Beans

I’ve been to NYC before, a couple of years back was the most recent trip, and I find that I’m going to be there again in October. There is a problem in that I’ve recently had surgery on BOTH feet.

It would be a shame to be in such a great city but basically handicapped for walking. I’ve found the buses in NYC agonizingly slow and the subway needlessly confusing (as compared to DC, Tokyo, or London).

As I recall, cabs were reasonable in New York, are they still? (It seems like I could go about anywhere in Manhattan for $10 or lessWhat is a fair tip for a cabbie? By the way I will be spending my time exclusively in Manhattan and am staying at the Pennsylvania Hotel. I’m meeting friends and it’s already been agreed that they are to go their own way as I refuse to be a “fifth wheel”. We will have our breakfasts and dinners together and otherwise will be apart during the day.

Any suggestions (and yes, I’ve considered just staying home, but since my friends are from Europe and I won’t have a chance to see them for at least another year, staying home isn’t really an option…)

tony dagama

I can't see someone without the use of his feet getting in and out of cabs in the city.

Have you considered renting one of those rascal runabouts that the elderly use? Think Seinfeld.

Beans

Sorry, Tony, I wasn’t being very clear (By the way, George on the Rascal was a hoot, and the visual image of me doing likewise made me laugh!)

I’m not like wheelchair bound; I can walk, just not nearly to the extent that I’m used to. After an hour or so I need a walking stick and after another hour I’m pretty much out of it.

But in and out of cabs etc. is no problem. )(Another problem with the subway is the chance of having to stand indefinitely.)

But I definitely would be able to keep up with my buds, as they’re going to be balls-to-the wall to “live” New York City in the few days they have. Unfortunately, I’m not up to that.

Notahale

Cabs aren't always the easiest thing to find unless you are in front of a hotel so don't depend on them. Can you afford to hire a car and driver?

Marilyn

Most taxi rides in Manhattan are still under $10, depending very much on traffic. Of course, 3 or 4 of these trips a day add up quickly. I tip 15-20%, on the high side if I feel the driver has gone out of his way to get me somewhere quickly or otherwise gone a little further than usual service.

The problem I see is for you to get a cab in the first place. I'm sure your hotel will help you when leaving there, but what about the rest of the day? There are certain times and places where getting a taxi is almost impossible -- especially if it is raining. You might end up standing on a corner for half an hour, or needing to walk a few blocks to a better location for hailing a cab.

If you have some extra money to spend on this trip, you might consider hiring a car from a car service for some of your time. The car will wait for you when you go into museums or restaurants, and the driver will be there to assist you. This can be expensive, but if your friends were to share the car service it would be a lot cheaper per person, and it sure is a convenient way to get around New York!

You don't say that you will be on crutches, using a walker, or in a wheelchair, so I assume only that you shouldn't be spending a lot of time on your feet post-surgery.

Margie

Unfortunately I certainly can’t afford a private car, I know, having done that once in the past. I’m not looking to wander to far afield (I’m there on business) but would like to visit it the Guggenheim and would also appreciate it if anyone has a hint concerning interesting places to visit very locally. I will be staying in the neighborhood of 70th and Lexington.

Jen

Has somebody out there got a link to Dave Barry's article about staying in the "Hotel Shmennsylvania" for the sake of this poor woman?

justathought

Yes, I have heard that Hotel Pennsylannia is the pits, to put it mildly. She may want to rethink that one. Suggestion for reasonably priced hotel - Bentley Hotel on Upper East Side - very decent, nice and clean - great value for money. But it is a bit out of the way for someone with limited mobility - she would definetly have to depend on cabs to get about.

Marilyn

Who's Margie and what happened to Beans? Has this thread been hijacked?

Jen

There are SO many better places to stay for smiliar budget, than the Penn! If you're afraid to try Priceline, at least look into the hotels run by applecorehotels.com, they're reasonably priced, recently renovated, and conveniently located. I stayed at the Comfort Inn MIDTOWN and thought it was a very good value.

Beans, to answer your original question: Yes, cab fares in Manhattan are reasonable and a very practical way to avoid long walks, or subway stations. Do look into the uptown/downtown bus routes, though, they can cover a lot of ground for you pretty cheaply and are also much more predicatable than cabs.

NotDave

Hotel, shmotel -- I'll just shtay in the shtreet (Dave Barry Goes To NYC)
The Miami Herald | 6-2-2002 | Dave Barry

Margie

Hi: sorry about that, I didn't highjack Bean's spot, but then mine didn't appear as I had originally written it, it should have said:

"Oddly enough I’m in a very similar situation with Beans, having just undergone surgery on one foot. I too will be in New York City in October (ooh, the romantic possibilities…assuming beans is a guy…)

Unfortunately I certainly can’t afford a private car, I know, having done that once in the past. I’m not looking to wander to far afield (I’m there on business) but would like to visit it the Guggenheim and would also appreciate it if anyone has a hint concerning interesting places to visit very locally. I will be staying in the neighborhood of 70th and Lexington."

Now, with that out of the way, would you suggest that I buy a subway/bus pass and rely more on busses? I don't care for the NY subway, either, but as I remember the pass is good for both.

YaYa

Hotel, shmotel -- I'll just shtay in the shtreet (Dave Barry Goes To NYC)
The Miami Herald | 6-2-2002 | Dave Barry

So we went to New York City for some urban excitement, which began when we saw our hotel. To avoid hurt feelings, I will call it by a made-up name, ''The Hotel Shpennsylvania.'' It's in midtown Shmanhattan, across the street from Shmadison Square Garden.

The Hotel Shpennsylvania was apparently built around the time that North America became a separate continent. I am told that, at one time, it was quite elegant. Of course, I am also told that, at one time, Elizabeth Taylor was a virgin.

Our first whiff of the Hotel Shpennsylvania experience came when we entered the lobby, which is furnished in a functional yet practical style, consisting of: a floor. There is more seating provided on the lunar surface than in the lobby of the Hotel Shpennsylvania. This leaves plenty of room to stand, which is what we did for quite a while, in a check-in line approximately the length of the Great Wall of China, but not moving as fast. If you have a
loved one who mysteriously disappeared years ago and has not been heard from since, you should consider the possibility that this person is simply attempting to check in to the Hotel Shpennsylvania.

YaYa

The good news was, we finally got a room. The bad news was, it was room 436. If you ever get a chance to stay in this room, I advise you to say: ''Thanks, but I'd prefer a Dumpster, if there's one available.'' I say this because room 436 is a very Spartan. I use the word ''Spartan'' not only in the sense of ''austere,'' but also in the sense of ``last renovated in 500 B.C.''

The walls, ceiling and floor appeared to be made of compressed grime; you got the feeling that if you took a damp cloth and started wiping the walls, you would wipe a hole right into the next room. These walls had no decoration of any kind, unless you count stains. One of the window shades had fallen down, revealing a sweeping panoramic view of: a wall. There were no chairs. There were two sad old beds with mattresses that felt like they were stuffed
with dead squid, and a battered desk with a sign on it informing us -- I am not making this up -- that new furniture had been ordered for the room, but it had not arrived yet. This sign appeared to be several years old.

When you turned on the bathtub taps, what came out looked like some kind of weak soup. Maybe this was a hotel selling point (``All Rooms With Hot and Cold Running Broth!'').

Of course we should have marched down to the desk and demanded a new room, or even checked out. But we did not, for two solid reasons: (1) We didn't want to wait in the lobby line again, and (2) We are shmorons.

So instead we went out for the evening. Then, like characters in a bad horror movie who, against all common sense, go down into the dark basement, we returned to room 436.

We enjoyed a restful night until about 1 a.m., when the couple next door returned to their room. This couple was really hitting it off, if you know what I mean. I did not realize that it was physically possible for humans to hit it off that many times in one night. We could hear them clearly, because compressed grime does not block sound well, and they were hitting it off with intensity, passion, and what sounded like at least four head of cattle.

During those brief periods when the couple was resting, smoking cigarettes, watering the livestock, etc., we would listen to the people in the room on the other side, who apparently were in town for the International Convention of Loud Talkers With Insomnia. They were having a fine time, the kind of time when everything is so hilarious that everybody must repeat it at least four times.

A distinct aroma drifting through the grime made us wonder if they were using shmarijuana, but of course that would be illegal, even in New York. Whatever it was, it quieted them down for brief periods, during which the couple on the other side would rouse the steers again. Before we knew it, it was dawn.

Other than that, we had a fine time in New York, a truly great city with some of the world's best museums, theaters, restaurants and shopping. Some day we will go back and actually see these things. On this trip, we mainly napped. When we do go back, we won't stay at the Hotel Shpennsylvania. We'll stay somewhere farther from the ''heart of the action.'' Such as Shmontana.

YaYa

The good news was, we finally got a room. The bad news was, it was room 436. If you ever get a chance to stay in this room, I advise you to say: ''Thanks, but I'd prefer a Dumpster, if there's one available.'' I say this because room 436 is a very Spartan. I use the word ''Spartan'' not only in the sense of ''austere,'' but also in the sense of ``last renovated in 500 B.C.''

The walls, ceiling and floor appeared to be made of compressed grime; you got the feeling that if you took a damp cloth and started wiping the walls, you would wipe a hole right into the next room. These walls had no decoration of any kind, unless you count stains. One of the window shades had fallen down, revealing a sweeping panoramic view of: a wall. There were no chairs. There were two sad old beds with mattresses that felt like they were stuffed
with dead squid, and a battered desk with a sign on it informing us -- I am not making this up -- that new furniture had been ordered for the room, but it had not arrived yet. This sign appeared to be several years old.

When you turned on the bathtub taps, what came out looked like some kind of weak soup. Maybe this was a hotel selling point (``All Rooms With Hot and Cold Running Broth!'').

Of course we should have marched down to the desk and demanded a new room, or even checked out. But we did not, for two solid reasons: (1) We didn't want to wait in the lobby line again, and (2) We are shmorons.

So instead we went out for the evening. Then, like characters in a bad horror movie who, against all common sense, go down into the dark basement, we returned to room 436.

We enjoyed a restful night until about 1 a.m., when the couple next door returned to their room. This couple was really hitting it off, if you know what I mean. I did not realize that it was physically possible for humans to hit it off that many times in one night. We could hear them clearly, because compressed grime does not block sound well, and they were hitting it off with intensity, passion, and what sounded like at least four head of cattle.

During those brief periods when the couple was resting, smoking cigarettes, watering the livestock, etc., we would listen to the people in the room on the other side, who apparently were in town for the International Convention of Loud Talkers With Insomnia. They were having a fine time, the kind of time when everything is so hilarious that everybody must repeat it at least four times.

A distinct aroma drifting through the grime made us wonder if they were using shmarijuana, but of course that would be illegal, even in New York. Whatever it was, it quieted them down for brief periods, during which the couple on the other side would rouse the steers again. Before we knew it, it was dawn.

Other than that, we had a fine time in New York, a truly great city with some of the world's best museums, theaters, restaurants and shopping. Some day we will go back and actually see these things. On this trip, we mainly napped. When we do go back, we won't stay at the Hotel Shpennsylvania. We'll stay somewhere farther from the ''heart of the action.'' Such as Shmontana.

YaYa

The good news was, we finally got a room. The bad news was, it was room 436. If you ever get a chance to stay in this room, I advise you to say: ''Thanks, but I'd prefer a Dumpster, if there's one available.'' I say this because room 436 is a very Spartan. I use the word ''Spartan'' not only in the sense of ''austere,'' but also in the sense of ``last renovated in 500 B.C.''

The walls, ceiling and floor appeared to be made of compressed grime; you got the feeling that if you took a damp cloth and started wiping the walls, you would wipe a hole right into the next room. These walls had no decoration of any kind, unless you count stains. One of the window shades had fallen down, revealing a sweeping panoramic view of: a wall. There were no chairs. There were two sad old beds with mattresses that felt like they were stuffed
with dead squid, and a battered desk with a sign on it informing us -- I am not making this up -- that new furniture had been ordered for the room, but it had not arrived yet. This sign appeared to be several years old.

When you turned on the bathtub taps, what came out looked like some kind of weak soup. Maybe this was a hotel selling point (``All Rooms With Hot and Cold Running Broth!'').

Of course we should have marched down to the desk and demanded a new room, or even checked out. But we did not, for two solid reasons: (1) We didn't want to wait in the lobby line again, and (2) We are shmorons.

So instead we went out for the evening. Then, like characters in a bad horror movie who, against all common sense, go down into the dark basement, we returned to room 436.

We enjoyed a restful night until about 1 a.m., when the couple next door returned to their room. This couple was really hitting it off, if you know what I mean. I did not realize that it was physically possible for humans to hit it off that many times in one night. We could hear them clearly, because compressed grime does not block sound well, and they were hitting it off with intensity, passion, and what sounded like at least four head of cattle.

During those brief periods when the couple was resting, smoking cigarettes, watering the livestock, etc., we would listen to the people in the room on the other side, who apparently were in town for the International Convention of Loud Talkers With Insomnia. They were having a fine time, the kind of time when everything is so hilarious that everybody must repeat it at least four times.

A distinct aroma drifting through the grime made us wonder if they were using shmarijuana, but of course that would be illegal, even in New York. Whatever it was, it quieted them down for brief periods, during which the couple on the other side would rouse the steers again. Before we knew it, it was dawn.

Ratbasstad

YA-YA gotten very boring and not in the least bit helpful. But then I find Dave Berry about as funny as Al Gore on a bad day.

I was under the impression that the post mentioned the Penn certainly not to "impress" anyone, rather than to let us know what part of town the Outoftowners were staying in. Frankly, I've never been in any hotel in NYC that was all that impressive, though I'm not a high-roller at all. I have spent upwards of $500 for a room that would have been $100 or less in just about any other city I've ever ben to.

Sad fact is, hotels in general are a real down-side about NY.

kevin

We just got back from our first trip to NYC from a city with just bus service and nothing else and we do not use the bus system here.The subway in NYC wasn't confusing at all! Have no idea what you're talking about took about 5 min to READ a map of the system.

Marilyn

The NY subway CAN be confusing, but if you want to go up or downtown, straight shot, east side or west, it can be very simple and a lot faster than a cab. I extoll the virtues of the IRT on the west side and the Lexington Avenue line on the east side.

pauline

we (husband+2 kids ) are also visiting new york in oct its our first time maybe we can share your cabs-we will be the lost english family standing on the corner ignoring thr rain!