My family are planning a trip to NY at the end of November to celebrate my wifes 40th birthday; we have talked about the propsect since her 30th. I guess we will have approx 5 days there but we dont know a thing about the place. We will make any bookings etc direct (without an agent) but this trip is a big deal for us & I want to do enough homework (not normally my style tbh) to ensure a memorable trip for Clair. I suppose the first thing to consider is a hotel which is central enough to find our way around; this needs to be good, but sensible on cost. I would also like a top 10 list of things to see & do if anyone has a recommendation. Clair is a special lass (dont dare tell her I said so) who normally plans our trips, but with it being her birthday, I think I should step forward a little. Any pointers really appreciated. Tony
Loads to do, I MEAN LOADS. a visit the museum and ground zero. Statue of liberty but you need to book 1 to 2 days before to get to her feet and at the bottom. Times square. Also worth booking a helicopter flight around manhattan and cheaper to book in the UK than at the time over there. Or it was when I went 4 years ago. I took my kids so we could not do everything we wanted but is a place I want to go back to again. Not forgetting going up the empire state which again has amazing views as you would expect. We stayed at the Wellington Hotel Google Maps Perfect base, lovely hotel and close to everything. Hope that gets you started,
You are gonna love it! First off, Empire state is ok, it's $100+ for 4 people, rip off as it's a major tourist attraction… Top of the Rock is way better with better views, especially at night. It's right in the heart of Manhattan. Central Park is a definite, take a carriage ride if you're feeling romantic. Loads to see, theres the Zoo, bands playing and a visit to Strawberry fields, chill out watching the roller bladders etc with a corn dog and a beer. Take a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge… fantastic. Watch the prices of Alcoholic drinks, we paid on ave $35 for a glass of merlot and a tia maria and coke. If you drink wine, you need to go to a restraunt or proper wine merchants, everywhere else it's about 5% and weak as piss, so is the beer. Plenty of street food, i preferred it. Dead cheap, and the philli cheese steaks are amazing, as is most of the other stuff. Loads of NYC delis, these are brilliant and we used these more than anything. Proper NYC food..the portions are humongous! Visit 5th Ave, great for shopping, not cheap but great. Buy something for the missus from Tiffanys. Macys is like any other department store, don't waste your time, its huge and not very good. Bloomingdales is better, but go to the bigger one off broadway. Take a bus tour, you can get a 4 day pass for $70 each…hop on and hop off..they are all day from 9am until 10pm..saves a fortune in comparison to cabs, and you'll be stuck in traffic anyway… This is the best advice i can give you, it really is well worth it….. You can take a night tour too on them which is fantastic. You get to see NYC in its true splendour. Staten island ferry is worth a go as it's free. It takes you right near the Statue of Liberty, so theres another thing crossed off. Visit a NYC bar at night, watch how the New Yorkers do it…it's great. Visit little Italy, Harlem, China Town..especially for the food and people. Great at night as you see guys breakdancing and actors performing….it's New York Baby! . NYC is very safe at night now, even central Park. NYC comes alive at night. Take a taxi just once… the drivers are nuts. Visit Grand Central Station! Take the most comfortable pair of trainers or walking shoes…you'll be out from early morning until late at night. I can't stress this enough…it's knackering. Times Square is worth a visit… it's bright, brash and full of tat. Be careful you don't get ripped off.. i had quite a few heated arguments with shop owners this time i went, but it was a good laugh. Get a taxi from the airport, and book before you fly…theres a set rate of $45 to manhattan from JFK or Newark.. pay $10 tip. Don't get ripped off by the guys touting for taxis outside… see above We stayed in Hotel New Yorker (fabulous) first time, and last year at the Holiday Inn near Central Park… again great. It's really not worth getting an uber fancy hotel mate, you'll just use it for crashing out so you'll never see it apart from late at night or early in the morning. Most of the hotels don't do breakfast, it's just room only…use a deli for brekkie for your pancakes with bacon and ice-cream! There's food served 24/7 all over the place. If you go to restaurants, look at the bill. Many charge a tip in with the meal, varying from 5% upto 20%. Don't tip twice!! Mate, you're going to love it, and so is the missus! I went for my 40th in 2010 without the kids, and again last Oct…this time with the kids. They said it was the best holiday they have ever had. We love the place, but try to live like a New Yorker, go to the places they go to, bars and delis etc… ask for recommendations from them, they'll be chuffed that you are visiting and made up if you ask them for recommendations on shops etc… I'm so jealous mate. If your lucky, you'll see some movies being made, we saw Batman Begins and Man on a ledge, and a few soaps.. great stuff! When we went with the kids this time, i was waking Harry (he's 11) up at 5.30 am, going out for 6am..taking photos and going to a deli for coffee and deli sandwich. we both Came back to the Hotel at 7 ish to wake the daughter and missus and going out again for brekkie around 8am, eating out for lunch, dinner, the and supper.. getting back fooking wrecked at 1am or later! hahahah…It was ace. We are not ones to chill out on holiday though, so you may not be into this, but to see everything you've got to make the most of it. 4 days is enough to scratch the surface mate… I've spent 11 days there, and only seen a tiny bit. It really is a fantastic place!!! once yo go, you'll be hooked. I hate cities, sounds funny but i rally do, but NYC is far more than a city. top of the rock:
In summary: Top of the Rockafella centre Statue of liberty Empire State Central Park 5th Ave Broadway Bloomingdales Tiffany's Harlem Little Italy Bus tour and night tour (use the grey line buses, they are in RED and a better tour) Times Square Staten Island Ferry 42nd street street food Grand Central Public Library (Ghostbusters and loads of films where filmed here) Delis Museums and about 1,000+ other things to do.
Wow them pics make me want to go there, I've only been America once and that was Florida, loved it there,
Love or hate the US, I'm a huge fan. Not a single pro in Manhattan when I was there. Had many holidays all over Florida and really love the place
New York helicopter tours. Used this company a few times and been very happy. Well worth the money for the experience
