NYC help- thanks

[blessedby3]

I had posted a few months ago that we want to take our DD to NYC for her 16th birthday. You all gave me help in where to find tickets for Beauty and the Beast and hotel information. I appreciate that. I think we have decided to stay in Secaucas (sp?) NJ and take the train or bus over to NYC. I found a Courtyard Marriott there and she says the bus stop is across the street and the train is a shuttle bus ride away (about 7 mins.). Would anyone suggest one over the other (bus vs. train)? I have a friend who says the Port Authority is not a very safe place and she said to take the train to Penn Station. I have no idea about any areas since we have never been to NJ or NY. Also, I have not gotten tickets for Beauty and the Beast yet as we are not locked into our dates, but I was wondering what type of attire we need to wear to the theatre. We would be going on a Sat. and would be spending the day in NYC and I dont want to have to wear dress clothes all day for sight seeing. I dont know if you have to be dressed up for the theatre or if you can go casual. Any suggestions or help with my questions or NYC in general would be appreciated. We are looking at going probably the first week in March. Her birthday is 2/22, but that is Presidents week and dont know if the crowds will be heavier with school holidays or not. The Marriott was booked the weekend before her birthday and the weekend after her birthday making me think it will be busy then. We are trying to avoid anymore crowd than we have to . Thanks again

 

[JoiseyMom]

There is nothing wrong the the Port Authority. There are police everywhere. It is as safe as anywhere else in NYC. You shouldn't be afraid to take the bus there. It is also a closer walk to get to the theater from the Port Authority.

 

[my3kids]

What about using Priceline to get a hotel room for a great price right in the area of the city you'll be touring and seeing the show? Then you could easily go back to the hotel for getting ready to go out for the night?

 

[salmoneous]

The PA is about as safe a place as there is in NYC. Take the bus. Note that with either the bus or the train there is a chance of delay, so do yourself a favor and plan on getting into the city well before showtime. That'll keep the stress down.

Note that the theater district on a Saturday afternoon (or just about anytime for that matter) is going to be filled with more people than you can possibly imagine. Picture the mall on the busiest day before Christmas - and then add a whole bunch more people. Nothing wrong with it, just if you've never been to NYC and are looking to avoid crowds you'll want to know what to expect.

Dress for Broadway has gotten a lot more casual over the years, especially for the Saturday mats. You probably don't want to wear jeans and Bart Simpson t-shirts, but you can be pretty casual. Being a guy I can tell you Dockers and a collared shirt is fine. You should be OK in whatever the female equivent is. For any NYC trip, the biggest key is going to be comfortable shoes.

One possible tip is that you can see the cast when they leave the show to go home. They'll smile and usually give a few autographs. Note that this isn't WDW, so you are seeing the actors, not the characters. Most are unrecognizable without their costumes. If interested, hang out at the stage door about 30 minutes after the shows over.

 

[claudia]

why don't you just stay in a Marriott in NYC, they are about the same cost as Jersey, as long as you don't choose the Marquis. I don't know if you are interested in visiting Ground Zero, but there is a Marriot down there that is reasonable. The only traveling you will have to worry about is getting a cab. I wouldn't worry about dressing up for the theatre anymore. We go quite often and it seems most people are in casual dress clothes. I'll usually wear slacks and flats, hubby in a sweater and slacks, and everyone else is pretty much the same. Actually when we were in to see Fiddler on the Roof I was kind of surprised to see many folks in jeans and sneakers.

 

[krcit]

I would definitely try to stay in the city-staying in Jersey just isn't the same. Try Tripadvisor for some advice on clean, reasonable hotels. Dress for the theater is casual these days-esp a show like Beauty with a lot os children attending. I would also suggest if you want to try to see another show to go to the TKTS booth in Times Square-they have a lot of discount tickets for the same day(they don't take credit cards, btw) Also try Broadwaybox.com for some discounts. Being 16, I bet she would like Mama Mia. Sweet Charity was cute too but I think it's closing or closed. Good luck and have fun!!! Oh, and I would avoid Presidents week if possible.

 

[Fall1]

I would look into staying at the Super 8 hotel on 48th and 6th. It is clean, cheap, big and includes breakfast each morning. The rooms are pretty plain, but they are clean. It's also walking distance to EVERYTHING! If you have AAA ask for that discount too.

 

[MickeyP]

Guliani did an amazing job of cleaning up NYC. It's very safe and there are cops everywhere. Don't forget to go to Serendipity!

 

[FergieTCat]

For show tickets, check www.broadwaybox.com. They regularly offer discount codes for tickets. I always check there and have been very happy with the results.

 

[deadhedjen]

Some things to consider when you are deciding on your dates of travel and where you stay....
There is a East Coast automotive trade show...called the Big Show going on in Secaucus (Harmon Meadow/Meadowlands Convention Center)the weekend of Feb 25-26. My DH's company is hosting it. I've found that hotel rooms in the surrounding area get sold out and have inflated prices during the Friday-Monday surrounding that weekend. The Marriot you mentioned is in the same plaza...2nd closest hotel to the trade show. We have stayed in NJ for the show before so we could be close to the show, but now we prefer to stay in NYC and use bus transportation.
NJ Transit is a wonderful bargain IMHO. I have the bus schedule right in front of me and prices for a one-way trip is only $2.60 for adults and $1.15 for children (4 and under are free). If you decide to stay in NJ, the bus stops really are only a few steps away...and you are in NYC in minutes.

If you decide to stay in NJ, avoid the dates I mentioned. Otherwise just stay in NYC. Try Priceline or Traveolcity for rooms. Have fun on your trip!

Jennifer.

 

[blessedby3]

I have never used Priceline or Travelocity. I believe with Priceline you have to give them a price? Is that correct? If someone could walk me through that would be helpful. Is Travelocity the same? I was going with the Marriott because I have a free night certificate for a category 1-4 hotel. I didnt know about staying in the city because of the driving (Im terrified of the traffic and not knowing where Im going) and the prices of hotels. I think the Marriott was $120 per night for the one in NJ. If we could stay in NYC for about the same price I would love to stay there of course for the convience. Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

Please, please, please try to stay in Manhattan. Your trip will be so much nicer. The trip into and out of the city can end up taking a lot of time and effort. I highly recommend checking priceline or hotwire.com.

That said, if you do end up staying in New Jersey, you will still be able to have a great time.

A lot of people wear jeans and tennis shoes to the shows now, especially people who actually live in New York. So wear whatever you want and be comfortable and happy! You will do a ton of walking sightseeing.

The one thing I always suggest to friends who are going to New York is the New York Waterway 90-minute harbor sight-seeing cruise. Perfect way to see a lot of the great architecture and the Statue of Liberty.

http://www.nywaterway.com/sightsee_harbor.html

 

[czycropper]

The PA is very safe as was said before. Having said that, I would probably see if you can get a reasonable hotel in NYC rather than staying in Secaucus. I live in Jersey and I would not stay there, once my DH & I got lost around there and he even got concerned and he's from Jersey (Bergen County). A friend of mine from down South got some great prices on Travelocity and hotels.com - they stayed in a hotel across from Carnegie Hall which they really enjoyed. They are coming during Spring Break in March this year and got a great deal for the Marriott Marquis - so check online.

Have fun in NYC

I'll be going in on February 20th for a day at the American Girl Place with my DDs for their birthdays.

 

[deadhedjen]

Personally, I like to use Travelocity or a site that I can see exactly where I am going to be staying. My mother and brother however, use Priceline all the time for NYC rooms. I've played around with Priceline to get the hang of it, but have never actually "bought" a room from there. I've "bid" on rooms, but never was successful....my bids were ridiculously low. I figured I would make bids that had no chance of being accepted it would at least get me more familiar with how Priceline works. And...if by some chance my bid was actually accepted...then woo hoo!!! I started my bids at like $9.00 for a 4 star hotel, lol.

And to the person that lives in Jersey and wouldn't even want to stay there, rotflmbo
I have to agree. If you can stay in NYC, do it.

Have fun!

Jennifer.

 

[wdwfanatic]

Me, my daughter, my sister, and my niece are going during spring break (March) and we got a really good deal on Travelocity for the Marriot Marquis, but we also booked a flight. I would stay in New York. As I see it you might as well pay a little more to stay in the action. I mean will you really miss $100....

 

[blessedby3]

Well, yes, money is a factor. This is a quick trip and I need it to be as inexpensive as possible as we are going to Disney in Dec. and money doesnt grow on our backyard trees. It would be more than a $100 loss because most places I have checked into are about $180 and up for NYC. I have a free Marriott coupon but it wont work in NYC because all of the hotels are above a catogory 4 and my coupon is for 1-4. That means I would have to pay for both nights. If I find a hotel in the 1-4 range, I only have to pay for one night. So, the one in NJ is $120/night, thus my lodging would be $120. If I stay in the city (which we would love to do) my lodging would be $360 or so. Thats a difference of $240. We dont have AAA so I have been checking best available rates. Also, on priceline I have been reading some other posts to try and figure out how it works and people have stated you are only guarenteed a room for double occupancy. We are traveling with DD16 and I know she wont want to share a bed with DH and I (of course). That poses a problem trying to go that route. If anyone has any other suggestions I would love to hear them. We would surely love to stay in NYC, but cant if the prices are this much. A lot of hotels also charge for parking that I have checked into and that adds to my total also. Oh well, I know we will get there one way or another. Thanks again

 

[blessedby3]

bumping- does anyone have any priceline advice or instructions for me? Thanks

 

[deadhedjen]

You can try checking out www.biddingfortravel.com for some Priceline info. I have heard that just reading the FAQ's should give you all the info you need to get the basic idea.

Priceline rooms are really only guaranteed for double occupancy though. They are only required to give you ONE bed. You may end up with just that if you make a successful bid. Something to keep in mind.

If you have to stay in NJ, its not the end of the world. You will still have a great time. The Marriot you were looking to get is in a really nice area...not residential at all....the area it is in contains a shopping center, convention center, offices, hotels, a parking garage, etc. It's fine.

I'd go ahead and book it if you can get it cheap. Just make sure you keep track of how late it is when you are in NY because the busses stop running into NJ around midnight or 1am or so. It is sooooo easy to lose track of time in NY, lol. DH and I once wound up paying for a cab back to NJ....whopping $50 fare!!! Our limo ride INTO NY from NJ cost us $40...tip included.

Have fun planning!

Jennifer.

 

[blessedby3]

Thanks deadhedjen- I sent you a pm.

 

[manhattan]

What about staying in Weehawken? There is a hotel right on the Hudson River where you could take the Ferry across and they provide you with free shuttles in NYC. I don't know if the one in Jersey City has opened yet, but staying on the waterfront with a NYC skyline view would not be too bad