visiting new york soon . any tips, tricks and recommendations gladly received. looking at possibly getting city pass
Gospel Brunch on Sundays at B.B.kings blues club on 42nd Street. Unbelievable Brunch. Feel cleansed before walking in central park after listening to the wonderful Gospel singers. Book prior to going. Get a subway (underground) pass for seven days. Take a ferry to Ellis Island (a must) taking in the Statue Of Liberty on the way. Blue note club if you like jazz.
The subway is nowhere near as good as London but still useable. Manhatten is all about walking. Grand Central station, the Staten Island Ferry, Central Park, The New York Public Library, the High Line Walk are all good freebies, as is the Museum of Modern Art after 4pm on Fridays I believe. See the Empire State from the top of the Rockerfeller Centre, check out what's on at Radio City Music Hall, don't buy tickets from the ticket booths in Times Square, plan a little bit and go in the morning to the Theatre Box office and have a bit of a gentle bargaining session. EVERY shop has 40% off that day! Macys is nothing special IMHO, New Yorkers are great to get talking to, if you root around you can get a lot of decent food pretty cheap for holiday nosh, although as a vegetarian it is still a meat eaters paradise. Next time I go I want to venture further away from the centre, I have also heard Ellis island is great, you can 'do' the Statue of Liberty from the SA Ferry, I have also heard the Twin Towers memorial is impressive though I didn't go there. Have a great time, I was wary myself but loved it (apart from the Airport experiences, and getting to and from the Airport(s)...deffo get a train if you can) and I would certainly go back.
We did a boat trip down the Hudson and up the East river in the evening. Outwards was in daylight and the return was in the dark, seeing the Big Apple lit up.
Cheers guys. Going to New York next Saturday as part of a father and son 21st birthday (his not mine) thrash. Only got 3 nights/2.5 days so will be doing the obvious things I guess but any specific tips would be good. Doing a desert drive staying at Zion, Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon before three nights in Vegas then home.
Our respective itineraries say a lot:
father - museum of the American Indian, 911 museum, Monument Valley Navajo trek etc.
We went up the Rockefeller meaning you get to look at the empire state instead of out from it. DId the Sun and Starts tour so you can go up during the day and then get in again later after dark to see the skyline all lit up. Book ahead to skip the queues.
Chelsea Market if you're a foodie - awesome seafood and chowders. Accessible on foot from the Highline.
9/11 Monument is fantastic, although I was irritated by the number of people who treated it like a tourist attraction and not a memorial to the 000s of people who died there.
We also did the downtown one of these and really enjoyed. A different and fun way to see some of the city. There is a Greenwich version as well.
Download a map to your google maps app so you access it without using data and just wander around soaking up the atmosphere and checking out the crazies.
Get your lunch in one of the many the deli's - oads of great food for pretty cheap.
When you going? The marathon is 6th November - which is an amazing NY occasion.
Check out the highline, which is excellent: http://www.thehighline.org/ An inspired use of an elevated railway line.
Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty boat trips/visits are a must.
Brooklyn is now a great place to hang out. Rejuvenated/gentrified - with great restaurants - tons of character. There's a great walk along the river there which goes under Brooklyn Bridge with great views of Lower Manhattan across the river. I know a bunch of folk who use airbnb places in Brooklyn when visiting NY - just over the bridge from Manhattan with easy access to Lower Manhattan and its a cheaper accommodation option. If you fancy some N American sport and nothing is on at MSG - can try Barclays Center on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn for basketball (Nets) or Hockey (NY Islanders). Possible the Mets will be in the baseball playoffs also if you go in October.
Walk across Brooklyn Bridge.
Union Square farmers market on Saturday is worth a trip -
SoHo is cool.
Take in a show and walk thru' Time Square afterwards.
Pilgrimage to the Dakota building on the west side of central park - John Lennon's NY residence.
Walk/run in Central Park - great fall colours. A real sanctuary.
Think there was another thread on this that has some good ideas too. Most have said stuff already, but I'd add a visit to the Intrepid. It is an aircraft carrier converted to a museum on the Hudson (I think) and includes one of the space shuttles on board. There was also a Concorde and nuclear sub.
Empire state was great. And a trip to Brooklyn heights is good for photos of Manhattan.
It's an amazing place. Manhattan is like walking into a film set, because so much of it has been in films.
I forgot about the football (NFL): Giants/Jets a few miles over the river in New Jersey.
Grand Central Station is pretty spectacular with a very cool dining concourse on the lower level. Food court it isn't.
If you are staying in Manhattan - easiest way from airport is cab if you have luggage - think its around a flat $50 - great way to see the neighbourhoods /approaches into the city.
visiting new york soon . any tips, tricks and recommendations gladly received. looking at possibly getting city pass
Assuming you mean Manhattan then try walking everywhere and jump in a cab when you run out of steam or want to go more than 25 blocks up or down. Go on a hop on hop off bus tour. Walk the high line once. Get the ferry to Statten Island and back. Go on the Intrepid if you like that sort of thing (I liked it). See a show if you can get a reasonably priced ticket. Go up the Empire State Building to say you've done it. Go down to Greenwich Village, little Italy, SoHo if you want something to eat that is more familiar to our palates that the sugar induced junk that gets slopped up elsewhere.
I agree with @BDL, if you are looking for a skyline view, don't go up Empire State, go up the rock.
If you are in the park, and it's sunny, I would recommend rowing a boat around the lake.
My favourite art is in th Frick museum just off the east side of the park I can't remember the street number.
Greenwich village for music still.
The view from the rock is better but when he gets back most people are going to ask him if he went up the Empire State Building, hardly anybody will ask if he went up the rock. He is going to feel he missed out.
Comments
Unbelievable Brunch.
Feel cleansed before walking in central park after listening to the wonderful Gospel singers.
Book prior to going.
Get a subway (underground) pass for seven days.
Take a ferry to Ellis Island (a must) taking in the Statue Of Liberty on the way.
Blue note club if you like jazz.
Next time I go I want to venture further away from the centre, I have also heard Ellis island is great, you can 'do' the Statue of Liberty from the SA Ferry, I have also heard the Twin Towers memorial is impressive though I didn't go there.
Have a great time, I was wary myself but loved it (apart from the Airport experiences, and getting to and from the Airport(s)...deffo get a train if you can) and I would certainly go back.
Tenament museum. Best small museum I've been to and best book shop for new York.
The highline.
Chinatown for food and atmosphere.
Native American Museum.
Wouldn't bother with the city pass unless you want to do three or more museums a day.
Subway pass is very handy.
Twin towers memorial worth a trip. The pools are very good.
Times sq is naff but the kids might like it.
Shame your not going in baseball season.
Native American Museum.
Our respective itineraries say a lot:
father - museum of the American Indian, 911 museum, Monument Valley Navajo trek etc.
Son - titty bar, casino, sex museum.
We went up the Rockefeller meaning you get to look at the empire state instead of out from it. DId the Sun and Starts tour so you can go up during the day and then get in again later after dark to see the skyline all lit up. Book ahead to skip the queues.
Chelsea Market if you're a foodie - awesome seafood and chowders. Accessible on foot from the Highline.
9/11 Monument is fantastic, although I was irritated by the number of people who treated it like a tourist attraction and not a memorial to the 000s of people who died there.
We also did the downtown one of these and really enjoyed. A different and fun way to see some of the city. There is a Greenwich version as well.
https://www.accomplicetheshow.com/
Download a map to your google maps app so you access it without using data and just wander around soaking up the atmosphere and checking out the crazies.
Get your lunch in one of the many the deli's - oads of great food for pretty cheap.
Check out the highline, which is excellent: http://www.thehighline.org/ An inspired use of an elevated railway line.
Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty boat trips/visits are a must.
Brooklyn is now a great place to hang out. Rejuvenated/gentrified - with great restaurants - tons of character. There's a great walk along the river there which goes under Brooklyn Bridge with great views of Lower Manhattan across the river. I know a bunch of folk who use airbnb places in Brooklyn when visiting NY - just over the bridge from Manhattan with easy access to Lower Manhattan and its a cheaper accommodation option. If you fancy some N American sport and nothing is on at MSG - can try Barclays Center on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn for basketball (Nets) or Hockey (NY Islanders). Possible the Mets will be in the baseball playoffs also if you go in October.
Walk across Brooklyn Bridge.
Union Square farmers market on Saturday is worth a trip -
SoHo is cool.
Take in a show and walk thru' Time Square afterwards.
Pilgrimage to the Dakota building on the west side of central park - John Lennon's NY residence.
Walk/run in Central Park - great fall colours. A real sanctuary.
Museums: Met & MOMA.
For food check tripadvisor.
Can't go wrong with NY - enjoy!
230 Fifth Avenue has an amazing rooftop bar
Empire state was great. And a trip to Brooklyn heights is good for photos of Manhattan.
It's an amazing place. Manhattan is like walking into a film set, because so much of it has been in films.
Grand Central Station is pretty spectacular with a very cool dining concourse on the lower level. Food court it isn't.
If you are staying in Manhattan - easiest way from airport is cab if you have luggage - think its around a flat $50 - great way to see the neighbourhoods /approaches into the city.
Highline
Walking everywhere
Brooklyn Bridge walk and cafe at the Brooklyn side
If you are in the park, and it's sunny, I would recommend rowing a boat around the lake.
My favourite art is in th Frick museum just off the east side of the park I can't remember the street number.
Greenwich village for music still.
And get away from the chaos of it all in Central Park.
The Guggenheim museum isn't all that good