1st time in NYC. Need help to plan trip,please.
 

Hello,<BR><BR>My husband and I are planning our first ever trip to NYC in May. I'll start with some basic questions :<BR>1. What do you mean by uptown, midtown and downtown ? <BR>2. Which area in your opinion would be a good place to look for a hotel? What would an average hotel room cost? <BR>3. Which airport is nearer to the city?<BR>4. What would be the usual weather in May? <BR>Thank you.<BR>

Win,<BR>1. Uptown is the northern part of Manhattan, downtown is the southern part. Midtown is in between.<BR>2. Depends what you want to see. Many museums are uptown. Most theatres are in midtown near Times Square. However, public transportation is plentiful. Hotel prices vary widely, you can pay anywhere from under $100 for really basic to over $500 for luxury.<BR>3. None of the airports are particularly close or convenient to Manhattan. You may want to choose based on flights available.<BR>4. In May, expect moderate temperatures and some sun, although it is often rainy and occasionally cold.<BR><BR>You may want to purchase a travel book on NYC (Fodors is excellent) to get more basic information as well as sights to see and help with hotels.

Win, midtown is usually considered between 34th Street &amp; 59th Street. This is the prime business area with many hotels. There are also some hotels uptown. Downtown, below 34th encompasses Chelsea (loosely the west 20's), Gramercy Park (east teens to 20's)Greenwich Village, Noho (north of Canal St.),Soho (the area below Houston St.), Tribeca (triangle below Canal St.). The downtown area tends to be younger &amp; has become quite trendy with lots of restaurants &amp; shops. The Empire State building is at 34th ST, theater district is 42nd-52nd approx. The other distinction on location is east side vs. west side. Fifth Ave. is the line of demarcation. As Spiller says, most museums are uptown above 70th St. on the East Side but the Museum of Nartural History is on the upper west side.<BR>The 3 airports servicing NY are LaGuardia (LGA) which is closest- about a 1/2 hr to 45 min drive depending on traffic &amp; where in the city you're going. JFK is about an hour away in one direction &amp; Newark (EWR) is in New Jersey- a bit closer in mileage than JFK but sometimes the same in travel time due to traffic. <BR>

To elaborate Spiller54's good comments -<BR><BR>For purposes of choosing a hotel, consider the downtown area to be the Financial District around Wall Street - nice breezes in the summer and good hotel deals can be obtained for weekend nights because for hotels it's primarily a business destination. Nice breezes at night and close to the water but dead at night and a bit of a hike to areas such as the theatre district (allow 30 minutes by subway depending on time of day). Midtown is basically the area from about 38th Street up to 59th. Most conveneient locations as far as access to transportation etc. will be those going no further east than a block Lexington and no further west than 8th Ave. East side is on the east side of Central Park going up into the low 90's and West Side is it's mirror on other side of CP. <BR><BR>Most folks on a first time visit find the midtown area to be most convenient for getting back and forth from hotel regularly to change, go to dinner, go to theatre etc. Nothing is all that far away due to great public transportation but if you found a great hotel deal in... let's say... the area around 59th and Lexington... it's a great neighborhodd but not very convenient for getting to typical tourist sites without taking two subways.<BR><BR>If you're okay with clean but relatively basic accomodations you should be able to find something for $120-$150 per night not incl the 13.25% taxes. Consider Priceline or Hotwire as an option and you may get something good for about $100. The new website www.betterbidding.com has some good PL bidding tips that are easy to understand. www.biddingfortravel.com is oriented towards PL. Both sites have info on what people have paid recently for hotels through these services.<BR><BR>LaGuardia is technically the closest airport to the city in terms of time and distance. There seems to be universal disdain for JFK - avoid it if you can. Newark is a newer and better facility than LaGuardia but takes a bit longer to reach the city and cab fare is a bit more. Newark now has a train connection to the city - the other airports don't offer that. All else being equal.... go for either LGA or EWR and choose based on price (I am heavily biased towards EWR because I use it all the time but cab fare to and from EWR is about $20 cheaper each way incl tips and tolls.<BR><BR>Weather? Spiller has it on the nose - if it gets cold it's due to the strong winds - be sure to bring somethign effective at blocking the wind and have fun - it's a great city!<BR>

Win:<BR><BR>You need to gather information...fast!<BR><BR>Search Fodors. Highlight &quot;New York&quot; Type in New York City. Read all the posts and get a feel for the city<BR><BR>Tips: <BR>Get the best airfare you can to: Newark/Liberty AP, Laguardia AP or JFK AP. All are the main airports for this city.<BR><BR>May is a popular time. Weather will be glorious in May. Especially after this winter. Try www. Quickbook.com Check the hotels and the rates that they are showing, post your hotel questions BEFORE you book the hotels.<BR><BR>Most hotels are locted 'midtown' I call midtown anywhere from 34th street up to 59th street. Central Park starts at 59th street and goes up to 110 th street. Get a god map of Manhattan and become familiar with the 'layout'<BR><BR>NYC is BIG! NYC has 5 distinct districts or Boroughs. You will probably be using only &quot;Manhattan Borough&quot;.<BR><BR>If I am getting too basic let me know! I am guessing by your first question that you might need 'Basic Training&quot;<BR><BR>You have to move quick. May is right around the corner! Keep postng your questions, many, many Fodorites would love to share what they have found out about NYC!!<BR>JOHN

Win:<BR><BR>You see all the help u are getting! Looks like Mclaurie, Owen and myself were posting at the same time!!<BR>Keep the info comming!<BR>JOHN

To get REALLY basic-<BR>At the top of this window, click on DESTINATIONS, then choose NYC. Fodors has convieniently placed lots of basic information right at your fingertips!

I second the recommendation that you check out www.quikbook.com for your hotels in Manhattan. No, that's not a typo. It is QUIK, not QUICK. The nice thing about it is that you know what hotel you are getting, you don't pay up front, you can change without penalty if you do it before the hotel's deadline date and they have a good selection of NYC hotels.<BR><BR>For first timers, I'd suggest mid-town hotels from the 40s all the way up to Central Park. On the west side if you intend to go to the theater or Lincoln Center. It can be VERY time consuming to cross town in traffic from east to west (where the theaters are) at dinner time or before the 8pm curain time.

Win, you're getting pretty good information but to help you decide what area would be good for you for a hotel, it would be helpful for us to know what interests you and your husband. Do you like theater, museums, restaurants? What would you like to see and do on your first trip to NYC? Let us know and you'll get even more info.

Just a clarification of Owen's post - Newark is MORE expensive to get to from Manhattan than the New York City airports. However, I also prefer it to LGA or JFK.

Win are you atill with us? I hate posting in the dark!!<BR><BR>methinks: Newark is not really more expensive! The new &quot;plane to the train&quot; is a wonderful way to enter the city, provided you do not have too much luggage! I think the trip is around $12.00 Puts you right at 34th street.<BR><BR>JOHN

So this plane to the train deal cost $36 for three people to get to 34th Street and then maybe another $8 to $10 by taxi to get to a midtown hotel (say Central Park South. That's $44 to $46. From Laguardia I usually pay about $25 for three people for a taxi that will take me right to my hotel. How is Newark not more expensive again??? Even when less convenient? Yes I find getting on a train, then changing to a taxi in the city a lot less convenient than merely taking a taxi all the way.

Sorry I should have made the comparison for two people, not three, but still more expensive than a taxi all the way from LaGuardia.

Patrick:<BR><BR>Got me on that one! What was I thinking! I only think of myself!!<BR>JOHN

Hello there!<BR><BR>Yes, I'm right here with you guys...a bit of a indigestion from trying to ingest slowly all that you guys have posted. <BR>As far as hotel location is concerned, most of you think midtown is better, so I think I'll choose one there. Any suggestions esp. from those who have had personal experience with a midtown hotel say $100-150. Am I able to get a decent/clean/safe/near tube station hotel with that kind of budget in May? <BR>One question concerning dress code:<BR>I've heard New yorkers are good dressers and I'm somewhat intimidated by that statement so what do I bring? For the first 3-4 days, we'll be attending some meetings on 57th West. It 's easy for my husband as he will wear his suits but what about the woman. Will I look ridiculous wearing my ankle boots or am I expected to wear Spring/summer kind of clothings. Is black/brown etc..you know the autumn/winter color acceptable in May? I really dont want to look out of place.<BR>BTW, I am from Malaysia and we only have 1 season here so we wear summer clothings all year round. Do you understand my agony in trying to pack 'relevant' clothes. I dont want to pack a suit case of summer clothes when the temperature may just go to below 10 degrees C and vice versa. So knowing what kind of temperature/weather is very important to me. Imagine me standing in the middle to New York wearing thick heavy clothings complete with scarve in black or brown and everyone around me are in pretty summer dresses/hats and shorts!!!! It would be the most memorable trip ever. <BR>What do I wear to the theater or restaurant. Is jeans acceptable?<BR>On the subject of what we would like to do in New York. I suppose we would very much like to do some sightseeing (I have checked out grayline's website)<BR>browsing at fashion outlets, visit some museums perhaps. New York is so big, I really dont know where to begin and I know May is just round the corner and...... <BR>Thank you so much for your posts...I'll continue digesting them now...burpp!!<BR><BR><BR>

Win, Black is always fashionable in NY. By May you will see spring colors also. No need for winter clothes. Slacks &amp; a blazer (or a suit you can mix &amp; match) should take you most anywhere with different tops. Jeans are ok during the day (especially for sightseeing)as long as they're not sloppy. There are so many great discount clothing shops you can always buy what you need when you arrive. Boots may be a bit warm for May but will look ok under slacks if that's what you're comfortable in. Fabric should be medium to light weight.

We (3 females) were just in NYC for NYE and flew into EWR and took the NJ Transit from the airport to Penn Station in Manhattan. Everyone at the airport was very friendly and directed us in the right direction. It was $11.50 for a one way ticket into the city and vice versa. This way, you skip all traffic and are in the city in 20-30 minutes. Our hotel was directly across the street from Penn Station (Ramada New Yorker) so we didn't have a long way to pull our luggage. Our hotel room was kind of small but other than that it was in a great location because we walked most everywhere, other days we took the subway to sights that were further from us. Hope this helps. We had a blast and hope to go back soon! Have a great time!

In May in NYC, the outdoor temperature will probably be about the same as indoors...pleasantly warm. Boots will be too hot - your feet will burn up! You'll see people wearing sandals, even. NYers wear a wide range of clothing - &quot;all black&quot; is not necessary, though I think lots of us wear black because it doesn't show the city dirt. Almost all my pants and skirts are black. <BR><BR>As a NYer, I'll tell you what I'll likely be wearing in May: lightweight black pants or capris (or a knee-length black skirt, possibly with pinstripes), with a solid color button-down blouse or a peasant blouse in a light color. On my feet I'll wear some kind of backless slip-on shoe. This is what I'd wear to work...AND to the theater. For business meetings I'll wear a suit. On weekends, I'll wear capris, a fitted t-shirt, and red sneakers. I never feel out-of-place in these outfits. Though you'll see so much variety here (esp. in touristy sections) that I doubt you'd ever feel out of place, no matter what you wear. Hope this helps!

I'm a little surprised by the responses you've gotten regarding spring-ish clothing in NYC in May. My very 1st trip to NYC was in May in 1994. I brought white jeans, spring-y tops, short baby-doll dresses (remember, this was 1994) and I looked WAY out of place. Everyone was still in full winter mode even though the weather was in the 50 degree F range.<BR><BR>I recommend the stereotypical black wardrobe and comfortable (black) shoes. Jeans are fine during the day, I would not wear them out in the evening.<BR><BR>I do think Suzanne sounds like she looks just fabulous! Thanks for the tips....rushing out for those black capris now.

My wife and two daughters (8 and 12) just spent a week in NYC and it was a blast.<BR>We used priceline.com and bid $120 per night on a three star hotel in Midtown Manhattan. The hotel we got was the Roosevelt (The hotel Jennifer Lopez worked in in Maid in Manhattan). It was nice; just two blocks from Rockefeller Center and three blocks from Time Square. If you use priceline, I would bid on midtown it was nice and as the name suggest it's in the middle of everything. Lower Manhattan is on the tip of Manhattan near the World Trade Center Area and Wall Street.<BR>I wouldn't worry much about which airport you land in; they're both close (we landed in La Guardia).<BR>Have fun.<BR><BR>[email protected]

I'll be in NYC in May also, 8 nights. I used Priceline and will be staying at the Marriott East Side on Lexington Avenue (near East 57th St.)<BR><BR>With Priceline you never know the exact hotel you'll get but whatever you get will be lower in price than the other discount hotel sites - just remember to keep the star level high when you're bidding. <BR><BR>The Marriott East Side is 3 star and the bid they accepted was $82 a night. I am VERY PLEASED.<BR><BR>I checked the Quikbook quotes for the same period and it would have cost me twice that much for a comperable hotel. Hotwire had a 3 star for $115 a night.<BR><BR>zig

Quikbook currently shows the Roosevelt at $125 a night. <BR>And doesn't Quikbook allow you to cancel? And not prepay? For $5.00 less than Priceline this sounds like a good deal to me.

Quikbook has the Roosevelt with two classes of rooms for May 12 for 8 nights (when I'll be there). The first was $149 per night, the second $169 per night.<BR><BR>Quikbook may be perfect for win since she definitely wants midtown.<BR><BR>I am just so happy with my $82 a night room. I've just had such great luck with Priceline (and I always go to biddingfortravel.com before placing a bid) that I guess I'm hooked.

Hello,<BR><BR>A big thank you to all the good people who have helped me with your responses. I think I'll have a pretty good idea of what to pack for the trip. I'll definitely be in capris/sandals/tshirts &amp; stuff, for sightseeing and jackets for meetings. Phew!!! what a relief..one load off my mind. From your replies, I'll assume the temperature to be in the 20's Celcius with strong winds and occasional rain. Please correct me if I am wrong.<BR><BR> I have looked at the map of Manhattan and know roughly the demarcation of up/mid and downtown plus East &amp; West with 5th Avenue as demarcation. I'll come back again with further questions later.<BR>Thanks again.<BR><BR>

Win:<BR><BR>You are getting great information. Lets see, 20c = about 68 F that sounds about right! NYC gets too hot in July and August so you will be comming at the right time. <BR>How are you doing with that Hotel? I have a rec. I have stayed at a few hotels in NYC. One of the best bargains was at the Red Roof Inn on 32nd street. It is a new property (about 3 yrs old) and has some specials evey once in a while. I have stayed there for $99.00 You have to call the hotel directly to get that rate. Might be tough for May however, but worth a shot<BR>JOHN

just returned from NY ,styaed at the Roosevelt for 2 nights. We got a good deal on Expedia from the UK, &pound;78 . The room was clean and comfortable and it was a very convenient location.

Hi Win!<BR>May I suggest you in addition to your capris and summer stuff add some warmer pants, a sweater, and close toed shoes? I was in the city one May and the weather was mid 40's and raining! I, like you, took capris, sandals, and summer tops. At the last minute, I threw in a pair of leather jeans and a cashmere sweater set. Needless to say, I had to buy a pair of shoes and lived in the leather jeans and sweater set. Have a great time!

Yeah...you never know what the weather is going to be exactly. Check the forecast before you go. A few years ago I was in the 5-boro bike tour on May 5th and it was 97 degrees that day - that's unusual, but you never know! I got sunburnt! It will more likely be around 70 degrees in the middle of the day and 60 at night.

See my entry on the Skyline Hotel, right after your message. Can't beat it.

Another word of caution about making too many assumptions about the weather. Usually it is pleasantly warm in NYC in May, but I was there a couple of years ago during the first/second week of May, and it snowed and was very cold. That's not likely to happen again, for sure, but I'd bring along (or plan to buy) something to keep you warm, just in case. You could certainly check the weather forecast before you leave.

First, topping to match with other &quot;trip reports&quot; -- worth reading, Win! <BR><BR>Second, suggest you assume temps. around 50-65 F (sorry, can't translate) with possibility of extremes going higher or lower. So for wardrobe, why not black jeans, black slacks (Capris are so not-urban), black skirt, an array of colored tops and a jacket of some sort, warm and water-proof. Don't know if black leather is current in Malaysia (doubt it) but instead you may wish to combine sweater plus rain coat. <BR>Do not bring sandals unless you like dirty and wet feet. Much better off with a pair of &quot;walking&quot; shoes (can be athletic shoes) and a pair of somewhat dressier black flats or wedges.<BR><BR>Second, be aware that if you stay in &quot;midtown&quot; you may find yourself in a very noisy neighborhood -- one that either empties out at night because people don't live there, or gets very busy because people &quot;play&quot; there. You might want to consider staying a bit further north on the west side in one of those hotels that are right near the subway lines (under Central Park West, more or less) -- in quieter neighborhoods but very convenient to all transportation.

PS: New Yorkers don't ALL dress up, and your husband may find himself overdressed if he's wearing a suit everywhere (esp. on Fridays). A good pair of slacks and a couple of very good pullover sweaters/jerseys should be fine for many occasions, so long as they have no writing or logos on them.