re: New York around the holidays

[lorimay]

We are heading up next Friday!

Thanks cornflake, your suggestions look yummy!

We go to Donut Plant every time we come up, that place is awesome.

We have also gotten their donuts at Dean and Deluca.

 

[brookelizabeth]

I skimmed through the thread, but a GREAT website for planning a NYC trip with kids is www.mommypoppins.com She has an entire holiday guide, along with kid friendly places near the big events (like Rockefeller), for all budgets. I use this site regularly when planning family outings and needing a few child-friendly ideas.

One of our favorite and more off beat holiday things to do is ride the vintage subway cars. They only run on Sundays and pretty much stick to the schedule given (there is info about them on the above website if you are interested). It's cheap and fun - a great way to go to Rockefeller or Macy's.

 

[princesspiglet]

This is a common misconception about those buses - they're NOT a way to get around. At all.

They're just a way to sit in traffic and pay a lot of money to do so, honestly. If you're not up for walking, for sure take cabs or the train or buses, but try the regular City buses, not the tour buse. You'll just stand at stops forever waiting for them (and then I've heard people say they come by but are too crowded so they have to stand and wait and wait and wait for another) and then sit in traffic some more on them.

I have to disagree with this. I have taken 3 douuble-decker bus tours and loved all of them. We never sat in traffic for longer than any other car does and we managed to see the entire city in a 2 hour tour. We got off at numerous stops like Macy's, the village, chinatown, 911 memorial, and we never waited more than 10 mins for a bus to pick us up. We managed to find open seats on the top level every time. We keep doing the tour because we love it every time.

 

[cornflake]

I have to disagree with this. I have taken 3 douuble-decker bus tours and loved all of them. We never sat in traffic for longer than any other car does and we managed to see the entire city in a 2 hour tour. We got off at numerous stops like Macy's, the village, chinatown, 911 memorial, and we never waited more than 10 mins for a bus to pick us up. We managed to find open seats on the top level every time. We keep doing the tour because we love it every time.

Have you done this around the holidays? At a certain point, cabs don't even want to go near midtown some times in the day because it's so bad aboveground.

If it's not a crowded time of year, ... OP is coming during the holidays. I stand by that the tour buses are not a good idea at all.

 

[shamrock30]

mtemm, I see you are in MA , did you drive into the city or did you take the train down?
we want to do this around the holidays, and thought about driving as far as connecticut and taking the train, from maybe Stamford. not sure.

I would drive into the city, I just don't know where I would put the car. so not a city person here, LOL

My husband and I had to travel back and forth to NYC from the greater Boston area many times over the course of a year, and we regularly took the train from Stamford. Parking is about $10 a day, and we left the car for days at a time with no issues. My husband has been driving in Boston for many years, but we still found this to be the best option for us.

 

[princesspiglet]

Have you done this around the holidays? At a certain point, cabs don't even want to go near midtown some times in the day because it's so bad aboveground.

If it's not a crowded time of year, ... OP is coming during the holidays. I stand by that the tour buses are not a good idea at all.

Our last trip was last year from Sunday Nov 20-Wed Nov 23. We took the tour on Monday. Traffic was no different to us then it was on our prior trip in May. It was pretty cold though on the top deck! We did the downtown tour on that trip. In May we did the Brooklyn Tour and the trip prior in October 2011 we did the All Around Tour that was for 48 hours.

We are coming up again from Dec 26-30 and are thinking about doing another tour. We never book in advance, just walk over to TS and see if there are any busses empty and purchase tickets then. We all think it is a great way to see all the sites in the city without paying alot and minimum walking!

 

[cornflake]

Our last trip was last year from Sunday Nov 20-Wed Nov 23. We took the tour on Monday. Traffic was no different to us then it was on our prior trip in May. It was pretty cold though on the top deck! We did the downtown tour on that trip. In May we did the Brooklyn Tour and the trip prior in October 2011 we did the All Around Tour that was for 48 hours.

We are coming up again from Dec 26-30 and are thinking about doing another tour. We never book in advance, just walk over to TS and see if there are any busses empty and purchase tickets then. We all think it is a great way to see all the sites in the city without paying alot and minimum walking!

That was during the week and before Thanksgiving, so it wouldn't be holiday crowded.

Hey, if you enjoy it, more power to you.

During the holidays, I'd tell anyone to avoid that like the plague, because I think they'd be sitting and waiting for buses forever and a day. I also think it's expensive as heck for what it is.

 

[frndshpcptn]

That was during the week and before Thanksgiving, so it wouldn't be holiday crowded.

Hey, if you enjoy it, more power to you.

During the holidays, I'd tell anyone to avoid that like the plague, because I think they'd be sitting and waiting for buses forever and a day. I also think it's expensive as heck for what it is.

I don't know - I think maybe for people not familiar with the city who don't want to attempt to navigate the subways may enjoy and above ground tour. You can hop and off, right? It goes to all the major landmarks - for a person who isn't here often it may be a nice option.