Have You Been To New York? I Need Personal Reccommendations.

Mrs Bounce and I are considering going to new York in a couple of years with a couple of friends and ideally want to know the best way of doing this. We are unsure of whether to book over the Internet - I am always a little sceptical of this as 1) I like to arrange things face to face and 2) I want there to be easily accessible comeback should something go wrong. Is it still worth booking through a Travel Agent? I can only assume that they'll be desperate to sell holidays given the market place and competition from the web.

We would probably be looking at 4 people, 3 rooms, room only plus flights and transfers for 5 to 7 nights. None of us are particularly interested in shows or nightclubs, so it'd be landmarks, food, bars, zoos, shopping etc for our pleasure. We'd quite like to stay near Central Park but that's not essential as the public transport is so good. We can budget about £1200 each PLUS spending money.

So what I ideally need to know is the following:

How did you book it and what were your impressions of the service you had?
Which airline did you fly with? How good were they?
Did you book flights and hotel separately?
Where did you visit, did you enjoy it and would you go back?
What single thing would you recommend doing if you went again?
What would you recommend NOT doing?

I went last year and think it the an exceptional place to spend any amount of time. To go through some of the questions:

I used Booking.com to get my hotel. It gave me easily the best price and helped me compare options to locations very well. However, it never left me 100% confident with the actual booking confirmation - although they tried their best as it was mainly the fact I could never get anyone from my hotel to contact me. There were 6 of us (all lads) and we had two rooms as you can get rooms that have two double beds in. Obviously, we were 21-23 years old so its very different in that regard (http://www.parklanenewyork.com - was my hotel: Central Park is across the street).

Flew with BA, although their partnership with American Airlines means our flight out was with AA and flight back BA. AA were better, but the service wasnt massively different. I wanted to fly Virgin but I dont believe the service is massively different and the price was enough to make it worth going with the cheaper option. The amount of films and the like you can watch on the plane is just insane really, I got through some things I'd been meaning to watch and never got round to. The check-in was very easy, could be done online before as well, and not a hitch at all. We also chose to stay in the Travelodge nearby the night before, which was relatively cheap, so we could get early morning flights. That way you get an actual day in New York on the day you arrive. You can pair it up to fly back late on the day of departure so as thats not a massive rush too. I believe flight costs went down as it got closer, but its all a bit of a worry. We got ours lower end of the £400s I think.

Flights and hotel separately for me. I am of a generation that has less dealings with travel agents. However, if you are considering Virgin flights then I would suggest at least having a conversation with a Virgin holidays rep because really there is nothing to lose but a little time and you may save money.

I would go back. I'd go back every year if I could. Central Park is wonderful, and although I missed this a couple of my friends got a little boat and rowed across the water in Central Park and loved it. Top of the Rock was amazing, its about level in height (I dont know the exact difference) with the Empire State. We did both, but went up the Empire State at night because Manhattan obviously looks incredible at night. That would be my tip. The Staten Island ferry gives you the chance to drift across the water and get a good look at lady Liberty. I dont know if you can get over to "her" by the time you go as I'm not up to date with their clean up.

We missed the big zoo, and thats my biggest regret.

If you want to watch football and you're between Times Sq and Central Park, find the Irish bar called Irish Bar (these guys are amazingly creative) as they show all the English games, do a cracking fried breakfast and decent price beer.

And if you do go to the Empire State at night and you want a decent (but not posh) meal then try Heartland Brewery. Brew their own beer and make great grub (I won't call it food so you can understand its a ribs and stuff kind of place).

Hello,

I've been to New York twice - once in 2009 and again last year.  My mother booked everything so I can't really tell you about prices or that but I'll try and answer your other questions.

Which airline did you fly with? How good were they?

The one that was formerly called "Continental" - I can't remember their current name.  The flight was ok and there was plenty to watch and play on those screens in the back of the seat of the person in front of you.  The stewardesses were grumpy bitches but if you can find me an airline without them you've done well.  I'd recommend taking food too but if you've got an allergy to something they can provide for that.  Word of warning - landing in NYC (we landed at Newark both times) is pretty rough due to the winds.

Where did you visit, did you enjoy it and would you go back?

Where I visited	Did I enjoy it?	Would I go back?
Macy's	It was ok but it's just a big Debenhams.	Probably not although there is lots of "candy" in the basement to eat.  It's good to see once or twice though.
Central Park	It's good to go to say "I've been there".	You'll be surprised how dirty everything in it is due to pollution but it's a nice enough place to go for an afternoon.
Grand Central Station	A lovely place.  It's stunning inside and worth a look.	If I was in the area then yeah, definitely.
Ground Zero	N/A	No but I'd recommend it if you're into that sort of thing.
Empire State Building	As much as someone with vertigo can!!  It was really nice at night when the city was lit up.	No!!!!!
Rockefeller Centre	We did the EST at night and the Rockefeller during the day.  I'd recommend that as they're both near the same height and it's nice to have a slightly different view at a different time of the day.	Theground floor only!!
The High Line	A wildcard choice.  It has to be seen to be explained but it was a lovely afternoon's walk until I started suffering from heat exhaustion due to the extreme heat.  Don't expect to find shade up there.	Yes.  They're always adding to it and it wasn't finished when I was there.
Brooklyn Brdige	Yes, we boarded the subway from Manhattan to New Jersey and walked back across. Again though, like the high line, there's no shade.	No, another "once only" thing to do.

There were other places too in addition to those above such as Times Square, 5th Avenue, Canal Street, Wall Street.

What single thing would you recommend doing (if you went again)?

Go to Washington DC for the day.  It's about 4 hours each way by coach (but a very smooth ride as it's all "freeways") so you'd have to leave early in the morning to be there for lunchtime but I'd thoroughly recommend it.  If you just want to "see the sites" then it can be done in a day.  You're about 90 minutes walking from the Lincoln Memorial which is on one side of the centre to the Capitol on the other.  

If I went again?  That's a toughie as I don't like to go back to places I've been so I can't answer that.

What would you recommend NOT doing?

The Natural History Museum was dire.  There's nothing in it that can't be seen in London and London's was so much better IIRC.



Hope I haven't put you off of doing anything.  It was so hot and humid when I was there (35 degrees C plus 90%+ humidity I think) that I was a real grump the whole time!!

Been to NYC a few times, though not for a few years, and loved it every time.

Really liked the Circle Line Tour boat trip (think I did the half circle) and it goes to/from by the Sea Air & Space museum which I also liked (got to go inside a Concorde plane!).

Got to visit Ground Zero, though the site itself was nothing much when I was there, what's really moving is St Paul's Chapel which is right next door and suffered zero damage when the towers fell. It's church bell is a sister to Big Ben, a gift from London.

Flights wise it's much of a muchness really. Have always thought Virgin to be a cut above, but accordingly often a tad more expensive. AA are fine, as are BA (marginally better in my experience if anything).

Good tip re DC for the day. The coach ride is smooth, comfortable and easy. Also DC is really a max 1 night 2 day town anyway, so get an early coach in and a late one back and you can cram in much of what's good still! (Boston can be done similarly, though it's less of a draw IMO).

Also, don't forget your ESTA......

Went in August 05 with a mate.
 
1 week, cant remember prices, but know they wer'nt OTT.
 
Did Central Park Zoo, was pretty good.
 
Did the Boat ride to Statue of Liberty.
Had a walk round for a bout an hour or so. I quite enjoyed that to.
 
Went to Ground Zero, that was an experience.
I remember it being very hot for the whole time we were there.
 
Time Square was quality, just hit me when we stepped off the subway.
 
Walked round for a good few hours one day, taking things in.
Now being 2  single lads in our 20's at the time, were on the beer a few nights.
 
 
One place I did like was Navada Smiths sports bar.
I could'nt believe I was sat drinking pints at half 7 in the morning in New York, watching footie.
 
Great stuff.
 
Met some nice and some strange characters over there.
 
Would I go back. Definatly, more than likely with the girlfriend and our son if a few years.
 
To sum it up I really enjoyed New York.

Things to consider:

If you fly into JFK you're in New York City already and there will be a fixed cab fare (approximately $45 plus tolls and tip) into Manhattan.  It might be a push to get 4 of you in a cab depending upon the amount of luggage you have.  There are a number of other ways to get into town: Subway less than $10 each but can be a bit awkward and personally I don't think it's as nice as taking the tube into London from Heathrow.  Airport Express buses, some will take you to your hotel, other to central drop off points and they're about $15 each.  Super Shuttle services would be around $20-25 each and will drop you off at your hotel.

If you fly into Newark which is in New Jersey you will pay quite a bit more into the Manhattan; the tolls will be a lot more and I'm not sure whether the fare is fixed either.  They also have the Express bus services and they're a couple of dollars more than from JFK.  There is train service too which will take you into Penn Station which is underneath Madison Square Garden think that is about $10 from memory; only done that once to Newark and I don't remember the exact amount.  

Getting back it's the same thing; JFK fixed fare in cab.  Newark will be on the meter plus tolls and tip for the cabbie to get back into New York.  The express buses you can buy round trips and save a couple of dollars on single fare.  You mentioned transfers in your OP and that would most likely be one of the express buses.  If you're interested PM me I'll send you some links on travelling to and from the airports.

You will also pay tax on pretty much everything so just because something says $50 don't be surprised when they say $54 something.  A sales tax of just under 9% will be added when you get to the tills.  Bear in mind that it could be a fraction higher in a couple of years.

Correction to The Special Juan's notes on the Brooklyn Bridge.  He most likely took the Subway into Brooklyn, hence the name, and not New Jersey which is the other side of Manhattan.  It would be a hell of a walk from the New Jersey side and at least another bridge.

If you're thinking of going to DC check it out beforehand as some of the museums may be undergoing refurbishment and won't be open.  If you go there I would recommend going into the Library of Congress in the Capitol building as the architecture and decoration is stunning.  DC is a Monday to Friday town so will be busy during the week and less so on weekends.  The sights are almost in one big line with the Capitol at one end and the Washington Memorial and the White House at the other end.  You can wander up and down that but it would be a fair amount of walking.  The Smithsonian museums are all along that area in between.

As you're thinking of spending 5-7 nights it would be possible to go to DC but it is a long trip and you will be at the mercy of traffic.  Depending upon the time you travel the fare could be about $5-10 not sure what travelling at a reasonable time would be.

I would also recommend taking one of the tour buses around, these are normally hop on and hop off but I like to do the whole loop first.  I like doing this as you see all the main sights and get someone adding colour to the stories.  Once you've done the whole loop you can decide which spots you want to go back to for further exploring.  I think you can get tickets that carry over into another day so you can use the bus to get to another spot too.

Liberty Island should be open so you can wander around the Statue of Liberty.  It may even be possible to go inside and climb up to the viewing area; this was closed for a while after 9/11.  Or you could do the cheap option, like Dolphin said, which is just to stay on the Staten Island ferry and take pictures.

Hope that helps.

[quote=1GrumpyGolfer]Correction to The Special Juan's notes on the Brooklyn Bridge. He most likely took the Subway into Brooklyn, hence the name, and not New Jersey which is the other side of Manhattan. It would be a hell of a walk from the New Jersey side and at least another bridge.[/quote]

Oh I've "had one" there, haven't I? I did mean Brooklyn, not New Jersey. The clue's in the name!!

To add to another one of your points, we took the train to and from Newark for our flights and got off/on at Penn Station. We were staying in the New Yorker which was great because when you come out the station at a certain exit you can see the hotel immediately, which was a good thing because on the way home a bellboy broke one of my suitcase wheels!!

And another point, on top of tax everyone will be expecting a tip and at meals it is included, sometimes at a pretty hefty percentage. That's one thing which puts me off America.

Avoid chain places for food. 9th avenue has food from all around the world at great prices and standard

I have been and loved the place. Depends what you are into but if you’re a geek like me The Strand bookshop is brilliant, claims to be the biggest second hand book store in the world with 18 miles of books. If you’re into books the place is brilliant. I would recommend going to a baseball game if the season is ongoing. The Yankees are obviously the big team but tickets will probably be easier to get for the Mets (and cheaper) as all the tourists go to the Yankees. I personally like baseball, but the missus most assuredly doesn’t and she enjoyed it well enough.

If you’re going with the missus a trip out to New Jersey to the designer outlet is worth a visit, clothes there are dirt cheap and you can get buses regularly from New York that only take about an hour. Your missus will love you if you go there, but will spend a fortune, so bit of a double edged sword that one.

Get to Delmonico's on the southern tip of Manhattan.  Best steak in the city, and there is a lot of good steak in New York.  Outrageously good in there.

Also, get down to the meatpacking district, that is the hip and trendy part at the moment.  The scenery is outstanding, and I don't mean the buildings.  There is a whiskey and cigar bar there that is awesome but I can't remember the name.  You'll find it easy enough as there is only one.  They have hundreds of whiskeys and cigars to choose from that you can still smoke indoors should the mood take you.

Of all the cities I have visited, it is my favourite by a long way.  The atmosphere is just unlike any other city I have been too and you do feel like you're on a movie set half the time.  I love the fact you can go into a bar at 22:00 and leave at 03:00 in the morning yet the streets will be as busy as they were when you went in.  It's a cliche but it really is the city that never sleeps.

Just stuff like leaving your dollars under a beer mat in bars and the barman doesn't even bother counting it, they take you on trust.  It's refreshing.  It is just an incredible place with incredible people.  

You'll love it.

Mind the windows Tino. wrote: The atmosphere is just unlike any other city I have been too

Seriously Tina, get some sleep. I am beginning to be genuinely concerned about you.

If you want somewhere nice and romantic to eat The River Café is amazing. Is right on the river and is pretty much under the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side. The restaurant has a full glass front so you get a view of the famous Manhattan skyline all lit up if you are there in the evening. Should warn you that the place is Michelin starred so is pricey enough but for a romantic meal the location takes some beating. We were there for TSMR’s 40th, I have pretty much lived off that since we went.

Hi,
thought I'd butt in with my tuppence worth as well.

So I have no advice on travel agents etc. as I went with friends and stayed in a house which one of their aunts had there (without said aunt in it). I flew with Swissair I think (was flying from Paris, where I was living at the time, via Geneva), worked fine, but then again I'm very easy on airline companies as long as they're safe I'm not too fussed, so generally just go to kayak.com and book the cheapest going.

Things I'd recommend doing there. Most have already been mentioned. Would heartily second Rowley's recommendation re The Strand, it's just a great place to go and you can buy books for great bargain prices. They have just about everything too, I think I bought at least half-a-dozen there and only didn't get more as I was running out of luggage weight.

Something which hasn't been mentioned yet is the museums. New York has quite simply an incredible set of museums. Would recommend setting aside at least one afternoon for the Met (though don't expect to get it all done, you'd need several days for that: just pick your favourite periods and spend a happy few hours wandering around). You pay what you want to get in (or did back when I went, which was about three years ago) which is nice if you're a museum buff as they tend to be quite expensive in NY otherwise (compared to France certainly). Would also strongly recommend the Moma (Museum of Modern Art) which has some fabulous collections.

Unlike a few on this thread, Central Park actually left me a little underwhelmed. It's nice, and unexpected as it's in the very middle of a city which otherwise has barely a blade of grass or a single flower anywhere. However, I didn't think it was anything special, and it's the sort of park which are plentiful in London (maybe less big, but..).

Rowley wrote:

Mind the windows Tino. wrote: The atmosphere is just unlike any other city I have been too

Seriously Tina, get some sleep. I am beginning to be genuinely concerned about you.

Jesus Christ, that is bad. Sorry.

Back on topic, if you do make it to NYC, it would be a real shame if you didn't visit the 9/11 memorial site. I doubt that most of us will see another event as culturally and politically significant as 9/11 in our lifetimes and you really should visit the site. I would pay the extra few dollars to go through the quick lane as the queues can be pretty hefty. The security is strong as well so it does take time to get into the place. I think the quick lane is only an extra $15 or so, and it is worth it.

I was there in September last year and the site is now an amazing and truly humbling place. The two waterfalls that tumble in the 'footprints' of the towers are beautifully designed and very understated. Not something one would automatically associate with Americans. They have done a fantastic job creating a stunning site which is peaceful and moving without anything over the top. The waterfalls fall into a hole that you can't quite see the middle of and the names of the victims are etched into the sides. The noise of the crystal clear water is lovely to listen to and gives the whole place a calming atmosphere.

I was lucky enough to see the site years ago from the Bank of Nova Scotia offices that are housed in one of the smaller towers right next door to ground zero. I was fortunate to be able to look right down on the site from above and at the time it was just a building site with thousands of workers milling around. It was strangely emotionless and very pragmatic. To see it last year with the site pretty much complete was a very moving experience. You really should go and take some time to wander around, you won't be disappointed.

On a side note, when I visited the Scotia offices, I spoke to the guy who was in charge of the banks precious metals physical stocks. The bank used to keep the metal in a vault under tower 1. When the planes hit, he was the guy, and he alone, who made the decision to pull his team out of the vault. Some other banks who kept metal under the towers didn't make the same decision. If he had hadn't made that call, the death toll from tower 1 would have been 30 plus higher. He basically saved their lives. It isn't just that though, he saved their kids from losing fathers, parents from losing sons and siblings from losing each other. He has all these people who owe him a piece of their souls for him making the call that he did. It was amazing talking to him and how humble and unpretentious he was. I will never forget the look he had on his face as he gazed down on the site and re-told me his story of what happened on 9/11. I am not embarrassed to say I shed a little tear that day.

Don't jump in the car of someone who claims to be a taxi driver but doesnt have a taxi when you get out of the airport. We did. Cost us double. It was a fun story in the end, but it might not have been.

Just got back from NY.

A fun city with a lot to do. Very expensive, especially food and booze if you don't know the right places to go. Great Asian food if you're into that.

The city itself is a bit of a dump. They have big issues with rubbish collection and there is literally garbage in the street. It's pretty disgusting.

I did Top of the Rock and was unimpressed. New York simply isn't a pretty city, so don't go if you're expecting a lot of beautiful buildings, there aren't many.

I did a visit and tour of the UN which was great and well-worth the money. Was good to see how it all started and where the action happens.

JFK International is one of the worst first-world airports I've ever been to.

I went back in '03, was absolutely amazing.

Went in early December, it snowed and it was something I don't think you could ever top.

Thanks for all the recommendations. Due to changing plans and people dropping out my best mate and I are off to San Francisco instead.

Mr Bounce wrote:Thanks for all the recommendations. Due to changing plans and people dropping out my best mate and I are off to San Francisco instead.

San Francisco is great.  

Full of [statement retracted cos too many people who are not gonna know you're joking.]  If that's your thing.

In KFC they give you some rock cake instead of chips. You have to pay extra for chips. It nearly killed me.

Azzy wrote:In KFC they give you some rock cake instead of chips. You have to pay extra for chips. It nearly killed me.

That's your own fault for going to Nu Yoik and eating in KFC.

Did you also spend your evening in a bar with a Union Jack hanging from the ceiling?

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Azzy wrote:In KFC they give you some rock cake instead of chips. You have to pay extra for chips. It nearly killed me.

That's your own fault for going to Nu Yoik and eating in KFC.

Did you also spend your evening in a bar with a Union Jack hanging from the ceiling?  

No, I went to the Irish Bar and watched Ricky Hatton get flattened by Floyd Mayweather. But I ended the night with a stunning woman on my lap, so I can't complain. Next morning I had a full English and threw up in Central Park under a bridge. Good times.

Azzy wrote:But I ended the night with a stunning woman on my lap, so I can't complain..

It wasn't Sophie Anderton again was it?

After you chased her round London with a stiffy.

No but she was similarly dark-haired, tanned and callipygian. I had a monumental time that night, I was sharing a room with my cousin and gave him $30 so he could booze himself out all night, giving me and her the place to ourselves. Never knew her name but my, it was incredible. Start spreading the news-worthy.

I went in 1993 and have a photo of me standing in front of the Twin Towers.

I will be going in December. Can't wait for it

Guest?

My interest has peaked.

*piqued.

I am truly vexed by the French.

I think the West Coast of the US is best, nice and spread out, and people are friendly. The East is so overcrowded, and people aren't friendly at all.