WAY OT-NYC tourist info wanted

My wife, her sister and aunt are going to be driving to NY city at the end of this month.

They are only staying 3 days. Any hints on what to AVOID.

Also what about parking outside the city and taking subway? Are there places to safely do this? I've never been and neither have they, any tips would be appreciated.

Shawn

The entire city !!!!

are they renting a car or are they taking their own car?

obin

Seriously , the best thing you can do is drive directly to your hotel , and give the car to the bellman. Then hail a taxi, or if you want the subways work very well and beats being above ground during rush hour. The big downfall with the subway is you don't get to see the city . It is also a great city for walking if you are so inclined . The buses also work well . Best bet cab to the neighborhood you want to explore then hoof it. Most of all enjoy!

Ex Pat

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Bob
1982 911SC Targa
PCA - Founders Region

Driving to is o.k. Driving around is not a good idea! The best thing is to arrive very, very early, or very late, get a hotel with parking as part of the package and forget about the car for a few days.
Manhattan really is quite small. Walking, cabs, buses and yes, the dreaded subway is the way to go!
Bring good maps for driving and exploring!

Warning, it might seem like a good idea to park your car in the suburbs and then take a train into the city. Actually this is quite smart. The only problem is when you get back after a few days your signal lens will be gone, the hubcaps pried off and the trunk latch popped open. It's actually gotten alot better, a few years ago the wheels would have been gone too.

Thanks, They will be driving her vehicle there and they even said they won't need it there, so it will be parked. Just thought there might be SAFE places in the suburbs. You guys always say how nice it is to be Americans

Thanks
Shawn

I live in NJ and work in NYC.
Yes, ras911 is right. Drive your car to the hotel and keep it there because NYC is not a city to drive in.
It's too crowded and no place to park. Stay in Manhattan preferably in Midtown (40s to 60s and not West of Broadway (i.e., stay away from 8th through 12th ave.)

Subways are the fastest way to travel and are safe during the day. Take a cab and it's about $8 to $15 per ride in Manhattan.

Good Sights:
Downtown
Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island/Battery Park
Observation deck of World Trade Center
Little Italy/Chinatown (eat outside in Little Italy)
Wall St. and tour of NY Stock Exchange
Greenwich Village / Soho

Midtown:
Macy's / Herald Square
Walk on 5th Avenue from Central Park to the 40's
Trump Tower
Central Park (daytime)
Rockefeller Center
Empire State Building
Broadway Theater
Museum of Modern Art (once had a F1 Ferrari in there)
Metropolitan Museum (huge)
Guggenheim Museum

....the list never ends

nick
'70 911E

Originally posted by orbmedia:

Warning, it might seem like a good idea to park your car in the suburbs and then take a train into the city. Actually this is quite smart. The only problem is when you get back after a few days your signal lens will be gone, the hubcaps pried off and the trunk latch popped open. It's actually gotten alot better, a few years ago the wheels would have been gone too.

point of reference: my Nissan was broken into while parked under a bright light right across the street from us in an "excellent" neighbourhood. my VW Scirocco was stolen in the "suburbs" outside of the city. our Nissan was also hit-and-run in a great neighbourhood in manhattan. it was sideswiped by a delivery truck in a wonderful neighbourhood by a police station in the Bronx. a long time ago, our Chevy had a gorgeous shattered back window couteousy of a stray bullet, while parked on a busy street in uptown manhattan, right off from broadway.

the best thing to do is not to bring a car to NYC. trust me from experience.


obin

Oy vey. New York is a crazy place, but that's why smarter suburban types use the exorbitant parking garages. I live in NJ and, due to the pathetic mass transit options into NYC, I always drive, as do most of the Jersey folks I know.

Between the crime and the ludicrous, random, and illegible "No Parking" signage, a garage is the best choice. I have had two cars broken into on the street, and one towed, in 11 years. It ain't fun, so you learn to just fork over the twenties and surrender to the garage scene.

And no, I'd NEVER take my Porsche there!

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Roger
'85 Carrera 3.2 Coupe aka "Sputterbug"
http://sputterbug.com

As a native New Yorker, living in Manhattan for over twenty years... all I can say is, "DON'T DRIVE". They were thinking about giving some of our potholes their own zipcodes. Park the car in an underground garage and hoof it, but always make sure you know where you are going so as not to end up in a bad neighborhood.

If your wife and her compatriots need help, please don't hesitate to contact me or have them do so. I can point them in the direction of a less expensive garage... also tell them to inquire as to what 24 hours means and how the prices are reflected the next day. My friend found what looked like a resonable garage just to find out the second consecutive 24 hour time period was substantially different costwise than the first period. Screwed up and a bit too scam like for me.

Regards,

Marc

[This message has been edited by marc weintraub (edited 05-14-2001).]

Thank you everybody! I know they will enjoy themselves while there. Nick, Heidi will actually write down from your list of things to see and take it with her. Marc I will email you and get more information so she has a contact in the area, in case something happens.

Thank you all so much, Heidi is even impressed with the rsponses, maybe now she sees why I love this site

Shawn

I don't know about going to NYC. My wife and sister just came back from a three day trip there. While in the lobby of the Hampshire Hotel, a robber was killed - shot dead.

Apparently, he robbed the Trump Casino and had a room there. When he came off the elevator (my wife and sister took the steps at the same time) the FBI approached him and shot him dead. Of course, he had a gun.

Four hours later, after testifying to everyone, they were let go. Screwed up the rest of their trip.

Not sure they want to visit NYC again.

Steve

NYC is the biggest piece of trash city on the planet. I dont see why anyone would want to visit New yOrk

I've only been there twice (day trips) and got lost, never felt safe, the only happy part was leaving for home.

You want a nice city to visit? Try Toronto, Canada. More class without the trash

Stormcrow... my wife and I saw that incident since we live down the block. I feel for your wife and sister. The person in question was being chased across the country and was wanted for the theft and murder. I am sure that was very traumatic for both of them and I am glad they were not caught in the crossfire.

With regard to "83 sc euro cab's" statements... well the fact that he has only been here twice and admitted to "have gotten lost, never felt safe, and the only happy part was leaving for home just showed me he came in as most tourists do... very unprepared.

I, personally, love Toronto and agree that it is a wonderful, clean, friendly city, but there is no place in the world like New York. A good portion of my family lives in Toronto, so I am being very sincere about my statements.

New York, just like any other major city has it's share of crime, but what else is the news going to talk about. This is, unfortunately what you here when you don't live here. If you know where you are going... know where not to go and don't look like a tourist you can survive here. As a native, I can pick out a tourist a mile away and that is what the criminals look for. This is a very friendly city, but it is expensive and fast paced. If you don't walk and keep up with the pace you do so at your own risk, which is unfortunate.

If anyone needs help when coming to New York, please don't hesitate to contact me. There is no reason to not enjoy everything this city has to offer... and it does have quite a bit to offer.

All The Best,

Marc