Trip to New York? Help Please!

ABajaninCork

I know this question's been asked a few times, but the most recent thread is over a year old...

Thinking of taking my husband away next year (September) for a few days for his birthday. Probably for about five days, but am ready to be guided by any replies I might get.

Neither of us have ever been, so am clueless about the best place to stay in NYC to do some sightseeing, somewhere nice (doesn't need to be expensive) to eat and maybe do a little shopping in Woodbury Common if it's easy enough to get to.

Any help/advice appreciated.

TIA

Ponster

Anywhere in the West Village, Greenwich area would be my pick.

A lot will also depend on your hotel budget.

Dave1442397

Check this page for a list of buses traveling to Woodbury Common - http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/directions.asp?id=7

You might also like the Garden State Plaza, one of the largest malls in the US, and an easy bus trip from NYC - http://www.westfield.com/gardenstateplaza/center-info/getting-here/

ballymac676

Hi went to NY this time last year for the first time and loved it! Hotels are expensive but were well placed for all the sights. We stayed at Hotel Wolcott 4 West 31 Street, New York, NY 10001, it suited us perfectly and was close to Times Square etc. Woodbury Common was great and there are plenty of coaches going there. We just booked the day before. Take a small case on wheels for all the shopping!! Enjoy

bee06

The great thing about NY is Manhattan is small and easy to get around so where ever you stay will be grand. Woodbury common is good if you are into designers but takes about 1 hour to get there and at least 2 to get back with traffic. Jersey gardens would be an option if you prefer more high street and is closer to the city. There is also Century 21 downtown is you don't want a long trip.

Paul_Hacket

Ugh, don't waste a day of your trip going to frigging Woodbury Common, Jersey Gardens, etc. Where in God's name has the Irish fascination for these places come from? Nobody I know in New York shops in them and for good reason. These aren't 'designer goods' they are cheaply produced third tier products that retailers unscrupulously sell in these outlet malls to badly dressed middle Americans. WHen you go to the Burberry store in Woodbury common those aren't real Burberry garments from their actual lines you're buying, you won't see any of that stuff in their actual retail stores, it's cheaply produced crap that goes straight to the outlet. My partner has worked in the fashion industry for 20 years, this is an open secret here.

You can get far better stuff for the same prices or better on lower Broadway if you're looking for things like jeans, sneakers, t-shirts, etc. or in Macy's at their mid week sales if you're looking for more formal clothes. The trip to Woodbury through a godawful part of Jersey is utterly soul destroying.

For accommodation I generally advise staying downtown either in a cheaper hotel such as the Washington Square hotel or in an airbnb rental. Midtown is horrible, there are no good bars or restaurants and you will spend your vacation being ripped off in tourist traps instead of enjoying the good places downtown where you might get to interact with actual New Yorkers.

ABajaninCork

Paul_Hacket wrote: »

Ugh, don't waste a day of your trip going to frigging Woodbury Common, Jersey Gardens, etc. Where in God's name has the Irish fascination for these places come from? Nobody I know in New York shops in them and for good reason. These aren't 'designer goods' they are cheaply produced third tier products that retailers unscrupulously sell in these outlet malls to badly dressed middle Americans. WHen you go to the Burberry store in Woodbury common those aren't real Burberry garments from their :mad:has worked in the fashion industry for 20 years, this is an open secret here.

You can get far better stuff for the same prices or better on lower Broadway if you're looking for things like jeans, sneakers, t-shirts, etc. or in Macy's at their mid week sales if you're looking for more formal clothes. The trip to Woodbury through a godawful part of Jersey is utterly soul destroying.

For accommodation I generally advise staying downtown either in a cheaper hotel such as the Washington Square hotel or in an airbnb rental. Midtown is horrible, there are no good bars or restaurants and you will spend your vacation being ripped off in tourist traps instead of enjoying the good places downtown where you might get to interact with actual New Yorkers.

Thanks for the input. I'm a little older, so don't really want to be staying downtown when I'll absolutely no idea of where I'm going. Maybe if I visit again, I might chance it in an Air BNB, but for now, I'd like a hotel.

My cousin lives in upstate NY, and said the same thing about Macy's mid-week sales, so I'll bear that in mind.

Paul_Hacket

I'd recommend staying downtown no matter what age you are. In fact if you're older you'll find the pace and look of an area like the West Village a lot more pleasant. My sister is in her 60s and used to stay in Midtown, she would never stay anywhere other than downtown now. You'll also literally pay twice as much in restaurants in midtown, and they are terrible - zero atmosphere and lousy food.

Ponster

+1 for shopping on Broadway. Much less soul destroying than Woodbury or Jersey Gardens but some people just have to go even when you point out the cost of the taxi and how hellish the places actually are. I took my brother and the g/f to Downtown Brooklyn and they found everything they could ever want. True, Woodbury Gap Outlet was maybe bigger but compared to ireland the prices were so low there was no need to go elsewhere.

ABajaninCork

Point taken, Paul & Ponster - Thanks!

Where's a good hotel near those places and still within striking distance of Times Sq and all the tourist spots?

Ponster

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Point taken, Paul & Ponster - Thanks!

Where's a good hotel near those places and still within striking distance of Times Sq and all the tourist spots?

NYC is walkable but still pretty big. Much like Paris you can't really get a hotel that is close to all the tourist spots without having to spend some time travelling on trains/buses.

Sorry for the massive jpg but...




A walk from the World Trade Center to St John the Divine, one of the largest churches in the world is a 2.5 hour, non-stop walk.

As I said earlier, a hotel in the Greenwich/SoHo area would be perfect. Get a travel pass for the subway and busses and you're sorted. Sites such as Kayak should be able to narrow down choices based on city districts.

ABajaninCork

OK - think London (where I'm from) and that should makenthe search a bit easier!!

Thanks guys! Keep the suggestions coming!!

Paul_Hacket

You're honestly looking at this trip the wrong way. The places you will probably want to visit on your trip will probably include:

Rockefeller Center: midtown
Times Square: midtown
MoMa: midtown
Central Park: enter from anywhere above midtown
Battery Park and ferry to Staten Island for Statue of Liberty Views: downtown
Brooklyn Bridge: downtown
World Trade Centre memorial and new building: downtown
Soho/lower Broadway shopping: downtown
Chinatown/Little Italy: downtown
The High Line and Meatpacking District: downtown
West Village: downtown
Metropolitan Museum: Upper East Side
Natural History Museum: Upper West Side

As you can see there is no one area where you can stay in order to see all the "spots". What you want to do is stay in a nice area from which you can visit many of them and which is itself a pleasant area to be in. The reason people who don't know the city stay in midtown so often isn't because it's great for tourist areas, it's because historically a lot of the large hotels were built there. These days the best boutique hotels are downtown because that's where people who actually know the city want to stay. However the larger (not better) ones are in midtown. So if you want a room in an old hotel on an ugly block with no restaurants, bars or decent entertainment nearby stay in midtown. Otherwise, pick a nice neighborhood such as the village, soho, tribeca, etc. and stay somewhere far better.

And for the record, probably the least interesting place to visit on the above list is Times Square. It's basically a busy intersection with a lot of signs on the buildings and a lot of people mulling around, kind of like Newe York's version of Picadilly Circus. It's the kindof place you go once, have a look around, and leave.

ABajaninCork

I know where you're coming from and your suggestions have been really, really helpful. I'd probably say the same to someone who wanted to visit London. I'm the kind of tourist who thinks that it's a shame to come a long way, pay all that money and not see something of the place. All of the places you've given above are the kind of places I'd like to see...

SHOVELLER

Midtown is not horrible at all. Jimmy's Corner on 44th is a great spot and you wont feel ripped off at $3 a beer! There are good bars and restaurants in the area where you wont necessarily be "ripped off".

Find out for yourself by walking around the city and get a feel for what you like.

Dont waste time going to out of town shopping outlets. Try Century 21 at the WTC.

For accommodation is midtown try: http://www.theamericanainn.com