Everything & Anything New York City

mynameisclare

Agh I think they've gone. When I clicked through to the booking page (from skyscanner) it went from £390 to £480

Oh well, I think I'll keep checking and cross my fingers!

snowydogh

Just booked 5 nights at the Jumeirah Essex House on Central Park, inc. direct flights and taxes for £894! Indirect flights and hotel were £723 but mum wouldn't bother spending a 3-4 hour layover in Charlotte, NC...so we paid the extra for direct! :cool:

Can't wait to see what this 4.5* hotel has to offer! Looking forward to planning my activities with my mum! As long as I get my helicopter ride !!!

M4RKM

mynameisclare wrote: »

Agh I think they've gone. When I clicked through to the booking page (from skyscanner) it went from £390 to £480

Oh well, I think I'll keep checking and cross my fingers!

One thing I've learned is never to believe skyscreen-scrapers like kayak or skyscanner. Always go to the airlines website, start the booking process and try from there.

Nobjocki

M4RKM wrote: »

One thing I've learned is never to believe skyscrapers like kayak or skyscanner. Always go to the airlines website, start the booking process and try from there.

Those " skyscrapers " are just pie in the sky !

I find screen-scrapers are a useful starting off point to get a handle on what's available on certain routes and sometimes they even turn up routes and airlines I hadn't thought of.

It's also worth comparing different screen-scrapers as they often don't all provide exactly the same prices.

M4RKM

Nobjocki wrote: »

Those " skyscrapers " are just pie in the sky !

I find screen-scrapers are a useful starting off point to get a handle on what's available on certain routes and sometimes they even turn up routes and airlines I hadn't thought of.

It's also worth comparing different screen-scrapers as they often don't all provide exactly the same prices.

And how I love pie.... nom. It was stupid o clock in the morning. I wasn't thinking straight

I normally use kayak, i've found it the most reliable as it searches live, whereas I think skyscanner caches prices and then you don't really get to know the price til you click through.

M

Nobjocki

M4RKM wrote: »

And how I love pie.... nom. It was stupid o clock in the morning. I wasn't thinking straight

I normally use kayak, i've found it the most reliable as it searches live, whereas I think skyscanner caches prices and then you don't really get to know the price til you click through.

M

Kayak is my go-to too and funnily enough it is for one of my favourite budget travel writers Matt Gross of the NY Times.

http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/click-it-and-ticket-booking-a-flight-the-frugal-way/

Unfortunately Matt changed jobs last year and the new feller Seth Kugel is crap.

But I'd recommend the Gross archive as great research material for anyone planning a budget trip anywhere and don't forget the comments at the end which are often a mine of information from local people on the ground.

snowydogh

Has anyone stayed at Jumeirah Essex House?

I have a Kings Size Romm (not suite) booked for 5 nights.. I'm staying with my mum. I notice on their website they say king size or double bed. I booked through expedia and specifically went for the king size instead of queen size so there's more space for me and my mum in a bed...I'm wondering if I emailed the hotel asking specifically for twin beds so we get our own bed each...is that the best way to ensure a twin room?

(when booked through expedia the option was king or twin.... so I selected that but it didn't let me state if it was one or two beds I wanted)

Jonni2bad

Thought I would add my recent experience to help others on here the way I have been helped... You’d better take a seat for this one!

We departed on 18th June for 4 nights, staying at the Eastgate Tower Hotel (on 39th Street between 2nd and 3rd Ave)

This was a 40th Birthday "treat" for my wife so we were not trying our best to achieve budget status, although it wasn't a 'money no object' holiday either. What we saved on staying at the Eastgate -v- perhaps a Hotel in Times Square was used to fund some other treats, and I'm glad we did that.

Living in the East Midlands, we decided to stay overnight before the flight and chose the Holiday Inn Express on London Road, just a 5 minute drive down the road from the airport. Very nice, good, spacious room in very good condition. Breakfast in the morning was good too, with a great choice of cooked food etc. I would certainly recommend a pre-flight stop there if you are some distance from the airport.

Parking was in the same booking but was actually at Quality (Q-Park) on the same road, just on the edge of the airport grounds. I'm sure some people would much prefer to leave their car at the Hotel, but it was no problem for us and the service there was good too, lots of mini-buses and we were never waiting long, either out or in. Again, I would recommend this.

We used the Servisair Lounge at Heathrow, the first time I have paid specifically for the use of one. It's a reasonable lounge, quite comfortable, but was very busy on arrival (around 11.00am) and seating was sparse for the first 15 minutes. After having a drink at the small 'bar' area, we moved into the more comfy seats and the guest numbers began to reduce substantially over the next 30-45 minutes. In fact, by the time we left, there were probably only 10% of the numbers that had been there at the start. It cost around £35 but, along with the Hotel and Parking deal, I got around £15 cash-back so it felt like we paid just £20..!

If I'm honest, I don't think I would use this one again. It was OK, but we never really felt like 'valued customers' and for the full price of £35 I just can't let myself recommend it to others, it wasn't quite enough. I have been into lounges before, but not for some time. We last used the BA ones at Manchester and Gatwick and they really did have much more of a feeling of being a bit special.

We flew Virgin and booked our flights direct around 3 months in advance, from LHR to JFK paying £1,100 for the two of us, although the return leg was premium economy, so it would have been approx £890 without that.

This was the first time we had flown Virgin and I'm a convert. Great service from start to finish, very friendly staff, both at check-in (which we did on the morning, at the airport, rather than online) and the cabin crew. Economy seats (outbound) were certainly a bit more spacious than the cattle market planes that typically take you to the normal European holiday hotspots, the in-flight entertainment was very good, free drinks, little snacks and treats etc and even the meals were good (even if the Gu dessert was out of date!)

I had previously read reviews both here and elsewhere describing the various transfer services available from JFK to Manhattan and had been close to booking with Carmel until some very poor recent reviews made me think twice. In the end, we opted for a Yellow Cab directly outside the terminal. We didn't have to wait long and got a nice, big, clean taxi for $50.50 (inclusive of the toll fee) which is, of course, a fixed fee. The cabbie knew his stuff and was constantly up and down the off/on ramps of the highway to avoid some of the queues - it was quite busy (Saturday afternoon) but we made good progress.

It's only a small point, but we loved the in-car tracking screens in the back of cabs, which show your position via GPS and you can zoom in and out etc. You can tell I am easily amused!

The Eastgate Tower was very different to how I imagined. I had read plenty of reviews (mainly on Trip Advisor but also here) and it may have been my mis-interpretation but I had assumed this was almost like a block full of suites with a key to the door, which happens to have a maid service and a 'sort of' reception. It couldn't have been more different and was just the same as any other Hotel, full reception service, 24hrs, concierge etc etc. The only thing it didn't have (which we knew about) was a bar or restaurant. We didn't want this so it made for the perfect venue.

The rooms, corridors etc were a little tired, certainly, and the room itself was not the most modern and flash that you will find, but everything was clean, the room very big and it made for a great base to explore NY. I would, without doubt, recommend you give this a try if you're planning now. Try to remember that you’re only going to sleep and shower there, so unless you have money to burn, there is no point in paying a fortune.

We booked this through Thomas Cook, but only because they were the cheapest at that time and there was also £40 cash-back to help! We paid around £450 for 4 nights, again booked around 3 months in advance.

If you staying anywhere near this Hotel, then I would also recommend a great little diner for your breakfast - The Town House, situated on 2nd and 38th. Great cooked breakfasts and not too pricey. If you like your bacon, then ask for the Canadian bacon, otherwise you'll end up with thin, streaky, crispy stuff (unless, of course, you like that!)

We had a really good sized breakfast each morning with lots of coffee (free refills, obviously) and this set us up for the day ahead. I was a little concerned when I read on the menu that the breakfasts are all served with "home fries" and thought that chips in the morning might be a step too far, but (for the un-educated like me) this actually meant a fairly nice, fried potato in strips with small bits of veg. You're not forced to have it, of course, but give it a go and you might be quite surprised.

Having weighed up the options of the pre-paid card -v- pay-as-you-go attractions, we opted for the New York Pass (3-day) and this seemed to save us some money when looking at the actual places we wanted to see. The bonus, to us anyway, was that we could then decide if we wanted to use the cards for other attractions if we had time. The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to simply list the places you definitely want to visit, cost them individually and see if you can save some dollars using a card. If worked well for us, but I guess it's not for everyone.

Whilst the cards advertise queue cutting as a major plus, the reality is that this is just a small extra. Again, it seemed to work well for us when there were some queues - buying tickets for the Liberty Island ferry, for instance, and again when getting tickets for TOTR (Rockefeller) and I guess we saved around 30minutes of queue time in both cases, so I can’t deny it was of some value.

I had the mistaken belief that tickets for the Liberty Ferry were timed, but this was not the case so I suspect I was confusing this with the actual entry to the statue. We went to Battery Park on the Sunday and collected tickets for the ferry at the small book store within the Castle Clinton Monument grounds (this is also where the main ticket windows are, but no need to queue if you have the NY Pass.

We told the person we wanted to go the next morning and, in return, she gave us tickets which simply had an expiry date of (I think) one week ahead, so therefore we could change our plans if needed.

What you do get, of course, is a queue to get through security before getting on the ferry, but after this the ferries are every 20 minutes and they can take A LOT of people, so there shouldn’t be too much trouble after that. When we got there on the Monday morning, around 9am, there was just a very small line leading into the ‘tented’ area for security screening - so maybe we were lucky. I’m not going to get into a debate about the security - it is what it is. Or, to put it another way - wadda ya gonna do?

A small tip - go up to the top of the ferry and stand on the right (starboard if you like) as this means you’ll get the best first photo opportunity of the big green lady.

We had decided not to go up the statue itself because, for us, the beauty of the thing is external. I really couldn’t care less what the inside is like and we had already seen Manhattan from up high by going to the Empire State. Others, I’m sure, will disagree.

Although relatively small by comparison to many other NY attractions, the statue itself is quite awe-inspiring and a wonderful sight from up close. We did the normal shots, there are plenty of people milling around who are willing to take your picture if you need it, after all, everyone is in the same boat.

We did, however, want to visit the museum at Ellis Island and, although neither of us had any knowledge of our own families ever making the trip to these shores in years gone by, it was well worth the time spent reviewing some of the history behind this place and the stories and pictures of those who made the decision to find a new life in America back then.

The queue for the return ferry was long but, with the vast numbers they carry, we were only waiting in line for about 30 minutes. Oh, and it just so happened that Jedward were on our ferry back, which was equally bizarre as it was amusing!

Other attractions to note;

The Empire State Building, which we did in the day, was quite good, some unusual d!cor like the metallic flooring and the view from the top was great.

Top Of The Rock (Rockefeller) we did at night to get a different feel for the city. When you get in the lift, have your video at the ready and look up. I won’t spoil the rest for you. Both of these buildings were quite bland (on the outside) but you don’t really go there for that, it’s all about the views from the top.

For pure aesthetic ‘beauty’ in a tall building, I don’t think you can beat the Chrysler Building. Not the biggest, but stunning design and wonderful features.

Times Square was amazing, perhaps more so at night when the full effect of the lights can really take over, but just as good to visit if you have to go in the day and are pushed for time. Even if you’re not interested in toys or chocolates, have a look in the Toys-R-Us and M&M shops, quite bizarre and very unique (certainly by our standards in the UK).

Central Park is wonderful and very much at odds with the big city on it’s doorstep. I would suggest you leave this until you’ve been in NY for a little while (i.e. don’t make it your first place to go) and I say this because it needs to be seen in the context of where it is, as much as what it is. Once you have experienced the enormity of downtown Manhattan, it may help to put the tranquillity and splendour of the green open spaces into perspective - just a thought!

We visited the Bodies Exhibition near Pier 17 but don’t go if you’re a bit squeamish - some parts are not for the faint hearted. A great exhibition though, very unique. Good location too, you can nip out for a view across the river, see the tall ships, have a good bite to eat locally etc.

Ground Zero, St. Paul’s Chapel and the Tribute WTC Visitor Centre - these places will probably vary according to your own experience of 9/11 attack, so I’m not going to dwell too much on this. Very poignant, to say the least…

We also decided to take in a show on our trip and I have to say - WOW!

We went to the Minskoff Theatre to see The Lion King, absolutely stunning and worth every single penny (sorry, dime) of the entrance fee. Believe me, it doesn’t matter where you sit for this (we were second to back row) you will hear, see and feel every part of the performance. I really can’t over-sell this enough. If you have the time and the money then take it in. For the record, we don’t go the theatre very often and I hate musicals!

We also opted for the City Sights (Hop on, hop off) bus tour - again for 3-days - and although I had read mixed reviews about the worth of this, we felt it suited us as first time visitors - not only could we get a lot of info about the areas we were travelling through, but also a new and local perspective of the sights, attractions and people. On top of that, we planned to use the buses as a form of local transport. We did both the lower and upper tours in full, as well as many part tours when we wanted to get to something on our own ‘to do’ list. I’m glad we did and I think it was good value.

Places we ate;

On the first night we passed by Salute! on the corner of Madison and 39th on our way to Times Square. We decided to give it a try on the way back and it became an instant favourite. Not really for the budget conscious, this one, but certainly not daft expensive. Absolutely wonderful food, nice presentation, couldn’t fault them at all.

We stopped in Times Square one night and had a meal at Virgil’s BBQ - really good meat dishes but, as an overall experience, nothing that would make me want to get back in there.

We had a bar meal at The Playwright Irish Bar on 35th between 5th and 6th Ave, a good meal (good portion sizes) not too pricey and a nice mix of an “American Bar” feel with perhaps a more traditional Irish hospitality.

**********

In general, I think we learnt that in order to get the very best out of New York, you shouldn’t have your every move and every minute detailed and planned in advance, that you need to leave plenty of time for just going with your gut feeling, eating where it feels right at the time, spending time just wondering through the neighbourhoods and seeing what little treasures you can find.

For such a “big” city by name and reputation, it certainly feels much smaller when you’re there. The grid system for roads was a blessing - we instantly knew where we were in relation to the rest of the city at any given time since it’s only a case of counting up or down with streets and avenues - for instance, if you’re on the corner on 20th and 3rd and you need to get to the Rockefeller on 50th and 5th, then you really don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know it’s 30 blocks up (north) and 2 blocks left (west)

Taxis were, just like the movies, absolutely everywhere. Not expensive either - a ride from our Hotel to Battery Park for the ferry cost about £10 (inclusive of the tip)

This was definitely our best ever city break and I would recommend going there to anyone - it’s big enough with such diverse features that I think it could suit just about any tastes. If you read these pages because you’re trying to make your mind up about going, stop reading and start booking - NOW!

M4RKM

snowydogh wrote: »

I'm wondering if I emailed the hotel asking specifically for twin beds so we get our own bed each

NYC hotels rarely do twin beds. What you should try and get is a room with 2 queen/double beds.

I don't know of any hotel in Manhattan that offers twin beds.

snowydogh

M4RKM wrote: »

NYC hotels rarely do twin beds. What you should try and get is a room with 2 queen/double beds.

I don't know of any hotel in Manhattan that offers twin beds.

Your right - that was the description I had read on one of the hotel review sites 'twin' but they must have meant double as per description on their website......