Advice on lower east harlem

Old Aug 14th, 2015, 07:12 AM
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Advice on lower east harlem

I have never been to New York before, but are planning to go there next year for the US Open (one or two days) and sightseeing. We will be staying 5 nights before flying over to Hawaii and then back to UK via San Francisco.

Me and Mrs Lyon have a chance of an apartment close to Central Park in an area called Lower East Harlem. Any thoughts on this location? Is it easy to get from there to US Open (Flushing Meadow?) and is it convenient for sight seeing?

Thanks for any help.
Steve
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Old Aug 14th, 2015, 07:22 AM
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I suspect you would be staying around the corner from my apartment or at least nearby since there are only 2 legitimate and legal apartment rentals in the area that I know of. If you can tell me the avenue and cross street I can give you some more specific advice.

The Upper East Side isn't the most convenient area of Manhattan for anything, but it's a straight shot down to Grand Central on the 6 train, where you transfer to the 7 train out to the US Open, so it's relatively convenient. It's safe enough to walk around at night, and there are restaurants nearby (only a few good ones, though). And having Central Park nearby is a nice thing regardless.
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Old Aug 14th, 2015, 08:08 AM
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Agree to provide specific address - since as everywhere else people advertising apts often have very flexible definitions of where they are.

Not the most convenient area - since only one subway line unlike the upper west side.
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Old Aug 14th, 2015, 08:59 AM
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Thank-you, so would you suggest I look towards upper west side as a better location to commute from?
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Old Aug 14th, 2015, 11:27 AM
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No, we are requesting specific addresses to tell you how hard or easy it will be to get to the Open. As noted above, no matter where you start you will need the Number 7 train to the stadium. Here's an MTA map, that offer some guidance. It is Mets-Willets Point stop.

http://web.mta.info/maps/submap.html
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Old Aug 14th, 2015, 12:08 PM
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Its on Lexington Avenue. I haven't researched the area, I know little about New York, I have a couple of guidebooks which I haven't looked at in any depth, and just collecting initial opinions.
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Old Aug 14th, 2015, 12:11 PM
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There are a lot of Upper West Side fans on this board. I'm not particularly one of them especially for what you need. It's more difficult to get to Queens and the Open from there. It's a more interesting place to stay in terms of restaurants and things like that (and has many more transit options for the rest of Manhattan) but certainly no better than East Harlem for your purposes.

But realize that apartment rentals in NYC are generally illegal for less than 30 days so another reason for asking for this info is to make sure you are reserving a legal place. They are few and far between and many illegal apartments may evaporate by next year.
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Old Aug 14th, 2015, 01:31 PM
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You're better off in midtown.

Look: as everyone above is telling you, you need to be conveniently located viz. the 7 train. The 7 goes across Manhattan along 42nd Street before going under the East River and into Queens. You'll ride it with hundreds of your new-found friends out to the tennis matches or, if you're unlucky, you'll be stuck with both tennis fans and Met fans. Either way, being near the 7 is also convenient for being in NYC because it runs along 42nd.

The next question is your budget for lodging . . .
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Old Aug 14th, 2015, 09:08 PM
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Thanks for the advice and maybe I should focus attention on access to the 7 train: 42nd Street/East River or even Queens itself.
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Old Aug 15th, 2015, 04:03 AM
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I would not do Queens unless you want noting but tennis. If you are seeing other things - and want more choices of dining, etc you are much better off in Manhattan. The midtown area - esp east 42nd St or nearby are much more convenient for the train.

Do suggest you get and become familiar with a good subway map.
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Old Aug 15th, 2015, 11:18 AM
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Many thanks everyone. What a great website where the knowledgeable meet with the naive. I make no apology for naivety - I can now do some detailed research and come back and check out my thinking, but it may be some time.
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Old Aug 16th, 2015, 01:08 PM
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There are few hotels near the 7 Train in Queens, so while a hotel room there would be significantly cheaper than one in Manhattan, it's not a good choice for you. There are a couple of hotels on the 7 line, but they are further out in Queens and not convenient to Manhattan. There is a Quality Inn on Queens Blvd. in Woodside, and it's just a block from a subway stop on the 7 line; it's a predominately residential/business area, and there are a few restaurants nearby. It will probably be among your cheapest hotel options for the Open, but it's at least 20 minutes from Grand Central (about halfway to the Open subway stop). Yes, it usually does take about 40 minutes to get to the US Open by subway from Grand Central, so keep that in mind when planning. But you definitely do NOT want to be staying out in Flushing.

If you are looking for a hotel, then one near Grand Central or near 42nd/Broadway for the Times Square stop would be the most convenient. But you will probably not find any legal apartments in that area, so if it's an apartment you want, you're better off with East Harlem.
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Old Aug 16th, 2015, 05:41 PM
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Went to the Open a few years ago. Was able to check it off my bucket list! It was wonderful. Personally, I liked Louis Armstrong Stadium (before the recent additions) better than Arthur Ashe. We weren't fortunate enough to afford close seats and were disappointed by the view and the sound system in AA. When you go, walk around to the smaller courts, have a specialty drink and stick around into the evening if you can. Remember that from Manhattan, you'll need a solid 45 minutes to subway out to Queens. If you are adventurous, there are some great ethnic food areas in Queens--my son and daughter took a food tour there and loved it. Enjoy your planning and your trip!
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Old Aug 16th, 2015, 07:01 PM
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You need not be adventurous, if you take the 7 train to the next and last stop, Flushing-Main Street there are many Asian restaurants from which to choose. You do not need a tour.
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Old Aug 17th, 2015, 12:06 PM
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Thank you all so very much, great advice. Doug, your thoughts are being echoed by Mrs Lyon, who is a little ahead of me and is nudging me towards 42nd Street and surrounds. Thanks Mutti, that is a very useful tip and one that I may not have uncovered easily. Thanks IMDonehere, we love Asian food so may be a good stop off after tennis.
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Old Aug 17th, 2015, 01:21 PM
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If you want a more apartment-like hotel, then you could look at a couple of options near 42nd Street. The Shelburne is on Lexington a couple of blocks south of 42nd. A bit further away is the Dumont on 34th between Lexington and Third Avenues. Both have apartment-like suites, but they can be expensive. The two St. Giles hotels on East 39th Street (the Court and the Tuscany) aren't suite hotels, but they have rather large rooms (the Tuscany especially). And look at the Murray Hill East Suites, also on 39th Street. It's kind of outdated but has large, suitelike rooms.

None of these will be a substitute for an apartment, however, so if you are still looking for that, I suspect the East Harlem location will still be your best bet.
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Old Aug 17th, 2015, 02:37 PM
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If Eskcrunky is about, she has a list of her favorites in Flushing. The people in Queens speak 175 languages. There are huge Chinese, Indian, and Korean communities. And within those communities linguistic, cultural, and historical differences. And there are many regional cuisines. Most high quality and cheaper than Manhattan.
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