1st time visit in NYC in May
May 1st, 2009, 12:11 PM
#81
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Thank you for that advice..hoping to find just good food and moderate prices...not necessarily a touristy place. Any advice on Gatsby's? Saw an Ad for it! Prob just eat in a convenient place instead of planning around restaurants. Too much to do anyways! Would like to try one or two nY places though ....we are looking at chinese and mexican perhaps>
May 2nd, 2009, 02:32 PM
#84
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We are going to Mama Mia and Altar Boys....Hope they are good. Altar boyz cuz we have a teen with us and got tickets for 30.00 orchestra seats. Sounded funny. Saw the reviews on 9-5 and decided it wasn't the best one to go to. Have never been to big city theater! Well saw South Pacific in SAn FRan a few years ago...does that count?
May 2nd, 2009, 02:41 PM
#85
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kenav, your post is interesting. My partner and I went to Jekyll and Hyde a number of years ago. Why? Because a local (a young attorney who works and lives in midtown) told us it was such a fun spot and really good food as well! We hated it to say the least. But the funniest thing was that there were two local young "yuppie mothers" sitting next to us with their kids who love it. Finally one of them turned to us and said, "I have to ask -- why are you two men here?". It was too funny. But in all honesty there were a number of locals there -- albeit with kids who found the inane "entertainment" amusing.
May 2nd, 2009, 04:45 PM
#86
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Jekyll and Hyde is to be avoided at all costs unless you have young children who find out about it and torture you to go. Not only is the food awful, but in common wth Mars whatever it is there are stories of uncleanliness.
May 4th, 2009, 03:13 PM
#89
You mentioned Mexican food.... right down the street from your hotel (between 1st and 2nd) is El Parador. Haven't been there in ages...but it used to be fun. You could check out the menu on menupages.com. Also, have you bought a Zagat guide for NYC? It's good to carry around with you in case you find yourself hungry in an area you didn't expect to be.
May 6th, 2009, 03:06 AM
#91
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Just wondering if it is better to take the bus or the subway between the points in our itinerary? I did try hopstop.com and it gave me both ways of transportation but it seemed it took 30 minutes to go 2 miles...is that the average time there?
May 6th, 2009, 07:14 AM
#94
You're in a good spot for public transportation. There is a crosstown bus on 34th Street that will take you to the West Side.(and back). On Third Avenue there is a bus that goes uptown. For example: you could take the bus to 60th Street..... go thru the back door of Bloomingdales (between 3rd and Lex)' for a quick (?) tour. Exit on Lexington Avenue and walk across 59th or 60th St. to Central Park. Both Lexington and Fifth have buses that go downtown. There are no buses on Park Avenue. There's a local stop for the Lex. Ave subway at 33rd and Park to take you uptown or downtown fast.
I'd check with your hotel about getting Metro cards so you don't have to fuss with quarters for the buses, etc. and they probably have bus and subway maps too.
I'd check with your hotel about getting Metro cards so you don't have to fuss with quarters for the buses, etc. and they probably have bus and subway maps too.
May 6th, 2009, 08:32 AM
#95
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If you're talking buses the speed during rush hours and much of daytime is not much faster than walking. Subways are much faster for longer distances. But - for one or two stops walking can be not much slower - since you have to get to the subway head downstairs, wait for a train, then do the opposite. Anything less than a mile I would walk. More than that subway - unless it involves a change of direction (crosstown and then up or downtown.
But, in NYC, traffic generally moves at 5 to 10 mph during rush hours and much of the day.
(Nights and weekend you may get up to 30 mph - the local limit - outside of the busiest areas.)
But, in NYC, traffic generally moves at 5 to 10 mph during rush hours and much of the day.
(Nights and weekend you may get up to 30 mph - the local limit - outside of the busiest areas.)
May 6th, 2009, 09:07 AM
#96
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Place to Eat (or just have a drink) in Times Square
We literally take all our out-of-town guests to
the Marriott Marquis to The View Lounge
(not to be confused with the more formal The View Restaurant, which requires reservations.)
The attraction here is that The View Lounge rotates; 1 hour to do a rotation; so you get a 360 degree view of Manhattan/New Jersey (from 44 floors up.)
Double-check with the hotel first, but generally:
it opens around 4 p.m.;
stays open until at least 1 a.m.;
no reservations, but there can be a wait to get in;
you can just have a drink;
or we substitute their casual buffet for dinner;
typically they serve short ribs, chicken, pasta, cheese, olives, salads, etc. etc.
and then an outrageous dessert buffet.
Cost is around $30 for the buffet,
not sure there is a drink minimum ....
but we never have more than 1 --- they make a mean martini.
at 9 p.m. they add a ($6?) coverage charge per person,
and there is music (sometimes live);
ideally, where possible, we try to time it to arrive as the sun is setting
(check online for sunset times);
that way you get the best of both worlds;
get to catch NYC in the daylight;
then catch all the city lights after dark.
We have been going for over 20 years!
and no one will ever, ever rush you out ...
we've been known to kill 3 hours there catching up with company.
The buffet serves until very late,
so you could plan to do it after dark,
or just grab a drink after a Broadway show,
but you are right in the area.
If there is just too long a wait to get in,
you can also have a drink in a bar they have on the 8th floor;
it doesn't rotate,
but it has a great view of Times Square.
[can't remember if they serve food, too;
but definitely not the same buffet as upstairs.]
We literally take all our out-of-town guests to
the Marriott Marquis to The View Lounge
(not to be confused with the more formal The View Restaurant, which requires reservations.)
The attraction here is that The View Lounge rotates; 1 hour to do a rotation; so you get a 360 degree view of Manhattan/New Jersey (from 44 floors up.)
Double-check with the hotel first, but generally:
it opens around 4 p.m.;
stays open until at least 1 a.m.;
no reservations, but there can be a wait to get in;
you can just have a drink;
or we substitute their casual buffet for dinner;
typically they serve short ribs, chicken, pasta, cheese, olives, salads, etc. etc.
and then an outrageous dessert buffet.
Cost is around $30 for the buffet,
not sure there is a drink minimum ....
but we never have more than 1 --- they make a mean martini.
at 9 p.m. they add a ($6?) coverage charge per person,
and there is music (sometimes live);
ideally, where possible, we try to time it to arrive as the sun is setting
(check online for sunset times);
that way you get the best of both worlds;
get to catch NYC in the daylight;
then catch all the city lights after dark.
We have been going for over 20 years!
and no one will ever, ever rush you out ...
we've been known to kill 3 hours there catching up with company.
The buffet serves until very late,
so you could plan to do it after dark,
or just grab a drink after a Broadway show,
but you are right in the area.
If there is just too long a wait to get in,
you can also have a drink in a bar they have on the 8th floor;
it doesn't rotate,
but it has a great view of Times Square.
[can't remember if they serve food, too;
but definitely not the same buffet as upstairs.]
May 6th, 2009, 01:28 PM
#98
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I was cajoled into eating at Jekyll and Hyde when my kids were young (maybe 10-ish). It was a horrible horrible experience. I really hate theme eating (although I can abide by the Hard Rock, at least I can look at all the cool memorabilia), and this was theme eating at its worst. Bad theme and worse food!
May 6th, 2009, 02:14 PM
#100
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Thank you again for your responses...I do lie awake thinking of things to write to keep audchamp1 worrying about our itinerary! I could ask the questions such as where are the bathrooms close to our destinations and where can I buy diet mountain dew frequently but I was leaving something to chance! I just can't wait to get there! When I put in our destinations on HOPSTOP.com it gave me busses so that is why i had to address those questions....I do have some plantar fasciitis problems so walking is sometimes painful but standing around waiting makes it worse than walking does. We will get the metro card for sure....Thank you!
