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.

Tavern on the Green

Since the reviews of Tavern on the Green are universally horrid, is it worth it (or even possible) to just stop in for a drink? I was there once about 20 years ago and remember it being so beautiful at night.

Tavern on the Green

It is a beautiful place! Absolutely go for a drink.

Tavern on the Green

Very pretty at night with the lights strung throughout the trees. Just don%26#39;t eat there.

Once you go in the door there%26#39;s a staircase going up to your left to a cozy bar. It%26#39;s nice in there and you don%26#39;t have to eat. I think it%26#39;s worth it just to walk up to the restaurant at dusk to see the lights.

It is still very worth a visit. The food is good, the atmosphere incredible. Lunch is a good bet. A drink in the evening also. I have had dinner there and although it is not high-end gourmet NYC style, it is certainly way above chain restaurants such as Olive Garden, etc. Go, have fun, the park is always spectactular!

Thanks for the info....So good to get others%26#39; opinions!

shoes shoes shoes

i%26#39;m off to new york again at the ned of march and my wife has told me that she wants/needs to buy new shoes whilst over there.does anybody have any tips on where to buy apart from macys and bloomingdales, preferably an area where there are

shoe shops all together so i can get it over and done with. !!!!.

thanks.

shoes shoes shoes

Head for Jersey Gardens shopping Mall. Lots of discount shoe factory shops really great value. Enjoy the shopping but I cant see you getting it over and done with as fast as you hope, women just dont shoe shop like that.

shoes shoes shoes

DSW is a good shoe store. There is one near Battery Park and another near Union Square. Check out www.dswshoe.com for exact location.

i know i do all my shoe shopping in soho. lots of cool stores there.

matt-

Would help if we knew what area they actually are going to be.

Coat and boots or jacket and sneakers?

Arriving tomorrow and staying at a hotel a couple of blocks from the Empire State building. Plan on doing a lot of walking but don%26#39;t know if I should pack my boots? Gloves? Hat?

Coat and boots or jacket and sneakers?

Well, it is snowing as I write this,so bring the boots, hats, gloves, scarf, sweaters....make sure the shoes are comfortable.

Will be sunny %26amp; cold over the weekend, maybe another storm on Monday.

Pack it all, better to have it than not!

Have a great time!!!!!!

Coat and boots or jacket and sneakers?

Boots, silk long john separates, hat, gloves, scarf, and a good long coat.

blemishes

domain name hosting

Show selection help!

Hey there,

I have tickets for Wicked, Avenue Q, and Hairspray. I am going to be there for 6 nights and need 2 more show to see ( The other night is Christmas night and we dont want to see a show). Please provide choices and WHY you chose that show. Thanks

Show selection help!

By next Christmas there will be lots of new things.

Show selection help!

I would suggest that New York City Ballet%26#39;s Nutcracker is as much a part of the New York Holiday experience as anything else in the city with the exception of the tree at rock center and the store displays.

It runs for almost six weeks annualy and is always sold out at every performance. For some families it is a perennial tradition.

My next choice would be one of three shows: Fiddler on the Roof, La Cage Aux Folles, or the drama ';Doubt';.

The first two are established classics and when their runs expire they will not be produced again on Broadway for decades.

The latter by Christmas may be one of the toughest tickets to score much as tickets for ';Metamorphoses'; was in 2002.

Now drama is not everyone%26#39;s cup of tea but they are almost always more thought provoking and compelling than the best musicals (I specifically did not say ';entertaining';.)

I have seen most of the heavies to hit Broadway in the past 20 years or more and I would rank two dramas (';Metamorphoses'; and Lincoln Center%26#39;s 50th Anniversary restaging of ';Our Town'; in the top five of everything I%26#39;ve see.

So, to cut to the chase:

The NYCB%26#39;s ';Nutcracker'; tops the list and the choices for your other entertainment--as I see it--are ';Fiddler';, ';La Cage';, or ';Doubt';.

I do not envy the choice you must make.

';Fiddler on the Roof'; and ';

I thought first we would choose RENT and Lion King. Then we thought that these 2 have had their run and the people in it are more than likely bored(per Susan Egan star of Beauty and Beast, Caberet and Millie).

Then we thought of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Fiddler.

Now we are leaning towards Fiddler and The Radio City Christmas show.

I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll enjoy whatever you chose. You%26#39;ve got quite a while before you have to actually purchase tickets.

Don%26#39;t be so quick, however, to toss out the Nutcracker. Some of it%26#39;s sets rival anything you have ever or will ever see on a stage.

I feel so confused.

Everyone says dont choose to quickly you have time(10 months) BUT then everyone says you need to buy early, especially for that week(Dec. 25-31) because there are so many people in NYC and things get so expensive.

What do i do? How long do I wait, I dont want to miss out or get crapy seats.

Most shows won%26#39;t be offering seats for December performances until August.

The last time I had guests for Christmas that%26#39;s when I lined up their tickets.

Mama Mia was the hot-hot-hot show at the time and I could even score eighth row orchestra tickets when Telecharge opened December Sales.

Every seat I wanted in the precise location I wanted was available 120 days in advance.

But you can check it out on your own. Just call Telecharge, tell them the show you%26#39;re interested in, and ask the rep when tickets will go on sale.

Narrowed it down to 3 hotels

Ok, I%26#39;m probably over-analysing NY hotels to death!!! But I wonder could I get more opinions on my hotel options. 2 adults, an 11 year old, 8 year old and 15 month old for 3 nights in NY. Not a lot of hotels available for 5 in a room. Our plan is to see Times Square and have a walkabout there and visit FAO Schwartz, take in a nice meal of two in some family friendly restaurants, not necessarily in Times Square, definitely visit the Empire State Building and maybe, if times, allows, take the Staten Island ferry. I%26#39;ve narrowed it down to 3 places, all of which can accommodate the 5 of us......

Radio City Apartments - very reasonably priced but I%26#39;m not sure about them cause they get very mixed reviews though the location is good on West 49th St.

Salisbury Hotel sounds great to me, it%26#39;s on 57th St, a bit further from Radio City Apts but much nicer by the sound of it.

Then I love the sound of Southgate Tower, it gets great reviews, seems to be family friendly and would be very convenient for Empire State Building which is a %26#39;must-see%26#39; part of our trip. The %26#39;problem%26#39; is I hear the location is a business area and possibly not very nice? Anyone got opinions on this? Is this area ok or would 49th or 57th St be nicer. Thanks in advance. I am so bad at decisions.

Narrowed it down to 3 hotels

I dont know, but on here many dont like the Radio City Apts. They look bad and are just old. The others Id say go for the Salisbury Hotel

Narrowed it down to 3 hotels

I have stayed at the Southgate Tower and loved it....I was spoilt I suppose as we got a balcony overlooking the ESB.

Check out the TripAdvisor reviews.

Lots of tourist class hotels advertise that they%26#39;re close to the Empire State Building, Macy%26#39;s, Madison Square Garden, Penn Station, Port Authority. Honestly, this is a commercial area that%26#39;s dirty, not very nice to explore, no wonderful restaurants, etc.

The Salisbury is an older hotel with good sized rooms (by NY standards). It%26#39;s a bit frayed, but very clean. And what a great location -- two blocks to Central Park, down the street from the subway, a short walk to 5th Ave., Rock Center, Times Square, Columbus Circle, etc. I just got to see the Salisbury%26#39;s rooms last week when a friend stayed there. They had a junior suite, which wouldn%26#39;t be enough for your big group, but they had a little kitchen area, which is a must if you%26#39;ve got kids.

Or just go to the area I recommend all the time here... the beautiful Upper West Side. One subway stop from Times Square, yet a beautiful upscale residential neighborhood with wonderful shops and restaurants... fun to explore at all hours. Budget hotels in the area are the Beacon, Belleclaire, Newton, Milburn.

Another option is to rent an apartment. Have a look at A Hospitality Company -- www.ahospitalitycompany.com -- they have 100+ furnished apartments all over Manhattan, many in doorman buildings. This would be the most ideal accommodation for your group.

Thanks so much for the responses :-)

Dear DebsTravels,

The area around the Southgate is not beautiful but, the hotel and service is nice. The advantage of staying there is that the suites are fairly spacious and many are equipped with a mini kitchen. Also, it is definitely located in an area that will afford you a genuine NYC experience (fast paced, crowded, noisy, etc). There is easy access to major subway lines and the commuter lines to LI and NJ.

Additionally, if you are leaning towards the Southgate, you should check out their other property the Affina Dumont. It is also a suite hotel and is located on E34th street which is a little less hectic area. It is in the vicinity of some of the sites that you are interested in seeing. Price on line but, definitely call the hotel reservations dept. (not central reservations) to negotiate the best rate.

Good Luck,

AThreeGrowsinBrooklyn

Hi,

Just got back, landed two hours ago. I understand your decision making problems, I am the world%26#39;s worst! I booked before I found this forum, so far from being analytical, just pot luck, but definitely recommend the Salisbury. Microwave and fridge in the kitchen area ideal with children. Breakfast at $3 can%26#39;t be beaten for value, much cheaper and more convenient with children than going out. Just round the corner (almost) from FAO Schwarz, within walking distance of Times square etc, and very convenient for subway for those areas that are too far to walk with a station at each end of the block.

Pat

PS

Room sizes are very good. We had the smallest room on the floor (according to the plan near the elevator) with two double beds. Bigger room than Marriott Marquis and with two walk in closets the suitcases were out of the way too.

Pat

I have booked into the Soutgate Tower for Sat!

Your reply %26#39;ATreeGrowsinBrooklyn%26#39; was really useful information.

I liked the look of Southgate Tower as you seem to get a bit more room, due to suites instead of rooms, and the location to get round easily.

The only downful I am forseeing is good restaurants/bars etc near by - but I guess NY is easy to get round so it shouldn%26#39;t be too much hassle in the evenings?

Why go to NY is you don%26#39;t like a bit of hustle and bustle after all!!

Keep the info about Southgate Tower coming and of course the other 2 hotels of choice for DebsTravel.

aATreeGrowsinBrooklyn,

Thanks so much for the info. It%26#39;s a great help! I%26#39;m gonna check out the Affina Dumont too, sounds good!

PatG,

So glad you had a good trip! And thank you!!! The Salisbury sounds great! Thanks again!

LouTravelBug,

Wishing you a wonderful NYC trip! Don%26#39;t forget to run back here and tell me all about the Southgate Ok, unpack first, if you insist!!! :-)

This board is great!

I would recommend the Eastgate tower suites in Murray Hill which is owned by Affinia, also.( Same as the Southgate) It is in a much nicer residential area... better than the Southgate with great prices and shops and restaurants nearby. Not too far from the major attractions that you would like to visit also. The tooms are spacious with kitchenettes and the suites have plenty of room for a family your size.

Never been to Broadway. What to wear to Lion King??

My family of 5 have tickets for the Lion King. We have never been to a Broadway play and was wondering what would be the proper attire?

Never been to Broadway. What to wear to Lion King??

There was an argument about this a while back on this forum... I say dress comfortably! Some people like to get dressed up for B%26#39;way shows, but it%26#39;s not necessary. Jeans and sneakers are fine!

Never been to Broadway. What to wear to Lion King??

People wear everything from evening gowns to t-shirts and flip-flops on Broadway. I usually go somewhere in the middle- ';dressy casual';- nice pants or a skirt. I suggest that you wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. If you feel uncomfortable in a t-shirt with others more dressed up, don%26#39;t do it. Some people enjoy having an excuse to ';dress up';. If you do, go for it! Really, anything goes. However you choose to dress you will probably see someone else in the theater dressed similarly.

anybody stay at the crowne plaza times square?

This is where we are staying, any recomendations, or comments? Greatly appreciated.

jenny

anybody stay at the crowne plaza times square?

yep we have stayed the rooms were a lovely size with great views, very nice and clean and helpful. Our safe didnt work and within ten minutes they fixed it. We would go back there but this time we are taking all 4 kids, when we went bfore my eldest went on holiday with her dad and my other daughter is now not classed as a baby in a cot so we are over crowded and have to find a bigger place.

It is right in central times sq, near subway and near places to snack and near good bus routes..ideal!!

anybody stay at the crowne plaza times square?

Wonderful location. Make sure their swimming pool is open.

Stayed there in April 2001 and had a great time. Great location. Going to be in NY again this April and going to stay there or Grand hyatt

Advice on Broadway play for kids

Coming to NY during Spring Break (March 19 - 25) with family - three kids age 14, 11, 6. Any suggestions on a show that will is suitable and will be entertaining to the entire family? Thanks for your help!

Advice on Broadway play for kids

The Lion King or Beauty and the Beast. Try to get discounted tickets ahead of time, with that big family. Go to seasonofsavings.com. Have fun!

Advice on Broadway play for kids

Thanks ejan - was thinking of those two and wondering if there might be something else. Are tickets available one month in advance for Lion King? I heard that they were booked six months in advance.

Hi again! Not sure what%26#39;s available or what kind of seats. You can call Ticketmaster with discount code (phone # %26amp; code on website) and see what kind of seats they have. Other shows that should be good for kids (I haven%26#39;t seen though) are Good Vibrations (Beach Boys music) and All Shook Up (Elvis). I%26#39;m not sure if you can get discounts for all of these. One more my kids loved: Little Shop of Horrors, but I%26#39;m not sure if it%26#39;s still playing. good luck, enjoy! Oh, don%26#39;t miss FAO Schwarz toy store with your little one!

grow hair

Wicked Tickets

Hi

Just bought Wicked tickets, I%26#39;ve not heard too much about it (I know what its about, but that%26#39;s about it). is it a good show?

Wicked Tickets

It is an excellent show, you will enjoy it.

Wicked Tickets

It%26#39;s supposed to be a great show, I can%26#39;t get tickets though, where did you get yours? Or have you any suggestions nycgirl?

It%26#39;s a superb show, Streames. Even the typically jaded locals were blown away by intermission time!

I%26#39;ve gone a couple of times. Found it lots of fun even if I didn%26#39;t find the music very appealing. I walked out of the theater humming songs from ';The Wizard of Oz'; ... not a good sign! ';Wicked'; is the hottest ticket among tourists, but I will say it%26#39;s not universally loved (what is?). Two of my friends didn%26#39;t like it at all. But then, I think we%26#39;re a tough audience here.

We will be in NY March 21-25 and haven%26#39;t been able to find tickets for wicked or any other production. any suggestions? There are 4 of us.

Just bought tickets for Wicked and Hairspary for our June trip. I was told that as soon as we knew our plans to book shows. I%26#39;m sure glad I did.

blemishes

is the subway safe?

We are thinking about taking the subway to get to our hotel from JFK. I know we need to take some other form of transportation to get to the subway 1st. Is this safe to do? Also, we are staying at the holiday inn martinque. Has anyone had any experience with this hotel?

is the subway safe?

From JFK you take the AirTrain to Jamaica Station. From there you can take an ';E'; subway into the city, or you can take the Long Island Railroad from here as well.

Both the ';E'; subway and the LIRR stop at Penn Station, which is fairly near your hotel. The Airtrain and subway will cost you $7.00. The AirTrain and LIRR will cost $11.75, but be a lot quicker.(I think LIRR fares are increasing March 1, so it may be different) As long as you are not coming in late at night this is completely safe.

Im back! Sob Sob! But here are the highlights!

Well what a mad few days! I feel like im on withdrawal!!! Firstly before I start I must say how warm, friendly and helpful the N Yorkers I encountered were. They just couldn%26#39;t do enough to help us.

My sister, bro and I got lost on numerous occasions, but we never felt worried or threatened as there was always a friendly person nearby willing to help!

Not sure why but it seemed I was particulary popular! Maybe its because I had a permanent smile stuck on my face the whole time, but I seem to accumalate a mass of phone numbers (ladies be warned the New York men are divine!). The guy that was serving me and my little brother in the sneaker store even gave me his phone number (my 16yr old brother was not impressed - he was horrified in fact!)

Anyway I do promise to write a more detailed report, but I just wanted to let you all know that I was back and we all had a great time....

HIGHLIGHTS...

Hairspray - we all loved it and even my 16yrold hip hop loving brother thought it was brilliant. We booked this before we left and I would advise to do this as thet show was a sell out.

BB Kings. Amazing!!! Truely! We all had such a good time. And the food...gosh Im still licking my lips now. Its was sooooo good. We got get there at 11.30 and was third in line (they hand out blue tickets with numbers on the back and then you are lined up according to your number and led into the room)

We was at the front (one row back) which was just perfect!. This is a must when visting new york. We bought our tickets on Sat morning, which was no problem.

Jamba Juice.....You lucky, lucky Americans! We loved Jamba Juice. Even though it was freezing cold on some days while we were there, we still went and bought ourselves a Jamba Juice each. They were so good we just couldn%26#39;t help it! They are a chain of little shops that produce the best fruit smoothies/juices in the world! Honestly! When are we going to get it in London?New Yorkers must be in heaven in summer time cox there so refreshing and healthy! You must try these Juices! Have one for me (sob )

Virgils, Carmines, Carnigies Deli - all excellent recommendations from this forum.

Juniors Cheesecake - Just simply divine! Large slice of heaven. Central station.

Lots of shopping. Young ladies the place to go is arounf the Greenwich/SoHo area. Just brilliant- even better than TopShop! H%26amp;M was a bit dissapointing, but I made up for that buying lots of shoes!!!!

They have Origins out there - very cheap and also the BobyShop - not that cheap (well the Body Butter isn%26#39;t anyway).

The three days seemed to go by in a whirl! We stayed at the Affinia 50 and although the rooms were out of theis world, the management have alot to learn about c.service! That%26#39;s all I will say on the matter until I find time to write a more detailed report.

Overall I loved the New York and the New Yorkers (esp the men) as much as they loved me (giggle giggle). Spent Valentines with my sister and brother and didn%26#39;t get one marriage proposal so if any single, male, New Yorkers want a lady who loves to shop............

Im back! Sob Sob! But here are the highlights!

Hi Angel,

Glad you had a great time, the voting starts when? (For the benefit of newcomers that is for the sister of the year award)

There is so much activity on this forum the pages soon fill up and it has taken me a while to get to your message. I was beginning to worry that you had forgotten to report back!

Look forward to your full report, (sorry about the lack of proposals though)

Pat

Im back! Sob Sob! But here are the highlights!

Your delightful personality comes through in your trip report. No wonder New York men reacted so favorably to you. We know a good thing when we see one. I will be feverishly scouting my unattached mates for you...but what man wants a woman who loves to shop? Hard on the wallet, eh?

Glad you had a terrific time and hope your brother and sister enjoyed it as much as you. Come back soon. We can always use a bit more ebullience.

Pat, they did love New York and bestowed me with thanks and kisses at the airport on the way home! After such a tough year, it was good to see them smile again.

Now on to my award I%26#39;d like to thank........(giggle giggle)

Ruffian,

I did chuckle reading your reply....you are funny. But hey who mentioned anything about a wallet? My purse will take the pounding....im an independant woman dontcha know.

All im asking for is for a little company while I shop (well someone to hold the bags really) and to repeat over and over again %26#39; No honey, for the tenth time today your bum doesn%26#39;t look big in it...%26#39; : )

P.S will post my report at the w/end.

P.S.S Ruffian keep searching.....there%26#39;s got to be a New Yorker who wants me (and wants to hold my shopping bags!) x.

Go for one of the NY men girl, it would give you a great excuse to be popping over and back to NY for weekends. Glad you had such a great time.

angeluk - did you ever find %26#39;shoe lane%26#39;?

Shoes are my weakness %26amp; I%26#39;m hoping to get well stocked up while we%26#39;re over there!

Just what we need... competition!

Glad you had a great trip, I%26#39;ll be looking for your detailed report.

Ange - didn%26#39;t need to look for it- it just seemed that wherever I shopped shoe shops just found me!!!! Seriously though shopping in Greenwich and Soho areas you are surrounded. Don%26#39;t buy too much though...leave some shoes for me!

Thats good to hear angeluk! I was wondering how I was going to be able to fox the boyfriend into walking down an entire street of shoe shops! He shouldn%26#39;t be able to complain to much if they%26#39;re just popping up everywhere.

and I%26#39;ll try and leave a few pairs for you! we%26#39;ll have to check how much we%26#39;ll be charged for excess weight on the way back first though!

excuse my ignorance but what is bb kings.where is it etc.

can you book.i%26#39;m off to nyc at the end of march and having just come back from euro disney i don%26#39;t think i could stand in another queue.it%26#39;s my second time to nyc.

We%26#39;re booked into the Affinia 50 for our trip to NY next month. What was wrong with the customer sevice? Hotel ok otherwise?

U.K. Digital Camera purchasers

Has anyone bought a digital camera from the U.K. I was thinking of buying one from B%26amp;H but I notice they only give 1 year USA warranty and you have to buy an extended European warranty. Does anyone know what this will cost?This may not make them such a bargain after all.

U.K. Digital Camera purchasers

I don%26#39;t know the cost, but B and H have an online help facility where you can ask someone and they will reply within a ';chat'; window. I%26#39;ve used this twice for information and it%26#39;s a great system

U.K. Digital Camera purchasers

A friend from Wales bought a camera at B%26amp;H in December. Even with the added cost of the UK extended warranty, she paid less than half what the same camera cost at home!

Thanks all have e-mailed B%26amp;H they say a warranty is between 800-1000$ think thet%26#39;ve got a 0 too many. But if Bettina%26#39;s friends got a good deal then this must be the case.

It%26#39;s a great store. They have so much to choose from. They are closed Fridays pm and Saturdays. Full opening hours are on their website though

Go to B%26amp;H even if you don%26#39;t want to buy anything. It is an experience in itself.

New York bars and children

What is the situation with taking children into bars in New York ? What licensing restrictions are there ? Are they permitted but only under certain conditions like in the UK ?

New York bars and children

Children are not allowed in bars. There may be some dance clubs that allow 18+, but they%26#39;ll require you to have a special bracelet/stamp/ID-ing mark to show you are not allowed to drink alcohol.

(By the way, someone chime in if I%26#39;m completely wrong here. This answer is just coming from observation of the ';No persons under 21 allowed'; signs.)

New York bars and children

If the bar serves food children are allowed in if accompanied by an adult. But the food has to be more than crisps and pretzels on the bar.

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