Author Topic: Seeking New York Advice (Read 4757 times)

Taras Bulba · « **on:** October 13, 2009, 10:33:36 am »

Kicking around the idea of taking the missus and daughters to Nuevo York sometime after Xmas. Anyone care to make some recs as far as hotels, airports, etc.? This seems an obvious for Alkie, but thought others may also have some ideas. Muchas gracias.

Limey · « **Reply #1 on:** October 13, 2009, 12:14:23 pm »

Try to fly into Kennedy or La Guardia as the cab from Newark is $70 - $100 each way, which can negate the savings and add an hour of pure annoyance to your journey. Stay anywhere nice, as the subway is a quick and easy way to get around and cabs within Manhattan are reasonable. Make sure to get your street & cross-street syntax correct, otherwise you're off on a wild goose chase. Wrap up warm because it will be fucking freezing. Avoid the 84th & Central Park West area, as there's a weird dude who howls at the moon - naked, shrinkage be damned - from his balcony. Don't let your daughters anywhere near A-Rod.

Ty in Tampa · « **Reply #2 on:** October 13, 2009, 12:17:25 pm »

Quote from: Limey on October 13, 2009, 12:14:23 pm

Avoid the 84th & Central Park West area, as there's a weird dude who howls at the moon - naked, shrinkage be damned - from his ~~balcony~~ terrace.

BizidyDizidy · « **Reply #3 on:** October 13, 2009, 12:32:07 pm »

If it does work out best to go to EWR, you can get a Dial 7 Car for about 60 bucks.

Limey · « **Reply #4 on:** October 13, 2009, 12:44:13 pm »

Quote from: BizidyDizidy on October 13, 2009, 12:32:07 pm

If it does work out best to go to EWR, you can get a Dial 7 Car for about 60 bucks.

Plus tolls...

juliogotay · « **Reply #5 on:** October 13, 2009, 01:10:51 pm »

I was in NY for Xmas about 3 years ago and was very pleased with The Warwick Hotel. It has a great location just a block or so from Rockefeller Center which is where the big tree is. RC is jammed with tourists that time of year but the hotel is not right in the middle of it, just close. You can walk to many iconic locations including Central Park which is maybe two blocks away. Great restaurants are close by including my favorite Italian spot, Patsy's. The Ed Sullivan Theatre is just a couple of blocks away and allegedly The Beatles stayed at The Warwick when they made their historical appearance. The hotel was built by newspaper baron Hearst as an apartment building where he stashed his mistress. Cary Grant lived there before it was turned into a hotel. The rate was very reasonable for that time of year, about $200 a night IIRC. I would stay there again.

BizidyDizidy · « **Reply #6 on:** October 13, 2009, 01:13:59 pm »

Quote from: Limey on October 13, 2009, 12:44:13 pm

Plus tolls...

That was total - just looked at my Amex.

BudGirl · « **Reply #7 on:** October 13, 2009, 01:14:27 pm »

When I went to NYC last June we stayed at The Roosevelt. I was able to get a government rate. It is pretty much across the street from Grand Central Station.

geezerdonk · « **Reply #8 on:** October 13, 2009, 01:14:37 pm »

plastic fold up pocket map can be a big help

Limey · « **Reply #9 on:** October 13, 2009, 01:15:56 pm »

Quote from: BizidyDizidy on October 13, 2009, 01:13:59 pm

That was total - just looked at my Amex.

Cool.

Limey · « **Reply #10 on:** October 13, 2009, 01:16:32 pm »

Quote from: geezerdonk on October 13, 2009, 01:14:37 pm

plastic fold up pocket map can be a big help

Or an iPhone with GPS.

BizidyDizidy · « **Reply #11 on:** October 13, 2009, 01:17:46 pm »

Quote from: Limey on October 13, 2009, 01:15:56 pm

Cool.

If you're willing to stiff the guy, you can probably go for mid-50s.

BudGirl · « **Reply #12 on:** October 13, 2009, 01:17:59 pm »

Quote from: Limey on October 13, 2009, 01:16:32 pm

Or an iPhone with GPS.

Who are you? Hansel?

Limey · « **Reply #13 on:** October 13, 2009, 01:19:56 pm »

Quote from: BudGirl on October 13, 2009, 01:14:27 pm

When I went to NYC last June we stayed at The Roosevelt. I was able to get a government rate. It is pretty much across the street from Grand Central Station.

Midtown is the most convenient place to stay. It's also expensive by even NYC standards. I've stayed at the the Waldorf, the Intercontinental and the Essex House...all on OPM. I've also stayed at the Millennium Hilton, which is not recommended because there's fuck-all to do around there and it looks straight down into the pit that still remains from 9/11.

MusicMan · « **Reply #14 on:** October 13, 2009, 01:21:50 pm »

Quote from: Limey on October 13, 2009, 01:19:56 pm

I've also stayed at the Millennium Hilton, which is not recommended because there's fuck-all to do around there and it looks straight down into the pit that still remains from 9/11.

I second this negative recommendation.

BudGirl · « **Reply #15 on:** October 13, 2009, 01:23:32 pm »

Quote from: Limey on October 13, 2009, 01:19:56 pm

Midtown is the most convenient place to stay. It's also expensive by even NYC standards. I've stayed at the the Waldorf, the Intercontinental and the Essex House...all on OPM. I've also stayed at the Millennium Hilton, which is not recommended because there's fuck-all to do around there and it looks straight down into the pit that still remains from 9/11.

It did work out pretty good for us. We pretty much walked everywhere.

geezerdonk · « **Reply #16 on:** October 13, 2009, 01:31:48 pm »

Surrey Hotel on E. 76th is pretty good, especially if you are bringing kids. Near the museums and the park, across the street from Bemelmans. Cafe Boulud on the first floor.

chuck · « **Reply #17 on:** October 13, 2009, 03:39:24 pm »

There's a train that connects the Newark airport to a train station, Newark Station if I recall correctly. Whichever it is there are NJ Transit trains running through there every five minutes, most of them going to Penn Station. One way's about $10, if that. It's almost certainly faster than taking a car. From Penn Station you're only seven minutes from Alkie's house.

Savage · « **Reply #18 on:** October 13, 2009, 10:57:54 pm »

Quote from: Limey on October 13, 2009, 01:19:56 pm

Midtown is the most convenient place to stay. It's also expensive by even NYC standards. I've stayed at the the Waldorf, the Intercontinental and the Essex House...all on OPM. I've also stayed at the Millennium Hilton, which is not recommended because there's fuck-all to do around there and it looks straight down into the pit that still remains from 9/11.

I've had good experiences at Essex, Waldorf, Surrey and the Palace Hotel but lately I've been staying at The Muse. NY hotels I hope to never frequent again include the aforementioned Millennium Hilton, the Grand Hyatt and the Tribeca Grand.

juliogotay · « **Reply #19 on:** October 14, 2009, 11:56:39 am »

I enjoyed the Waldorf when I was not paying for it. It's a great hotel. I stayed at the Marriott Marquis one time on business and hated it. I did not like being in Times Square although it is pretty centrally located.

Limey · « **Reply #20 on:** October 15, 2009, 11:41:05 am »

Quote from: juliogotay on October 14, 2009, 11:56:39 am

I enjoyed the Waldorf when I was not paying for it. It's a great hotel. I stayed at the Marriott Marquis one time on business and hated it. I did not like being in Times Square although it is pretty centrally located.

I stayed there once too. Permanent daylight.

Alkie · « **Reply #21 on:** October 15, 2009, 07:21:22 pm »

Yeah, I'm not sure if you actually wanted me to chime in or not; I can give you more advice on living here than visiting here, but chuck's right about the Airtrains.

They kick ass if you're not the kind of redneck who is afraid of the train/subway system here. If you fly into EWR, you can AirTrain it for $5 to Penn Station, which puts you on the 1/2/3/A/C/E subways which will get you where ever you want to get to in Manhattan (direct or via transfers). It's only about 45 minutes, you don't have to worry about traffic, and with sub fare, it's less than $15 a person.

Also, there's Carmel Limo who has decent flat rates for towncars from all the airports. We usually hook up family with a car thru Carmel when they come in to town.

If you'll be here for more than 4 days, get a 7 day Unlimited Metrocard. Having unlimited bus and subway will change your trip immeasurably.

What kind of stuff are you looking to do? As the others said, if you're looking to do the standard weekend-in-NY thing, stay in midtown because you can walk to all your favorite touristy crap and a ton of restaurants. Plus the sub system is really built to service midtown (every subway but the G runs through midtown at some point).

What kind of restaurants do you like? Who all is coming with you? Are you more interested in safe and expensive (the Upper East Side was a good call if you want to be near the Big Museums and Central Park) or eclectic and expensive (like the Village, which is where I would stay if I had the choice).

Stay away from the hotels downtown. It'll just piss you off when you realize there ain't shit to do down there (I'm talking the Financial District and WTC, not "Downtown" as in Tribeca, Soho, Greenwich, etc).

Also, people have told me there are people and buildings and things to do on the other sides of the East and Hudson Rivers, but I don't know anything about that. Frankly, I don't want to know. If people choose to live out in Indian country (Brooklyn and Queens), it sounds like crazy talk to me. What with all the ranch shootings and freezing tundras.

Alkie · « **Reply #22 on:** October 15, 2009, 07:22:24 pm »

Quote from: Limey on October 15, 2009, 11:41:05 am

I stayed there once too. Permanent daylight.

Yeah, I work in Times Square (a block below it anyway) and I can't imagine trying to get a night's sleep over there.

chuck · « **Reply #23 on:** October 15, 2009, 09:06:57 pm »

Quote from: Alkie on October 15, 2009, 07:21:22 pm

If people choose to live out in Indian country (Brooklyn and Queens), it sounds like crazy talk to me.

Locating the hindoos, the Desais are in Queens and the Trinis are in Brooklyn. You ought to know that by now.

rifraft · « **Reply #24 on:** October 15, 2009, 09:31:54 pm »

Quote from: Alkie on October 15, 2009, 07:21:22 pm

Yeah, I'm not sure if you actually wanted me to chime in or not; I can give you more advice on living here than visiting here, but chuck's right about the Airtrains.

No one wants you to chime in, especially if you forget to tell them that its already in the 30's here, and a very very cold winter is expected. Xmas is going to be cold, keep that in mind, it limits the amount of walking around you can do, at least walking around without frost bite...

Alkie · « **Reply #25 on:** October 16, 2009, 09:37:25 am »

30s? It was 29 when I woke up this morning.

Oh, THIS shitty weather. I seeeeeee.

austro · « **Reply #26 on:** October 16, 2009, 09:51:16 am »

Quote from: Alkie on October 16, 2009, 09:37:25 am

30s? It was 29 when I woke up this morning.

Oh, THIS ~~shitty~~ baseball weather. I seeeeeee.

FIFY. I hope Bud has to sit through a 20-inning game and freeze his ass off.

Limey · « **Reply #27 on:** October 16, 2009, 10:06:38 am »

Quote from: austro on October 16, 2009, 09:51:16 am

FIFY. I hope Bud has to sit through a 20-inning game and freeze his ass off.

His syrup has a built-in heating element.

Bench · « **Reply #28 on:** October 17, 2009, 02:59:13 am »

The word "nor'easter" is a great one. Especially when it's a clear high 70s with a nice breeze in Houston. Spending the afternoon drinking beer on the porch was fantastic.