Everything & Anything New York City

muddymouse

After getting some great advice earlier in this thread, I have now booked flights for myself and my 4 'children' (aged 15-23) to NY for 5 nights from 25th October. I managed to get a really good price for the flights, after watching them go up and down for months on Kayak, and am now finalising accommodation.

I am holding a cancellable booking for The Cosmopolitan in Tribeca, which will cost around £1200 for 5 nights (booked for 4 originally but could add the extra night). However, I have just seen a really good deal on Laterooms for the Box House Hotel in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, costing £930 for 5 nights. Has anyone stayed there? The reviews seem to be really good. I know it's not right in the centre of everything, but we are planning on getting subway cards to get around anyway, and it allegedly only takes 20 mins to Times Square. Would this be a bad move for first timers in NY?

Any input gratefully received.

M4RKM

muddymouse wrote: »

After getting some great advice earlier in this thread, I have now booked flights for myself and my 4 'children' (aged 15-23) to NY for 5 nights from 25th October. I managed to get a really good price for the flights, after watching them go up and down for months on Kayak, and am now finalising accommodation.

I am holding a cancellable booking for The Cosmopolitan in Tribeca, which will cost around £1200 for 5 nights (booked for 4 originally but could add the extra night). However, I have just seen a really good deal on Laterooms for the Box House Hotel in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, costing £930 for 5 nights. Has anyone stayed there? The reviews seem to be really good. I know it's not right in the centre of everything, but we are planning on getting subway cards to get around anyway, and it allegedly only takes 20 mins to Times Square. Would this be a bad move for first timers in NY?

Any input gratefully received.

Yes, it would be a bad move for first timers. It's about 15 minutes away from a subway stop walking, you've got to walk over the Pulaski Bridge into Queens, and then get to a subway station then another 10 to Times Square. It ain't that convenient. That said, Times Square is not the centre of NYC, and tourist attractions are scattered around the place, so why base a hotel choice on Times Square.

At the Cosmopolitan, you're walking distance from Staten Island Ferry / Statue Cruises for the Statue of Liberty, Century 21, Brooklyn Bridge, City Hall, 9/11 Memorial, you can easily walk up into Chinatown and Greenwich, it's a superb location. You have the 1/2/3 lines right at the hotel, and then a block away you have the E train. There is still City Hall station, and there is another line there, and then Brooklyn Bridge for the 6 train.

This is all within a 10 minute walk of the Cosmopolitan. Subway trains are fast from here too, 12 mins to Times Square, 20 mins to Central Park, 10 minutes to Macy's for shopping.

Also, at the Cosmo, you have numerous deli's nearby (great for breakfast), and the Amish Market, and a number of bars/restaurants which the Box House Hotel have none of that near it, so when you're back at the hotel, it's a bit of a nowhere place to be.

Box House Hotel is OK for repeat visitors, but even for me (and bear in mind I stay in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and this is just spitting distance from there), I think it is too far from anything that I want to visit, and therefore for a first timer, it's even worse. It just is not that convenient.

Yes it's cheap, but I'd pay a bit more for convenience and actually being in Manhattan.

I've stayed at the Cosmo numerous times, and find the location one of the best in NYC.


Hope that helps.

Goonie

Some very helpful info in this thread so thanks to everyone who has participated. I am off to New York for the first time next week and think I have planned everything we want to do so now it is just a case of making a daily schedule and working things close together into the same days / nights. Just wondering what peoples thoughts are on when it's best to do any of the following, whether day or evening is best?

Empire State Building
Robefeller Center
Ground Zero

Thanks

TooClumsy

Hi Goonie (Love the film btw),

How exciting that you are going this week! I am planning a holiday in December and we just passed the 100 day mark yesterday. Am uber eager and just soo excited! I have been reading the earlier posts in this thread and felt like we need an injection of EXCITEMENT about holiday planning for NYC!

I am not sure as yet if I would like to do both the ESB and TOTR, but for ESB I think I want to go at late like just before it closes and then daytime for TOTR, but thats just my personal opinion (as is the rest of this post...)

Ground Zero= 9/11 memorial

For the memorial I think I would want to visit during the daylight hours, I'm not sure if it is lit up at night time, but I think it would be quite poignant to see it in natural daylight.

If people can write one thing that they miss the most about NYC (food related is doubly welcome!) I am hoping this will start some conversation!

TC

littlesnuggy

I've booked our 4 nights in November now at the Refinery Hotel, just over £1000 - reviews are mainly excellent so I'm hoping we've made a good choice. Have any of you regulars been (although it only opened this summer)? It's fully refundable up until the day before, so will still be keeping an eye open for any good deals that come up.

I've booked a concert at Carnegie Hall and am going to book tickets for the Lion King. I don't want to waste time queuing at a box office whilst we're there, so is the only (cheapest?) pre-bookable option via Ticketmaster?

N20Y1D

Goonie wrote: »

Some very helpful info in this thread so thanks to everyone who has participated. I am off to New York for the first time next week and think I have planned everything we want to do so now it is just a case of making a daily schedule and working things close together into the same days / nights. Just wondering what peoples thoughts are on when it's best to do any of the following, whether day or evening is best?

Empire State Building
Robefeller Center
Ground Zero

Thanks

Got back from my first trip to NY last week.

ESB we went up at 11pm and still queued for an hour or so - it had rained the previous evening so guess this played a part

TOTR We did sun and stars, got there for opening and it was empty, had one side of one of the viewing platforms to ourselves - went up again for sunset, still no queuing but was a lot busier.

9/11 Memorial - we visited the memorial visitor center before hand and i have to say that it was the most moving thing i have ever experienced, you see it on tv and sort of think it wont affect you but it really did.


The highlight of our trip was a sunset cruise with these people:

http://www.sail-nyc.com/

You can pick up discounted tickets from here

http://www.goldstar.com/events/manhattan-ny/sunset-sail-on-the-schooner-adirondack

It really was amazing and would recommend it to anyone.

madcal87

BA have a direct flight and hotel deal on at the moment. 4 nights in the DoubleTree Hilton - Financial District for £580 a person for hotel&flights late November. Seems like an incredible deal to me! What are everyone others thoughts?

poormaria

Hello all,

I am booking my hotel in the next couple of days, I will give as much info as I can to get advice from people.

We are flying to JFK 1st Nov until 8th so need 7 nights in a hotel. We do not want a hostel or shared bathroom. 1st time in NYC or USA for that matter!

I am easy on area as long as good transport links, we don't mind walking 5-10 mins to jump on the subway etc as will be using this type of transport the majority of the time.

Budget is £1200 but anything we spend lower than that means that it can go towards our spending money to do more things whilst there. I am aware that not a lot of time will be spent in our hotel.

I have considered staying in Manhattan, LIC and Brooklyn so pretty open on those areas although we would like to be able to nip out for breakfast before setting off for the day. Ok so here goes....

LIC
If we stay in LIC we would ideally like a view to make up for not being Manhattan, I have seen that Z hotel, Holiday Inn etc all offer this option. The only concern I have with the area is the time to get to subway? although a few of the hotels I have seen offer a shuttle service.

Holiday Inn LIC £958 free canx
Comfort Inn LIC £804 free canx
Sleep In LIC £663 free canx
Z hotel LIC £1290
Country Inn & Suites £986 free canx

BROOKLYN
I've been recommended to stay in Brooklyn time and time again, I'm open to this as long as its relatively easy to get into Manhattan as the majority of what we are seeing is there.

Holiday Inn Brooklyn £1036
Best Western Plus Prospect Park £722 free canx

MANHATTAN
Would choose to stay here if money no object but a 20 min ride into doesn't bother me. Can't find much in our price range which isn't surprising but here we are:

Wyndham Garden China Town £1253
Tribeca Blue £1143 free canx
Comfort inn Manhatten Bridge £1119 free canx
DAys Hotel Broadway £1135
Cosmopolitan Hotel Tribeca £1151 (also gives option of standard or loft room?)



Any ones help on these or at least cutting the options down will help or any other suggestions would be great.

I was also comparing what cash back deals / points I could get etc

Thanks in advance for you help..... just about to start going through the whole post for ideas for our itinerary now!! cheers


:j

Rednipkin

Just putting a few ideas together for our trip in December.

Can anyone recommend a Limo company to take us from JFK airport to the hotel in Tribeca. Its a bit of a treat and we will probably only do it one way but there are so many to choose from I though personal recommendation would be the best route

Thanks

chrispy

madcal87 wrote: »

BA have a direct flight and hotel deal on at the moment. 4 nights in the DoubleTree Hilton - Financial District for £580 a person for hotel&flights late November. Seems like an incredible deal to me! What are everyone others thoughts?

Hi Madcal, that sounds an excellent price, do you have a link, I fancy taking a look.:beer: