Is ten days in New York too long

[Bazzi]

10 days is a great start, you will come away wanting more - a reason to go back. We've travelled there in April, May, Sept, Oct and Christmas - the cooler months are much more pleasant in my opinion, the subway isn't stuffy and there are less tourists (with the exception of Christmas). We have stayed in apartments on most of our trips, mainly in Chelsea, which provides the option of self catering for some meals (Wholefoods is a must), a bit more room to move and gives you a sense of living in the city. Away from the Times Square precinct you don't tend to be treated as a tourist - no tip automatically added to your bill.

We walk just about everywhere, the grid system is easy to get your head around and it won't take long before you get your bearings. We (two women) have been on the streets or on the subway at 3am and have never felt threatened - the sheer number of people in the city certainly gives us a sense of security. The old adage 'if you're looking for trouble....' applies, so just be smart, aware and you'll be safe.

I usually devise of list of all the things we want to do/see and then put those into a daily itinerary so that we don't waste time criss crossing or backtracking. Allow time in your day to 'get lost' as you may just stumble on something special such as we did when we found Paley Park (53rd between 5th and Park).

Food wise - we have eaten everywhere from Zabars to Per Se and lots in between. We try not to go back to the same places but we make an exception for Balthazar in SoHo and the Lobster Place in Chelsea Markets where you can choose a fresh Maine Lobster in a size to suit for a ridiculously low price which they will steam for you while you wait. I have heard that the new food hall in the Plaza Hotel is spectacular - just across the road from Central Park - so a perfect for a takeout to enjoy in the park.

Las Vegas - I agree that it is a must see at least once. We stayed at the Bellagio last trip - fantastic - and dined at Bouchon.

We will be returning to NYC in Sept 2015 - sailing transatlantic via Iceland.

 

[irv]

Can you tell me how you got on to these, was it through Air BnB or a similar site. This is the type of accommodation we want.

We have stayed in apartments on most of our trips, mainly in Chelsea, which provides the option of self catering for some meals (Wholefoods is a must), a bit more room to move and gives you a sense of living in the city.

 

[Mark3000]

Can you tell me how you got on to these, was it through Air BnB or a similar site. This is the type of accommodation we want.

We have stayed in apartments on most of our trips, mainly in Chelsea, which provides the option of self catering for some meals (Wholefoods is a must), a bit more room to move and gives you a sense of living in the city.

There are some great apartments in NY & self catering from Wholefoods would be perfect.
For those unfamiliar with NY, be VERY careful booking apartments and make sure it is a reputable website and you pay with paypal. There are lots of apartment rental scams, where unfortunately scammers rent out apartments they don't even own & people turn up and the owner of the apartment knows nothing about it. Be very careful to check everything and whatever you do try not to pay with cash / Western Union etc. Unless they take paypal or credit card, I wouldn't risk it

 

[drron]

And even reputable websites don't give you a quarantee that the apartment you rent is legal.NYC law is that a rental of less than 30 days is illegal unless the owner or primary lessee is in the apartment at those times.This is for the most common type of leased apartment in NYC the co-op.
There are some apartments that are under a condominium lease.these are able to be legally rented out for short periods.
AirBnB apartments are likely to become less numerous.
New York's Attorney General Is Getting His Hands On Airbnb's Records | Business Insider

 

[Bazzi]

Can you tell me how you got on to these, was it through Air BnB or a similar site. This is the type of accommodation we want.

We have stayed in apartments on most of our trips, mainly in Chelsea, which provides the option of self catering for some meals (Wholefoods is a must), a bit more room to move and gives you a sense of living in the city.

We have used nyhabitat.com for each of our stays - the booking and deposit is made/paid through them and then final payment made direct to owner along with the bond (usually $500) on arrival at the apartment. The bond is refunded on day of departure. I have also looked at VRBO.com for our upcoming stay next year and there are both owner operators and more upmarket agents who advertise on this site. Having said all that, we haven't stayed in NYC since the new laws came into place. NYHabitat is listed as a real estate agent as are some of the agents on VRBO so perhaps that it how they meet requirements.

Ditto sentiments about payments via credit card or paypal for security. I look at the reviews and for how long the operator has been in business.

Friends have stayed at the Radio City Apartments near Rockefeller Centre and were very happy. I noticed also that Hyatt have opened their first Hyatt Place in NYC, depending on how many there are of you travelling this might suit. Nightly rate a bit stiff for us but others might consider it reasonable.

Hope that helps.

 

[s mcdonnell rd]

Try a trip on the Limo Liner up to Boston in the middle of your NY stay to break it up. Cheap, see a bit of the countryside, spend a night or two and come back.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

For hotels around Times Square comparisons Hilton v Hyatt? Or better suggestions / alternatives in Midtown / Times Square region?

 

[Austff]

A must see in NYC is the Intrepid Museum , apart from the space shuttle ,submarine ,aircraft carrier & many planes & helicopters , they have a BA concorde that you can get on & even tour the coughpit .Probably the only time I'll ever get to be on one .

 

[runawaytrain]

You have some great suggestions here. As for how long to stay, I like the idea of breaking up your trip. I love Boston too - and not just because my football team is near Boston. If you like history etc., Boston is great. I did the freedom trail and duck tour the last time I went. Boston city centre is small and easy to walk around IMO. Plus, New England lobster rolls! I took the bus from Boston to NY which cost me about $20 and took me to the Port Authority bus terminal in Manhattan.

As for NY, here's my bit (apologies if I reiterate what has been said. I read this thread during my lunch break).:

• If you don't want to spend money on a tour to see the Statue of Liberty, take the Staten Island ferry from Manhattan Whitehall terminal. The ferry is free and you will get a view of the statue, parts of Manhattan etc.

• I have been in summer and winter. I preferred winter because there was less people. Plus colder weather means less creepy crawlies. Oh and in summer, Times Square was packed with people. Some people like the hustle and bustle but I would prefer not to fight for space once I step outside my hotel.

• Last time I went, I had trouble paying for a metrocard. I had problems buying one from the machines at Grand Central station. So I lined up at the ticket booth wanting to buy one, only to find out that it was cash only. The thing was it was difficult to find an ATM to withdraw money from. The ones I found were ones where you had to swipe your card to get access to the ATM. I had to walk from 42nd street to 15th street as I was in a rush and couldn't spend any more time trying to find an ATM. I ended up finding an ATM on the way though. Moral of the story - bring cash!

• The subway is easy to navigate. I had an iPhone app called Exit Strategy on my first trip. It was very useful as I could use it without looking like a n00b tourist as it had maps as well. It also told you the best subway carriage to use for a particular destination. I don't know if the app is up to date. Oh and if a subway carriage is empty at night there's usually a reason for it!

I will be back with more thoughts later.

 

[runawaytrain]

For hotels around Times Square comparisons Hilton v Hyatt? Or better suggestions / alternatives in Midtown / Times Square region?

I stayed near Grand Central station on 39th street in two different places on my last trip. I chose that area as although public transport is easy to use there are more line options at Grand Central station. There is a shuttle between Grand Central station and Times Square 42nd St station. So if you want the convenience of Midtown I recommend the area near Grand Central station. I personally wouldn't want to stay near or in Times Square. Perhaps, you would like to split up your trip in two different locations?

Here are the places I stayed at:

Pod 39 - It was a last minute booking as I was going to stay with family in Queens beforehand. I was by myself so I took the single pod. Wow! It was extremely small - so small in fact it was difficult to open my suitcase. However, it was clean and served its purpose.

The Tuscany - I chose this because I liked how it was decorated. Plus, it was on Agoda so
Krisflyer points . The room was big and overall I was pleased with my stay. However, there was problems with the water drainage in the shower. Oh but they had the nicest bed IMO. I always looked forward to lying in bed and watching TV after a long day. Judging by the reviews, service seems to be lacking in some cases.

I'm sorry for the lack of information. I went last year and I'm trying to remember...

I don't know if Krisflyer Spree classifies Jetsetter as part of Gilt but that might be an option?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Hey good people what are your suggestions for a day's shopping in outlet mall? Staying right on Times Square so fully aware we will need to travel to wherever.

 

[vitagen]

Woodbury outlets for sure! There are quite a few operators going to and from NYC. i love new york

 

[pyffii]

I second that...we went in July and usually use Greyhound or similar from the Port Authority but this year we went for a hotel pick up service...Manhattan Transit....who picked us up and dropped us back to the hotel and that saved us dragging our suitcase back from the Port Authority...cost us I think $100 so about $20 more but was worth especially coming back when the trip only took an hour cause they use the George Washington bridge whereas the buses us the Lincoln a Tunnel and gridlock...and the bargains this year at Woodbury were just sensational....take or buy a suitcase...you will need it

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Thanks good people!

 

[get me outta here]

If I am also going to SFO on the way home from NYC, would it be best to do outlet visits there - I know there are some US outlet aficionados on here!

 

[irv]

I would like to thank everyone for their input, the trip is planned for September 2015 for seven weeks, itinerary is LA, Halifax NS, Cape Breton Island, Prince Edward Island for the Fall Flavours Festival, Boston, New York, Washington, Vegas, SFO and drive back to LA for departure. 7 weeks in total, now just counting down the days till can start reviewing the fares.

 

[oz74]

I would like to thank everyone for their input, the trip is planned for September 2015 for seven weeks, itinerary is LA, Halifax NS, Cape Breton Island, Prince Edward Island for the Fall Flavours Festival, Boston, New York, Washington, Vegas, SFO and drive back to LA for departure. 7 weeks in total, now just counting down the days till can start reviewing the fares.

Sounds like an awesome trip, enjoy!

Keep your eyes open for a QF ' companion sale '

 

[Major]

Do you need to book early for a Broadway show or wait till you get there ?

 

[amaroo]

I would like to thank everyone for their input, the trip is planned for September 2015 for seven weeks, itinerary is LA, Halifax NS, Cape Breton Island, Prince Edward Island for the Fall Flavours Festival, Boston, New York, Washington, Vegas, SFO and drive back to LA for departure. 7 weeks in total, now just counting down the days till can start reviewing the fares.

While in Nova Scotia try and get over to Digby to see the Bay of Fundy Bay of Fundy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia amazing sight!

The Bay of Fundy is known for having the highest tidal range in the world. Rivaled by Ungava Bay in northern Quebec, King Sound in Western Australia, Gulf of Khambhat in India, and the Severn Estuary in the UK, it has one of the highest vertical tidal ranges in the world. The Guinness Book of World Records (1975) declared that Burntcoat Head, Nova Scotia has the highest tides in the world:

“The Natural World, Greatest Tides: The greatest tides in the world occur in the Bay of Fundy.... Burntcoat Head in the Minas Basin, Nova Scotia, has the greatest mean spring range with 14.5 metres (47.5 feet) and an extreme range of 16.3 metres (53.5 feet).”
​

 

[Kolo]

Do you need to book early for a Broadway show or wait till you get there ?

You'll always get a ticket at the discount booth in Times Square for something. The only reason to book in advance is if you want a particular show, and even then only if it's one of the hot shows. Also depends on what time of year you go. I've always managed to get tickets to the shows I want but then there's always a lot that I am happy to see.