WorldGallery

We leave for NYC in less than a month. I would love to hear from people about what "Tourist Traps" we should make sure to avoid. We are from New Orleans and know that all cities have them!
Thanks. This board has been the best source for our planning.

starrs

Are you serious?

starrs

What are NOLA's "Tourist Traps"?
So we know what you are talking about.

HowardR

What we locals call a tourist trap may be just what the tourist is looking for. For example, Madame Toussaud's!

nytraveler

Well one of the most well-known ones - Tavern on the Green - is long closed.

Would agree that Mme Tussaud's is one - except for kids in elementary school.

There are plenty of restaurants that are bad deals - poor food (Hard Rock, TGIF, and all of that ilk). What makes them a tourist trap in New York is the much higher prices for the same awful micro-nuked food you will find at the local mall.

As for other things - what is one person's tourist trap (Museum of Sex) is another person's hoot.

Is that what you're asking about?

Aduchamp1

I would avoid places like Ellen's Diner, Carmine's, Dylan's Candy, Serendity, Circle Line, South Street Seaport, and while they are not tourist traps, I would not eat at any chain restaurants since there are more than 25,000 alternatives.

But there are people who love those places.

WorldGallery

Some of the ones in New Orleans would be Margaritaville in the French Quarter. Also, dinner cruises on the steamboat (the food is bad and not authenic New Orleans at all but maybe just the day cruise without a meal is fine).
Also, there are several "knock off" Cafe Du Monde that sell beignets (do not taste the same as the real one plus they don't have a viewing window).
Bourbon Street is a tourist trap in my opinion.
Swamp Tours at certain times of the year are total tourist traps because you will not see a single alligator but they won't tell you this (instead, the bring a small gator in a box and take it out on the tour.)
Horse and Buggy rides around the French Quarter. The tour guide doesn't know very much at all.
These are just a few. I am sure I could think of more.

starrs

Well, you just listed things that some tourists enjoy in NOLA.

If Bourbon Street is a Tourist Trap, BE SURE not to go to Times Square.

If you don't like the Horse and Buggy rides, BE SURE to avoid the carriage ride in Central Park.

I ate at Margaritaville at Universal Orlando. We really enjoyed it.

I'm with you on the tacky steamboat rides

Sorry for the sarcasm. As HowardR said, some tourists like things that other tourists don't.

Good luck on your trip.

Dukey1

Tourists flock to certain places, often for good reason, and that does NOT make them a trap..rather simply frequently visited. I suppose there are some people who would tell you to avoid the Statue of Liberty and a ride to the top of the Empire State building. What I think you woul;d be wise to do is go to places which YOU think are worthwhile for your own interests and worry less about whether or not somebody else who isn't paying for YOUR trip thinks it is worthwhile.

as to Cafe du Monde....you know I am certain that the real beignets are out in Metairie

doug_stallings

It's hard to say. I consider a tourist trap a place without any other merit that just draws tourists. But I'm happy to start a list with the understanding that it's all in the eye of the beholder.

I wouldn't place Carmine's in that category. It actually has pretty good food a good value, though the one in Times Square is more tourist-trappy than the one on the Upper West Side. I'd say the same for Junior's.

Here are my least favorite things in NYC (places I would never go and things I'd never do):
**Empire State Building
**Hard Rock Cafe (in any place, not just in NYC)
**Mars 2120 (or whatever the date is)
**Streetside caricature "artists"
**Knock-off luxury goods (not only wrong for businesses but funds terrorism)
**Madame Tussaud's
**Museum of Sex
**Hop on/Hop Off bus tours (good in places where there isn't very good public transit, but a huge rip-off in NYC)

This is just a start, but I think we could put together a pretty good list for you of things to avoid.

HowardR

Great list, Doug!
But, let us not give the wrong impression that all popular tourist destinations are traps. On the opposite side of the coin are these tourist sites/activities that should be "must dos" (listed in no particular order):
*The Metropolitan Museum of Art
*The Top of the Rock
*The High Line
*The Staten Island Ferry
*At least one Broadway show
......Plus a bunch more that I can't think of at the moment!

Ackislander

I would suggest that any place that has someone on the street inviting you in, whether in Rome, Venice, Paris, NO, or NYC is likely to be a tourist trap or otherwise to be avoided.

jroth

>

Although sounds sort of tongue in cheek - not an accurate comparison. Bourbon St, has its share of tourists traps as does Times Square (those sleazy camera/video shops). But Times Square is a unique art form not to be missed by tourists - light shows not to be seen anywhere else.
Instead of that ferry to Statue of Liberty - try a ferry trip (10 minutes) to Governors Island - pick up a picnic and walk (or ride) to the spot where you get the most spectacular view of the SOL. check ferry schedules. You will also have the most exciting view of the skyline of lower Manhattan.
Try for an event at Carnegie Hall - one of the world's great concert halls or something at Lincoln Center - also tours of Lincoln Center - e.g. the Opera.

MFNYC

Most Times Sq restaurants and souvenir shops are tourist traps. I also agree theme (Mars, Hard rock, etc) and chain restaurants (Olive Garden, Outback, etc) are also traps.

Times Sq should be visited, but just to see it. If you go to a show, you'll see it. No need to linger in the area though.

If you want to linger and wander, stroll around the E. Village at dinner time, and try one of the hole-in-the-wall places on Avenue B (or vicinity) for dinner. Go to Washington Square Park and bring a picnic lunch. Just sit and people watch. Non-stop entertainment. Wander through he Union Sq farmer's market on a Saturday morning....

gmoney

"Are you serious?"

Starrs, what an unbelievably condescending remark. This is a forum for asking questions, getting other peoples opinion, is it not? Geez, why do some people feel the need to just be rude?

WorldGallery, I do appreciate your question and all the great responses, good information to have.

WorldGallery

Thanks everyone! This is very helpful in helping me get an overall better understanding and it helps me tweak our list. HowardR, I am adding High Line Park. Doug, I am taking of Empire State Building and going to just do Top of the Rock (we were going to do both).
We do have tickets to Wicked and Lion King so we will see Times Square then but not plan a special trip to go on non-show days.
I think we'll go to Washington Park while we are in that area for the Greenwich food tour.

If anyone else can think of others, please let me know.
Thaks!

sf7307

Some more "opposite side of the coin" options....Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, Museum of the City of New York (particularly if they have an exhibit in which you're interested), the Tenement Museum, Katz'/2nd Ave. Deli. At all of these, as Dukey said, you will find lots of tourists, but none of them would be considered a "tourist trap", because they have what I would call "intrinsic value", unlike that god-awful Jekyll & Hyde something restaurant I was talked into a few years ago and couldn't wait to leave!

MFNYC

Do they still do 'behind the scene' tours at Lincoln Center? I remember going in elementary school and seeing Leonard Bernstein rehearsing with the NY Philharmonic. I also remember touring the UN and thought is was just about the greatest thing I had even done.

sf7307

>>

OT: In my attic, I still have the UN flag I bought on a 4th grade field trip, many (whoa, MANY) moons ago!

obxgirl

What makes the Top of the Rock a "must do" and the Empire State Building a "must pass" ? Serious question.

I agree with the premise that not everything that draws tourists is a trap.