Anyone Ever Been To New York City?
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Wow I'm amazed that people really think that the Subway is unsafe.
I live less than 90 minutes in train and been there a few times - actually planning to go back ALONE next Saturday, so I can actually walk everywhere without crabby children. When I went with my sister we basically walked from Penn Station to the South of Manhattan, took the subway to Columbus square, walked for a couple hours in Central Park, then to Time Square (had some cheesecake at Junior's), then back to Penn Station... We must have walked over 12 miles (it was Winter and there was -30 windchill too... good times). That was a great day though!
I'm not too sure what I'll do this time though so I'll have to keep an eye on this thread. But yeah, I'll probably just walk.
I completely agree that it's worth spending a bit more and staying in Manhattan so you don't have to worry about the ferry every day though... waste of time when you only have a couple days there.0 -
Cutaway_Collar wrote: »
You can stay in Sofitel on 44th street. Not too costly and not a dump. Take saturday to monday package as it would be cheaper than friday to sunday.LeGaCyGiAnT91 wrote: »Basically want to see the Statue of Liberty for sure, go to Central Park, check out Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building. I basically want to go photo crazy and take in as much as I can in such a short amount of time.
It is close to times square and grand central. From grand central you can take 4 train downtown to fulton street and there are tour guides there who offer a package to see:
1. 911 memorial
2. Liberty statue ferry
3. Wall street
That package takes about 4 hours.
Then head to central park in the afternoon.
44th is six to 8 blocks from rockfeller center and you can walk there too.
You can also book tickets in advance to go atop 1 world trade center. That's probably the greatest view in the world. A 360 of NYC.
What's the best way of booking these tickets for the World Trade Center? What does that cost roughly? Sounds amazing.0 -
My husband works in the city, I frequent it often and have multiple friends who live there and go to brunch in the city every couple of weeks...travelling alone most of the time. Sure, I may be 'used' to the city, but I am honestly in awe of some of the comments in this thread. Sure, NYC is expensive...but you should have known that deciding to go there. It is what it is.
Also, the subway being unsafe?! Really? Walking out of your house and driving down to the corner store could be considered unsafe too...it's all how you look at it. Don't be stupid and naive and observe your surroundings. The only time I feel uncomfortable on the subways is late late night when all the major drinkers are making their way home (ha). Good people watching !!
Anywho...back to the main subject - make sure to check out the High Line, which runs along/near the Hudson River in midtown, etc. Its beautiful and an element of the city that is unique. If you're into eating, brunch is always a great time on a Sunday morning with mimosas :-) Columbus Circle is nice and CEntral Park abuts it. More people watching = Union Square Park. And if you want to venture to NJ on a nice day to see a nice view of Manhattan, go to the cliffs of Weehawken (buses and Jitney located at Port Authority). Roosevelt Island may not have much, but taking the tram over the East river is always quite interesting. If you're adventurous, I believe they may have kayaking tours around parts of the island as well....for a 'different' view of NYC.0 -
When we went to the WTC, there was barely a line, and it moved quickly. We only waited maybe 20 minutes from the line to get the tickets to the line to get in the elevator. They did a fantastic job of even the ride up and the short sales pitch to try to get you to rent an iPad with some app that would "tell" you what you were looking at through the camera on the tablet by tapping on whatever landmark you were looking at. And getting you to do a quick photo pose so they can sell you expensive digital copies of it. But the view was specatular, and a different perspective than from the Empire state building or top of the rock.
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I don't know who said the subway is unsafe but that is false. NYC is a pretty safe city and it's not like you're coming in to visit rough neighborhoods deep in the outer boroughs. Be aware (some tourists look like they have their heads in the clouds), but don't be afraid.1
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arditarose wrote: »There are no affordable hotels. If you really want to knock a few bucks off you could stay in Brooklyn.
What's the price range on hotels around midtown?
lol - how much you wanna spend?0 -
300 per night would be a good dealsunnybeaches105 wrote: »arditarose wrote: »There are no affordable hotels. If you really want to knock a few bucks off you could stay in Brooklyn.
What's the price range on hotels around midtown?
lol - how much you wanna spend?
I meant average0 -
NYC is my favorite city and I have never felt unsafe. It can be pricy but when you go makes a difference. I've gotten good hotel rooms for less than $200 usually in Lower Manhattan. You can stay on Staten Island or NJ near SI and take the Staten Island ferry for free. Hotels cheaper there and you can get a good look at Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 Memorial. Park your car in a lot and it's reasonable.
I also love Long Island City in Queens. Lots of hotels much more reasonable and you are 1-2 blocks from the train that brings you to Midtown on the East Side. Use the N or R line.
If you want to see a show use the TKTS booth for same day tickets. It's a crap shoot on availability but deep discounts if you are flexible.
Lots of free things are fun - Central Park, the High Line, watching street performances, street fairs this time of year, and people watching.
I suggest not doing too much scheduling. Pick one thing to start with and then just explore!
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NYC is my favorite city and I have never felt unsafe. It can be pricy but when you go makes a difference. I've gotten good hotel rooms for less than $200 usually in Lower Manhattan. You can stay on Staten Island or NJ near SI and take the Staten Island ferry for free. Hotels cheaper there and you can get a good look at Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 Memorial. Park your car in a lot and it's reasonable.
I also love Long Island City in Queens. Lots of hotels much more reasonable and you are 1-2 blocks from the train that brings you to Midtown on the East Side. Use the N or R line.
If you want to see a show use the TKTS booth for same day tickets. It's a crap shoot on availability but deep discounts if you are flexible.
Lots of free things are fun - Central Park, the High Line, watching street performances, street fairs this time of year, and people watching.
I suggest not doing too much scheduling. Pick one thing to start with and then just explore!
Yeah it's super easy to get into the city from Long Island City. You could just use the 7 train as well.0 -
Most of Manhattan south of Harlem is very safe. The subways there are also fine before about 11:00 pm. You can spend as much or as little as you want on a hotel but definitely look at Yelp and other sites before booking. The food is obviously world class and it's a wonderful city. A few thoughts (applicable to pretty much any large city anywhere in the world): don't keep your head pointed to the sky like many tourists, keep cash and valuables hidden (leave expensive jewelry and watches at home if on the subway), don't engage with random people on the streets, and make sure you know where you are going when you get into a cab. Just do your homework before visiting.0
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Cutaway_Collar wrote: »While I won't say NYC is unsafe, it has the potential to be seedy especially in the outlying areas.
Just 2 days ago, a jogging woman was found dead in the bushes, I saw in the news. She was found dead with her pants pulled down or something.
If you are looking to cut cost and are staying deep into the boroughs... much of interior BK and the Bronx are infested with thugs and criminals. I will not touch certain areas of BK and probably all of Bronx with a ten foot pole after 11pm at night.
Also, you cannot find a hotel deep inside Harlem and take late night walks. Harlem is okay nowadays but there still are some dudes who stand out there and sexually harass women as they walk by. While they won't take it to the next step like they used to in the 80s, they definitely look fcuking scary.
For your own sanity, stay between the union square and central park perimeters of the city. Hundreds of hotels are out there. I named a few in my earlier post which are in the 300$ to 400$ range and have the prime NYC experience.
When my wife and I go to the city, I love waking up and taking a walk 2 blocks to get coffee. Early am in the city is lovely, you can smell fresh bread being cooked in the bakeries. It is absolutely useless to wake up in BK, the Bronx or Jersey city.
I'm sorry but so much if this is just blown out of proportion. NYC is not the den of sin and crime as it is often made out to be. Up until last month I had a job that brought me to NYC frequently for work. I have stayed in every Borough except for the Bronx (not many hotels). I have been out at all hours - alone - and I have never felt unsafe.
Moreover, you do NOT need to spend $300-$400 to get a good hotel. In five years of work travel the only time I spent more than $250 was during UN Week due to my poor planning. And that was staying at the "big three" chains. Sorry, but to be blasé about that kind of cost is insensitive. Not everyone can drop that kind of cash for a weekend in NYC. At this point in my life I can - but I don't, because, why bother? When I'm in NYC I am rarely in my room.
OP, As @sunnybeaches105 said, be smart walking around but don't limit yourself to the more touristy neighborhoods. You will miss out on the real joy of NYC. But, please, for the love of all things good and holy, please don't listen to the alarmists. Be smart but don't be scared.3 -
The High line! Well, I hope the weather cooperates next week because I want to do it.0
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Cutaway_Collar wrote: »While I won't say NYC is unsafe, it has the potential to be seedy especially in the outlying areas.
Just 2 days ago, a jogging woman was found dead in the bushes, I saw in the news. She was found dead with her pants pulled down or something.
If you are looking to cut cost and are staying deep into the boroughs... much of interior BK and the Bronx are infested with thugs and criminals. I will not touch certain areas of BK and probably all of Bronx with a ten foot pole after 11pm at night.
Also, you cannot find a hotel deep inside Harlem and take late night walks. Harlem is okay nowadays but there still are some dudes who stand out there and sexually harass women as they walk by. While they won't take it to the next step like they used to in the 80s, they definitely look fcuking scary.
For your own sanity, stay between the union square and central park perimeters of the city. Hundreds of hotels are out there. I named a few in my earlier post which are in the 300$ to 400$ range and have the prime NYC experience.
When my wife and I go to the city, I love waking up and taking a walk 2 blocks to get coffee. Early am in the city is lovely, you can smell fresh bread being cooked in the bakeries. It is absolutely useless to wake up in BK, the Bronx or Jersey city.
What are you even talking about? Nobody is telling tourists to go stay in freaking Brownsville for god's sake. I don't even think tourists could FIND some of the unsavory neighborhoods.
I suggest walking across the Brooklyn Bridge too. When you get to DUMBO on the Brooklyn size you can grab a slice of pizza and take the F train back to Manhattan one stop if you don't want to walk.2 -
As a native I will say to stay far far away from Times Square if and when possible. It's incredibly congested and a bit of a tourist trap. There are plenty of things to do here on the cheap if you know where to look. There are plenty of museums that are free or low cost, places like the MET, The Cloisters (Part of the MET) and The Museum of Natural History are suggested donation entry, yes they have a suggested price you should pay (This is a mandatory price if you want entrance to certain exhibits especially at the Museum of Natural History) however it is ultimately up to you what you want to give. If you wan to take a short ferry ride on the Hudson hop on the Staten Island ferry for FREE, want to visit the zoo or one of our botanical gardens check online since there are days with FREE admission. Want some cheap eats? Head to Chinatown and find a local bakery, most items are a dollar or just over that amount. Want to catch a Broadway show, you could do one of two things, either head to the TKTS booth for tickets the day of out use an app like Today Tix to find tickets at a discount for certain shows. Also, don’t be afraid to ride the subway, trust me it’s safe if you go ahead and mind your own business and don’t take it at obscene hours of the night, if you’re staying for a week go ahead and get yourself the weekly unlimited card for $31 currently, trust me your feet and wallet will thank you later. Hope this helps!3
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SRosello90 wrote: »As a native I will say to stay far far away from Times Square if and when possible. It's incredibly congested and a bit of a tourist trap. There are plenty of things to do here on the cheap if you know where to look. There are plenty of museums that are free or low cost, places like the MET, The Cloisters (Part of the MET) and The Museum of Natural History are suggested donation entry, yes they have a suggested price you should pay (This is a mandatory price if you want entrance to certain exhibits especially at the Museum of Natural History) however it is ultimately up to you what you want to give. If you wan to take a short ferry ride on the Hudson hop on the Staten Island ferry for FREE, want to visit the zoo or one of our botanical gardens check online since there are days with FREE admission. Want some cheap eats? Head to Chinatown and find a local bakery, most items are a dollar or just over that amount. Want to catch a Broadway show, you could do one of two things, either head to the TKTS booth for tickets the day of out use an app like Today Tix to find tickets at a discount for certain shows. Also, don’t be afraid to ride the subway, trust me it’s safe if you go ahead and mind your own business and don’t take it at obscene hours of the night, if you’re staying for a week go ahead and get yourself the weekly unlimited card for $31 currently, trust me your feet and wallet will thank you later. Hope this helps!
Any tips for tickets for the Met? I was informed by the aunt I told I'll travel with this is her ONE thing she HAS to do. I was thinking it might be a nice gift for the husband to give her and I.0 -
A jersey boy here giving my advice. I think taking the NY waterway ferry is a good way to go. If you use that you can pick up the ferry on the Jersey side then try to get the ferry that goes to the south street seaport. That area is the old Fulton Fish market area. You would then also be near the Brooklyn Bridge area. You can do a healthy walk from that pier area to the financial district area. You know the area, stock market? That statue of the bull? If you continue the health walk south of the bull you get to battery park and can see the Statue of Liberty, maybe take a ferry there? Or if you are staying in Jersey you can do the Ellis Island Statue of liberty ferry from Liberty Park in Hoboken on a separate day. OK, back at the pier, if you take a health walk west you should be able to get to the new Liberty Towers and the 911 memorial. South Street seaport will have shopping. I think the NY waterway ferry system also provides a bus service with in the city and its ort of separate from the average city bus service.
If you are visiting in December, then it's Rockefeller Center and the Christmas tree to see. Be warned it is extremely popular area that time of year but what the heck you're on vacay! Again, in December try to get to Wollman Park Ice rink for ice skating. Times Square is a tourist area but mostly stores.
Is NYC expensive? Yes.
Thanks. I'm going in December. I will go to wollman Park but I have to do a spin in front of the tree at Rockefeller centre...or a spiral. spin is less dangerous haha but it's the icon and the typical NYC winter movie scene
Would love to see you skate in person. I bet there are a bunch who would come into the city to watch.0 -
Nitroalley2 wrote: »A jersey boy here giving my advice. I think taking the NY waterway ferry is a good way to go. If you use that you can pick up the ferry on the Jersey side then try to get the ferry that goes to the south street seaport. That area is the old Fulton Fish market area. You would then also be near the Brooklyn Bridge area. You can do a healthy walk from that pier area to the financial district area. You know the area, stock market? That statue of the bull? If you continue the health walk south of the bull you get to battery park and can see the Statue of Liberty, maybe take a ferry there? Or if you are staying in Jersey you can do the Ellis Island Statue of liberty ferry from Liberty Park in Hoboken on a separate day. OK, back at the pier, if you take a health walk west you should be able to get to the new Liberty Towers and the 911 memorial. South Street seaport will have shopping. I think the NY waterway ferry system also provides a bus service with in the city and its ort of separate from the average city bus service.
If you are visiting in December, then it's Rockefeller Center and the Christmas tree to see. Be warned it is extremely popular area that time of year but what the heck you're on vacay! Again, in December try to get to Wollman Park Ice rink for ice skating. Times Square is a tourist area but mostly stores.
Is NYC expensive? Yes.
Thanks. I'm going in December. I will go to wollman Park but I have to do a spin in front of the tree at Rockefeller centre...or a spiral. spin is less dangerous haha but it's the icon and the typical NYC winter movie scene
Would love to see you skate in person. I bet there are a bunch who would come into the city to watch.
haha I'm only good for like 2 spins then I have to take a break.
But I do plan on taking my skates so I can actually do stuff on the ice. I hope there are no rink guards, usually if there are I get in trouble0 -
Hi - Brooklynite born and bred; and I work in the City every weekday. (I also wear sneakers, so don't worry about looking touristy if you do). Walking is the best way to get around: I don't even own a car, and I haven't driven since getting my license.
What to see? Oh, so much! Try the Metropolitan Museum; cross through Central Park from the museum to the Museum of Natural History. Lincoln Center: opera, ballet, concerts, and a very nice little quiet spot to just be.
The New York Public Library with Bryant Park right next to it.
Pierpont Morgan Library, lovely space, nice dining area, lovely, rare exhibits.
Greenwich Village for a nice walk where every few buildings have plaques announcing who lived there when. Have dinner at the Waverly Inn (new-york-walking-tours.com/haunted-new-york/ye-waverly-inn-18).
The South Street Seaport - more good walking, good history, good food, fun shopping.
There are many, many restaurants of different qualities and nationalities here. I like the moderate ones: Elephant and Castle; Pongsri Thai Restaurant; La Bonne Soupe. Many, many choices!
I hope you'll enjoy your trip!1 -
The Westin Grand Central right now is $198.00 a night. That's a deal.0
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