New york city

[CruiseBoundnKY]

Please help. Dh and I are going to NYC for the first time this Saturday. We are being dropped off at Rockefeller center between 7-8 am and picked back up around 11pm.

I am clueless as to how to get around. We want to go to the 9-11 memorial and have tix for 12:30.


I need ideas for breakfast lunch and dinner budget friendly.

I need budget friendly travel advice on how to get to the 9-11 memorial.

I'd also like to see the Disney store, the Rockefeller tree, a glimpse of the statue if possible.

I'm so worried about being totally lost. I can navigate Disney blindfolded but this really unnerves me.

Many Thanks! Karen

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

You can cab it or take the subway. I suggest that you purchase a guidebook with a good map. Also search the boards; there are many threads already on visiting NYC. Some useful links:

http://www.mta.info/maps/

http://tripplanner.mta.info/MyTrip/ui_web/customplanner/tripplanner.aspx

Don't worry about getting lost; you can always hail a cab or find a subway stop.

 

[java]

Cornflake will be on here hopefully- best city advice imho!

To get downtown budget friendly- take the subway. 4 or the 5 I think you get off at Fulton? Is that right? Or take the E right to the world trade center area. But it's easy to navigate down there- it's all walkable.

I have not been back downtown since September 11. So I might be off on the stops.

Food

Good reasonable place in the theater district- Becco NYC. yummy. and they have a pasta special that is very reasonable at Lunch. But even dinner is affordable.

The Disney Store is a big flop imho. They shrunk it and ruined it. It's hard to navigate around there even with no crowds.

OH! Hit Bryant Park they have a Holiday festival that is adorable. With the ice rink right there - oh it gets me into instant holiday mood. (I may have to head in this weekend myself)

If you are downtown around lunchtime maybe Chinatown? Cheap and delicious chinese food at Joe's Shanghai on Pell Street.
http://www.joeshanghairestaurants.com/chinatownstore_eng.html
Get the dumplings!! OH SO GOOD! everything is good and inexpensive. You do share tables sometimes. It's no fine dining- but good food.

 

[bdcp]

John's pizzeria, in Times Square (44th st) is also very reasonable. We've had pizza and pasta there. We were just in NYC a couple of weeks ago and spent 3 nights at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. Go to Macy's (right around 34rd st and Boadway-in Herald Square). They are decorated for Christmas inside and their windows too.

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

We really liked the Grand Central Oyster Bar and Restaurant in Grand Central Station. Pretty good food in a historic location.

We felt guilty about not having pizza in Little Italy (Lombardi's) but we ended up at Angelo's in the Times Square area. It was under the marquee for the David Letterman show, and the pizza was good and reasonably priced...and they were really quick.

 

[clh2]

We are going to NYC in a couple of weeks! So - my advice isn't "tried and true" because I haven't been there yet!

On the 9 11 Memorial website - there is a link on the "getting here " section for HOP STOP. It will take a NYC location and tell you how to get where you need to go. (This gave me very direct and concise directions from my hotel to the memorial center.)

 

[Sagginit]

if you are being dropped off at the rock i would take the B D F M and transfer to the E at 4St/ Wash Square if you are going straight t there. if you are going to times square first you can take the 1 2 3 down to the WTC site.

disney store is just a giant disney store, IMHO times square is one of the country's most hyped up malls these days. i would go in to see, take some pics, and keep moving.

as for food, when and where do you want to eat and what do you consider reasonable? you may want to aim to eat downtown in little italy or china town for better deals than times square. i am honestly not sure where to see the statue from down there as i never really go to see it. what i can tell you is those areas downtown are still recovering from flooding so things may look different than you expect.

 

[disney1990]

if you are being dropped off at the rock i would take the B D F M and transfer to the E at 4St/ Wash Square if you are going straight t there. if you are going to times square first you can take the 1 2 3 down to the WTC site.

disney store is just a giant disney store, IMHO times square is one of the country's most hyped up malls these days. i would go in to see, take some pics, and keep moving.

as for food, when and where do you want to eat and what do you consider reasonable? you may want to aim to eat downtown in little italy or china town for better deals than times square. i am honestly not sure where to see the statue from down there as i never really go to see it. what i can tell you is those areas downtown are still recovering from flooding so things may look different than you expect.

Article on windows decorated for the holidays in NYC.


http://www.nydailynews.com/life-sty...ays-article-1.1204159?localLinksEnabled=false

 

[CruiseBoundnKY]

Thanx. I've been watching you tubes on riding the subway. Told ya I was flipping out.

How long is the wait to skate at Rockefeller center.

How close is 9-11 to Lombardis and time square?

Does anyone know a great outdoor store that sells hiking apparel. How far away is REI?

Thanks!

 

[cornflake]

Take the train! You can get the 1, 2, 3 from right by Rock Center, over on 50th st. and considering when you're getting there and that it'll be Saturday and there's like, not a lot to do in Midtown on a Saturday at 8am ... given what you want to do, though, I'd like, go find breakfast if you haven't had any and then go down and take the Staten Island Ferry, look at the Statue (the Statue itself is closed, you cannot go to the island - the SI ferry is fun and gets you a closer view, as well as a view of the downtown city skyline), then go over to the memorial.

There's the Star Diner on like 53rd and 7th which may be open (I have no idea about Saturdays). If not, the Olympic, on like 48th and 8th is always open and good. Then you can take the train from 50th and 7th down to the Ferry - it's an hour ride r/t and I think runs every half hour on the half hour on Saturdays.

The one glitchy thing is that some of the train stops down by the ferry are still down from Sandy. You can take the bus, on Saturday morning there won't be traffic, or you can take the train part of the way and then get a bus or cab the rest of the way. From the ferry to the memorial is the same - you can walk, it's probably about half a mile, it's no big, or you can get the bus. Cabs may be scarce down there on a Saturday morning that time, but you may find one.

Agree with the other poster that the Disney store is meh - also agree with asking what you want to eat/where/what's budget to you, etc.

You'll be dropped off in Rock Center so there's the tree - if you go down to the memorial there's that and if you take the ferry first, that's the Statue so - what else do you want to do? Heh.

Don't worry about getting around here, it's the easiest city in the world to navigate. It's a numbered grid, really hard to get lost - if you're on 53rd street, 54th is uptown, 52nd is south, etc. Even streets go east (with a couple of exceptions, but this works for 95% of one-way side streets), odd streets go west.

Downtown where it's not a grid anymore it's less obvious but it's also much smaller. Remember - the entire island is only about 10 miles long and 3 miles wide - how lost could you get?

 

[cornflake]

Thanx. I've been watching you tubes on riding the subway. Told ya I was flipping out.

How long is the wait to skate at Rockefeller center.

How close is 9-11 to Lombardis and time square?

Does anyone know a great outdoor store that sells hiking apparel. How far away is REI?

Thanks!

It can be a long wait, and it's a teeny, crowded rink. If you want to skate, go to Wollman Rink, which is huge, cheaper, and with a much better view, see -

The memorial thing is allll the way downtown. It's nearer Little Italy, but not close to Times Square. You don't want to hang out by the memorial though, there's nothing really there. You can go over to Chinatown but right there there's not much, especially on a Saturday.

There are a number of stores that sell outdoor/hiking stuff. Paragon Sports is one of the best - it's down on like 18th and B'way ish (near the Strand, btw, which if you like books is definitely worth a visit, it's a famous bookstore with miles of books - used, review copies, new, proofs, etc.), which is right by Union Square, if you want to check out the holiday markets, there's one down there, with a bunch of vendors (set up outdoors, in tented booths in Union Sq.) selling a huge range of stuff, from handmade jewlery to clothing and accessories, art, ceramics, gourmet foodstuffs, hand-crafted soaps, etc., etc. It's got stuff at most price ranges, from littler gifts to $300 sweaters.

There are also REI, EMS, North Face, etc. stores scattered around the city. Paragon is kind of a clearinghouse and their staff is really knowledgable.

Union Sq. holiday market -

Inside a booth -

 

[mcgrawfan]

If you are taking the subway from the Rock or TS to the memorial you will get off at the Fulton St stop. The memorial is down from there. If you go the other way when you get off and head towards South St Seaport you will be able to get a look at the Statue from that area. Not close but you will be able to see her. Have fun and don't be nervous! Love NYC!!!

 

[eliza61]

Thanx. I've been watching you tubes on riding the subway. Told ya I was flipping out.

How long is the wait to skate at Rockefeller center.

How close is 9-11 to Lombardis and time square?

Does anyone know a great outdoor store that sells hiking apparel. How far away is REI?

Thanks!

I would skip skaing at RC. you get timed "sessions" and it's expensive.
as other poster pointed out it's a small rink, very pretty though.

Personally I would spend my time walking up and down 5th ave, checking out the stores.

This was the coolest window last Christmas. Can't remember what store it was. The sea look so real.

 

[eliza61]

Go across the street to St. Patricks Cathedral. It's open to the public.

Some one mention Bryant Park.

 

[eliza61]

I would walk from RC down to times square. It's totally doable. (50th and 6th ave) to 42nd street.

I love Macy's on 34th street. Of course the Premier "Christmas" department store. LOL

Only in NYC do the salvation army bell ringers do a show.

And macy's windows are great.