Planning a holiday trip to NYC

[Logiola]

And the hotel we have decided on is in Secaucus. All the reviews say it is very easy to get into NYC from. Is this true? or should we stay elsewhere? any suggestions? we are interested in this hotel since it is a lot cheaper then NYC and much bigger rooms.

also, any local non tourist suggestions for things to do would be great..

Also, are there any other sky scrappers one can visit with great views? i'd love to go to the top of the e.s.b but also don't want to waste a full day waiting in line.

[DODI]

1. If you want to stay in the City, check Quikbook.com. They

have some good deals. One suggestion I can make is hang out in Central Park. I love just walking around the city. When we go with the kids we walk around and stop at all the small parks on the squares.

[Logiola]

2. is Coney island still worth the visit?

I have heard such mixed reviews on it. I would like to go for "old nostalgic" reasons..

[DODI]

5. I have never been, but have always wanted to go. An

NYCer would be better to answer that question.

[BrklynLiberal]

9. It is fun. Easy to get to..and there is a GREAT Aquarium there...and the

beach!!!

You can get there by subway B, D, F or N trains to Stillwell Avenue.

[Catchawave]

10. Coney and the Aquarium are alot of fun......

...I always fit them into my visits! Especially a few spins on the old Cyclone and lunch at Nathans. It's about a 45 minute subway ride from midtown, but great Brooklyn scenery along the way!

[Logiola]

4. will check it out

[crispini]

3. Whenever I go to NYC I stay at the Chelsea hotel

a cool funky interesting artsy hotel in Chelsea; it's kind of a historical landmark. It isn't really an ordinary hotel, in terms of amenities, though, but it is supremely coooool.

[Logiola]

6. is that the one with all the warhol paintings?

I believe a friend of mine stayed there a few years ago and loved it.

[crispini]

7. I don't remember any Warhols...

it's where Sid killed Nancy, lots of famous authors and artists lived there .... it's living history, basically.

[Catchawave]

11. I stay at the Belvedere in midtown....

...small, but has a kitchenette in all the rooms. I like the convenience of having the bus stops and the subway just up the street, but it's walking distance to everything from that location (I think it's 49th and 8th?)

The Chelsea does sound nifty :) I may check that one out next trip!

[egadsbrain]

8. Empire State Bldg. is glorious!

it's a personal favorite. I try to go every year around my birthday. It's open really late (10:30-11:00PM?) and NYC at night is beautiful. Coney Island is probably going to be "Disney-fied" like Times Square, so it's worth it if you have the time. They just renovated the subway so it's not such an ordeal to get there. Union Square Park in Manhattan on Wednesdays... farmers market, street vendors & artists, lots of lefty history and a statue of Gandhi.

[smirkymonkey]

12. Don't miss Central Park!

It's so beautiful this time of year, especially just before sunset. You can also go to the Rainbow Room (there is a less formal cocktail lounge) for a drink, but it will set you back about $15 per drink. I prefer it to the Empire State, but it's inside.

[KurtNYC]

13. Some things you might be interested in

Let me start with your hotel. Secaucus is close to Manhattan but it is not necessarily cheap or easy to get between the two. If you go by cab, they will make you pay the tunnel toll plus your fare (plus maybe a surcharge because New Jesey cabs can't pick up fares in NYC - not sure about that). So whatever you are saving by getting a hotel in New Jersey may be eaten up by additional transportation costs (and time).

Here is a hotel on the Upper West Side - right between Central Park and the Hudson River and in a section of buildings from the Turn of the Century. The Ansonia where Caruso, Babe Ruth and others lived is right across the street. You are a short walk from the Museum of Natural History and only a slightly longer (and more beautiful) walk through Central Park to the Metropolitan museum. They have kitchenettes in all the rooms. You can get a room here for $160 per night -- the website says $180 but ask for any discount you can. http://www.beaconhotel.com

Same great neighborhood but a more downscale option is the Riverside Towers. If New York was a motel type of city this place would be a motel: http://www.riversidetowerhotel.com/

Some of the great things about staying in a hotel in the city are that you can change clothes, take naps, "meet back the hotel" and all that convenient stuff. It will maximize your time in the city and let you see what the city that never sleeps does when it isn't sleeping.

Empire State Building - go early or late to avoid lines.

Coney Island is an interesting area. I like the boardwalk but I especially like Little Odessa - the russian area on the east end of the area.

If you are more interested in the charm of old amusement parks you might consider going to Rye Playland which still has original rides from the 1920s and a large Art Deco skating rink. It is about 30 minutes from the City by train. One website is here: http://www.westchestergov.com/wcarchives/Playland/Playland_Index.HTM?33,18

If you respond with some of your interests I can make some specific suggestions but in general some of my favorite things to do with visitors include:
- get a Greek meat pie (kreatopita) from Poseidon Bakery on Ninth Ave
http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7185969/new_york_ny/poseidon_bakery.html
- then get a handfilled chocolate chip cannoli from Pozzo's bakery on Ninth Avenue (48th)
- catch a street performer or two in Washington Square Park
- take your time sampling the freebies at Zabar's while shopping for picnic items at Zabar's (Bwy/80th). Be sure to grab some plastic utensils on your way out because you will want to...
-have a picnic in Central Park (near Bethesda fountain or the Great Lawn)
- check TimeOut New York (weekly magazine) for free events, tours, street fairs,etc. website: http://www.timeoutny.com/
- if you have kids (and maybe even if you don't) ride in the front of the front car of a subway train. See what the conductor sees as the train rips through stations, tunnels and track switches underground.

[Logiola]

14. Thank you..

for all the great suggestions.. I can not wait to go..

I will look further into the hotels you pointed out for you make valid points. The hotel we were looking at was the Prime Suites Meadowlands/Secaucus.. it's cheap and you get a suite..

any good curiosity shops you know of? i was in seattle and loved browsing thru the Ye Olde Curiosity Shop and especially the magic shops and such in Pikes market.

[KurtNYC]

15. A huge magic store is Abracadabra on West 21st

This is in the Toy district which is next to a bunch of other neat "districts" along Sixth Avenue like the garment district (40th-28th), flower district(28th Street), fur district, and the graphics district.

magic store: http://www.abracadabrasuperstore.com/

There are no shortage of curio shops. Some of the nicer stuff is on Central Park South and the north end of Times Square (50th) but you will find curios in most areas that tourists are likely to go to. Chinatown (Canal Street) has all kinds of stuff and the South Street Seaport is a neat place to start your tour of lower Manhattan. It gives you a sense of the role that geography and trade played in making NYC what it has become. Cool 4-masted wooden ships too.

Seaport: http://www.nyctourist.com/seaport1.htm

Edit to add: Another curio source is ABC Home which is kind of like a museum with price tags. Their website shows what a unique business this is: http://www.abchome.com/

[Catchawave]

16. Fabulous suggestions Kurt !

I'm saving them for myself!

I especially agree with the NJ-NYC commute factor, and staying in Manhattan will not only be much more convenient, but may end up *saving* them money.

You really don't spend that much time in a room anyhow, ya just need the amnenities like a bed and bathroom, though kitchenettes are very convienent for all those great restaurant leftovers :)

[Princess Turandot]

17. The Wonder Wheel in Coney Island..

When in Coney Island, you have to stop at Nathan's Famous, home of the hot dog, although they sell other things. Eating a Coney Island knish can be a serene experience. If you like roller coasters, there is the Cyclone, which opened in the 1920's. It's on the National Register of Historic Places. I don't indulge in roller coasters, but it generates a lot of screaming. The Aquarium is nice, but not quite up to the standards of the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

The Bronx Zoo and NY Botanical Gardens, also in the Bronx, are great. You can get to the Zoo by express bus from Manhattan or by subway, and the commuter railroad goes up to the Gardens. If you like cemeteries (I do) one possibility is Woodlawn in the Bronx, which is home to the massive mausoleums of the American Robber Barons.

The Staten Island ferry is a nice cheap ride, with a great view of Manhattan Harbor. You get it at the bottom of Manhattan Island, and can just stay on the boat and go back to the city. There are a few interesting things in Staten Island, but they are not near the ferry stop. (Richmondtown Restoration, a tibetan museum.) The Ellis Island restoration is also more interesting than I expected it to be.

If you like art, forget that it is a major tourist destination and go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is one of the world's greatest collections of 1,000's of years of art from all over the world. The Frick Museum on 70th and Th Avenue (10 blocks south of the Met) is an often overlooked diamond: it's a private mansion that was turned into a museum to house the art collected by its original builder. They have 3 of the 35 paintings agreed to have been painted by Vermeer and 5 Turners, as well as a gorgeous portrait by Ingres.Paintings have been added over the years, but always in small measure and in complete consistency with the original collection & ambiance.


The Empire State Building is probably it in terms of views, unless you go to a restaurant, but none of those are anywhere near as high as the ESB. My brother visited it with his GF in May and it took them several hours to get to the elevator and then they had to wait for an hour to get back down.

Does the NJ hotel run a shuttle service into the city? If it does, then you should be okay if you can get rides back until late into the evening. If it doesn't, driving is a hassle & parking will be very expensive if you cannot park on the street. If they are on a commuter bus line, it probably would not be that expensive to go back and forth, but you'll have to go back & forth thru Port Authority on 42 and 8th, which is pretty out of the way. Does the hotel website indicate the commuting options? My brother stayed in a hotel on 27th & Madison, which he said had reasonable rates and which he was very happy with. I can check the name with him. Even if the NJ place is offering a very large room, unless you need it for the number of people you will be traveling with, consider that you won't spend too much time there all in all.

[Logiola]

18. The hotel does have a shuttle

It takes you to the bus/train terminal to get into manhatten and it runs 24 hours a day.. all the reviews say it takes about 15 minutes to get into manhatten and a round trip is $5.40 or something i believe it drops you off at penn station (this is by times square, right?)

one other question: with the transit week pass, is it a Monday to sunday thing, or does it last 7 days after you buy it at any times?

also, anyone know of any good 60's/mod type clubs or nights?

[liontamer]

20. penn station is walking distance to time square yes

the weekly metrocard is 7 days from when you first swipe it.
the only 60's mod club night I can think of is popgear, which is the first saturday of the month at Rififi (11th st and 1st avenue)
As for the commute from jersey, I still think it'll take you about 45 minutes in reality and I wouldn't want to hang around a bus terminal in jersey at 3 in the morning waiting for a hotel shuttle, but it might be doable.

[im10ashus]

22. Beauty Bar down near NYU

It's not a club, but it is nostalgic in that they have all these 1960's era hair driers that are chairs. It's a great place to visit. Not a tourist place at all - at least the times I have been there. It's on 14th between 2nd and 3rd.

I live on the upper west side (UWS) and you HAVE to go through Central Park. It's the reason I moved here (mostlY) and I the thing that keeps me sane in this big crazy city. Hope your trip is a fun one!

:hi:

[Logiola]

19. woo hoo.. got Yankee tickets..

I am pretty excited.. don't really follow baseball to closely but i love the atmosphere of a large stadium.. and damn, it;s Yankee stadium so it should be a blast.

[bettyellen]

23. t@ke the ferry to the st@dium

google it. i h@v2 keybo@rd issues.

[bettyellen]

21. oh no, not se@c@cus,,,,

it's @ strip m@ll in @ sw@mp -- t@ke @ sm@ller room in m@nh@tt@n. try the W@shington SOu@re hotel.
go to the ESB y dusk, you won't regret it.
i@sk me mre @fter i fix the d@mned keybo@rd.