing it so much already!!

scottishgirl87

ghdgirl wrote: »

Sorry, me again! Also been looking at the Sex and the City tour or shopping tour- think it is showroom visits (?) Anyone been? Advice?

I did the SATC tour in 2006 and tbh, it wasn't worth it Basically it involved driving past alot of things while clips from the show were shown on the bus. Was cool seeing Carrie's doorstep but I'm pretty sure you can seek that out on your own. You also got taken to the bar Steve owned/worked in and had a Cosmopolitan and the sex shop where Charlotte bought her rabbit. The best part for us was the cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery!

thatsfabulous

I haven't ever done the tour but I am a MASSIVE SATC fan. I personally don't think the very best places from the series are on the tour having seen the places they go to. As scottishgirl87 says you can go to carries stoop yourself, Magnolia bakery ( theres one near radio city now too) New York Library ( from the first movie) Tiffany ( outside Charlotte says 'Alrighty') The Plaza ( right outside where carrie see's big after engagement party) Brooklyn Bridge (where Miranda and Steve reunite) The boathouse ( Central park where carrie & Big fall in the river)
As your walking around the city you will see places that you will recognise as pretty much everywhere you go in NY they have filmed a clip from SATC.lol.

duchy

johnnyroper wrote: »

complete opposite to how Virgin have become in my opinion with highly made up young women who have little interest in helping.

I'm finding it really depressing how bad Virgin have got. Had a right little madam who was rude to lots of passengers-and rude about them to a fellow FA in August. Completely unprofessional. I'm staying in NJ in December and didn't even consider Virgin after that experience. Whenever I've travelled Continental they've treated me well although Newark is my nemesis airport for delays but as we're planning on staying at East Rutherford rather than pay Manhattan prices for December Newark is the obvious choice.

KK22_2

ghdgirl wrote: »

Hi, I just booked hotel through name your price at priceline- the Warwick....is it any good?! Hope so!!

Also, bit confused about the Ground Zero tour/museums on offer. I went in 2007 and there was a museum (?) just across from Century 21 but it was fully booked so I was disappointed not to be able to visit so am making it a priority for this trip. Anyone have any advice about which tour/museum?


Thanks

Hi, We went to the NYPD police museum when we were there in May and i would definitely recommend it. It's obviously largely focused on the history of NYPD but they have a very interesting exhibit dedicated to the 9/11 attack. They have video footage, exhibits from the wreckage and a lot of interesting info as well.

curlygirl1971

Hi

Not strictly a NY review but hope that this may be of some interest/use to someone considering going further afield from Manhatten.

Our itinerary was as follows, most of the bookable items were done via Expedia (Quidco Cashback and Nectar Points to collect):beer:

Flew Continental. Flight going was fine - you can put up with most things. Movie selection great. But coming back was unpleasant. Cramped and although we'd asked for aisle at time of booking we weren't given them on return flights. And I am that person that needs to go to the loo several times!

Sunday 3rd - Arrival at Newark at 1pm - Immigration was dead quick. Booked Carmel Limo online night before - everything was okay and we used the $3 voucher found in this thread. (Last trip in 2007 from JFK - got the shuttle bus (people carrier) for $19 each - crammed in like Sardines - much rather spend little more). We flew into Newark as my 80 year old aunt is INSISTENT at driving us from NJ back to Airport at end of holiday and Newark is clearly the better option for this - but not necessarily cheapest flights.

Nights of Sunday & Monday - stayed at The Wellington on 7th & 55th. It was okay - FAB view of Central Park from Window and 8th from Balcony!... but of course this kind of thing is luck. We asked for extra pillows (the bed had 3?) and when they arrived I didn't think they were clean. Service was otherwise good. Room needed some updating.......but we were only there 2 nights and there was no sign of bedbugs. Would I stay there again - No. The location was great for us. View amazing but not guarranteed. Breakfast was expensive in this area

Monday - we'd booked a Niagara day tour with Expedia (It was actually JBT Travel - who didn't seem to be any cheaper direct - but check if you're booking as they sometimes discount. There were also people in the group who had booked via Grayline). It was well organised - I'd looked into all the individual components myself and other options but couldn't do it much cheaper and hadn't even priced transfers. Due to travel time you only spend around 4 1/2 hours in the Niagara area. We were picked up at 6.30am outside the hotel (first day was a great day to do it as we were still on UK Time), taken to JFK, flew to Rochester, Transferred to Buffallo, taken through Canadian Border (no visas required), Fab buffet lunch 1 hr, Maid of the Mist boat, tour round general area - both sides, no probs getting back into US, transfer to Buffalo Airport, flight back, transfer back to Manhatten Hotel. Due to delayed flight (weather) we didn't get back to our hotel until 12.30am.........Would I recommend it? No. Don't do a day trip. Niagara is amazing - look for cheap internal flights to Buffalo (JetBlue?) and see if you can get a hotel for one night and spend a day and half enjoying the falls and surrounding area.

The falls area is COLD - colder than NY and even colder on the water. Take warm clothes especially as you get a little damp

Tuesday to Thursday nights - I was jammie enough to get the FREE use of a Condo in Hell's Kitchen, owned by my employer :beer: It was AMAZING. So much so that I struggled to leave it in the morning. Enjoyed eating at some of the resaturants on 9th from around 52nd heading towards downtown - there were a lot to choose from.

Something we'd never done before was the Smithsonian Museum of the Native American (err Bowling Green Subway I think?) - it was okay but some of it was closed for a revamp so it wasn't as 'meaty' as I expected considering the history and culture of the NA. But it was free. I'd have another look another time when it's fully open.

Subway - We worked out where we wanted to go and when in advance. We were only using Subway two days so we just loaded $8 each onto metro cards ($8 plus 15% bonus = $9.25, means you get 4 journeys at $2.25 with 20c left at end). We ended up buying 2 each but had 2 journeys left unsused at end of second day.

Friday afternoon - we hailed a cab from 9th & 52nd to Penn Station. (Would have been walkable if not for my huge luggage and bad back). The driver presumed he had an airport fare and was really naffed off with us. He took the mickey and didn't realise we knew the very easy straight forward route. Made me appreciate the value of a little local knowledge

We caught the Amtrak to Philadelphia for 2 nights. I didn't book until 2 weeks before - If I'd have booked earlier the tickets would have been about $10 cheaper each. Train was really comfy (might try the 4 hours to Washington next time) and only took about 1 hr 20 mins? I think the main thing for Amtrak is 1) book early 2) get in that boarding queue as quick as you can as platforms are only announced 10-15 mins before boarding - a fellow passenger who gets that train regularly told me that they overbook the reserved coaches and on busy days some have to stand all the way to washington! 3) it's quieter on a week-day off peak.

Bad signage at Philadelphia 30th Street Station (Main station for the city) if you are looking to get on the subway - go out of the station main exit, across street and down several flights of stairs to subway. Couldn't find escalators easily. Subway is very fast and very cheap for the city centre. (You buy tokens, minimum of 2 at a time $3.10, 1 token per journey per person)

Subway is ran by SEPTA. Don't ask for SEPTA and Ignore the SEPTA signs - this is for the Regional Train network. The Subway is known as the subway.

Never been to Philly before - we found the streets confusing after NY. Still a grid system but squares so you have to walk further to orientate yourself.

We were staying in Holiday Inn Historic on Arch street. Recommend it? Nope. I've never thought of myself as fussy before but this hotel felt grubby and the breakfast was overpriced. It was also opposite the Fire Station so was very noisy in the night!

We got the Big Bus Tour but it's not as good a value for money as say the Grayline loops in NY. The buses were packed full, every half hour if you were lucky and not as many stops. However it was convenient for seeing the city in a day....you can book online, with the guys on the street before you get on or at the Vistors Centre.

It's really not my kind of thing but it was my BF's choice - Eastern State Penitentiary- It was GREAT, really interesting and different. Interesting audio tour included. Allow 2 hours.

Independance Hall is interesting if you're into Amercian History. You'll probably be the only Brit's doing the tour . Allow 2 hours. You'll need a free ticket. Either book your timed place online before you go (small booking fee $1.5) or go to the Visitor Centre from 8.30am onwards for tickets for that day. Round the corner is the Liberty Bell - again free to get in. Betsy Ross House was fairly interesting - gives you a view of a 1700's house - allow 30 mins.

Rocky Steps - didn't do them. Ran out of energy.

Would I go back to Philly? Maybe - I love Art and didn't have time to go into the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Meant to be 3rd best / largest in States after the Met in NY and National in DC) so given how easy it is to get to Philly then maybe I would go back and do that. But otherwise I've done Philly. When I was there I missed Manhatten, but it is a nice city to spend a little time in.

From Philly I went to a small town in New Jersey where I have family. You can easily get the NJ transit from Penn Station NY, down the NJ coast and its cheap. But as soon as you get off the train there is no public transport in most of the towns - so make sure you have some local cab numbers in advance. There are some BEAUTIFUL areas to NJ and it's a very different pace of life and scene to NY. Quaint little American towns / lovely beaches - if you fancy doing something different then do a little research and go off for the day. NJ isn't all industry.....It's called the Garden State for good reason.

After all that though........I'm exhausted and need a holiday:rotfl:

curlygirl1971

I have read this thread all the way through but that was a couple of months ago and can't remember if much has been posted regarding Bed Bugs. Apologies if this is repetition

Aparantly Bed Bugs are on the rampage in NY and other areas and have been for nearly a year. They are in hotels, theatre, cinemas and on trains - anywhere where there is fabric

A relative over the there and also a local I got talking to on the train gave me the following advice:-

- when you get into a room, before you open your case, check the bed. Pull back all the sheets and look at the mattress seams. Baby bugs will show as black bits. Adult bugs are more obvious.

- take large plastic bags (we used refuse bags). Don't unpack your case. Keep it zipped and place the case in the refuse bag and tie. Someone else said to just leave the suitcases in the bath as bugs can't go over shiny surface.

- take your clothes out for next day and keep in tied plastic bag over night.

- shake out your worn clothes, check under the collar. keep hung up over night before re-packing

- they will bite you but apparantly they carry no disease.

- they don't like extreme cold or heat. So if you happen to take any back in your suitcase the cold of the hold will most likely kill them. However you could still take them back on your person if you get infested and you're not careful. It can cost a lot of money to get rid of them in your own home

The not un-packing thing is a royal pain if you're staying for a few days but as we were ending our trip with a stay with family we felt especially obliged to avoid infestation! We saw some guys trying raise awareness on the street, handing out leaflets etc, and we also saw a very smartly dressed guy stop dead in the middle of the street and comb his hair with a nit comb! I'm still itching now at the mere thought

Not trying to freak anyone out - It's entirely up to you whether you take any of this onboard and bother with the tips