New York New York (not snow related)
hey guys sorry to highjack a snowboarding thread but got a New York trip planned next year for June/July and was wondering if any of you have been before and can throw some advice my way.
Areas to stay or particular hotels you can recommend would be awesome! We are going to 2 weeks straight just in NYC so might even AirBNB it as it would work out much cheaper. Maybe stay at a nice hotel for the last few days.
Is 2 weeks too long? Or can you easily spend 2 weeks in NYC? Ive heard is so much to do you could spend way longer!
If you know of cool shit to do (apart from the usual Times Square, Statue of Lib, Central park etc) that would be super helpful too!
Planning overseas trips make my days at work go so much quicker!
Cheers legends!
Hey mate,
My girlfriend and I spent 3 weeks in NYC over christmas. The place is amazing. I could have easily spent another couple there.
For the first week we stayed at POD 51 which is 51st and 3rd street and even though it was a small room, it was still pretty pricey. Everywhere is pretty expensive I think.
The 2nd two weeks we were lucky we rented an apartment off airbnb. That was on 82nd st and found that heaps better due to the location. That would be the way to go if you can.
Everywhere is easy to get to in Manhattan, we bought a train ticket for $30 a week and went nuts so don’t be afraid if you are staying further out. I’d recommend staying further out from Times square and if I was going back, I’d look for a place in Meat Packing district, Wall St, Chinatown or upper west side and upper east side.
A few of my highlights were:
The Highline - a park built on on old raised train line
Hockey game
Grimaldi’s pizza just on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge
Hey mate,
My girlfriend and I spent 3 weeks in NYC over christmas. The place is amazing. I could have easily spent another couple there.
For the first week we stayed at POD 51 which is 51st and 3rd street and even though it was a small room, it was still pretty pricey. Everywhere is pretty expensive I think.
The 2nd two weeks we were lucky we rented an apartment off airbnb. That was on 82nd st and found that heaps better due to the location. That would be the way to go if you can.
Everywhere is easy to get to in Manhattan, we bought a train ticket for $30 a week and went nuts so don’t be afraid if you are staying further out. I’d recommend staying further out from Times square and if I was going back, I’d look for a place in Meat Packing district, Wall St, Chinatown or upper west side and upper east side.A few of my highlights were:
The Highline - a park built on on old raised train line
Hockey game
Grimaldi’s pizza just on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge
Would you recommend the apartment you stayed in from AirBNB? if so can you PM me the link or something?
Cheers for the info!
I just tried to find the place on AirBnB again but doesn’t seem to be there anymore. There are a ton of places on the upper west side there thats pretty well priced though.
Sorry mate.
I went to New York a few years back over winter, all I can recommend is get the New York pass, can get it here:
http://www.newyorkpass.com/En/?aid=12&gclid=CIjB5onBnMECFcIDvAod6hoA4g
it will save you a lot of cash when it comes to visiting the main attractions (museums, buildings etc..)
walk everywhere you can, you’ll find little things that are off the beaten track, I found a military museam on a retired air craft carrier which was cool, just from walking along the river. you’ll also find bagel shops and other things that we don’t really have in Aus and they are great.
other than that, there is really heaps you can do, plan your days as areas to visit, so that you don’t have to move too much, the subways are a great way to get across town if you need to.
Have fun
we spent 4 days there about a year ago. We rented a room in an apartment in brooklyn from airbnb…about $50 a night. It meant we had to catch the train in to do things in manhattan, but with the unlimited travel pass it didn’t matter and it actually meant we got to see a bit of regular suburban new york. The subway and the people on it are always entertaining if you like people watching. haha
If you stay in brooklyn I recommend one day getting off on the train one stop before the brooklyn bridge and walking over it to manhattan - that was cool.
If we were there longer and had nice weather, we were going to catch the train out to the rockaways and hire a surfboard and go for a paddle, just for the fun of it.
We went and saw a film in one of the big cinemas near time square which was awesome - and had Five Guys across the street for dinner afterwards. Mmmm!
walk everywhere you can, you’ll find little things that are off the beaten track, I found a military museam on a retired air craft carrier which was cool, just from walking along the river. you’ll also find bagel shops and other things that we don’t really have in Aus and they are great.
I agree, walk everywhere! Because it is flat it you can easily do it without getting too tired. The air craft carrier is called Intrepid. Unfortunately we ran out of time before we got to see it!
The subway is excellent if you are going out further. We caught it across to Hoboken in Jersey to go to Carlo’s Bakery (from the TV series Cake Boss). The 45min wait was worth it!
You have to go to the WTC memorial, it is amazing and so very moving.
Definitely go to Central Park. It’s huge so we opted to do a horse drawn cart trip around the park. I think it was about $90 for an hour.
If there is any Ice Hockey on you MUST go. Amazing atmosphere at Madison Square!
We stayed at the Staybridge Suites Times Square, W 40th and 9th. Small room but we had a little kitchenette which was great. There was also a guest laundry, all you needed to provide was the detergent. Easy walking distance to Times Square and right next door to the Port Authority Bus Terminal.
If I think of anything else I will let you know! 2 weeks probably won’t be enough, we did one and feel like we barely scratched the surface of what NYC has to offer!
If I think of anything else I will let you know! 2 weeks probably won’t be enough, we did one and feel like we barely scratched the surface of what NYC has to offer!
For me, 1 week was too much.
Ok, everything that people have said above is pretty much spot on. Walk as much as you can so you don’t miss things on the way. Check out the main attractions (Central Park, Statue of Lib, Brooklyn Bridge, Hockey / Basketball / Baseball / NFL, Empire State Building, Times Square, Theatre).
My biggest thing is that I was there for a week and was done. This is easily judged from previous travels. Generally 4-5 days in a large city is enough for me. Obviously for others it’s not enough.
I also put down how much you like shopping. Now generally I don’t mind shopping but when I’m on holidays I’m on a budget of 1 of 3 things:
1. Time - I’d prefer to go to other places than stay and shop
2. Money - I’ve likely budgeted my money to do the more exciting things I can’t do in Sydney or online and therefore can’t afford to shop
3. Space - Baggage space on the plane home is an issue.
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Now, as I just did an America trip less than 6 months ago, I’d suggest (if you are travelling like me) to break up your time and go somewhere else as well. Overall I think there would be 2-3 ideal destinations from NYC you could split that time with.
1. Boston - Very cool historical city. If you want to know more about the civil war and the Boston Massacre then this is a great place to visit. TD garden is also home to the Bruins and the Celtics (if you want to avoid spending all your sports in NY) and the Red Sox have one of the most iconic fields in baseball.
2. Chicago - An awesome design of a city, Chicago is built on a harbour and has the iconic Grant Park and the Magnificent Mile right next to it. Home of the deep dish pizza, that’s something to check out. It’s also cheaper than NYC on average. Check Piquad’s Pizza for Deep Dish near Fullerton Station. Amazing and cheap! Their sporting teams include the iconic Chicago Bulls (who should be a pretty strong team this year), The Blackhawks, White Sox / Cubs and the Bears.
3. Toronto / Buffalo - If you can go across to Canada, I’d definitely suggest Toronto here. Nice city on the harbour, has attractions like the Steamwhistle brewery (build in an old train depo), the hockey hall of fame and is only a few hours from Niagara Falls. If you don’t want to leave the states, Buffalo is the USA side of Niagara. Toronto also has the Maple Leafs (but good luck getting a ticket for a decent price) and the Blue Jays.
If you want any more info on any of the places or anywhere else in the USA, let me know and if I’ve been there I’ll tell you my experience.
Statue of Liberty was closed when I was in NYC, so we just caught the Staten Island ferry and took photos on the way. It was free and we could jump straight back on to come back to the city once it docked at Staten Island. We also got a stunning view of Manhattan coming back into the terminal!
Good timing, I’m currently sorting out my NYC itinerary (don’t know why I always stress over these as I have my best times walking around exploring and stumbling into good local places every time)
Naturally I’ve started with places I want to eat at, this is what I’ve got so far feel free to suggest some more:
Shake Shack (burgers)
Katz Deli (reuben)
Sylvias (harlem comfort food)
Grimaldis and or Lombardis (NYC Pizza)
Grays Papaya (hot dog)
Bricklane Curry House (open to any curry place suggestions but saw this one on manvfood)
The Halal Guys food cart (chicken over rice)
Juniors (NYC cheesecake)
Brooklyn Ice Cream factory
Smorgasburg food markets in DUMBO (100’s of street foods/markets)
Whole Foods(for when I feel like eating like a human again)
DRC have i told you about Dan Churchill blog?
Even if I have the reason it is relevant here is that he has spent a good amount of time in NY recently and blogged about it - he may give you more food idea’s!
Statue of Liberty was closed when I was in NYC, so we just caught the Staten Island ferry and took photos on the way. It was free and we could jump straight back on to come back to the city once it docked at Staten Island. We also got a stunning view of Manhattan coming back into the terminal!
Yep, not worth the $20 to stand at the base and get photos looking up at the statue anyway. The ferry was a much better idea.
hey drc13,
If you are into cupcakes, skip magnolias and cake boss bakery and go to molly’s cupcakes on bleecker st.
Also if you go to Sylvias on a Sunday which is Gospel Sunday, they have a gospel band and do the singing etc.
For me NYC was about legging it everywhere and finding the little cafe or the diner that had hardly or no tourist. There are always good places to eat or drink.
I went to New York earlier this year for the first time. We were there for 10 days and I easily could have spent more time there. The greatest city I’ve ever been to and I was just blown away and entertained from start to finish.
I’m by no means an expert on the city, but I had my cousins who are real New Yorkers show us around and take us to heaps of awesome places.
A few things I would definitely recommend or do again:
http://literarypubcrawl.com/ — This was really cool, entertaining, and a great way to see a unique part of the city (not to mention drink in some of the most historic pubs in New York). We thoroughly enjoyed this.
http://www.mcsorleysnewyork.com/ — McSorley’s Old Ale House is the oldest pub in New York and the atmosphere and beer are awesome! I will go straight back here for a drink when I get to NYC again. Make sure you try both their light and dark beers (both are incredible).
http://www.crifdogs.com/ — My mouth is literally watering thinking about Crif Dogs. You have to eat here. I tried to eat one every day haha.
http://bleeckerstreetpizza.com/ — This came to us highly recommended and we weren’t disappointed. Tipped as the best slice in NYC.
http://www.cbs.com/shows/late_show/tickets/ — Do whatever you can to get tickets to the Late Show with David Letterman. This was one of the highlights of my trip. Bloody awesome!
http://sleepnomorenyc.com/ — OK, this was really incredible. My cousins surprised us by taking us here. It’s an immersive theatre experience where you walk around in silence wearing masquerade masks in a really creepy six-storey building while actors play out one of Shakespeare’s classics. A really great and unique experience.
http://www.nba.com/nets/ — I’m a big basketball fan so I had to go to a game. The new Nets stadium is awesome and a great atmosphere. Tickets were significantly cheaper than going to a Knicks game (which would also be great).
http://www.jean-georges.com/restaurants/united-states/new-york/jean-georges/ and http://www.jean-georgesrestaurant.com/ — My cousins took us here as a wedding present. My cousins are proper foodies (one of them is a food blogger/photographer) and they told us this is one of the best Michelin three-star restaurants in the world, and certainly one of the best in New York. Not cheap but what an incredible lunch. Lunch is much cheaper than the dinner menu but oh was it amazing! If you’re going to have one fancy meal in New York, this is the place to do it. Here is the lunch menu: http://www.jean-georgesrestaurant.com/jean-georges/menus/lunch/
http://www.avenueq.com/ — This was a really fun show. Again it was highly recommended and we all had a great time. Go there in the morning of the show and you can get last minute tickets for like a quarter of the price. I think they came to about $25 each. Definitely worth going to a show like this.
... and so much more! New York is such an incredible city. No matter what you decide to do, I think you will thoroughly enjoy your time there, as you can probably tell by all the great suggestions in this thread. Please let us know how you go! I’m excited for you!
DRC have i told you about Dan Churchill blog?
Don’t believe you had, I’ll check it out for some NYC tips, thanks.
hey drc13, If you are into cupcakes, skip magnolias and cake boss bakery and go to molly’s cupcakes on bleecker st.
Also if you go to Sylvias on a Sunday which is Gospel Sunday, they have a gospel band and do the singing etc.
Thanks for the tip. I don’t eat them often but I am a sucker for a good cupcake. Definitely planning on heading to Sylvias (looked over the menu the other day, it’s so wrong but probably so right!) unfortunately it probably won’t be a Sunday but seeing as my singing is about as good as my dancing I’m probably doing NYC a favour!
I went to New York earlier this year for the first time. We were there for 10 days and I easily could have spent more time there. The greatest city I’ve ever been to and I was just blown away and entertained from start to finish.
I’m by no means an expert on the city, but I had my cousins who are real New Yorkers show us around and take us to heaps of awesome places.
A few things I would definitely recommend or do again:
Thanks for the list Cowboy it’s certainly getting me pumped for NYC! Might hit you up for some more details when I’ve got some more of my plans locked in.
While I’m at it, here’s my first draft at my NYC itinerary that I’d posted at another forum.
Frustratingly I’m a chronic overplanner which is ironic as my best times overseas are often when I ignore the itinerary and explore the neighbourhoods/side streets living and eating like a local more so than ticking off the main tourist sites.
Having said that I’ve tried to include the “must do’s” but I’m certainly open to advice on how to get more of a “real new yorker” experience. I’m very active and enjoy being outdoors but also rate food experiences highly. Not so much a museum/building/history buff but understand sometimes you need to tick these things off.
Mon 29-12: Should arrive at my NYC accommodation (NYC budget inn) by ~9pm so I plan to have a quick explore of the area (maybe times square) before catching up on some sleep
Tue 30-12: Central park (hire a bike and ride around it) followed by the museum of natural history and then hopefully make it out to Sylvia’s in Harlem for dinner
Wed 31-12: East Village/SOHO/Greenwich/Union Square/Little Italy areas. No real plans other than wander. Hopefully Katz Deli for lunch. I have no locked in plans for NYE. As much as I’d like to see the ball drop the idea of standing for hours in Times Square doesn’t appeal to me neither does dropping $1k on a ticket to a party where I’m likely to be by myself. So at this stage I’m looking into NYE in central park potentially doing the midnight 4mile run.
Thu 1-1: Midtown area. Trump Tower, Library, Halal Guys food cart for lunch, Top of the Rock at Sunset, Times Square, Probably see an off broadway show (Avenue Q)
Fri 2-1: Midtown East, United Nations, Grand Central, Madison Square Garden, Empire State Building at night. Grays Papaya.
Sat 3-1: Financial District, Ground Zero, C21 outlet, Wall street, probably circle line cruise for statue of liberty
Sun 4-1: Brooklyn, Smorgasburg food markets, Grimaldis, Walk back over the Brooklyn Bridge
Mon 5-1: Chelsea, Walk the Highline, Intrepid Sea Museum, Back to Brooklyn to see the Nets vs Dallas (NBA)