NY City?

I ride public transportation into the city from LaGuardia. At the Hudson News stand in baggage claim buy a 7 day Metro card - $32 (cash only) then head outside and look for the curb sign for the M60 bus. The Metro card is good for buses and subway. This bus has room for luggage and airport workers and airline staff who live in NYC will take this bus. Schedule below. You have to use your Metro pass to buy a ticket for this special bus at the machine in front of the stop (other buses in the city you will just swipe the pass on the bus). I get off at Hoyt and 31st - you'll see the overhead Q, N subway behind the bus stop and a Dunkin Doughnuts across the street (just ask the driver to tell you when you get to the stop). Take the train into the city. Easy and cheap.

WESTBOUND

LaGuardia Terminal D
LaGuardia Terminal C
LaGuardia Central Terminal (Terminal B)
LaGuardia Marine Air Terminal (Terminal A)*
Ditmars Blvd/82 St & Grand Central Pkwy*
Astoria Blvd N & 77 St
Astoria Blvd N & Steinway St
Hoyt Ave N & 31 St N line (Q line)
E 125 St & 2 Ave
E 125 St & Lexington Ave 4 line,5 line, 6 line)
E 125 St & Madison Ave (Metro-North)
W 125 St & Lenox Ave (2 line, e line)
W 125 St & Frederick Douglass Blvd (A line, Bline, C line, D line)
Amsterdam Ave & W 125 St
Amsterdam Ave & W 120 St
Broadway & W 120 St
Broadway & W 116 St (1 line)
W 106 St & Broadway
*No service between 12 AM and 6 AM.
 
WO HOPS! China town on Mont street. It was there in 1979. My ship was there for 9 months and we (the ward room) ate there weekly. My son went to NY last year and Wo Hops was still there and the food was as good to him as it was to us back then. Little Italy for desert!
 
kitesurfer2 said:
WO HOPS! China town on Mont street. It was there in 1979. My ship was there for 9 months and we (the ward room) ate there weekly. My son went to NY last year and Wo Hops was still there and the food was as good to him as it was to us back then. Little Italy for desert!
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its still there. been there since i was a kid,the late night option was always used after a night of clubbing.
 
So born and raised in Harlem and Queens. these are my tips for friends visiting.

1) simply accept the hotel rates. IMO nothing kills a vacation with a hotel in timbuktu lol Queens or one that's seedy. I know Brooklyn and Queens are relatively easy to get to, but seriously do you want to be stuck on a train if some things happens after a day hanging out. lol, there's a reason we call them "bridge and tunnel" people.

2) as someone else said, "see a play". there is nothing, nothing like live theater in NYC. if price is a factor go to the tkts booth and get what ever is available. I've seen some pretty good shows that I probably would not have chosen on my own.

3) take a walking tour of Harlem, yes I'm biased since I grew up there but the history and sights are awesome and now that Hamilton is a big hit on Broadway you can see where some of the founding fathers hung out at.

4) Get a Pizza. then you'll find out why NYers take their pizza seriously. lol My favorite pizza is actually in Queens so I won't send you there but if there's a crowd outside safe bet its decent.

5) SHOPPING. sure we tend to be frugal here but it's ok to look.
 
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We stayed at the Westin near Times Square. Times Square has improved, not as bad as I remember years ago like the early 80s.
 
Last time in NYC was April before 9/11. Would love to go back once more before I'm no longer able. DW has no interest, so I may do it on my own. Plenty of issues still in NYC (and getting a bit worse but way better than it used to be.) If you are going then don't go too cheap. It's sort of a once in a life-time and a week is probably JUST enough time to hit all the high points (Not near enough to really get to know the whole city.) I couldn't live in NYC but it's my favorite city to visit (5 times). Enjoy!
 
Hi! Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply. All you guys are helping to make this future trip less intimidating. Question: is there an advantage to flying into LaGuardia rather than JFK?
 
Thank you so much. Question - is the NY Pass a good deal as advertised? And are the Expedia (and others) bundled deals legitimately better deals that separate bookings?
 
that is very helpful. was the holiday inn in good shape? I did see the NY Pass advertised and from the ads it seems like a great deal
 
ShrinkDoc said:
Hi! Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply. All you guys are helping to make this future trip less intimidating. Question: is there an advantage to flying into LaGuardia rather than JFK?
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No, they both take about the same time to get to "the City", do not land from 3pm -7 pm, thats rush hour, you will learn first hand about the term it was a "Mob Scene", or "it was like a parking lot". The NY Pass, i never did it. We did 1 attraction at a time stretched out over a life time. When we travel by air we pick either LGA or JFK based on price and time of the flights.
 
I live in Manhattan & always prefer traveling in & out of JFK, not LaGuardia, because public transportation to & from JFK is easy, cheap & I like it. (I never take a taxi if I can avoid it - can be about $65 to or from JFK, with tip, from LaG about $35, & traffic can be slow during rush hour. It seems like a waste of $$ since the Air Train route is so good.)

At JFK: look for the signs to the Air Train & take the train to Jamaica or Howard Beach stations; you pay when you get off the train by buying a Metrocard, then take either the A train (subway) at Howard Beach or E train (Jamaica) to Manhattan. Cost for that trip is 8.75, which pays for the train ($6) plus the subway ride. If you're planning to use the subway during your stay, buy a card with more value (subway is $2.75 per ride). (You can also buy a 7-day weekly Metrocard [unlimited bus & subway rides], but the unlimited card cannot be used for the Air Train.)

Riding the Air Train always makes me feel very cool & hip - not crowded & mostly young people & tourists with their suitcases.

There is public transportation from LaG, but it involves a bus & a subway, not as smooth & convenient.
 
I have driven to NYC several times (yeah, I know!:LOL:) from near Chicago. I drive to Newark airport, park in the long term lot and take the shuttle to the (help me here, locals) 8th St. Terminal (they call it something else, I think.) I've stayed twice at the Edison just a few blocks walk or taxi. As long as you arrive at more or less mid-day, it's never been a problem. I'd research it carefully before doing it again (since it's been 16 years now) as YMMV.
 
Last July I picked up my Mother in law from JFK, I wanted to stick pins in my eyes. It was rush hour, she said it took her 30 minutes to walk from the terminal to the sidewalk. She only had a carry on. I got "chased" from my waiting spots constantly. I told the bride"next time tell her to take a cab. Ill pay".
 
I love NY! I am often there for work and enjoy much of the city. One note related to hotels in the mid-town area. If there is a big tradeshow at the Javits Center during your stay it can drive up hotel prices quite a bit. You may want to check hotel prices for different weeks as there can be big jumps in price week to week.

I'm partial to the "2nd Avenue Deli" for great sit down deli food. FYI, it's not on 2nd avenue : )
 
SpinDr said:
I love NY! I am often there for work and enjoy much of the city. One note related to hotels in the mid-town area. If there is a big tradeshow at the Javits Center during your stay it can drive up hotel prices quite a bit. You may want to check hotel prices for different weeks as there can be big jumps in price week to week.

I'm partial to the "2nd Avenue Deli" for great sit down deli food. FYI, it's not on 2nd avenue : )
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OMG, the old 2nd ave deli was legendary, old time salty waitresses. Open late. True to their name they were at 2nd ave lol, . We like sarges deli now, open 24 hours. Katz deli is still great. Last of the olde time Jewish delis.
 
Koolau said:
I have driven to NYC several times (yeah, I know!:LOL:) from near Chicago. I drive to Newark airport, park in the long term lot and take the shuttle to the (help me here, locals) 8th St. Terminal (they call it something else, I think.) I've stayed twice at the Edison just a few blocks walk or taxi. As long as you arrive at more or less mid-day, it's never been a problem. I'd research it carefully before doing it again (since it's been 16 years now) as YMMV.
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Heh, heh, sorry for quoting myself. I just remembered the bus terminal is called the Port Authority Terminal. It's at 8th Ave. and 42nd St. Very convenient to midtown. YMMV
 
ShrinkDoc said:
that is very helpful. was the holiday inn in good shape? I did see the NY Pass advertised and from the ads it seems like a great deal
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I do not think so... but which pass are you looking at:confused:

The one I see has this...


I am not interested in the Empire State Bldg.... I lived there a number of years and never went there...

#2 and #3 you can pay whatever you want to pay and get in... my sister went when people outside were protesting and giving a penny on a card... she paid one penny to get in...

Have no idea about top of the rock... I did like Guggenheim, but I got in free because of the company I worked...

I have done both on #5... both are nice... we went to Statue of Liberty late so were not able to go to Ellis Island... also, if you want to go up the Statue you need to get there early...

#6... The 9/11 museum has a free day that you can go after 5... I was sick when we went, but DW and DD said it was enough time to see the important things... The Intrepid was also nice and I did have to pay full price... it was worth it IMO but I had my sister who's husband was on an aircraft carrier during Vietnam and was able to tell me a bunch of stuff.. she also told the museum that they had a date wrong on some display... I do not think they fixed it... my sister was right...


So, excluding Empire St.... the other things max cost is $109... add $50 is you want Empire St.... the pass cost more... and if you go to the cheaper places you are even less than $109....
 
ShrinkDoc said:
Hi! Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply. All you guys are helping to make this future trip less intimidating. Question: is there an advantage to flying into LaGuardia rather than JFK?
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To me it is which is cheaper.... I never flew into JFK, but they do have the Airtrain and subway to get into town cheaper...


My DW is still in NYC... she flew into LaGuardia... took a bus to (IIRC) the A train and went all the way down to WTC to meet friend who took her to their house... the bus was 'free'... I do not know if it is supposed to be free, but DW said nobody seemed to pay and the driver did not ask her to pay... she did refill her subway card at LaGuardia...


If you take lots of luggage, then you will need to take a taxi.... expensive...
 
Been to Manhattan multiple times as my daughter worked there. Don't know about hotels, as I stayed with her. Love walking around Manhattan. One of the best walking cities along with Boston, Chicago, and San Fran. If you eat like a local you can eat very cheap. First falafel I ever had was at a little corner stand and it was fantastic. Katz's sandwiches are big enough to easily split. Lots of coffee shops and corner diners. Pizza slices on every street. Ethnic restaurants are a real bargain. I really liked the old church by ground zero. They have a seat set apart where George Washington sat. The cemetery on the grounds are interesting also. It is so close to ground zero it is amazing it wasn't harmed. McSorley's was a fun stop. One of the oldest bars in the country. They make their own beer and you only have two choices - light or dark. Sawdust on the floor. Maybe the most memorable thing was a Brooklyn pizza tour. Went by bus and ate at Grimaldi's and Spumoni Garden Sicilian pizza. The tour guide grew up there and showed movie clips of movies that had been filmed there - French Connection, Saturday Night Fever, etc. Near Coney Island the Russian neighborhood (Brighton Beach) was interesting also. Stores had Russian on their signs and windows. Buying Jewelry in Battery Park was fun. Bought a Rolex watch for $10 and it actually worked for a year. Was there twice during snowstorms. Nothing like Central park when it snows and the kids come out to slide. Nothing like Rockefeller Plaza at Christmas time. Watching all the parents walking their kids to school in the morning. The Jewelry district. Chinatown. I love NY and never spent more money there than I would have at home. Of course not having to rent a hotel made a huge difference.
 
Scuba said:
Try VRBO or airb&b. I much prefer to rent a small apartment vs a hotel room. Less expensive and you can eat some meals in. We usually make our own breakfasts and eat out for lunch.

NY is a great city and October is a great time to go. Enjoy!!
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+1
 
DH and I rented a studio apt on our last trip there (July 2015). It was On 50th at 2nd Ave, plenty of restaurants and a small grocery within walking distance. Block or two from a subway station, 2+ bus lines also. $179/night plus a nominal cleaning fee. Best part: no hotel taxes! It was FABULOUS!! Quiet and safe neighborhood. LOVE NYC!!! ❤️😍❤️😍
 
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