Port Authority safe to walk at night?

We are staying at the Belvedere in June. And thinking of going to AC for one day. The bus comes back late at night and just wondering if the area is safe to walk back to the hotel. at night.

Port Authority safe to walk at night?

You%26#39;ll be fine, it%26#39;s a short walk up 8th Avenue from the PA to the Belvedere.

Port Authority safe to walk at night?

Eighth Avenue from the Port Authority to around 47th Street used to be lined with wall-to-wall hookers, porno palaces and deviants of every description. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case as the Disneyfication of New York continues. That stretch is now perfectly safe...just not as exciting or adventurous.

Thank you both for the Reassurance. We are 2 woman and I know pretty much the areas we will be walking, just didn%26#39;t know about that area. Now that our trip is getting closer, I will probably be bending your ears. This trip has been in the planning for 2 years and I have so many cut and paste notes from this forum, and I';m starting to put it all together. I am originally from New York, and you might be able to take the gal out of New York but never can you take New York out of the gal.

My Itinerary Amended...

Here is a revised itinerary taking into account the advise given by the ever useful Ruffian and Bettina...i found out the Guggenheim is closed right now as they are setting up a new exhibit and it won%26#39;t be opened til March 25th..any other museums you can suggest?? Does this itinerary look better?? Thanks for your help guys.

Monday 14th March - Arrive in NYC, drop our stuff at hotel (Hotel 41) and have a look around Times Square before returning to the hotel for some sleep.

Tuesday 15th March - Buy a city travel pass, go down to Battery Park, take the tour to Liberty/Ellis Island, come back and go up to pay respects at Ground Zero, have a walk around the surrounding area, find a nice place to eat and have a look around St Paul%26#39;s Chapel(which is beautiful) then head back up to the hotel.

Wednesday 16th March - Walk up to Central Park main entrance and take the carriage ride around the place, perhaps get off and half a walk around to take in the sights whilst walking around (did this last year and loved it) once this is done come out on Fifth Avenue and go to the Rockafellar Centre and St Patrick%26#39;s to take in the architecture and atmostphere..not forgetting the gorgeous statues.

Thursday 17th March - Go out to Fifth Avenue to see the St Patrick%26#39;s day parade will have started, see all the parade%26#39;s after which go have a look at the Public Library, Grand Central Station and down to ESB, this evening we hope to enjoy a few drinks in one of the many Irish Bars near our hotel.

Friday 18th March - Go Down to see the Brooklyn Bridge and maybe cross it if i don%26#39;t get scared LOL. Get subway/bus up to Greenwich Village/Soho where we can think of going to a trendy restaurant or whatever, shop in the surrounding area.

Saturday 19th March - Go down to China Town and have a look around then venture towards Little Italy, perhaps have lunch/dinner here.

Sunday 20th - This is our wing it day still not sure what to do we%26#39;ll mostly be shopping and we%26#39;ll definately think about going to BB King%26#39;s as suggested by Ruffian!

Monday 21st - Home..bye bye NYC :(

My Itinerary Amended...

I apologise for the crappy grammar and sentence structure i%26#39;m not feeling too good today :(

My Itinerary Amended...

Slayer, much more organized and do-able. I don%26#39;t believe I recommended B.B. King%26#39;s since I%26#39;ve never been there. Perhaps someone else did. Have a great trip.

Hmm someone suggested it..yeah i like the look of this itinerary better more structure and less running around aimlessly i%26#39;m going to type it up print it up and keep it by my side always :)

Bumping for others to see :)

good vibrations

We are going to NY in March and I wanted to take my son to Good Vibrations at the Eugene Theatre. Has anyone seen it and could you suggest good seats. I believe we can get some in the orchestra section through broadwaybox. Has anyone got any other suggestions regarding upbeat broadway on or off shows?

good vibrations

Although I have not seen it, it got pretty bad reviews across the board. There are so many other options on Broadway, such as Hairspray, Movin Out, Rent, Fiddler on the Roof, Mamma Mia %26amp; Wicked. Popular Off-Broadway shows that he might like are Stomp, Blue Man Group, Cookin or Slava%26#39;s Snowshoe. All Shook Up is in previews, don%26#39;t know if it is good or bad, but it is based on Elvis%26#39;s music. ALso, Monty Pythons Spamalot, got good buzz in Chicago in its prebroadway run, and Dirty Rotten Soundrels, based on the movie of the same name, playing now.

good vibrations

Orchestra or front mezzanine are your best bets, as long as they%26#39;re near the center. Keep in mind that Good Vibrations received really, really poor reviews, if that means anything to you. You don%26#39;t say how old your son is, but for upbeat shows he might enjoy Mama Mia, Rent and The Producers. And if he likes to laugh...absolutely take him to Dame Edna...Back With a Vengeance. Very, very funny.

If your son is between 10 and 16, he%26#39;ll love Good Vibrations! Plenty of exciting dancing, great looking girls, an easy-to-follow theme. As a Broadway show, it garnered what are probably the worst reviews in the history of the American theater! I saw it--both in its summer version in upstate New York and in its Broadway version. Your son, as a neophyte theater-goer, will love it!!! For a classic Brooadway show, I%26#39;d recommend Lion King or Hairspray, however. Hope all this is of some help. You, yourself, will enjoy the two latter shows more than Good Vibrations.

thanks for the suggestions. My son is 12 and he really likes the beach boys thats why I thought good vibrations would be good. Will the lion king be playing Mar.23-28? I%26#39;d love to see that but there never seems to be any discount tixs for that particular show?

The Lion King has never had discounts, so it would be a full price tickets, and yes, it is always on!

I (58) and my son (30) saw Good Vibrations and loved it. Thin on the plot, but who cares? The music, dancing and comedy were great. Definitely worth the time and money to see it. We left smiling. Orchestra are the best seats. Ignore the critics. If I only went to shows they applaud I%26#39;d never go anywhere. Kick it up, have fun!

Keatsinny, yes that%26#39;s the problem with the top productions like Lion King and Hairspray. Again, I%26#39;ll say that your son will really enjoy Good Vibrations since it%26#39;s about a few young high school graduates on the US east coast who want to go out to California and take in the the sun, sand and girls...Your son will get a big kick out of the singing and dancing...and all the young, energetic, great-looking actors/actresses. I%26#39;d say Go and just keep your own sophisticated criticisms of the show to yourself to assure him Yep, that was GREAT!!!! (All seats are good...It%26#39;s a small house.)

No matter how much a kid might like the Beach Boys I think he%26#39;d rave more about ';Blue Man Group';.

If I were you I%26#39;d try to score a ';Two-fer'; at the TKTS booth for ';Good Vibrations'; and see if I could also get discounted tickets for BMG. But if I had to pick between the two it would be a mismatch.

Check out the reviews at epinions--and the world press has been even more unimaous in its ovationary rerponse to BMG:

epinions.com/trvl-Theater-Off_Broadway-Blue_鈥?/a>

http://www.epinions.com/trvl-Theater-Off_Broadway-Blue_Man_Group_Tubes/display_~reviews

Trying to find a restaurant can you help

I am trying to find a restaurant I was told it was called the inn on the park, and it was locateda t or very close to central park, I ahve looked everywhere and cant find it, can you help with website setails

UK

Trying to find a restaurant can you help

Do you mean Tavern on the Green?

http://69.0.173.64/tg1003/newsite/index.asp?headinfo=home

Trying to find a restaurant can you help

Inn on the Park I think was the old restaurant from the World%26#39;s Fair in Queens. I don%26#39;t think it exists anymore. Tavern on the Green is IN Central Park. The Boathouse is also in Central Park. I think there are hotels and rests. with this name in other cities too.

spots

All Loops Tour with Empire State Building, South Seaport...

Hi,

I was looking at purchasing the All loops hop on Hop off bus ticket along with the entry to Empire State Building, South Seaport Museum and ferry to Ellis Island and State of Liberty on the internet. But I was wondering if the entry to Empire State Building, South Seaport Museum and ferry to Ellis Island and State of Liberty means not having to wait in line at these locations?

There%26#39;s a free ferry mentioned a few times in the forum? Where does this take you?

Can someone please help me with this?

Thanks in advance!

All Loops Tour with Empire State Building, South Seaport...

You can take the free Staten Island ferry, which departs around near Battery Park. It takes you close to the Statue of Liberty, and also gives great scenes of the New York sklyline. It%26#39;s 20 mins there and 20 mins back and is really enjoyable.

I brought my ESB tickets online. I found out that this reduced ticket lines a great deal, however when we went up last week there was hardly any queues so we went straight up.

Hope this helps

All Loops Tour with Empire State Building, South Seaport...

Was NYC filled with Brits last week? Refer Nicci UK.

We bought all loops tour and downtown and the night one were good but the uptown is a little lacking.

The Statten Island ferry is superb value (free) and you get close to the Statue of Liberty and the Manhatten is amazing from that angle.

Try the ferry at night.

There are money off coupons in most guide books in NY so if you plan it right you get no queues and save cash.

Mind that gets spent by wife in Macys, Saks, Bloomies but thankfully NOT Tiffanys.

If your going after the end of Feb at least you will not have to see those awful ';gates'; in Central Park.

Last week was packed packed with Brits actually....and yes those AWFUL ORANGE GATES are grose. Ruined all of our central park pictures

Nicci are there pictures of these gates on the internet somewhere to be seen after hearing so much about them on this site and having been to Central Park I am getting curious to see them. Thanks.

waterford/2004 try http://www.centralpark.org/ %26amp; click on the link at the top

you missed the best ones at http://www.not-rocket-science.com/gates.htm which were a much better effort IMO! unfortunately they are now closed :-(

someone may still have the photos saved!

Yes it was full of Brits, some flights from UK were overbooked. We came across at least 3 school parties, met a teacher from my children%26#39;s school and three from my niece%26#39;s (none of which were with a party). MaidstoneNic, Mum%26amp;kids, angelUK, Imp, to name but a few from this forum.

Re the gates, we have a few good pictures if anyone wants to see them via e mail

PatJGurney@aol.com

Spaton, what did you not like about the Uptown loop specifically? We were thinking of doing this one to get a view of Harlem.

Traveler...guess what? I%26#39;ve found a genuine Australian restaurant in case you get homesick and it%26#39;s right around the corner from where I used to live. It%26#39;s called Eight Mile Creek (on Mulberry between Spring and Prince) and it even has Barramundi and Kanga tail and all the delights of home on the menu. May try it this weekend. If I go, I%26#39;ll let you know.

Hi Ruffian,

The aussie restaurant sounds interesting! Let me know about your experience. While I锟斤拷锟絤 veg and wouldn锟斤拷锟絫 dream of eating Kangaroo and crocodile, there are a few exclusive restaurants that serve up these unique dishes. Frankly, it锟斤拷锟絪 a bit scary :)

Hi,

Thanks for all that!

I must sound really lazy but I锟斤拷锟絤 still trying to figure out a way that I won锟斤拷锟絫 have to spend hours in queues. I e-mailed grayline and they said that I%26#39;d still have to exchange my e-mail confirmation for tickets and that means waiting in queues. I锟斤拷锟絤 visit in May and I was thinking that it will be a lot busier at the time. I figure I锟斤拷锟絣l be better off getting the ESB tics from the net in advance but what about the ferry to Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty. Any suggestions?

How do I clean a suede duvet

Proper Attire

What is the proper attire for restuarants such as River Cafe and Becco. We were planning on bringing only business causal. Acceptable?

Proper Attire

That%26#39;s fine for Becco. River Cafe requires that men wear jackets after 5:00.

Proper Attire

New York dresses up a bit. The easily spotted tourists wear jeans, parkas and white tennis shoes. Business casual will likely cover all your needs as long as you include a sports jacket and one shirt and tie to feel comfortable in some places or just in case you bump into a dress code. Enjoy your trip. Hey, it%26#39;s kinda fun to dress up a bit!

You%26#39;ll probably find that Chicago restaurants are more formal than New York%26#39;s! I think it%26#39;s because there are so many types of people who have money here (writers, dancers, actors, film makers, artists, politicos, musicians, ad and PR people, magazine editors) that dress codes have gone out the window. It%26#39;s not uncommon to see guys in Dockers and sweaters, or women in expensive jeans and funky blouses in very expensive, formal restaurants even on Saturday nights. ';Business casual';--whatever that means--is fine for 99.9 percent of the places you want to go. As far as those places that want a ';jacket,'; if you have the cash to dine in those inflation-priced places, they%26#39;ll happily supply the duds!

I%26#39;m sorry but, I have to respectfully disagree with: ';New York dresses up a bit. The easily spotted tourists wear jeans, parkas and white tennis shoes.'; If you walk the streets and ride the subways during rush hours and only eat in places that require business casual or more, then it is easy to draw that conclusion. That said, jeans and tennis shoes alone won%26#39;t identify you as a tourist. I know plenty of New Yorkers who dress that way when not at work. In fact, my husband and I in our jeans and comfortable shoes often have tourists asking us for directions!

So, if you want to wear your jeans and tennis shoes, go ahead and do so. That alone won%26#39;t identify you as a tourist. What will identify you as a tourist in NYC (or in any city) is standing on the sidewalk with a map wide open trying to figure out where you need to go. If I need to look at a map, I stand to the side and look discreetly.

Also, if you are into casual dining, you will have many choices.

So basically, dress in what%26#39;s comfortable for you. New York City has so much variety that if your idea of a vacation is wearing your jeans or if you prefer to dress up, you will find plenty of things to do and see.

SueFee, you%26#39;re right that New York is more casual than you think it%26#39;ll be. But he was asking specifically about the River Cafe, which won%26#39;t seat a gentleman without a jacket after 5:00, and jeans/sneakers aren%26#39;t acceptable.

(They do have loaner jackets, though.)

Yes, I was specifically asking about the River Cafe and Becco as I wanted to try each of these on this trip. I appreciate Bettina%26#39;s prompt response. I am from Chicago and business causal works for most, but not all, restaurants. Of course as a long time resident here, I am aware of where it is necessary to dress up from business causal. Thanks to Bettina, I will not be embarrassed when I arrive at the River Cafe for dinner. Now if anyone could get me Wicked tickets at a decent price :)

You%26#39;re quite right, Bettina. This thread is about the River Cafe. It had gotten off track and I felt I had to correct the misconception about tourists being the only ones in jeans and tennis shoes. That said, Steve, enjoy your dinner at the River Cafe!

I had dinner on Monday at the River Cafe, and I must say their loaner jackets aren%26#39;t too bad!

Steve, this might help you...here%26#39;s a link to playbill.com%26#39;s info page on rush and lottery policies:

playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/82428.html

I%26#39;ve gotten lottery tickets to Wicked the only time I tried, and a friend has gotten lucky two out of the three times he%26#39;s tried. While the first row is pretty horrible at most theaters, the orchestra pit at the Gershwin is quite deep, so you don%26#39;t have to crane your head way back to see the show. And, if your name is drawn, the tickets are only $25. You can enter both your names, as each winner can buy one or two tickets.

Thanks for the information regarding Wicked. Maybe I%26#39;ll give it a try. Already have my tickets to the Met and thus I will bring some formal wear for that as well as the River Cafe. Thanks for all the help that you provide to people on this forum.

Oink Oink

I have searched the NYC menu guide, yet I cannot find any restaurants that offer all you can eat style buffets. Do these exist in The Center of The Universe? Or does every one in The City That Never Sleeps strive to maintain that svelt runway look that is so popular in Cosmo Mag? I don%26#39;t. So I was hoping there was some place I could pig out. :@)

Oink Oink

It%26#39;s true there are not many buffets in NYC. There are a few brunch buffets and also some ethnic buffets, especially lunch. For Japanese, Minado, on 32nd between 5th and Madison, all you can eat for $13 for lunch, including hand rolls, lots of salads, soups, hot and cold buffet and it even includes dessert. Several Indian restaurants offer all you eat lunch buffets for $11-13. One I know is Utsav.

For brunch, many of the hotel restaurants have fancy upscale buffet brunches. One of the best is Cafe Botanica at the Essex House. You have buffet appetizers and desserts but order a main course off the menu. BB Kings has a buffet gospel brunch on Sun and a Motown brunch on Sat. Iridium has a jazz buffet brunch. Brasserie 8 1/2 also has some kind of buffet brunch.

Churrascaria Plataforma is a Brazilian with an all you can eat salad bar and then meat skewers. Carmine%26#39;s is another option, not a buffet but family style Italian with huge portions where you can stuff yourself silly.