Everything & Anything New York City

M4RKM

johannalf88 wrote: »

I have just totally confused myself looking at data plans / SIM cards! I have an iPhone 4, hubby an iPhone 5. We were hoping to get one of them unlocked, and then a SIM card to use when we r out- but really only want it for google maps and other data.
Has anyone got any advice?

(Only 39 days to go now! :j )

Get a t-mobile USA pre paid SIM card, $3 per day will give you US calls, US Texts and quite a bit of data. Works in NYC on an iPhone 54 and 5, but if you're going elsewhere in the USA it might not be the best.

johannalf88

We will be going to Boston & DC too...

Why may that be problematic?

janeypopz

johannalf88 wrote: »

I have just totally confused myself looking at data plans / SIM cards! I have an iPhone 4, hubby an iPhone 5. We were hoping to get one of them unlocked, and then a SIM card to use when we r out- but really only want it for google maps and other data.
Has anyone got any advice?

(Only 39 days to go now! :j )

If you have wifi at your hotel (or it's available at most bars/restaurants) you can download all the maps from Google then when you are out and about they will already be loaded for you and it just uses your GPS. That's what we did and it worked great.

M4RKM

johannalf88 wrote: »

We will be going to Boston & DC too...

Why may that be problematic?

It depends, I'll need to do some research, you might be OK, but it could drop to slow data speeds when travelling between cities. However AT&T wouldn't be an issue, but they are more expensive at $50 for 1GB of data.


EDIT - OK, Both Boston and Washington DC have the refarmed network, so T-Mobile works on iPhones there, and you get decent speeds.

janeypopz wrote: »

If you have wifi at your hotel (or it's available at most bars/restaurants) you can download all the maps from Google then when you are out and about they will already be loaded for you and it just uses your GPS. That's what we did and it worked great.

That's not an exact science, it may work, or you could be left with nothing. And also, we don't know the other data that the OP wants to have in the US.

I personally need to have access to e-mail when out and about, and I'm sure not going to stay in my hotel or specifically go somewhere just to reply to an e-mail.

M

Katykat

M4RKM wrote: »

Get a t-mobile USA pre paid SIM card, $3 per day will give you US calls, US Texts and quite a bit of data. Works in NYC on an iPhone 54 and 5, but if you're going elsewhere in the USA it might not be the best.

This looks like a good plan for me but I have been doing some research and can't find any info on this $3 SIM on the T mobile US website. Also, the nearest T mobile store to us is on 57th st, as we're on 45th, it would be a bit of a hike just to get there and find I can't get the SIM. Is there anywhere else I can get one? Preferably notfar from 45th/5th Ave?

M4RKM

Katykat wrote: »

This looks like a good plan for me but I have been doing some research and can't find any info on this $3 SIM on the T mobile US website. Also, the nearest T mobile store to us is on 57th st, as we're on 45th, it would be a bit of a hike just to get there and find I can't get the SIM. Is there anywhere else I can get one? Preferably notfar from 45th/5th Ave?

It's on their website - http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans - scroll down to Pay By The Day.

As for having to walk somewhere to get a SIM card, I just did a google maps, and found a T-Mobile store on 307 Madison Avenue / 42nd Street. Also, to walk from 45th - 57th will take all of 12 minutes, it really ain't a trek at all.

M

cooking-mama

Hi,just wondering if anyone is recently back from NYC, im thinking about booking for March next year and wondering what to expect weather wise. (been in July,very hot/humid, been in October,variable,but mainly chilly).Thanks.

Abatement

M4RKM wrote: »

Yeah, you won't be able to find something legal in Manhattan for that kind of price. AirBnB is only good for a private room in someone elses apartments (they live there while you're in the spare room), and you've said you don't want that. The vast majority of other apartment rentals you see will be illegal, but they're still advertised, as it is up to the person advertising to ensure they're not breaking the law, not the website (such as VRBO, AirBnB, TripAdvisor etc).

So, where can you stay? Have a look at County Inn & Suites in Long Island City (as already suggested). I would have searched for you but without dates I can't.
That is normally around $125 per night before taxes, so around £99 per night including taxes, and you get a continental breakfast.

It is only 1 stop away from Manhattan, and highly recommended.

Hope that helps

M

Is there a genuine risk with booking an apartment through Airbnb? There are plenty advertised on there (with lots of reviews), which suggests that the law is not enforced very effectively...

M4RKM

Abatement wrote: »

Is there a genuine risk with booking an apartment through Airbnb? There are plenty advertised on there (with lots of reviews), which suggests that the law is not enforced very effectively...

The law is enforced. If a complaint is made of transients in an apartment they can and will evict people. Also, you knowingly breaking the law won't help if things go wrong.

Also, the lack of affordable accommodation for residents, by renting illegal apartments means you're making locals pay more and more for places as it is tougher and tougher to find one. This is the reason they have the law.

Get a hotel. There are hundreds to choose from including apartment style ones and hotels that fit all budgets.

Apartment rentals are illegal.

M

M4RKM

cooking-mama wrote: »

Hi,just wondering if anyone is recently back from NYC, im thinking about booking for March next year and wondering what to expect weather wise. (been in July,very hot/humid, been in October,variable,but mainly chilly).Thanks.

If you thought October is chilly, the don't go in March.
I've been plenty of times and it can be nice and spring like or bitterly cold and snowing, or cool and very wet. It's a changeable month..