New York - Suggestions please...

[Mastiff]

Going to New York for 4 days in January...

Any well travelled PHers reccommend where to stay, and what MUST we go and do.!!

Any suggestions much appreciated.

Ta.
M.

[Tripps]

Mastiff said:

Going to New York for 4 days in January... Any well travelled PHers reccommend where to stay, and what MUST we go and do.!! Any suggestions much appreciated.

Not been since April 2001 so things have obviously changed a little and it would have been slightly warmer then.

This time of the year the ice rink in Central Park followed by a carriage ride should be a must, there is also an ice rink outside one of the famous towers but I cannot recall which one.

I'd say the department stores but I was very dissapointed with them compared to what we have in London, they were full of a lot of cheap American and the designers were manned by rude staff who weren't interested (so not that different to London!).

Obvious landmarks to visit are The Empire State building, Statue of Liberty, I liked Battery Park en-route to the ferry to the Statue. Over to the East the Brooklin Bridge is fantastic and there is a wharf just South that'd be good for a pre-crossing coffee. The UN building was a bit dull, but while in that area Wall Street is good for a visit.

Apologies if the geography is slightly wrong, our visit was 8 days but we were slightly rushed as we were getting married!

I'd figure what you'd like to do and perhaps stay somewhere based on that, if you're into the shows, then stay near Broadway for example.

[cinque]

Ellis Island & (the museum), Grand Central Station (lunch in the seafood place underneth fantastic) Empire State at night superb

[Wacky Racer]

A day in Central park a must......

Also, take the undergound to Coney Island, a very run down amusement park on the coast, which had it's heyday in the thirties.....(very atmospheric)

Go and see the spot outside the Dakota building, where John Lennon was killed...

I would recommend taking at least two open topped bus tours (there are four), because you would smply never see everything under your own steam...

We went on all four (over two days) and were glad we did........( But take a coat 'cos it can get cold)

[Raify]

Make sure you catch the Guggenheim art museum. Even if you don't like whatever's hanging up at the time, the building is amazing.

[Plotloss]

Asalt and Battery

Where else could you pay $35 for Cod and Chips?

[gemini]

north end - guggenheim - free to get into entrance and look at building - central park -

west - dakota building and jon lennon site (strawberry fields)

middle - grand central station, empire state at dusk (day view and night view are musts), crysler building lobby,

east - brooklyn bridge - cross by foot

south - wall st, bronze bull, pier no (forgot) with restaurants and view of brooklyn bridge, world financial centre with walk out the back down to battery park, also has the new ideas for buildings to replace twin towers, free ferry to staten island

exepnsive but worth it on first visit is helicopter tour

food- big portions!

try www.cheaponewyork.com

[pdavison]

I'm going on the 11th December so I can let you know after that!

[Mrs Fish]

Guggenheim

Empire State at sunset

Staten Island ferry, get good views of the statue, but I wouldn't bother getting off to look at it.

Grand Central station is worth a look

Plenty of themed bars in Greenwich Villiage

Metropolitan - but only if you are interested in art, it is huge and you could easily spend a day there.

Wouldn't bother with Chinatown or Little Italy


wracking my brains, not been for quite a few years now.

I recommend you do the bus tour as it takes an age to walk anywhere, and you will at least get to see the best bits.

Take plenty of warm clothing, last time we were there which was 28th December to 10th Jan we were snowed in, they closed all the airports and we had to stay an extra 3 days. It gets very very cold.

[NUTSKIE..]

SoHo Grand and 60 Thompson are cool hotels to stay.

9/11 memorial site should be on visit list

[S Works]

How much do you want to spend on hotel?
What do you want to do?

Give me an idea and I'll give you my best tips on where to stay, eat, drink, party etc.

Used to live there and regularly go back and forth for business.

[Mastiff]

Many thanks for all suggestions, you've given me some gret ideas.

S Works - current favourite is Waldorf-Astoria. 14/18 bed only including flights and taxes for just under a grand

but it is a wedding anniversary so what the hell

[obiwonkeyblokey]

Mrs Fish said:

Guggenheim Wouldn't bother with Chinatown or Little Italy

Disagree, got to go to little italy in my opinion, there are restaurants there which are superb, no menus, just eat what your egiven and watch paulie, paulie jnr, paulie snr, etc etc get together in the back rooms for "family" chats.

utterly brilliant

[Iceman82]

Museum of Natural History, really is excellent. I spent a day there while my parents went shopping, I could probably have spent two days there really!! However, if you select the bits you really want to see in it, you could do those in half a day or so if you don't want to spend the whole day there.

[Uriel]

I'd recommend a trip to the planitarium if that's the sort of thing you're into. I'd probably still recommend it if it's not the sort of thing you're into!

Also Yogi's on Broadway and West 76th (I think) is a great place for a proper drink up. I bought 3 drinks and the rest were on the house. My kind of barmaid

[brgcarcrazy]

Does anyone know the cheapest/ best deal for a long weekend or 3/4 day break to go over to New York?

TIA

[Ballistic Banana]

I went In January as well in 1999. Can safely say it was bloody freezeing, wasnt allowed outside up the Twin Towers or the Empire State building as it was estimated to be -50
The helicopter ride around the whole of New York is well worth the money. Couldnt visit Statue of Liberty when I was there(Chopper tooks us around it) but I think you can now, That will be a cold boat ride?
Amazing Place and so many things to do, we went to watch the Ice hockey at Madison Square gardens aswell which was excellent.Shopping.wall Street. etc etc.

BB

[father ted]

Don't go !..........it's not safe

it's always one of the first places to get destroyed in movies

The Day After Tommorow
Independance Day
Deep Impact or was it Armageddon (one of the asteroid movies anyway)

and erm......Ghostbusters!

i know, i watch a lot of telly so am an expert on New York!


sorry

[poorcardealer]

I stayed in the Waldorf Astoria a few years ago......make sure you are not staying in "the tower".its where they put people who are not paying full room rate! Also unless you are very rich take some food with you...........a pizza delivered to your room from room service was about $50 plus the tips...........great lobby though and despite the above I enjoyed it

[clarkey]

I agree about the Waldorf, it is a great place to stay, just don't eat there unless you are feeling rich. There is a great diner two minutes away for breakfast amd Grand Central is 10 minutes walk for seafood (oysters are wonderful). Waldorf doesn't need to be expensive, I booked through Expedia and paid very little (can't remember, I think about £60 a night)

As everyone else says, it'll be painfully cold, wrap up warm.