First Time In NYC

[GalvestonCruiser]

We just booked the June 10th Sunrise cruise going out of the Port of Manhattan. It will be myself, my husband, and our son who will turn 18 on the trip. We have never been to NYC and I am already overwhelmed. The cruise itself is Monday 10th - Thursday 20th. We will fly into LGA or EWR either Saturday or Sunday before the cruise and fly home the Sunday after. That will give us 1-2 days before and 3 days after the cruise to explore NYC. Here are my questions: 

 

1. We live in Texas so we are used to needing a car wherever we go - In NYC should we look at a car rental or just use subway/walk/taxi? 

 

2. Where do you recommend we stay? We can stay at different places pre and post cruise. We would like to stay somewhere near the top places to visit if we will be relying on public transportation and walking. 

 

3. I know NYC is really expensive but I would like to keep the room in the $150-$200 range if possible but I will pay more if needed to be somewhere safe and close to activities. I also use Hotwire to book rooms often - any con's to using this here? 

 

 

5. I have seen several discount passes like City Pass etc that gets you into multiple attractions - are any worthwhile? 

 

I believe this is a good start - I am sure I will have many more questions as I look into planning more. 

[1025cruise]

I can't answer all of your questions, but skip the rental car. Its not needed or necessary in NYC. In fact, it will cost a fortune to park.

 

Your price range is realistic, but you may want to bump up $250 to be on the safe side.

[GalvestonCruiser]

Thank you! That was my thoughts on the car but I wanted to make sure. Sometimes we have these stereotypical thoughts of places and they aren't true - as an example, I live in Texas but I don't always ride my horse to work :-) 

[Got2Cruise]

Don’t book the air until you have your lodgings in place. If you want to keep to budget you will probably have to stay across the Hudson River in NJ or the East River in Queens, NY. Is there a big price difference in the airline fare LaG or EWR?

[GalvestonCruiser]

Not a big difference - is there one airport you suggest over the other? 

[Noxequifans]

If you stay in Manhattan you will be a short taxi ride away from the cruise terminal.  Manhattan hotels are not inexpensive but with some work on the booking sites you can find one that may be affordable. But in honesty you get what you pay for. In any case, welcome and enjoy.

 

If you stay in Manhattan LGA is a good choice.

Edited January 14, 2019 by Noxequifans

[138east]

Another consideration is bed size.  Two queen beds are scarce, but 2 doubles are common.

[Ashland]

We loved the Radisson Martinique...great location !!!

[GalvestonCruiser]

1 hour ago, Ashland said:

We loved the Radisson Martinique...great location !!!

I looked this up and it's showing as permanently closed. I assume maybe it was bought out and has a new name. Does anyone have any idea? 

 

Edit: Just found it - It's a Hilton property now. 

Edited January 15, 2019 by GalvestonCruiser

[GalvestonCruiser]

4 hours ago, Noxequifans said:

If you stay in Manhattan you will be a short taxi ride away from the cruise terminal.  Manhattan hotels are not inexpensive but with some work on the booking sites you can find one that may be affordable. But in honesty you get what you pay for. In any case, welcome and enjoy.

 

If you stay in Manhattan LGA is a good choice.

Yes - I agree you get what you pay for. Being unfamiliar with the area I am not sure how to define that. In downtown Dallas I can get a very nice room on Hotwire for about $100, however, I am sure I couldn't find a Motel 6 in NYC for that. It's all relative I guess. I guess I should ask what should I expect to pay for a room. It doesn't have to be fancy but it does have to be clean and safe, within walking distance to food and sightseeing and not extremely far from the port would be nice too. 

[markeb]

3 minutes ago, GalvestonCruiser said:

Yes - I agree you get what you pay for. Being unfamiliar with the area I am not sure how to define that. In downtown Dallas I can get a very nice room on Hotwire for about $100, however, I am sure I couldn't find a Motel 6 in NYC for that. It's all relative I guess. I guess I should ask what should I expect to pay for a room. It doesn't have to be fancy but it does have to be clean and safe, within walking distance to food and sightseeing and not extremely far from the port would be nice too. 

 

Based on a quick search given your second set of dates, $300 plus tax is what you should expect to pay at that time, at least in Midtown. Since you're coming in on a Thursday, Downtown/Financial District may not be much better. The third adult in the room probably isn't helping the rate...

 

What are you wanting to do? If you want to walk to the sites in Midtown/Times Square, you're probably going to have to pay for it. Even the classic chains (Fairfield Inn, Holiday Inn Express, La Quinta) are expensive in Manhattan. Some of the local hotels are great; others aren't. 

 

Keep in mind that it's not entirely uncommon for rates in Manhattan to drop closer to your actual travel. I'd personally start looking either between Central Park (60th) and Penn Station (~30th), and also check out the Downtown/Financial District and see what comes up. There are some nice hotels in Midtown East (Lexington), near Grand Central, and Penn Station. Each area has pros and cons. Since you're cruising out of Manhattan, unless you're flying into EWR for an absolutely great price, I'd hesitate to stay in New Jersey, although it will almost certainly be less expensive. You have to figure total cost, and there will be a cost to travel from Jersey to the cruise terminal.

 

Once and hopefully future Texan here: Rooms aren't what they are in Texas! Smaller and more expensive. Do you have any hotel affiliation? AAA?  AARP? Government/military? Any of those might help (government/military tends to not be very helpful in Manhattan; AAA more so and I've so far refused to join AARP...).

[GalvestonCruiser]

2 minutes ago, markeb said:

 

Based on a quick search given your second set of dates, $300 plus tax is what you should expect to pay at that time, at least in Midtown. Since you're coming in on a Thursday, Downtown/Financial District may not be much better. The third adult in the room probably isn't helping the rate...

 

What are you wanting to do? If you want to walk to the sites in Midtown/Times Square, you're probably going to have to pay for it. Even the classic chains (Fairfield Inn, Holiday Inn Express, La Quinta) are expensive in Manhattan. Some of the local hotels are great; others aren't. 

 

Keep in mind that it's not entirely uncommon for rates in Manhattan to drop closer to your actual travel. I'd personally start looking either between Central Park (60th) and Penn Station (~30th), and also check out the Downtown/Financial District and see what comes up. There are some nice hotels in Midtown East (Lexington), near Grand Central, and Penn Station. Each area has pros and cons. Since you're cruising out of Manhattan, unless you're flying into EWR for an absolutely great price, I'd hesitate to stay in New Jersey, although it will almost certainly be less expensive. You have to figure total cost, and there will be a cost to travel from Jersey to the cruise terminal.

 

Once and hopefully future Texan here: Rooms aren't what they are in Texas! Smaller and more expensive. Do you have any hotel affiliation? AAA?  AARP? Government/military? Any of those might help (government/military tends to not be very helpful in Manhattan; AAA more so and I've so far refused to join AARP...).

Thank you so much for the response! It's very helpful as I have no idea what areas of NYC to even check into or avoid. I don't mind paying more for a room since this may be my one and only time to visit NYC and I don't want to spend all my time in a taxi. We don't mind walking and I know we would like to see Broadway (would love to see Lion King), Times Square, the 9/11 museum, and beyond that, I really don't know. I am good with seeing the Empire State building and Statue of Liberty as we sail out, don't have to physically go to those places. Are there any must-see places? 

[markeb]

35 minutes ago, GalvestonCruiser said:

Thank you so much for the response! It's very helpful as I have no idea what areas of NYC to even check into or avoid. I don't mind paying more for a room since this may be my one and only time to visit NYC and I don't want to spend all my time in a taxi. We don't mind walking and I know we would like to see Broadway (would love to see Lion King), Times Square, the 9/11 museum, and beyond that, I really don't know. I am good with seeing the Empire State building and Statue of Liberty as we sail out, don't have to physically go to those places. Are there any must-see places? 

 

There are many must see places!

 

There's a group of Courtyard/Fairfield/Holiday Inn Express type hotels near Penn Station and Herald Square. There's another group near Chelsea. Those aren't necessarily full service hotels, but they may accommodate 3 adults better than many of the full service hotels. They're not so expensive that it would make sense to get 2 rooms.

 

BTW, that area is almost adjacent to the Empire State Building, so seeing it is no problem. I'll try to dig it out again, but I put together a walking tour of Midtown years ago. If you can walk, many of the sights people want to see are surprisingly close to each other. Downtown/Battery Park/9/11 Memorial is your real trip, and it's only 15-20 minutes by subway from either Times Square or Penn Station. Throw in Central Park and maybe the Highline and you've seen a lot. And Lion King is probably easily doable...

 

If you don't plan to be in Manhattan again anytime soon, then look at the budget. $100 or even $150 a night more for three nights may not be that much in the grand scheme of things if it allows you to really enjoy the trip (and it doesn't blow your budget completely, which Manhattan certainly can do!).

Edited January 15, 2019 by markeb

[markeb]

As an example of just how much there is to see and do in Midtown Manhattan, I wrote this up a few years ago. Most of the guide books are organized by neighborhood, but in some cases (Empire State versus Flat Iron District, for instance) you're so close that you'll miss something nearby following that model. This starts at or near Penn Station. Detour into things that interest you as you see fit. With enough detours, this is a day. Without, it's probably 3-4 hours...

 

From Penn Station (or the surrounding area), head to 34th.  Macy’s sits between Broadway and 7th Avenue.  Continue down 34th through Herald Square, and you'll pass the Empire State Building. You can elect to go up the ESB, or save this for the Top of the Rock. Either way, turn right on Fifth Avenue through Murray Hill to the Flatiron Building, generally considered the first skyscraper. Do an about face and head up Fifth Avenue. Along the way, you'll pass the New York Public Library between 40th & 42nd; well worth a detour!  If you want to see Grand Central Station, hang a right towards Lexington and check it out; return to Fifth Avenue and continue north.  You'll run into Rockefeller Center and Saks. In or near Rockefeller Center, you have the Top of the Rock, Radio City Music Hall, etc. We've been to both the observation deck at the ESB and the Top of the Rock, and frankly the Top of the Rock is better. Do one or the other as you see fit. Go back to Fifth Avenue, and directly across the street is Saks Fifth Avenue, and across the street from it is St Patrick’s.  Continue up Fifth Avenue, and pick a shop or two that interests you. Amongst others, you'll pass Tiffany, which is worth a stop (and has clean bathrooms on the second floor!).  (Note, without political comment. There will be a sudden security presence, and possibly demonstrations, around 56th Street.) At about 59th, you’ll see the Apple megastore (under construction last time I was in town), and across Fifth Avenue is the Plaza.  You're now at the corner of Central Park. I'd cross into the park, and check out a map to get to the Mall and the Bethesda Terrace.  That’s an easy walk and you’ll see a nice bit of the park.

 

At this point in time, check your time and your legs. The Met is right there, but it will eat the rest of your day.  Across the park (and a fairly easy walk) is Strawberry Fields and the “Imagine” memorial.  Not really much to see, but it is there.  I'd probably backtrack to 59th and make a right to 7th Avenue, and head down 7th into Times Square.  You’ll pass Carnegie Hall on the way.  My personal detour at this point would be to turn right on 44th and have a late meal at John's Pizzeria for some amazing New York pizza in an incredible setting. It's supposedly the largest pizzeria in the world, in a decommissioned church.

Assuming you've done some shopping along the way, you should be pretty much exhausted at this point, and coming close to your time. Check out a NYC map; there were optional turns along that route to the UN, for instance. MOMA is on 53rd between Fifth and Sixth.
 
From the Times Square area, continue down 7th or Broadway to Penn Station.

 

That’s probably 3 ½ to 4 miles or so, depending on how far you go into the park, and will take a good chunk of the day, especially if you make stops and side trips.

 

Do keep in mind that places to eat, and most importantly, bathrooms, get scarce north of about 52nd on Fifth Avenue.  The department stores and Tiffany have bathrooms.  Eateries will generally speaking be on the side streets.  There is a food court in the lower level of the Plaza.
 

[GalvestonCruiser]

20 minutes ago, markeb said:

As an example of just how much there is to see and do in Midtown Manhattan, I wrote this up a few years ago. Most of the guide books are organized by neighborhood, but in some cases (Empire State versus Flat Iron District, for instance) you're so close that you'll miss something nearby following that model. This starts at or near Penn Station. Detour into things that interest you as you see fit. With enough detours, this is a day. Without, it's probably 3-4 hours...

 

From Penn Station (or the surrounding area), head to 34th.  Macy’s sits between Broadway and 7th Avenue.  Continue down 34th through Herald Square, and you'll pass the Empire State Building. You can elect to go up the ESB, or save this for the Top of the Rock. Either way, turn right on Fifth Avenue through Murray Hill to the Flatiron Building, generally considered the first skyscraper. Do an about face and head up Fifth Avenue. Along the way, you'll pass the New York Public Library between 40th & 42nd; well worth a detour!  If you want to see Grand Central Station, hang a right towards Lexington and check it out; return to Fifth Avenue and continue north.  You'll run into Rockefeller Center and Saks. In or near Rockefeller Center, you have the Top of the Rock, Radio City Music Hall, etc. We've been to both the observation deck at the ESB and the Top of the Rock, and frankly the Top of the Rock is better. Do one or the other as you see fit. Go back to Fifth Avenue, and directly across the street is Saks Fifth Avenue, and across the street from it is St Patrick’s.  Continue up Fifth Avenue, and pick a shop or two that interests you. Amongst others, you'll pass Tiffany, which is worth a stop (and has clean bathrooms on the second floor!).  (Note, without political comment. There will be a sudden security presence, and possibly demonstrations, around 56th Street.) At about 59th, you’ll see the Apple megastore (under construction last time I was in town), and across Fifth Avenue is the Plaza.  You're now at the corner of Central Park. I'd cross into the park, and check out a map to get to the Mall and the Bethesda Terrace.  That’s an easy walk and you’ll see a nice bit of the park.

 

At this point in time, check your time and your legs. The Met is right there, but it will eat the rest of your day.  Across the park (and a fairly easy walk) is Strawberry Fields and the “Imagine” memorial.  Not really much to see, but it is there.  I'd probably backtrack to 59th and make a right to 7th Avenue, and head down 7th into Times Square.  You’ll pass Carnegie Hall on the way.  My personal detour at this point would be to turn right on 44th and have a late meal at John's Pizzeria for some amazing New York pizza in an incredible setting. It's supposedly the largest pizzeria in the world, in a decommissioned church.

Assuming you've done some shopping along the way, you should be pretty much exhausted at this point, and coming close to your time. Check out a NYC map; there were optional turns along that route to the UN, for instance. MOMA is on 53rd between Fifth and Sixth.
 
From the Times Square area, continue down 7th or Broadway to Penn Station.

 

That’s probably 3 ½ to 4 miles or so, depending on how far you go into the park, and will take a good chunk of the day, especially if you make stops and side trips.

 

Do keep in mind that places to eat, and most importantly, bathrooms, get scarce north of about 52nd on Fifth Avenue.  The department stores and Tiffany have bathrooms.  Eateries will generally speaking be on the side streets.  There is a food court in the lower level of the Plaza.
 

Thank you so much!!! I am printing this off and we will follow it pre-cruise. It is exactly what I was looking for. Loose plans of things to see/do in an order that makes sense. You are also correct about the room, I don't mind spending more to get the NY experience. Now that I have some ideas on areas I will look at specific properties and come back for feedback. Thanks again! 

[mskaufman]

To echo Markeb's advice I would stay in Manhattan, even if it is a little more expensive (especially when you consider the time you will spend getting back and forth from NJ).  I like the Times Square South area.  Walking to ESB, Rock Ctr, Times Square and B'way.  It is also a short subway ride to lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.

[GalvestonCruiser]

32 minutes ago, mskaufman said:

To echo Markeb's advice I would stay in Manhattan, even if it is a little more expensive (especially when you consider the time you will spend getting back and forth from NJ).  I like the Times Square South area.  Walking to ESB, Rock Ctr, Times Square and B'way.  It is also a short subway ride to lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.

Thank you! 

[George C]

I was born in nyc but now have been in Dallas for over 30 years we do visit every year , would want to stay in midtown close to Times Square area many things are walkable , many great restaurants, Rockefeller center, broadway plays . I would spend a little more for a good hotel, do not rent a car, her Uber app it is very handy for traveling around , while we spend most of our time in midtown, I think 9/11 museum and memorial is a must do . Half price broadway tickets at tkts booth ar great. Beginning of June is a good time to visit we normally are there Memorial Day weekend. 

[GalvestonCruiser]

42 minutes ago, George C said:

I was born in nyc but now have been in Dallas for over 30 years we do visit every year , would want to stay in midtown close to Times Square area many things are walkable , many great restaurants, Rockefeller center, broadway plays . I would spend a little more for a good hotel, do not rent a car, her Uber app it is very handy for traveling around , while we spend most of our time in midtown, I think 9/11 museum and memorial is a must do . Half price broadway tickets at tkts booth ar great. Beginning of June is a good time to visit we normally are there Memorial Day weekend. 

Thank you! I have lived in Texas all my life and it's hard for me to grasp not needing a car. What's the weather like in NYC that time of year?  Are they any specific hotels you would recommend? Also - is it common to be able to get cheaper tickets for the Broadway shows? I would love to see Lion King and don't mind waiting to get the tickets if there is a good chance they will be available. 

[George C]

Our favorite hotel is Michelangelo  great location and very large rooms but not that cheap

I really doubt  you can get Lion King tkts and half price but there are many great plays that are on the list

 

https://www.tdf.org/nyc/7/TKTS-ticket-booths

 

Above is site and locations and hours for the half price tkts , we get 90 percent of our tickets there I would recommend

Beautiful

Come from away

School of Rock

 

You can get app on your phone showing whats available that day Wednesday , Saturday and Sunday have matinee also, weather should be mostly in 70's 

Edited January 15, 2019 by George C

[GalvestonCruiser]

4 hours ago, George C said:

Our favorite hotel is Michelangelo  great location and very large rooms but not that cheap

I really doubt  you can get Lion King tkts and half price but there are many great plays that are on the list

 

https://www.tdf.org/nyc/7/TKTS-ticket-booths

 

Above is site and locations and hours for the half price tkts , we get 90 percent of our tickets there I would recommend

Beautiful

Come from away

School of Rock

 

You can get app on your phone showing whats available that day Wednesday , Saturday and Sunday have matinee also, weather should be mostly in 70's 

Thank you for the information! Come from away sounds awesome! 

[George C]

2 hours ago, GalvestonCruiser said:

Thank you for the information! Come from away sounds awesome! 

Need  to find thread we had a few months ago here we talked about plays , come from away was amazing we would consider seeing it again, we also saw beautiful twice which has really great music. 

[markeb]

2 hours ago, GalvestonCruiser said:

Thank you for the information! Come from away sounds awesome! 

 

5 minutes ago, George C said:

Need  to find thread we had a few months ago here we talked about plays , come from away was amazing we would consider seeing it again, we also saw beautiful twice which has really great music. 

 

If you’re willing to dig back a few pages, I agree with George. It was a fun theater thread. 

 

Come from Away is amazing. And reasonably unique. I can highly recommend it. 

 

HOWEVER, The Lion King is incredible in an entirely different way. If you have time and budget, do both. There is a magical point in Lion King (different for everyone) where you stop seeing people and puppets, and see lions. It’s a unique production. 

 

Come from Away has been a low key production. You can probably score tickets, especially for midweek, once you’re in town, and maybe even TKTS. Not so much Lion King. If you really want to see it, you may want to suck it up and buy them, with fees, before getting to town. And then check on Come from Away once you’re there. 

[Turtles06]

Here's that thread with the theatre discussion mentioned above; I agree, it was a great discussion.  Probably no need to repeat it all here again (maybe continue over there to keep that topic in one place and searchable ).  But since both "Lion King" and "Come From Away" have just been mentioned, I'll add that they are terrific shows, both among the best I've ever seen.  

 

 

Edited January 16, 2019 by Turtles06

[Ashland]

On 1/14/2019 at 5:35 PM, GalvestonCruiser said:

I looked this up and it's showing as permanently closed. I assume maybe it was bought out and has a new name. Does anyone have any idea? 

 

Edit: Just found it - It's a Hilton property now. 

Regardless if it's now owned by Hilton....It's still an amazing hotel and the location couldn't be more perfect.