Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > United States
Reload this Page >

NYC - should I avoid it during Spring Break?

Search

NYC - should I avoid it during Spring Break?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jun 2nd, 2014, 10:39 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 178
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
NYC - should I avoid it during Spring Break?

There is a chance our two week vacation in NYC may coincide with your spring break over Easter next year. I've heard hotel prices are sky high, and crowds are big, should i make a big effort to avoid this time of year? thanks for your thoughts
Kazza3013 is offline  
Old Jun 2nd, 2014, 11:59 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 6,476
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
NYC gets 50 million visitors a year and I did not even realize spring break mattered as an usual tourist time.
IMDonehere is offline  
Old Jun 3rd, 2014, 03:34 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
NYC is not a major spring break vacation. I'm sure there are some tourists here for that but this is not an especially mobbed time of year - that is the time from mid Oct through Christmas.

Will there be a lot of tourists - yes, there always are except in Jan and Feb.
nytraveler is offline  
Old Jun 3rd, 2014, 03:45 AM
  #4  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 178
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Great, thanks for your advice
Kazza3013 is offline  
Old Jun 3rd, 2014, 04:33 AM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,169
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Most people want to go somewhere warm.

Spring break in general is early to mid March for most schools and universities.

New England schools generally have a February holiday and a mid-April holiday, a week each.

Easter in 2015 is April 5, so neither of these is near Easter.
Ackislander is offline  
Old Jun 3rd, 2014, 04:35 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 6,476
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
BTW, if you ever want to go the popular brunch places go either Memorial Day weekend or Labor Day weekend. And if they are not in midtown, Christmas week. Many NY'ers are away those weeks.
IMDonehere is offline  
Old Jun 3rd, 2014, 06:02 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 10,210
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Actually, NYC is a huge spring break destination for school kids primarily in high school and junior high. It's also a huge destination for Europeans during Easter week. But in terms of the number of tourists and crowds, these aren't even noticeable. Most school groups don't even stay in Manhattan. They fill up hotels in the NJ suburbs and bus the kids in daily. But you may very well see groups of 40 kids trying to crowd onto a subway car at the same time, but that is more annoying to New Yorkers than tourists.
doug_stallings is offline  
Old Jun 3rd, 2014, 02:41 PM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
There are areas of NYC that are always insanely crowded (Broadway in Soho, around Rockefeller Ctr in midtown). They are worse at holidays.

But...like most other big cities if you stay away from these main drags it can be blissfully uncrowded. Amble on side streets in any neighborhood.

One thing about NYC (where I lived for 5 years, and subsequently have spent much time in...) is that all coffee/tea places and even slightly popular eating places seem to be very hard to get in anywhere near meal hours. Plan accordingly.
CharlotteK is offline  
Old Jun 3rd, 2014, 05:13 PM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well, naturally if places are any good they will be full at prime times. The places that are empty probably have sub par food.

And I have found places to be insanely crowded only between Thanksgiving and Christmas - not in the spring - unless on Fifth Ave in front of the St Pat's - for the Easter parade.
nytraveler is offline  
Old Jun 3rd, 2014, 05:35 PM
  #10  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 178
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Great adivce thanks
Kazza3013 is offline  
Old Jun 3rd, 2014, 05:42 PM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 82,891
Received 46 Likes on 17 Posts
I've been there during spring break, specifically the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. I was staying on the UWS but I didn't notice any particular crowds in the more touristy areas of the city. Hotel rates may be high but crowds won't be big.
starrs is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
nytraveler
United States
5
Mar 31st, 2010 07:19 AM
summer04
United States
5
Jan 23rd, 2005 03:24 PM
missm
United States
7
Oct 18th, 2004 08:24 AM
busterbrown
United States
6
Jul 16th, 2004 08:08 AM
blep
United States
13
Feb 3rd, 2004 04:16 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On



Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -