New York, New York!

youngblood wrote: »

Speaking of Budgets and hopefully seasoned travellers may help me out here but is a budget of 1600e (flights & accom) for 2 for 4 nights in new york in april pushin it a little?
Any replies/info appreciated

It's normally about 500 for a return flight for one. That leaves ~600 for accommodation.

I know a place where you can stay dirt cheap (like $20 a night)... but you won't like it

But really, if you're willing to not stay in a hotel then it can be done easily. Check airbnb.com. It's really good for decent, low price accommodation. Maybe look at Williamsburg and Astoria. They're just a few stops from Manhattan and nice areas.

80s Child wrote: »

Hey carl,

I just had a look at airbnb, it's unreal!! Have tou used this before and if so, what experience have you had with it?
I have to admit that I was a bit sketchie at first, but it looks the business to be honest!
Cheers in advance!

I live in New York, airbnb is legit. You should just make sure that anywhere you rent has plenty of reviews from previous tenants. When renting through them I would establish with the apartment owner whether the unit has any noise issues (this can be a problem here) and what the check-in/check-out procedure will be.

If this is your first time in the city I would stay in Manhattan. While Manhattan has famously become disneyfied and homogenized in recent years the majority of the best sights are still there and it's eminently walkable and bikeable, which isn't really true for the outer boroughs.

From your username I'll presume you're relatively young - I'd recommend you search airbnb for rentals in the following areas:

East Village - lots of bars and restaurants, some fading vestiges of the area's alternative culture.

Soho - Beautiful buildings with lots of shopping, pricey bars and restaurants. More than a little bit full of itself but undeniably beautiful.

West Village - Still has some jazz clubs and a somewhat bohemian atmosphere. Lots of restaurants, pretty streets, the parts east of 7th Avenue can be a bit tacky though with too many idiots drinking there on the weekends.

If you want to stay in Brooklyn I would really only consider WIlliamsburg. It's just one stop over the river on the L train and has tons of restaurants and nightlife in a walkable area. It's hipster central, which some people find amusing and others infuriating.

Avoid:
Chinatown - fun to visit but a little too scuzzy to stay in

Times Square and Midtown - the absolute pits in almost every respect. Locals do not go here to dine (the food is appalling and overpriced) or to socialize. The shopping is better downtown (below 14th street) so is the nightlife. The only people on the streets are tourists and unhappy office workers who desperately wish they worked in another part of the city. The number one mistake Irish people make is staying here.

Financial District - very dead in the evenings, bad food, over crowded during the day.

Tribeca - parts are pretty but it's generally very overpriced and somewhat isolated from other parts of the city
Upper East Side - boring people, not well served by the subway, not very interesting visually, proximity to Central Park and Museums is its only plus.

Queens: I live in Queens, it's a great place to live if you're here long term but honestly has relatively little for most visitors and large chunks of it are pretty grim visually, including Woodside.

Upper West Side: Parts of it are beautiful but it's relatively isolated from the rest of the city and has very little in terms of nightlife, cultural amenities and restaurants.

Jersey: Do not stay in Jersey. Do not go to Jersey. Do not get on a bus and go to Jersey Gardens or any of the other god awufl shopping destinations. You can get better deals downtown. Do NOT go to Jersey.

Paul_Hacket wrote: »

I live in New York, airbnb is legit. You should just make sure that anywhere you rent has plenty of reviews from previous tenants. When renting through them I would establish with the apartment owner whether the unit has any noise issues (this can be a problem here) and what the check-in/check-out procedure will be.

If this is your first time in the city I would stay in Manhattan. While Manhattan has famously become disneyfied and homogenized in recent years the majority of the best sights are still there and it's eminently walkable and bikeable, which isn't really true for the outer boroughs.

From your username I'll presume you're relatively young - I'd recommend you search airbnb for rentals in the following areas:

East Village - lots of bars and restaurants, some fading vestiges of the area's alternative culture.

Soho - Beautiful buildings with lots of shopping, pricey bars and restaurants. More than a little bit full of itself but undeniably beautiful.

West Village - Still has some jazz clubs and a somewhat bohemian atmosphere. Lots of restaurants, pretty streets, the parts east of 7th Avenue can be a bit tacky though with too many idiots drinking there on the weekends.

If you want to stay in Brooklyn I would really only consider WIlliamsburg. It's just one stop over the river on the L train and has tons of restaurants and nightlife in a walkable area. It's hipster central, which some people find amusing and others infuriating.

Avoid:
Chinatown - fun to visit but a little too scuzzy to stay in

Times Square and Midtown - the absolute pits in almost every respect. Locals do not go here to dine (the food is appalling and overpriced) or to socialize. The shopping is better downtown (below 14th street) so is the nightlife. The only people on the streets are tourists and unhappy office workers who desperately wish they worked in another part of the city. The number one mistake Irish people make is staying here.

Financial District - very dead in the evenings, bad food, over crowded during the day.

Tribeca - parts are pretty but it's generally very overpriced and somewhat isolated from other parts of the city
Upper East Side - boring people, not well served by the subway, not very interesting visually, proximity to Central Park and Museums is its only plus.

Queens: I live in Queens, it's a great place to live if you're here long term but honestly has relatively little for most visitors and large chunks of it are pretty grim visually, including Woodside.

Upper West Side: Parts of it are beautiful but it's relatively isolated from the rest of the city and has very little in terms of nightlife, cultural amenities and restaurants.

Jersey: Do not stay in Jersey. Do not go to Jersey. Do not get on a bus and go to Jersey Gardens or any of the other god awufl shopping destinations. You can get better deals downtown. Do NOT go to Jersey.

Paul, you're a legend! Your detailed reply is exactly what I, and I'm sure many others, have always wanted; a where to stay/ not stay in specific detail!

I had to laugh at your Jersey comments, I read it first in the car an almost wet myself! All I ever here is about people going to Jersey Gardens shopping! Hilarious!

We're relatively well travelled (I have been to Galway ya know..ha ha) but I can't believe I've never come across airbnb.com! The prices compared to the hotels are just unreal! Which means it gives us a few more deniros to spend on things we'll enjoy, rather than just a bed!

To yourself and Carl, thanks very much!

Oh, I may be back looking for a few more bits, so keep an eye on us here just in case ; )

I have stayed in Midtown before, east near 55th street and 2nd Ave. Nice bars down along there. I think the west village is the nicest place to stay but I have even stayed in Midtown on a quiet enough street near herald square (price was right).

Don't be but off by area's listed above....once you are near a subway stop you can be in most places in 20mins max.

Just back from a great week at the Holiday Inn on 26th and 6th avenue. Highly recommend - great location about 10 minutes walk from Herald Square, 5-10 minutes from Flatiron building/Madison Square Park, 10 minute walk from Penn station (we got the AirTrain on arrival, opted for a cab on departure as we'd accumulated a bit of extra baggage!), extremely convenient to Madison Square Gardens if you're lucky enough to be taking in a concert or game during your stay! Lots of good restaurants, bars and delis nearby too. Very clean, friendly hotel with good sound proofing, blackout blinds, comfy beds etc, I will definitely stay there again.
We used Newark for the first time and it was a breath of fresh air compared to JFK, short queues and handy access for Manhattan. We got return flights for €400 from Shannon with United/Lufthansa, booking through skyscanner.ie.

80s Child wrote: »

Any sports on between Oct25 - 30 lads? In NY obviously, not the world in general..

Ice hockey, american football ,basketball.