ekscrunchy

Brighton Beach is very interesting. It will be cold out there during winter but you can warm up on some excellent Russian/Georgian/Ukranian food.



Here is a thread discussing some of that:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...ghborhoods.cfm

Let me know if you need more info on that or any other ethnic areas...

mclaurie

Many of the suite hotels including the Beacon have one bedroom suites with 2 beds (doubles or queens) and a sofabed in the sitting room, although not all those sofabeds are comfortable for an adult. In midtown closer to Times Square, blakelyhotelny.com has 1 bedroom suites with 2 double beds and a daybed in the sitting room. It's a nice traditional small hotel. You could also get 2 studio suites there, one with 2 beds and the other with one. The Residence Inn Central Park South, Courtyard Central Park and Hilon Garden Inn Central Park a 3 new hotels in the same area as the Blakely, north of Times Squa and south of Central Park. They'll have more modern rooms and views..major views!

The San Carlos, the Kimberly and Best Western Hospitality are suite hotels that haven't been mentioned in midtown east. They all have 1 bedroom suites with 2 beds and sofabed...they also have some 2 bedroom suites as does the Beacon but you have to email or phone for rates.

lanejohann

Ok back again
Thanks all of you...I will look into more hotels today but I gVe booked the Row NYC on Expedia.for now...700 eighth avenue

I grabbed it cos of the rate offered...our holiday gas been extended to 25 days in all...and now we ( the two kids and I ) will be staying I new York for 9 nights! Yippee!
We got the room for $2284... Aud...Two double beds..no fridge..no microwave of course and the room wil be small but I think we just have to pare down on costs of accommodation this time wi the kids coming along. Funny we have to pay a resort fee of 21 aud ...each night...never heard of that but oh well

We secured cheap airfares on Qantas yesterday... 1277 aud each from Syd to ny and back to la so very happy! Flying out from Syd on 13 jan and flying back on 6 feb...
Got a great rate for a place in Banff for th four of us at best western siding29... So, so far we are keeping costs down...still have Los angeles and the coast road to plan and book accommodation and I just don't think we are going to keep to a $20 000 budget for 3-4 people for 25 days .. (Even if my husband will not be in ny for the initial 8 days of the trip with us)

Now as far as things to do in ny....I know there's plenty but with the two kids..girl 22 and boy 19 , museums and galleries might be out...my daughter and I travel well together and happily crawled over the louvre in Paris and the tower in London last year and many other places of interest in between but my son is the sporty type...he may surprise us though and the weather might convert him to the indoorsy type...lol
We will have to see a hockey game if there's one at Madison square gardens
We will go on the ferry ride past the staue of Liberty but I'm not sure we need to see it closeup
I think we'd be more into just visiting the different districts...and with 8 days we have a bit more time
I know Central Park will be fun exploring and as long as we are rugged up we should be fine
As for shows... Don't know ... Maybe... Depends on the prices...if they're aussie prices of well around the two hundred mark..We won't
Same with restaurants....we will be eating a big breakfast and then dinner as cheaply as we can..., no restaurants unless we find a cheap noodle bar...not really a restaurant lol
We managed to eat quite healthily in London...found a wholefoods place and had soup and salads so I'm sure there'll be healthier choices than macdonalds .. In NY...even subway is better
If anyone has a comment re the Row NYC I'd appreciate it...It'd be great to have a fridge but I think there will be difficulty and going into a suite will probably be too costly...
Thanks again

NeoPatrick

The Row has been redone. Your room will probably be very, very, very, very small.

janisj

I stayed at the hotel a year ago -- my stay (at the Milford) was mid-feb and it was re-named in I think March. It was after most of the renovations were completed but before the name change.

My room was not at all small -- it was an upper floor, corner room and was basic/semi-minimalist and I'd stay there again in a heartbeat. Especially if I got a good rate. I had views up 8th Avenue and across the river (I was there during last year's big blizzard so my view disappeared the last night since about 2.5 feet of snow piled up on the parapet over night).

It was centrally located for what I was doing -- great subway connections, across the street from the theater where I saw Kinky Boots, walking distance to Madison Sq Garden, Top or the Rock etc. and tons of places to eat nearby.

Posh? Definitely not. But if they are giving you a room w/ 2 beds my guess is it will be large enough.

janisj

. . . or - Top-OF-the-Rock

Tabernash2

Four girlfriends and I loved The Beacon's 2 bdrm/2bath suite, with living room and kitchen. It was June a couple of years ago, and we paid $525/night. It was a steal, for the size and style of our room.

Note that you have to call the hotel to book a 2 bdrm/2 bath suite.

It's a very nice hotel, in a great location. Full grocery market across the street, so you can stock your fridge for breakfast and snacks. Restaurants, coffee shops and cafes easily within blocks.

The Beacon Theater has live music your 20-somethings could enjoy.

lanejohann

Agh the size of the room... Yeah I know..it probably is small and it'd be a different matter if my husband were travelling with us...but hey we have stayed in teeny places...golly..the room my daughter and I had in Paris was so tiny we had to eat on the bed...we lived like that for nine days but we just couldn't justify anything more expensive...alas ..London paris Moscow ...all those places are expensive and now New York...
Husband stayed at hotel mela last time right near times sq and liked it but our rate is still cheaper at the Row NYC so unless some hotel room with a fridge falls into our lap for around that 278 AUD night for three people we will stick with it

I hope they give us a kettle ... for our tea!�� oh a view would be nice too but that's always hit and miss

I have heard great things bout the beacon and I think that'd be the go for us if we had my husband with us
I've checked out the distrikt hotel and the Salisbury but nothing is cheaper than our Row NYC deal but I'll keep looking
The holiday inn down near South Central Park was about the same as the Row

janisj

lanejohann: To clarify, my post was about the Row (it was called the Milford until two weeks after my stay but all the changes had been finished except for remodeling the restaurant (which was closed during my stay)

Don't know what grade room you are getting and I am sure some are very small, but mine was actually quite large for NYC standards.

The location is very good for typical touristy stuff

lanejohann

Well Janisj.. I can't really see by the pics but the room with two queen beds seems fine...shame my daughter and I don't travel light even though we have shared sweaters and have tried to include only essentials
Winter packing is so much harder so we will all have big bags to trip over ��
I have asked for a room high up with city views and with an 8 day stay I'm not averse to packing up if they offer an upgrade

I've just been researching walks around New York so if the weather is ok and not blowing a blizzard I'm hoping we can do the High line walk and even get to other walks round Brooklyn and other places
I think that's what the kids will enjoy...my son loves snapping pics and we might even spot some birds and other wildlife
My son has an excellent sense of direction too so my daughter and I should be fine following!
Will watch a couple of docos on the history of New York and also try to get an aerial view before we go...helps with getting your bearings

I just did that with Banff ...so different when you're not just seeing a place at street level

If anyone has a favourite walk or market especially or things to do at night with non drinkers I'd appreciate it...free or cheap would be nice but I'll look for cheap tickets to shows as well
I wonder if there's a talk show taping
My husband saw letterman..I'm not a huge fan...don't even know if he's still on air

Tabernash2

Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge if weather permits. Good pizza restaurants are right at the end of the bridge, and you can cab back to Manhattan.

tuscanlifeedit

I don't think the Row will have a kettle for your tea. You can get one at KMart for 18 to 20 USD, and then use it for the rest of your travels.

The Row and lots of other NYC hotels don't have coffee makers, but in other parts of the US, hotels often do have coffee makers (you can use for tea).

We usually drive to NYC, which isn't an option for you, and take a very small coffee maker with us.

It might sound silly but since it's such a long trip, I think I would buy the kettle.

There are plenty of cheap eats in NYC. You can begin with TimeOut online for recs, and they also list venues for music. Free might be hard to find, but you can always check. TimeOut in print comes out on Thursday; you'd have to purchase it at a newstand, but you can always check online.

I think you ought to keep looking for a room with a refrigerator and coffee maker. You can save a lot of money if you have them. You mention eating a big breakfast, which will be very hard to do if you don't have a kitchenette.

doug_stallings

I have to say if you are going to be in NYC for that long, I really would try to find a room with a kitchen or at least a kitchenette. Staybridge Suites might work for you, or check prices at Hyatt Place Midtown South.

lanejohann

Thanks for the tips folks
Just an update:
Cancelled the row nyc...booked Hilton garden midtown but the travel agent just reserved the Westin times sq
Nine nights for the deluxe double bed(2beds) for 3078aud that's a good price
I checked with Expedia and they're lowest is about 500 more so I'll go with the Westin which gas a coffee maker but no microwave( the Hilton garden inn had microwave and fridge)
The Westin it supposedly a four star and it does seem like a good deal even though we are creeping up in price

So many choices!

Thanks again... I'll note all the bits of advice

sf7307

The Westin Times Square is a very nice hotel, but certainly not the kind of hotel that offers a microwave or fridge in the room. I'm surprised they have a coffee maker.

NeoPatrick

The Westin is nice. Several mini market places right outside door. I personally wouldn't worry about a microwave or frig. I guess they aren't that important to you either. It's also very convenient to Port Authority and multiple subways for cheap transportation, including to the airport.

lanejohann

Just wanted to thank you all for helping me shape my decisions.
It certainly has turned out quite different from the original plan ( principally because. My us ands inability to join us on this leg to NY) but I am quite content with the decision to stay at the Westin
Shame wifi isn't included so that will be another's 20 used a day probably but it's funny how you just let go of things one by one over time lol
Neopatrick...I was set on having a kitchenette or at least a microwave but if I look at past holidays..say in Hawaii just last dec, we did cook in the MAUI place but never in Waikiki despite having a full kitchen in a large apartment at Wyndham resort..so go figure..

I'm very grateful to our travel agent for this one..we normally book our own accommodation but I really couldn't beat her offer this time

Now off to post a new request for help.. This time re San Fran ... Might see some of you there ( in post not Sean Fran although you never know!