I did not enjoy my visit to the empire state building. The line to get up there was longer than I could have ever imagined (understandable though), and once we finally arrived at the top, we were surprised to find how many people they let up there at the same time..It was so crowded we could barely make it to the edge to enjoy the view. I wouldn't do it again.
Don't go anywhere that anybody recommends. Find some little restaurant that is awesome, and go home and rave about it. After all, you have no realistic chance of seeing more than some trivial part of NY, so you might as well sound like you are so hip that you know it better than all those tourists.
Go to the river where they have chopper ride for tourist. I paid something like $200 for 45 minutes ride, but it was worth it. I saw the central park and it was an awe to see compare to walking in it and seeing it on pictures. It flew near the statue of liberty, which is much better than waiting in line.
Niagarga Falls? I heard the train journey is long though. 9 hours, 438 miles they should learn something off the Japanese
Skip that one. It's across the whole state, and is just a big waterfall. There are better sights (and better sites) if you are willing to go anywhere in NY, or anywhere in a 400 mile radius of NYC, but, unless you are going to be spending a long time in the area, you won't get to see all that much, anyways, so why spend so much of your time traveling?
Wow. Lots of things to see but my first stop would be Central Park followed by Metropolitan Museum of Art.
But check this link out: http://gonyc.about.com/od/museums/tp...rk-Museums.htm
Times Square? New Yorkers try avoiding this place - way too many people (and I happen to work right in middle of it ).
statue of liberty
empire state building
Ground Zero
Statue of Liberty - went past using the Staten island ferry but didn't get closer
Empire State Building - went to the 102nd floor, its worth the extra $15
Ground Zero - Visited the construction site that is the new WTC, didn't see the memorial though
I did not enjoy my visit to the empire state building. The line to get up there was longer than I could have ever imagined (understandable though), and once we finally arrived at the top, we were surprised to find how many people they let up there at the same time..It was so crowded we could barely make it to the edge to enjoy the view. I wouldn't do it again.
Go to Toms Restaurant (from Seinfeld)!
We got from top to bottom in less than 15mins. We went past a couple of times and asked how long the queue was (once they quoted 45mins, while the sales guy outside trying to sell us tickets for $55 each said it was 90 mins).
When we went up they said 10mins, there was clearly ample space for queuing with a fences in the lobby, 1st floor security gates, for the ticket booths, the lift to the 80th floor, the lift to the 86th floor, etc. so I can imagine some of the quoted times of 8 hours.
We went to lots of diners, I have overdosed on protein, 2 eggs with a meat of your choice and enough coffee to make your eyes pop out. Don't go to the Brooklyn diner on W57th street, service is not good and it is pricey.
Go to the museum of natural history - truly great museum.
Didn't get time, but we walked around in the NY public library and grand central station, that was pretty amazing. The price of electronics is amazing too, it would appear that every things is a third cheaper than the UK.
Originally Posted by szlamany
If you like to walk you need to experience central park.
We went ice skating there yesterday, very nice. Walked from Columbus circle to the reservoir and got the metro back from 86th street.
Originally Posted by szlamany
If you like veal parmigiana - then go to Trattoria Dell'Arte and get the pounded veal chop parmigiana - it's very unique.
I will try that next time.
Originally Posted by szlamany
Steak - go to any of the Palm's Steakhouses - old standards that still work.
We found a place near where we were staying which was a Plam's steak house but not going there when the steak is $50+. I can get that type of steak free as work like to take us out to Gaucho in UK quite often
Originally Posted by szlamany
Times square is now a pedestrian walk - if you haven't been to the city in the past decade that's different.
Lots of people and almost as many people trying to sell you tickets to comedy clubs. Presumably they don't know that English comedy is way better than American comedy . Nice area though, we took a walk from battery park up Broadway, flat iron building is an interesting landmark. Visted the Hersheys chocolate store on times square and stocked up on presents and treats.
Originally Posted by szlamany
@dclamp - where in the bronx would you go?
To the zoo? I saw a zoo on the map, but the guy at the hotel said I would probably get shot if I go there, not sure if that would be at the zoo or on the metro on the way to the zoo but we didn't go anyway. There is a zoo in London and it is free. Also I can think of better things to do than go and watch gorillas servicing themselves in an open enclosure.
Go to the river where they have chopper ride for tourist. I paid something like $200 for 45 minutes ride, but it was worth it. I saw the central park and it was an awe to see compare to walking in it and seeing it on pictures. It flew near the statue of liberty, which is much better than waiting in line.
Our chopper ride was $160 including the ($32 we had to pay the security guard at the heliport). We took the big apple ride which was quoted at 18 mins, by the time you take in to account the time in the helicopter getting strapped in and the obligatory photos its more like 12.
The ride itself was good, we had very good views of lower Manhattan and midtown but we didn't fly over central park of past the buildings as some others were clearly doing. Maybe the extra $40 would have got us that
Wow. Lots of things to see but my first stop would be Central Park followed by Metropolitan Museum of Art.
But check this link out: http://gonyc.about.com/od/museums/tp...rk-Museums.htm
Times Square? New Yorkers try avoiding this place - way too many people (and I happen to work right in middle of it ).
$55 per ticket for the Empire State Building observation deck? That's a bit steep.
Especially if it is to skip a non existent queue, we paid the normal price at the booths inside; I think it was $72 in total for both of us to go to the 102nd floor
Especially if it is to skip a non existent queue, we paid the normal price at the booths inside; I think it was $72 in total for both of us to go to the 102nd floor
$36 sounds better. I was in Dubai a month ago, paid $27 a pop for the 124th floor in Burj Khalifa, but I think NYC skyline would be a much more impressive sight.
There is a cocktail bar, 230 5th ave which I would recommend. There is a rooftop terrace on the 20th floor which overlooks the Empire State Building. Very nice, but pricey too.
Didn't get time, but we walked around in the NY public library and grand central station, that was pretty amazing. The price of electronics is amazing too, it would appear that every things is a third cheaper than the UK.
I have such great childhood memories of that library - with those lion statues. My wife and I realized we were going to get married in Bryant park - adjacent to that library. Found records of my italian immigrant ancestors coming to Ellis island in the "records" room in that library...
Sometimes those electronics are gray market - no warranty cards...
We went ice skating there yesterday, very nice. Walked from Columbus circle to the reservoir and got the metro back from 86th street.
Nice walk (right through Strawberry fields probably)...
from battery park up Broadway,
Nicer walk...
To the zoo? I saw a zoo on the map
I bring my boys to that zoo - it's an hour from my house but I wouldn't expect someone from overseas to trudge through it - it's a zoo - we've all seen zoos...
Originally Posted by visualAd
Walked across Brooklyn bridge but never reached the roller-coaster as we got lost in downtown Brooklyn
Brooklyn - King's County. I was born in Queens - which is really Queen's county. NYC is made up of 5 counties - usually counties in the USA contain cities - we're I live now when someone says they are going into "the City" we know what it meant - it's the only city. Chicago is known as the "second city" - and that's a 16 hour drive from here!
Originally Posted by visualAd
It's a stunning view, I recommend it:
Nice picture - I gotta bring my boys there - I've actually never gone myself.
This is near where I grew up - iconic image - left over from a World's fair in the early 60's...
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That's Columbus circle right? It was our local metro station, we were staying at the holiday inn on 57th street between 9th and 10th avenue (not one of the prestigious hotels at Columbus).
...compared to big globe in Flushing Meadow park (tennis - where they play the US OPEN) in Queen's (near La Guardia airport - Shea Stadium nearby - where the Beatle's played when they came in to NYC...
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Originally Posted by szlamany
).
Re: New York City
. Nice area though, we took a walk from battery park up Broadway, flat iron building is an interesting landmark. Visted the Hersheys chocolate store on times square and stocked up on presents and treats.
