Visiting New York City

[Brian 162]

Hi all.

We're heading to New York in August. We've never been so I;m asking the Pelican braintrust for tips where to stay and what to see.

The 911 Memorial, and Statue of Liberty is on the list.
I've looked into the hop-on hop-off bus.
I'm thinking of staying by the airport or Queens. Parking is easier I assume.

I'm open for any ideas.

Thanks in advance.

Brian

[stomachmonkey]

Stay in the city.

You don't need a car once there and the drive in / out is not a picnic.

Park the car in a lot and forget it.

Things to see, hmmm depends on how long you are there.

Central Park, MOMA, Broadway, Empire State, the Village, take the Staten Island Ferry across, you'll pass the Statue of Liberty, turn around and come straight back, time it so you are seeing Battery Park at sunset, breathtaking although was better before 2001......

Just have fun, you could spend a year there and not see it all.

[HardDrive]

Yeah, forget the car. No need. MOMA, Guggenheim. See a show on (or off) broadway. There is a place right in the middle of times square that sells same day tickets. Ride bikes in the central park.

[herr_oberst]

Take a ride in a Hansom cab if they haven't yet been outlawed, a trip to the top of 30Rock is fun, take in something at Madison Square Garden, see the John Lennon Memorial opposite the Dakota hotel in Central Park. The Public Library is worth a look...somebody mentioned MoMA...Eat at a nice restaurant....

Then, on the second day....

Lots to do in the big city.

If you can, get out of the city and go hike the Appalachian trail. Beautiful views of the Hudson.

[Brian 162]

The car is parked once I arrive. Good suggestions keep em coming.

[motion]

We like to park our rental car at the Staten Island Ferry parking lot on Staten Island. Its super cheap... like $7 a day, and the ferry ride to Battery Park is free and gives you an awesome view of the Statue of Liberty. From Battery Park, its a short walk to Wall Street or the subway. We do this every time we go to NYC!

[carerra87]

Try looking at hotels in DOWNTOWN Jersey City,NJ (Westin, Hyatt, Double tree) they're all across the river with fantastic view of NYC. One stop away to the city using Path Train!

[Bill Douglas]

Got to do the Circle Line boat cruise Circle Line: Complete Manhattan Island Cruise - New York City | Viator

[MMARSH]

Interesting what the different backgrounds of people will find interesting to see. I agree with all the suggestions mentioned,

I also really enjoyed catching an amateur night at the Apollo Theatre. Being in that Theatre where all the great musical acts have performed was really a treat to me. Rode the subway there and on the way back, stood on the platform next to someone who had just been booed off the stage 30 min before. The meal I had at Sylvia's soul food in Harlem was the best meal that I had in New York and that includes The Old Homestead and Peter Lugers.

Another interesting place we went to was the Tenement museum. Its a walking tour of a preserved tenement on the lower east side.

We also did the hop on/hop off bus and really enjoyed it. Gave us a good overview of the city. We did that the first day then went back and explored on foot and subway later.

We were there for 7 days and it really wasn't enough time.

I loved the city. If I could afford a summer place overlooking Central Park, I'd live there in a minute.

[daepp]

102nd floor of the Empire State Building!

The "Monster" jet boat tour of the harbor.

Central Park - rent a bike or just walk around and take it all in.

Spend the better part of a day at the Met.

St. Pats.

Eatily.

Greenwich Village, Chelsea. Both on foot.

The Intrepid (with real space shuttle!)

Battery Park.

Broadway.

Times Square.

And no car.

[widgeon13]

Take time to visit Grand Central Terminal. It's beautiful building and the heart of NYC.

[imcarthur]

As a tourist, I wouldn’t stay anywhere but Midtown. You want to be able to walk & all of Midtown is very walkable. Look at a map & find the Hilton Midtown, then find an affordable hotel as close to that as possible. Expect small rooms – more like Europe than elsewhere in North America – and expect to pay more than you want. August is a busy month. I use hotels.com to search. The Affina chain has some decent properties. The newish Yotel in Hell’s Kitchen has become my latest haunt but that is more about location. Do NOT stay at LaGuardia. The hotels there all really suck – I have stayed at most of them & taxis into the city are around $30 one way.

NYC-Toronto is about a 9 hour drive. I prefer to cut south at Syracuse on I-81 & then pic up Hwy 17 at Binghampton because I-95 is so numbingly boring. Remember that you can't turn right on a red light in Manhattan, just like the island of Montreal.


Ian

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Last time I was there I spent a day on the Intrepid and visited the Ground Zero memorial. I recommend both.

[recycled sixtie]

It has been about five years since I went to NYC with the wife and daughter. Prepare to spend more on a hotel. We stayed at OnTheAvenue(OTA) and it was walking distance and central to everything in downtown. This hotel is well set up for tourists. In the lobby they have employees who will fill you in on everything - what to see, restaurants etc. I think we paid between $250-300 per room/night.

Central Park was impressive. We do a lot of walking. Skip the car. Parking is hard to get and driving is pretty intense. Museums are great. The restaurant food was terrific and the grocery stores are fantastic just to see the array of products.

Cheers,Guy.

[Seahawk]

Plenty of free things to do as well.

As I have written before, I always google 'free concerts' in the cities I stay in. Great local flavor.

Free Summer Concerts : NYC Parks

http://www.nycgo.com/free/

http://www.nycgo.com/freeweekly

Enjoy.

BTW, Motion is right about Staten Island. I have started to park there about every other trip. There are other satellite parking areas that may be more convenient on your way down from Toronto.

[ramonesfreak]

Stay in manhattan not queens. Otherwise you will be wasting a lot of time. It's nice to be able to go to your hotel for a few hours and then go back down to the street. In queens, your stuck in the middle of nowhere once back to hotel. It's not worth the saving$.

I like McSorleys for a few beers. Google it.

Check out a museum. The Moma is doable in a few hours. The met is huge and could take all day but its worth seeing some of it.

I like the natural history museum

Walk the skyline

Strange but after living here for a while I can't really come up with anything more than the above except to say I do think going up the Empire State Building is worth the $ if the weather is clear

[Paul_Heery]

How long are you planning to spend in the city? There is so much to do, so you will need to prioritize what you want to see and do. There are some great recommendations above, but you will need to cater things to your interests.

Besides MoMA and the Met, I highly recommend The Frick Collection . Frick actually tops my list for a museum visit while in the city.

When you are in midtown, you will most definitely find yourself in Times Square at some point. Sure, check things out but for me, I wouldn't spend too much of my time there. But, nearby here are usually some interesting things happening in Bryant Park If nothing else, it is a good place to sit under a tree in the shade for a break from the August heat.

Speaking of escaping the heat for a bit, another good place for a quick, free break is the Chrysler Building. You can only enter & tour the lobby. But, it is free and air conditioned.

[ramonesfreak]

I'm from to rochester and have been driving this route for 25 years. I prefer 81 south to 380 through Scranton to 80 towards the George Washington bridge. 17 is a pretty drive though

As a tourist, I wouldn’t stay anywhere but Midtown. You want to be able to walk & all of Midtown is very walkable. Look at a map & find the Hilton Midtown, then find an affordable hotel as close to that as possible. Expect small rooms – more like Europe than elsewhere in North America – and expect to pay more than you want. August is a busy month. I use hotels.com to search. The Affina chain has some decent properties. The newish Yotel in Hell’s Kitchen has become my latest haunt but that is more about location. Do NOT stay at LaGuardia. The hotels there all really suck – I have stayed at most of them & taxis into the city are around $30 one way.



NYC-Toronto is about a 9 hour drive. I prefer to cut south at Syracuse on I-81 & then pic up Hwy 17 at Binghampton because I-95 is so numbingly boring. Remember that you can't turn right on a red light in Manhattan, just like the island of Montreal.





Ian

[jcommin]

No car
Stay in Manhattan
Very good public transportation
Plenty to see and do

It is a great place to visit! Enjoy!

Washington Square is a nice area too.

[javadog]

Defintely stay in mid-town Manhattan. Don't even think about staying elsewhere.

Book your dinner reservations now, if you plan to eat at any high-end places.

Beyond that, your going to have to tell us what you like to do to get any worthwhile suggestions. I know what I would do, but I am not you...

JR