New York?

[Goofyish]

I have just over 8600 Virgin miles that expire next August. I don't want to lose them so we were looking at the Virgin website and had the idea of a trip to New York next May/June using the Miles plus Money option. It makes the flights quite cheap. We may even use my points from our December trip as well to make the flights even cheaper

Has anyone been on a short trip to New York - any hotels tips, places not to miss etc.?

What's the ideal length of stay in New York - we thought about 4 days?

 

[jockey]

Had a short break in NY a while back 4 nights was enough to see everything!! We stayed at the Best Western Woodward which was on the corner of 52nd and Broadway, the location was excellent!!

One thing I would recommend would be to pre book airport to hotel transfers, the queue for a yellow cab was huge - over an hours wait - why not use suppershuttle or one of the town car services!!

One of the highlights of the trip was a helicopter ride over manhatten we used www.libertyhelicopters.com. For cheap show tickets check out the ticket booth at Times Square - there is even a naked cowboy to entertain you while you queue!!

Check out little italy for some great italian food and don't forget to try the carnegie deli!!!

 

[diberry]

I would agree with everything jockey said. "TKTS" in Times Square is definitely great for cheap theatre tickets and the helicopter flight over Manhattan or the harbour is wonderful. You have to go up the Empire State Building (don't forget photo i.d. or they won't let you in the building). There's a tourist info place in Times Square where you can send free video e-mails back home. Central Park is beautiful - treat yourself to an exorbitant but really enjoyable ride around in a horsedrawn cab. We stayed at the Milford Plaza which is just off Times Square and very reasonably priced. You have to see a show of course and any ladies in your party will have to do Macys and Bloomingdales (among others!!!). Everything about NY is wonderful - I went on my own the first time only 10 weeks after 9/11 but felt completely safe and totally at home. I also felt totally safe travelling alone on the subway even after midnight - it's well lit and efficient now. Have a typical NY breakfast in a diner - tons of food for practically no cost!! And lots of quite ordinary restaurants have waiters/waitresses who suddenly burst into song and they can really perform - wonderful voices. I want to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge next time - oh, and take the free Staten Island Ferry. I believe you can get off at the Statue of Liberty now which wasn't allowed when I went. The second time I went was with 3 other middle aged women - we would have enjoyed the naked cowboy but missed him sadly!!!!!! ). You'll have a great time - enjoy!!! (As you can tell - I'm a fan!!!)

 

[Verity Chambers]

Like Diana we stayed at the Milford Plaza. It was very basic, but the location was just fantastic. The highlight of our trip was the Empire State building. We did the bus tour and hopped off wherever we fancied. We took the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Lberty. Central Park is amazing, we didn't have time to explore it properly and this will be top on my list next time. Our favourite part was just wandering about, taking everything in. We were only there for 2 nights and didn't feel this was enough, the flight and jet lag really got to me and I didn't enjoy myself as much as I could of. I would opt for 4 nights next time.

It is just an amzing place and I can't wait to go back one day!

Verity.xx

 

[diberry]

Thanks Verity - I'd forgotten about the bus tours. They're great for getting about downtown. You can hop on and hop off wherever you want to see more of interesting locations. I'd certainly recommend them as the guides are NY natives and know so much about the city.

 

[UKDEB]

We've been to New York twice and I would say that 4 days is fine, but maybe try to go for 5 if you can, bearing in mind that the first day is spent flying.

The first time we did all the major tourists attractions, including the bar on the 106th floor of the World Trade Center. We nearly gave it a miss and, perhaps not surprisingly, I'm really glad we made the effort. The second time we made the trip to Ground Zero. I was a bit worried that it might feel a bit voyeuristic, but I was fine (although I couldn't bring myself to take photos). If you decide to include it in your itinerary, view it from the gallery inside the Amex building which is open to the public. There is a beautiful water fountain inside the lobby dedicated to the Amex employees who lost their lives and, when we were there at least, various exhibits including models and drawings of the finalist entries for the replacement WTC.

We felt obliged to visit the Statue of Liberty, but there isn't that much to see once you get there. In hindsight, I think we'd have been better off visiting Ellis Island - potentially more interesting and the boat passes close to the Statue of Liberty. The Staten Island Ferry doesn't go there, btw - it's a separate boat and a fairly long wait when we were there.

My 'not to be missed attraction' is Grand Central Station - an amazing place which has been developed further still since our first visit. Like others, we didn't really have time to do justice to Central Park either time. We certainly saw a lot more of it the second time, but it's vast. Last time (New Year's Eve 2003), we walked up Park Avenue to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and afterwards wandered back down through Central Park. In certain parts we had the whole area to ourselves. When we got back down to the entrance off Fifth Avenue, it was absolutely packed with people.

The first time we stayed at the Omni Berkshire Place (52nd and Madison) and the second at The Regency (Park Avenue at 61st St). Both were fabulous, but not particularly cheap.

My favourite restaurant was Aureole, but it was majorly expensive. I concur with the advice to visit the Carnegie Deli and a diner for breakfast.

Having said all that, we've just visted Washington with friends (the same ones we visited New York with the first time) and all four of us totally fell in love with it. Very different from New York, but bursting at the seams with history and culture. It's hard to pick out highlights because we loved it all, but the surprising one for me was the Arlington Cemetry - one of those places I felt I had to visit (like the Statue of Liberty), but wasn't especially looking forward to and probably the place I'd have missed if something had to be dropped, but it blew me away.

 

[Frances999]

We have used Miles+Money for NY flights before, Tim. A great way to use up some of the miles! We went at Easter and had a great time.

I agree with the advice given already. Also, we loved the American Museum of Natural History ~ it is huge and has some incredible exhibits. There is a simply draw-dropping ocean exhibit which is so incredible, it's hard to explain. DH and I love art so we tour all of the art museums too, the Metropolitan is our favourite and is great for the not-so-art-lovers too! We plan on taking our 3 (young) children here in August. There are sculptures, gardens and so much more. We easily spend a whole day here. I could go on and on about art museums but don't want to bore you!

Another place to visit is Madame Tussauds - I thought it was better than the London one, but DH disagreed

For dining, you must try Park View at the Boathouse in Central Park. The food is divine and the atmosphere is incredible. It backs right on to a lake within Central Park, after your meal you can hire a boat for a relaxing trip too. It seems like a million miles away from the hustle of NYC.

Then there is BROADWAY! There are so many great shows to choose from, we loved the Lion King (even though we had seen it in London too!) and also Mary Poppins will be opening soon I believe.

We've stayed at The Renaissance in Times Square - perfect location and excellent rooms and staff. This August we are staying at Hilton (avenue of americas) as it was one of the only places to offer a room large enough to accommodate all five of us (it's our first trip taking the children!).

Have fun planning ~ it's an amazing city.

 

[carolfoy]

Go and visit the Plaza and the waldorf astoria for afternoon tea, great atmosphere and good for celeb spotting, also the rainbow rooms at the top of the rockefeller centre has fab views across to the empire state building - its where meg ryan sat during sleepless in seattle when she told her fiance that she couldn't marry him and had to go to the empire for valentines day

 

[Olaf]

Excellent idea, Tim!!! We've stayed at the Casablanca in Times Square. It's a small hotel, with a European feel, prices are good, and the staff is wonderful. The restaurant next door, Tony's Di Napoli, is wonderful, but you need ressies. That goes for Broadway shows too; buying your tickets 12-9 months out is a good idea.

http://www.casablancahotel.com/index3.htm

 

[Goofyish]

Thanks for the info. Steph

 

[DisneySurfGirl]

If you go then you have to go to Serendipity 3 - it's an ice cream restaurant and easily one of the best attractions in NY I love it there, they do the best ice cream in every flavour imaginable! They've got a website - www.serendipity3.com

 

[disneyholic family]

The double decker bus tour is an absolute must.
My husband and I lived in Manhattan for 3 years, over 20 years ago, but a few years ago, when we made our first visit back to show the kids the city we love so much, we decided to do the bus tour, even though we really do know the city well.
And were we pleasantly surprised. The bus tour is excellent. The guides on all the buses we were on were very knowledgeable. And the view from the top of the bus can't be beat.
I would take all the loops (I think there are 3 of them now) if I were you.

When we go back this summer for what has become an annual 3 day visit, we'll do all 3 loops (so far we've only managed the south loop).

As for other things, it depends. The first year we went, the kids were about 12 and 15 and both were terribly overwhelmed by the size and masses of people. They initially hated it, so I decided to take them on the movie tour of new york. Not anything organized. We took them to sites that were in movies (e.g., the steps of the library and central park west that are both in ghostbusters, grand central station from any number of movies, etc.etc.). It was fun and good for that age. And it got them 'in the mood' for the city.

As for must-sees, I can only tell you what ours are: the site of the world trade center (my husband worked there when we lived in Manhattan), Rockefeller Center (where I worked), Central Park (the zoo and then just wandering around wherever our feet take us - we used to live across from central park, so it's like coming home for us), the Museum of Natural History (on central park west), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (on 5th avenue), FAO schwartz (on 5th avenue), a walk from Lincoln Center up Columbus and then over to Broadway, up Broadway to Zabars (that's a long walk, if you're not into walking - which we are), walking all over the midtown area (park, 5th, 6th, the herald square area and up to central park, walking around Greenwich Village and SoHo.

The point is, New York is a town to walk in. If you like to walk, this is the place.

As for the subway - nope. It may have improved. I've heard it's better. But we were way too traumatized when we lived there to ever set foot on the subway there again. When we visit, we walk and take taxis.

It's true that TKTS is the place for cheap tickets, but since we're there for only 3 days, I always buy our tickets in advance at full price. I want to make sure I have good seats in the shows I want to see (this year I have tickets for Avenue Q and Chicago).

We stay at the Waldorf Astoria (on Park Avenue), which is much more reasonable than you might think. About half the price of similarly classed hotels.
We stay in concierge, since the cost is recovered in the breakfast, snacks and drinks that we get in the concierge lounge.

Oh, and of course you should also take the ferry to the statue of liberty and ellis island. Lots of history there. We did this a few years back, 2 weeks before 9/11. The view from the ferry of the world trade center was absolutely stunning, but i don't know what the view would be now.
If you suffer at all from seasickness, I would avoid this ferry ride. We did it in the morning and both my daughter and I were finished for the rest of the day. We had to go back to the hotel to lie down. We had planned on going up to windows on the world, but we were so sick i said, it's ok, we'll go next year. It's not going anywhere. Little did I know that 2 weeks later it would be gone. I hope they re-build the towers one day. They were magnificent.

There's a famous ice cream parlor on central park south that's really nice, but my senility has wiped its name from my memory.

Oh, and one more thing that you should try - New York Italian Ices. You can buy them on the street from the "umbrella cart" verdors. Great stuff.
I had that every single day for lunch when i was at work. yummy.

There's tons of other stuff to do, but that's all that we have time for.