nytraveler

Short-term apartment rental (less than 30 days) are illegal in all of New York State. Some companies and individual are still renting - but unless you are renting part of someone's private house you are subject to instant removal for trespassing if one of the buildings other residents complains about a lot of strangers hauling luggage in and out of the building.

There are some legal B&Bs - but they wil clearly say so - and will charge you the appropriate tax. Anyone not charging tax are illegal.

And there was a story on the news this am about an owner of a not ver pleasant building who was renting the apartments out to tourists illegally. Due to complaints from neighbors the police have now cracked down on him and he has changed the building to an SRO (single room occupancy) hotel for the homeless. I anticipate much more of this as neighbors get tired of the lack of security you get with tourists in and out and start making complaints in larger numbers.

katec1

I would have loved an apartment however it is not an option as being illegal you run a very high risk of being scammed etc which would really ruin a holiday. I have rented an apartment in Paris where it is legal and you still have to be very careful about your choice to ensure that you are getting what you paid for. Apartments are generally paid for prior to arrival so you can end up out of pocket quite easily. I spent close to a month researching and checking until I was comfortable with my choice.

Thanks for the suggestion of radio city apartments but nytraveller is right, a little too basic for me - although I have heard good things about them.

I plan on eating lots while in NY; bagels, pretzels and lots of pie (in a diner). Here in Australia we have been brought up on American sitcoms and movies and people are always eating pie in diners.....Now these may be stereotypes which are not true to life but don't destroy the dream people!!!

sf7307

katec, I thought I heard recently that short-term vacation apartment rentals were illegal in Paris now, too.

katec1

Not a chance....Vacation rentals are huge all across Europe and you can rent here in Oz as well. That is why I was so surprised when I found out that you are unable to do it in NYC. I know it drives forum users crazy that people keep asking the question but it is because it is so common everywhere else.

nytraveler

In New York people don;t eat a lot of pie in diners. NYC isn;t really big on pie. the local sweets are cheesecake (regular or Italian style) and black & whole cookies. Also, there is a rage for cupcakes at the moment - and before that it was tiramisu for a while. Most pie you would get in diners would be awful - although if an upscale restaurant had a variation - tarte tatin for example, I would give it a shot.

NeoPatrick

Don't forget that once you're paying over $400 a night, the taxes can add up close to another 100.

TC, you must have been dramatically upgraded at the Muse or else paid for a much more deluxe than standard room. The room we had had a queen bed against one wall and not much other space. The tiny closet held an ironing board and there was almost room to hang up two coats but nothing else. The bath was tiny with a single pedestal sink and NO place to put out toiletries. There was a TV in a cabinet facing the bed, but you couldn't see it if you wanted to sit in the only chair in the room -- you'd have to lay on the bed to see it.

ellenem

I agree about the pie. A typical diner in NYC will have a glass dessert display case--often with revolving shelves--featuring towering cakes and pies that look very alluring but disappoint virtually every time. Better to get pie at a bakery or restaurant well-known for its pastries.


I think nytraveler meant to write "black & white cookies," a large cake-like cookie with flat icing that is half vanilla, half chocolate.

TC

Howard, If you say so .... then I guess I'm a lucky girl, but we always book the cheapest room at The Muse and I've always had that same dbl/dbl configuration with the huge bath.

Katec1, for some "mile high" pie try the Brooklyn Diner. http://brooklyndiner.com/menu.htm

And if you really want an apartment, I suggest again The Manhattan Club. It's legal and completely within your budget.

TC

Oooops! Big senior moment! Sorry Patrick. Had just posted to Howard on another post.

ellenem

Brooklyn Diner will have much better pie. It is a restaurant masquerading as a diner.

katec1

Well I love cheesecake so its not all bad and cupcakes are very popular here too although macaroons are fast becoming the newest craze. I have never heard of these "black & white cookies" so I will have to look out for them when I come.

I must say that we are leaning towards either the Hotel Beacon or New York Palace at the moment. Vastly different choices I know.

Bowsprit

If you're in Brooklyn, head over to Gowanus and have a slice at Four and Twenty Blackbirds. "Keep your fork. There's pie".

www.birdsblack.com

TC

Katec1, The only thing I would enourage you to do is check out the Metro stops near the hotels you are considering. The Beacon is about 4 or 5 long blocks from a Metro stop. The Palace is about 2 blocks from a stop, but I think it only has access to one line.

I hope you and your Mom have a wonderful visit.

Bowsprit

The 72nd street station is a 3 minute walk from the Hotel Beacon. It has access to multiple lines. Check google maps for other directions, times and distances. Here's the wiki link of that station:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/72nd_St...th_Avenue_Line)

Hotel Beacon is Completely different than the Palace. Completely. Comparing apples to oranges, I think.

nytraveler

Please don;t say Metro. There is NO metro in NYC - only a subway. And the 72 St stop is an express with several trains - much more convenient than the local stop close to the Palace.

TC

You may call it the subway, but the signage is a great big "M" and I think that stands for metro.....doesn't it? Australian tourists will have a hard time locating an "S" sign.

Bowsprit

It is called the subway because it IS the subway. If there's still an 'M' outside the station it's simply a remnant of the
Metropolitan Transportation Authority and indicated one of their facilities; it Never stood for 'Metro'. You might take time to notice the 'M' indicating the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on buses but they're not a subway either. .

If an Australian visitor asks for directions to the 72nd Street Metro he'll be met with a blank stare. Have him ask for the subway instead and he'll get to where he means to go.

ellenem

The "M" signage is the logo of the MTA, which is the Metropolitan Transit Authority, which includes subways, local buses, commuter rail lines, as well as bridges and tunnels. Not all the subway stations are marked by the "M" on a square column. Many have the colored globe lights instead--or nothing. Because of this, instructing someone to watch for the "M" signage may be futile as well as confusing since there is an actual "M" train.

The guaranteed signage at the entrance to a subway station will be a sign featuring the number or letter of the actual train that stops at that station, the street name of the station, and whether this entrance serves uptown or downtown only.

NYC local train transport is never referred to as "the metro." Terms used would be "the subway," but even more likely as "the train" or by specific train number or letter, or perhaps "the el" if the speaker is referring to the train in an area where the train runs on elevated tracks.

taconictraveler

FWIW, I think the most convenient and "in" places to be now in NYC are NOT Times Square, although if you want to be near theater district, the Muse is in a good location, near by not IN Times Square (my single least favorite part of the city, noisy messy and only necessary to get to theatre.)
I love lower Park Ave, and Madison Ave areas now, Union Square, and Madison Park areas, where Eataly, and hot new restaurants are, but also pretty easy subway access to GCT and from there anywhere else in the city. Also south the the village, University Place, with great ethnic restaurants, SoHo, etc.
and North to great museums, all on the subway.
Don't know how expensive it is, but Gramercy Park Hotel is in a great location,and the park is nostalgic old New York.
Don't know how old Mom is, but I'm an old Mom and that's where I want to stay - near but not in the melee of Times Square..
You'll love it all, I hope.

taconictraveler

PS Palace is a waste of money, in my estimation, and the Beacon, though good, is too far (for me) from anything I want to see (it is a good value, my son and family stayed there and I saw the rooms. Not in same class as others you mentioned.