Everything & Anything New York City

greenface

Top advice plus anywhere in the world be on your guard. you have to be Oddly enough i feel very safe in Liverpool town center day or night because i know where i am and dont stand out like a sore thumb as a venerable person or a rich tourist.

guineapig

Thanks guys!

The shopping malls? well,although I am not going for the shopping per se, I find malls are ( a little) less touristy and I can condense the "shopping fix" into half a day rather than be chopping up our time by "just popping in here", then finding I have been wandering around for a couple of hours and achieved nothing.

When we went to Hawaii, we went to a shopping mall waaaaay out of the tourist areas and found some incredible bargains ( aimed at locals) plus we were amongst the locals and it had a different (and for us more exotic) atmostphere, it was great:)

Anyway, I will let you all know what I thought when I get back!

M4RKM

greenface wrote: »

... dont stand out like a sore thumb as a venerable person or a rich tourist.

I always aim to be venerable...

ven·er·a·ble/ˈven(ə)rəbəl/Adjective
1. Accorded a great deal of respect, esp. because of age, wisdom, or character: "a venerable statesman".

*grins*

greenface

oh f.e.c.k my ewe is missing again . feel like a cnt

sherbie28

Does anyone know the best way to buy NY Yankee tickets? I've found them on loads of sites but wasn't sure how it works and what sites are trusted. My sister's had a look and they are playing on sept 2,3 or 4th. I know you can buy them on the official site but it's a lot more expensive. If they bought them online what happens with getting the tickets as she'd rather be able to pick them up while they are there rather than someone post then to the UK.

M4RKM

There are only two sites you should purchase Yankees Tickets from. The first being Ticketmaster, via the yankees.com website, and the second, being stubhub.com.


With Ticketmaster, you can select will call, and you collect the tickets on arrival at the stadium, or with StubHub, look for INSTANT DOWNLOAD tickets, which you get on e-mail and print off yourself.

I've done both options, and they're both official and trustworthy.

M

bleepandbooster

Yep ............ Thumbs up for StubHub. Thumbs up for Ticketmaster and the will call service ........ used it many a time for concerts in the states. Just remember to take the same credit card you used to book the tickets and photo ID, just in case you are asked for them.

Hey Greenie watch your language some of us here in Gogland mynd i'r capel ar y dydd Sul !!!

David

melancholly

just looking at renting an apartment - have done it in other US cities as it's just plain cheaper, plus nicer to have a kitchen to have a few things in, especially for breakfast. i've seen a few posts about this being illegal in new york, although homeaway, vrbo, holiday lettings etc etc all have lots of private apartment rentals. i can see some stories that it might be overturned but nothing to say it has been. i've never heard of this before (and without searching here would never have!!)..... does anyone know if it's been overturned or alternatively which companies (owning the entire building, making it legal!) are ok to use? i'd been looking at places like vrbo because i trust that more than a random website for a company..... now rethinking completely!

guineapig

We only stay in hotels that have kitchens because we are Vegan and whilst you can eat out well in NYC there is not the choice for us that carnivores have. That said they have some AMAZING ready made Vegan food in the supermarkets ( Fairways is excellent) so it is a treat for us to try some stuff in the "kitchen" of our NY hotel room.

We stayed in The Beacon Hotel on Upper West side great location just a two minute wallk from 72nd street subway and some great shops in the area too, much quieter and less touristy than Midtown.

The kitchen had fridge freezer, coffee maker, kettle, microwave FULL oven & hob and plates/pans etc.

It is a very popular hotel and we couldn't get in this year!

So we booked The Marmara hotel (Upper East Side) this has full kitchens and whilst the location isn't as good the hotel staff and facilities seem to be even better than the Beacon.

Will be doing a review when I get back.

M4RKM

melancholly wrote: »

just looking at renting an apartment - have done it in other US cities as it's just plain cheaper, plus nicer to have a kitchen to have a few things in, especially for breakfast. i've seen a few posts about this being illegal in new york, although homeaway, vrbo, holiday lettings etc etc all have lots of private apartment rentals. i can see some stories that it might be overturned but nothing to say it has been. i've never heard of this before (and without searching here would never have!!)..... does anyone know if it's been overturned or alternatively which companies (owning the entire building, making it legal!) are ok to use? i'd been looking at places like vrbo because i trust that more than a random website for a company..... now rethinking completely!

Yes. Apartment rentals like the ones you are looking at are illegal in New York. The law is complex and I'll touch on a couple of elements, but the easiest thing to do is not book one.

Although you see them on vrbo, holiday lettings etc, these websites don't check they are legal, they assume the owners do that. Think about it. They take a cut of money when it gets booked, they're just a booking agent. This is another reason why some hotels which are "illegal" still appear on places like expedia, opodo, etc. It's a minefield, and for the unsuspecting consumer, it's really difficult to get your head around.

Now, even if a company owns the whole building, and rents out the apartments, these are still illegal, as the zoning is not for a transient occupancy, and should be rented only 30 days minimum per rental. So, again, just because they own the whole building doesn't mean it is legal. It's really only legal if they're zoned as a hotel, and have a certificate of occupancy of that.

What's the worst that can happen? Well, that's a difficult one to judge.
The apartment might not exist, and you lose your money, and you have no where to stay.
You might not be allowed access to the apartment, and have nowhere to stay.
You might start your stay, and then get evicted, as you're a transient in an apartment that is classified for residents.

Now, there are certain places that are legal, and the easiest ones to do are the "Private Rooms" offered on airbnb. This is classed as hosted accommodation, and is legal, though sometimes still against co-op rules that the building might have. Make sure you choose "Private Room" on airbnb, and this is only useful for solo / couples. You have to be comfortable with other people, and also respect that they live and work in NYC, and that it is their home. Maybe using their kitchen every night wouldn't be a wise idea here.

Now, I know of 2 "Private Rooms" that are legal, and 1 apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, that I've spoken to the owner before, and is legal (because his isn't a Class A dwelling, but a family home, and him and his partner live on site, so therefore it is still legal), you're not going to find many of these smaller houses/apartment rents in Manhattan, and really are only useful if you know NYC, and don't mind staying in the hipster haven of Williamsburg, or further out, in other boroughs.

The other alternative, are hotels. There are a number of Apartment Style hotels designed exactly for people like yourself. Over on TripAdvisor, the Marmara always gets recommended, as does the Affinia Chain of hotels, including the cheaper option of Eastgate Tower, and of course the Beacon. These is the easiest option for your needs, as you know they're legal, and you don't have to work things out, and hope you're going to get in etc.

The reason apartment rentals are illegal in NYC are because someone can rent out an apartment, designed for a resident, and make more money. You might think it's cheaper for you to stay there, but all it's doing is making NYC less for the people that live there, and more for the people who are tourists, and there are loads of hotels for us lot anyway, and the reason these are expensive, is because NYC is expensive, and also the hotels run at 80% occupancy all the time

I've done a lot of research on this, and it really complex, and people still jump down my throat when I suggest to research, rather than blanket every rental with the illegal badge over on TripAdvisor, I get why they do it though, they pay good money for where they live and do know their neighbours, they don't want tourists traipsing in and out at all hours, that they don't know, and then if someone is there that could be up to no good, or is it just a tourist going to their apartment rental. I kinda agree with them there.

By all means investigate the "Private Room" on airbnb, I've had a friend stay at one in Greenpoint, and I'm staying in one in Williamsburg in 7 weeks time, but these are really only suitable for solo/couples, and might not be in the "centre" as people think they want.

I know this is a lengthy post, but we're tourists, we don't live there, so lets stay where is legal, or where someone wants a temporary lodger.

M