Advice for NYC
 

Is 2 nights enough to see the main attractions i.e. Statue of Liberty,Ellis Island, Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, Grand Central Station, Top of the Rock? The Empire State Building has two observation levels, is the higher one worth the extra money, is the view any different? One other question is what is the cheapest (as far as hotels) and least crowded time to go to NYC? What is a good hotel for 150 or less a night? I guess most of the sites I want to see is in Mid-town to Lower Manhatten, so I want to base myself somewhere in there. Is the subway the fastest to get around?
Thanks-

PS: When I ask when is the cheapest and least crowded time to go, I meant to say a time of year that is not too cold. So, what time of year is the least crowded and cheapest and isn't too cold?
Thanks-

Hi, Asdaven!

Two nights in New York are enough to see SOME of the main attractions.

As far as the cheapest time to come visit New York, I'd say between late May and early September. We are now entering (late October) the most expensive time of year to visit. Wait until next May, if possible.

Yes, in general the subways are the quickest way to cover long distances and to get around. Keep in mind though that mid-town and downtown are both compact areas that can be easily walked. It's getting between the two that requires a subway.

Enjoy your visit!

When you say 2 nights, does that mean you will not be free during the daytime to see these sites as well? I don't believe you can visit the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island at night, but the other sites could be seen in 2 nights. Ellis Island is a good half day and the Statue of Liberty adds another hour or two to that trip.

As for a hotel at $150 or less, please know that the average room rate in Manhattan is now over $200 a night. It will be hard to come by a hotel for less than $150 (especially if you want to include taxes -- which are significant) in that amount). At that price, you may need to come in Jan/Feb when it will be very cold.

I live in the Washington DC area, so I am not far away, only about 3-4 hours. So, technically I will have 3 days, with 2 days being partial travel days. I would probably leave early in morning to get there and late from NYC to come home. Now, I am not sure whether to drive, take the bus ($60 apiece), take a train (over $100 apiece), or take a plane (about the same price as the train) to get there. What do you suggest? Least crowded is more important to me because that reduces wait times for the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building. I was assuming cheapest would mean least crowded also. What about late March or early April? I have created an basic iternery:
Day 1- Travel from 6 to 10AM or so. Go up in the Empire State Building, see Grand Central Station, walk around Midtown and Times Square.

Day 2- Go to the Statue of Liberty and go inside the statue and see Ellis Island. Walk around Lower Manhatten. Check out and walk on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Day 3- Do Top of the Rock and walk around Midtown some more. Leave for home by 2PM.

Would this work or should I consider spending 3 nights? What am I missing? Is it necessary to go to the 102th floor in the Empire State Building and spend the extra money or is the 86th floor basically the same? The 102th floor is technically higher, but does the view seem any higher from the 102th than the 86th floor?
Thanks-

A lot of people on this board suggest skipping the ESB altogether and doing Top of the Rock as an alternative (and certainly not both). TOTR gives you a specific time to go up, so you don't have to wait in line.

asdaven, I agree w/pp that it would be hard to find a "good hotel for 150 or less a night", but would suggest that you consider taking the Chinatown bus from DC to NYC- for 35-40/roundtrip. it's not the loveliest of experiences, but it's by far the cheapest way to get between NYC and DC. I think your itinerary is do-able, but unless you're used to walking a lot, you might be exhausted. I have been to the Empire State Building 2x, and have never gone to the 102nd floor, but I would guess it's probably not worth the extra $$, IMO.

lisettemac- By two nights, I mean staying over two nights. It is 3 days, 2 of which are partial travel days. NYC is 3-4 hours from my house.
dmlove- I have read a lot how people prefer TOTR over the ESB. But, this is my first time to NYC and I have to see the Empire State Building. It is very famous. Basically, TOTR and the ESB are the only observation decks in the city except the one on the Statue of Liberty's pedestal, which I am going to see also. I also forgot to add in wall street and South Street Seaport into the things I want to do. As far as hotels, is it better to book in advance or on a moments notice? I am sort of flexible when I can go. I was wondering if I can keep a watch on the hotel rates and see if they put out "last minute deals". Like if a hotel is not booked up enough, they will give cheap rates in order to fill rooms. Another reason to go when it is least crowded. When is it least crowded other than Jan or Feb? I have seen hotel deals cheaper than $150. It is just a matter of searching.
Thanks-

A full 3 days would be better, if possible. NYC is a huge city, and just like in a lot of cities, the time seems to fly by!!

If you can do a full 3 or 4 days, that would be better than just 2.

Also, there are a lot of good suggestions on cheap NYC hotels on this forum.

Have a great time! :)

Two weeks is enough time to see the major sights in NYC. Two days will barely scratch the surface.

The least expesnsive time to visit is Jan and Feb (except the Valentines Day/Presidents Day Week). After that the warmer the weather the higher the prices - until you get to true high season (from end Sept until almost Christmas.)

$150 per night is a very low price for NYC except in Jan/Feb. (The average hotel room - not deluxe - is about $300 per night - and much more in high season.)

You best bet is to try to late April/early May and bid 4* midtown on Priceline. You may well get an acceptable hotel for that. Also check Travelzoo for deals (but not until you're closer to the date).

It makes no sense to do both Empire State Building and Top of the Rock - way too similar. The latter IMHO has better views and is more convenient.

You have not listed any of the major museums (the Met, MoMA, and on and on - of which NYC has hundreds), even one Broadway show, Central Park or exploring any of the neighborhoods that are unique to NYC.

Realistically to see the Statue of Liberty and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum (which is brilliant - and you take the same ferry) takes almost a whole day - including waiting on the various lines.

The best method for shorter distances is feet - NYC is a walking town and you will miss a lot if you don;t walk as much as possible. For longer distances the subway is safe, convenient and inexpensive.

2 nights would provide almost 3 full days. Like I said earlier, 1st day travel from 6-10AM, 2nd day is a full day, and 3rd day leave by 2-4PM. When is the least crowded time during a warm part of the year (no earlier than March, no later than October)? I will work really hard to find the cheapest price I can on hotels. Do the prices go up at the last minute, is it cheaper to book far in advance? I would prefer to book at the last minute to keep everything flexible.
Thanks-

You don't seem to be interested in museums but rather just tourist sites, so you probably have enough time. Devote most of your full day to Statue of Libery/Ellis Island and then a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. That will get you finished about 3 or 4pm if you take the first ferry of the day (buy it online in advance).

For your budget, the best option would be to stay at the Comfort Inn Long Island City, which is one subway stop from Manhattan. Unless you can snag a wonderful weekend hotel deal, none of the good places in Manhattan are within reach. Definitely try Priceline and bid as much as you can afford. There are some exceptions ... the exceptionally well located Larchmont hotel or the newly renovated Pod Hotel both have rooms under $129, but they require you to share a bath; if you're willing to do that, you can certainly stay in Manhattan.

Unfortunately, you can't have it both ways. The cheapest and least crowded times to visit NYC are also the coldest. Sorry, but that's just life. But I wouldn't hesitate to do a city vacation during the winter because you can just bundle up and enjoy a lot of warm coffee and hot chocolate.The cheapest time to come to NYC is mid-Jan to mid-March.

I guess you'd better try for early March to avoid most of the coldest weather. You can certainly wait until summer, but my bet is that hotel rates are going to be up then. August is usually cheaper than most other times, but it's horribly hot then.

But there simply are no "least crowded" times for NYC. There are only "most crowded" times, and those coincide with Nov through Christmas (esp. Thanksgiving week), New Year's Eve, and the New York Marathon. Most of those times are in the late fall and don't meet your seasonal requirements.

The "least crowded" time of year within the months you have specified is March (except for Easter week). You're not giving yourself much time but since you live so relatively close you can make many long weekends of it and see what you missed on the previous visit.

You live close enough to NYC that you can go again to make up for what you did not see in one trip, so I would not stress about it. The Chinatown bus is the cheapest way to go, so you should look into it -as far as comfort is concerned it is about the same as Peter Pan Trailways. I go to NYC very often and more likely than not, the weather is little different than in DC although the DC Spring comes sooner.

here's the website for the Statue of Liberty and reserving tickets in advance

http://www.statueofliberty.org/Visit...f_Liberty.html

I think you could do that and Ellis Island in approximately half a day, 4-5 hours. You could go from the Manhattan ferry landing and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge if that still appeals. The New York Stock Exchange is no longer open for tours, and Wall Street is just a street. But a visit to Trinity Church is a lovely way to spend a few minutes and there are concerts there sometimes. Alexander Hamilton is buried in the churchyard.
www.trinitywallstreet.org/welcome/?directions

I am not alone in thinking that the South Street Seaport is a colossal waste of time. A few shops and mediocre restaurants with very little real history.

Top of the Rock tickets can also be purchased in advance, unlike the Empire State bldg observatory
www.topoftherocknyc.com/splash.aspx
There is ALWAYS a very long line at the Empire State, at least during daytime hours.

A hotel in NYC for less than $150 night is chancy. Take a look at the Union Square Inn (no elevator) or Hotel 31, Hotel Thirty Thirty, or Hotel 17, but check here or at tripadvisor.com for comments, I haven't stayed there, I just know they are inexpensive.

Certain times of the year you can probably get a decent hotel for $150 on PRiceline. You can check biddingfortravel.com to get an idea of what bids hotels are awarded at.

In general it's very hard to get a rate at less than $200 any time of year, unless you are willing to have a shared bath. If you are, check out the Larchmont. It's a decent place in a great location.

You can take a greyhound/Peter Pan bus for about the same price as the chinatown busses if you buy an e-ticket via their website.

The greyhound bus is probably more convenient to me. Do you think the bus is the best way to go? What about flying or driving? Flying is just as expensive as the train, so I guess the train is out. Driving I don't know how much parking there is. I'll set $200 for the hotel price limit. I think I am also going to spend 3 nights. 4 days , 2 full days, 2 sightseeing with travel. But, if I do that I may want to check out 1 or 2 museums. The American Museum of Natural History appeals to me. Or the National Museum of the American Indian since I have seen the one down here in DC, I want to see the one in New York. As far as ESB and TOTR, I have to do both. I have to do ESB to say that I have been up in it and to see the building. It is the top of my list. And TOTR to enjoy an uncrowded view.
I will take your advice and skip South Street Seaport. But, is there another place on the water that is like Fishermans Waurf in SF or Inner Harbor in Baltimore with seafood restaurants and a few shops. A place for a good lunch. I guess Wall Street will be a quick pass-by. A place I would be interested in seeing is Federal Hall National Memorial, it is historically significant. One other question, what is the best way to get around during rush-hour? Should the subway be avoided during those times? I heard the subway is very slow while others say it is fast? Does it depend on the line? Is it faster than a cab?
Thanks-

This poster asked all the same questions on the tripadvisor forum and had posters going for 2 weeks. I wouldn't spend much more time on this.

I'm afraid you're a little confused about the weather in NYC. March is not a "warm" time of the year - since most of it is still winter - and the blizzard of '88 - more than 2 feet of snow - happened in March. It is likely not to be as cold as Feb - but you can easily get daily temps in the 40's and colder and damp/windy at night.

To be sure of reasonably pleasant weather I would do no earlier than late April. Also- you won;t get much in the way of leaves or flowers before then either.

And the subway is not slow - it's the fastest way to get around except late at night - after midnight - when a cab may be as fast.

During rush hours it will be mobbed - standing room only - but that doesn't slow it down. And the trains run every few minutes.

NYC doesn't have the equivalent of Fisherman's Wharf. The South Street Seaport isn't even like that. There aren't lines of seafood restaurants on th waterfront there, just mediocre and plain bad restaurants around a beaten-down mall. The historical ships can be interesting, though.

All the downtown sights you mention (Federal Hall, the Museum of the American Indian, etc.) are good and worthwhile on your downtown day, and most of them are free. The best downtown museum is the Museum of Jewish Heritage, but it's not free. Still, it's well worth the time and provides a very nice accompaniment to Ellis Island.

Anyone who tells you the subway is slow is talking about commuting from the outer boroughs. During the day, it's so much faster, cheaper, and easier to get around by subway that there's no contest. Unless you prefer to spend $15 every time you want to move to a different place. Subway or walk. That's what most New Yorkers do. (Sometimes the bus ... but it's very slow, though the only practical way to get up and down the far east side.)

I'd go with the bus. The Greyhound e-ticket prices are $20 one way, and $35 roundtrip. Go to the main greyhound page and click on e-tickets (toward the bottom left of the screen). If you don't click on the e-ticketsd it brings you to the regular pricing options which are more.

The bus doesn't take much longer than the train. Flying, if you include getting to the airport early to check in and transportation to and from the airport, doesn't save you much time either. Also the bus runs fairly frequently, usuall about every hour and more often during busier times of the day.

If budget is the most important thing to you, I'd take the bus. If you have a little more $$ and value your time, I'd take the train. My last choice would be to fly to NYC. It will take you almost as long as the train by the time you get to the airport in time to leave and get out of the airport. Plus, you will have the expense of getting into the center of the city (on each end).

"NYC doesn't have the equivalent of Fisherman's Wharf. The South Street Seaport isn't even like that. There aren't lines of seafood restaurants on th waterfront there, just mediocre and plain bad restaurants around a beaten-down mall."

That's kind of funny, because I always think of South Street Seaport smaller, but almost identical to Fisherman's Wharf. Doug, I think you described Fisherman's Wharf to a tea -- except it's bigger and has more of the same.

Why are you asking the same questions here that you started asking on October 10 at trip advisor? Have you figured anything out yet?
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic..._New_York.html

"The American Museum of Natural History appeals to me. Or the National Museum of the American Indian since I have seen the one down here in DC, I want to see the one in New York."

Why would you want to spend your first trip to NYC to see the same kind of stuff you have already seen?

I don't understand why asking questions here that were asked on TripAdvisor merits a rebuke. Are all the people on here also on TripAdvisor (I'm not) and vice-versa?

Also, NeoP, while I completely agree with your general assessment of Fisherman's Wharf (mediocre and bad restaurants around a beaten down mall), it is very different from South Street Seaport, which is more like Pier 39 on steroids (meaning chain stores, which Pier 39 is not). At least Fisherman's Wharf was ORIGINALLY a "real" area, with Ghirardelli (then a chocolate factory) and the Cannery (then a cannery) and fishing boats. It was not built TO BE a tourist attraction, which makes it very different in my book.

I post on tripadvisor and fodors to get different opinions. I have gotten valuable info from both forums. About a waterfront area, is there any park on the waterfront? Any good seafood restaurants on the water not necessarily in a fisherman's waurf type area? I guess the bus takes four hours or so. The train is probably only a half an hour shorter. I think it takes 3 1/2 hours. I think I want to base myself in midtown, that is also where the bus arrives.
Here is my revised itinerary:

Day 1- Get on bus at 6 AM. Arrive at 10 AM. Go up in the Empire State building, see Grand Central Station, walk around Broadway and Times Square and other parts of Midtown.

Day 2- Take subway to Lower Manhattan. Take ferry to the Statue of Liberty and go inside the statue. Also, see Ellis Island. Check out Battery Park, the World Trade Center site, Federal Hall, Wall Street, the museum of the American Indian, and the Brooklyn Bridge and walk partway across it. Eat dinner in Chinatown.

Day 3- See the American Museum of Natural History. Stroll Central Park. Maybe do Top of the Rock or St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Day 4- Do either St. Patrick's Cathedral and/or Top of the Rock if I didn't do it the day before. Take a tour of the United Nations Headquarters. Take the bus home no later than 5 PM.

Will this work? Should I change somethings around? What places are to far to walk between and require the subway? Do you usually have to transfer trains or are most trains usually direct? I don't mind walking a lot. Subway or walking, what ever is faster, is all that matters to me.
Thanks-

If you will be at the UN, cross the street to the Beekman Tower Hotel and go up to the "Top 0f the Tower Lounge." There are nice views from there too. '

<i>and walk partway across it</i>

How do you get back from the middle of the bridge :)?

The bridge is a mile long. That is a round-trip of 2 miles. I am saying walking to the half-way point and walking back. Where is there a good view of the bridge?

I think most people walk all of the way across and then go someplace in Manhattan rather than go back into Brooklyn to return to where they were.

Take the subway to Brooklyn and walk back to Manhattan - same 1 mile.

That is a good idea about taking the subway to Brooklyn. Did anybody read my revised itenerary, what do you think? Also, I had the question about a waterfront seafood restaurant or a place along the waterfront to walk around?
Thanks-

New York City doesn't really have any waterfront seafood restaurants, at least none you can get to by public transit. City Island is the place to go for a seaside seafood meal, but the only way I know to get there is by car.

The whole seaside dining thing isn't really an NYC experience. There are a few restaurants in New York with water views, but they are very expensive. I can't honest think of any place I'd recommend. But maybe someone who has visited as a tourist found something good that I'm not remembering.

The Water Club on the East River at 30th Street. (Easy Cab ride)

Water's Edge in Long Island City.
Mass Transit Directions To Waters Edge
The East River @ 44th Drive, Long Island City, NY 11101 (718) 482-0033
(Off of Vernon Blvd.)

From Brooklyn Or Manhatan: Ride the last car of the E or V train to the 23rd Street/Ely Avenue Station. When you come all the way upstairs/outside; you will be on 21th Street and 44th Drive. Walk straight up 44th Drive towards the Manhattan Skyline (which is the East River); the large Citibank Building should be behind you. (If coming from Queens/Jamaica, etc. ride the first train car, and follow the same directions.)

From Brooklyn Or Manhattan: Ride the last car of the #7 train to the 45th Road/Courthouse Square Station. When you come downstairs into the train station, go to the right clerk booth (you will see a sign for Manhattan), walk down the stairs and straight ahead on 45th Road about 2-3 blocks to Vernon Blvd. Make a right onto Vernon Blvd and walk 1 block to 44th Drive, make a left and proceed to the river/Manhattan Skyline.

Doug, You can get to City Island via 6 train to end of the line: Pelham Bay Park. Walk across the overpass to the park to catch the Bx29 bus to City Island. A lengthy trip, but it can be done.

I guess for a waterfront park, it would be Battery Park. Do anybody have any comments for the revised itenerary I made up?
Thanks-

On day one, what are you going to do with your luggage when you arrive?

The rest of the day sounds kind of aimless to me. &quot;Seeing Times Square&quot; is a walk through a congested and busy area, with tourist trap shops and restaurants. See it, and leave it. In the afternoon, walk straight across time to visit Grand Central (good places for to get some lunch), and add in the UN tour before or after that point if the schedule fits.

sorry, that should have been
&quot;walk straight across town.&quot;