Going on 5 day city break to New York later in the year. Never been before.
I'm told its expensive...but thats no surprise as its the same for tourists staying in London.
I want to keep costs down as much as I can but without scrimping so much that we dont enjoy our trip.
Any good suggestions for places to eat, drink and sights to see (other than the obvious...ESB, the Rock, Staten Island Ferry, SoL, Central Park, Grand Central etc.) gratefully received.
Want to get a real feel of the place so any ideas of good diners, bars, sights etc..
Cheers all....With the wife and daughter so will give Hooters a miss.
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Done majority of bits.
Staten Island ferry is good and free
Empire State Building we done in the evening
Top of the rock during the day.
Grand central station I thought was cool ( typical a Charlton fan frothing over a train station )
The dead rabbit is by the Staten Island ferry terminal - really good Irish pub very old inside and full of character - probably the best
Also whilst down that way see the charging bull of Wall Street
Good pub off of Times Square the pig and whistle, good value food aswell, I’ll check out the right one and let you know and there’s a few of the same name
Washington Square Park and Union Square are great public places, and Greenwich Village generally is a nice change of pace.
My wife is from New York so I am lucky to have been there lots of times: it's an incredible place with an amazing range of things to see and do. You'll have a great time!
The prices were reasonable and the room clean and tidy, you are only sleeping in it as there is so much to do.
The hotel had everything you would expect, a great diner next door and within walking distance to Time square, shops, theaters, etc.
We traveled on the subway and felt perfectly safe and we did the Empire State Building at night which was amazing.
September should be okay however any later and be prepared to wrap up because it can get cold, and I mean cold.
Chelsea Market for seafood or awesome chowder, a relatively cheap lunch.
Restaurants on Amsterdam Avenue (east of Broadway on the upper west side) were good and, I didn't think, particularly expensive.
Subway was efficient and felt at least as safe as the tube - buy a multi-day ticket and use that to get around.
We did the sun and stars ticket for the Rock - you get to go up during the day and the after dark which was cool - get your ticket online and skip some queuing.
This isn't free but was great fun and a good way to some bits of the city, or they do a Greenwich Village one too. I don't want to say too much as it'd spoil it if you do it, but its a kind of interactive walking tour where you meet various actors playing characters along the way and have to solve clues to find your next stop. https://www.accomplicetheshow.com/
911 memorial is free and a must. Just be prepared to be a bit annoyed by the people treating a solemn memorial to the death of thousands of people as a cheap Instagram opportunity.
I'd like to have done the tour of the UN building but you need to book a head a little bit and we left it too late.
Battery Park on the south end of Manhattan was a pleasant place for a stroll down by the river and you have some views on the SoL from there - walking distance to 1 World Trade Centre.
Get your lunches at one of the delis - they're everywhere - where there will be buffet style selection of loads of different foods, or sandwiches and pizzas to take away at reasonable prices, then go find a bench or wall somewhere and sit and watch the New Yorkers go by for an hour - you're bound to see something weird or unusual.
If you just want to save some money, just walk around and see what you find - there are little moments of interest all over the place. Absolutely fantastic place.
Happy to spend money, just not get ripped off if i can avoid it :-)
Was thinking of doing the Rock at night, rather than ESB as i want the ESB in my pictures. i believe the Chrysler Building worth a photo as well..
Already booked hotel...mixed reviews on trip advisor..but i dont intend to spend much time there other than sleep!
I'd recommend seeing the skyline during the day and night if you can as you get quite a different view and they both have their merits.
The tip about not overspending on your accommodation is a good one - there's so much to see you won't want to be in it for any length of time. If you haven't booked anywhere yet, consider something a bit out of the action but close to a subway station. You can save a lot by just being willing to stay somewhere a bit more basic and/or a 10 to 20 minute subway ride from downtown, and you'll be traveling to different parts of the city anyway, so being right next to Times Square isn't necessarily as advantageous as you might think.
I was going to suggest Lombardi's pizza, but it has very mixed reviews on Trip Advisor now... I loved it, but that was 7 years ago when I last ate there...
Bit out of the way, but do take some time to explore Brooklyn if you get a chance...it's ace...and definitely cross the Brooklyn Bridge and walk along the waterfront and take in the view of lower Manhatten...and if you can afford it, book a Sunday brunch at River Cafe, almost under the bridge on the Brooklyn side...
Also, possibly the best brewery in the world is in Brooklyn...Other Half Brewery...bit out of the way, but the tap room is a must or, if you dont make it down there, but do venture into a pub, if they're serving an Other Half brew (particularly one of their IPAs) then order a pint..
Go to Times Square, so you've seen it, but then get the hell out of there...it's the equivalent of spending time in Leicester Sq...
Oh....and there are loads of great b'fast places, but Bubby's is awesome (but a bit pricier than everywhere else)... there is one at the southern end of the High Line and then the other, further south still, is literally round the corner from the Ghostbusters firestation, so you can kill two birds with one stone...
Spent quite a few weeks in NYC last year, working, and abso-bloody-lutely love the place....enjoy.
As others have said, the Chrysler Building is beautiful, and I found the best view of it was from the top of the Empire State!
The open top buses are very good, drop on/drop of so one ticket can last you all day. The views are much better than using the subway and if you get a good guide they are great at explaining the history of the landmarks.
Grand Central is of course a must for all Charlton fans!
Absolutely amazing place and it runs London close as the best city - certainly that I’ve been to. You’ll love it.
https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2491057,00.asp?amp=1
Don’t remember paying anything for the WiFi but it was about 7-years ago I think, maybe it didn’t have any back then??