Slightly Off Topic :- New York
Discussion
Hi, Im thinking of leaving the sprogles with the grandparents for the weekend and taking wifey for a long weekend 4/5 days to New York in towards the end of the year maybe november.
A good idea, anyone got recommendations on thigns to do places to see/avoid and good places to stay with a reasonable price/location
TVR spotting would be a good added benifit is there are any
Cheers Graham
A good idea, anyone got recommendations on thigns to do places to see/avoid and good places to stay with a reasonable price/location
TVR spotting would be a good added benifit is there are any
Cheers Graham
TVR spotting, you'll be lucky!
Manhatten, the main island starts at 1st street in the South (financial district) Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty are down this end.
Times Square, Empire State, Rockerfeller building and 42nd Street are all in the 40 - 50 street range.
If you are sport inclined you could see a Basketball or Hockey game at Maddison Square Garden.
Day one - might be a good idea to get a bus tour.
Central park, a bit further north, is safer than it was, but... get a ride! There are horse carriages.
Little Italy is not really much any more it has been swamped by China Town, which should be renamed Asia Town.
Good food almost everywhere cheap too.
Subway (tube) is cheap but can be confusing as it uses "uptown and downtown" as directions not compass points.
Hotel, sorry can't help there, that'll be an internet thing.
Jeff
Manhatten, the main island starts at 1st street in the South (financial district) Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty are down this end.
Times Square, Empire State, Rockerfeller building and 42nd Street are all in the 40 - 50 street range.
If you are sport inclined you could see a Basketball or Hockey game at Maddison Square Garden.
Day one - might be a good idea to get a bus tour.
Central park, a bit further north, is safer than it was, but... get a ride! There are horse carriages.
Little Italy is not really much any more it has been swamped by China Town, which should be renamed Asia Town.
Good food almost everywhere cheap too.
Subway (tube) is cheap but can be confusing as it uses "uptown and downtown" as directions not compass points.
Hotel, sorry can't help there, that'll be an internet thing.
Jeff
The hotel to bother with if you have a spare bit if cash would be the Peninsula. W on Union Sq is well positioned for everything and isn't too bad. Many celebs in and out of Olives which is connected to the hotel. Bumped into Evander Hollyfield last time I was in town. Do not, and I repeat, DO NOT use the phone in the W! They rip you off so badly it's almost funny, almost. 35 mins = $214 for calls to Manhattan and New Jersey.
Would have met up for a drink/meal but am on the other side of the world. The Cerbera and Tuscan won't be there until Dec/Jan as they will be given to Mrs MARA for Christmas............and consequently confiscated and driven by ME AND ME ALONE(hope she's not reading this).
Avoid the Coffee shop on Union Sq. where my ex colleagues from the fashion world hang out. Some stunners in there but the service and quality is poor.
>> Edited by maranellouk on Monday 15th September 07:28
Would have met up for a drink/meal but am on the other side of the world. The Cerbera and Tuscan won't be there until Dec/Jan as they will be given to Mrs MARA for Christmas............and consequently confiscated and driven by ME AND ME ALONE(hope she's not reading this).
Avoid the Coffee shop on Union Sq. where my ex colleagues from the fashion world hang out. Some stunners in there but the service and quality is poor.
>> Edited by maranellouk on Monday 15th September 07:28
jeff m said:
TVR spotting, you'll be lucky!
Manhatten, the main island starts at 1st street in the South (financial district) Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty are down this end.
Times Square, Empire State, Rockerfeller building and 42nd Street are all in the 40 - 50 street range.
If you are sport inclined you could see a Basketball or Hockey game at Maddison Square Garden.
Day one - might be a good idea to get a bus tour.
Central park, a bit further north, is safer than it was, but... get a ride! There are horse carriages.
Little Italy is not really much any more it has been swamped by China Town, which should be renamed Asia Town.
Good food almost everywhere cheap too.
Subway (tube) is cheap but can be confusing as it uses "uptown and downtown" as directions not compass points.
Hotel, sorry can't help there, that'll be an internet thing.
Jeff
Err Jeff, how often do you get to the city from Southern NJ? Manhattan starts well below 1st street old chap, and last time I checked, the Empire State was on 34th...
Mara is on the money with respect to Hotels – if you’re going to do Manhattan, do it in style. You can probably find $99 deals through hotels.com or expedia.com or some such, but IMHO there’s nothing quite like returning to an upscale hotel after a day in the city. The Hudson and Paramount are both Ian Schrager hotels and I often have guests stay there – both Philippe Starck designed and very well located in Midtown. The Palace and Plaza are old-school New York and also worth a look (The Plaza has amazing views of the Park) The other one worth mentioning would be the Bryant Park hotel. The only ‘uber’ hotel that I personally don’t like is the Soho Grand (although others swear by it). All these hotels have great bars that are good to see and be seen in.
Personally I wouldn’t bother with a Broadway Show unless there’s something you are desperate to see – West End is cheaper and better.
The Met and the Nat History museums are excellent – allow time for at least one of these depending on your preference for arts/sciences. The Guggenheim is worth a visit for the architecture alone although the exhibitions can be quite a challenge depending on the artist. You can just go along and look inside without paying. If modern art isn’t your bag, the Frick collection is a fantastic alternative set in a recently restored (and once private) house… The USS Intrepid is great, but your partner might be less interested in an aircraft carrier full of planes.
Shopping is best in Soho (good for walking around/ chilling over a coffee – and broader than the guidebooks suggest, Thompson street to the west and Mulberry street to the east are worth a wander down) and Madison Av (59th upto 77th) for the upscale designers & stores such as Barney’s. 5th Avenue in the 50’s can get a little densely packed with tourists, but Tiffany’s on corner of 57th is a must-do if with the other half. The Rolling Stones Room downstairs in the Sony center (55th and Madison) has the most amazing A/V setup I’ve heard – if the weather is grim, pop along an ask them to show it off.
The ferry to Staten Island is free and offers a great view of downtown Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty without the queue and expense of an official tour. Just take a round trip as there’s nothing to see on Staten Island. Empire State is a great view, My preference is at twighlight. Rainbow room in the Rockerfeller offers (over-priced) food & drink with a similar view.
Upscale restaurants can get booked up 2-3 weeks in advance – zagat.com is the reference everyone uses. The perennial favourites that I can vouch for include: Grammercy Tavern, Balthazar, Nobu, Le Cirque, Union Square Café, Fiamma. There are literally 100’s of places that are excellent food, great spaces and much easier on the wallet (Park Avalon, First, L’Absinthe, Blue Fin, Mercer Kitchen, Les Halles, Dos Caminos, Le Pere Pinard, Café Gitane all spring to mind)
Bars and lounges are the nightlife options – Jazz at the knitting factory, DJs at Lotus & Coffee shop Lounge (downstairs), Vodka at Pravda, low lighting and comfy seats at Flute, Cibar, Cellar Bar (Bryant Hotel), Kanvas. Papermag.com is a good source of up-to-the-minute places to go.
Personally I wouldn’t bother with a Broadway Show unless there’s something you are desperate to see – West End is cheaper and better.
The Met and the Nat History museums are excellent – allow time for at least one of these depending on your preference for arts/sciences. The Guggenheim is worth a visit for the architecture alone although the exhibitions can be quite a challenge depending on the artist. You can just go along and look inside without paying. If modern art isn’t your bag, the Frick collection is a fantastic alternative set in a recently restored (and once private) house… The USS Intrepid is great, but your partner might be less interested in an aircraft carrier full of planes.
Shopping is best in Soho (good for walking around/ chilling over a coffee – and broader than the guidebooks suggest, Thompson street to the west and Mulberry street to the east are worth a wander down) and Madison Av (59th upto 77th) for the upscale designers & stores such as Barney’s. 5th Avenue in the 50’s can get a little densely packed with tourists, but Tiffany’s on corner of 57th is a must-do if with the other half. The Rolling Stones Room downstairs in the Sony center (55th and Madison) has the most amazing A/V setup I’ve heard – if the weather is grim, pop along an ask them to show it off.
The ferry to Staten Island is free and offers a great view of downtown Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty without the queue and expense of an official tour. Just take a round trip as there’s nothing to see on Staten Island. Empire State is a great view, My preference is at twighlight. Rainbow room in the Rockerfeller offers (over-priced) food & drink with a similar view.
Upscale restaurants can get booked up 2-3 weeks in advance – zagat.com is the reference everyone uses. The perennial favourites that I can vouch for include: Grammercy Tavern, Balthazar, Nobu, Le Cirque, Union Square Café, Fiamma. There are literally 100’s of places that are excellent food, great spaces and much easier on the wallet (Park Avalon, First, L’Absinthe, Blue Fin, Mercer Kitchen, Les Halles, Dos Caminos, Le Pere Pinard, Café Gitane all spring to mind)
Bars and lounges are the nightlife options – Jazz at the knitting factory, DJs at Lotus & Coffee shop Lounge (downstairs), Vodka at Pravda, low lighting and comfy seats at Flute, Cibar, Cellar Bar (Bryant Hotel), Kanvas. Papermag.com is a good source of up-to-the-minute places to go.
I've stayed at the Bryant Park several times, and it's superb. Slightly more conventional and *much* cheaper is the Marriot Marquis in Times Square. The 30-odd storey internal atrium is spectacular, and watching people arranging themselves in the bar to watch the Superbowl on TV, not realising that the bar rotates & the TV doesn't was quite entertaining.
If you like seafood, I can recommend Docks, near Grand Central (itself worth a visit) Station. Have the New England crab cakes & a 2lb lobster...
>> Edited by zumbruk on Tuesday 16th September 11:30
If you like seafood, I can recommend Docks, near Grand Central (itself worth a visit) Station. Have the New England crab cakes & a 2lb lobster...
>> Edited by zumbruk on Tuesday 16th September 11:30
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