Everything & Anything New York City

littlesnuggy

Can anyone confirm whether you need to use Chip & Pin in the US for card payments or whether places like restaurants would let you sign the bill? We'd banked on using OH's Halifax Clarity card that he got earlier in the summer for most things but he now realises he can't remember the PIN nor wrote it down anywhere. We leave on Saturday morning so there wouldn't be time for the bank to reissue one.

Aaargh!

bb69

littlesnuggy wrote: »

Can anyone confirm whether you need to use Chip & Pin in the US for card payments or whether places like restaurants would let you sign the bill? We'd banked on using OH's Halifax Clarity card that he got earlier in the summer for most things but he now realises he can't remember the PIN nor wrote it down anywhere. We leave on Saturday morning so there wouldn't be time for the bank to reissue one.

Aaargh!

When I have been its been signature, I am hoping the same as I cannot remember my pin for my Halifax card either. Defo take it, i'm sure its still the same.

jackieblack

littlesnuggy wrote: »

Can anyone confirm whether you need to use Chip & Pin in the US for card payments or whether places like restaurants would let you sign the bill? We'd banked on using OH's Halifax Clarity card that he got earlier in the summer for most things but he now realises he can't remember the PIN nor wrote it down anywhere. We leave on Saturday morning so there wouldn't be time for the bank to reissue one.

Aaargh!

We've never needed to use a PIN for purchases, only withdrawing cash from ATMs.

M4RKM

bb69 wrote: »

Hello all
Quick poll re hotels

Do you prefer staying in the same hotel or do you like trying new hotels every trip?

Thanks

It really depends. I love to try new hotels, but the main thing I look at is the location, rather than the cost. This time around, I know I want to stay in Williamsburg again, so I have the choice of 3 hotels. I've already stayed in two of these, and the Wythe itself is far too expensive for what it offers, so I'm staying for the second time at King & Grove Williamsburg.

I know Long Island City is more affordable, however, there isn't anything there that I want to see/do, so therefore it isn't a logical choice for me. However, for many, as it convenient to Manhattan it works well.

Overall, I've stayed at a rather small number of hotels, The Le Jolie a number of times, and before that the Cosmopolitan, and twice at the Edison, Hotels I've only ever stayed in once are the Smyth Tribeca, Mondrian Soho, Thirty-Thirty (now, King & Grove New York).

Maybe next year I'll want to explore another location, and there is a decent hotel to stay at, but for now, I'm kinda happy with the King & Grove Williamsburg.

M

josie

LadyL2013 wrote: »

BB69 - Seton Hotel or King & Grove quote around that price for 2 people.

We stayed at the Seton a few years ago and it's a dive! The room was probably the worst I've stayed in, although clean.

There is no reception area, just a hatch as you go in, which sets the tone of the hotel really and there were "people" booking a room by the hour IYSWIM.

josie

jackieblack wrote: »

We've never needed to use a PIN for purchases, only withdrawing cash from ATMs.

Same here - never been asked for a PIN in the States - don't think they use it. Mind you, they also don't look at the signature either, so not very reassuring!

74jax

I've finally booked my flights to New York, flying with DD (15) and during Easter Hols. We're with Jet2 and flights were around £450 each so wasn't tooooooo bad.

I'm now looking at hotels but am just bamboozled on areas and prices and reviews. Think I should leave it a day or two and let the excitement of finally booking the flights sink in.

I had a really bad experience last month in Barcelona with our appartment in the heart of a really violent red light district (even though I researched) and so I'm just apprehensive at booking again......

Going go and read this thread for lots of hints and tips in the meantime

M4RKM

74jax wrote: »

I've finally booked my flights to New York, flying with DD (15) and during Easter Hols. We're with Jet2 and flights were around £450 each so wasn't tooooooo bad.

I'm now looking at hotels but am just bamboozled on areas and prices and reviews. Think I should leave it a day or two and let the excitement of finally booking the flights sink in.

I had a really bad experience last month in Barcelona with our appartment in the heart of a really violent red light district (even though I researched) and so I'm just apprehensive at booking again......

Going go and read this thread for lots of hints and tips in the meantime

First and foremost, welcome to our little corner of MSE. Not bad flights for Easter, hope that includes a bag though. Jet2 as far as I'm aware fly into Newark, New Jersey, which makes it slightly more inconvenient to some of the recommended hotels in more affordable areas. NYC isn't cheap for hotels.

What you need to do, is give us your exact dates you need a hotel for, the amount of people, and what beds you need, and finally, most importantly, the budget per night.

15% of your budget is taken up in taxes each night, so you've got to take that into account too.

Finally, don't consider an apartment, because they are illegal in NYC, and from what I've read online soon will be in Barcelona too!

M

snit_girl

has anyone ever visited New York in March? We're looking to go next March to cover a couple of big birthdays and we were looking at going 14th - 19th but I've just realised that this will be the St Patrick's day weekend.

Does anyone know if this will be too busy? We're not too bothered about the parade, more interested in the theatre and sight-seeing. We can move it to the week before or after so I'm just looking to get an idea of what it's going to be like as this will be our first visit

M4RKM

snit_girl wrote: »

has anyone ever visited New York in March? We're looking to go next March to cover a couple of big birthdays and we were looking at going 14th - 19th but I've just realised that this will be the St Patrick's day weekend.

Does anyone know if this will be too busy? We're not too bothered about the parade, more interested in the theatre and sight-seeing. We can move it to the week before or after so I'm just looking to get an idea of what it's going to be like as this will be our first visit

Many people visit in March, some actually visit for St Patricks day, which will be busy, as there is a mahoosive parade.

from_wikipedia wrote:

The New York parade has not only become the largest Saint Patrick's Day parade in the world but it is also the oldest civilian parade in the world.[54] In a typical year, 150,000 marchers participate in it, including bands, firefighters, military and police groups, county associations, emigrant societies and social and cultural clubs with two million spectators line the streets.

That's not a bad turn out..

Saying all that. NYC is always busy, you're always going to have other tourists there, I'm kinda unsure what your question is. Quietest time of the year is by far Jan / Feb, and after that, it is always getting busier and busier.

M