NYC NJ questions (was MonaCK)

[JacDro]

Have a few ??? and hope you can help. We are flying into LaGuardia on May 27th and staying at the Hyatt in Jersey City to hop on the Voyager on the 29th. What's the easiest way to get around - bus, subway, cab? Want to see a lot of the sights -- will have my grandson (11) and three of my daughters. My 21 year old daughter, Samantha, is interested in - what else -shopping and definitely wants to hit Tiffany's. Our compromise - she will do the sights with me and I will buy her a present at Tiffany's. I have great daughters and they will do whatever makes me happy.

 

Good, reasonable (if there is such a thing) restaurants. Things not to miss other than the usual - Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, etc.

 

Any help would be appreciated. Haven't been to NY since I was 19 and that was too many moons ago.

 

Jacki

[bas7]

Hi Jacki,

 

I'm a native New Yorker, but have been living in Fort Lauderdale for the past 10 years now. Haven't been back to New York since 1995. I'm sailing on October 10th, 2005, on the Empress of the Seas, and the ship will leave me in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Plan to spend a couple of days there, and then make my way back to Fort Lauderdale via New York. I am too excited. I know I won't recognize it ,as so many new buildings have been constructed.

 

Now for you, and your family. If your staying in Jersey City, you can take the PATH Train. It's very quick from Jersey City to downtown Manhattan. There used to be a stop at the World Trade Center. Since 9/11, I don't know whether that stop still exists. But there was also a stop right in the heart of Greenwich Village. A great place to walk around. Be sure to walk along Christopher Street, and Sheridan Square.

 

As far as Tiffany goes, I can remember back in the 1960ies walking, and eating French Cruellers, only the way they can make them in New York, and passing by Tiffany's windows, and looking at the most beautiful window displays, filled with jewelry that at the time I certainly couldn't afford. and still can't. Oh! and, always feeling like Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast At Tiffanys". There are some pieces you can buy that won't break the bank. If you haven't seen the film, you probably can rent it from someplace like Blockbuster Video. I highly reccommend seeing it. It will certainly give you a taste of "The Big Apple", (New York). Here in Fort Lauderdale, you can get by without a car, but it sure helps. In New York City, the Mass Transportation is great, but can be crowded, especially during rush hour, but it's quick, and something you will never forget. You have trains, and buses running one after the other, provided it's not two o'clock in the morning. Be sure and take comfortable walking shoes. You're a hop, skip and a jump from midtown Manhattan.. Once you're in midtown Manhattan, you can go to Rockerfeller Center, where the Christmas Tree is lit yearly, and watch people ice skate. A little further north is Central Park. A lot of people like taking the Horse and Buggy ride. I did that job for seven years of my life before opening up my own business, as an agent to actors. It's a nice tour of Central Park, even for native New Yorkers. You can even ask the driver to take you around the city too. If you hit Eighth Avenue and 81st Street, you have the Museum of Naturel History, and one block away is the Planetarium. That's a great place for kids, as well as adults. You can do this all by foot, unless you have time constraints. All you need to get is a good map of the city, including a train map. If you haven't been there before, it's a lot of fun. On the East side of Manhattan is Fifth Avenue. Fifth Avenue is the dividing line between the east and west sides of Manhattan There you have the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with beautiful masterpieces of times gone by. BTW, also in midtown Manhattan, you have all the magnificent theaters, where the Broadway shows are. I don't know what time your ship leaves, and it probably would be cutting it short, but if it's a Wednesday, there are matinees, that finish about 5:30pm, or thereabout, but if your ship is leaving early, I would suggest saving seeing a Broadway show for a land-based vacation on another trip. Good excuse to return. Soho is in lower Manhattan, and is where I used to see John F. Kennedy Jr. getting on the subway to go to work. Sometimes you'd see him rollerblading. He was such a nice guy. Very down to earth. His money, and family didn't even stand in the way of his talking to total strangers. The Stock Exchange is also located in lower Manhattan, and that area of the city can be interesting to see too. Canal Street is a good place to shop inexpensively. Don't know what your budget is. I could go on and on, Oh, forgot to tell you about the South Street Seaport. That's right on the East River Drive. There are still some cobblestone streets there. Anyway, I've been rambling on for way too long. I wouldn't try to cram too much in as it can be both very exciting, and tiring at the same time. If you wanted to combine much of what I've told you, you can always take a Grey Line Bus Tour.

 

Hope you enjoy what New York City has to offer, and have a great cruise too, Oh, and PLEASE, Give My Regards To Broadway.

 

Best,

 

Bruce

 

ms Volendam, December 16th, 2004, Southern Carribean

ms Zuiderdam, April 9th, 2005, Eastern Carribean

 

Soon to Sail on the Empress of the Seas, October 10th, 2005, Eastern Carribean

[bas7]

Hi Jacki,

 

One last thing I forgot to tell is not to miss St. Patrick's Cathedral, and The Trump Tower. It's near Rockefeller Center, on Fifth Avenue. Also a great place to shops for your grand-children, and your children too, and the latest styles. Can be pricy.

 

Best,

 

Bruce

 

ms Volendam, December 16th, 2004, Southern Carribean

ms Zuiderdam, April 9th, 2005, Eastern Carribean

 

Soon to Sail on the Empress of the Seas, October 10th, 2005, Eastern Carribean

[danaps]

As a Jerseyite who goes to NYC a lot - There is still a Path stop at the WTC, if you get off there it has some good shopping(Century 21 Dept Store), you can see the site itself and then hop back on the Path to Christopher st. exit.

[JacDro]

Bruce - thanks sooooooooooooo much. Printed your post to take with us. I want to take the carriage ride and, I am sure, my two grandchildren who will be with me, would love it. So much to see and do. The weather here in Michigan is still chilly so hopefully it will be a little warmer for walking around NYC. Thought about a Broadway show but don't think we will have time. We have two days before the cruise and one full day after.

 

How about restaurants? Too numerous to mention, I am sure, but any that bring back fond memories?

 

danaps -- thanks to you also. I need all the help I can get. Got a map and a tour book from AAA so I am hoping that helps.

 

Keep the suggestions coming.

 

Jacki

[bas7]

danaps,

 

You make a good point. In fact, as a New Yorker, we all went to New Jersey to shop, because we didn't have to pay the tax.

 

Thanks much for the info on the Path stations. Glad to hear Christopher St. station is still around. It's been so long, 10 years, and of course because of the devastation of 9/11, wasn't sure if there was still a Path station at what once was the WTC. Really glad to hear that those bast*rds didn't get that too.

 

BTW, I just read where Donald T. wants to rebuild a new WTC, with several additional floors.

 

Thanks again.

 

Best,

 

Bruce

 

Holland Americas ms Volendam, December 16th, 2004, Southern Carribean

Holland Americas ms Zuiderdam, April 9th, 2005, Eastern Carribean

 

And Soon To Cruise On RCCL, Empress of the Seas, October 10th, 2005, Eastern Carribean

 

.

[MonaCK]

Hi there -- Bruce has given some rather solid advice on what to see and do. :) If your daughter likes shopping, make sure to take her to the biggest Macy's in the world on 34th street near Penn Station - but be advised that you might not be able to get her out of there. ;)

 

I would also consider doing the hop-on hop-off greyline tour because it gives a lot of NY history in a very small amount of time. It can be a little bit pricey... but it's worth it for a great overall view. You can get off at the different sites, and then get the next bus to go onto another location if you want. Greyline also offers a really neat night tour that I took once. It brings you across the bridge into brooklyn so you can see the sunset over Manhattan. Then it brings you downtown, where you take a walking tour and learn about the different buildings and styles of lower manhattan.

 

Chinatown and Little Italy is a cultural experience in it of itself. You can go shopping for jewelry and designer pocketbooks on Canal Street.

 

If you're into entertainment, touring NBC studios is always good for a little bit of fun. If you like pop culture, there's a display going on now at the Time Warner Building in Columbus Circle that features television shows that were Time Warner shows that were set in NYC. It's only on display until May 31st, but I"ve heard it's worth going to see.

 

If you have time (and the inclination), hit the TKTS booth at 7th Ave and 47th Street in Times Square to see a broadway show. It's cash only, but it will allow to you see same-day shows for half price. If you're looking for pretty good, inexpensive eats, make sure to hit John's Pizza on 44th and 8th. It's not traditional NY pizza, but it's really good thin crust at a reasonable prices. For a treat, you should go to Carmines. It's usually crowded, but you might have better luck getting in during "off" times. I believe that's on 45th and 7th, but I might be wrong on the exact location.

 

Above all, have a great time. NYC can be overwhelming - there is so much to do, and usually so little time to do it in. :) You'll need the cruise to unwind after. ;)

[bas7]

Hello again Jacki,

 

I didn't realize you had two days prior, and one day after in New York. That's a lifetime to a New Yorker.

 

If you do decide to see a Broadway Show, on 46th Street and Broadway, there is a Ticket Center, where you can get great reductions at the last minute. You have to stand in line for about 2 hours, but it's well worth it if you don't want to spend the $80.00 for an Orchestra seat. Of course, you can buy less expensive seats too. I used buy a stand ticket years before this ticket center even existed, directly at the theater, and I'd watch Funny Girl with Barbra for $4.00. I love Barbra. Saw the show 42 times. She never did it the same way twice. I then became friendly with someone who worked selling candy in the Winter Garden Theatre, where it played, and didn't have to pay anymore.

 

Ellis Island is another great place to visit. My grandparents, on my mother's side as well as my father's side, came through that island, and it was unfortunately not a cruise ship they arrived on. They were in steerage. But they worked hard, and built wonderful lives with their new found freedom. Quite a place to visit.

 

After a cruise ship, I don't know whether you'd be interested in a ride on the Staten Island Ferry. I can remember on really hot nites, we'd get on the train down to Battery Park and take the ride. It was air-conditioned, but even a great breeze standing outside, and you'd get some breathtaking views of downtown Manhattan, Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island too. I used to pay $.25 for the ride. Don't think it can be that much more now. But in New York you never know.

 

Give me a moment to work on restaurants. What type of food do you like? There are just so many good places to eat, and I'm sure you can still eat well ,at a reasonable price, unless your dining at "21", or "La Grenouille." Then your looking at big $$$.

 

Best,

 

Bruce

 

Holland Americas, ms Volendam, December 16th, 2004, Southern Carribean

Holland Americas, ms Zuiderdam, April 9th, 2005, Eastern Carribean

 

And Soon To Cruise on RCCL, Empress of the Seas, October 10th, 2005, Eastern Carribean

[familycruzer]

Staten Island Ferry is FREE! I was just there two weeks ago.

[bas7]

Hi MonaCK,

 

You did pretty good yourself. Not shabby at all. I posted shortly after your post, so I didn't realize you mentioned Tickets. Don't want to be redundant. How could I forget about Chinatown? I guess I'm having some senior moments.

 

Best,

 

Bruce

 

Holland Americas ms Volendam, December 16th, 2004, Southern Carribean

Holland Americas ms Zuiderdam, April 9th, 2005, Eastern Carribean

 

And Soon To Cruise on RCCL, Empress of the Seas, October 10th, 2005, Eastern Carribean

[bas7]

familycruzer,

 

Thanks for that piece information. Who would have guessed? Go figure. Wish the trains were free. I remember when they were $.15 for a token. It's now $2.00 one way, I hear. And buses are probably the same. It's now such an expensive city to live in, but no place like it.

 

Best,

 

Bruce

 

Holland Americas ms Volendam, December 16th, 2004, Southern Carribean

Holland Americas ms Zuiderdam, April 9th, 2005, Eastern Carribean

 

And Soon To Cruise on RCCL, Empress of the Seas, October 10th, 2005, Eastern Carribean

[MonaCK]

As for TKTS, how long you stand in line for depends on the time of day that you go. I've found if you go around 5pm, you won't have to stand in line as long. Of course, the pickings are usually a little bit less... but you still have a shot of seeing a pretty good show.

 

And no problem, Bruce. :)

[bas7]

Hi Jacki,

 

I just realized that I went into your post to MonaCK, and that wasn't meant for me to respond to, I think. If I did, please forgive my intrusion.

 

Best,

 

Bruce

 

Holland Americas ms Volendam, December 16th, 2004, Southern Carribean

Holland Americas ms Zuiderdam, April 9th, 2005, Eastern Carribean

 

And Soon To Cruise on RCCL, Empress of the Seas, October 10th, 2005, Eastern Carribean

[kelly-NYC]

Hi. I live in midtown Manhattan and give tours to relatives all the time. I thought I would add some of my advice on sight seeing in the city.

 

Yes, there is a TKTS booth in Times Square. As others have said, the line is about 2 hours long. I've heard others say it can be even longer. TKTS also has an office at South Street Seaport. This is another touristy area just beneath/next to the Brooklyn Bridge. There are shops and restaurants there. The booth used to be in the World Trade Center, but was moved to the Seaport after 9/11. Again, they take cash only, BUT the line there is substantially shorter. I have never been in that line for longer than 20 minutes. You can get same day tickets for evening shows or next day for matinees.

 

My other advice is about Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Since you only have a few days, you might just want to see the Statue from Battery Park. Lines for the boat that take you to both Ellis and the Statue can be pretty long, making this an entire day's worth of sight seeing. My advice for people who only have a few days is to save the actual tours of these 2 sites to a second trip to the city. It depends on your priorities.

 

We no longer use tokens on the subway. We now use a little credit card known as a Metro Card. They can be used for the subway and city buses. Buses take a little longer, but can allow you to see neighborhoods in the city while traveling. I do this sometimes to show people particular neighborhoods when they get tired of walking. They sell metrocards as a $2 pay per ride or unlimited ride for a certain price. If you think you will be using alot of public transportation, you can buy a 1-day fun pass for $7 per person. You get unlimited rides for $7.

 

My last advice for now is to get a good NYC travel book. I have and use DK- Eyewitness Travel Guide - NYC. Before you get here, you can determine if there are certain things that you want to see. If you know ahead of time where they are, you won't waste hours traveling from one part of the city to the other and back. Central Park, Trump Tower, Tiffany’s, St. Patrick’s, Rockefeller Center are all near each other and quite a ways from Battery Park, Ground Zero, Brooklyn Bridge, etc. You wouldn't want to discover while in Battery Park that you had missed something near Central Park. Then you would end up spending 30 or 40 minutes on the train to get back to a neighborhood where you had already been.

 

If you have any other questions, post away. As far as restaurants go, what types of food do you like? I tend to stay away from the touristy places, especially the famous delis. I went to one a few weeks ago with a friend and found myself paying almost $30 for a sandwich and coke. Granted the sandwich could have fed four of us, but there are plenty of great delis and restaurants at very reasonable prices!

Kelly

[templed]

I work downtown... (actually, right across from Ground Zero, in the World Financial Center)....

 

Definately visit Chinatown and Little Italy... Although Little Italy is more and more becoming Chinatown...

 

 

As far as places to eat...

 

My favorite place... Plataforma on 49th between 8th and 9th in midtown... or 221 W. Broadway in Tribeca... It's Brazilian Barbeque style... a little pricey ($52 pp) but WELL worth it.

 

Another "touristy" place to eat... Carmine's in midtown... it's family style italian, and from what I hear, very good...

 

A few other places to mention... For an UNBELIEVABLE steak... Try Mark Joseph's near the South Street seaport, on Water St, and Peck Slip... VERY expensive... but well worth every dime....

 

A less expensive place... Carmine's Italian Seafood... in South St. Seaport... the place looks like a hole in the wall... but, the food is fantastic... they get their fish from Fulton Fish market, daily...

 

Another place that I've had good meals... Harbour Lights, in the pier 17 mall... 3rd floor... Make sure you get an outside table... it overlooks the Brooklyn Bridge... to which, on of their deserts is named after... Chocolate Mousse, and sherbert in the shape of the bridge...

 

 

Their's also a little place right by my building that's supposed to be very good... make sure to get there... right around sunset... it's in Battery Park City, called Steamers Landing... it's right on the Hudson.. you'll have a good view of your hotel...

 

 

 

Too many to name... but I hope that helped.

[sgttami]

Another suggestion for a place to grab a quick bite...Ellen's Stardust Diner on Broadway and 50th..( a few doors up from where Mamma Mia is playing)..

 

It's really cute for the kids to see. The waiters and waitresses all take turns singing in between serving you and some of them are very good. Kind of like watching American Idol while you eat. Varied diner menu...not too pricey as far as NY goes.

 

As far as the TKTS booth, we went on a Wednesday last year and got tickets to Man of LaMancha for the matinee for $44.00 and had 4th row center..only waited about 20 minutes.

 

Have fun!!!!!!!!!!

[templed]

I did that too... but, I could have sworn someone told me that Man of La Mancha was gone... Show's you how often I get up town.

 

 

 

There's a TKTS booth at the South St. Seaport as well... a TON less crowded than then one in Midtown.

[MonaCK]

Man of La Mancha is gone now. :)

Yes - I would second the recommendation for the TKTS booth in South St. Seaport. I often forget about that one. -- and heck - it's worth it to take the walk around South Street Seaport anyway. You can ride "The Beast" there if you want which is a high speed water boat. :)

Bruce -- I'm sure the original poster is happy to have input from anyone regarding where to go and what to see. :)

[PelicanBill]

What a fun post, port activities for New York!

 

All great advice above, and I will add my $.02. I am also a native New Yorker, only get back once in a while now, but was there for several days over the last year.

 

* Don't underestimate the distances and time it takes to get around. If you are not super-fit, you will get worn down with all the walking by day's end. Wear good shoes and bring bandaids and ointment for blisters - that can wreck your day by 10am.

 

* Prioritize your top 3 attractions and top 3 shopping destinations - you may not have time even for those! The Empire state building took over 2 hours to do with various lines and waiting - and that was very early in the day.

 

* The Subway system has a one day pass you can buy and then not worry about fares. Get a visitor's map that has good placement of the stations on a street map - the map they have subway stations (and available to you by asking) is not real good about this, and you may not be able to tell how far you will walk. It can take an hour to go from mid town to downtown on a local subway train! Keep together and get in the same subway cars so you dont get separated. We use the subway and trains to get everywhere! On main lines, figure out if you are going to/from an express station and use the express train if there is a different express train. At stations served by more than one train (like 1-3-9), note where you are going and which trains go there. It may be that only the "9" train goes to the battery, so don't board a 1 or 3 train! If you go to the battery (Staten Is Ferry and Status of Liberty) board the front of the train, the last cards cannot reach the platform.

 

* Charge up your cell phone and be able to reach each other in case you get separated.

 

* Don't wear nice jewelry or keep your ipod loosely clipped to you.

 

* Our favorite boar ride is the Staten Island Ferry. Rins constantly, over and back in a little more than an hour.

 

* we found the bus tours to be expensive, trying to package in way too much, and hard to understand where you can get off and reboard.

 

* You can always take a taxi for that short cross-town trip that has no good subway route.

 

* You could spend 2 days in Times Square alone. You could spend 2 days on 5th Avenue. You could spend 2 days in Midtown. YOu could spend 2 days downtown. Try picking a few things close together and avoid running midtown-downtown too much.

[templed]

The 1 train goes to South Ferry... The 9 ... does too... but... the 9 is about to be done away with... and the 1 takes over...

 

You're right about the front 5 cars... but they're pretty good about announcing that... and they give you a minute or 2 to make sure you are in the front 5 cars...

 

I made that mistake... once... had to go around to Rector st... again... and cross over.

 

 

 

Where does the "Beast" go from ????

 

 

I see that thing all day... I thought it came out of the 34th st. Pier....

 

(I've been known to be wrong about these things)

[MonaCK]

When we were down in the fall, you could ride The Beast from South Street Seaport. It might change locations. I don't know. And I've -definitely- been known to be wrong before. ;)

[bas7]

Thanks MonaCK for sharing that with me.

 

Best,

 

Bruce

 

Holland Americas ms Volendam, December 16th, 2004, Southern Carribean

Holland Americas ms Zuiderdam, April 9th, 2005, Eastern Carribean

 

And Soon To Cruise on RCCL, Empress of the Seas, October 10th, 2005, Eastern Carribean