stevelyon

At the end of our holiday (next year) which will take in New York and Hawaii, we are expecting to have had enough of travelling and expect to feel less ambitious on out last 24 hours in New York prior to flight back to Manchester, UK. Any tips on hotel to stay around JFK and maybe how to waste some time without totally wasting it. We are big foodies (but probably stuffed by then) like good beer and enjoy walking both off.

clarkgriswold

There's a nice Hampton Inn near JFK with good shuttle, you can have Indian or Thai food delivered, there are a few good places nearby. Take the E-train into Manhattan if you get ambitious. I have no idea how to waste any time in the JFK neighborhood however, for a beer you could walk next door to the Hilton I suppose.

happytrailstoyou

There is no fun place to stay near JFK.

I gather you spend time in NYC, go to Hawaii, and they return to JFK where you have a 24-hour layover before returning to the UK.

If so, I would book a room in Manhattan in a neighborhood you didn't explore on your first stay there.

HTtY

nytraveler

JFK is in the middle of a conglomeration of highways and a fairly downscale residential area. There is really nothing to see or do in the immediate area and it's really not walkable. (There are places to see in Queens if you really want - but you would need to rent a car or take taxis.)

I would bit the bullet and head into Manhattan - for some decent food, lots of neighborhoods to walk and enjoy even if you don't want to see any major sights - of which there are dozens.

stevelyon

Thanks so much clarkgriswold and will look into these helpful suggestions. What's the E train? We are researching how to get from JFK to Manhattan for the earlier part of our holiday and been told that CAB is the best option.... any thoughts?

denisea

The E train is the NYC subway that goes to midtown Manhattan from JFK. Terminal 4 is pretty new and has quite a few nice shops and restaurants....about as good as it gets at an airport.

ekscrunchy

If you are tired from your trip/flight, another option (only if you are interested in East Asian food), would be to take a taxi to Flushing and stay in a hotel there (less pricey than Manhattan hotels; mostly chain outposts) for one night, and walk around NYC's most interesting Chinatown (far larger, more diverse and wealthier than the famous one in Manhattan)

Not sure if you like that Chinese/Korean food or how the quality is in Manchester, but if you have an interest, that area is fabulous. Taxi would be quite bit less less than taxi to Manhattan. The area is very safe, even late at night.

Ackislander

Ekscrunchy beat me to it.

Flushing is a great place to stay. Very interesting in general and spectacular food, but you may have to point to what others are eating because the vast majority of people are Chinese, and they are not dining from Western menus.

stevelyon

Thanks again everyone. Is Flushing the same as Queens ie Flushing Meadow? We do indeed like Asian food so Flushing might be a good place to head for. Should we not stay near JFK and head for Flushing for an evening, or does it make more sense to stay in Flushing?

ekscrunchy

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/26/ny...ying.html?_r=0


Flushing Meadow is a large park with sports facilities that is very close to the actual neighborhood of Flushing, Queens. I think you could stay either place; take a look at the various hotel options. As far as I know, the hotels by JFK are not so great but it has been a long time since I've actually stayed there, or researched these, so maybe things have improved. But ifi you stay there, you really will need to take taxis or UBER to get out of the immediate area for dinner, as it is pretty much of a wasteland near the airport.

There is a huge casino (no actual traditional casino games except slots and table games, I believe) near the airport, but I've not been there. Iit will not be glamourous at all, I don't think, so do not imagine "Monte Carlo!!"



http://www.rwnewyork.com/index.php

If choosing to stay in Flushing, make sure it is in Flushing downtown area and not by LaGuardia airport; we could help you with the addresses. You want a hotel more or less between Northern Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue (these run more or less east-west) and in the area of Main Street, Prince Street, College Point Blvd.

janisj

Just in case . . . And you probably know this, but In the States 'Asian' means 'Asian' - usually Japanese, Chinese, Thai etc. etc.. whilst in the UK 'Asian' generally means the sub continent.

Ackislander

Good point, Janis. Extremely good point.

It would be a very rare American, I think, who would think of an Indian or Pakistani as "Asian." They are sui generis. Even the emerging phrase "South Asian" makes no sense to a lot of people because other countries that are a lot further south aren't included. I suppose it is because of India and Pakistan being south of Central Asia.

Two people separated by a common language etc.

stevelyon

Thanks all, and thankyou janisj in case I didn't understand. Asian mightbe mistaken for mainly Indian etc in the UK, but I had interpreted it wider than this.

Why is Brooklyn not being tipped as a possible place to stay - as you can tell I am not well acquainted with New York so I can only guess why is doesn't readily spring to mind?

Ackislander

Brooklyn, like Islington in London, has become something of a parody of itself.

There is hardly an issue of the New Yorker that does not have a cartoon -- and many covers -- that gently chide the residents for their earnestness, self-absorption, and devotion to trendy food, drink, and coffee. Oh, and making babies.

ekscrunchy

I did mention "East Asian" in my first post recommending Flushing, to make things clear.

Downtown Flushing is generally know for regional Chinese food. Unlike Manhattan Chinatown, where restaurants tend to be Cantonese or Fujian, Flushing has quite a few Sichuan, Hunan, Shanghai and DongBei (NE region) restaurants, as well as the large Cantonese banquet halls and Taiwanese eateries. There are also a few multi-stored malls with small eateries, much like you would find in HK or Chinese cities. (One famous one is the slightly shabby Golden Mall on Main Street, where quite a few freestanding restaurants got their start and where remain many tiny eating spots representing various regions of China) (There are lots of Korean places but most of these are a bit east of downtown) If you decide to explore, I can offer a few recommendations.

stevelyon

Thanks ekscrunchy. More than happy to accept any recommendations. Not sure, Ackislander, what you are saying - area rather pretentious (but safe)? That aside, is it a pleasant place to visit or stay?

doug_stallings

The reason Brooklyn isn't being recommended as a place to go is because it's not so convenient to JFK. The E train gives you a fairly speedy (usually less than 30 minutes) ride into midtown Manhattan while the A train gives you a very long (45 minutes or more) ride through some of the worst neighborhoods in NYC.

But anyone who tells you there's not a lot going on in Brooklyn is mistaken. Some of the city's best restaurants are there, as are some very cool hotels (though none that is really easy to reach from JFK). My main issue with Brooklyn is that the restaurants there predominately don't take reservations, so they have long waits and you sometimes even have to stand outside, not something you'd want to do in the middle of winter.

But if you want moderately priced, excellent food, it's a great destination. Manhattan has begun to become so expensive that many of the better chefs that aren't turning out $250 dinners have opened their restaurants in Brooklyn. The Wythe is probably the best of Brooklyn's dozen or so hotels (though by next year there will be a few more). But the Wythe is far from the subway and not easy to reach from either Manhattan or JFK (you'd basically need to take a taxi from JFK). But if it interests you, Brooklyn is very cool and has a lot of great food and bars.

nytraveler

Brooklyn is huge - more than 2 million people - with dozens of different neighborhoods. Some are very upscale, many are trendy and there are still some that are truly dreadful and I would't go near without a guard.

Unfortunately just not very convenient from JFK - although there are many great things to see/do including the Brooklyn Museum and Prospect Park.

stevelyon

Need to reflect on all the helpful advice here. Will make a decision this week as I am going to narrow my accommodation choices by this Friday (Black.

ekscrunchy

What just 24 hours you are much better off staying either at JFK or, better, in Flushing unless you want to come into Manhattan for just one night.

Brooklyn is large and spread out and there are quite a few fascinating neighborhoods, from Brighton Beach to Bushwick to Red Hook to various parts of Williamsburg, but you would really have time to only explore one or two at most.

Some of these areas are "hip" in the extreme, some are filled with upscale families living in multi-million dollar condos, while others are solidly working class immigrant neighborhoods and others are filled with many living at the poverty level. Quite a few are now in the midst of demographic change, slowly and rapidly gentrifying as long-time residents get pushed out or sell and investors and moneyed people move in, often attracted by the handsome architecture of what is known as the "brownstone" neighborhoods or the large residential spaces afforded by formerly industrial areas.

I think you might save Brooklyn for another trip, and you could easily make trips by subway from Manhattan to various areas of Brooklyn. Do not get the idea that the top (new) restaurants in Brooklyn are a bargain because they are not. It is very easy to pay $100 per person or more at some of the more famous spots.

There are many ethnic areas of Brooklyn, including a Chinatown, Russian neighborhoods, and a heavily Mexican area, but again, I'd save that for another time when you have time to wander and explore.

Flushing is another ball game, so to speak. Small, compact downtown area, working people, nothing trendy about it to the outsider, although there are plenty of small, hip cafes and tea houses patronized by young and fashionable people, Asian for the most part. For those, think Hong Kong or Singapore on a tiny scale. The area is rife with developement in the form of glassy new high-rises housing upscale shops and relatively high-priced condos.

The best eating places, in my experience, and the neighborhood as a whole, pretty down home. The restaurants are inexpensive by Manhattan standards; we eat there quite often, in a group, and the bill usually comes in around $25 per person. (Exception would be ordering seafood delicacies at one of the Cantonese seafood or banquet houses.) There are most often staff in these restaurants who speak English in varying degrees. Menus have been translated into English but the streamers on the wall sometimes list specials in Chinese which staff will translate only if you are persistent. But do not let that last comments dissuade you; we usually dine in a group in which no one speaks any Chinese language and we always ahve stellar food. I will be happy to recommend restaurants and particular dishes if you decide to go to Flushing. There was a thread here in 2010 that has some of that info (see several posts from 6/3/10); much of the Flushing info is the same now as then, but I will update where necessary.



http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...estaurants.cfm