Bob

We are spending a few days in NYC and would love to hear comments and advise from fellow fodorites. We are staying at Aston on the Park in Central Park. Has anyone stayed there and if so how was it? We want to try to see Rent, Chicago, the Full Monty and the Producers. If we get to see 2 out of the 4 then we would be happy. We are having trouble debating what to do on New Years Eve. It would be really cool to see the ball drop at times square but I know that it will be pretty packed and also fairly cold there. Any Recommendations? We are also wanting to know about any boat or bus tours. We would love to get a bus tour that enables you to hop on and off at your leasure is possible. Any and all help is appreciated.

Howard

First, theater tickets: You should be able to get them for Rent, Chicago and The Full Monty, perhaps even at discount prices. The availability will depend on which days you'll be in the city. It'll be harder over the holiday weekend, much easier from Jan. 1 on. Starting Jan. 1 it will be very easy to get tickets at the half-price TKTS booth in Times Square for the three shows. Forget about The Producers, unless you want to spend the entire day waiting in line for cancellations or standing room.
Also, check out the Playbill website (www.playbill.com), join its club (it's free and not a gimmick) and become eligible for discount tickets.
As for New Year's Eve, if you do go to Times Square, you have to get there very early. Not only does the crowd star arriving hours before, but for security reasons, areas are closed off well before midnight.
Tours: There is the Circle Line boat tour around Manhattan and other shorter ones. And, yes, there are the hop-on-and-off bus tours, which you'll easily find once your're here.
Have never heard of Aston on the Park. Exactly where is it located? It can't be "in" the park, as you wrote.

cindy

I think someone in an earlier post mentioned that this hotel is at 108th and Central Park West (they may have called it "Astor" in that post. If I find it, I'll top it.) If that's the location, I would use cabs to get back to your hotel at night

Bob

Thank you for the replys. It is Aston on the Park by Central Park. Sorry about the confusion. We are arriving on the 28th and leaving NYC in the afternoon on the first. We will be able to see the shows On the 29th and 30th and will we still be able to get those shows at the ticket place at times square for the discounts? We are looking at several options for itinerary. We want to see 1-2 shows. See the xmas tree at Rockefeller Center. See Times Square. Go to little Italy or Chinatown. Check out as many xmas displays as possible. Maybe go to ground zero if possible. If anyone has any suggestions on a good itinerary for this trip I would appreciate it. We have four full days and one half day. Any help is appreciated.

thereuare

I'm not a big fan of "hop on/hop off tours", i prefere to get a NY Metrocard ($4/day, $17/week) which allows you unlimited use of all NYC subways and busses. This allows you to create your own hop-on/hop-off tour, and since you can access the subway, you can often cover more ground in a shorter period of time.

gregmb25

For the past 6 years I have greeted the new year with a bang. I ran around central park (3 miles) with hundreds of fellow new yorkers and visitors. it is so much fun. there's a program of christmas carols right before the start and and there's this palpable sense of camaraderie and brotherhood there. u count off the remaining seconds of the old year in unison with the festivities at times sq and u start running about 5 seconds in to the new year. oh there's champange as well. and shirts. get on the www.nyrrc.com to sign up. it's really great!!

Howard

Answering your question about discount tickets, yes, you can get them by waiting in line. Keep in mind, however, that you'll be doing it on perhaps the business theater weekend of the year! You have a choice of three performance times--2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, the 29th, and 3 p.m. (for most matinees) on Sunday, the 30th. You should get in line around 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday for the matinees. It opens at 10, but if you wait until then, the line will be very long. For the Saturday evening performance, get in line around 2 p.m. (It opens at 3.)

Bob

Thanks again for the advise. The metropass sounds great. I will definitely get the pass. The central park at new year sounds interesting. Especially since we are staying pretty close to the park. I couldnt get the site though. Says that it can't be found. I really wanted to see the ball drop at times square but it sounds like we would have to stand there for 3-5 hours at least. I appreciate the info on the shows. We would really like to catch a show on Friday night. Will it still be possible to get tickets at the tkts booth during the afternoon. We should be in NYC by 1pm Friday.

Philip

Unfortunately the Times Square area is a real combat zone on December 31. People begin getting there at 6 am to stake their space for the dropping of the ball. Also remember that about 8-9pm they begin to shut off streets in the Times Square area and you will not be allowed into that area. But there are several events going on around town. Get a Time Out magazine when you get here. That usually lists quite a few activities around town.

Bob

Thanks again for the comments. I wanted to know if I am able to get the tickets at the tkts for the shows on the following day or is it just for same day tickets.

lisa

Bob -- the TKTS tickets in Times Square are for DAY OF performance only. There is also a TKTS booth downtown (now relocated from WTC to Bowling Green -- at the edge of Battery Park) where you can get tickets to matinee performances the day before. If you are planning to be downtown, say to go to the newly-reopened Statue of Libery, you might consider getting your tickets there. If you want to try to get tickets after you arrive on Friday, just head to the TKTS booth in Times Square. There are likely to be tickets left, although not necessarily for the shows you want to see. You can get a short description of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows in New York magazine, the New Yorker or Time Out New York.

I second the recommendation that you skip Times Square for New Years. A friend of ours is a police officer and had Times Square duty last year. He told us that they cordon off areas of the sidewalk/street and the people in that area must stay put because if they leave, they can't return. I've never figured out where all those people who've been drinking for all those hours go to the bathroom.

Howard

Bob, I would recommend getting in the TKTS line Friday afternoon after you check into your hotel. (If there's a line and it's cold out, you can just take turns waiting, while the other one(s) warm up in nearby stores.) I'd do it then, rather than waiting until, say, 5-7 p.m., so that you know exactly what you'll be doing that night. And, besides, it being a holiday weekend, who knows what'll be available later. Remember that the TKTS booth only takes cash and travelers checks. No credit cards.

Bob

I will definitely take your advise on the tkts booth. Is there anywhere that I can get a god map of nyc online? I tried mapquest but it wasn't a very good map. Does anyone have suggestions on where to go on new years eve in New York besides time square? Like I mentioned earlier, we am staying in the Central Park area so if there is anything close then that would be perfect.

S

Folks, FYI. "Advice" is spelled with a "C". Thanks!!!

Bob

We were thinking about catching a show on new years eve. Is that usually a pretty big night for Broadway or is it not as busy because of all the new years eve activities?

Howard

Before getting tickets to a show in the Times Square area for New Year's Eve, keep these two points in mind:
1. Tickets are more expensive for performances that evening.
2. You'll be very, very close to the mob scene in Times Square. You'll be getting out of the theater at peak crowd time (between 10:30-11:30). Do you want to fight that crowd? And, if you were planning to take a subway back to your hotel, it won't be easy to get to the station! You might consider an off-Broadway show instead for that evening.
We are going to the theater that evening, but it's far enough away from Times Square that we can go around the hordes of revelers to reach our post-theater destination!

Philip

Before you buy Broadway tickets, check about the details of the show. Some shows have, in the past, had post-performance New Year's Eve parties. You may get stuck inside the theater against your will eating a sliver of cake and drinking a thimble full of cheap champagne.

fji

Bob,

Have a blast on your trip. I do echo the earlier poster's advice to utilize cabs to your hotel -- maybe not during the day, but definitely at night. Some here will disagree with me, but I do not consider 108th and CPW to be tourist friendly. My .02.

Philip

Just to add to what FJI said above, you may want to take a bus or subway to 96th Street and then take a cab the rest of the way if you feel unsafe.

PS: Cabs are nearly impossible to get on New Year's Eve. One trick is to go to an upscale hotel where many drivers congregate waiting for customers.

Bob

We do really want to catch a show on new years eve so hopefully we will find something good. Im a litle worried about getting stuck at a post party after the show but im sure you can leave whenever. Does anyone know any good places to go after the show? We were looking for a good place to bring in the new year. We are both big jazz fans so if anyone knows a good jazz place then I would appreciate any help. Thanks for the cab advise Phillip. We used the same trick in Florida at the upscale beaches/hotels there and it worked perfectly.