We end a cruise of the Caribbean in New York. We can either fly straight home to London or stay in New York for two or three days. I have looked at all the advice on hotels very carefully. We had been quoted £250.00 per person for two days at the Helmsley whch we feel is very expensive for two days in January. We have never been to New York and so feel we must not miss our opportunity to look at this wonderful city. My question is will it be so cold that we will not enjoy the visit? We are aware of the usual tourist sights to visit and ofcourse I want to hit the shops as we have been told it is much cheaper than London especially for clothes. We obviously will not get much done in the time but cannot stay longer as the cruise is already 28 days long.Shall we stay or come back to New York when the weather is better? Any advice is welcome.

Well since I live here I can tell you that the weather in January will be cold, but we all manage to get around the city any way.

In January all the store will be having post Christmas sales, so the shopping couldn't be better and there is no tax on clothing now below $110 per piece.
That will be a good savings too.

There are SO many hotels around the city and the price for the Helmsley is VERY high for that time of year. You should not have a problem finding a hotel that is alot more reasonable. Or favorite is the Palace which is right in midtown on Madison Ave at 50th St so it is very convenient to just about everything and it is beautiful and the rooms are very nice. There are also alot of good restaurants in the area, so you won't have to walk far in the evening.

You are also close enough to the theatre district that you can walk and of course all the shops on Fifth Ave will be bustling with good sales.

Right down the street on Madison is one of our favorite stores Daffy's which is top of the line clothing at discounted prices.

Bring a warm coat and clothing you can layer up if the weather is very cold, or you could plan on buying a winter coat when you get here.

Hope this helps a bit, let me know if you need any more info.

tweedy

Being from London, you should have no problem dealing with New York winters.

Thanks so much Tweedy for your good advice. I will now look at the hotel you mention. I feel excited already! Howard forgive my ignorance... I should have looked up some weather sites. London winters are not very severe and in fact snow in winter is a rarity here. Maybe I have watched too many films and New York is not as cold as it looks!

Anniel, I know there's not much snow in London. What I meant was that if you can survey the "damp cold" of London, you can probably survive the cold of NY winters. We usually don't have that much snow in January.
As for hotels, I think you'll find the Palace Hotel very expensive....very nice, but very expensive. You can do do better pricewise. What price range are you looking for?

Stay in NY! It is a beautiful city any time of year. You will need a winter coat. There are alot of great hotels. The Palace is beautiful. It is right next to Rock Center Ice Rink. Go to a play. Check out ticketmaster.com for tickets. Also, look at citysearch.com for current NY information. You will have a great time!

Howard, thanks for your comments. We would like to pay approximately $200-250
per night for both of us. I understand that U.S.hotels charge by the room rather than by person. Is this the case and is the rate I am looking for reasonable in New York in the middle of winter or will this be for a very cheap hotel out of the centre? Please advise me.

Yes, the price you're quoted is for the room; the price may vary depending on size and number of beds; be sure to specify if you want two double beds or one large bed. Your budget will get you a room at a nice property in midtown, no problem.

There are many decent hotels within your price range in the midtown area, where you would probably want to stay. Being a New Yorker, I'm not the best one to give hotel recommendations in the city, but I do know of one--the Mayfair on West 49th Street--that I understand is nice little hotel. (242 W. 49th St., NY, NY; telephone--212-586-0300).
Perhaps some of the Fodor regulars can make other suggestions in the $200-250 price range.
By the way, keep in mind that taxes on the room will run about 10-15%. So, you probably want a quoted price under $225.