MMFy Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I want to book up a trip out there for me and the missus for 1st to 8th December, possibly getting the train up to Boston for a couple of days while we are out there. So, I request the following from the VT travel guide: 1. Recommendations for decent hotels that are central, like round Times Square/Broadway area. 2. Things I really need to see while out there which are not listed with the usual tourist brochures. 3. Things I should definitely not waste my precious time on while I am there. Any help will be much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSufferingVilla Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 1. Don't stay in Times Square. It's a shithole, full of mid-western chain food joints, obese children, drug addicts and tacky trinket shops. If you are bringing a 14 year old girl, then it's the place to go but for adults pay it a visit and get the **** away from there. Personally I think the best place to stay is the Upper West Side, great bars, shops, restaurants, transit, central park, museums and the real Seinfeld vibe. If you can splash for it The Lucern is quality. There are a few less expensive options up there but I don't know them well enough to recommend. Another option is the hotels around Grand Central and Lexington Ave. Great access to the East Side bars and eateries from there. 2. Brochures for New York usually cover everything and more, I've been shown loads of cool joints that I didn't know about by friends coming into the city with their guidebooks. The main thing is to spend quality time strolling around the neighborhoods. Upper east, Upper West, Lower East, Gramercy, Flatiron, Chinatown, Soho, Tribecca, West Village. See them all and spend quality time in each. 3. The outter boroughs, walking the brooklyn bridge or riding the ferry to Staten Island and back should be your only exposure to the other boroughs. Guide books and hipster friends might try and sell the whole visit Williamsburg/Park Slope/Astoria/Dumbo bollocks but it's a waste of your valuable time. I mean you wouldn't go to London and head to check out the happenings in Croydon would you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMFy Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Thanks for the advice! I should have said this a couple of weeks ago but completely forgot. We have both taken on this advice and are now looking for hotels in the Upper West Side instead... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMFy Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 Well, all booked (a few weeks ago). Staying in an apartment on 110th St. Dinosaur Jr playing with Johnny Marr and Kurt Vile the night I arrive? I think so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 3. Things I should definitely not waste my precious time on while I am there. Dinosaur Jr playing with Johnny Marr and Kurt Vile mainly in new York i've just tended to wander around and do all the uusal tourist stuff , ground zero , Empire state etc etc but if you've seen the film this could be interesting ? probably one of the obvious ones but I like the circle line tour and the commentary we had was very informative , with great humour as well and go visit Carneiges for a Scooby Doo type sandwich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted November 9, 2012 Moderator Share Posted November 9, 2012 Depending on the weather, go and walk the High Line Park (assuming it's open at the moment). You'll get some amazing views and if you start further up and finish at the Meatpacking District end you can reward yourself by going for an amazing burger here - http://www.billsbarandburger.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted November 11, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted November 11, 2012 My advice for New York, Philadelphia, Boston, etc. is to just wander and observe. A day trip by train to Philadelphia (and Dalessandro's cheese steaks!) is more than doable by train; Boston not so much (about your only chance is taking the overnight train). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted November 15, 2012 Moderator Share Posted November 15, 2012 I flew JetBlue up to Boston for about $95 a couple of years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted November 15, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted November 15, 2012 But getting to any of the NY airports, especially LaGuardia, is a PITA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted November 17, 2012 Moderator Share Posted November 17, 2012 Newark's alright. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tayls Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 How was New York MMFy? Looking to get myself organised in a couple of weeks too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted January 3, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted January 3, 2013 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8tIJmMZwAc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMFy Posted January 3, 2013 Author Share Posted January 3, 2013 (edited) How was New York MMFy? Looking to get myself organised in a couple of weeks too! It was amazing, and exceeded all my expectations. TSV's advice was excellent. We stayed in a fantastic (private) apartment on Franklin Douglass Circle, on the corner of Central Park which was piss easy to commute anywhere in the city from. Through airbnb.com - it came in at half the price of a low to mid end hotel. Check this site out, you'll get a great deal on there. The place is just amazing. I have a friend who next up with us in the city, them we went out for a night in Brooklyn with him and his girlfriend on the last night out there. We never managed to do everything we wanted to, so we will hopefully be going back before the end of the year! Edited January 3, 2013 by MMFy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Boston is simply amazing! How much did you spend on flight and accomidation MMFy? glad you had a great time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omariqy Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Im off to NY in a couple of weeks. Been once before and agree just wandering around was the best way to see it. Its the wifes bday and I want to take her somewhere special. Anyone got any recommendations?Obviously I mean a restaurant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted January 4, 2013 Moderator Share Posted January 4, 2013 If you like Japanese/Asian fusion food you HAVE to go to Koi at the Bryant Park Hotel (it's at Bryant Park and W40th St, so only a few blocks from TImes Square). The food is exceptional and not over priced for NYC. The architecture inside is breathtaking and there's a great beer-cellar style bar downstairs. Plus Bryant Park itelf is a beautiful little square so it'll be a romantic night out. You can order a proper main course or else a few smaller dishes or sushi. The kobe beef potstickers (Asian dumplings) are beautiful and they do a great softshell crab too. They have more orthodox dishes like tuna and salmon too though. I try to go every time I'm in New York. If you want something a bit more tradtional then Pastis in the Meatpacking District is a great spot. As the name suggests it's French-angled food but is ever popular - http://www.pastisny.com/ For somewhere off the beaten track try La Esquina, a Mexican place that looks like a taco stand from the street. That's because it is. But if you've booked, or you've timed it right, there will be a woman by an internal door who will show you downstairs and through the kitchen into a little restaurant/bar that does great food - http://esquinanyc.com/ With any of them, the sooner you can book the better. I guess it'll depend on what you're after and what you want to spend though. Give me more details and I'll give you more ideas! If you're looking at a decent budget (say £100 for the two of you) then you should be ok for any of those places. It'd have to be Koi for me though - http://www.koirestau...rk/galleries/1/ Give me a holler if you want any tips on clubs or bars etc too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMFy Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 Boston is simply amazing! How much did you spend on flight and accomidation MMFy? glad you had a great time We got our flights for about £425 after watching for a while. I regularly check Skyscanner for cheap flights and that site is the best I have found. However, if I'd held out for a couple more weeks I could have had them for £350... I never book package deals these days. You can generally do holidays for half the money when you book everything yourself... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omariqy Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Thanks will try Koi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tayls Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Nice one, glad you had a good time! What things were you hoping to do that you didn't get chance to do? The apartment idea is one we have been looking at, means we can head out for dinner and explore the markets for cool American food for us to go home and cook! Would be fun. For those looking at places to eat - that Katz Delicatessan that Man v Food goes to looks insane... Think it features on leviramsey's video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omariqy Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Really looking forward to NY tomorrow. Going for 6 days so I reckon I should be able to see everything I really want to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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