lavisitor

We are 6 ladies heading to NYC on Nov 10/06 for the weekend. We plan to shop, wine & dine, see some sights and generally experience New York.
Where to stay? A little confused about all the various districts i.e. Upper West, Manhatten, Battery, Union Square etc.
Any suggestions? We will be cabbing and taking the subway. And we're not adverse to walking either. Thanks Folks.

GoTravel

Where are you going to shop?

Are you Fifth Avenue Barney's, Bendel's, Bergdorf's, Saks, and the Upper East Side bound?

Then stay in that area. The Surrey Hotel catty corner from The Carlyle is in an excellent location on the Upper East Side and they have studios, one bedroom, and two bedroom accomodations.

One of the loveliest boutique hotels in town.

MFNYC

Do you want to focus on department stores, boutiques, high end designer, hip and trendy, bargain/discount?

There is a variety of shopping areas throughout the city (battery/wall st area isn't one of them). What did you have in mind?

MFNYC

Also, what is your hotel budget, and how many to a room?

lavisitor

More concerned about a reasonably priced (around $300) place to stay than where the shopping is. As I said, we can subway or taxi around. We can stay 2 to a room. Everything looks mighty pricy, but I guess that's New York for ya!

lizziea06

Lavisitor - if you can tell us what type of shopping you are looking to do, we can suggest shops, restaurants and perhaps some itinerary advice.

If I may ask, what is the age range of the ladies that are shopping?

mclaurie

Prices are just ridiculously expensive at that time. Best thing I see is the San Carlos on quikbook.com for $299/night. That price is for a regular room. They also have suites there and you might want to consider that and fit more of you in a suite.

Assume you're not teeny boppers, the location is midtown east and I think a good spot for shopping and dining. If you're young and hip, stay further downtown.

mclaurie

Should have said, read reviews here

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._New_York.html

lavisitor

We are all very young & hip 50ish ladies! LOL!
We want to hit all the big department stores and Century 21 - because we read a cool shopping report on this site - never heard of it before. A couple of us are going to Guggenheim.
A couple are doing the pure tourist gig - Empire State Bldg - Statue of Liberty etc. We're going to Tavern on the Green just because - we know it's not highly regarded but the majority wanted to go so... Why is it so expensive the beginning of November by the way?

chu

A colleague and I just spent four days in NYC. We stayed in Manhattan, and although expensive and cramped, Manhattan was a great decision. We took the subway and/or walked everywhere and with the police on foot, on horses, and in every imaginable vehicle, we always felt safe, regardless of the time of day.

We took, and I highly recommend that you get the MapEasy maps of whatever sections of NYC that interest you. These maps are the best ever; we have used them throughout Europe for years. They are nearly weatherproof and plot everything from Starbucks to Notre Dame.

You will never be bored, that's for sure!

janette

I recently stayed with 3 other young and hip 50ish friends at the Salisbury (57th and 7th). We stayed in a 1 bedroom suite with 2 double beds, a pull-out couch and a roll-away cot. We could have easily had 2 more roll-aways - seriously - the main living area and the bedroom were both huge. The bathroom alone was as large as some NY hotel rooms. The location was fabulous and it was great that we were all able to kick back together once we got back to the room late each evening.

One bathroom would definately be a challenge for 6 but you could see if they have suites with 2 bathrooms - can't tell by their website.

There was a fridge, microwave and coffee maker. Definately not a fancy hotel and little in the way of extras but in great area a couple blocks from Central Park and quick access to transit. The hotel room was spotlessly clean.

You may consider Top of the Rock instead of the Empire State Building - you'll avoid long waits to get in and the views are IMHO better than the ESB.

Century 21 is a kick - be sure to wear your best undies if you plan to try clothes on. I (of course) went in my not so hip cotton whites only to discover that the dressing rooms are communal. LOL

All 4 of us loved Le Pain Quotidien for lunch (several throughout the city) - there's also a large deli type restaurant a block away (I think at 57th and Broadway or 8th Ave) - great for eat in or take out.

We went to the Iridium Jazz Club one evening - we all really enjoyed that.

Have a fabulous time!

mclaurie

lavisitor, NYC hotels have just gotten very expensive period. The weak dollar is bringing LOADS of foreign visitors. We're also losing hotel rooms. With the high value of real estate, many hotels are being converted into apts. So more people, fewer rooms....more expensive. Nov. starts the holiday season.

With your plans, you could really stay anywhere, but I think midtown (east or west) or upper east (where the Guggenheim is) or upper west (nice neighborhood) would be best.

You should consider staying in a suite hotel and perhaps get 1 room that's a one bedroom suite so you'll have a living room to congregate and the
other(s) could stay in studios or regular rooms.

The Salisbury is indeed a very good idea and is well located (midtown west) near Central Park and not far from Fifth ave. & Bergdorf's. Their rooms are large but a bit faded. It's nice but not fancy. They also have 2 bed/2bath suites. nycsalisbury.com

The Manhattan Club is a timeshare hotel not far from the Salisbury and people sometimes rent out their apts. Some of the Manhattan Club 1 bedrooms have 2 full baths and that would be a good idea for your group. They will sleep 4 though, not 6. You will find these rentals on a number of different websites if you do a search. Some will only rent for a week. Here's one that's a 1 bed/2bath, rents by the night for $240 at your time.
http://www.ivacation.com/resunit-2006vr5758.htm
There are also 2 bed/3bath units but there don't appear to be any that rent for less than a week.

The San Carlos is newer and fresher in midtown east within a short walk to Bloomingdales, Fifth Ave/Rockefeller Center. It's got regular rooms and suites. There are several other suite hotels right near it, the Kimberly, the Lombardy, Best Western Hospitality and the Affinia 50. The San Carlos being the
most recently renovated.

On the upper westside, the Lucerne is the nicest with mostly regular rooms but a few suites. On the upper eastside, the Surrey is a good option.

The downtown areas while "hipper" are are not as well located to many of the tourist sites and the major dept. stores (which are all midtown). As you say, transportation isn't a problem, but you've got to start some place in terms of selecting an area.

sumreknot

We were just in NYC and stayed at the Courtyard by Marriot on 40th street and Fifth Ave. It is right by Bryant Park and the Public Library...a brisk walk to Times Square and the theater district. We walked to Central Park and had lunch at the BoatHouse..it was lovely...overlooking the "lake" with the skyscrapers looming behing the trees. We took a bus...4 quarters a piece down to the Chelsea District...and back on the same token...Saw the Blue Man Group and then dinner at a restaurant in the W Hotel, then a night out at "Don't Tell Mama"...a must see Piano Bar with talent that makes American Idol seem like bad karaoke..and no cover charge!
We did the Top of the Rock, as advised by many Fodorites...saw Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, had dinner at an outdoor restaurant at Bryant Park. On Sunday we taxied to the Pier Area, visited Ground Zero, went to Century 21. Cannot wait to go back! Have fun!

doug_stallings

It may be possible to find a hotel for $300 in Manhattan in November since it's not yet Thanksgiving, but this is the high season. The suggestion about suite hotels is a good one. Try the Affinia Hotels web site; this company runs all-suite hotels mostly on the east side, just south of Midtown, which is a convenient location. Also try Apple Core Hotels; these are moderately priced chains (Red Roof Inn, etc.). Holiday Inn Express and Courtyard by Marriott are often under $300. Please by all means avoid the Hotel Pennsylvania and the Milford Plaza, two huge, sub-standard hotels. Good luck. By the way, the subway and buses here cost $2 per ride (not $1 as suggested in the previous post), and with a Metro card (a good idea to get around cheaply and quickly) you get free bus/subway transfers. By the way, with 6 people, you would have to take two cabs; with fares so high and traffic so bad, I'd strongly recommend the subway to get around.

MFNYC

You should go on kayak.com and search for hotel rooms. It searches multiple websites to find the best price offered. Do a serch for about $250-350 and see what comes up. Anything less than $200 will most likely be not in Manhattan or be a very low end establishment (like a hostel, or shared bath type place).

Once you can narrow down the options in your price range, people here can advise. The way prices have been, the selection will be limited.

shortcake05479

I love W Hotel - the Court and the Hotel Roger Williams, both in Murray Hill area. Very close to Macys, Empire State Building.

http://hotelrogerwilliams.com

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/whotel...opertyID=97500

Hope you have a great time!

GoTravel

Shopping at Century 21 is not for the faint of heart and many hate it.

My suggestion, block out a couple of hours and plan to dig, dig, dig.

Eat before you go so your blood sugar won't drop.

Go either as soon as it opens up, from 5PM-7PM or after 8:30PM. Do not attempt from 10AM-4PM or you'll want to kill yourself and whomever's idea it was to go there.

Don't take anyone with you that doesn't like to shop.

Customer service is basically non-existent.

If you see something you like, grab it then because it will not be there five minutes later.

Century 21 is expensive. Their merchandise is a bargain relatively speaking. That Fendi bag is still $400 marked down from $1500.

The shoe department is a crapshoot. I find better shoes at either Bergdorf's, Bloomies, or Sak's sales.

Finally, the store is huge. Decide on what you are shopping for and hit that department first. It's easily as large as the other department stores.

I've shopped Century 21 for years and the above is truly the best way to make it a semi pleasant experience.

handmaiden

Listen, my boss used to work in the high fashion business in NYC. He told me that Century 21 is very hit and miss because there are people who visit every single day to find that perfect bargain. There are even people who give salespeople their cell phone #'s to call if anything "good" comes in. It is hard for an "out-of-towner" to compete against that. By the time you get there, everything has been picked over--twice. Try anyway for fun.

Christine

MFNYC

I worked down there for about 5 years. Over the years to multiplied in size. The best time to go was when it opens (I think 7:45am). They have a website you can google (i think it's c21stores.com or something like that). I still go down there on occasion but rarely try on anything because th elines can be painful at the dressing room. I bring things home, then return them if necessary. They have high end designers, but they also have middle and low end as well.

My daughter (who is 17, and a fashionable kid, on a budget), loves Loehman's. She's always finding things there. Most recently Earl jeans reg. $150 for $20. It's not nearly as crowded (not as big either, but still a decent size) although I the cashiers at C21 do move right along, considering the crwods.

Gekko

I'm confident you'd enjoy staying on the Upper East Side (UES), perhaps at the Carlyle or the Mark. Bend your budget for the right UES hotel -- you won't regret it.

The UES is a fantastic residential neighborhood and home to the 5th Ave museums as well as Madison Avenue Shopping (anchored by Bloomingdale's at Lex & 59th). A easy-to-use subway line runs along Lexington Avenue and will whisk you to Century 21 and the downtown tourist sites.

Enjoy the Greatest City in the World!