I'm planning a 3 or 4 day trip to NY in March, staying midtown or upper east side, and was after any ideas for places to go/things to see but wanting more of a fashionable/trendy experience - think sex & the city / gossip girl/ the City
We'll be two girls in their mid to late twenties with reasonable budgets wanting to make the most of our trip.
Any suggestions for a truly memorable trip?? Day and night ideas welcome!

Do you know about he Sex and the City tour? It was fun!

Just a note. It's particularly inconvenient to stay on the Upper East Side. It's a fine place to visit but fairly isolated from "trendy" Manhattan, which is downtown ... way downtown. Look for a hotel in SoHo, not in Midtown. If you want to be more central, you could stay at the newly renovated Gramercy Park Hotel. That's central to everything and very fashionable now.

You don't say what your budget is, but be prepared to spend minimum in the $300s for hotels and be sure to budget for food, drinks, shopping, and taxis.

While I don't agree that staying on the upper east side is "particularly inconvenient" (I think the Affinia Gardens is extremely convenient for a girls shopping trip) I will say there aren't many hotels in the area to chose from and it's not particularly trendy right now. I think one way to have a truly memorable trip is to stay in one of the trendier areas like the lower east side, Soho, Tribeca. The Hotel on Rivington and the Thompson LES, both on the lower east side are sometimes affordable on quikbook.com but you may have to share a bed. (Many of the trendy hotels only have rooms with one queen or king bed). If the doesn't fit the budget, a less trendy hotel like the Hampton Inn or the Four Points Sheraton in Soho is a good compromise.

Here's a link to info on the les and Nolita. http://nymag.com/visitorsguide/neigh...ds/les-nolita/ You'll find similar info about other neighborhoods on the same website here http://nymag.com/realestate/

The Four Points Soho is a good solid fairly inexpensive place to stay, I've stayed there. Rooms and bathrooms are on the small side but ok for two people if you are not spending a lot of time in the room- it is not a lounging type space. You can walk to a lot of hip shopping. Definitely go to the Young Designers Market on Mulberry St. btwn Prince and Houston (see here: http://www.themarketnyc.com/) on Fri, Sat, or Sun. It is a very fun market with one of a kind handmade jewelry and clothes, vintage, hair decor, etc. and you can talk to the artists and designers as you shop and buy items. You can also walk to lots of great restaurants and bars in Soho.

I also like the Four Points in Chelsea, but then I love the vintage (esp. jewelry at Pippin), consignment (next door to Pippin), and shops like Housing Works and Angel Thrift on W. 17th St w/great clothes, shoes, and bags. I can spend a couple hrs on that st. in Chelsea. BTW, Sarah Jessica Parker has a video commercial for Housing Works on their website...it is not only trendy to shop in those type places with their upper scale donations and consignments (I've seen great Prada shoes for $40 at Angel Thrift, and great clothes), but you are helping the community.

McLaurie turned me on to Housing Works and Angel Thrift a few yrs ago and now I go on every visit to NYC. Last time I got a Kenneth Jay Lane purse, the one w/the replica of the big gold filigree butterfly like the Kenneth Jay Lane necklace SJP wore in one of the seasons of SITC. It retails for $330 and I got it for $75, hardly used/like new, at Housing Works! I got it in purple. One of my best buys in 2009!
http://tinyurl.com/ykzbuqo

If you stay in Soho here is a hint- you might want to check the schedule online for the Apple store in Soho close to the time you come. There is a performance space on the 2nd floor and they frequently have good live bands there free (Linkin Park adn Sonic Youth have played there), and actors and directors come to promote openings of films (eg SJP and Hugh Grant are going to be there Dec 15 to promote their new movie), etc. They don't advertise those type events until about 2wks before, only on the website.

http://www.dailycandy.com/new-york/
Bookmark this and check it just before you go. Among other things, it lists all the sample sales. It's a great resource.

Sorry - canthink of nothing les trendy than Sex and the City Tour. Who wants to see where an old TV show was filmed. The world has moved on - NYC changes trendy places every 4 to 6 months - and many of those are passe.

Agree to stay downtown.

If you want trendy clubs at night be prepared to wait on long lines and hope to be allowed in. Make sure your clothes and hair are trendy (and look expensive) and be charming at the door. Don't go before 11 - unless it's a place with decent food and you're also eating dinner and be prepared for drinks to be big $. Fri and Sat night are "bridge and tunnel" (from the suburbs) - Thurs and Sun are for the trendy (all from my 20 and 23 step-daughers). Although in March I would think a lot of the uber trendy are in the Carib - or still skiing in Vail or Gstaad.

Sorry. I took the tour. It was a blast. Full of fans of the show with three interesting stops. Fans of the show will enjoy it. A large tour bus (nice) loads at the Plaza and gives you an overview of the city with the focus on places that are featured in the show (obviously). Part of the fun is the younger crowd dressing up for the event. Our guide was excellent. The cosmos were pretty darn good too.

CHEAP SLEEP at the YMCA in mid (east) town. WAY CHEAP. Stayed there last spring. HUGE savings!

GypsyMaiden, I'm curious. Did you read the original post?

The Iroquois in mid-town is wonderful-have stayed there many times.

If you are shopping for your man, this is the place to find something special (they did try to screw over Cigalechanta once, so be careful about trying to return merchandise):

www.ateliernewyork.com

Also for your man:

www.openingceremony.us

pour vous:

www.nanettelepore.com

www.mickmargo.com

www.kirnazabete.com


I agree with doug, stay in Soho. One of my fav stores in Soho is Pearl River Mart.

Thin

If you want to be hip try the

Blue Moon Hotel on Orchid Street
Bowery Hotel

Then there are the reaturants nearby on Stanton, Rivington, and Clinton or go north of Houston to the East Village.

Visit the art galleries in the West 20's on the 500 blocks. And the scores of music venues downtown.

If you want to be trendy, then see where are all the other tourists are going and head in the opposite direction.

I know you meant to be funny, Auduchamp, but what a silly thought --that there aren't hundreds or thousands of TRENDY tourists who do go to New York and who seek out the trendy places. Our poster here is not the first one, believe it or not.

You just mentioned the "HIP" Blue Moon Hotel. Don't you think it is usually occupied by TOURISTS? Trendy ones, but still tourists? Or do you think only locals from a block away go there to stay?

Auduchamp is Right. I would also look at the Off-Soho Suites. It is an apartment building converted to hotel and you are across from Freeman's Alley. No comment on Sex and the City as far as hip. Has been redone in the last 2 years, I have sent people I know to this hotel and it is a fine place with plenty of room and a kitchenette.

If you want to blow a wad, the Gansevoort Hotel is a possible choice where your sex and the city/B&T lovers will be; a new club just opened in the hotel this week, or you can slum at the Jane Hotel for a high price.

Neo-

I know you are the self-appointed patron saint of all tourists, whether they ask for your guidance or forgiveness or not. And now you are the self-appointed lord high executioner of hyperbole and humor. Since I do not beleive in gods or their representatives or apostles, i will not argue. You are right.

One of the hipper places to stay right now is The Ace on 6th and 29th St. Lots of shopping in the area, close to Macy's and most of the subway lines are just a few blocks away. It is one of the places where well known musicians have been staying in the city.

Have a great time while you are here.

No one mentioned the Standard Hotel......



http://www.standardhotels.com/new-york-city/

thank you all so much for your posts and suggestions so far - these look great. I'm not really looking to go on super-fan tours for SATC, but more using as inspiration for the type of places to go etc - but all of you have been really helpful so thanks.
I'm sure come March there'll be new hotspots, but having never been to NYC before it's good to get a grasp on areas/bars/shopping areas that are going to be a good starting point away from the people buying plastic replicas of the statue
(no offense to anyone who wants one/owns one!)
Our budget is pretty healthy (I think/hope) of about £700/$1100 for flights and accomm. so the suggestions above are hitting the right mark (bar the YMCA??!!)
Thanks again guys!

and meant per person on the budget...