Reply to: New York - advice needed

[scooterscot]

Taking my 16 yr old daughter + rellies to NY for a shopping trip at the end of june, for a week.
I have checked this out on-line, but the advice from the guys here is always top notch.

Can I get a subway pass that will cover NY and Newark jointly, for a week ?
What is cheap cf the UK ?
What to avoid
What is a must




TIA

Was there for a weekend in February. Great experience.

Here's the top tip you've been waiting for in fact I'm shocked and stunned it's not been mentioned already.

If you're going on a shopping trip go to Macy's go to the first floor to the visitor information desk they'll ask for ID flash them your passport, they'll give you a little bit of paper which gets you 10% off anything in the whole store.

Got myself a few pairs of jeans that day...

My other personal must do is a visit to Ellis Island, forget the statue of liberty (seriously overcrowded with tourists) you can get enough viewing just on the ferry trip to Ellis island, where you may find a record of a distant relation and far more educational.

[Board Game Geek]

Marriott nr Times Square has a revolving restaurant on the 40th (not sure?) floor.

Excellent food, but you need to book in advance (even though it was fairly empty when we went one evening)

The view is beautiful.

However, please be aware that they do not take too kindly to laughing.

I was there with Mrs BGG and my Mother, and we were dressed to the nines, and hardly a loutish crowd.

One of us made a witticism, and the other 2 laughed. Not loudly or uproaringly, but just a slight chuckle.

In a flash the waiter, called "Morty", came over and said :

"Hello folks, I can hear you having a good time, but you need to be aware that we have something called the "Fun Police" here in NY, and they might hear you."

In other words, he was trying to say "we don't tolerate laughter here", albeit couched in a non-threatening way.

[snaw]

Used to live there, canny be arsed looking but a while back I write a big post on things to see in NYC.

Pretty sure it's on that Tay got involved in slating, cause he's a c0ck like that but if you can be bothered seraching it was pretty detailed I seem to remember.

[NickNick]

IIRC, you can't get a Newark / NY pass as they are in Different States.

Brookly Heights is great for pizza. Which was apparently invented there (I don't believe it either)

[interested]

Taking my 16 yr old daughter + rellies to NY for a shopping trip at the end of june, for a week.
I have checked this out on-line, but the advice from the guys here is always top notch.

Can I get a subway pass that will cover NY and Newark jointly, for a week ?
What is cheap cf the UK ?
What to avoid
What is a must




TIA

You can get a helicopter transfer to Manhattan from both JFK and EWR which a) saves time b) isn't actually that expensive and b) gives you a great view of Manhattan.
Never bothered with the subway as the cabs are so cheap but you can get a subway pass at the stations from the machines.

Empire State is OK, lots of queuing. Staten Island ferry is OK for the view of Manhattan, but there's not much to see when you get there so I just turned right around and came back.
Would recommend going to Brooklyn; it's pretty cool (Williamsburg etc) and then walk back over Brooklyn Bridge - amazing. Soho/Tribeca/Greenwich and Meatpacking district all very good for shopping and nightlife. The pubs are surprisingly good and have great beer selections. You can't beat the shops on 5th Ave - Bergdorf Goodman; Bloomingdales; Macys etc: buy all the US brands and stock up on top brand jeans like Seven/Citizens/Joes as they are very cheap compared to the UK.
Wouldn't bother with Times Sq; Ground Zero is a bit too much like grief tourism for me.

You can't fail to have a good time. Just typing this makes me long for the days when I went over once a month on a project 2 years ago. (CW on BA and 5 star hotels- nice). Sadly all in the past

[BoredBloke]

Have to say though that most of the New Yorkers that we met were a great bunch of people - so friendly. Makes me want to book a flight there again.

When we were there last year there was an old guy who tripped and was obviously in a bit if a state in Times Square. People just walked round him. I went over to help him and got him to the side of the pavement. He really didn't have a clue what was going on and nobody would ring an ambulance for him. In the end I managed to get one of those African chaps who sell the bus tickets to phone for help. I think they were not up for it because perhaps they were not 100% legal. I stayed with him until the ambulance arrived and made sure he was ok. I was amazed how many people just walked around him.

The friendliest person we met was in Greenwich Village. We'd wandered for ages looking for a nice place to eat and in the end asked this guy carrying his shopping (so a local). As he couldn't give us directions he walked us there - way out of his way etc. It was quite noticeable that me and the wife were the only different sex couple in there.

We stayed at the Marriott on Times Square. Not the nicest hotel but you can't beat its location.

[cailin maith]

Have to say though that most of the New Yorkers that we met were a great bunch of people - so friendly. Makes me want to book a flight there again.

Same here - we had a ball! The only gripe I had was Homeland bloody Security!

[Rookie]

Last year was my first time, so it was all new to me. It was emotional though. I have family in NYC. My cousin died 3 - 4 days after 9/11 - Family from this side of the pond struggled to make it to the States for the funeral (he was 4) and even worse it took ages to be able to bury him as all the undertakers were so busy 9/11 reminds me a lot of Jack.

Have to say though that most of the New Yorkers that we met were a great bunch of people - so friendly. Makes me want to book a flight there again.

[EternalOptimist]

Top of the Rock - much better than the skanky Empire State, IMO. Someone on here reccomended it to me

Bryant Park - very pretty, with lots of little shops in the park.

Do the open top Bus thingy - it's great you can get a 2 or 5 day hop on, hop off ticket. The one I did, had 2 routes so you got to see a fair bit of the Island. And the hop on malarkey is handy.

Have you booked a hotel yet EO?

Thanks chaps, thats a good list so far, I am also hiring a car and taking a few of them up to Buffalo to see the falls, that should keep me out of mischief for a couple of days

CM - the hotel is on frontage in Newark, cant remember the name right now

[cailin maith]

Very much so - especially if you knew it well before 911 (Windows on the World was an amazing restaurant). It is also interesting to look at the names of the companies in the surrounding buildings and think how fortunate it was that both buildings collapsed without toppling over even a little bit

As you say though....gut wrenching to see it now.

I also heartily recommend doing a helicopter tour - it is worth every cent.

Last year was my first time, so it was all new to me. It was emotional though. I have family in NYC. My cousin died 3 - 4 days after 9/11 - Family from this side of the pond struggled to make it to the States for the funeral (he was 4) and even worse it took ages to be able to bury him as all the undertakers were so busy 9/11 reminds me a lot of Jack.

[cailin maith]

Staten Island Ferry - great view of South Manhatten & free!
Top of The Rockerfeller Centre - great view
St Patricks - great architecture if you're into that.
All American brandede clothes are cheap - Gap, Hilfiger, Levi's, etc.
Marriott nr Times Square has a revolving restaurant on the 40th (not sure?) floor.
Grand Central Station is really cool and a great oyster bar there.

I forgot about that.... it was one of my fave places! I was gobsmacked at how nice it was and how good the food was, not to mention the variety!!

Staten Island ferry is good too!

[PM-Junkie]

Very emotional! And a tiny bit morbid.... I wasn't sure if I wanted to see it at all.

Very much so - especially if you knew it well before 911 (Windows on the World was an amazing restaurant). It is also interesting to look at the names of the companies in the surrounding buildings and think how fortunate it was that both buildings collapsed without toppling over even a little bit

As you say though....gut wrenching to see it now.

I also heartily recommend doing a helicopter tour - it is worth every cent.

[Rookie]

Very emotional! And a tiny bit morbid.... I wasn't sure if I wanted to see it at all.

Very morbid and people trying to make money out of selling things there.

[Rookie]

Staten Island Ferry - great view of South Manhatten & free!
Top of The Rockerfeller Centre - great view
St Patricks - great architecture if you're into that.
All American brandede clothes are cheap - Gap, Hilfiger, Levi's, etc.
Marriott nr Times Square has a revolving restaurant on the 40th (not sure?) floor.
Grand Central Station is really cool and a great oyster bar there.

[cailin maith]

I haven't been, however I hear "Ground Zero" is a must. Apparently gut wrenching

Very emotional! And a tiny bit morbid.... I wasn't sure if I wanted to see it at all.