First timer New York visit - advice and hotel choice

daveyjp

2012 is a long time ago.  All immigration is now done using the ESTA system.  They don't even stamp your passport (they may for children if you ask nicely).

DullGreyGuy

daveyjp said:

2012 is a long time ago.  All immigration is now done using the ESTA system.  They don't even stamp your passport (they may for children if you ask nicely).

The forms were customs not immigration and originally sat alongside the ESTA system as they consider different matters. The rules started to change in 2015 reducing the types of people/circumstances of having to fill in the form and this accelerated with the introduction of the electronic booths for those that are importing a high value of goods that do need to make a declaration

Blueboy83

We took our two boys 7 and 9 to NYC this May half term, we stayed 6 nights and still had to make choices. Expect to do lots of walking and budget what you can afford to do. If you want to go up Statue of Liberty this must be booked now or you will only be able to visit the island and not go up the statue (we booked well in advance so went up inside the crown too). Look at attraction passes if there’s lots you want to do, city pass (explorer pass) lets you choose the number of attractions then you use the app to book them, it saves
money if you are doing a few paid for attractions. 

Free ideas
central park
staten island
grand central
times square
ladder 8 (ghostbusters)

American museum of Natural history is a great family attraction as is intrepid air and sea museum. Be prepared that everything is very expensive and also there’s a tourist tax per nigh of hotel stay payable to hotel.

jefaz07

When I went I bought a New York pass. Was £109 I think at the time. Offered discounts in restraints, queue jumping for attractions and I think entry too. 

Rosa_Damascena

DullGreyGuy said:

I'll put my cards on the table that to me NYC is just a poor version of London but I've spent a lot of time there with work (well both technically). 

Plan your itinerary first and look at location for the hotel after. The "classic" NYC tourist activities tend to be heavily based in Manhattan so unless you are very price conscious then your best based there rather than losing lots of time each day travelling back and forth. 

There are a reasonable number of budget hotel chains with not so budget prices and many more higher tier options with even higher prices for the more well heeled 

I know London well and prefer it, but the first time around NY is such an eye opener. There is a lot to like about it  (its been 32 years since I first went and I loved it so much I was convinced I wanted to live there!) and what is interesting is the mix of the old and ultra-modern. You'll never be bored but you might get worn out, so pace yourself, OP. NY is the kind of place you will want to return to again and again. It has changed a lot over time but one thing that has not is the swearing. London is one thing but downtown serious cussing in public is more frequent than punctuation. Or maybe I noticed it as we had a 4yo with us, they were certainly not the words we wanted her to hear. One thing that stood out to me was just how much more expensive things are now. Back in the days of Ka-Ching! it was a proper retail-fest.

I had overlooked Brooklyn until I returned last year, and it is highly gentrified now and was a really good day out (it was summer though!). The centre is called Dumbo which surprised me, I asked a friendly waiter who told me about it "like the elephant with the big ears, you mean...?"  

tms88_user

We went toast year and had an ace time, we did the usual things really, we did Rockefeller tower which was good and star dust diner which was great and very entertaining. Central park was good.
We also did a show which was great (the show that goes wrong) my kids of 9 and 10 loved it as did I

I got done by an ice cream van man! Be very careful with them, make sure you know what your paying and check if you use a card (I was an idiot for not insisting at looking at the contactless screen) I suspect that ice cream man does it a lot to idiots like me! 4 ice creams cost me about 48 dollars, he said 30 which alarmed me but I went hey ho! Then I checked my balance that evening and he charged me 48!! Pure and simple theft/fraud tbh)