The Big Apple

[Shrimper07]

The wife has always wanted to go to New York so as a surprise I am arranging a trip for her 30th birthday next year. Anyone have any tips about where to stay/visit etc and what to avoid if anything.
Also I am considering flying with Max Jet. Anyone flown with these?

 

[Vange Shrimper]

Also I am considering flying with Max Jet. Anyone flown with these?

Who? Never heard of them.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Stay away from the top (north) end of Central Park, You'll find youself in Brooklyn.

You've got the obivous sites of Times Square, Statue of Liberty and Ground Zero, which is one of the eeriest places you'll ever visit. Also try Shopping at Macy's, absolutely Immense and makes Harrod's look like your average corner shop.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Buy one of the Apple Cards (IIRC) they give you discount entry to all manner of attractions (Empire State building, Circle Line cruise etc) plus cheaper Metro travel.

Go on the free Staten Island ferry for amazing views of Manhattan Island.

If you're going to the Statue of Liberty get down to Battery Park (where you can also see the battered & bruised globe taken from the wreckage of WTC Plaza) to get the boat over to Liberty Island very very early!

Shop until you drop (Macys was the best all round for bargains).

Remember to tip (even if you go for a quick beer!)

PM if you want more info!

 

[Mad Cyril]

The wife has always wanted to go to New York so as a surprise I am arranging a trip for her 30th birthday next year. Anyone have any tips about where to stay/visit etc and what to avoid if anything.
Also I am considering flying with Max Jet. Anyone flown with these?

If you are there for a while drive to Montauk, right at the end of the southern fork of long island.

It is the rough end of the Hamptons and is a great little party town in the summer with lots of good places to eat and drink and fantastic beaches. You can pick up some dirt cheap lobsters.

 

[Usual_Suspect]

Wait until BA have a sale on and go with them. My wife and I were planning on going last March and a flight for both of us in the sale was about £450 return inc taxes. You'll also find the Virgin will slash their prices at the same time.

 

[Shrimper07]

Thanks for all the tips guys.
Max Jet fly from Stansted direct to JFK. They tout themselves as a business class airline. I am looking at going next June. A long time away I know but I want plenty of time to save as I want to spank it over there as it will also be our 4th wedding anniversary out there. Maxjet are quoting £1500 for two return. I can get a return with Air India for £600 from Heathrow.
Decisions decisions

 

[loz]

Stay away from the top (north) end of Central Park, You'll find youself in Brooklyn.

err, no you won't, Brooklyn is mainly south of Manhattan and the other side of the wet bit :p and anyway, the beer is much cheaper there!

 

[Pubey]

yeah you can get some good prices with BA and virgin, my girlfriend got £250 return which is a bargin with Virgin Atlantic!

 

[Uncle Leo]

Buy one of the Apple Cards (IIRC) they give you discount entry to all manner of attractions (Empire State building, Circle Line cruise etc) plus cheaper Metro travel.

Go on the free Staten Island ferry for amazing views of Manhattan Island.

If you're going to the Statue of Liberty get down to Battery Park (where you can also see the battered & bruised globe taken from the wreckage of WTC Plaza) to get the boat over to Liberty Island very very early!

Shop until you drop (Macys was the best all round for bargains).

Remember to tip (even if you go for a quick beer!)

PM if you want more info!

Wot him sed :D

Plus, getting a quick cable car over to Roosevelt Island (just by the Queensboro Bridge) gives you a great alternative view of Manhattan. There's bugger all to do other than that, but the cable car is every 20 minutes or so, so it's worth it.

Not sure if it would be popular with your good lady, but if you can get to a hockey or basketball game at Madison Square Garden that's a wonderful experience.

 

[londonblue]

I would stay in and around Time Square. You can find a decent hotel here:-

Skoosh

What ever you do, don't do the three hour circle line tour! I did it in December 2001 (just after 9/11). We got there late and had to stand outside for the entire trip. We were freezing at the end. The temperate was below zero on land, but outside on a moving boat was even colder. And nearly everything that is worth seeing is in the first half an hour!

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Tip like a monster. They expect min. 15% Stateside.

If you're going for a week and fancy not staying in a hotel, then New York Habitat are awesome. Very cool flats, lots in Greenwich Village / East Village / Lower East Side - which are funky parts of town - for really not much money. With the rate at almost $2 / £1, you can't go wrong - it's all cheap!

Other places? If you're into your trainers, then Adidas Originals in SoHo (136 Wooster) is the coolest shop in town...

:)

Have a great time - it's an awesome city.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Catch an MLS game, Yankee Stadium I think houses thew New York Red Bulls and it's a fantastic stadium...

 

[ldnfatso]

Hotels

there is a nice hotel called the Waldorf Astoria that should do the job. Bit pricey though. Can recommend personally though Essex House Hotel by Central Park.

 

[ldnfatso]

Also, The Circle line ferry is good. it takes you all the way around Manhattan past S.o.L., Ellis Island, under Brooklyn Bridge, past UN Building, Yankee Stadium, Washington Bridge, and the intrepid aircraft carrier.

 

[canveyshrimper]

If they still do it, a helicopter trip over the city, scared the crap out of me, but a great experience all the same.

As others said tip like crazy.

 

[Vange Shrimper]

Apparently, their measurements are a lot different to ours. Our doubles are their quadruples. A friend of mine, who does like her drink, got fed up and by the end of the week she and a few other of my mates who were in New York, were looking forward to getting back to British measurements. So watch what you order :D

 

[Beefy]

I can't say enough good stuff about New York. I'd happily move out there tomorrow (especially with the way the football season has started!). Got back from my second trip out there just a few weeks ago and had a great time. There's just so much to do, so much to see. There's even a Reflex (OMG).

Everything is cheap, apart from beer but, even that is reasonable as soon as you move slightly outside the main touristy areas. I hate shopping but in New York it's a whole different story. Stock up on jeans, stock up on shirts, stock up on anything that you're likely to buy in this country in the next six months.

As for where to stay, well the internet is very useful because it's so easy to search all the hotels out there and find the one that you're happy with in terms of price and the reviews it gets. For what it's worth, I stayed in the relatively expensive but brilliantly located Metro in 1999 which is on West 35th, between Fifth Avenue & Broadway and just yards from the Empire State Building. This time I stayed in the Hotel 17 which was cheaper (but not cheap, cheap) and was again in a decent location, this time down by Union Square probably about two miles from the Empire State Building. Distance is a strange concept out there though because you find yourself walking everywhere taking in the amazing views of the stunning skyline and immersing yourself in the culture.

I took hundreds of pictures this time out but this one is my favourite. It's just like being in a movie.

I'm hoping to go back in January for a few days or even a week if I can, a certain Shrimperzone poster's wedding plans permitting.

 

[chaco27saf]

Catch an MLS game, Yankee Stadium I think houses thew New York Red Bulls and it's a fantastic stadium...

The New York Red Bulls play in Giants Stadium, which is home to both the New York Giants and the New York Jets of the NFL. If you aren't going until next summer I believe by then the Red Bulls will be playing in a new soccer-specific stadium. As for other sporting events in June it will be the playoffs in both hockey and basketball, so even if the Rangers/Knicks are still playing by then it will be incredibly difficult to get tickets. Baseball will be in the middle of their season and you can catch a game either at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx or watch the Mets play at Shea Stadium in Queens. If you decide to do that I'd recommend buying tickets in advance since many of their games sell out.

 

[chaco27saf]

Stay away from the top (north) end of Central Park, You'll find youself in Brooklyn.

There is nothing wrong with Brooklyn, my Dad was born and raised there and he turned out alright. There are actually some great places in Brooklyn just research where you want to go before you leave and just in case you get lost it might not be the worst idea to go there during the day.