New York for Dummies...

decides2dream wrote:

Black Diamond wrote:

If you want cheaper (at least downtown part of NYC) boat trip in NY then look at taking either the Staten Island Ferry (real cheap, I believe FREE, LOL) or one of the ferry's that goes from east side Manhattan to Hoboken, I think like 5 bucks, great views and you get to hang with commuters

no one from out of town actually wants to HANG with NYers.





and hey, i love circle line...and i'm a native.
i always take visitors on it.
but sure, definitely other options in there too.

Done it too
I was just offering NYC on the cheap
Ok for NYers how old were you when you got to do the "sites" of NYC.
I had not been to Statue of Liberty until recently and have never been in the Empire State Building :shock:

slightofjeff wrote:

However, if you've never been to NYC ... go to Times Square. Just to say you did. It won't bite.

I've been told by many to stay away from Times Square, but I can't go to NYC for the first time and not check it out.

I imagine it'd be better to check out Central Park on a weekday rather than a weekend, eh?

Some great advice in here! Thanks.

decides2dream wrote:

Riverrunner wrote:

A couple transportation questions for you New Yorkers. (We are country hicks from Southern Illinois).

It looks as if we will be flying into Laguardia. Should we take a cab to the Wingate? or
I looked at the MTA website and it looks like we could take a bus to Line 7 to get to Midtown and then catch 1, 2, or 3 to get to the hotel. I imagine we can walk from a subway station to the hotel. Depending on how much luggage we have this might be a hassle.

depends.
how open are you to it taking awhile, lugging your stuff, etc. it will be FAR cheaper taking bus/subway. cab will be at least $50. at least. if you're up for it, do the bus/subway.

Where's the Wingate? Did they up the fares, decides2dream? I think cabbing from Laguardia will cost more like $30. I would not attempt public transportation coming from the airport, especially if you're not familiar with the city.

decides2dream wrote:

Riverrunner wrote:

Will it be safe to walk or take the subway to all of the places mentioned in this thread? (me and husband - big husband).

yes. very safe. just be alert and not flashy.
NYC is a LOT safer than it used to be. a LOT.

I second this. I'm a petite girl, walk around the city by myself a lot. I feel much safer here than any other city I've been to. Just be smart and don't walk down a deep dark alley that looks dodgy, but that's with any city.

decides2dream wrote:

Riverrunner wrote:

We like to walk, but I figure for time purposes we will need to take the subway too. Should we buy the $27.00 7 day pass? The one day passes? or just pay each time? I don't have a handle on how often we will be using the subway. We will be flying in on 5/18 and flying out on 5/23.

again, depends. do you have some sort of gameplan for places you want to hit up? check distances. i tend to walk a LOT in whatever city i visit. NYC is a VERY walkable city, but sure...you will want to take the subway on occasion. however, even if you figure using it round-trip once a day....that still would only be what, $10 for the 2 of you? so really think how much you'll use it. [/quote]

I would suggest getting a day pass for days you know you will be using the subway a lot. Even if you end up doing that 7 days a week, it will be cheaper than getting singles each time and you don't risk wasting $27 if you don't end up using it every day.

decides2dream wrote:

Riverrunner wrote:

And we really want to run in Central Park. Is it walking/running distance from hotel?

it's definitely walkable. it's a good walk, but walkable. i've done it many times. i definitely think central park is a MUST, so enjoy!

Looks like the Wingate is on 35th between 7th & 8th. The park starts at around 60th street. On a nice day you could certainly walk, but you could also take the subway there. You will be close to a few major subway lines, just ask your hotel front desk.

decides2dream wrote:

Riverrunner wrote:

Thanks again for the information. You guys are great and a wealth of information.

Hubby insists on visiting 911 site.

Do you recommend any boat tours? I have considered Ellis Island. Sounds really neat, but all of our ancestors are pre Ellis Island so don't know if I would relate to it so much.
.

i most definitely recommend taking a circle line tour....NYC is just gorgeous from the water, and in may it will be glorious weather! personally, whether your ancestors are pre or post ellis island doesn't make a difference imo. i personally consider it a must-see. and sure, the 09/11 site is moving. it's just a big hole in the ground, but yea.....

hope to meetya at the pre or post parties!

[/quote]

Second circle line tour; take the 3-hour one that goes around the island. Also go to Liberty Island to visit the statue of Liberty! I've never personally done that but have been wanting to for years. Don't really think 9/11 is a must-see. There's really nothing to see about it but it also makes me very sad whenever I go near it.

Some other things I find helpful; if I'm going somewhere I'm not familiar with, I use googlemaps to look it up, and if I want to walk I have googlemaps map out walking directions. There's no shame in carrying a map in NYC, most people I know who live here have a pocket map and the rest get lost or take cabs. Also before going to a restaurant that everyone swears by, look up their zagat rating. If it's anything less than a 20, it's not THAT great.

yeah this thread really helps 1st timers in NYC cant wait to be there. Thanks.

pineapplesandwaves. wrote:

slightofjeff wrote:

However, if you've never been to NYC ... go to Times Square. Just to say you did. It won't bite.

I've been told by many to stay away from Times Square, but I can't go to NYC for the first time and not check it out.

I imagine it'd be better to check out Central Park on a weekday rather than a weekend, eh?

Some great advice in here! Thanks.

do a walk by of times square at night. Central park in may is cool and strawberry fields is right in central park also. That's cool if you like lennon and the beatles.

anyone know a good club/lounge to hit on the saturday in manhattan. doesnt have to be rock......thx

Riverrunner wrote:

A couple transportation questions for you New Yorkers. (We are country hicks from Southern Illinois).

It looks as if we will be flying into Laguardia. Should we take a cab to the Wingate? or
I looked at the MTA website and it looks like we could take a bus to Line 7 to get to Midtown and then catch 1, 2, or 3 to get to the hotel. I imagine we can walk from a subway station to the hotel. Depending on how much luggage we have this might be a hassle..

Don't get on a bus. Too big a pain in the ass. When I fly into LaGuardia, I always take a cab into the city. It's fairly quick, and won't be extravangant.

Take the subway everywhere else.

nickdarps wrote:

anyone know a good club/lounge to hit on the saturday in manhattan. doesnt have to be rock......thx

I'm a big fan of restaurants that turn into clubs, because you don't have to deal with velvet rope. If you're going to be staying in the MSG area, I had a birthday party at Pranna on Madison Avenue and 28th St. The food's pretty good (if a bit overpriced) it's a really nice space and around 10 or 11 it turns into a club. The music was mostly hip hop (Rihanna, Kanye etc..). If you get there around 9:30 to get a few drinks and apps, you'll be in before the crowd makes it there to carve out a space.

Try googling Pranna NYC to see what people say about it, don't just take my word

http://prannarestaurant.com/late-night-lounge

Suziemay wrote:

Hey this is pretty nifty, it calculates cab fares for you: http://nyccabfare.com/

It says the fare + tip will be about $30 from Laguardia to the Wingate.

Does that include tolls and stuff? Also, I heard NY cabbies were horrible for overcharging tourists, which makes me a little nervous.

metsfan wrote:

pineapplesandwaves. wrote:

I've been told by many to stay away from Times Square, but I can't go to NYC for the first time and not check it out.

I imagine it'd be better to check out Central Park on a weekday rather than a weekend, eh?

Some great advice in here! Thanks.

do a walk by of times square at night. Central park in may is cool and strawberry fields is right in central park also. That's cool if you like lennon and the beatles.

Thanks! I'll be sure to check out Strawberry Fields.

xavier mcdaniel wrote:

if it's a nice day, take a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. Also if you happen to be in the East Village, there's a really good place called "Nolita House". And if you feel like venturing to Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Brewery is very relaxing and the beer is good.

oh yes - the bridge!


also, idk how i left this out! :shock:

the guggenheim! spectacular too - and easy to get thru. take the elevator to the top, be awed by frank lloyd wright's architecture....and then just spiral down looking at all the art. bliss!

really should not be missed.
also, thought it mentioned it earlier, but guess it was another NYC thread, i second, or third, the MoMA suggestion. if you at ALL love modern art, tis THE place! also, their photography collection is drool-worthy.


i may be biased ....but NYC rocks.