Advice please: first time in NYC

Hi

I will be in New York with my wife for around a week in mid/late October. First time there for both of us. We generally like walking around cities, will do some museums, galleries, maybe a show (we both loathe musicals, but hey :slight_smile:!). Any advice please on good areas to stay, local places to eat & drink etc. Specifically:

  • Is AirBNB or a hotel better? We tend to prefer the former as you can usually get quite a bit more space for your $$$, but hotels can be great when you don’t know a place well
  • Neighbourhoods / places to stay with a lot of good cafes
  • Any safety tips / concerns
  • Any advice on tipping norms or other points of etiquette
  • Cool things to see and do
  • Advice on getting around, e.g. is the subway best

Thanks!

If late enough in October, enjoy the Halloween decorations on Greenwich Village townhouses.
Sign up for Citibike, a great way to get around the city.

There are a TON of NYC threads here and I encourage you to pull them up; there is a huge amount of information to digest.

I’ll hit just a few points here: You can have entirely different, wonderful vacations in pieces of NYC depending on where you stay. It is a lot to take in, and it can be overwhelming if you try to do too much. I’d zero in on the things that you love where you live (art, music, food etc) rather than trying to hit the tourist must-sees like the Empire State and the Statue of Liberty. They can take a HUGE time commitment and unless they really are on your personal bucket list (in which case by all means do them) they can sap time and energy away from things that would be more memorable for you in the long run. If you like art, concentrate on galleries. Music? Clubs. Theater? It is everywhere. Leave the lines to someone else and have a more personal set of must-do’s.

When we stay in mid-town (convenient to Central Park, Carnegie Hall, Broadway, 5th Ave shopping etc) we stay at the London. It needs a refurb, to be honest, but the rooms are HUGE compared to most NY (tiny) rooms and are, by NYC standards, affordable. They also offer deals; you might sign up on their website.

When visiting the lower Manhattan/Union Square/Village area, we stay at the Gramercy Park, which is wonderful, on the park (which is only open to residents of the square and hotel guests and offers a lovely respite from the bustle) and has a nice Danny Meyer place in the first floor. An easy walk to the Village, many restaurants/clubs etc. Very high recommendation. Larger rooms than most but oddly appointed.

When staying in the financial district/Wall Street, typically on business, I stay at the Conrad, which is sterile but supremely convenient for me and has bigger than normal rooms too. I would not recommend it unless you are planning to concentrate on that area though; you would be all the way downtown, on the tip of the island, and if you are constantly taking cabs up and down the island, it can take a lot of time and money.

I have no place to recommend on the UES or Brooklyn. I also have no info on AirBNB; the concept never has interested me.

As for the subway, you will learn a lot about NYers up-close and personal, as the cars are super crowded most of the time now, and have become increasingly unreliable. At least in October, the lack of a/c on many cars will not be a bother.

The best form of transportation in NYC for tourists in your feet. Plan a day by neighborhood, cab there and then plan on walking your feet off. You will discover amazing things walking from one destination to another – often more interesting than the thing you were planning to see. E.g., I had zero interest in buying diamonds the last time I found myself walking through the diamond district but found the 15-20 minutes I spent walking it fascinating.

If you are a history or architecture buff, I highly encourage you to take one of the many walking tours offered around town. We took a fabulous “old NY” walking tour of lower Manhattan/financial district; I’ll search for the name of the NYU prof who led the tour.

There is GREAT theater everywhere; you don’t need to see a b’way musical to get the NY experience (although Hamilton is a treat even for a non-musical lover). Look at the NYT or Village Voice for a list of what is playing as you get closer to the date. Also, NY is one of the few cities in the world where you can routinely see jazz giants playing at local clubs. Let me know what kind of music you like and maybe I can point you in the right direction.

For me, the single must see museum is the MoMA. Even if the traveling show there at the moment is not great, the permanent collection is breathtaking. It is also convenient to some of the best restaurants in the world so when you are exhausted you can re-charge. A morning at the MoMA and lunch at La Bernardin (a couple of blocks away) would pretty much be a perfect day for me.

The Guggenhiem is a marvel architecturally and depending on what is there at the time might be a must-see. It can also be an anchor destination for a walk around the UES and Central Park. The Met, for me, is a rank below, mostly because of the many similar museums here in DC. But that will likely depend on your taste. I can do without the Whitney (depending on what is showing).

Food . . . a hundred prior threads on that.

Give us more ideas about what interests you and we might be able to help more.

NYC in October is fantastic. You’ll have a memorable time.

Read this thread from the NYC forum on Flyertalk
 https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/new-york-city/677835-suggested-itinerary-walking-tour-lower-manhattan-central-park.html

I’d plan on spending at least one day in Brooklyn. You can walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Once on the Brooklyn side, you’re walking distance to the promenade. Great views of lower Manhattan, from the Brooklyn side. If you’re there close to sunset, you’re in for a real treat as the sun sets over Manhattan. You can start or finish here.

The Brooklyn Museum (of Art) and the Botanical Gardens are right next to each other. Take the 2, 3, or 5 train to either Grand Army Plaza or Eastern Parkway Brooklyn Museum stop. You can also take the B, D, N, or Q train to the 7th ave stop. I’d suggest walking about 2 km along 7th ave and it’s associated side streets. All I can tell you is that this isn’t the Brooklyn you’re expecting to see. This area is walking distance from the museum and gardens. By the way, Eastern Parkway will somewhat remind you of Paris. The above neighborhoods have long ago gentrified. Ok, some are still gentrifying. This would be one of your days in Brooklyn. You could even make show in Manhattan, or have a nice leisurely meal in Chinatown or Little Italy that evening.

Day 2 [whistle.gif]

Take the subway to Coney Island and walk the boardwalk or the beach. If you walk east, you’ll head to Brighton Beach Ave. It’s the next neighborhood. Growing up in the 60’s, it was all elderly Jewish people. It’s morphed into Russian Jews, and now a much higher percentage of Russians. Lots of stores and restaurants with Russian writing. It’s a real Brooklyn neighborhood.

If you’re interested in real NYC delicious pizza, and by that I mean Brooklyn pizza, just ask. We do a once a year offline at Di Fara’s. Check the offline forum.

Dan

- Is AirBNB or a hotel better? We tend to prefer the former as you can usually get quite a bit more space for your $$$, but hotels can be great when you don’t know a place well

Don’t know of any AirBNB, but have had visiting friends/families stay at ones at or near our neighborhood, in very nice apartment buildings, complete with the all-important concierge and doorman amenities. I’ve visited them and places are very clean, modern, costs just a bit lower than the nearby hotels, but the huge spaces, with kitchens, are what they needed and looked for. But, having said all that that, if I’m simply travelling alone or with the wife, I’d opt for a hotel. There are the huge corporate ones mainly in tourists or business areas (Times Square, midtown or downtown Financial Districts), and those are for business travelers on corporate dimes or for tourists who feel comfortable with brand names, but there are plenty of boutique-types scattered everywhere in Manhattan and I can tell you that my visiting friends/relatives have enjoyed and swore by the boutique-types that they stayed in.

- Neighbourhoods / places to stay with a lot of good cafes

Touristy:
Times Square (tourists, tourists, tourists 
. aaaargh, can’t breathe!)
Midtown (tourists who though Times Square is too touristy, so they crowd here)
Hell’s Kitchen (if you really want to scrimp on hotels but need one right by Times Square, but don’t say I didn’t warn you about the quality)

Art:
Museum Mile in the Upper East Side (The Met, Frick, Neue, Breuer, Asia Society and other little ones)
Soho (small galleries, boutiques, many good restaurants)
Lower East Side or LES (almost like Soho but more quaint, truly old New York, many good restaurants, and my personal preference)

Local Neighborhoods:
Upper West Side or UWS (up to 80’s streets have decent neighborhood cafes, relatively cheaper accommodations),
East or West Village (old school quaint and truly pretty neighborhoods, have the most/best cafes, bars and restaurants for local foodies),
Lower East Side, or LES (same as E/W Villages),
Tribeca (quiet, if E/W Village and LES have the most Grand Cru in restaurants, here is where the great Premier Cru types are, can be expensive)
Financial District (not so lively at night and on weekends, if it’ll make you comfortable then you’d want to wear your suit to walk around during weekdays)
Murray Hill, Kips Bay, Midtown East (Local neighborhoods, many restaurants good enough for many tourists but they suck when measured against the standards that this city offers; but the neighborhood can be a nice option to be far away, at most 20 minute walk, from the hustle and bustle of the city)

Not in Manhattan:
New Jersey (good luck with that!);
Queens (go to New Jersey, instead);
Brooklyn (nice neighborhoods, but I’d still say “Why? When you seldom visit NYC?”)
Staten Island (word is you’d need a passport to get to/from Manhattan)


- Any safety tips / concerns
Generally, you can safely venture out and around until late nights in 95% of the areas I noted above, but you’d be fine and feel more comfortable if, wherever you go you just stick to where people are;
Don’t touch anything in subways or goods offered by somebody on the streets, unless you’re willing to pay for it or have adequate health insurance coverage.


- Any advice on tipping norms or other points of etiquette
My personal rule, 25% to 30% in restaurants/bars/cafes; 20% - 25% for cabs/taxi;
Make sure to have enough low denominations for hotel non-restaurant staff (house-keeping, porters, door men)
If somebody you had never seen in your life come up to you and ask for his/her tip 
 just walk away.

- Cool things to see and do
Museums, eat, drink, people-watch, walk-a-lot, choose from all kinds of shows; try the subway

- Advice on getting around, e.g. is the subway best
WALK!
Also have to attempt a subway ride; but buses (plenty of them all over and some with routes) can be better as you will be above ground and can see around, but need research and some planning;
Taxis/Uber 
 great city mode of transportation, but can be difficult to hail one during rush hour or after Broadway shows; NOTE as they often say, everything in the city is at most 30 minutes cab ride away).
Don’t be afraid to ask for directions 
 us locals like to feel we’re worthy of something.

First of all, congratulations on choosing one of the best possible months for visiting NYC. Spring and Autumn are the times to be here.

For museum visiting I always recommend a trip to the Frick. A small museum which can be easily covered in a few hours it has a really fine well chosen collection which is worth seeing if only for their Vermeer.

Otherwise as Neal says it depends on what you want to spend time on. There are the half price ticket booths to save some money on theater if you don’t really want to see a particular show. For wine shopping Chambers, Crush and Flatiron are probably the best places to visit.

For restaurants, it really depends on what you feel like eating. You can find everything from great pizza to ridiculously expensive prix fixe menus. Casual, romantic, etc. My go to value is lunch at Marea for the fusilli with bone marrow and octopus.

Lots of potentially interesting shopping/browsing. Korin for Japanese chef’s knives, the garment district for browsing more ribbons, fabrics, buttons and what not than you can shake a stick at, Chelsea Market for great charcuterie at Buon Italia (fantastic culatello), the Strand for used books.

If you want a great view of the skyline you can combine a trip to the WTC memorial with a quick PATH ride across the river to Exchange Place in Jersey City and walk along the waterfront. If you do that before 4pm I can point you to some of the best coffee in the metropolitan area.

Speaking of coffee, if you’re craving a flat white one of the only places I know of to make them in NYC is Terremoto Coffee on W. 15th St.

Best pastries are probably Dominique Ansel on Spring St. Be prepared for long lines though. They’re right around the corner from a branch of Laduree if you need a macaron fix without the wait. Just don’t eat in their cafe.

Subway is definitely the most efficient way of getting around and in October the platforms won’t be uncomfortably warm. Uber is a good fallback if you’re having trouble hailing a taxi.

Again, any specific questions feel free to ask.

We have a lot of NYC bound tourists staying in Jersey City for a less expensive option. So long as you’re near a PATH station you have easy city access. If you decide to go that route let me know and I can make a bunch of local recommendations for food.

To Ramon’s other point - generally New Yorkers will be some of the most helpful people on earth so long as
a) you manage to get their attention
b) you make it clear you’re not asking for money

Do not stand at a sidewalk corner and look upward.

That’s because Victor tastes then spits over the side of his balcony. I’ll disagree with Victor on this one. Look up. Above the ground level - which is all retail and the like - is some fabulous old architectural details. So you can have a cheezy, crappy sun-of-the-mill deli at ground level, then look up a floor or two and see some marvelous detail work. Just don’t stand in the middle of the sidewalk like an unaware dufus with a group of people. I’ll be the guy making huffing sounds and muttering while I try and walk around you. [cheers.gif]

If you want same day Broadway tix, I always go to the South Street Seaport booth. I have never had more than one person in front of me. Nobody goes there.

I got great seats to shows like Sunset Blvd for half price. They have a web site which tells you which location has what shows available.

Tere is so much to tell. IF you have specific questions, it would be easier to give advice (I live in Chelsea, so I can help you there)

I do not spit off my garden, and resent your characterization.
In full truth, I sling ladles of hot soup, instead.

The map shown in this link is not even close!

Fortunately, the map-linked Chrystie Street address in the upper-right corner is correct.

Such a tough question to ask. My one piece of advice is do not ignore Brooklyn. Brooklyn is where it is at these days.

Get ice-cream at Ample Hills (even in October). Walk the Highline. Meander through Central Park.

They opened a branch here in jersey City and I don’t see what the fuss is about. So rich and sweet that I threw most of mine out after the first few bites and and my coworkers who didn’t ended up feeling sick.

Sounds like a sugary, cold version of rendered beef fat.

You bite ice cream? Sick man.

NYC is trying hard to crack down on Airbnb (most of which are technically illegal) so if you go that route be sure to book with a credit card that has good insurance on it, and maybe book a cancellable backup hotel room.

I agree on the High Line. We took a walk on the HL this past Sunday during sunset. Absolutely perfect.

Obviously the MOMA and the Met are fantastic. I disagree with whoever said to ignore the Whitney. The architecture of the museum itself and it’s outdoor space make it a must. You can combine that with a walk on the High Line. If you do that at lunch you can pop off the High Line to eat at Chelsea Market.

The 9/11 museum is really moving. Well worth a trip downtown.

I would not be rushing to Brooklyn unless there was something very specific that interested you. There are some really fun and interesting restaurants that are enticing, but there are a ton of great restaurants in Manhattan too. We just visited the David Bowie exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum and walked thru the Botanical Gardens. Now that the Bowie exhibit is gone, I wouldn’t make a trip just for the museum and gardens. I’d much rather do the Met and Central Park.

As everyone has said, Manhattan has it’s various neighborhoods. I would do some pre-planning to figure out how to maximize your days and minimize your time on subways/ubers/cabs, etc. For example, a day in the West Village, Chelsea area can include great eats, the High Line, shopping, the Whitney, etc. and you can walk all of it.

That said, the subway system is excellent and if you’re comfortable, it can take you wherever you want to go.

PS. Depending on when you’re coming in October, I would consider a Yankee game. Talk about getting a feel for NYC!!!