28 replies to this topic

[HAMMETTM]

I'm planning a summer trip to NYC (maybe around late June) and wanted to know a few things before I go. I would like for anyone who lives in or is familiar with NYC to give me any tips on what hotel would be great for someone such as myself that would like to be in the middle of everything (all the sites and sounds). I plan to visit at least one of the famous buildings such as Rockefeller Center or the Empire State. I would also like to at least see the statue of liberty from, maybe, a long distance view such as on a short boat tour or even from land. Also, I plan on going to Times Square and maybe 5th Ave. I really just want to do all the things most tourists should and would do on a trip to NY. However, I would like to do all of this by walking or taking the subway. Is this possible or would I also need take buses and taxis (I really don't have a problem with trains but understanding bus routes can become confusing)? I plan to fly in from to JFK airport. I know JFK has a subway station that connects to the Jamaica station, from there I can take the E train (I believe into NYC/Manhattan).

I would appreciate any help on a great hotel in the middle of everything as well as suggestions on what other sites or places I should venture to.

Edited by HAMMETTM, 01 March 2009 - 09:29 PM.

[StevenRocks]

Times Square hotels tend to be a good choice because all the subways pass through it.  Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building are just a short walk or subway ride away form Times Square, too.

[HAMMETTM]

StevenRocks, on Mar 1 2009, 11:05 PM, said:

Times Square hotels tend to be a good choice because all the subways pass through it.  Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building are just a short walk or subway ride away form Times Square, too.

Thanks Steven. What about 5th Ave? Is that within walking distance from any of the hotels near Times Square? Also, what hotels in Times Square would you recommend?

Edited by HAMMETTM, 02 March 2009 - 10:12 AM.

[ricky_davis_fan_21]

HAMMETTM, on Mar 2 2009, 11:11 AM, said:

Thanks Steven. What about 5th Ave? Is that within walking distance from any of the hotels near Times Square? Also, what hotels in Times Square would you recommend?

HEY HAMMETTM, I live in NYC, and everything on 5th avenue is walkable from the Rock, and Times Square. Hell my fiance and I have walked from the tip of manhattan to the upper west side comfortably the entire island of manhattan is 10 miles long and 2.5 miles wide, its not all that huge. NYC is very walkable, and the transit system is extensive. The subway can be a little daunting at first, but u just need to take a deep breath and plan wisely.

Use MTA.info's Trip Planner and you can safely plan out everything on the subway. To find the trip planner go to http://tripplanner.mta.info/

You can also use googletransit http://www.google.co...327669,0.277049

If I can give some helpful suggestions, take yourself off the beaten path, check out Soho, the West Village, Greenwich Village and East Village, thats where New York really is New York. Midtown, the Rock, Times Sq, Fifth Avenue, Central Park, Wall Street, Macys and the Statue are all definately essentials for tourists. However these places do not accurately embody New York City as a whole. PM me about a month before you make the trip up here, I can give you some better advice by then, I've only been living here for 9 months now.

[StevenRocks]

HAMMETTM, on Mar 2 2009, 11:11 AM, said:

Thanks Steven. What about 5th Ave? Is that within walking distance from any of the hotels near Times Square? Also, what hotels in Times Square would you recommend?

Fifth Avenue, depending on what part of Times Square you're in, is only a block or two to the east.  Midtown is pretty much all on a grid, so if you know the general direction you are walking, you'll be set.  

I don't usually stay in Times Square when I'm in NYC, but I've heard good things about most of the major name hotels.  Some of the ones right on Broadway offer some cool views, but the ones on the side streets, like the Milford Plaza, offer better deals.

[The Voice of Reason]

To an outsider the Subway can be a little confusing, but if you have traveled a litle and used a few other major subway systems around the world without problem you will be fine.  I think nothing else in the USA compares in scale and scope, but maybe Washington DC.  

The train from JFK is called AIRTRAIN it is NOT part of the subway. it is automated, and extremely easy to use and navigate.  It stops at every terminal and long term parking.  Jamaica station is a major transit center believe it or not.  The LIRR, air train, the subway, and a ton of busses meet up there.  You might want to take airtrain to Howard beach instead.  its another subway station and you would take the A train to midtown.  Not making a suggestion since I have never made that transfer, but I would guess it easier than Jamaica.

Its not too confusing, but make sure you give yourslf a little time to make the transfer. and I waned you to know that it is a seperate system that the subway.

It sounds like you definately want to stay near midtown to hit up all that tourist stuff.  but getting a view of lady liberty will be diffacult without taking the subway down to battary park and taking a ferry.  Midtown is pretty damn dense and your hotel room view is likely to be of another building quite close by

You can walk all of manhattan like nibble says, but its am immense pain.  Unlike a regular 10 mile walk, you have to wait for traffic at most of the 200 or so cross streets between Harlem and that battary   So I would suggest you find a hotel in mid town and walk like mad from there, but when you head down to the financial district and the battary and the WTC site, take a train.  that should be pretty easy for you to navigate.  Take the R or W to whitehallSt-South Ferry Station

after you do the ferry thing you might want to "walk along the shore"  you cant really, there is a highway(FDR), but just a few blocks is South Street seaport.  and views of the Brooklyn Bridge the whole way.  from the seaport you can get a ferry up the east river to 34th street (under the Brooklyn, Williamsburg and manhattab bridgees) and you end up back in midtown.  likely a reasonable walk to wherever your hotel is.  If you choose against the ferry back to midtown, you can walk down fulton away from the waterfront

Regarding empire or rockafeller, do the rock.  it has much smaller lines to get to the top, is much cheaper, and you can actually see the empire state from there and take some sweet pictures.  If you want to do empire because it is empire and yada yada yada, totally understood, but I hate lines.

I am by no means a NYC expert, but I did grow up on Long Island, so know some of the basics by proximity.

Some of the places you mentioned are extremely close together, so you should have no problem on your planning.

just start using online maps to get your bearings.

Google maps shows subway stops, and important locations, so you can see that Empire is kind of on its own on the southern edge of midtown.  Rockafeller center is pretty much on 5th. as is St Patricks (worth seeing)  then walk North on 5th untill you at least get to the park.

[HAMMETTM]

I appreciate everyone's help. I'm not intimidated by the subway system as I have done the L in Chicago and it's pretty decent. I am, however, intimidated by the bus systems as they can become confusing. I just wanted to make sure that I could just use the subway and only the subway to get to where I want to go while in NYC.

Once I have a hotel in line, I'll really be able to ask the questions I want.


I'll update everyone soon.

[StevenRocks]

Keep us updated.  I go to NYC five or six times a year, and I'm always willing to help a fellow tourist.

[HAMMETTM]

Ok everyone, I'm a little indecisive. I've looked for hotels online and I came across two that seem appealing or at least ok. The first is the Wellington Hotel. From what I saw it seems to be in walking distance to all of the cultural attractions (times square, central park, 5th ave., etc.). What really attracted me to it is that it is right in front of the subway. Anyone familiar with this hotel? Is it in a good spot for what I want to do?

Also, I found the Holiday Inn/Manhattan-Downtown/SOHO. Is this a better location than the Wellington Hotel?

I'm open to any other hotel suggestions that anyone may have.


I appreciate everyone's help.

[StevenRocks]

The Wellington, according to what I found review-wise on Yelp.com, isn't a great hotel.  The lcoation is good, though.  Holiday Inn tends to be very consistent, but it's farther downtown, which I like, but you might not work as well for what you want to do.

[HAMMETTM]

StevenRocks, on Mar 24 2009, 09:10 PM, said:

The Wellington, according to what I found review-wise on Yelp.com, isn't a great hotel.  The lcoation is good, though.  Holiday Inn tends to be very consistent, but it's farther downtown, which I like, but you might not work as well for what you want to do.

That's pretty interesting. I haven't checked yelp.com but from the reviews I've seen on travelocity, expedia and orbitz, it's a pretty decent hotel. From the reveiws, I understand that it's not the Waldorf Astoria but I don't really plan to stay in my hotel room much; I only need a place to sleep.The only bad reviews it got was because people thought it was too small or the furniture was too outdated. The one thing I do like is that it's very close to all everything including being right across the street from the subway.

Since Holiday Inn is so farther downtown, I don't think I want to stay there.

[StevenRocks]

You're right. You can only trust most online reviews so much.  Most people who repond either are really enthusiatic or really negative.

[HAMMETTM]

StevenRocks, on Mar 25 2009, 08:14 PM, said:

You're right. You can only trust most online reviews so much.  Most people who repond either are really enthusiatic or really negative.

Thanks. Since you visit NYC a couple times a year, what hotels have you stayed in? Which ones would you recommend?

Also, do you think it's easier for a person that plans to walk and do the subway to fly into JFK or another airport?

[StevenRocks]

HAMMETTM, on Mar 26 2009, 09:11 AM, said:

Thanks. Since you visit NYC a couple times a year, what hotels have you stayed in? Which ones would you recommend?

Also, do you think it's easier for a person that plans to walk and do the subway to fly into JFK or another airport?

I'm not the best resource on this.  I do mostly day trips to New York these days.  In fact I just got back from one as I type this.  There is a local tour bus company that offers an amazing deal where you sleep on the bus to and from the city and spend all day sightseeing without assistance.  

When I do stay overnight, I usually will stay in a hotel in northern New Jersey and commute in.  I have stayed at a hotel in Tribeca next to the Chambers Street subway station (name escapes me) and there was another in Hell's Kitchen (Best Western?) that was a bit of a dump but served its purpose.

On the next trip I'm taking in May, I'll be staying at the Milford Plaza, which is on 45th or 46th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue.  That could be a good option for you.  The rates are fair, and you're smack in the middle of Times Square.

I've found that all the airports are a pain to get to from Manhattan.  I'd choose an airport based on the best travel rate.

[HAMMETTM]

StevenRocks, on Mar 29 2009, 08:44 AM, said:

I've found that all the airports are a pain to get to from Manhattan.  I'd choose an airport based on the best travel rate.

Can you elaborate? From looking at MTA's website, it looks pretty easy to just take the airtrain to the Jamaica station from JFK. From there you take the E train to Manhattan and do the reverse to get back to the airport.

[StevenRocks]

HAMMETTM, on Mar 29 2009, 04:59 PM, said:

Can you elaborate? From looking at MTA's website, it looks pretty easy to just take the airtrain to the Jamaica station from JFK. From there you take the E train to Manhattan and do the reverse to get back to the airport.

Maybe I've let my experience getting to and from LaGuardia a few years ago cloud my opinion.  That was a nightmare.  I don't think I've ever taken the Airtrain, but if it's as easy as it sounds, that's the way to go and JFK would be the easiest airport to fly into.

[HAMMETTM]

StevenRocks, on Mar 29 2009, 07:38 PM, said:

Maybe I've let my experience getting to and from LaGuardia a few years ago cloud my opinion.  That was a nightmare.  I don't think I've ever taken the Airtrain, but if it's as easy as it sounds, that's the way to go and JFK would be the easiest airport to fly into.

Thanks, Steven, I appreciate all of your help, man.

[StevenRocks]

HAMMETTM, on Mar 30 2009, 08:57 AM, said:

Thanks, Steven, I appreciate all of your help, man.

You're welcome.  I appreciate being able to help others enjoy the city that I enjoy!

I came up with a small list of Manhattan sights I think you'll enjoy.

• Metropolitan Museum of Art - Easily the biggest and best general museum in town.  There are lots of great exhibits, and a really cool roof garden.  Admission prices are suggested only, so if you don't have the $20 they suggest, you can get in for whatever you care to pay.
  
• Macy's - If you only go to one New York department store, this is the one.  It's not as fancy as Bloomingdale's or Saks, but it's fun and affordable.
  
• Grand Central Terminal - One of the most fascinating transit hubs you'll see.  The architecture is amazing and so are the food choices, which include a public market, a food court and several fine dining options.
  
• The Chrysler Building - Often overlooked, but one of the finest Art Deco skyscrapers ever built. It's within easy walking distance to Grand Central.
  
• Rockefeller Center - One of the first "mixed use" complexes.  The art and the shopping are first rate, plus you're adjacent to St. Patrick's Cathedral, Saks Fifth Avenue, and a host of Fifth Avenue attractions including Trump Tower and Central Park.
  
• Zabar's - A uniquely New York grocery store.  Trust me on this.  It's worth the trip to the Upper West Side.
  
• Museum of Modern Art - There are newer and flashier modern art venues, but this is the most comprehensive you'll find.
  
• Brooklyn Bridge - Iconic (and free).  Walking over to Brooklyn gives some amazing views of the Manhattan skyline.

[The Voice of Reason]

HAMMETTM, on Mar 29 2009, 02:59 PM, said:

Can you elaborate? From looking at MTA's website, it looks pretty easy to just take the airtrain to the Jamaica station from JFK. From there you take the E train to Manhattan and do the reverse to get back to the airport.

JFK is easiest by far unless you want to take a cab.

Airtrain is so easy a small child can figure it out.  but if you recall my post earlier, just be aware of the transfers you will take to get into the city.

[HAMMETTM]

The Voice of Reason, on Mar 31 2009, 08:56 AM, said:

JFK is easiest by far unless you want to take a cab.

Airtrain is so easy a small child can figure it out.  but if you recall my post earlier, just be aware of the transfers you will take to get into the city.

Thanks. From reading the map, all I would have to do to get to my destination is hop on the E train. It looks pretty easy to me but I'll have to wait and see when I get there. I'm sure it's not bad.