Top tips for New York

[kaja86]

HI everyone

Me and DH are off (on our own) to New York on Saturday (for 1 week).
Everything is very last minute and I am throwing things into the case as we speak.
My question is-
We have never been to NY before has anyone any TOP TIPS?
clothes? places to visit? staying safe? food? shopping?
I have read other threads on the Dibb but advice seems to differ.

All info will be gratefully received.
Thanks

[wet'n'wild2]

Macy's


I've never been there but mum and stepdad have and they said macy's was nice! :)

[Hal]

Top tip is the Circle Line boat evening tour - sets off in the daylight for a trip past Ellis Island (Statue of Liberty) and returns as night falls and Manhattan lights up. Manhattan needs to be seen from the water to really appreciate it, and in both day light and at night. This tour is simply wonderful.

[dotb]

hi top tips
hop on hop off bus tours day and night
empire state building day and night
grand central station
ferry over to ellis island it is a museum based around the immigrants that went to america years ago and is really quite moving.
get tickets to a broadway show you can queue and get them in times square
get food from a deli like blimpys or subway and have a picnic in central park
shopping
helicopter trip

im sure there must be more but cant think right now been to new york twice and love it never had a feeling of not being safe but saying that we never used the subway-you cat see anything when your underground anyway!

[ukdiva]

Hotel - Travel Inn, 42nd Street if you are on a budget.( www.newyorkhotel.com) , if you want to blow the budget, the Marriott Marquis is nice, and has a great revolving rooftop bar. (www.marriott.com)

Sightseeing - Top of the Rock, Grayline hop on/hop off bus tour, the downtown loop and brooklyn loop are musts! Ground zero, Century 21 for bargains, Central park, a show on Broadway, the free Staten Island ferry past the Statue of Liberty.... the list is endless! Grab yourself a guidebook, and go for it! :)

Edited to say - i used the subway a lot when i was there and never felt unsafe.

[Alyson]

Guidebooks are invaluable

Brit guide 2006 (Tescos extra £6.95) really handy
Rough Guide - will help you find places off the beaten track

Aly

[Dissuziq]

Hi have a great time here are my top tips.

1. Top of the rock - gives the best ever view of the Empire state building.
2. hop on hop off bus tour goes right around the sites
3. staten island Ferry gives you a free ride over to staten island with a great view of the Statue of liberty.
4. Go to the TKTS booth in Southern seaport, to get broadway tickets, the queues less than at the one in times square and it some nice shops places to eat as well.
5. See whats on at Madison Square Garden.
6. Have a tour of Radio City Musical With a rockette.
7. Century 21 for bargains the bags and shoes were great not impressed with the clothes. ( i prefer abercrombie and Fitch )
8. If a Broadway show cost too much do an off broadway I wnet to toni and tinas wedding it was great fun.
9. Harlem Gospel Brunch at bb kings near time square, religion singing and southern cooking great sunday brunch

Thats some of the thins i crammed into 4 days we chilled on the second leg of our hols in Las vegas

A Lot of the stuff we booked before hand on the net it saved time once we were there,( top of the Rock and empire state and the shows using theatremania 10% off if you join) as two women walking round we felt safe during the day and at night we used taxis as they were cheap and plentiful, a tip is to know the address of your hotel then the driver may find it, a lot of them dont know the hotel name but broadway at 51st they will get you there.

Suzi

[scottishwee35]

And need lots of exercise - walking lot before go to New York

as I went to New York for my speical birthday and had been lots of walking then last day my legs was sore!!

Did not realised how big in New York!!!

Fantastic place and lots of thing to see.

Love to go back again.

Scottishwee35:grin:

[orlandosgr8]

Drink plenty and take a hat, we were there a few weeks ago and it was very hot. Do the Top of the Rock, the view is amazing. Central Park is great, and we loved South Street Seaport. Also the hop on hop off bus tour was really good fun. You will have an amazing time :D

[kaja86]

These are all fab ideas.
We have booked to see Spamalot and a visit to the Statue of Liberty already.
I have read somewhere that you shouldn't dress like a tourist (shorts) or carry a map?? Is this true?
Thanks all

[Diane]

New York is full of tourists, very easy to spot by their attire and do carry a map - we found that nearly every time we consulted it we were approached by friendly New Yorkers eager to assist us in finding our way! :)

I cannot urge you enough to wear your comfiest footwear, you will really punish your feet with around 10 - 15 miles of walking a day!! And it feels so much harsher than the same distance of Theme Parking!

Try and take a ride on the free Staten Island Ferry, great views of the NY skyline and Statue of Liberty.

And we queued for nearly 3 hours to get up the Empire State Building at night time, the views would have been just as good (if not better ;) ) by going to the Top of the Rock instead (with no queuing!).

Ellen's Stardust Diner (next to the Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre showing Mamma Mia) is terrific for food, staff and atmosphere - staff dress in 50's style costume and sing at the mike whilst you are eating! :smile:

Enjoy yourselves, you will have a wonderful time, I fell in love with the sheer energy of the place!

Diane x

[Nicksgirl]

My top tip for New York is, its wonderful and I always felt safe, however, stay away from:

THE HOTEL PENNSYLVANNIA.....


unless your a dirty foul diseased ridden Cockroach !!!!

Its in the best position you could get, but the Hotel makes the Tower of Terror look new.

Have a wonderful time in the Big Apple.
:wavey:

[Nicksgirl]

These are all fab ideas.
We have booked to see Spamalot and a visit to the Statue of Liberty already.
I have read somewhere that you shouldn't dress like a tourist (shorts) or carry a map?? Is this true?
Thanks all

We are going to see Spamalot in London in November, hope you enjoy it, x

[orlandobaby]

Dont go to the Hotel Carter either....what a dump.

If you want to go shopping, and don't want to spend a fortune in Macys or Bloomingdales - there is a bus that will take you directly to Woodbury Common Premium Outlets (Port Authority on 42nd Street and 8th Avenue) This will cost you about $35 dollars, but it is well worth it.

http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=7

Make sure you do the usual touristy things like:

Visit Ground Zero - very moving even 5 years on
Free Staten Island Ferry - so you get to see the Manhattan skyline
Walk down 5th Avenue....very long and lots of nice shops!!
Empire State Building - its a long queue and the views are amazing
Central Park Zoo
CBS Studios and watch David Letterman!
Trump Tower

Thats just a few. New York has so much history, its would take ages to fit it all in.

Make sure you wear comfy shoes as you will be suprised even if you go on the Subway or bus tours how much walking you actually do.

You will probably find when you get back that your head is stuck in the looking up position!!! :pgig: :pgig:

[liamaxina]

Definitely that hop on, hop off bus. Open top with great views of everything important and if you're lucky a great guide to explain everything. We got the bus from Times Square down to Battery Park and our guide was fantastic, very amusing. However, on the return trip the guide was dreadful, really bossy and more interested in getting a tip than anything else.

I queued 2 hours to go up Empire State Building on Christmas Day - alone coz son is scared of lifts and refused to go up - but worth it once you are up there.

Ground Zero very moving and likewise the statue in Battery Park.

We were only there 2 days and didn't get to see everything we wanted but hope to go back soon. You can pick up some great guides once you are there but the Brits Guide to New York is excellent if you want to swot up before you go.

[lausan]

Hop on and Off Red Bus Tour
Staten Island ferry its free great views of Statue of Liberty
Rockefeller centre
Grand Central Station puts Our waterloo station to shame
Empire State Building take the audio tour its narated by Tony a New York cabbie its well worth it
Movie tours of New york take about 2 Hours and are good Value we did the Friends one
Century 21 for shopping its opposite Ground Zero
Macys on 34th st Lovely Dept Store
Ellens Stardust Diner 1650 Broadway 51st st, Singing waiters Great Fun Nice Food
Pier 17 southport it has lovely views of the Brooklyn Bridge nice Shops just along the rd from here is a place you can get theatre tickets with less queues it opens at 11am but get there for 10.30
Tic Toc Diner at the New Yorker Hotel is Nice Locals eat here so you know its Good
Have a look at My Photos some Nice ones of NY

[kaja86]

Got the AA guide- so very busy reading that. Also got a great foldy-up map from Berlitz.
Thanks for all your top tips-I'm scribbling them all down for future reference.
Comfy shoes is definitely top of the agenda! My well-worn in trainers should fit the bill perfectly!

[Alyson]

Have a brilliant time, I will be asking you loads of questions when you get back.

[kaja86]

I think we need to go for a month the amount of ideas I have written down!
Does anyone know what the heat is like in August? I read temperatures are mid 20's but thought it may be humid or stifling heat-am I right?

[andyb]

Don't forget the SS Intrepid next to the Circle Line boats.
Madem Tussauds
Bryant Park for lunch
Try walking from Ground zero up broadway back to times square. You see some amazing sights.
When at the ESB you can pay 14 dollars and go up to the 112th floor - the tube part right at the top of the building. Feels like its swaying.

We stayed at the Sofitel New York - amazing hotel on the 29th floor

[Sue]

Second the posts about Ellen's Stardust Diner - super food and atmosphere.
Also to eat - Brooklyn Diner (same street but over fifth avenue, as Tiffany's) many celebs eat there (but not pricy) and all the wooden booths have brass tags of who has sat there!

Take a rowing boat out onto Central Park lake with your packed lunch (from any street corner deli) , great view of the buildings all around from the middle.

Visit the Natural History Museum (has its own subway station) and do the Planetarium (The Rose) narrated by Harrison Ford.:thumbs-up

One of the best bits for us was realising that we were walking on so many film sets:D