[THREAD CLOSED - SEE PART 2] Anything & Everything New York

GRIGGSY

Hi my DH and I will have approx 8-10 hours between our flight from Newark to Edinburgh so are going to do some sightseeing in the city - we are coming in from Tampa on the 1st September. Just wondering if anyone can give any advice re how we can spend our time, the best way to get to and from the airport or point us to any sites which could help. I would quite like to visit Ground Zero as I was in New York at the time of the 9/11 attack. Although I have been before I spent all my time in the Catskills, Ithaca and working at summer camp, so didn't really get to do any of the sights.
We are arriving on a Monday morning so not sure if this will affect how long it will take us to get out of the airport or travelling times etc.

Thanks in advance
Jo

M4RKM

as you have 10 hours, you do right discounting 2 of them straight away, with an hour each time travelling to and from the airport... you could easily get the airtrain and then end up at the train station really near ground zero..

walk to battery city park, and then through to the staten island ferry... go to SI and back...

Hop on the subway, go up towards top of the rock.. visit that.. shopping on 5th avenue, grab some lunch... sight see around times square, and then visit the empire state building... maybe some shopping at macy's
walk a bit further down or hop on the subway, and visit the flatiron building and take some photos around 23rd street

wander down a bit, visit union square, and maybe grab an dinner nearby somewhere..

now you probably need to head over to the subway station and get back through to the airtrain to get back to Newark Airport

phew... what a fun filled day

Dijoy

I think it was the Embassy suites where were we went to next to the Irish memorial near to ground zero. They were right near the river lovely to take a walk along and I don't think the Metro was too far.We used airmiles for them in 2004
Diane

brandyslad

Hi,

We are heading to New York this year for Xmas, I booked it back in January and have been saving ever since. We are staying the East Village. It is rated number 2 b and b on Trip Advisor, we just couldn't justify the price of the hotels.

I am currently planning what we will do each day as certain attractions offers deals on certain days, the Bronx Zoo is free on a Wednesday and the Musuem of the Moving Image is free on Friday evenings, the Roosevelt Island Tram is only $2 a go and apparently gives great views of the city. I have Google mapped everything as we get free internet access in the b and b so can check our map each day.

Also check out free tours, there are free tours available in Times Square, Union Square, Central Park, Wall Street and the East Village, if you want details or contacts let me know. Also contact Big Apple Greeter - a free service and a genuiune New Yorker will meet you and show you around and show you how to use transport and gives you a free Subway ticket for the day.

I have also been looking on Menu Pages to get an idea of where to eat out as there are lots of good value places, nothing too fancy but the food will be good and the service is always so much better than here, just remember your extra 15% tip. And when you go to Macys bring your passport, go to the office and you get 11% of everything in store for being an international customer. Use Hop Stop for your subway directions. I have used the Subway before, it was fine, we did make one mistake, but as soon as we felt uncomfortable we got back on and headed back again. Sorry if I have repeated anyone else but when I started planning I found it all a bit overwhelming so if I can help anyone else I will.

Clowy2

Can anyone advise me on the cheapest way to book a trip to New York? We are looking to go for 3 nights, early December and not sure whether to book now, or wait for any late deals. Also is it cheaper to book a package deal or flights and hotels direct? Theres so many websites offering deals, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed!

hammy_the_hammer

Clowy2 wrote: »

Can anyone advise me on the cheapest way to book a trip to New York? We are looking to go for 3 nights, early December and not sure whether to book now, or wait for any late deals. Also is it cheaper to book a package deal or flights and hotels direct? Theres so many websites offering deals, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed!

there's a wealth of info on this forum. there's even a sticky at the top which contains hours of reading.

Blue264

The simple answer is book now! I strongly urge you to do that.

Reasons are...Thanksgiving is November 27th this year and the first week of December is always busy in NYC. That area makes quite a deal of the Festival Of Lights on 6th December because the immigrant populations have taken that tradition with them, and the Christmas shoppers are there in their droves. You're also up against office parties booking out the NYC hotels because so many workers commute into the city.

If you say which dates you want, where you are flying from and your budget, I'm happy to help.

hammy_the_hammer

GRIGGSY wrote: »

Hi my DH and I will have approx 8-10 hours between our flight from Newark to Edinburgh so are going to do some sightseeing in the city - we are coming in from Tampa on the 1st September. Just wondering if anyone can give any advice re how we can spend our time, the best way to get to and from the airport or point us to any sites which could help. I would quite like to visit Ground Zero as I was in New York at the time of the 9/11 attack. Although I have been before I spent all my time in the Catskills, Ithaca and working at summer camp, so didn't really get to do any of the sights.
We are arriving on a Monday morning so not sure if this will affect how long it will take us to get out of the airport or travelling times etc.

Thanks in advance
Jo

you could think about using the #62 bus from the airport terminals to newark penn station and then the path train across to the world trade centre station.

docij

I spent hours earlier this year reading through this thread and checking the internet for New York hotels for a long weekend trip in September. I managed to find flights OK but hotels were much more difficult to find. Even Markymoo's very helpfully suggested Cosmopolitan didn't have the dates we needed. Then we found this website - sorry if it's been mentioned before but I haven't noticed it:

http://www.vrbo.com/

It's an owners direct holiday homes rental site which covers most US states. There are a surprising number of places in New York city as well as a little further out. We have found a lovely flat in a quiet area of Brooklyn 2 blocks from the F train and 15 - 20 minutes from Manhattan on the train. It's costing about $650 for 4 nights. My daughter has been a student in New York for the past 3 years (we can't fit in her student room otherwise we could have saved quite a bit) and is very impressed by my find.

M4RKM

hmm... vacation rentals... most in NYC are reasonably illegal, but each to their own.... tripadvisor forums have a lot more info on these..

M