Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 6:44 pm Post subject: Tips for travling to NYC?
I'm looking to fly to New York City next week. I'll have three days in the city. It will be my first time there.
There are a few things I want to do:
1. Yankees game
2. Central Park
3. 9/11 Memorial
4. Statue of Liberty
As far as schedule goes, I'd like to combine a few of the above activities into one day. Of the four activities I listed, would it be best to combine a certain two?
Any advice on how to get around? Is it better to travel by subway or taxi? Is it reasonable to travel by foot to some areas?
Most people will probably tell you to avoid Times Square, and they're right. It's pointless and unmemorable.
If you have to see the statue of liberty, don't just go by it in a boat like I did. I hardly remember the statue itself, just the hassle of standing in line for tickets, driving to the boat, waiting for the boat, etc. If you go on the island with the statue it might be better.
Grand Central Station is cool, check out the ceiling. Get a metro card and take the subway, it's a unique New York experience, it's effective, and it's fun. You can get anywhere by taking the subway to far away places and then walking the shorter distances. You'll feel like a New Yorker this way. Much cheaper than cabs, obviously. The sheer number of taxis and everyone constantly honking their horns is something to behold. Use a smart phone to know where you're going.
When I went a few years ago, you could get into the MOMA for free on Fridays. You may want to check out the Museum of Natural History and the Hayden Planetarium where Neil deGrasse Tyson works. I missed out on that.
I also missed out on the Comedy Cellar, and instead went to Carolines. But then again, I'm a stand up comedy nerd. The Comedy Cellar is cheap and famous. Who knows, you might have Louis CK or Chris Rock drop in even if they aren't listed in the line-up.
Joined: 15 Nov 2006 Posts: 19866 Location: Prarie & Manchester, high above the western sideline
Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 7:37 pm Post subject:
Are you staying in Manhattan?
You can do the park, the 9/11 memorial, and the Statue of Liberty all in the same day before the Yankees Game, maybe even more.
Take the Subways as much as possible. Not only are they ultra cheap, they're so much fun. There is so much urban theater to behold both on the trains and down in some of the stations. Saxophones, drum buskers, jewish cantors, you name it. Charming bums. Their public transport is not like ours in that all classes of people over there use it, granted some lines are seedier than others and some times are safer than others, but overall NYC's metro system is incredible. Taxis are for when you want a direct route when you're maybe tired or drunk, or you're limited on time, or if you're not in the mood to deal with people, or if you're just not a big city type of person. I think by now there should be an official MTA app with schedules and trip planning, so it'd be impossible for you to get lost. Try not to fall in love on the train because when the girl exits, your heart will break every time.
If you're into art there are a ton of museums, I'm not even going to list them all, I'm sure you've done your homework with tripadvisor & other such sites.
For vistas, the observation decks at Rockefeller center and Empire State Building are pretty sweet.
You really cannot miss with food. Even the dog poop on the sidewalk in that town tastes remarkable, I can't explain it. If anyone recommends a particular place to you, take his word for it, it's going to be good.
Here's my two cents: The Halal Cart on 53rd and 6th
It's simple, it's not avant-garde or anything, but mother of god did it hit the spot. I heard that they may have gone from a street cart to actually having a permanent location. Do not go to just ANY Halal cart, though. There are a ton of generic carts which all look verrrry similar, the bastards. To be safe, look for the one with the longest line.
Walk as much as you can. Visit Columbia & NYU. Take a walk thru the Bronx. Do an obligatory walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, that's never a boring time.
If you're visiting by yourself and are somewhat adventurous, walk around the city from dusk til dawn. I did this one night, even made a friend who was doing the same thing, and we lived a lifetime. There are many, many more rewarding things to see in Manhattan as well as the other boroughs. Enjoy!
Joined: 15 Nov 2006 Posts: 19866 Location: Prarie & Manchester, high above the western sideline
Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 7:52 pm Post subject:
madsen35 wrote:
C M B wrote:
Are you staying in Manhattan?
You can do the park, the 9/11 memorial, and the Statue of Liberty all in the same day before the Yankees Game, maybe even more.
Yes, I am planning to stay there.
Not to sound dumb, but is there any order you'd suggest visiting those four things?
There aren't any dumb questions in tourism. I don't know what time either the 9/11 memorial or the Statue of Liberty boats are open for business, but those two sites are at the same end of Manhattan so I'd probably do those two things in the morning. You may as well check off Wall Street while you're downtown. The B/D train runs along Central Park and will take you all the way to Yankee Stadium when you're done there. Service for trains changes sometimes late at night or on the weekends, so pay attention to that...it never hurts to ask a Metro person beforehand. Locals, too, are very helpful when it comes to getting around. _________________ http://chickhearn.ytmnd.com/
Sister Golden Hair wrote:
LAMAR ODOM is an anagram for ... DOOM ALARM
Last edited by C M B on Thu Jul 30, 2015 8:01 pm; edited 4 times in total
Joined: 20 Jul 2005 Posts: 20510 Location: UCLA -> NY
Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 7:55 pm Post subject: Re: Tips for travling to NYC?
madsen35 wrote:
I'm looking to fly to New York City next week. I'll have three days in the city. It will be my first time there.
There are a few things I want to do:
1. Yankees game
2. Central Park
3. 9/11 Memorial
4. Statue of Liberty
As far as schedule goes, I'd like to combine a few of the above activities into one day. Of the four activities I listed, would it be best to combine a certain two?
Any advice on how to get around? Is it better to travel by subway or taxi? Is it reasonable to travel by foot to some areas?
Any areas I should avoid? Any tips to save money?
Thanks
Subway is cheapest and not too hard to figure out. It'll smell but then again so does the city. Taxis can be expensive and depending on time of day/where, you can be traveling at a rate of 1 foot an hour. Driving in NYC was the worst experience I had and those taxi drivers are understandably crazy.
You can combine Statue of Liberty and 9-11 Memorial together. You can easily check out the 9-11 Memorial on the way to the ferry for the Statue. Yankees game will take you to the Bronx and pretty much a subway is the way to go (dumps you right at the entrance) unless you want to pay a lot for a taxi from Manhattan. As for Central Park, it all depends on what you want to do (museums, people-watching, etc). _________________ http://media.giphy.com/media/zNyBPu5hEFpu/giphy.gif http://bartsblackboard.com/files/2009/11/The-Simpsons-05x18-Burns-Heir.jpg
Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 2500 Location: Inland Empire
Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 8:41 pm Post subject:
NYC was fun to see and visit for all the crap I like to give it, definitely different from here in SoCal/LA area (if you are from there).
Much more dense than you'd anticipate. Trash bags everywhere on the sidewalk for sanitation pick up. Threw me off at first then understood they don't have room for dumpsters like us civilized folk.
Some of the taxi drivers suck, especially driving to the airport I had one that constantly stopped and goed the whole way and made my wife nauseous. Some are cool and want to tell you about things if you're from out of town. Some people still have that stereotypical New Yawk attitude, at other times it fades to the background or people just act and sound "normal".
Museums are cool there, see a Broadway show if you're into that. Hole in the wall places have great food. Went to an Italian place near the Village and it was awesome. I liked drinking in NYC and not having to worry about having a DD because of cabs and the subway system.
Bye. _________________ "This trophy removes the most odious sentence in the English Language. It can never be said again that 'the Lakers have never beaten the Celtics.'" -Dr. Jerry Buss (1985) R.I.P., 33 x M.V.O.
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 35854 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 8:57 pm Post subject:
I disagree with the above about Times Square. There's not much to do there except overpriced shopping and tourist trap restaurants, but you might as well go for an hour so that you can say you've been there.
Go see a Broadway show if you don't mind spending the money. Book of Mormon is the best. A lot of people like Wicked.
The GE (Comcast) Building observation deck is the best and a must-see. Shorter lines than the Empire State building and a better view of the city.
Museum of Modern Art is especially cool and fairly small-- you can see it all in a few hours. _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
Joined: 17 Nov 2007 Posts: 67714 Location: In a world where admitting to not knowing something is considered a great way to learn.
Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 10:14 pm Post subject:
Haven't been in the Big Apple since 911. Was in New Jersey when it happened.
If you can get to Harlem go. Central Park is worth the visit. I think they reopened Tavern On The Green. It's overrated and very expensive. Do the buggy ride. Cabs during the day are useless, use the subway. That in itself is an adventure. I traveled day only. I wouldn't advise subway travel at night. I think you can buy a day pass. I don't remember how they work. Times Square is another Hollywood and Vine, nothing to see. I think they've opened the crown in the Statue of Liberty. If you have the energy walk the 377 steps to the top, there is no elevator. It's not like it was when I was a kid. We use to go and just walk up. Now you need reservations. There are small clubs that allow time to unwind in a peaceful atmosphere. _________________ Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.
Last edited by jodeke on Thu Jul 30, 2015 10:46 pm; edited 1 time in total
It's simple, it's not avant-garde or anything, but mother of god did it hit the spot. I heard that they may have gone from a street cart to actually having a permanent location. Do not go to just ANY Halal cart, though. There are a ton of generic carts which all look verrrry similar, the bastards. To be safe, look for the one with the longest line.
absolutely second this. don't forget the white sauce. I read a while back that they're opening up a spot in L.A.
observation decks at the empire state building and rockefeller center are both great, but if you can only do one, I'd suggest doing rockefeller center. it's cheaper, the line is shorter, and imo, the views are better.
like everyone else has said, use the subway. I didn't use a taxi once when I was there. even took subway to and from the airport. took a little over an hour. subway goes pretty much everywhere.
do yourself a favor and spend half a day walking around central park. there's so much to see.
go to Brooklyn Bridge Park at sunset.
last tip: when you're crossing the street, don't wait for the crosswalks to tell you to walk. just make sure there are no cars coming, and cross as you please.
I have visited Manhattan a couple of times in the last five years and as a born and raised Angelino I love it in NY. Be sure to download a subway app for your smartphone if you have one. It would be wise to track which lines you are going to take before you get on the subway because cell reception isn't the best while underground. Get a metro pass that is suited for the length of your stay so you do not have to purchase for every ride on the subway you just scan your pass and you're good to go. They work for the bus too. Here is a tip. Everyone jaywalks in NY. The cars will not stop for you. So be careful! Also if you hear a lot of honking don't mind it NY drivers honk as a courtesy to let other drivers know where they are or even to alert people that the light is green. Very different from LA. A good thing to remember is that going from Avenue to Avenue are long blocks and going Street to Street are short blocks. So going from 6th Ave to 8th Ave will take just as long as going from 24th St to 29th St.
If you like pastrami you must go to Kat's Deli http://katzsdelicatessen.com/ you will not regret it. This deli was in the movie When Harry met Sally. If you want to try the In N' Out burger of New York go to Shake Shack http://www.shakeshack.com/ it is usually busy there so if you do go make sure you have the time to do so. As mentioned above the Halal cart is great but so are most of the cart foods you can get there when you are drunk. =) Last call for alcohol at the bars is 4am and since you are taking the taxi or subway everywhere no drunk driving! If you like thin crust pizza don't forget to try it over there too! Oh and if you are a smoker make sure you bring packs of cigs with you. A pack will run you a minimum of $10 over there.
When I went the first time I got a CityPass http://www.citypass.com/new-york?mv_source=911memorial&campaign=citypass since I don't know your budget and seeing that you are only going to be there for 3 days I am not sure if it would be worth it for you. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is actually pay what you can afford, but they do ask you to pay the suggested amount of $25. If you would like to pay less than full recommended admission, please go directly to The Metropolitan Museum of Art to pay as you wish. I visited the Empire State Building, two museums, Central Park, and the Statue of Liberty all in one day. I went to the 9/11 memorial before the museum was built so it was free to get in but you still had to have a ticket and the ticket had a certain time for you to go so it doesn't get too crowded. I am not sure if it is still like that since the museum opened though. You may want to check on that and preorder them if you are on a tight schedule.
I did not have a chance to go to a Yankee game because they were out of town both times that I went but I did go see a Mets game and bought scalped tickets. I wouldn't suggest it though way easy to get ripped off but I went as a last minute thing so I gave it a shot and it worked out for me. Central Park is bigger than you would think it is so if you do go there be sure to prepare for the time if you want to walk the whole park. The 9/11 Memorial Museum is on the southern tip of Manhattan and so is the ferry you would be taking from Battery Park to the Statue of Liberty so it would make sense to do those two together. I would go to the Statue of Liberty as early as possible because it does take a long time to get through the lines for security and then on the boat to the island. I swear the security line there is worse than the airport. Central Park and the Empire State building are both Mid City so you will be fine doing those together as well. Yankee Stadium is in the Bronx so that would be North of all of the other things you want to do.
If you forget any necessities look for a DuaneReade its NY's Walgreens http://www.duanereade.com/ Came in handy when I didn't have an umbrella and it started to pour.
I hope the post wasn't too long to read. If you have any more questions feel free to ask!
If your in Manhattan, you can knock off Nintendo World, Apple Store, FAO Schwartz(if it's still in business), Toys R Us, NBA store, and Times Square all in one shot.
Boat to Statue of Liberty- walking around: about 45min, Perris Island: walking around and listening to the stories: 3-4hrs.
I ate at Becco's great Italian food. Most of your stuff you can take A or E train. You can have a 7 day pass and you can use that pass on subway or bus.
They just closed FAO Schwarz; it's just a sad looking empty space right now.
I live mostly in Boston, but I'm in NYC at least a few days every month. It's weird in that I've only been to a few tourist attractions, despite that I lived in Manhattan for many years. If you go to see the 9/11 Memorial, across that street in the WFC aka Brookfield Place is Blue Ribbon Sushi, which is one of your best cheap eats during happy hour. It's Restaurant Week until August 14th, so it's a great time to explore. Last night I went to Bocca which is over on 19th Street; good eats and a great secondary landing spot if you don't want to wait an hour for seating at ABC Cocina which is right across the street. If you're into the steakhouse experience, I recommend crossing over to Peter Luger over in Brooklyn; second place awards go to the midtown east steakhouses: Smith & Wollensky, Palm (One), and Spark's. Palm is cool because it is quintessential old New York, and once a hangout for journalists, politicians and fellow travelers, and the walls are decorated with their caricatures. Sparks is second only to Peter Luger in terms of food quality, and of course it is cemented in NY folklore as "Big Paul" Costellano was executed by hit men working for John Gotti, right before Big Paul entered the restaurant. Down the street a bit is PJ Clark's, a pit stop if you're into the Mad Men experience as it was a hangout for ad executives during Madison Avenue's heyday.
Last but not least, food shop at Eataly which around the Flat Iron district. It's an emporium with a few good restaurants inside, and lots of great imported Italian food items that you'll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.
Honestly, I think NYC pizza is a bit overrated (particularly in Little Italy) and one of my former favorites, Two Boots (Italian/Cajun fusion pies) has gone steadily downhill. That's my personal taste, which is at odds with the locals who don't understand that the best pizza in the world comes from New Haven, CT.
TripAdvisor did rank three NY pizzerias in their Top 10 list, with #1 across the river in Brooklyn.
I haven't tried them yet, but I am wary of the list. Pepe's only made it to number 9, and it is vastly superior to Boston's Pizza Regina. Pizza Regina isn't even the best pizzeria in Boston; Santarpio's has the best pie in town.
Joined: 12 Jan 2008 Posts: 2634 Location: Orange County
Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2015 9:59 am Post subject:
Some other notable food places aside from the ones already mentioned:
Peter Luger Steak House
Ippudo
Jane
Cafe Habana
Carmine's _________________ "Love me or hate me; it's one or the other. Always has been. Hate my game, my swagger. Hate my fadeaway, my hunger. Hate that I'm a veteran. A champion. Hate that. Hate it with all your heart. And hate that I'm loved for the exact same reasons."
on a 3 day trip I would probably just get as close as you can to the Statue of Liberty from Manhattan and take a good look there. If you must you can take the free Staten Island Ferry to get a good pass by. I wouldnt waste time and money visiting Statue.
Another thing to do is walk the brooklyn bridge.
I would also skip Coney Island.
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