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titans&bucs&bearsohmy!

NYC Travel Tips

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On 5/11/2019 at 12:41 AM, titans&bucs&bearsohmy! said:

So I think me and the Mrs. Are gonna do a few days in the big apple this summer. I've never been, and I know we have some new Yorkers here, so I thought I'd solicit opinions. It will be mid July if that matters. 

Things to see - statue of liberty, 911 memorial, central park, 5th Ave, times square, Broadway, these are a given. Anything I'm missing? Best way to see a Broadway show cheap?

Stay - cheap as possible, in Manhattan. Thoughts? We live in Asia, we're cool with slumming it.

Eat - obviously want tips on where to get the true NYC pizza experience. A good deli to try would be nice. Any other places that I must try. I'm willing to spend if it's worth it, but mainly prefer to eat real food over fine dining.

Events - anything cool going on that time of year? Sadly, we can't make it by the 4th. 

Any other suggestions welcome. Is it even worth leaving Manhattan to see any of the other Burroughs? Best way to get to Manhattan from airport? Is the subway safe at night? Any areas to avoid after dark?

 

 

 

I go to NYC on regular basis for fun

 

This legitimately sounds like hell on Earth best of luck

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3 hours ago, TimmySmith said:

Niagara Falls is a waste of time. Complete trashy tourist trap.

Especially the NY side. It's a shithole. If you can't get to the Canadian side I'd skip it. Check out Boston instead. Just as far. Great town, ton of history.  

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7 minutes ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

Especially the NY side. It's a shithole. If you can't get to the Canadian side I'd skip it. Check out Boston instead. Just as far. Great town, ton of history.  

Sounds good. Yeah, I don't want to mess with a Canadian visa. I really just wanted to do the thing on the boat with the ponchos. Probably too far to be worth it.

We'll just do 3 days in the city and then bounce out to Memphis. I'm beginning to do the math, and Hong Kong to NYC, NYC to Memphis, and then Vegas back to china is going to be a very costly round of flights. And I'm sure the hotel in New York won't be cheap. 

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Sure what a vast selection of exotic meats we have here in the United States.

 

Take her to the pound.

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I have worked downtown for the last 11 years.  There are some good tips in this thread, so I may repeat some of them -- apologies to the original authors.  Here are some thoughts:

- Use the subways anytime, particularly if you are traveling to/from more popular destinations.  Download the HopStop app.   Simple knowledge --  1-2-3 lines go north/south on the west side.   4-5-6 lines go north/south on the east side.  7 line goes cross town.  Lettered lines go all over the place.  

- The 9/11 museum is emotionally impactful to most New Yorkers but seems to impact out-of-towners in different ways.  But I still think it's worth a visit.

- On a summer day, the Met is spectacular, regardless of whether you are artsy or not.  For whoever recommended The Frick Collection, I believe that it is free on Sundays.  Also, whoever recommended it misspelled "Frick".  There is no "e" on the end.  (Pet peeve of mine)

- TKTS is the way to go for Broadway so long as you are not looking for the latest and greatest.  The TKTS booth is in Times Square and sells discounted "day-of-show" tickets.  I recommend The Carol King Musical if you are looking for a ticket to a good show that is almost always available at TKTS.  My wife and I did that show for $29/ticket.  If you are going to go to Broadway, I would go for an evening show.  Matinees usually involve understudies.   Plus, it just FEELS more like Broadway at night.  Ticket availability is better during the week than on weekends.  There is an app for TKTS that shows you what is available each day.

- I understand the obsession with the Yankees, but I am not a big fan of the new Yankee Stadium.  Going there, in my view, is not worth the cost or the hassle.  But, if you do go, take the 4 train from Grand Central.  It is about a 15-minute trip, and getting "home" via subway is much easier than trying to get a cab or uber.

- On a nice day, the free Staten Island Ferry is a good way to get a view of NY harbor and the Statue of Liberty.  The downside is that you have to go to Staten Island.  Also, on a really nice day, you might consider walking across the Brooklyn Bridge.  If that's too involved, I believe someone here suggested walking the High Line on the west side.   There are lots of nice restaurants that you can find along the High Line.  

- Hidden gem restaurants in NYC (not fine dining):  Ecco - downtown Italian joint in Tribecca...makes you feel like a mobster.  https://eccorestaurantny.com/.   Shorty's - Multiple locations in the City with Philly Cheesteaks, great fries and lots of TVs.  http://www.shortysnyc.com/    Before a show, my wife and I like Ardesia Wine Bar for really good small plates and good wine.  It is a good walk from the theater district which means that it is not touristy at all.  https://www.ardesia-ny.com/.    If you are downtown at happy hour, Blue Ribbon Federal Grill (nextdoor to the Federal Reserve) has great cocktails at happy hour prices and good food to eat at the bar.  https://www.blueribbonrestaurants.com/restaurants/blue-ribbon-federal-grill

In addition to Central Park, which is fantastic, don't forget places like Union Square, Battery Park, Bryant Park and Washington Square Park.  All are great outdoor areas of NYC.  Union Square always has stuff going on.  Washington Square has a lot of NYU energy.  

 

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One last tip -- If you decide to use subways for a few days, buy Metrocards to use for getting around.  You can buy them from machines at any subway stop and load trips or days onto the card.  It is worth it to not have to wait around to buy a ticket every time you go underground.  

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The closer to the 4th, the less crowded NYC is. 

Washington Sq. Park is great for people watching.  Where the Homeless and the Millionaires of all colors converge.  The Village in general is great for walking.

A fun day for me is getting a sandwich from Faicco's, taking it to WS to eat while people watching, then grabbing a Citibike and riding back to Times Square.

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On 5/13/2019 at 10:25 AM, TimmySmith said:

The closer to the 4th, the less crowded NYC is. 

Washington Sq. Park is great for people watching.  Where the Homeless and the Millionaires of all colors converge.  The Village in general is great for walking.

A fun day for me is getting a sandwich from Faicco's, taking it to WS to eat while people watching, then grabbing a Citibike and riding back to Times Square.

This is a good point.  The city used to empty out at around noon on Fridays this time of year.  Many companies actually observed "summer hours".  This allowed commuters to get out of the city and back to Long Island, CT, NJ, or up state NY and get an early start on the weekend.  

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@vuduchile

@Hardcore troubadour

So I booked the flight to NYC today. Flying into JFK. Staying near Times Square.

For the flight to Memphis, the money is the same flying from JFK, LaGuardia, or Newark. Which is cheaper/easier to get to from Manhattan? If it doesn't matter, I'll just choose based on which time I prefer. 

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3 minutes ago, titans&bucs&bearsohmy! said:

@vuduchile

@Hardcore troubadour

So I booked the flight to NYC today. Flying into JFK. Staying near Times Square.

For the flight to Memphis, the money is the same flying from JFK, LaGuardia, or Newark. Which is cheaper/easier to get to from Manhattan? If it doesn't matter, I'll just choose based on which time I prefer. 

Not them, but JFK is what I would pick.  Train goes from airport into Penn Station. 

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5 hours ago, titans&bucs&bearsohmy! said:

@vuduchile

@Hardcore troubadour

So I booked the flight to NYC today. Flying into JFK. Staying near Times Square.

For the flight to Memphis, the money is the same flying from JFK, LaGuardia, or Newark. Which is cheaper/easier to get to from Manhattan? If it doesn't matter, I'll just choose based on which time I prefer. 

I always preferred LaGuardia.  It was the shortest trip into the city via cab.  But again, it's been awhile since I've been there.  

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2 hours ago, titans&bucs&bearsohmy! said:

@vuduchile

@Hardcore troubadour

So I booked the flight to NYC today. Flying into JFK. Staying near Times Square.

For the flight to Memphis, the money is the same flying from JFK, LaGuardia, or Newark. Which is cheaper/easier to get to from Manhattan? If it doesn't matter, I'll just choose based on which time I prefer. 

Laguardia. But you will have a better selection of flights from JFK. Laguardia has a lot of connecting flights. Newark can be tricky depending on the time of day. You're either going through a tunnel or over the GW bridge. Can be a nightmare. 

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Ok, we leave tomorrow for NYC. Few final questions.

We are staying near times Square. 8th and W 46th to be precise. We are landing at JFK around 11:30 pm. By the time we get out of the airport, it will be quite late.

What is the most scenic drive in that I can request the cabbie to take? Would prefer a bridge to a tunnel obviously. Wouldn't think traffic will be an issue at that time.

Our hotel is pretty near the pier where the USS intrepid is. Is that cool? It seems like something I want to see. The circle line seems to be right there too. 

The circle line tour thing... Does it go near the Statue of Liberty? If not will do the Staten Island Ferry thing. Doesn't seem like much of interest on Staten Island, so probably will just turn right back around.

 

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9 hours ago, titans&bucs&bearsohmy! said:

Ok, we leave tomorrow for NYC. Few final questions.

We are staying near times Square. 8th and W 46th to be precise. We are landing at JFK around 11:30 pm. By the time we get out of the airport, it will be quite late.

What is the most scenic drive in that I can request the cabbie to take? Would prefer a bridge to a tunnel obviously. Wouldn't think traffic will be an issue at that time.

 

 

 

Ask him to swing by Fenway Park.

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1 hour ago, The PosterFormerlyKnownAs said:

Ask him to swing by Fenway Park.

Hmm. That's the house that Ruth built right? Thought they tore it down. 

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2 hours ago, Bier Meister said:

How bad is the blackout?

What blackout? I'm in the Hong Kong Airport... 

 

OK. Just read about it. It seems to be coming back now. That would have blown ass to fly 20 hours to sleep with no air con. Hardly the welcome home I hope for. 

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Just got here. So far... Not to impressed. Got scammed as fock on the ride from the airport. Went to get some 99 cent Pizza (its late, im tired, it was close. Got panhandled five times and three tourists asked if I know where to buy weed.

Tomorrow we will do the circle line, after sleeping in. That 25 hour trip wore my ass out.

Going through immigration, my wife did say, "I get it now. Why you always gripe about the chinese being Filthy and inefficient. This place is much better." so there's that. 

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Hey man, my bad but I shouid have told you the most important thing about NYC: to really enjoy it, it helps to be filthy rich. But you will love the Intrepid. Have a blast today. 

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25 minutes ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

Hey man, my bad but I shouid have told you the most important thing about NYC: to really enjoy it, it helps to be filthy rich. But you will love the Intrepid. Have a blast today. 

Yeah, no sh!t. My wallet wants the fock out of here asap.

The wife is in full scale disbelief that she's here though, so that's good.

Im really surprised. The place is... Dead. We're a few blocks from times Square, and there isn't anybody around it seems. 

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West side between Times Square and the Intrepid is a pretty dead neighborhood.  You have to walk north into Hells Kitchen, east into Times Square (ew) or get south of the Javits Center for there to be any local life.

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13 minutes ago, fricker66 said:

West side between Times Square and the Intrepid is a pretty dead neighborhood.  You have to walk north into Hells Kitchen, east into Times Square (ew) or get south of the Javits Center for there to be any local life.

Yeah. Times Square is tourist hell. Good call on that. 

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I hope you're noticing how Seinfeld and Friends were not an accurate portrayal of NYC.

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1 minute ago, peenie said:

I hope you're noticing how Seinfeld and Friends were not an accurate portrayal of NYC.

You mean a bad waitress and unemployed chef can't afford a huge two bedroom in the village? 

It's not what I expected really. Much cleaner and not as bustling as I would have thought. Then again, I am used to China, so maybe that's it. 

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5 minutes ago, titans&bucs&bearsohmy! said:

You mean a bad waitress and unemployed chef can't afford a huge two bedroom in the village? 

It's not what I expected really. Much cleaner and not as bustling as I would have thought. Then again, I am used to China, so maybe that's it. 

I meant it's pretty diverse and dirtier. NYC is really crowded, imo. Like oppressively so. Have you been to Times Square at Night?

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18 minutes ago, peenie said:

I meant it's pretty diverse and dirtier. NYC is really crowded, imo. Like oppressively so. Have you been to Times Square at Night?

No. And I won't. But compared to Hong Kong or any other Chinese city, this place is empty. 

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1 hour ago, peenie said:

I hope you're noticing how Seinfeld and Friends were not an accurate portrayal of NYC.

A also noticed Good Times wasn't an accurate portrayal of Chicago. 

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Empty??

 

 

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Kudos to Rudy for cleaning the place up and making it safer.  

But NYC was probably a little more fun in the 70’s and 80’s when it was still sorta gritty.   

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Just now, vuduchile said:

Kudos to Rudy and more importantly the NYPD  for cleaning the place up and making it safer.  

But NYC was probably a little more fun in the 70’s and 80’s when it was still sorta gritty.   

Edit for accuracy. 

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10 hours ago, peenie said:

Empty??

 

 

I ended up walking through times Square after dark to get back to the hotel. Much more lively, but all tourists. Where are all the locals? 

9 hours ago, vuduchile said:

Kudos to Rudy for cleaning the place up and making it safer.  

But NYC was probably a little more fun in the 70’s and 80’s when it was still sorta gritty.   

I think that's been my biggest surprise. Manhattan feels like a Disney theme park version of a city. Very nice. But antiseptic a bit. An endless array of stuff to do though.

We took the liberty cruise through the harbor and by the Statue of Liberty... Now I have been to many tourist sh!t shows... This was probably the worst. 500 hundred land whales and trash balls from all over the world on a boat. It blew. 

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8 hours ago, titans&bucs&bearsohmy! said:

I ended up walking through times Square after dark to get back to the hotel. Much more lively, but all tourists. Where are all the locals? 

I think that's been my biggest surprise. Manhattan feels like a Disney theme park version of a city. Very nice. But antiseptic a bit. An endless array of stuff to do though.

We took the liberty cruise through the harbor and by the Statue of Liberty... Now I have been to many tourist sh!t shows... This was probably the worst. 500 hundred land whales and trash balls from all over the world on a boat. It blew. 

You won't rid yourself of tourists if you stay in lower Manhattan.  Especially when you are doing all touristy things.  Make sure to Rent City Bikes and do Central Park. 

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1 hour ago, TimmySmith said:

You won't rid yourself of tourists if you stay in lower Manhattan.  Especially when you are doing all touristy things.  Make sure to Rent City Bikes and do Central Park. 

I woke up hungry arou d 4am today. Jet lagged. Decided to go get a slice. Ran into the two grossest hookers I've ever seen. At least I assume any chicks who approach me and ask if I want to hang with them at 4am are hookers. 

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You have the potential for a wonderful tale on day two in the big crapple

 

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