Mom's birthday in Manhattan: need to keep it cheap
 

Hello all,

I have some knowledge of Manhattan since I've visited many times. However, I usually stay with friends, and now I'm planning a whole trip for family. There are 6 adults and 2 children going for the weekend to celebrate my mother's birthday. The less we spend on hotels, the more fun stuff we can do. I've read through a number of posts here and have contacted www.apartments2book.com, and it looks like we can rent an apartment for all of us for about $600 for the weekend. Any other ideas? Any reviews of these apartments?

I'm also looking for information on how to book tickets to a broadway show ahead of time without spending a fortune. I looked into TV taping tickets, but it seems like those are mostly lotteries that are done way ahead of time. My mother would love to see Emeril or something like that.

Other ideas? I want to make this a spectacular weekend for her, since she's turning 60. However, my brothers and I don't have a ton of extra money to spend so I'm looking for ways to do things on the cheap. The trip is in July, FYI.

thanks,
Fiasco

If you book a show that is still in pre-views, you can sometimes get half-price tickets through Playbill.com. That's the best way to get cheaper advance tickets for Broadway. Note that there will be substantial booking fees (at least $6 a ticket usually) and that a "good price" for a Broadway show is still $65 these days, which is about 40% off. Plays are cheaper; The Lieutenant of Innishmore is being offered for about $36 right now, and it's very well received, though not really appropriate in subject matter for a mother's birthday party, especially with kids.

Which apartment are they offering you? I have a "cheat sheet" for some of them as follows

1=Affinia 50
3 probably Kimberly
4-Best Western Hospitality
5=the Blakely
7=Radio City apts.
8=Eastgate Tower
9=Murray Hill East Suites
11=Beacon
30=the Buckingham

Is it any of these? When you say "for all of us...for the weekend" is it 1 apartment? How many bathrooms??? YOu might be able to compare prices to see if you can do better directly through the hotel. How many nights is this $600 for?

For theater tickets, one of the best ways to get discount tickets in advance is using discount codes from broadwaybox.com Won't have avails for all shows and may not be for some weekend performances. Maybe not everyone has to go to the theater???

More ideas for discounts
http://home.nyc.rr.com/frugaltheatergoe/

Off Broadway is another way to go.

For tv show tickets look on

http://gonyc.about.com/b/a/154196.htm

http://www.nytix.com/Links/TV/index.html

Put her name up in lights in Times Square
http://nymag.com/listings/stores/hersheys-times-square/

Also,
http://www.hersheygifts.com/navSubDe...thdays(Hershey)

There are some outdoor events in July. Look on nycvisit.com on their calendar for the weekend you're planning.

At the risk of being banished, I question and possibly disagree with comments made by one of the editors here.
His initial sentence sounds like only preview tickets are available at discount on playbill.com. That is not quite accurate. Tickets for "regular" performances are also available at discount prices on playbill.com (as well as broadwaybox.com). Also, it's rarely, if ever, at half price. Rather it's usually around 60%, just like performances once the show has opened.
The $6 booking fee he talks about is the same that is charge for discount tickets or full-price tickets when you buy them on line or on the phone. Your best way to get a bargain is to bring a copy of the discount offer to the box office when you get to the city, thus saving the service charges. (Of course, you run the risk of there not being any tickets available when you get there.)

Have you tried vrbo.com for places to stay? Friends of mine have had great luck finding reasonably priced 3 BRs in great locations.

HowardR, you don't get banished from the Boards for disagreeing with an editor ... particularly when you're right. If fiasco_2006 wants to see a long-running play like Phantom, then they can even show up at TKTS (I'd suggest the less busy booth at the South Street Seaport) for same-day tickets that are actually half-price. Sometimes new plays in previews are available there, too. Your point about taking a discount offer straight to the box office is a particularly good one. I usually do that when I want to see something since our offices are close to Times Square.

did you ever figure out how to get tickets for a food network show....

I'd love to be in the audience for Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals, or Emeril or any of the shows.

I poured threw foodnetwork.com and could not find any information on being in the studio audience.

if anyone knows i'd greatly appreciate the way to make it happen (will be in nyc monday 17th thru wed 19th)