NY City?

[ShrinkDoc]

I have never been to NYC. My wife and I are thinking of getting a flight/hotel package to go there in October. Does anyone here have some tips on how we can enjoy and get the most out of this 1 week adventure? We want to stay in Midtown Manhatten. Some of the hotels are pricey though.

 

[DatumPoint5]

Websites such as this one are always updated for current "free things" to do in NYC
https://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/free-things-to-do-in-nyc

You can Google "free things to do in NYC" to get a comprehensive list of links for every possible thing related to NYC "for free".

And make sure you take the time to get on the Staten Island Ferry. Gives a beautiful view of the Statue of Liberty. The ferry ride from Manhattan to Staten Island is free and gives you a view of the NYC skyline that you can't get anywhere else......
The Staten Island Ferry Weekday Weekend and Holiday Schedules

And it is also worth it to take the "Q" train all the way to the end to get to Coney Island. The subway literally stops at the sand on the beach. You can get off, and walk a few feet to get a "Nathan's Hot Dog". On a good day, you can walk out on the ocean via the boardwalk.
http://www.siferry.com/schedules.html

Visiting NYC during the fall and walking/carriage rides through Central Park is a very memorable experience if you have never done it before. I hope you get great weather, and you enjoy yourself!!!

 

[mystang52]

We want to stay in Midtown Manhatten. Some of the hotels are pricey though.

No getting around it - you will pay quite a bit for any decent hotel. Just accept that as part of the cost of the vacation. Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty are 2 mainstays of any sightseeing goals. But do your research about Statue of Liberty. Lines for the ferry and actual entrance into the statue are VERY long.
Also consider: 9/11 Memorial Museum and One World Trade Center in lower Manhattan. Also, take some long walks in lower Manhattan' that's the Wall Street area, and also the Battery which is next door at the southern tip of Manhattan. This part of Manhattan was where NYC first settled, and you can tell by the streets, many of which are not the typical right-angle gridwork.
Also in lower Manhattan is the Hudson River Promenade, nice place to walk along the Hudson. Speaking of walking, Central Park is another oasis to get away from the noises and hustle-bustle of the City. If you have some time to kill, you might want to take the Staten Island Ferry (it's free!).
Rockefeller Center is a popular site to visit, but I have to confess I'm not sure why. Most definitely, take in at least one Broadway play. Tickets can be expensive, but in my opinion it's worth it.
Depending on your dining tastes, dinners can be very expensive. But there are many moderately priced options. DW and I both eat simple meals; in that vein you may want to consider Junior's, a New York institution with GREAT cheesecake for your dessert. By NY standards Junior's is modestly priced.
Finally, the NYC subway system is a better means of transportation than bus or taxi. The subway map may look confusing at first, but trust me you will learn very quickly, and it's not as difficult as it may initially seem.

 

[Moemg]

I have used Hotwire and Priceline for hotels in New York with good results . Also check out travelzoo they sometimes have hotel specials for New York City .

 

[Bamaman]

When we go to The Apple, we try to stay in the Upper Westside--in the 70's/low 80's.

But last visit we stayed in a B&B in Brooklyn's Vanderbilt Ave./Prospect Park area. It was a refreshing change and only 2 subway stops to Manhattan.

 

[Koogie]

I've always enjoyed riding a bike around Central Park too. Mostly rentals (there is a stand there) but once my own bike (after riding down from Toronto).

Apparently the Roosevelt Island tram has great views as well. Standard transport authority fare.

I have also stayed in an AirBnB in Jersey City. Couple of blocks away from the PATH train to Manhattan or you can take the water taxis. Amazing views across the Hudson of the city.

If you or your spouse like books, The Strand on Broadway is cool and famous (deservedly so).

 

[Big_Hitter]

we rented an apartment on 82nd and central park west for a week - had a blast

 

[Olbidness]

Being a cheapskate we stayed at a Holiday Inn in Queens. Our room faced the Manhattan skyline which was neat to see from our vantage point. The Hotel was only 200 yrds from the subway. Once on the subway we could be at Times Square in 15 minutes. Nothing is cheap or free in NYC, but we did get the NYC pass which got us into lots of attractions. Be sure to download the subway app on your phone, sure helps to navigate. We spent 1 week there, not near enough time, so I'm hoping to return someday. One of our favorite vacations.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

See a hot Broadway play, dress up for it. Get a drink at the rainbow room. Take an evening horse and carriage ride(bring your own blanket so its nice and clean) arrange in advance your want a 45 minute ride around the inside of the park. Go Ice Skating at Rockefeller center, then have hot chocolate and watch the other skaters. Go to the piano bar in the Edison hotel. This semi secret place is a hang out for off duty Broadway stars, you might be shocked who grabs the mic. Eat a lobster roll at Pearl Oyster Bar. This city is my playground, email me with any questions

 

[braumeister]

The hotels can indeed be very expensive. Many of us just couch-surf at Blue Collar Guy's place. Help yourself to the cognac.

More seriously, while October is a bit early, if you see a sidewalk pushcart offering roasted chestnuts, grab a bag. A treat largely restricted to midtown, and sadly dying out.

Grand Central is worth a walk around, just to gawk. The Oyster Bar in the lower level used to be fabulous, but I haven't been there in a long time so it may have changed.

If you have a half day where you're wondering what to do, one of the great hidden treasures (IMHO) is the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park. Actual medieval monasteries brought over and reconstructed brick by brick. Wonderful herb gardens on the grounds. And it houses some of the most awesome artwork from those days you're ever likely to see.

Great little cafe just down the block from it for a superb lunch, too.

All the other recommendations are excellent.

 

[Bamaman]

In the South, we drink ice tea at virtually every meal Refills are always free. We ate in a restaurant in the Upper West side--77th at Columbus--and my iced tea bill was more than my food bill. Just beware there are no free refills in NYC.

Great restaurants are all over the city. We like the Upper West side's sidewalk coffee shops and restaurants. We also like to eat in Chinatown and Little Italy's right next door. And we love to eat out very late--after the Broadway plays.

 

[gerntz]

Riding the A & C subway lines in the morning rush being crushed while the signals malfunction & stop the lines between stations is a blast. A real "must do". Be sure to not have a seat.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

Riding the A & C subway lines in the morning rush being crushed while the signals malfunction & stop the lines between stations is a blast. A real "must do". Be sure to not have a seat.

I would also recommend a quick ride on the subway during rush hour to Times Square, HOWEVER, i left it off the list because if you get stuck on the train due to a track fire or a derailment you could ruin an entire evening.

 

[NW-Bound]

If you get there via JFK, the taxi fare is fixed rate going anywhere into Manhattan. Don't know why taxi fares from Laguardia are not fixed by the city the same way.

I recall having an exciting ride into downtown with an Eastern European taxi driver. What a thrill!

 

[Car-Guy]

I recall having an exciting ride into downtown with an Eastern European taxi driver. What a thrill!

Some of my best memories of my visits to NYC are taking cabs from one of the area airports into Manhattan. I've heard words/phrases shouted at other drivers that I've never heard before. Of course I don't speak any foreign languages but I got the idea.

A few times I've gotten a cab driver that just went with the flow of traffic. How boring.

 

[Texas Proud]

Being a cheapskate we stayed at a Holiday Inn in Queens. Our room faced the Manhattan skyline which was neat to see from our vantage point. The Hotel was only 200 yrds from the subway. Once on the subway we could be at Times Square in 15 minutes. Nothing is cheap or free in NYC, but we did get the NYC pass which got us into lots of attractions. Be sure to download the subway app on your phone, sure helps to navigate. We spent 1 week there, not near enough time, so I'm hoping to return someday. One of our favorite vacations.

Not true at all.... lots of things are free...

They have outdoor concerts for free at the Lincoln Center all the time...

You can pay what you want to the science museum and art museum.... they 'recommend' a price, but you can actually get in for free if you do not want to pay... we usually pay $5 per ticket...

Staten Island ferry is good and it is free...

Lots of people watching in Times Square if you want...

And there are a number of TV shows out of NYC where you can get in for free... just have to wait in line...

As mentioned by someone else, you can go to Brighton Beach and walk the boardwalk for free....

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

Some of my best memories of my visits to NYC are taking cabs from one of the area airports into Manhattan. I've heard words/phrases shouted at other drivers that I've never heard before. Of course I don't speak any foreign languages but I got the idea.

A few times I've gotten a cab driver that just went with the flow of traffic. How boring.

The old Checker cabs had "jump seats", they were my favorite.https://www.google.com/search?q=che...=EXBMWcySC5KR-AHu7anYCQ#imgrc=oSGIi2IjkT3btM:

 

[Moemg]

Some of my best memories of my visits to NYC are taking cabs from one of the area airports into Manhattan. I've heard words/phrases shouted at other drivers that I've never heard before. Of course I don't speak any foreign languages but I got the idea.

A few times I've gotten a cab driver that just went with the flow of traffic. How boring.

Glad you lived to tell about it . I had some cab rides that I was not sure if I would .

 

[Scuba]

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/dinner.

Agree with the great suggestions in this thread re things to do. If you enjoy food, another free or low-cost fun activity is to browse a store called Eataly. It's a store with kitchen items as well as food, plus cooking demos and various counters within the store where one can order up various Italian foods. We spent the better part of an afternoon there and loved it.

One restaurant we love in NYC is Trattoria d'ell Arte. Across from Carnegie Hall, they have a great antipasti bar and excellent pizza.

NY is a great city and October is a great time to go. Enjoy!!

 

[jollystomper]

For Hotels consider staying west and slightly north of midtown, around 9-11th avenue in the mid 40's-50's street. This is the "Hells Kitchen" area (also known as Clinton), but like midtown it has been greatly cleaned up. We stayed in the area a few years ago. Hotel prices were better than midtown and it is not too far a walk to midtown. We were walking around at midnight with the family, there were a lot of people out and we felt perfectly safe.

The other alternative for a cheaper hotel is to stay in an outer borough but near public transportation that goes into Manhattan. We have stayed in hotels in Brooklyn that we could be in midtown Manhattan via bus and/or subway in 15-45 minutes.

The one warning about the Times Square area - there are many folks in "costumes", at various levels of covering, that will solicit you to take their picture with or without them - but they expect to be paid and you will be in a nasty scene if you do take a picture of them and do not tip them. I just avoid them as I do not want that type of adventure.

 

[rvbound]

I'm originally from NYC. If it's your first time there, depending on your interests, here are some suggestions:

Fine arts:
1) Museum of Modern Art
2) Metropolitan Museum of Art
3) Frick Museum
4) Museum of Natural History

Walking around
1) Central Park
2) High-line (basically an old elevated rail line converted to a very nice park)
3) Times Square
4) Hudson River Park (runs along entire length of Hudson River)

Theater
1) Broadway, of course - Just pick a show, if you don't have anything in mind, you can get 1/2 off tickets at the TKTS counter in Times Square.
2) Public theater near Astor Place
3) Blue Man Group (where it started, also near Astor Place)

Major buildings/structures
1) Empire State Building
2) Freedom tower / 9-11 museum
3) Statue of Liberty

Fine Dining
1) Eleven Madison Park
2) Per Se
3) Gramercy Tavern

Just good food
1) Koreatown for BBQ
2) Chinatown for soup dumplings
3) Katzs' deli for pastrami sandwich
4) Pizza anywhere you see a crowd
5) Stay away from the street vendors selling hotdogs. The vendors selling gyros, lamb and chicken on rice around midtown are good, but stick to the ones with a long line.

Just hanging out / walking around / people watching (ie, doing what native New Yorkers do)
1) East Village
2) West Village
3) Tribeca
4) Pretty much anywhere below 14th Street
5) Take the ferry to Williamsburg Brooklyn
6) Take one of the commuter ferries on a round trip $2.50 for incredible views
7) Although a bit of an eyesore, the big red double-decker tourist buses are a convenient way for tourists to get around Manhattan without paying for taxis or taking the subway. Subways are not that bad though, but take some effort to learn.
8) Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge (at night to see the NYC Skyline, if it's not too cold or windy).

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

I'm originally from NYC. If it's your first time there, depending on your interests, here are some suggestions:

Fine arts:
1) Museum of Modern Art
2) Metropolitan Museum of Art
3) Frick Museum
4) Museum of Natural History

Walking around
1) Central Park
2) High-line (basically an old elevated rail line converted to a very nice park)
3) Times Square
4) Hudson River Park (runs along entire length of Hudson River)

Theater
1) Broadway, of course - Just pick a show, if you don't have anything in mind, you can get 1/2 off tickets at the TKTS counter in Times Square.
2) Public theater near Astor Place
3) Blue Man Group (where it started, also near Astor Place)

Major buildings/structures
1) Empire State Building
2) Freedom tower / 9-11 museum
3) Statue of Liberty

Fine Dining
1) Eleven Madison Park
2) Per Se
3) Gramercy Tavern

Just good food
1) Koreatown for BBQ
2) Chinatown for soup dumplings
3) Katzs' deli for pastrami sandwich
4) Pizza anywhere you see a crowd
5) Stay away from the street vendors selling hotdogs. The vendors selling gyros, lamb and chicken on rice around midtown are good, but stick to the ones with a long line.

Just hanging out / walking around / people watching (ie, doing what native New Yorkers do)
1) East Village
2) West Village
3) Tribeca
4) Pretty much anywhere below 14th Street
5) Take the ferry to Williamsburg Brooklyn
6) Take one of the commuter ferries on a round trip $2.50 for incredible views
7) Although a bit of an eyesore, the big red double-decker tourist buses are a convenient way for tourists to get around Manhattan without paying for taxis or taking the subway. Subways are not that bad though, but take some effort to learn.
8) Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge (at night to see the NYC Skyline, if it's not too cold or windy).

This poster knows his stuff, all great suggestions. If your going to those restaurants book a reservation now.

 

[Sunset]

Am loving all the suggestions as we will be coming to NY on a Carnival Cruise ship next spring, as maybe we will stay a couple of days to see some sites, but if we don't...

How do we get from Cruise dock to Penn Station (thinking of taking a sleeper car train ride to Chicago) ?

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

Am loving all the suggestions as we will be coming to NY on a Carnival Cruise ship next spring, as maybe we will stay a couple of days to see some sites, but if we don't...

How do we get from Cruise dock to Penn Station (thinking of taking a sleeper car train ride to Chicago) ?

The cab stand is right there when you come off the ship. Its run very professionally now, they will hail you a cab.

 

[Sunset]

The cab stand is right there when you come off the ship. Its run very professionally now, they will hail you a cab.

In Chicago O'hare airport there is a good and a bad way to get a cab.
The bad way is to grab one at the stand would cost $70- $90 for me, quoted by the driver.
The good way is to phone for a flat rate cab (O'hare has some phones for this), it cost me $45.

Any similar issue with NY cabs ?