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Post by somersetshrew on Dec 1, 2004 22:02:41 GMT 1
I notice from the "best place you wore your shirt" thread that many B&A members have been to New York.
Im going next month, and I want to know of any tips to make the best of a 5 night visit, places to go, things to see etc.
Naturally, my Town shirt will be going with me.
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Post by shrewinjapan on Dec 1, 2004 22:55:39 GMT 1
If you are going down to China Town / Little Italy to eat at night you would be well advised to take a cab and ask the cab driver to take you to a decent restaurant. We went there by subway and after getting off had no idea where to go and after a few minutes walking down a very seedy looking street bottled it and went back. I recommend a dinner cruise round the Statue of Liberty. The food was fairly average for the price but the views were great and the atmosphere was nice. Don't eat breakfast in the hotel, get out in the street and find a typical New York diner - great atmosphere, delicious food. Have a good trip!
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Post by ThrobsBlackHat on Dec 1, 2004 23:55:14 GMT 1
Statue of Liberty is obviously worth a visit but make it earlier and go to the Ellis Island museum which is very moving
I was disappointed with central Park but the John lennon memorial is moving
Empire State is obviously worth a look, as is ground zero, although you can't see too much of ground zero now as they have closed the main viewing platform
Go and see yourself a Baseball or Americaqn Football or Basketball game - awesome stuff, well worth it. The Yankee stadium tour is quite interesting.
Unsung attraction for me was the Metropolitan Museum of Art, very interesting
Also go to a show on Broadway, just to say you have been to one, I went to "Mama Mia" and it was fantastic, if a little on the cheesy side
I found some of the major shops to be very very expensive for what they were but the smaller shops were better, and the street markets further up Manhattan Island were great fun
For about £60 you can have a 10 minute helicopter ride out to statue of liberty and around the harbour. I didn't do it, but next time I will!
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Post by harmerhillshrew on Dec 2, 2004 8:48:09 GMT 1
Dont rush to get your dollars  $1.93c to the £ at the moment, but according to Wake up to money this morning it will break through the $2 barrier before Christmas. Might be an idea to get some now and then leave it a bit Every little helps Not much chance of seeing a Baseball or Amercian Football game in January in New York but another sport that TBH failed to mention is Ice Hockey. |
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Post by robspaceman1 on Dec 2, 2004 9:44:38 GMT 1
first off i would redcommend getting a metrocard for $10 - valid for 7 days and unlimited travel on subways and buses, it's amazing value.
best thing you can do for free is take the staten island ferry for a free view of manhatten and the statue of liberty. there's not much to do on staten island however, so i wouldn't bother hanging around too much once you get there.
depending on the weather, hiring a row boat on the lake in central park is nice (and romantic if you're going with the missus. but if it's freezing then it won't be too pleasant)
when i went i really enjoyed the museum of natural history -spent nearly a whole day in there!
i echo the comment about going to a diner - they're generally reasonably priced with superb service, massive portions, and decent food.
something you have to watch out for is how people expect tips for everything - everytime you order drinks in a bar, the standard tip seems to be a couple of dollars. so you have to budget that little bit more for a night out, etc.
also i would advise against getting the subway at night, it's still supposed to be a little dangerous after dark. taxi rides are such fun anyway i'm sure you won't mind.
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Post by El Huracán!!!! on Dec 2, 2004 9:45:48 GMT 1
Agree with all of the above but - walk dont get a taxi you see more even if its a long walk between places, use the underground at least once to say you did it.
And the tour of th UN HQ i found very intresting!!!!
and go see that massive out door ice rink in central park - its suposed to be qualirt in the winter when its busy!!!
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Post by Carter on Dec 2, 2004 10:41:15 GMT 1
Worth going up to the Windows Bar at the top of the Rockafella building - pricey drink but very classy and the view over Manhatten at night is breathtaking...
Also a walk over Brooklyn Bridge and take a ride on the staten island ferry (but come straight back as theres nothing on staten island).
It is a fantastic place and one you'll deffo want to go back to.... i know i do.....
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Post by yorton shrew on Dec 2, 2004 12:15:56 GMT 1
agree with above. if you want to see a lot of the city buy a ticket for the open top bus tour - you can hop on and off all over the place and it takes you through harlem and into brooklyn. good commentary from the guides and ticket will last several days - the night trip over the brooklyn bridge is ace. also v good if you don't want to walk anymore
the harbour tour is also good, to see manhattan from the water - generally quieter than the statue of liberty ferry. nat history and met museum of art are great but also there is the guggenheim. if you run take your shoes and do the central park loop - about 6 miles and there will be loads of other runners,skaters, cyclists out there. overall top place
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Post by somersetshrew on Dec 2, 2004 20:04:02 GMT 1
Great!  Thanks guys, the hotel we're staying at is The Plaza, right by Central Park, on 5th Ave, so we'll definitely be spending some time around there. Thanks for the tips, loads of food for thought, Andrew, Ive already bought some dollars, and Im waiting to see what happens with it, but the wife works in a bank, so she can wait right up to the last minute for the best exchange. |
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Post by peterjones1 on Dec 2, 2004 21:47:41 GMT 1
I went to see the NY Yankees vs NY Mets in the baseball, and NY Nets v Boston Celtics during my stay, both superb. There are endless great eating locations, and for touristy stuff I think Dave has it spot on, the Lennon Memorial is tear-jerking, and the Metropolitan and Ellis museums were absolutely fascinating.
You don't get a great view of Ground Zero but just being there is enough, a very surreal experience, especially having been on top of the towers exactly a year before the disaster. It's very harrowing indeed.
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Post by shrewinjapan on Dec 2, 2004 23:06:47 GMT 1
walk dont get a taxi you see more even if its a long walk between places Kind of agree with that but be careful - we looked at the map and said "It's only a few blocks so let's walk" but when we actually started we found out just how big a Manhattan block actually is and ended up walking for hours. |
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Post by tim gallon on Dec 3, 2004 0:25:13 GMT 1
Also a walk over Brooklyn Bridge and take a ride on the staten island ferry (but come straight back as theres nothing on staten island). ... Dunno mate we found a good bar on Staten Island for a couple of hours and got threatened to have our asses kicked on the way out as a bonus ;D East Village also has some cool bars, some of these on the aptly named Ludlow Street |
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Post by harmerhillshrew on Dec 3, 2004 8:18:33 GMT 1
Andrew, Ive already bought some dollars, and Im waiting to see what happens with it, but the wife works in a bank, so she can wait right up to the last minute for the best exchange.  One other tip. But its a few years since I was in New York. They may not be there anymore after that mayor cleaned the City up but the guys on street corners selling T shirts/S shirts. They are quality and were retailing for $5 when I was there, minus the label . Find 5 you and the good lady like and offer him $20 for the lot. Sweet talk the guy while you are looking saying things like 'Did you play Lt Rizzo in Kojak' |
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Post by yorton shrew on Dec 3, 2004 10:57:53 GMT 1
you are staying in the plaza! fantastic. the grill at the plaza is legendary and meant to be utterly fantastic. great shopping just round the corner inc all the big designers, bloomingdales and niketown - worth a visit cos i got a blue and amber nike t shirt from there!
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