New York City ?'s
 

Planning on taking a trip first week of April. 1) How long would it take to walk the Brooklyn Bridge? 2) Would there be anything going on at Coney Island or it is too early in the year? 3) When using a town car that you pay by the hour if you go 2 hours and 15 mins. Is it three hours or 2 1/4 hours? Thank you.

1) a half hour each way...or so, depends how fast you walk of course.<BR><BR>2) beach will be closed but you can get a hot dog at Nathans...not sure if any rides would be open but hte aquarium should be.<BR><BR>3) I lost you here.

3) Depends on the company. With taxi's on the meter it's an approved rate by distance and time. Livery cabs (non-metered taxis) just charge a flat rate by destination.

If you're planning on using a towncar to drive around the city and see the sights, i would recommend against it. You could very easily get caught in traffic and move 15 blocks in a 60 minute timeframe.<BR><BR>Best way to get around is by subway... explore an area by foot, get in the subway to another area, explore some more, subway again, etc.

Walking the bridge isn't too long of a walk--I agree with earlier poster--30-45 mins each way. I think there are so many more things to do with your time in NYC!<BR><BR>Not much goes on in Coney Island in general--it is not what it used to be. It is not the safest place--sort of seedy. But the hotdogs at Nathan's are good. <BR><BR>I would skip the town car--use a cab, foot or subway. Town cars are likely to be very expensive and rip you off. At least cabs have meters. <BR><BR>Have a great time! NYC is the best!

PSCB:<BR><BR>Q: 3 Forget the towncar. Take a bus! I am surprised how many people avoid recommending this great way to see the city! Yes it is a bit confusing with express busses, bus numbers, bus routes and it will be a slower go.... But if you go to Madison Ave you can get some local buses going uptown, and then head over to 5th ave for the downtown buses. All this for the price of a Metro fare. You can even go crosstown on the same fare if you link the trips. Hey, you have all the time to wander up and about this city! A great way to stay above ground to see the sights<BR>JOHN

<BR>1) If you're fairly athletic, 15-20 minutes (I've done it 100s of times). It IS worth it. Just keep out of the bike lane or I'll run you over ;) <BR>Even better: walking across the Manhattan Bridge. Less tourists, better views, and more thrilling...since you're walking alongside speeding subway trains.<BR><BR>2) I have been to Coney Island in April...several of the amusement areas will be open, but not all of them. Nathan's is open year round. There will be a few crazy people surfing. It will likely be windy and chilly on the boardwalk.<BR><BR>3) No clue. I'd just take the subway or a cab.<BR><BR>Enjoy your trip!

I'll chime in a second time....<BR><BR>-reiterate my first post of not using a town car if just using it to &quot;get around&quot; the city... when in Rome, do as the Romans, when in NY, do as the NYers<BR><BR>-if the whether is nice and you enjoy &quot;athletic type&quot; things, DO walk over the Bklyn Bridge. Having lived in the area my whole life i walked the bridge for the first time a few years ago and was sorry i didn't do it sooner. If you think the walk is too much, walk one way and take the subway in the other direction.<BR><BR>Once over the bridge, i recommedn Grimaldi's pizza (sit down pizza place, no slices, and expect a line if during &quot;meal&quot; hours). Then walk down to the promenade, get some ice cream at the Ice Cream Factory(?? not 100% certain of name) and take in more of the view!

Following up on hotel's post, on the Brooklyn side of the bridge, Grimaldi's has fantastic pizza and great &quot;red-checked tablecloth/Sinatra on the jukbox&quot; atmosphere. Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory is just down the block and across the street from Grimaldi's (right by River Cafe) and is wonderful too. Also in the neighborhood (around the corner on Front Street) is Jacques Torres' chocolate shop -- chocolates, croissants and incredible hot chocolate. All of this, right by the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge!<BR><BR>After filling up, you can walk up the hill to the Promenade, for beautiful views of the harbor and downtown Manhattan (Brooklyn Heights is the neighborhood you'll be in) and then you can catch a cab or subway any place you need to go.

Coney Island has an excellent aquarium and I highly recommend it. April is still cool in NY and I don't believe they have the dolphin show that early in the year. The aquarium is near the amusement area. This has rides and carnival type games. It attracts a funky, multiracial crowd and this can make some people uncomfortable. The rides are really jumping in the summer but might be empty or closed in April. The world famous Cyclone is in Coney Island and this is a must if you love roller coasters. It is an old, wooden construction and the clankety clank is part of the thrill. All this is right on the boardwalk and you can easily walk down to the beach. The beach may be fairly empty in April and it might be unsafe. You can safely walk down the boardwalk from Coney Island to Brighton Beach, which is now a Russian neighborhood. There are many interesting stores, restaurants, even night clubs (which are great fun) on nearby Brighton Beach Avenue. You can then catch the train back to Manhattan from Brighton. While Coney Island and Brighton Beach are easily accessible by subway, it is at least an hour ride from Manhattan. So, if you are on a tight time frame, it might not be the best use of your time.

I had some friends in the city a few years ago and rented a town car for a afternoon to show them the city. We went all over Manhattan from the BAttery to the Cloisters and they really enjoyed seeing everything very comfortably from the comfort of the car. We stopped a few places, stopped for lunch and enjoyed not having to worry about transportation.<BR><BR>Call one of the car services in the city for more info on prices.<BR><BR>April her will still be a bit on the cool side, but probably some of the flowers will be out and the greenery will just be starting.<BR><BR>Have a great time while you are here.<BR>

Several people recommended using the bus and subway to get around. Consider a day-(Fun Pass) or weekly pass for both subway and bus. The day pass is $4 and a great bargain plus time saver...the weekly pass may be $17. I buy mine at any tourist information booth. Have fun.

I've taken three groups of visiting relatives on a Brooklyn Bridge walk and it always receives rave reviews and they list it as one of the highlights of the trip. One tip: you don't really need to walk the entire Bridge to get the &quot;Brooklyn Bridge&quot; experience. Just walk to the first tower from City Hall in Manhattan. There are plaques there which explain some of the history of the Bridge, the views of lower Manhattan are magnificent, you're over water and you get all the famous patterns of the cables (which make fun photos). Then walk back and do something in lower Manhattan, whether its Ground Zero, the Stock Exchange, Federal Hall, the Museum of the American Indian or the Staten Island Ferry. All are within walking distance.<BR><BR>As for getting around the city, you can purchase all of the Metrocards (daily, weekly, monthly) at the vending machines in every Subway station using a major credit card. It's very easy and quite convenient. And, yes, buses are a great way to see the city if you avoid rush hours and the East Side when someone important visits (like the President).

We love using the buses in NYC. Just go to any subway station and pick up a pass (a bargain which also precludes the need for change) and a free map (easy to follow). The maps are excellent, buses run frequently (usually, every 5-15 minutes, even nights and weekends), and stop every two blocks or so. The drivers are very friendly, too. Just tell them where you're going, and they'll let you know when you've reached the nearest stop.

Definitely walk the Brooklyn Bridge..no matter how long it takes..especially if it's a nice day..Then keep walking for a few minutes into Brooklyn Heights and have lunch at one of the great restaurants there..I love doing that and I've lived here all my life!!