LadyBelle

Hi again - Ok, let me give it a think and get back here soon. Just two things for now:
NYC at Christmas time is one of my favourite places; it's got a vibe and festive spirit. I'm glad you mentioned wanting to see that regalia. It's really a good feeling. A reason to catch part of the week between the two holidays, I think.

The other thing, the World Trade Center site would be better suited in a category not full of other 'fun' or just plain toursty sites; I mention this because even just a week or so after the attacks, I saw and heard tourists taking tons of pictures --- even in front of it --- as if it were just another touristy spot to see and 'do'. To each his own, but if not for the victims, perhaps for their families and friends people will stop and think before they snap away taking pictures while smiling with the WTC as their backdrop. I heard people on the phones calling their friends saying, "Hey! Guess where I am!" with big smiles on their faces. I couldn't believe it.

Be back soon. Cheers.

Pinkie

Sh*t yes, sorry about that. In my mind I wasn't for a second lumping them in the same 'fun' category, just meant I would very much like to visit. I have seen a lot of the footage but never really got a handle on the scale of the size etc never having been to the city before and also would like to pay my respects. I would not consider myself a gawker, quite the opposite really and sorry to have given that impression.

Thanks for still offering to provide some advice even if I came across as a bit of a ghoul!

penguinbar

I live in Manhattan and honestly if you get a hotel at under $400 a night at Christmas time that is a bargain. I used to work at the Residence inn In Manhattan only last year and they were charging $700 plus for rooms that were nothing special. Your best bet is to get a air/hotel package deal but I would look into it asap becaue hotels book up rather quickly. There is a hotel called La Quinta in Queens about 15 minutes outside of Manhattan that you could try as well. NYC has a great buz round the holidays but it is a madhouse!!

Pinkie

Do you have a spare room

I do want to book it this week if possible, the whole trip really as I realise it's a bad time to be travelling. We just figured our folks would like to see us at that time of year, plus people are home for the holidays so friends we have who have moved away should be around too. More bang for our buck peoplewise but less hotelwise it seems!

I'll have a look at that La Quinta, stayed in one in Florida so I assume they're all similar quality? Thanks for the tip

penguinbar

I'm sure the La Quintas are pretty much the same. Sorry no spare room ! LOL. Please feel free to ask any questions before you book. Especially about hotels. I have lived in Manhattan over 20 years and grew up nearby so I know the city very well.

Pinkie

Thanks Penguinbar, it's nice to see people are just as helpful on the US forum as they were on the Aussie one when we moved here.

I might well take you up on the offer of advice on hotels as it's always tricky to really know what you're getting. Do you know anything about the Belleclaire? Gets mixed reviews on Tripadvisor but the rates are ok for where it is.

penguinbar

Hi I just looked it up since I hve never heard of it. Its on the Upper West side which is nice neighborhood. Look up hotels on Frommers as well. I will send you a list of hotels that I think would be ok but you will need to check Christmas time rates. Also please remember there is about 13% room tax and an occupancy tax on top of the room rate. Glad to be of help! New Yorkers get a bad rap but we are very friendly really!

Pinkie

Ah yes, Frommers, I knew there was another review place, thanks. A list would be great, really appreciate that

If you're ever down this end of the world I hope I can be equally helpful

denzil75

If you are planning on doing a Broadway show and don't really mind which one, look for the TKTS ticket booths. They sell tickets for that day for up to 50% off, I'd queue up before they open as the line can get big, although friends have told me the South Street Port one is quieter. I've not personally used them as I wanted to see something specific and thought that tickets weren't that badly priced, but it's a great way to save money on the Broadway tickets though. I have loads of friends who use it.

http://www.tdf.org/TDF_ServicePage.aspx?id=56

http://www.entertainment-link.com/tkts.asp
(this site has the times the booths are open)

I don't have any recommendations for hotels but we have friends that have stayed in Greenwich Village as they found it slightly cheaper than the Midtown/Times Square area and also said it was nice to be able to walk out in an evening and find plenty of places to eat/drink without having to get on the Subway.

As for Christmassy things here are some websites with ideas

http://gonyc.about.com/od/christmass...ttractions.htm

http://www.nyctourist.com/xmas_in_nyc_calendar2.htm

Well I'm sure you are now on information overload, there are so many people on here with great advice. I would say though if you can afford to stay in New York then do it, you don't want to spend time worrying about getting the last train back to Jersey etc and then having to get from the station to where you are staying. I live in Jersey and it's a pain parking at the train station to get into NYC, the car parks are very busy. Good luck!

Rete

Pinkie

Manhattan is only 23 miles I believe from tip to tip so everything is close by. The subways will take you hither and yon and there is also the bus system which is fab in Manhattan. And if you are really unsure about transportation, you stick out an arm and hail a cab.

Nice location to stay in by the way for eating purposes. You have Chinatown and Little Italy on your doorstep.

Rete

Rete

If you are going to be here only for a few short days then decide do you want to do an in-depth visit to a particular area or a drive-by of the island? If a drive-by then take the bus tour. They are great. You pay for a full day's ride on a double decker tour bus (like your UK busses) and you can hop on and hop off at various stops of interest.

If you want the Christmas atmosphere go walking. Fifth Avenue from Lord and Taylors (39th? St) northward to Central Park. This walk will bring you pass Rockefeller Plaza and the tree. On the walk back go two blocks east and walk down Park Avenue (where I work). Lovely at night over the holiday season. The office building lobbies are decorated and the green island in the middle of the street is done up with trees and lights as well. You follow it through to the Metlife building and directly into Grand Central for a look at the much photographed central main room with its celestial ceiling and at the holiday season a laser light show at times.

Englishmum

Rates are outrageous for New Year's Eve!

I just looked at the listings for the Applecore hotels group (which includes La Quinta, Comfort Inn etc.) and the rates for NYE are in the mid $400s (+ tax) yet the following day go down to the mid $100s (which is v. cheap for NYC):

http://www.applecorehotels.com/reserve/listrooms.cfm

home page http://www.applecorehotels.com

I actually stayed at the Holiday Inn in Soho/Chinatown a fortnight ago, just for the Saturday night. Although we live 17 miles west of NYC in New Jersey we sometimes stay overnight in the city as my spouse often travels on business and gets the Intercontinental hotels group Priority Points (IC, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inns, HI Express), so he gets free nights in their hotels.

The HI in Chinatown was ok for us as it was a freebie, but we would have been disappointed if we'd had to pay out of our own pockets; the room was very small, dreary - although recently renovated - and cramped, mitigated by a high ceiling, but if we had taken suitcases in then there would have been no room to move! The staff were very nice though and the location was good (with the subway station a few steps away).

We usually stay at the Crowne Plaza in Times Square, which is nice but probably too expensive over the Xmas/NY period.

Another place we sometimes stay at is "Club Quarters" at the Rockefeller Center - my husband's company is a 'member' and family and friends can get a discounted rate at their international locations at public holidays and at weekends.

http://www.clubquarters.com/ (sometimes CQ appears on Expedia/Travelocity etc.) If you send me a Private Message I can send you the password to get the much cheaper member rate, but my guess is that they may be booked out for the period you want to stay, but they do have 3 locations in Manhatten.

Other tips: many of the hotel chains offer at least a 10% discount on room rates to members of motoring organizations such as the AAA (American Automobile Association) and it might be worthwhile checking if this extends to your Aussie one if you have one - there seems to be some kind of recipricoticy (sp?) but this would only work if you book directly with the hotel and not a third party. You might not be able to input a non-US # so it might be worth calling the hotel and then showing your card on arrival.

Also it really is best to try and book directly with the hotel -they usually offer a better cancellation policy; if you book with say, Expedia, Orbitz then you pay upfront and if you find a cheaper rate or a better hotel a few days or weeks later, then tough luck, you can't change your booking or get a refund. Most hotels let you cancel right up until about 4pm to 6pm of the day you're checking in. If you find a better rate with Expedia etc. than the hotel's own website, call the hotel and they will match the price - they don't have to pay commission to the agent - and in any case you often get a nicer room (so I've heard).

Also if you get to your hotel and it's a flea-pit then it's easier to cancel and check out on the spot than if you made your booking through a third party!

Don't stay at the Pennsylvania Hotel! A dive and I don't know if they've ever managed to get rid of their bed-bug problem!

Another idea is to stay at a Bed & Breakfast in Manhatten;

http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/manhattan-new-york.html

Hope this helps! Do send me a PM if interested in Club Quarters

penguinbar

Hi! Try the Time Hotel and the Dream hotel as well. Manhattan is much smaller than London and very easy to get around. You can get a day pass on the subway for $7 and it will take you everywhere. It's not like London , don't need to by a pass for certain zones. You want to avoisd Times Square or New Years. They block the streets of early in the afternoon too. I managed a restaurant in that area. Total Chaos! Better off going to a restaurant or pub. Feel free to send me a private message if you have more questions. I have been in the bar/resytaurant business for years and will be glad to help in that area as well!

Big D

Believe it or not its only just over 13 miles tip to tip and just over 2 miles wide at its widest point! And the 13 miles is right up to the Cloisters area on the west side, so I think the 'main' bit is only around 7 miles - sorry been reading NYC trivia recently as we have had some visitors over

penguinbar

It really is easy to get around and as Big D mentioned it's not really that big of a place! London is much more spread out. Most of New York is laid out like a grid and most of the streets are numberd so it's pretty easy to navigate. It gets more confusing downtown when you are in Greenwich Village , Soho, and Wallstreet. Don't be afraid to ask for directions either. People ask me all the time and I'm glad to help. I don't think the men like it when I tell their wives and girlfriends all the great places to shop though! LOL