Taking 6 students to NYC...HELP

[JDY]

We are going to a convention at Columbia. Would like to stay Midtown so we are close to theatres etc at night.

Can you...
recommend hotels?
guide books?
restaurants?
things to do with 17 year olds who have never been to NYC?
Tips etc?????????????


Thanks!

 

[Kallison]

Do you know about TKTS in Times Square for same day 1/2 price Show tickets. My friend says the best time to get in line is right before showtime for good seats, because they hold them back for the Director.

Lots of touristy places to eat that are fun for kids:
Jekyll & Hyde - spooky themed 1409 Aveunue of the Americas
Ellen's Stardust Diner 1650 Broadway (near Rockefeller Center)
Mars 2112 1633 Broadway & 51st (across from Ellen's)
Planet Hollywood (I would not recommend, run down) 1540
Broadway at 45th St.
Hard Rock Cafe - 221 W. 57th St.
ESPN Zone 1472 Broadway - my kids loved it here
Serendipity III Upper East Side - E. 60th St. - celeb fave

Cool candy store - Dylan's Candy Bar 1011 3rd at 60th - this is uptown near the Metropolitan Museum of Art

All the touristy places will have long lines

Empire State Bldg. - long lines, lots of security $9 Adult $4 kids
Intrepid Museum - Pier 86 at W. 46th St. & 12th Ave. $13 A $6 K
Metroplitan Museum of Art (my absolute favorite, you can spend all day here, tons of Egyptian artifacts, US History, Medieval armor & weapons, Monet, Rembrandt, etc. $10A 1000 5th Ave. at
82nd St.
From the MMA you can walk across Central Park to the Natural History Museum, look for Strawberry Fields the John Lennon Memorial and the Dakota where he lived and was shot.
Times Square has Mdm. Tussaud's Wax Museum A$20 K$16 (expensive but friends have said it is worth it)
Staten Island Ferry will take you by the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty Ferry 1 hr. 15 min. get tix at the Castle Clinton National Monument Battery Park 8:30A-5:15p $8A $3K - you might want to order these tickets in advance
Also downtown is Ground Zero & South Street Seaport

We found a wonderful Diner near Ground Zero called the Gee Whiz Diner - do a google search for the address


Other:
Tom's Diner (Seinfeld) 112th & Broadway
NBC Studio Tours near Rockefeller Center
St. Patick's Cathedral near Rockefeller Center
Disney Store - 55th & 5th Ave. or Broadway & 42nd
FAO Schwartz 58th St. & 5th Ave.

You can also do the Today Show studio or get in stand by for Letterman tickets.

Don't forget to be on the look out for celebs. We always see someone, especially around the uptown/Central park area. Look for people with sunglasses, hats, walking with their head down, dressed really nice and who walk around busstops or not in the crosswalk to avoid passing you. Native NYers will act blase, people like me will yell "Hey it's.........!!!"

 

[charlie,nj]

www.nyctourist.com

 

[TLinden16]

Hotels in New York are very expensive. A room at a good hotel chain hotel (Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton, etc.) can run $200 or more a night. I've stayed at many hotels in New York, and here are some that I highly recommend:

New York Hilton--(6th Ave., near Rockefeller Center). The location of this hotel, while not in Times Square is excellent. Walking distance to all of the theatres, Central Park, NBC Studios. This hotel caters to business travellers and convention goers during the week. If you are going on a weekend, you can sometimes get great deals (I've stayed here for as low as $150 a night).

Doubletree Guest Suites--(Right in the heart of Times Square). This is a Suite Hotel, and it can sleep up to six people (but you'd have just one bathroom, so getting ready in the morning can be a problem with that many people). The rooms are always clean and comfortable, and the staff is incredibly helpful. They are very good about security here--they require that you show your room key after about 10:00 at night to gain access to the hotel. Rooms are equipped with a fridge and a microwave, two tvs, three phones, and a safe. This hotel used to be my best bargain in Manhattan, but the prices have increased over the years. You may be able to get it for $200, but more likely will be spending closer to $300 (or more).

Renissance--(7th Ave. in Times Square) This is one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed in. The bathrooms are huge and beautiful. Staff is extremely helpful (and my favorite front desk person works at this hotel--he remembered me from a previous visit a year and a half later). They sometimes have codes for rates of $139 for one night on a Monday night.

The Marriott Marquis--(Right in the heart of Times Square) Great hotel, huge rooms. Very comfortable. Glass elevators are fun to ride on. Right in the middle of everything. I haven't stayed there in a few years, so I'm not sure what the room rates are.

Hilton Times Square--(Right on 42nd Street). This hotel is only a couple of years old. The rooms are fantastic, and the location is great, too. It's very contemporary.

If money is an issue, you may want to check out the Howard Johnson's on 8th Avenue. I stayed here once for $80 a night. The room was clean and comfortable. My room had a king bed and a queen sized pull out sofa bed. It's not as nice as the other hotels I've mentioned, but it's clean and safe.

I'll second the recommendations for Jekyll & Hyde and Mars 2112 (which includes a tame but fun motion simulator ride). Both of these have really good food.

Madame Tussauds is a lot of fun. I've gone there several times. Some of those wax figures are so realistic it's scary (if I was a celebrity, I'd go stand in the middle of the party scene, wait until someone was admiring how great my wax likeness was and say, "Hello.")

John's Pizzeria on 45th (or maybe its 44th) is a great place to get a reasonably priced meal.

Oh, and if they don't have any near you, you should go get some nice warm Krispy Kreme Donuts on 23rd St.

Karen

 

[PamOKW]

You've gotten some excellent suggestions. Just a pitch for the Marriott Marquis if the price is within your budget. It is right in Times Square across from the Good Morning America studio and next door to the MTV studio.....something the teens might be interested in.

 

[Amzey]

Ooh if you stay at the Marquis, definitely see Thoroughly Modern Millie if you can, it's so much fun. I also push for Oklahoma since I've seen it so many times and feel like I should be the spokeswoman, lol.

 

[JDY]

Thanks for the ideas...

What about...Hotel Pennsylvania? Any comments?