travel time to theater

Old Dec 2nd, 2008, 04:01 PM
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travel time to theater

We are coming to NYC in a few days.Train scheduled to arrive at Penn station at 2:30. Hope to be checked in at London Hotel by 4. Do you think we have time to walk to Rockefeller Center, do NBC tour get back to hotel and make 8 curtain at Majestic. Is it faster to walk from hotel to theater or take a cab? Is there a security check at theater?
How much time should we allow for getting to and into theater? Thanks for all of your help. This is my dream trip.
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Old Dec 2nd, 2008, 04:53 PM
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There is no security check at the theater.

Don;t understand why you need to get back to the hotel between the Rock Center Tour and going to the theater.

But - I have no idea how long the tour is - nor at what times they happen. Have you checked into that part of the equation.

And walking will be faster than finding, never mind taking, a cab - assuming you could get one at all at those times.
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Old Dec 2nd, 2008, 05:01 PM
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The distance from the London to the Majestic is about 11 blocks, about half a mile. At this time of the year, traffic can be bad or very bad in that area, so walking will probably take less time than a taxi. If the weather is good, and you can deal with walking in crowds, the walk is about 15 minutes.Allow 30 and you should be fine.

There are no security checks at theaters, just lines to get in and get your seat. Shows generally start a few minutes late, but plan to be on time so you don't disturb those already seated
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Old Dec 2nd, 2008, 05:22 PM
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thought we ought to dress up a little for theater. Tours for NBC are about 1 hour and the last one starts at 4:30. They say to get there about 30 min. early. Thanks again for help.
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Old Dec 2nd, 2008, 06:50 PM
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I live in NYC and grew up going to the theater. It is my personal opinion that one should "dress up" for the theater-but by that I mean nice pants, dress, etc. Just not jeans. Act like you are happy to be there! I don't know anything about the NBC tours, but if this is your dream trip then focus on getting to the Bway theater on time and not NBC. Have a wonderful time here in NYC.
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Old Dec 3rd, 2008, 05:04 AM
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I suspect you will be checked into your hotel by 3:30. I doubt that you will make a 4:30 tour at NBC, however, because there are a lot of tourists in town right now and the demand is very great. But you will have plenty of time to walk down to Rockefeller Center, eat dinner, and make an 8pm curtain at the theater (you'd also have time to take the tour if you can get in).

My suggestion would be to make a reservation for a quick dinner at 6 to maximize your time. Walking will be your best bet in Midtown at that time of the day and will take about 15 minutes or so from Rock Center. The theater is on 44th, so I'd suggest finding a place for pre-theater dining around there.
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Old Dec 3rd, 2008, 05:06 AM
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FYI: Aim to arrive at the theater about 7:45 or 7:50 so you don't waste your time (as many tourists do) lining up to get into the theater where you already have a pre-assigned seat. I can't imagine a bigger waste of time. I've seen tourists line up as early as 7pm to get into a theater that doesn't begin until 8. Very silly and strange behavior if you ask me. Most New Yorkers will stroll in whenever they finish dinner, often at 7:55.

I'm not sure if the Majestic has a coat check, but I usually skip that (if you want to check your coat, allow a few extra minutes).
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Old Dec 3rd, 2008, 05:23 AM
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Just back from NYC trip. I agree on being too early, lots of sitting. We arrived 15 minutes early and they escorted us to our seats so that was ample time.

We found cabs to be slow,and subway much easier and cheaper. We did take a couple of cabs but the traffic is so congested I found it to be nerve racking and very slow.
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Old Dec 3rd, 2008, 09:09 AM
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Doug, don't you crack up when you see all the tourists queing up on line for the theatre at 7:00...we're the ones who stroll in at 7:55 (maybe even 7:58)
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Old Dec 3rd, 2008, 09:26 AM
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we're the ones who stroll in at 7:55 (maybe even 7:58)

Hey, in San Francisco, they stroll in at 8:05 (and aren't allowed to be seated until the first "break" in the action)
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Old Dec 3rd, 2008, 11:11 AM
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I must admit that it's the oddest behavior I've ever seen. The first time I noticed it was when I went to Hairspray a few years ago and there was a line around the corner. I thought to myself, "How odd ... why would people be lined up?" I now sometimes walk past Spring Awakening on my way home and have often seen people lined up at around 6 for the 7pm show on Tuesdays. Why would one ever do such a silly thing? If everyone just strolls in between 7:30 and 8pm, then everyone gets seated with no waiting. I just don't have the tourist mentality anymore when it comes to NYC, I guess.
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Old Dec 3rd, 2008, 11:58 AM
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This is as funny to me as the people who line up at restaurants like Outback or Carraba's an hour before they open so "we won't have to wait for a table". Is standing in line for an hour before they open somehow better than waiting a half hour for a table later on?

And then there was the line at the Vatican. Some people go two hours before it opens and stand in line so they won't have to stand in line an hour after they open.

HUH?

And yes, our one winter trip to NYC (and we're not used to coats) we looked for coat checks and were amazed how many theatres don't have them. Sitting on layers of outer clothing (we were there in record cold) is not fun for me. I wondered if that is now some sort of "liability" issue that so many theatres don't have them.
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Old Dec 3rd, 2008, 01:15 PM
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NeoPatrick, what you have described makes some sense but not for the reason people state.
If you go to a restaurant at 5(when they open at 6) it means that you will presumably get in at 6 . If you go at 6, you might get in at 7.
So it's not that the wait is shorter, but that the time you start, and finish will be earlier.
If that's what you want, it makes some sense!

But, lining up for the theater which starts at a specified time, when you have an assigned seat makes much less sense.

On the other hand, if everyone took our advice and showed up at 7:45, the volume of people to handle and seat all at once would make it near impossible to start close to the starting time.
So, everyone out there, feel free to line up early if you want and spread out the crowds
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Old Dec 3rd, 2008, 02:02 PM
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nyer, I agree with what you're saying if it is the actual time those people want to eat, but I've never heard one of those "waiters" say, "we want to eat at 6 so we go at 5". What they say is "we go at 5 to get in line so we we'll be sure to get a table and not have to wait for one." This is often coupled with the phrase, "we hate waiting". I just don't get it.

And I too wish no one had started this suggestion of waiting to go to the theatre. I can't remember the last time I saw a Broadway show that started on time, rather than 5 to even 10 minutes late as they are still trying to seat people. If everyone waited till 7:55, the show probably wouldn't start until 8:30! And now I know which of you to blame for the late starts!
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Old Dec 3rd, 2008, 04:21 PM
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I realize my above post was a bit off. I should have said that most of these people go at 4 to get a table when they open at 5, and some of them even specifically say, "we hate eating that early, but we'd rather do that than wait for a table." Duh.
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