Please help! never been to NYC!

Hey all,

I am going to Hartsdale NY on October 10th....since I am so close, we will be going to NYC...I have a car rented but need to know what I should do about driving! I have heard that I shouldnt drive in NYC b/c its just too busy.

We want to go on to the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and the Empire State Building...

Can anyone tell me which of these place I will be alright driving to....and if not, where to park, and can I get a taxi and how much?

Sorry for all the questions but I really need some info!!!

Crystal

Please help! never been to NYC!

Park your car in Hartsdale and take the Harlem line MetroNorth into Manhattan. It%26#39;s only about a half hour on the train, and the ride ends in Grand Central. Take the subway or walk from there, depending on what you want to see first.

Do not drive here.

Please help! never been to NYC!

Well, you can%26#39;t drive to the Statue of Liberty-also, it is not recommended to drive in NYC as public transportation is much more convenient.

Poppa

Alice is right -- there is a MetroNorth station right there in Hartsdale, so why would you think of driving in rather than taking the commuter train?

If you wanted to drive into the city , you would still need to park the car in a garage and then use public transportation, bus or subway would be less expensive. If you go to www.hopstop.com it will tell you walking distances bus and train, it even tells you how much a cab will cost.

Here are parking garages and see if it is cost effective to drive or take public transportation to manhattan. I think it will depend how many people are in your party.

You can use the bus or train to get around. If you are driving from Rochester there is no big deal driving in New York City, it is just stop and go. I drive all the time. If it is just you I would park the car and use the train. More than 2 people you may want to consider driving.

www.nycgarages.com

www.Iconparking.com

The Port Authority has parking

The parking garage sites gives you lists of locations and rates.

I was lucky last saturday, we found street parking and we paid with our credit card at the meter. I would NOT suggest ( using a meter) for the first experience, because it may take too much time to find a spot. You may get lucky to find one, it%26#39;s like a 6 hour meter. I would just find a lot, closest to one location , which ever one is cheaper.

If you are planning to come on a weekend it will not be so bad driving.

Sorry, The 10th is a wed. weigh out your options.

i know you cant drive to the statue of liberty....obviously...but you can drive to where you get on the ferry.

but thanks and if i can ride in right from hartsdale it would be great! how much will it cost to ride into NYC from hartsdale??

Once again, thanks!

check out metro north info online for times and fares. don%26#39;t drive into the city....cost of parking will exceed your train fare by alot.

just wanted to make sure, it will cost about 30 bucks to ride in a taxi from the empire state building to liberty park?

According to HOPSTOP approximate taxi fare from Herald Sq/34St to Battery Park would be approximately $12.50 plus tip.

Poppa

First NYC Visit many questions?

Me and my girlfriend have booked a visit to NYC on 12th Jan 2007 for 5 nights staying in the Comfort Inn Manhattan, this is our first visit and we have some questions that we would be grateful if anybody could advise/answer for us?

Firstly January weather im expecting it to be cold but is it really that bad?

Comfort Inn Manhattan any good?

Transportation between Newark airport and Comfort Inn whats the best way to get to hotel and again back to airport on return ? how long would it take and cost?

Best attractions for first time visitors aged 20, looking for shopping, sight seeing and good food (looking forward to chinatown)

Finally (for now) transportation in and around new york?

I hope any of you can help !

First NYC Visit many questions?

read the FAQs first

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k1461580鈥?/a>

First NYC Visit many questions?

Christo, please refer to the thread started by %26#39;WanderlustEdinburgh%26#39;, I wrote a rather lengthy reply that may be of some help to you on your trip.

Also as was directed above, read the FAQ look before you post thread on the top of this page.

Have a great trip!!

Double check that your hotel will allow you to rent a room, most places require that you be 21.

hey i went to nyc last oct for the first time with my lil sister shes 21 and im 24 so we are around the same ages.

woodbury common was great for shopping, u can get a bus from the port authority for about $30. its a good day out u will spend hours there.ur girlfriend will love it lol

this time around im planning to try jersey gardens which is supposed to be great.

century 21 is also good for shopping.

macys is worth a visit too.

for food there are hundreds of resteraunts so just stroll around and wen u get hungry ul never be far from sumwer to eat.

also vendors on the side of the roads sell hotdogs for a nibble when ur too busy shopping to stop and eat.lol

as for ur hotel u could type the name into the search bar and read the reviews.

one last thing i dont mean to put a dampner on ur holiday but drinking is over 21%26#39;s and they are quite strict when it comes to id.

anymore questions fel free to ask and i will try help.

have a great trip

id suggest walking around the city as u will see more, u can buy a metro pass which works out cheap for using the subway.

taxi%26#39;s are everywhere, u cant miss them there bright yellow lol.

the taxi from newark to manhattan iv been told could cost up to $80 dollars including tips and tolls.

you could also get a train to penn station and taker a cab from there to ur hotel which would work out cheaper.

the weather in january is cold so id suggest gloves ,jackets,scarves etc.

some of this is from experience some is from questions i hav asked on here b4.

Cheers guys for the help and advice FAQ were very handy and gd place to start !! lol!

Bettina thank you for pointing that out it turns out all is ok as we booked through Virgin atlantic and they are a reputable firm so you would hope they know of such requirements any how I went direct to Comfort Inn and they only require that we are 19 or older!

I am sure I will call upon your advice again before my trip!

Cheers

Stayed in the Comfort Inn 2 years ago, expect no frills in this hotel the rooms very basic %26amp; quite old fashioned. The free breakfast provided is a plus and the guy on reception was great. Location is fab, very central, Macys down the block, Empire State Building just around the corner.

You%26#39;ll have a fantastic time!!

Returning to New York in 8 weeks time...can%26#39;t wait!!

desktop issue

Batali,

I think batali is the most over-rated chef in NYC.I do not care for any of his restaurants.definitely lives off of his reputation.

Batali,

Well said!

I heartily second your opinion.

Poppa

Batali,

I%26#39;m glad you two have found each other - I was starting to feel sorry for poppa being the lone Batali-hater.

I would love to hear from both of you what your personal dining experiences were at each of the below ... don%26#39;t be shy - let%26#39;s hear the bitter truth about Batali%26#39;s food and restaurants...

Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca

Bar Jamon

Casa Mono

Del Posto

Esca

Lupa

OTTO Enoteca Pizzeria

The Spotted Pig

He seems to be a pompous a$$ on the Food Channel.

Since Mr Batali doesn%26#39;t actually cook in any of the restaurants mentioned I just wondered what the two posters I addressed had against the Executive Chefs who actually turn out the food.

If avoiding pompous as*e* in NYC were a criteria I%26#39;m afraid we would have to cancel all our visits to every top restaurant (except those of Danny Meyer), all designer label stores, all top jewelers, etc.

Good point, LTT. If what Bourdain says is true, it%26#39;s a requirement to be a talented chef.

I%26#39;m also curious to hear about the bad meal experiences. I%26#39;ve eaten at Babbo, Lupa, Bar Jamon, Casa Mono, and Otto, and the worst complaint I%26#39;ve heard is that the carbonara was a bit too salty.

I%26#39;ve always had good luck making Batali%26#39;s recipes at home, as well. They%26#39;re incredibly simple and have always turned out well.

Which celebrity chefs do you haters prefer?

Whatever you think of Batali the book Heat by Bill Buford about working in Batali%26#39;s kitchen is a great book. Just my book recommendation if people want to know more about Batali the person.

This hater prefers this guy who%26#39;s been around for a while. You might not know him, though. His name is Ronald McDonald and he looks a little different with his red hair and all. He makes the best french fries around. If you don%26#39;t like his food, then you don%26#39;t know good food.

And before I get blasted for this response, I AM JOKING!!!!!

Perhaps I should not be bashing Mr Batali - I%26#39;ve never met him, never eaten in one of his restaurants - my opinion is solely based on the way he presents himself on TV.

He may be a talented chef, it%26#39;s just his attitude that %26#39;bugs%26#39; me.

I guess I was just up for some Batali Bashing - and if his carbonara is too salty - that just adds fuel to the fire.

I do agree that MickeyD%26#39;s offers some the best fries around and I%26#39;m not kidding.

Hey, just going with the flow.

Poppa

Don%26#39;t be a hater hater....

makeup tips

Sundays in NYC

This is probably a stupid question but what are the trading hours for the shops etc on sundays? I am coming in April flying on a saturday morning,get to JFK for lunch, so I don%26#39;t want to miss any valuable shopping time!!,I am only there for 3 nights . Any other tips welcome I always plan a long time in advance so I will constantly be asking questions for the next few months!

Sundays in NYC

Most stores open on Sundays, you will be fine shopping wise. Unless you are into super high end stores, many of them close on Sundays. They are concentrated along Madison Ave from 60th to 80th St.

Sundays in NYC

Just thought I%26#39;d add most stores open at 11-ish on a Sunday

Most clothing stores are generally open from noon to six or so on Sundays.

For anyone who's been to a Giants or Jets game...

I can get tickets in the Upper Bowl (Plaza Sideline - section 309, row 11) for $115 each, or in the Lower Corner (section 138, row 40) for $153 each.

My question is...section 138 is lower but under the overhang (no idea what that means!)...and is in the corner, so it will be great to see when the ball is in that end. But when in other end, the view won%26#39;t be that great.

Section 309 is up a lot higher, but it%26#39;s on the sideline which could mean better views throughout the whole game, just higher up and not as close as section 138.

Should I pay the extra $40 for the lower bowl? Will it be worth it? Or would we be fine with upper bowl tickets.

My BF has played football his whole life, ever since he was 9 years old, and has never seen an NFL game. I want to make sure he gets a good view, but I%26#39;m not sure he%26#39;ll get that in a corner.

Any advice from anyone who%26#39;s been to a game?

Here is the link to the floorplan, for anyone who wants to reference it.

seatdata.com/html/鈥ick_section_nfl_jets.htm

If you click on the sections, it gives you a %26#39;rough view%26#39; of what the game will look like from your seats.

Thanks!

For anyone who's been to a Giants or Jets game...

I have watched the Giants on TV for the past 27 years and when I walked into Giants Stadium for the first time about 8 years ago I was shocked at how small the stadium is and how much you are on top of the field.

I personally would not want to be in the corner, particularly for extra money. I think you are better off in the middle of the field and going higher.

Have fun and get there early!

For anyone who's been to a Giants or Jets game...

To be honest, they both have equal negatives.

Section 309 is a bit better but not much. Ideally you%26#39;ll want to be 310-312

Thanks for the advice! I was able to get tickets in section 312 for $115 each. You guys have been very helpful! :)

Just another quick Q-

If the game starts at 1pm, what time is it likely to end? And if taking the bus, what time will we likely be getting back into Manhattan?

If the game starts at 1:00 look at it to be over around 4:00 - 4:30. I%26#39;m not sure how long it takes to get back to Manhattan.

Coming to New York

I have a criminal record for football related violence, will that have an impact on visiting New York, Thanks guys,

Coming to New York

This is the more general New York State forum.

You%26#39;ll probably get more responses if you post this on the New York City forum.

If you enter the words ';criminal record'; in the search box, you%26#39;ll find previous threads that address this query.

Good luck!!

Wicked Tickets???

What is the best agency to go thru for NYC Wicked tickets?

Wicked Tickets???

there%26#39;s already a post on this message board about this subject

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k1479910鈥?/a>

Wicked Tickets???

by the way, is there some reason you don%26#39;t want to see Wicked that is in Chicago ?

Cot bed duvet covers