NYC - Unique stores, and what's actually worth it?
 

Hi, my family will be travelling to New York City this August. Two teenagers and two adults. I have just a few questions.

Are there any specialty stores (Nintendo World, Apple Store, etc.) that are absolutely wonderful?

Also, what about location. My family cannot figure out where to stay (3 star or above). We will probably see a broadway play and see the usual sights around midtown-central park, rockefeller center, GC station. Is the Waldorf a good location? And are the rooms large enough for 4? Would anyone recommend the Marriott Marquis at $319 a night?

Any other thoughts? Thanks for putting up with my questions!

Most NYC hotel rooms are not large enough for 4 - many have 1 queen to 2 twin beds. Would not reco the Waldorf - in a primarily business area and rooms are uneven.

Marriott Marquis at $319 sounds like a huge bargain - although I hate Times Square (fine to see and go to the theater - but very loud, tack, garish and mobbed constantly). You might look at the Affinia group of all-suite hotels - moderate prices and get usually very good reviews - plus the extra room is a big help with 4 people.

For teens - trendy is much further downtown (you might check out Embassy Suites downtown). And you'll domuch better with good, inxpensive restaurants if you get out of midtown - try upper west side, lower east side, village etc.

Don;t know how Apple Store would be wonderful - is it that different from the Apple Store at your local mall? Although I have heard that they have a team of experts that will help you sort out problems for free if you bring in your computer.

Not sure what you mean by "wonderful," but if you are interested in eletronics, computers and cameras, etc, I think J&R, with several adjacent stores near City Hall, and B&H, behind Penn Station are pretty terrific and offer great prices.

Not knowing anything about your teens, I would still suggest that they will be into the stores around Times Square, particularly the Virgin Music Megastore, and acros the street the MTV store and the surf store next door (Roxy or Quiksilver), maybe even the Hello Kitty store on 42nd St (if teen girls). The whole scene around there with the signage is pretty cool if they have never been there before. Then head downtown, to Soho and the Village, and Union Square.

Marriot Marquis rooms are large enough for 4, so are NY Hilton rooms. Recently stayed at Westin Times Square and room was not huge, but hotel was cool looking, clean and 4 fit adequately.

The Nintendo World Store in Rockefeller Center is definitely worth a special trip if your kids like videogames. They have a HUGE selection of merchandise, almost every game for Gamecube, GameBoy and the DS, as well as a mini 'Nintendo Museum' with rare items. You can also play a huge selection of games there and the staff is very helpful. I find that the game prices there compare very favorably with regular stores, they are my game store of choice nowadays. It is the only store of its kind in the USA. A++

The Apple Stores in NY are just like the ones at your local mall, but the 59th Street location is open 24 hours. If your local mall does not have one, it is worth a trip. You can 'test drive' almost all Apple products there.

The Sanrio (Hello Kitty) store on West 42nd Street is also excellent. They carry a wide range of (sickeningly cute) products. It's just down from BB King's Blues Club.

If your kids collect or are interested in Toys, particularly Japanese import Toys, I strongly recommend a store called Toy Tokyo at 121 2nd Avenue in the East Village.

If they like Comic Books, do not miss Jim Hanley's Universe at 4 West 33rd Street, directly across from the Empire State Building. It is the finest Comic store in NYC by far.

The MTV store in Times Sq. is good if your teens are die-hard fans, but be aware it is somewhat expensive and does not carry pins, bumperstickers, etc. or other cheap souveniers. It is mostly pricey shirts, DVD sets, things like that.

All Husbands enjoy J&R Music World, a superblock of stores that focus on Electronics, DVDs, etc. It is a short walk from Ground Zero at 23 Park Row and is 100% reliable with exceptionally good prices.

If city noise bothers you, choose the Waldorf (on Park Avenue) over the Marriott Marquis (in the middle of Times Square). Both are excellent locations for Midtown-centered visits, and both connect to almost all Subway lines.

For comic books and sci fr kinds of things, check out Forbidden Planet on 12th St and Broadway. Across from Forbidden Planet is Strand bookstore, famous for it's stacks of out-of-print books.

We just returned from NYC & stayed @ the Hilton Garden Inn(or something like that) on 8th Ave. bwtween 49th & 50th. 2 Queens, 4 people (2 adults, 2 - 20 yr olds) for $229/night. I kind of like the Hershey store & the toy stores. The NBA store is also pretty interesting. (From a young at heart, male perspective).

Dirty Rat Bastard (it is a store) for the teenagers...
Payard for fantastic coffee and pastries

Thanks for the help!
Just to clear things up, I'm one of the teenagers, a 17 year old guy (sorry for the confusion). Actually, there is not an Apple Store at my local mall. I appreciate it. We just booked the Hilton NY for $299 a night. Interestingly, we saved $30 a night just for becoming a HHonors member at no charge.

Keep the posts coming!

Here are some restaurants my kids like that might appeal to you - I am sure you can check them out on line. Of course, in NYC there is a great restaurant on every corner !

Via della Pace: 48 E 7th (at 7th and 2nd) - delicious italian, reasonable prices
S.E.A. - 2nd between 4th adn 5th: super cheap, good and fast, thai food - but it can take a while to get a table but it's quick eating
Pylos - Greek - excellent - 128 E 7th between 1st and A -
Boca Chica: 1st and 1st - cuban/spanish flair - quesedilla, enchilada, rice, beans, some good seafood, etc

Stromboli at St Marks and 1st which is great for a late night slice of pizza b/c it is open until somewwhere around 4am

Crif Dogs - on st Marks between 1st and A - this great hot dog place near there, with every kind of topping you can imagine, which is kind of fun -any kind of hot dogs wrapped in bacon w/ avocado, egg creams, shakes, tater tots, chili dogs, things you'd never imagine - and it is open into the wee hours

you can check these on the web, if you are looking for "top restaurants" - b/c Mom and Dad want that, that's another list but they would also enjoy these places.

For dessert: there is a place called Chikalicious
and it's on 10th st between 1st and 2nd - a dessert "bar" you sit and order desserts = that's all they serve -
web is www.chikalicious.com - i think they are open until 11:30 or until they sell out -

For walking, stores, etc aside from the ones mentioned, my kids like strolling through SoHo down to NoLita - Chinatown area for dinner and walking around -

If you go to any museums, some of my kids favorties were always - and still are - MOMA, The Natural History Museum and the MET - which has a great view from the roof of Central Park, which you should also spend some time in on a nice afternoon - and here's a tiny url link to some store info for you:
http://tinyurl.com/gb8pl