Newyork Trip help

There's a LOT to do in NYC and it really depends on what your interests are. As for hotel, it's going to be pricey for the most part especially if you stay in Manhattan. I think in order for SDers to help you, you need to give us a little bit of information like the purpose of your trip, length, and your personal interest.

Heya Chic!

I'd say 3 days are enough to see the total "touristy" spots. And about 5-6 days to really explore it well. ?

Quote from msvista : I am visiting NY in late Aug or early Sep. Can you guys tell me how much time I need to see most known places in NY without rushing? What area should I focus to find the hotel in.

When my parents visited from Canada, we took a bus tour that was around 6 hours in length and really took its time at key spots - the guide would actually hop off the bus with the tour group (I believe 35 is the max size) and take you into buildings, into the financial district, etc. It was around $60 per person because we chose the afternoon tour, if I recall correctly. AND! And it includes a boat ride/cruise that goes right up beside and around the Statue of Liberty. The boat was super-nice (maybe similar to a small yacht?) with two levels, tons of sofas, wrap-around windows, and a full bar.

The company name is called 'Onboard New York', and here's the link to the tour that we did:
http://www.onboardnewyorktours.co...ee-it-all/

Get-out-of-the-bus stops include:
Times Square
World Trade Center Site
New York Stock Exchange
Wall Street
Trinity Church
World Financial Center
Federal Hall
Madison Square Park
Flatiron Building
South Street Seaport
US Customs Building
5th Avenue
Rockefeller Center
NBC’s Today Show Set
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Central Park
Strawberry Fields
Dakota Building

And you'll also see:
Ellis Island
Central Park Zoo
Tiffany’s
Brooklyn Bridge
St. Paul’s Chapel
Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
Hudson River
East River
FAO Schwarz
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Chrysler Building
Woolworth Building
Met Life Building
Trump Tower
Plaza Hotel
City Hall
Washington Square Park
New York Public Library
Greenwich Village
SOHO/Tribeca
Macy’s
Herald Square

One other thing: Please do homework ahead of time on the hop-on tour buses!! When my in-laws visited earlier in the Spring, a group of 7 of us purchased what we were TOLD were all-day hop-on hop-off passes for one of the red bus lines, at the cost of $75 each. We were told the buses had tour guides. The "tour guide" was a monotone recording barely audible through cheap headphones (think airline), and the buses stopped running at 5:45 PM. Here's the kicker - we purchased the passes at 3:30!!!

Not all of the hop-on companies are scams - my husband and I enjoyed a FANTASTIC tour via one that we cannot remember the name of last summer. But be careful, because they all look the same, and some are just looking to make a quick buck!

Hope that helps.

First, the $60 tour bus mentioned above sounds like a pretty good value to me. I'm not much of an organized-tour guy, but that looks like it takes you everywhere and if you spend one day doing that, you can spend the next going back to the places that interested you.

However, if you're on a budget -- well, first of all, if you're on a budget, New York isn't a great city for you :-) -- but, if you have a map of the city and you don't have physical problems that prevent you from walking, I personally suggest walking the city rather than a pricey hop-on, hop-off. Between the subway and your walking shoes, you can get to all of the places a hop-on, hop-off will go. That said, those bus tours obviously fill up with plenty of people -- so I'm not saying it's an awful idea. I just don't necessarily prefer organized group tours if I can explore on my own just as well.

Also, I often suggest Big Apple Greeters. Plan ahead and you can book a free walking tour of a specific neighborhood that interests you that is given by a local -- someone who lives in that neighborhood and knows it and its history. Personally, I haven't taken one of these tours -- but I've heard great things. Having plenty of born-and-bred New Yorkers as friends who have taken me around their neighborhoods, and I can't imagine a better tour. Many New Yorkers will surprise you with the depth of their knowledge about their city.

As for how many days, as everyone else has said, that really depends on you. I would agree that 3 days will give you the touristy highlights. But I think you'd be disappointed at the end of those 3 days that you didn't have 3 more. Personally, I wouldn't suggest less than 6 if you can afford it.

So that brings me to affordability. Accommodations are generally expensive any way you shake it. As for an area to focus in, that's nearly impossible to say without knowing what you want to do and what your budget is. I remember a friend of mine who was visiting New York years ago and she was looking for hotels and she emailed me to say that she was looking around "the Manhattan area. Is that good?".......and I'm sure that she now knows that Manhattan is bigger than an "area". As a tourist, you're most likely going to stay in Manhattan -- but where in Manhattan is the question . . . . and that brings us back to budget and interests. If you give a little more information, you'll probably get better information.

One option I often remind people about is AirBnB. I've booked a couple of places in NYC on AirBnB significantly cheaper than hotels and then also enjoyed staying in an apartment in a regular neighborhood. You can book entire apartments or a room in someone's apartment. I've booked rooms in someone's apartment a couple of times and it's been great. My father grew up in the city and my grandparents lived there when I was growing up and I go to the city a few times a year. I love New York and I know a fair bit about it -- yet my hosts gave me some great tips that helped shape those and future New York trips. Of course, check reviews of an apartment before you book it -- surely some places are better than others. And prices vary WIDELY. I've stayed on both the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side because the AirBnB apartments in those areas tend to be cheaper and the subway is easily accessible to take you wherever you want to go.

My last tip is a tip I give everyone -- at some point during your trip, take the A train Brooklyn bound. Get off at the first stop in Brooklyn. Ask the worker in the booth which way to the Brooklyn Promenade. Walk there. Snap pictures. Be amazed at the view. Do this at NIGHT. Thank me later. Best free thing you'll do in NY.

Quote from Parachute07 : My last tip is a tip I give everyone -- at some point during your trip, take the A train Brooklyn bound. Get off at the first stop in Brooklyn. Ask the worker in the booth which way to the Brooklyn Promenade. Walk there. Snap pictures. Be amazed at the view. Do this at NIGHT. Thank me later. Best free thing you'll do in NY.

Not the OP but thanks for the suggestion!

I'd even go so far as to tell a person to stay in Brooklyn. Brooklyn, specifically Park Slope, is just like my neighborhood here in Chicago. Maybe I'm jaded by city living but staying in Manhattan doesn't appeal to me anymore.

Sorry to hijack this thread....

I am also planning a trip to east coast and want to know whether staying in Long Island City area is a good idea ?
I have checked couple of hotels like Quality inn and La Quinta Inn which seem near to the subway

Another great tip I give to people traveling to NYC...unless you feel an overwhelming need to spend hours getting to & from or climbing inside the Statue of Liberty, the best (and cheapest) view is from the Staten Island Ferry Take the ferry to SI and simply stay on the ferry for the return trip, you will get beautiful photos from directly in front of Lady Liberty

You can't get inside the Statue of Liberty until later this year. They shut it down the end of October to do some renovation work. I looked and it doesn't look like they have posted an actual date yet.

Quote from Mike_R : You can't get inside the Statue of Liberty until later this year. They shut it down the end of October to do some renovation work. I looked and it doesn't look like they have posted an actual date yet.

http://www.nps.gov/stli/planyourv...s2know.htm


WOAH!! thanks for the heads up! Damn. Any chance that it'll open by september?

Thanks every one for sharing the information. It is so very helpful.

If I visit I'd like to see Coney Island as well. Not sure how seasonal that is though.