Thinking of visiting NYC this spring...

[Dodie]

DH and I are thinking about visiting NYC this spring. Neither of us has ever been there. I have a LOT of questions! I know there are some East-Coasters here, so I guess I'll start right here on the CB.

We'd want to do the typical tourist-y things: Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Central Park, Time Square, maybe a Broadway Show, DH says there's some sort of Navy museum at the pier(?) that he'd like to go to, etc.

How many nights is necessary/affordable? We were thinking maybe 4.

Where can one stay that is in the city/accesible to transportation, etc., but doesn't cost $200-300 per night?! I don't have to (or often) do something fancy. Just clean, safe, etc. I've looked on Travelocity, hotels.com, Expedia, etc., but just don't feel comfortable since I don't know anything about the areas. *What does "shared bath" mean?* It doesn't sound like anything I'd be interested in - but there sure are a lot of hotels like that which pop up on all of the search sites(?)

What advice could you give a first-timer?

Thanks for the start!

 

[TigerBear]

Dodie, I'm so glad you asked this question. I too will be planning a first time trip to NYC this spring. I hope that you get a lot of answers.

 

[JerseyJanice]

The Intrepid is the name of the museum your husband is interested in. It is an cool place and could take up the better part of an afternoon.

I think four nights should be plenty. I would check the travel sites and stay at a hotel with a name you know. The City is a very accessible place, so staying near transportation is a non-issue. You'll be able to get around easily via cabs, buses or subways pretty much anywhere you stay in Manhattan.

 

[caitycaity]

shared bath means there is a common bathroom area (usually on each floor). think back to college dorms. LOL

i'd try searching on nyc tourist websites too. a lot of them have some pretty good hotel deals. i think we got our room for about $100/night.

 

[sharbear]

Hotels are very expensive in NYC. I used priceline and had great luck with a 4* hotel in a very nice area. I would go to www.biddingfortravel.com and start there. I got the Grand Hyatt at Grand Central Station for $85.

Sharbear

 

[Dodie]

Thanks for the responses so far.

1. Where do I want to stay? In what area of the city? Priceline and others seem to break it down into distinct areas like:

FINANCIAL DISTRICT
SOHO - TRIBECA
MIDTOWN SOUTH
MIDTOWN WEST
MIDTOWN EAST
UPPER MIDTOWN
CENTRAL PARK SOUTH
UPPER EAST SIDE
UPPER WEST SIDE

Never having been there - I have no idea where to even look. Any feedback?

2. Is springtime a good time to visit? Is March or early April okay?

 

[JerseyJanice]

I'm not so sure Priceline is the way to go for the City. I think I'd want to know the name of the hotel first.

Of these areas, I'll comment on which I'd consider and the few I'd avoid:

FINANCIAL DISTRICT O.K. if you don't think being near Ground Zero will depress you. A little removed from the main attractions.
SOHO - TRIBECA O.K. Near Greenwich Village.
MIDTOWN SOUTH Probably not the best choice.
MIDTOWN WEST Definitely not the best choice.
MIDTOWN EAST Very nice, if you can find something affordable.
UPPER MIDTOWN Should be quite nice. (Not certain exactly where they mean though.)
CENTRAL PARK SOUTH Nice.
UPPER EAST SIDE Nice.
UPPER WEST SIDE Nice.

The weather in these parts tends to be fickle. March/April can be great times to visit, but if we're having a cold, snowy winter, it may be on the cold side. Hard to say. Last year was very mild and that would have been a fine time to come.

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

if Midtown West includes Times Square, that's where I'd head. there are some nice hotels in the theater district and you're right near the tourist-oriented nightlife. that's my favorite part of the city (I'm just a "Broadway Baby").

I'd stay away from anything with a "shared bath" -- they tend to be dives.

check out NY Today and Broadway.org for some tips about what's going on around town.

 

[lovelyk68]

Dodie & TigerBear, we are also planning a trip to NYC this spring. Great info so far!

 

[adamak]

Here are my 2 cents -

Don't stay in Financial district during weekends. It's a ghost down there, but you may find good deals during holidays.

Soho/Tribecca is really hip, quiet at nite. But I think the price will be alot.

Midtown. Well, you can probably find good deals here. People say it's not so nice staying around Penn Station (that's west midtown, I think), but I have no problem walking around there at nite. If you can stay by Grand Central, that'll be very convinent.

Time Square. You will not get a deal here. Don't waste your money here.

Upper East or West, very nice. You may be able to find deals. I think Franklin Hotel (???) on 86th street is a small botique hotel. It's very convienent taking subway from either side. Plus, you will experience the real NY.

Either March or April will be a good time to visit. Not very crowded at all. I would think early April may be better, since the weather will be slightly warmer.

How long should you spend in Manhattan? You whole life! If you don't have that, maybe 5-7 days will give you a small taste of the best city in the world.

 

[charlie,nj]

Check it out:

www.nytourist.com


(the map section is good)

 

[Evil Princess]

Don't think of "maybe" seeing a broadway play. RUN, do not WALK, and get down to broadway!

Broadway plays are IMHO, the best parts of the city! They are amazing, and not to be missed, especially if you've never seen one before.

I stayed in the Doubletree Suites in the middle of Times Square, and I think they were reasonably priced (could be wrong though). Everything in the city is expensive.

Then again, I'm on Long Island, so I usually just take a train in and play in the city for the day.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Also, Dodie, if you want to see a B'way show, here's a great and relatively inexpensive way to do it, especially if you're not set on seeing a particular show:

http://timessquare.nyctourist.com/broadway_tkts.asp

Going out to eat in New York is great fun, too! There are several theme restaurants that are fun: Jekyll & Hyde (horror theme), ESPN, Charlie--what's the name of that space place?--Mars 2025?, Harley Davidson Cafe, Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe, etc.

For Italian, I love this place:

www.carminesnyc.com

Don't let the prices scare you! Most of the food comes in portions big enough for 4 people--it's family style.

Wong Kee (sorry, no website) is in Chinatown on Mott Street. They make a roast pork noodle soup that's out of this world.

Au Bon Pain is a chain that has excellent lunch specials. You'll find them over all the City.

 

[charlie,nj]

JJ it's www.mars2112.com



Intrepid Museum: http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/

 

[kerrynic78]

I'm actually going in the city for Labor Day weekend. I am staying at The Shoreham Hotel near 5th Ave. I got it on Priceline and it is 4 stars. The web site looks great so I am very excited. We got tickets to Les Mis and Cabaret. I have been dying to try Carmine's, it looks so good! I just hope I don't get lost, I'm not exactly a city girl

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

if you want to go downtown, you might want to try Chinatown for dinner. the South Street Seaport is nice, too.