Heading to New York (1 Viewer)

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BBQ BOY

BBQ BOY

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Taking the wife soon and want to know if anyone has been and where to go. We are staying in the city. I have read numerous upon numerous things on the interweb(tough guys playground) and I am just confused. If I have read 15 people saying X restaurant is amazing then I have read 15 people say it is trendy and not good. Things I am looking for: Good authentic NY pizza, Hot dogs, good eateries in China Town and little Italy.
How much can I look to spend each day per person for food and entertainment? I was guessing $100-$150 per person each day.
 
I just got back from new york about 2 weeks ago. i brought a boat down from sag harbour in the hamptons. we stayed one night in manhatten, its is $15 per foot per night, and i was on a 80ft yacht
($1,200.00) per night!!!. if you have time check out the statute of liberty and ellis island, to get to both of these you have to take a water taxi over to jersery city to the marina, liberty landing. i have been before to the city, it is crazy with all the different kinds of people, taxis, and horn blowing, but it is very cool to see a big city in action, have fun!
 
We go every other year for a week and stagger the dates to catch the different seasons.
Question is, how long will you be there. That will determine what to do.

1. Take a Gray Line Tour. (hop on hop off) You see a lot and get a brief history of the areas. Plus, they take you to areas you may not otherwise visit on your own, i.e. Harlem, Bronx, etc. The guides will also point out the good restaurants in Chinatown, Little Italy, etc.

2. The Guggenheim always has great exhibits, one year we saw the Norman Rockwell works on loan from most of the collectors. Another trip it was Spanish Artist, Dali, etc. WE ALWAYS CHECK THEIR SCHEDULE!

3. Check out The Rock, top of Rockefeller Center instead of Empire State Building; go just before dark when the sun is setting. You will see the city daytime and nighttime AND excellent views of Empire. Plus empire is hot as h3ll going to the top and slower.

4. A boat trip to Ellis Island is nice if are looking up ancestors and it takes you close enough to Liberty that you don't need to get out and visit (time).

5. Definitely see a show, off Broadway is just a good and you can get last minute tickets for less money.

6. The Intrepid and The Concord - look em up online.

7. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge (a must)

8. Subways are easy and safe. In Manhattan at least. We did ride out to Coney Island for a hot dog at Nathan's. Use common sense and talk to LE officers when you see them.

9. Yankee game of course - even if you are not a big fan. We went to the Boston series in the old stadium before they moved across the street. Had a great time.

10. Bring me back a cheese cake and Reuben from Carnegie Deli! The one place we eat breakfast and dinner every trip.

Lots more to do of course. You can get around pretty inexpensively if you plan ahead.

PM me if you want more details or have questions, I will give you my number.
 
Only going for 4 1/2 days. Glenn won't do my power steering now so I guess I'll go to NY.
 
BBQ BOY said:
Only going for 4 1/2 days. Glenn won't do my power steering now so I guess I'll go to NY.
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If this is your first trip I would definitely do the Gray Line tour, it is a great overview of the city and you'll see a lot in just a few hours.

The Rock, off Broadway show, Times Square, a boat ride (not the duck tour). You can do a lot in 4 days.
We did The David Letterman Show one trip and WASTED THE WHOLE DAY - don't do it.
 
Are the city passes worth the money? I think for 2 people for a 3 day tour pass it comes out to be around $260+
 
BBQ BOY said:
Are the city passes worth the money? I think for 2 people for a 3 day tour pass it comes out to be around $260+
Click to expand...

I think so, if you planned to see everything in the pass anyway. With the pass, you don't have to stand in the all the different lines.
 
beaufort-fj60 said:
for pizza.... scroll to the bottom of this link. (tier 1) lists some NYC pizza joints. go for the Coal fired oven places. They call it "PIE" not pizza...

Jeff Varasano's NY Pizza Recipe
Click to expand...

Don't waste your time finding the best pizza. Just go to Tito's next time you're in Greenville SC. It's better than most of the pizza you get in Naples, where it was invented. Believe me, I lived in Naples for 1-1/2 years and I love pizza.
But most any one slice walkup in NYC is pretty good, YMMV.
<Edit: I just followed the enclosed link and yeah, that looks like pretty good pizza. I'm not sure I'd spend an awful lot of NY time chasing pizza but if you're into it, go for it. At least work it into an exploration of a particular neighborhood.>

I like the push cart hot dogs and a sandwich in any deli that looks busy when it's not eat time. Same for the cafes, if it's crowded off hours it's probably pretty good.
Most of the Little Italy restaurants are about the same, and pretty good. The really good Italian restaurants are off the beaten track and visitor unfriendly.

The bed can be your most expensive item. What are you doing for that?
We stay at a converted rooming house in Gramercy for about $80/night.
But small rooms and bathroom down the hall.

You don't have to go to Jersey City to see Ellis and Liberty, there are boats from the Battery every 20-30 minutes. Some go to one, some go to the other, some go to both. For me just riding by Lady Liberty is awesome, trying to climb her is not worth the time. Good view of lower Manhattan from out there, without the time spent for the Staten Island Ferry.
The water taxi is a good view of Manhattan they say, keep meaning to try it. Circles the city and you get off one, back on another for a fixed price. They go from various places, the only one I know for sure is South Street Seaport.

Don't worry too much about trendy restaurants, as soon as they get trendy the get flooded and go to heck. Everybody eats out in NYC and most of it's pretty good.

For the subway get the book of tickets, most any news stand/cigarette stand especially near a subway entrance. They're best for uptown/downtown. Cross town sometimes buses are easier. Most any street vendor will help you.
Taxis aren't bad either, unless you need one like it's raining like heck, then they go and hide. But the umbrella vendors come out of the woodwork.

There are a couple of last minute unsold ticket outlets where you can get a pretty good buy on show tickets, after 2PM on the day of the show IIRC. One is in Time Square, one on (maybe) 44th St. Your hotel or someone working in the BroadwayTimes Square area, say Hard Rock Cafe, can probably direct you. Or one of the ticket booths. BTW Times Square epitomizes the change NYC has undergone in the last 40 years. What was once the pimp/junkie/scammer capitol of the world is now as family friendly as Disneyland.

There was just a huge wipeout of ancient trees in a microburst in Central Park last week. I love Central Park and seeing it under distress might be interesting.
Teddy's place, the Nat i.e. the Museum of Natural History is up that way and free (for a donation) on the weekend. A brief breeze through there and you'll want to go back for a day sometime.

The New Yorker magazine is the place to check for all the latest on theater, music, concerts, dances, museums etc.
I started reading it to see what's happening and ended up subscribing because the writing and cartoons are so good. But we go there every chance we get.
It's the capital of the world.

The upscale flea market at Columbus Circle is pretty cool. The Lincoln Center is nearby, worth a walk-thru.

X2 on top 'o the Rock*. Don't waste your time on the Empire. It's cool but takes forever. The Chrysler Building is worth looking in the lobby. Closed to the public unfortunately. One day I want to get inside somehow.
*In that 'hood I always go in St Patrick's Cathedral as well. FAO Schwartz is nearby and lots of fun.

I like to pick a neighborhood and walk around. There are tourist books set up that way.
Chelsea and Soho are some of my favorite strolling areas. Lower Upper West Side (Seinfeld country) is very NYy. Park Ave/ Fifth Ave in the 50s-60s is pretty classy, best shopping in the world, but spendy.

Planning to 'do' NYC in a 4-1/2 days is like 'doing' Europe 19 countries in three weeks. Best recon and get an overview then know where you want to spend time next time you're there.

IMO the fabulous museums etc there need a half day to a day each, and there are scads. The Gug is pretty cool though and if there's an exhibit on that you're interested in, well just do it. The 'museum mile' in the Upper East Side is loaded with museums, but the MOMA, recently comprehensively renovated, is in mid-town, between Rock Center and the Park. That's one I'm looking forward to next trip.

I'm sure I'll think of other stuff as time goes on.
You're going to love NYC. Who wouldn't now that it's cleaned up. Horns hardly honk, I've even had cab drivers stop and wave me across the street. People even speak sometimes. It's like there's been a spell cast over it.
Weird.
b
 
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Correction: the subway pass is not a book, it's one ticket that goes multiple times, IIRC it tells you as you deplete it, but that may be another city. Anyway it's cheaper.
But what I really wanted to say is Ground Zero is a very moving experience. There's a storyboard on the east side of the site, near the famous church that played such a role in the aftermath, that runs down minute by minute that day. And it's a good excuse to experience the financial district.
Then you can walk down Wall St to the Battery and check out Castle Clinton for Ellis/Liberty Island tickets, check the lines for the boats. If you don't go out you can walk east from there to the Staten Island ferry terminal and consider that, then there's a subway station that will take you back uptown.
b
 
You make it sound like it got "Southernized" People letting you go by, and speaking to you.
.................Maybe 'cause they all moved down here!!!!!!!!
 
The humanization of the taxi drivers may be because none of them seem to be NYers any more.
Ask them where they're from, invariably it's from somethingorotherstan.
b
 
buy a couple tall boys in a brown bag from a convenience store and walk over to strawberry fields and just people watch. :D

been too many years since I was up there to give any solid advice, just have fun!
 
Strawberry Fields is a very heavy trip for a product of the 60s. Also the Dakota. First Rosemary's Baby, then Mark David Chapman.
It's very sweet that so many people still remember and leave little shrine rituals at the monument at Strawberry Fields.
b
 
What in the hell do I want a motorcycle jacket? Do I have a motorcycle? Do you want me to bring you back some cute little leather chaps?
Thanks to everyone else who gave me some useful info.
 
Dude...I guess you have to be a fan of the old brando and dean motorcycle movies and that whole era to appreciate them.... they also make more than just purely motorcycle jackets....but oh well.

I already have chaps thank you...but if you go to Long Island stop into Limey Lectric and say hello to Jeff for me. Great guy...


If not then this:

- afternoon game at Brooklyn cyclones, followed by

- a walk up the boardwalk through coney island amusement park to the coney island freak show, followed by

- a walk further up the boardwalk to brighton beach and one of the russian restaurants

- A russian bar and eatery named National in Brighton Beach

- Or MrBellersNeighborhood - Manhattan Sex Clubs: They Have Their Ups and Downs by Daphne
 
Brock throwing in the sleaze. I will have to wear gloves next time I shake your hand.

You could have left me at the visit to Cooney Island.

By the way when are we meeting at the southern bell for amateur night.
 
Brock can't go there anymore ever since that Brittany thing
 
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