Won A Trip To NewYorkCity!

My Daughter and I ( she%26#39;s 20) won a trip to NYC. So Thrilled! As I have always wanted to go..

We Are staying at the Grand Hyatt..4 nights and 5 days, June 2 thru 6, also David Letterman show, but they are ';dark'; that week, so we need to work out something else I hope! and really would like to ';see it all!'; not too into shopping, but maybe could browse? LOL

We are planning on seeing Broadway shows.. Phantom, for sure and Mama Mia, hopefully.

Other than that, we are clueless any advice would really be appreciated.. also ';inexpensive places to eat, with maybe one really nice place?';

I know I should get reservations ahead of time...

also what tours are the best? help! thanks

Won A Trip To NewYorkCity!

Lucky you have a ball

Won A Trip To NewYorkCity!

Indeed Waterford. Congratulations desertvc, you lucky things! I posted a report from my trip in November yesterday - Late trip report November 2004, which covers a few of your questions. All the restaurants we ate in were fairly reasonable. I would definitely advise getting Phantom tickets through broadwaybox.com/broadwayoffers.com if available - we got ours for 63 dollars (100 dollars was advertised price at the box office) and we avoided wasting part of a day queuing for TKTS. Please fell free to ask any questions on my report if you like. Have a fab trip!

Your daughter will certainly enjoy walking around the New York University-Greenwich Village-SoHo area: loaded with cafes, clubs, funky shops, art galleries, lots of interesting-looking people and sites....Must-sees are obviously the United Nations, the South St. Seaport, Wall Street area (Ground Zero and its aftermath--tons of security on every street), Chinatown. I%26#39;d pick Hairspray or Lion King over Phantom. Lincoln Center is worth seeing too; check on what%26#39;s there when you are. For many relatively inexpensive places to eat, try the Chelsea section around 8th Avenue and West 20th St. (FYI, Chelsea%26#39;s got a sizable gay population...It%26#39;s a vibrant, colorful place with many cafes...My favorite is La Belle Vie, a French bistro with great ambiance, excellent food and modest prices.) Always a good bet to do your homework by getting some of the guidebooks...

Congratulations! The Grand Hyatt is wonderful and is centrally located, a great choice.

To see the latest news on Broadway shows, visit www.playbill.com, but your first stop to buy discount tickets is www.broadwaybox.com. Personally, I think Phantom is a great choice! The production is sumptuous. While lots of people rave about The Lion King, I%26#39;m not one of them. I found the giant puppet heads distracting, and aside from the great opening number, I found the animated movie more emotional. I loved Hairspray, but haven%26#39;t seen it without the great Harvey Fierstein. I%26#39;ve been to Mamma Mia a few times, and even though it%26#39;s hokey as can be and the plot is totally contrived, I and every one I%26#39;ve taken has been in love with this fun show.

So many incredible restaurants here. I%26#39;ll recommend two for special meals. First, lunch at Central Park%26#39;s Boathouse Restaurant is truly lovely. The food%26#39;s very good, but the real star is the lakeside setting. Second, a big splashy dinner at the River Cafe (www.rivercafe.com), just a 5-minute taxi ride from Manhattan, it sits on a barge under the Brooklyn Bridge. Most beautiful view in the city, and the food is exquisite. Or, take a walking tour of Brooklyn Heights and enjoy views of the downtown Manhattan skyline from the promenade, then stroll over to the River Cafe.

You might also consider reserving a Big Apple Greeter:

www.bigapplegreeter.org

We are an organization of 300+ volunteers who love showing visitors around our neighborhoods for FREE. A Greeter will also help you get oriented to the city and guide you to the best strategies for getting around and seeing the sites.

June is such a great time to be here! You%26#39;ll have a fabulous time.

thank you everyone for your great advice! Sounds like we will be doing lots of walking! The Phantom for us, is a must see since seeing the movie, and knowing the music by heart! LOL and I will buy those tickets ahead at a discount..as far as I know though right now Mama Mia isn%26#39;t dicounted? I love ABBA and am looking forward to it, I don%26#39;t care if some say its ';hokey!';

How far ahead do I need to get reservatins to restaurants? like the River Walk, is it? thanks

If u like Abba u will love Mamma Mia and even if you cant get discounted tickets it is worth every cent.

Personally I loved both Mama Mia and The Phantom. The Lion King was okay too but not in the same League. Its very Disney( because it IS Disney I guess!). Rent is good if its still on and if you have time to fit in another show

The Hop on Hop Off Bus Tours are great because they cover all the must see sights.

Have a lovely trip,

It%26#39;s the River Cafe and get them as soon as you can. Request a window table. Keep in mind it%26#39;s in Brooklyn, not Manhattan.

As far as tours, I recommend three.

The Circle Line boat tour, either the 2 or 3-hour tour.

The Greyline ';loops'; bus tour.

The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island tour.

For a musical, try Movin Out at the Richard Rogers Theater. Brilliant choreography, cast and band. It%26#39;s set to local lad Billy Joel%26#39;s music. I wasn%26#39;t a fan before. Found him a bit middle of the road and heart on sleave. But that%26#39;s just what Broadway is. His music becomes something much greater in this show that runs the familiar growing up in the 60%26#39;s, vietnam in the 70s and breaking thru in thr 80s theme. Joyful, moving and non stop great music.

blemishes

Harley davidson shops

Hi yet another question from me

Is there any Harley shops in Manhatten, I don%26#39;t want to buy a bike !! but want to buy some gifts for my son

Ta

Graeme

Harley davidson shops

Yes there is one on Lexington Ave near Bloomingdales. I beleive the cross st is 55th st.

Harley davidson shops

www.nycharleydavidson.com

Will all you Brits please stop buying clothes

Prices in New York City are six times higher than in the rest of the nation said a story in today%26#39;s NY Post business section. And one of the main reasons, according to officials, are ';rising clothing prices which are being kept high in past weeks for foreign tourists here on shopping sprees.

';Clothing prices traditionally drop 3.1% in January because of seasonal sales, but this January the prices jumped for the first time in years so retailers could capture more tourist dollars.';

The weak dollar, according to the article, has created bargain shopping for foreigners who are paying about half of what they would pay at home for the same merchandise. Nationally, prices rose by just 0.1% in January but in metro New York they jumped by 0.6%. The biggest price jumps were in gasoline (up 15.7%), rents (up 6.4%) and clothing (up 7.7%).

Mayor Bloomberg is blaming the inflation on posts from Bettina and NYCGirl on the Trip Advisor Forum who are advising U.K. visitors where to shop.

(I just made that last one up.).

Will all you Brits please stop buying clothes

You%26#39;re absolutely right! Not only am I advising them, I%26#39;m also hosting them! But, my dear Ruffian, you%26#39;re very much to blame as well.

What do you think we ought to do? Send them all shopping in Connecticut?

Will all you Brits please stop buying clothes

C%26#39;mon, Bettina. You%26#39;ve seen the way I dress. Do you really think I%26#39;m in any position to be advising anyone on clothing? Occasionally, panhandlers give ME money.

Hey Ruffian look on the bright side-at least you dont have to pay $7 a gallon for your petrol-sorry gas! You can also go out on the town in New York. Try coming over to Manchester for a night on the tiles and you%26#39;d be sending money over here to help us mancs enjoy ourselves.

Well, I%26#39;m OK as I am a strange Brit who doesn%26#39;t do a lot of shopping!

Always had a hunch you were a bit different, Daisiegee. It%26#39;s really time you packed up and moved here permanently. You%26#39;re really a New Yorker at heart.

If my hubby could get back for every Newcastle game, we%26#39;d be there tomorrow. Our home has to be within easy distance of St James%26#39; and the necessary pubs beforehand! You%26#39;re playing with my dreams mentioning it.....

Daisiegee!?!?!? Your husbands a mag?!?!?! Very disappointed! I thought I%26#39;d found a fellow mackem on here!

Well, Ange...he%26#39;s from Gateshead, hence the Newcastle following, and I%26#39;m a Sunderland lass. Both kids are black and white...I%26#39;m in a minority of 1

snap Daisiegee - I%26#39;m from durham originally so am red %26amp; white through %26amp; through, I made the mistake of giving birth to my son this side of the water so there are often disagreements about who stinks more - geordies or mackems! (the correct answer is geordies btw!)

Great idea. *Please* send all of your foreign tourists to Connecticut to buy clothes!

channel

cant decide on hotel

I have been searching out hotels in ny for a while now and i have narrowed it down to the Drake or the Excelsior. there is a $148 difference for 5 night stay. I have read reviews for both but still cant decide. If anyone has been to either of these hotels or can offer some advice, it would be greatly appreciated!

cant decide on hotel

I think the Drake would be much more upscale and it%26#39;s in midtown within walking distance to Rockefeller Center, a lot of shopping etc. The Excelsior is a very nice hotel in a more residential area (but across from the Museum of Natural History) There is more of a neighborhood feel in the Excelsior location. The Lucerne is another hotel near the Excelsior that%26#39;s also well liked. I think it depends on what kind of person you are. The area around the Excelsior would allow you to be a bit more casual.

cant decide on hotel

If you decide on The Upper West Side I would recommend The Lucerne. I have stayed there. Service is outstanding. Rooms are clean and well appointed. Heating/cooling is individually controlled. The exercize room is more than adequate. The NIce Matin (restaurant next door) is outstanding and the hotel offers significant discounts on breakfasts. The neighborhood is perfect. Lots of shops nearby, Filene%26#39;s Basement down the block, great laundry and cleaning service cheap on Amsterdam (around the corner) and a liqour store and drugstore across the street.

I adore the location of the Excelsior!!! I notice it doesn%26#39;t get the greatest reviews, with most of the negatives saying the staff is less than friendly. Still, it%26#39;s across the street from the park, the museum -- great view across 81st St. at the gorgeous Planetarium -- and in the heart of the wonderful UWS with all the great shops and restaurants.

The Lucerne does get much better reviews though! They%26#39;re just a few blocks from each other. I%26#39;ve never seen the guest rooms at either, but the reviews on this site are usually reliable.

Taxi vs car service and nightlife

I will be going to NYC for 4 days in June with 4 people. We are flying into JFK and will be going to the Belvedere Hotel in Midtown. How much will it be for a cab? Is it better to book a car service? If so, any recommendations?

Also, any suggestions on any good bars to visit one night. Not looking for a club really, just a decent place to grab a few drinks after dinner.

Thanks for the advice in advance.

Taxi vs car service and nightlife

There are pros and cons to taxi vs car service and different classes of car service. For 4 with a lot of luggage, you may have to wait for a minivan type taxi. The benefit is no worries about finding your driver etc. Just get off the plane, get in the taxi line (but one of you should go to the dispatcher and alert him/her you%26#39;re 4). Cost will be $45 plus tip (~$8-10) plus a $4 toll unless he takes the 59th st bridge.

Tel Aviv car service is about the same as a taxi. You%26#39;ll probably have to phone them when you land and maybe wait a bit. (telavivlimo.com) There are fancier car services like Crown limo that will charge a bit more but the cars are generally a bit nicer www.1800mycrown.com

Taxi vs car service and nightlife

As to a bar, there are hundreds as you can imagine. You don%26#39;t say how old you are but if you%26#39;re 30s or younger you might prefer downtown. The meatpacking district (Greenwich village area) is still considered trendy. Many restaurants there are good like Spice Market, Markt, Pastis.

Nearer your hotel, the bar(s) at the Hudson hotel is supposed to be good and trendy. Blue Fin in the W Times Square hotel is another good option. Also, on 44 st b/w 6th %26amp; 5th there are a bunch of hotels, all of which have good bars. The one at the Royalton is very trendy. DbBistro Moderne is also good both for food and the bar.

Susan Egan

I attended a Masterclass with her at the ';teacher'; and she was amazing. She was the star in Broadway hits such as Millie, Caberet, and Beauty and the Beast. She is so full of live, sexyness, and general Broadway Information. She is a wealth of information and helped me with so much of my singing.

Susan Egan

She%26#39;s wonderful. I saw her in the original Beauty cast, and lots of other shows. Wish I could sing like that!

Please help!

Best transportation from LaGuardia to Times Square area? What? How Long? How Much? It will be about midday during the week. Thanks in advance.

Please help!

Your only choices are cab, limo or bus. Best bet is cab, about $30-$35 plus $4 toll and tip. Should take 45 minutes tops. There is a bus that can drop you off at Port Authority, just at the edge of Times Square. It%26#39;s less expensive (I think around $15) but doesn%26#39;t take you to your hotel. Not great if you have lots of luggage.

Please help!

A cab is really the easiest. Midday is a hard time though and if it%26#39;s Wed (matinee day) it will take longer to get in. If there%26#39;s just one of you, you might consider taking the Express bus to the Port Authority bus terminal. (Don%26#39;t take the shuttle that drops people off at their hotels. It will take forever). If there are 2 or more of you, definitely take a cab. It can take as little as 20mins and as much as an hour depending on day and traffic. I agree with Ruff, about $30.

Thanks for the help. I may need help later after itinerary is planned. Thanks again!

You know I was about to post a question very similar to this, but we%26#39;re staying at 160 East 25th Street, not Times Square. I think that%26#39;s a little closer to LGA? Will it cost about the same? Every other time I%26#39;ve gone to NY, I%26#39;ve organized a limo/car service beforehand, but if cabs are really only $30 or so, we%26#39;ll definately do that!

blemishes