NYC Christmas Vacation
 

Hello!
My husband and I are considering running off this year for Christmas....we both have divorced parents and spend every holiday driving! So, we want to take a vacation from about the 22 through the 26th, and we would love to go to NYC. Are we crazy? Does anyone have any suggestions regarding hotels, parts of the city to avoid, etc? Neither one of us have spent a substantial amount of time in the city, and we are a bit overwhelmed by the prospect!! We really need help! Thanks!

Midtown and Times Square will be a zoo during that time. The good news is that it is so pretty all trussed up for the holidays! If you go, you will never forget the trip!

NYC is a wonderful destination over the holidays. You better make reservations soon. I would suggest accomodations in midtown wherever you can get the best deal as you won't spend too much time in the room anyway! If you plan to go to the theater, I would also recommend getting tickets ahead of time. There are 1/2 price tickets available the day of the show, but the lines will be very long at that time and you will end up wasting alot of time waiting in line. If you wait till the end of the day when there are no lines, your choices will be very limited.

Thanks so much for the replis so far.....when you say "midtown", is there a particular section that might be better at Christmas? Priceline segments midtown into east, west, etc. So much to consider!!

Midtown Manhattan is in the 50s. (I personally tend to think between 57th & 47th and Park to Seventh Aves). You'll be near all the Christmas displays in stores windows (Saks, Barney's, Bergdorfs, Lord & Taylor), Rockefeller Center (ice skating and the Tree), and Central Park (which is pretty when it's been snowing and also has ice skating). As it's already been mentioned, it will be really crowded but worth it.

Personally, I don't think you need to limit yourself to staying in Midtown. It's not difficult to get around the city using buses and subways. Just make sure the hotel you choose is close to a subway stop.

Any of the Priceline or Hotwire Midtown or Times Square areas would be just fine for the holidays. All have department stores with gorgeous windows within a reasonable walk.

If this is your first time using Priceine, do study the Hotel FAQ's at www.biddingfortravel.com. I, personally, would check Hotwire first and book that way if there's a hotel with a reasonable rate at the star level you want (I always stick to 4*'s and above).

Highly recommend getting tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular - it really is spectacular.

NYC at Christmas time is fantastic & BUSY. There are already several current threads on this board from people planning a similar trip. Midtown east on Priceline is a bit nearer the department stores. Midtown west is nearer the theater district. Both have pros & cons. For Priceline, I personally prefer the hotel choices in Upper midtown (do 4* if you can afford it). Other options to have more control over hotel choices are using quikbook.com, hotres.com and travelzoo.com among others. The Gorham hotel is often touted here as a good, clean, usually affordable place within easy walking of many of the usual tourist locations. It's not included on Priceline. The Warwick is also near there & is often on Priceline.

There's also nothing wrong with staying on the Upper west side which is a bit more residential but with easy access to midtown & tourist sights.

Thanks everyone!! This is very helpful! Yes, I have used Priceline nearly a hundred times, with fantasic results. I just looked into Hotwire and founf rooms in Midtown East for $100....some in Midtown South for $104. Would one section be better than the other? At these good rates, I am ready to book it now! I never thought it would be this reasonable during the holidays!

PS if you want to try bidding on Hotwire as suggested, look at betterbidding.com which lists BOTH Priceline and Hotwire hotels. Biddingfortravel only has Priceline.

What does everyone have to say about the location, etc., of the Roosevelt Hotel or the Radisson Lexington?? They are VERY well priced on Hotwire when combined with airfare.....

Both the Roosevelt and Raddison are fine hotels in excellent (read that, "convenient") locations. Among the sites within a mile radius are 5th Avenue, theater district, major departments stores (Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Saks and Lord & Taylor), Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, etc., etc., etc.

OK, I know this may be a bit hard to answer, but here goes:
Consider 2 young newlyweds, who will not be doing any shopping (other than the window kind), who are OK without eating in expensive restaurants, and who really just want to experience the sights.....how much $ would you suggest they take with them for spending (apart from air and hotel) for 4 nights? We just have no idea what to expect concerning cab fares, coffee in the morning, light lunches, martinis, etc.....:)

Unless you get out of Midtown, a restaurant lunch can cost around $40 and up for two and martinis are very expensive in hotel bars ($17 each). Get a copy of Time Out New York's Annual Eating and Drinking Guide at your local Barnes and Noble. It will list inexpensive restaurants and bars and with some planning, you can spend less.

My husbands likes to refer to Midtown Manhattan as the big black hole that sucks money out of you.

So, where is another alternative for lodging? Suggestions lead me TO Midton for the holidays, but I don't want to stay in the most expensive area in the city either! Is there another way?

If you stay in midtown (The Roosevelt or Radisson are fine. People also say the Helmsley on east 42nd st is good & well priced) you can manage to find breakfast & lunch for relatively little if you eat in coffee shops, pizza, delis etc. It just takes a bit more searching. OR, stay in a more residential neighborhood like the Upper west side, have more local inexpensive places to eat but pay for transportation to midtown for sightseeing. The average cab ride (20 blocks) is usually $5-6 but at Xmas it's more because of heavy traffic. Buying a metro card for buses/subways is cheaper.

I agree, avoid martinis (or any drinks) in hotel bars. Have a plan that suits your style. Option #1 small breakfast (coffee & bagel or roll) $5 max for 2 people. Then splurge for lunch at a nice restaurant that has fixed price lunches ($20/person+drink) Then light dinner/inexpensive dinner in Chinatown or ethnic food some place. Option 2, big breakfast $20 for 2 at a coffee shop, light lunch (slice of pizza or quick sandwich) & nice dinner. Since you're on a tight budget I suggest investing in a Zagat Restaurant guide which lists best buys, special prix fixe meals etc. It will pay for itself quickly.

Right here, look at the Fodor's mini guide for NY at less than $10

http://fodors.com/miniguides/mgresul...;feature=30005

Since you're young, you might like this funky hotel:
http://www.carltonarms.com/

Check out the rooms to see what I'm talking about. You can get a room for $90-$100. It's in a section called Murray Hill, a bit away from the tourist attractions, but there are plenty of restaurants that cater to locals and are therefore cheaper.

There's also the Gershwin Hotel, just 7 blocks south of the Empire State Building. You can get a hostel bed for $35/night or a private room for $100.

If you want a break from the crowds, head downtown to Union Square. There are tons of cheap, good restaurants in the area and on University Place to the south that cater to the NYU students. Or head west to the 40's and Ninth Ave. for more cheap, good restaurants.

When in doubt about prices, just find a pizza place. Pizza can only be so bad and it's cheap and filling. ;) I'd say count on spending at least $100/day on food and such. Have a great time!