NYC trip report - land vacation

[tinlizzy]

I thought I would post this just for extra info for the NYC cruisers. I am a penny pincher so this report will not talk about tours.

 

This was my 3rd trip to NYC. My first trip was with my son who was 9 at the time, six weeks before 9/11. It was my first vacation farther away then the midwest. It was a bit confusing but in 4 days we did manage to see all the landmarks mostly on foot and rode the subway twice.

 

Second vacation was in 2004 with my son and my mother this time to see the Macy's day parade. This time I found a subway and bus map and made an effort to use both. NOTE: I found the maps at the airport when we arrived and it was lucky because there were none to be had in the subway stations. There are maps on the walls of the stations also.

 

This trip included my son who is now 16, my cousin's daughter 18 (never been on a vacation or a plane or seen the ocean), my mother 66, and myself 40. 6 nights.

 

My mother is the nervous sort and really did not like the idea of two rooms when I started talking about bidding for rooms on Priceline. So I set about on an exhaustive internet search for a hotel in NYC that could

accommodate 4 without breaking the budget on a suite. I also wanted a free breakfast if I could find one. I found 3 hotels around midtown that had a free breakfast. The Hampton Inn which had queen beds and breakfast with funky decor. The San Carlos with breakfast that looked really nice- spa type decor and the hotel we picked, the Wingate, 235 W 35th St.

 

But I'm getting ahead of myself. I booked our first night at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott because my mother wanted to see the bridge up close and I had read about the hotel here on CruiseCritic. Got the room for $169 (senior discount-$195.10 w/tax). We arrived at 2pm and from LGA the taxi ride was $24.30+tip. Huge room, nice location.

There is a walkway overhead from the hotel to another building. So as you are looking at the hotel it is on the right. If you walk under the walkway to the end of the pedestrian "street" you will find the Jay Street subway station that lines A,C, and F run through. Front desk staff told me the way. For those who don't know, subway lines run both directions. The A,C,F lines run into the city and into Brooklyn. Very convenient. NYC offers a 7 day unlimited ride Metro pass for all subways and buses (with the exception of a couple express commuter trains) for $24. I liked this because if you take the wrong train or accidentally get on the line going in the wrong direction you just get off, get your bearings and go again. No worries-won't cost you a dime if you make a mistake.

We had to buy the subway passes first. I would have preferred a person to person transaction but there was no one in the subway booth so we used the machine. Actually it was very easy, touch tone screen that had a cancel button so no worries about making a mistake- just start over.

NOTE: The machines will only give up to $6 in change back (in $1.00 Sacagawea coins) so using a large denomination bill is out of the question for just one pass.

 

So with Metro passes in hand and some Sacagawea coins for souvenirs we got on the F train and went out to Coney Island (Stillwell Ave stop). We ate at Nathan's first thing then walked the boardwalk. The beach is clean and farther down towards Brighton Beach it is nearly empty. We didn't bring suits but did enjoy the surf of the Atlantic on our legs. We ended by walking through the Russian neighborhoods then picked up the F train on Avenue U back to Jay Street.

 

We walked around the Brooklyn promanade that evening and went to Grimaldi's for pizza. The line was an hour wait but the 18yr old works at a pizza place and was anxious to try their famous pizza. It was good. We had plans to walk the Brooklyn Bridge but were exhausted so called it a night. Took lots of pictures of the Manhattan skyline and the excitement of seeing Manhattan was bubbling over for the 18yr old. Tomorrow we would take on Manhattan.

[Name game]

It sounds like you are having a great time and you already sound like a native New Yorker. The subway is the easiest way to get around and quite easy once you do it a few times. A map is very helpful.

BTW, you can use a credit card for the subway metro card machines. I use one every month and never had a problem. Those dollar coins are a pain in the you know what.

One more thing, breakfast in New York can be really cheap. Free breakfast with your hotel shold not be a necessity. You can get great coffee and a quick bagel or pastry from one of the gazillion street carts. Some of them even have a grill for cooking up eggs and bacon. It's not sit down but it will cost you only a couple of bucks.

[tinlizzy]

The next morning as I was sitting out front smoking a cigarette I was talking to a man from Brooklyn who was getting married at the hotel that day and he told me around the corner is the best place for coffee and pastries. If you walk under the walkway down the pedestian "street" halfway on your right is a real street that dead-ends there. Turn right and at the end of the block on the left is a tiny coffee shop, Moka d'Oro I think. Excellent coffee and pastries, cheap. Not really for sitting, take away.

 

We were going to take a taxi over to the Wingate in Manhattan but the subway was so close and my 16 is a big boy who could easily carry the luggage down the steps for his grandmother so we took the A,C train to the 34th St/Penn Station stop, exited on 35th & 8th and viola the hotel was 1/2 block up. Lucky!

 

Name game- I like the NYC subway unlike the 7 levels of hell subway in Tokyo.

http://www.tokyometro.jp/rosen/rosenzu/pdf/rosen_eng.pdf

I wanted breakfast because my mom is slow to get moving in the morning and I would have had 2 teens anxious to eat. It also reduces my stress level if I can wait somewhere pleasant while she putzes around.

 

I have only positives to report on the Wingate. I booked the room in March (for July) from their website. Got a discount for early booking and pre-payment. Children 16 and under are free. 3 adults, 5 nights (Sun-Thurs) was $1265.49. That included the extra person charge and all taxes.

 

We got there at 11:30am and while they wouldn't have a room clean until 1:30 (check-in is officially 4pm) they held our luggage and we set out to meet up with my sister and her boyfriend who were also in New York on vacation. Back at 1:30 and room was ready as promised. There are no rooms with a view really (industrial street in the fashion district, tons of cheap clothing stores nearby) but they are nice sized and the bathroom is big. It was all very clean. Just 6 rooms on each of the 18 floors. They have the breakfast room (indoor and a large private patio outdoors) which includes coffees, teas, hot chocolate, milks, cereals, waffles, sausage, bacon, scrambled and boiled eggs, toast, bagels, doughnuts, pastries, instant oatmeal, yogurts, 4 kinds of juice, & fruits. They have take-away cups for coffee. Some people took food back up to their rooms to eat. They have free high-speed wired and wireless internet and have a public computer on the 2nd floor for anyone to use. Free local phone calls. Free USA Today and a fitness room in the lower level w/ whirlpool (didn't see that). Two complimentary bottles of water in the room each day. Rooms have a mini-fridge and a small microwave, hair dryer, iron, ironing board and safe. It was so nice not to be nickled & dimed to death and to leave the hotel each morning having already eaten, read the newspaper, with water in hand.

 

We spent the rest of the day in Chinatown and Little Italy then Times Square because the kids couldn't wait. Times Square was one subway stop away on the 1,2,3,9 train or 42nd St/Port Authority on the ACE train.

[Name game]

TinLizzy - it sounds like a great hotel. Now I feel like I can really recommend it to people based on your review of it.

[reallyitsmema]

Loved your review so far. We don't do the tours either. We prefer to map out what we have planned for the day, take the subway to the farthest point and walk back as we go to all the stops we have planned.

[tinlizzy]

I researched a lot of places to eat on Chowhound and have to say we had some of the best meals ever on this trip.

 

We went to Grand Central Station on Monday then took the 7 train (which turns into an overhead train) to 82nd St./Jackson Hgts. It's a large Indian community. We were searching for the $5 shoe warehouse on 82nd and 37th Ave. Great store! Charming,imho, area with the overhead trains and small stores. We walked down to 74th St next in search of the Jackson Diner. An Indian buffet with a Zagat rating! http://www.jacksondiner.com/index.html

It's a large, homey cafeteria with excellent food. All you can eat buffet for $12. I knew this place would be great when we walked in and it was filled with locals and pilots/crew from LGA. The pashminas my sister bought in Chinatown that I thought were cheap at $5 were only $4 around here. Went to Empire State Building then, free movie Monday in Bryant park then walked around everywhere. We ate ate Juniors in Times Square that night and the rapper Chamillionaire and entourage came in and sat at the next table. I thought my son would die. He got his picture taken with him and was in HEAVEN!

 

On Tuesday we took the 1,9 train down to Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island. NOTE:You have to be on the first 4 cars to exit at South Ferry because I believe the line narrows. Liberty Island has free ranger tours every hour that last approx. 45min. I really learned a lot! Ellis Island was great. The damaged statue from the WTC is now located here in Battery park.

We decided to go find Katz's Deli made famous in When Harry met Sally (the big O scene). Got lost. Needed to take the 6 to the F train and instead ended up on the 5 train trying to switch to the J,M,Z in this weird go down one level all the way north to the end then up one flight. Sheesh- I about needed a compass. Finally found it then transferred again to the F, 2nd Ave stop. Katz deli has HUGE deli sandwiches that are really good. We went to Beauty and the Beast that evening.

 

Weds we went up to Harlem in search of the best soul food- Charles Southern Kitchen on 152nd St & 8th. We took the ACE to 145th stop and walked up to 152nd but it turned out we were too far west and 152nd ended before 8th so we had to walk back down to 145th then east to 8th then up to 152nd. Got to walk through Sugar Hill (ppl my age might remember the group The Sugar Hill Gang).

Tiny, buffet including choice of lemonade or sweet tea for $10! Another Zagat restaurant as it turned out. The place only seats about 12. He is opening another restaurant on Lexington to accommodate tour groups. He only delivers to black movie stars and Whoopi Goldberg he said, lol! It was my mom's favorite place!

The M10 bus stop is right outside the front door so we took then bus down to 125th, hopped off to see the Apollo Theatre, then on to 72nd St. Got off here and started Central Park in Strawberry Fields and the imagine tribute to John Lennon. We walked west to east diagonally past the Sheep Meadow, the summer stage, the carousel, the playground, the pond, out onto 5th Ave.

Walked to FAO Schwartz, Tiffany's, St. Patricks, then down to Rockefeller Center. Times Square again for the Hershey and M&M store. Ate at the Applebee's in Times Square. You can sit on the 2nd floor overlooking everything.

NOTE: Weds are free at the Bronx zoo but the teens could have cared less about the zoo so we skipped it.

 

Thurs was our last day so we took the E train down to the World Trade Center site. It's very different and under construction. This is where a tour is lacking. Across the street is St Paul's Chapel and cemetary (1776) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Paul's_Chapel which aside from being undamaged during 9/11 served to console victim's families, serve as a shrine, and offer respite to the NYFD and volunteers. The church now has the most moving 9/11 exhibit inside and not one tour group was taken over there. The headstones dating back to the 17&1800's were all unreadable having been blanched white in the sun for 200 years. But the ash from 9/11 darkened the headstones and many are now legible almost bringing the dead to life on the same day so many living died.

Across the street from that is the Stage Door deli which was popular and had a booming business with the workers at the WTC. They re-opened after 9/11 and fed all the disaster workers and NYPD/NYFD for free. They nearly went personally and professionally bankrupt helping out. We ate lunch there. We shopped the rest of the day and went to Madam Tussauds. Walked over to restaurant row on W46th for a price fixe dinner. Ate at a swing/jazz restaurant that had a live jazz band and a dance floor. Even swing lessons between sets. $24 (3 course price fixe) salad or soup, entree/potatoes/vegetables, dessert & coffee. $12 cover to sit in the room with the band. Nice and fun.

 

Took a car service JJJtransportation arranged by the hotel back to LGA. Junky towncar, no air conditioning, took the toll even after I specifically asked to take the bridge for one last look at Manhattan. Would avoid this car service!

[tinlizzy]

Name game- last trip for Thanksgiving I booked the W hotel. Booked on the Starwood site using their stay 4 nights get the 5th night free promotion code. I booked a low room over-looking Broadway (to view the parade). You can book very specific locations on the website. Because of the free night the cost/night came down to $245. I hit the jackpot I thought. Macy's day rooms go for $600/night and up. I booked that months in advance and apparently snagged the room before they were blacked out for Thanksgiving because when we showed up they had taken the room away from us and when I objected the front desk clerks laughed and told me to try and find somewhere else to stay during Thanksgiving parade week. I asked for the manager and in a low growl I reminded him and the clerks that I was a starwood preferred guest, they had months to notify me, I had booked 5 nights, not just one to see the parade, from the Starwood site not directly with the W and that it would become my mission in life to get them all fired after I complained to Starwood about a senior citizen and mother w/ child being put out on the street in the winter then accuse them of false advertising or breach of contract with the BBB. They scrambled after that and offered me a 2 bedroom suite in lieu of the view. I declined just to mess with them. Settled on a corner room with a window onto 47th St but with an indirect view of Broadway. I imagine they were really in a fix not wanting to oust a guest who paid mucho dinero for the parade view. Would have loved the suite but as it turned out it rained all day and we did watch the parade from the room.

Crap wrapped in a satin bow is still W crap and the Wingate is definately a diamond in a brown paper sack. Not a posh hotel but easy without the attitude. I'd recommend it. Isn't the Tokyo map mind boggling?

 

reallyitsmema- Me too. We saw a walking tour walking up Broadway being led by a young man carrying a pennant flag high in the air with 30 ppl in tow. When they hit the gaggle of pedestrians on 42nd St he lost most of the group because he was talking to what looked to be his girlfriend walking along and they totally forgot about the group.

We saw another group of about 50, mostly families w/ children, leave the Marriott Marquis with their Metro passes on lanyards around there necks heading into the subway. I thought that will be traumatic if anyone gets separated because they probably would not be paying attention to the stops and just following along.

The HOHO bus is kind of enchanting but very expensive IMO and the wait can eat up your day.

[Name game]

What an awful story about Thanksgiving.

I personally could care less about a posh hotel wherever I go. I just want a clean room with a comfy bed as I like to explore and I am not in my room much. It sounds like the Wingate was perfect for you and probably poshy enough, if poshy is a word. Good for you, it sounds like you had a great time here.

[Got2Cruise]

Wonderful review. It sounds as if now you need a vacation to recover from your vacation. LOL Seriously, when one does their homework before arriving at their destination, it really pays off. :) I am the same way, my family has learned that I know what I am doing, so just shut up and get with the program. LOL

[Name game]

I just reread this thread again. TinLizzy - do you realize that you did more in a few days than most New Yorkers do in ayear? I have yet to go to Grimaldi's, I have never shopped in Jackson Heights, I rarely go to Harlem, and I haven't been to the Bronx Zoo in years (I know, you didn't go there). You really wrote a great review.

[nadge]

tinlizzy - really enjoyed your review.

We're doing a pre-cruise in NYC and I've started to research. Your hotel sounds ideal and I'm about to look into it. Thanks.

 

nadge

[tinlizzy]

Name game- Well you are busy working and I'm on vacation in New York.:D I will confess that I'm a touring dervish though. Could have seen more if we hadn't had to look at things in EVERY store.

 

That steampipe was a mess! We luckily saw everything using those lines and in that area a couple days before! We were in the subway and heard the announcement that the Grand Central shuttle was cancelled until further notice while the investigation was on-going. What??? As a tourist not watching TV and no one to say, "hey, did you hear" we couldn't wait to find out what happened.

 

I'm jealous that on a Saturday you can go to Jackson Hgts or Harlem. Both those restaurants are good! That $5 shoe store must be old because the shoes are actually $7 now:). Kind of a gigantic Payless.

 

Thanks nadge- researching is my favorite part!!! The rooms look exactly like the pictures.

[tinlizzy]

Wonderful review. It sounds as if now you need a vacation to recover from your vacation. LOL Seriously, when one does their homework before arriving at their destination, it really pays off. :) I am the same way, my family has learned that I know what I am doing, so just shut up and get with the program. LOL

 

It really does pay off to research. In Mexico we paid 3 cents to take a bus to the exact beach other cruiseship paxs paid $20 to get to. It was my son who spotted the local buses and made a bee-line there. He read all the windshields and found the right one then turned around pleased as punch pointing to it! Your kids will inherit the program just like mine.

[Name game]

Name game- Well you are busy working and I'm on vacation in New York.:D I will confess that I'm a touring dervish though. Could have seen more if we hadn't had to look at things in EVERY store.

 

That steampipe was a mess! We luckily saw everything using those lines and in that area a couple days before! We were in the subway and heard the announcement that the Grand Central shuttle was cancelled until further notice while the investigation was on-going. What??? As a tourist not watching TV and no one to say, "hey, did you hear" we couldn't wait to find out what happened.

 

I'm jealous that on a Saturday you can go to Jackson Hgts or Harlem. Both those restaurants are good! That $5 shoe store must be old because the shoes are actually $7 now:). Kind of a gigantic Payless.

 

Thanks nadge- researching is my favorite part!!! The rooms look exactly like the pictures.

 

Oh right, you were here for that steampipe explosion, not to mention the lovely weather we had that day.

Harlem has some great shopping now too, things you can't get elsewhere. Harlem should be better known for their restaurants, there are some great ones.

I do more exploring of my own city when I have guests in town. I guess that's just the way things are.

TinLizzy - you should start your own business, doing research for people who are going on vacation. After reading this reveiw, you would be great at it.

[tinlizzy]

The one thing about research is that on top of having directions and addresses written down, everytime I've been somewhere something I've read or a picture I've seen that I thought was useless has come back to me while I was there and helped me.

 

Like our mother's telling us to look the spelling of a word up for ourselves in the dictionary. It's the process of learning that makes it stick and click in our brains.

 

That's why I like CruiseCritic- everyone is here trying to find and share info.

[ZoneHPH]

Name game- Well you are busy working and I'm on vacation in New York.:D I will confess that I'm a touring dervish though. Could have seen more if we hadn't had to look at things in EVERY store.

 

That steampipe was a mess! We luckily saw everything using those lines and in that area a couple days before! We were in the subway and heard the announcement that the Grand Central shuttle was cancelled until further notice while the investigation was on-going. What??? As a tourist not watching TV and no one to say, "hey, did you hear" we couldn't wait to find out what happened.

 

I'm jealous that on a Saturday you can go to Jackson Hgts or Harlem. Both those restaurants are good! That $5 shoe store must be old because the shoes are actually $7 now:). Kind of a gigantic Payless.

 

Thanks nadge- researching is my favorite part!!! The rooms look exactly like the pictures.

 

Good thing you weren't in the area. Would have been a bad thing. Just know...it's being taken care of around the clock since the day of that incident.

 

12hr shifts suck.

[tinlizzy]

What do you do for a living? I took you to mean your 12hr shifts were related to that. In a twisted kind of way I had to laugh about the poor women from Ohio on vacation one minute and covered in mud the next!