Brooklyn terminal and hotel, food, and transportation

[AtSeaWithChris]

We are sailing Memorial Day weekend, the Sunday before, and we are staying at a hotel near LGA.

 

Will there be a lot of extra traffic that Sunday?

 

How long should we allow for Uber to get us there?  
 

Lastly we land Saturday night at 7:30 pm at LGA. Is there good local casual food dine-in or to go  or delivery near the hotels by LGA? Something local that represents good NYC food?

Edited April 10, 2023 by AtSeaWithChris
Modified question

[princeton123211]

1 hour ago, AtSeaWithChris said:

Will there be a lot of extra traffic that Sunday?

No, there shouldn't be a lot of traffic on a Sunday. I would budget 30-40 minutes. 

 

1 hour ago, AtSeaWithChris said:

Lastly we land Saturday night at 7:30 pm at LGA. Is there good local casual food dine-in or to go  or delivery near the hotels by LGA? Something local that represents good NYC food?

I will defer this to someone with more local knowledge-- typically the only time I go to that part of town is to fly from LGA or the occasional Mets game at Citi Field. But it would help if you could define what type of food you are thinking-- something local or "good NYC food" is extremely broad. The city has thousands of different types of food from hundreds of different cultures. Something like great pizza or great Indian food would help folks give you a much better answer. 

[AtSeaWithChris]

21 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

The city has thousands of different types of food from hundreds of different cultures. Something like great pizza or great Indian food would help folks give you a much better answer. 

Good point. I left it a little vague because I didn’t want to limit it too much.
 

I know NYC is famous for pizza, bagels, cannoli, Chinese, Indian, etc..  If there is something particularly good in that area I wouldn’t want to dismiss it. A ce only been to NYC once in 2012 and did the Broadway and Manhattan thing. 

[GTJ]

2 hours ago, AtSeaWithChris said:

Lastly we land Saturday night at 7:30 pm at LGA. Is there good local casual food dine-in or to go  or delivery near the hotels by LGA? Something local that represents good NYC food?

No, there is not. I reside in Flushing, which is located immediately east of the airport. The hotels immediately surrounding the airport are in an area that is not particularly notable. There are some "airport hotels" in Flushing, and if you stay in one of these hotels then you will find spectacular Chinese and other Asian cuisine (arguably the best in the United States). But the hotels within sight of LaGuardia are in residential areas that don't really have much that's interesting, at least not without going south to Northern Boulevard or beyond.

[AtSeaWithChris]

11 minutes ago, GTJ said:

No, there is not. I reside in Flushing, which is located immediately east of the airport. The hotels immediately surrounding the airport are in an area that is not particularly notable. There are some "airport hotels" in Flushing, and if you stay in one of these hotels then you will find spectacular Chinese and other Asian cuisine (arguably the best in the United States). But the hotels within sight of LaGuardia are in residential areas that don't really have much that's interesting, at least not without going south to Northern Boulevard or beyond.

What about delivery?  We’ve already made reservations for convenience since we are getting in at 7:30 and shuttle to hotel. We are staying at LaGuardia Plaza Hotel. I’d hate to miss an opportunity to get something good. I love good food lol. Coming in at that time we even thought about eating at the airport before we leave since sometimes that have good representation of local favorites but don’t know LGA and of course airport food is expensive and mostly chains. I wish we had time to go find a good bagel and cannoli but the following morning we will be stressing about getting to the port. 

Edited April 11, 2023 by AtSeaWithChris
Typo

[princeton123211]

23 minutes ago, AtSeaWithChris said:

What about delivery?

You can get just about anything you want delivered via DoorDash, Caviar, or UberEats-- even things from Manhattan. You could also Uber to dinner-- there are some great spots in Brooklyn that are 15-20 minutes away from you without even having to go into Manhattan (although you could do that too). 

 

You could also stay closer to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in an area that has much better food than the LGA hotels. You are going to have to pay to Uber from your hotel to the pier anyway, whether it is the next day or half the way there the night before, so having a free airport shuttle doesn't really matter from a cost perspective. Staying closer to the pier would be way more interesting than the bland airport hotels around LGA. 

 

25 minutes ago, AtSeaWithChris said:

I wish we had time to go find a good bagel and cannoli but the following morning we will be stressing about getting to the port. 

You'll have a ton of time the next morning/early afternoon. It takes about 30-40 minutes to get to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and you won't be able to board until early afternoon. Plenty of opportunity for a good bagel or nice breakfast somewhere. 

[princeton123211]

38 minutes ago, AtSeaWithChris said:

I love good food lol.

Come to think about it, if you like good food, check out a hotel called The Hoxton in Brooklyn. Its fairly moderately priced by NYC standards and will most likely be in the range of what you're paying at LGA. 

 

Atop it is a restaurant called Laser Wolf which is one of the more acclaimed spots right now and selfishly from one my favorite restauranteurs from my hometown of Philly. The food is fantastic.

 

If you land at LGA at 7:30 and Uber over there you could be checked in and eating by 9pm. The next morning you will cut your commute in half to about 20 minutes leaving you more time to walk around and not stress about getting to the pier. 

[GTJ]

5 hours ago, AtSeaWithChris said:

What about delivery? We’ve already made reservations for convenience since we are getting in at 7:30 and shuttle to hotel. We are staying at LaGuardia Plaza Hotel. I’d hate to miss an opportunity to get something good. I love good food lol. Coming in at that time we even thought about eating at the airport before we leave since sometimes that have good representation of local favorites but don’t know LGA and of course airport food is expensive and mostly chains. I wish we had time to go find a good bagel and cannoli but the following morning we will be stressing about getting to the port. 

I can certainly understand the situation. Eating at the airport itself does not require much more elaboration, being overpriced and underwhelming. Let me further explain that, not only do I reside in Flushing, just east of the airport, but several years ago I actually stayed at the LaGuardia Plaza Hotel (then it was a Holiday Inn) when I was sequestered while serving on a supreme court jury in Jamaica. The hotel served all twelve of us dinner and breakfast in its dining room, which was entirely satisfactory (especially because I did not have to cook myself!), but nothing fabulous. I also had an office then, on 85th Street, at 23rd Avenue, right at the end of runway 4, and for lunch I would most often head to a deli on Astoria Boulevard for a sandwich, perfectly satisfactory but once again nothing fabulous. As to the area immediately surrounding your hotel: there's absolutely nothing except houses surrounding it.

 

Not too far away, just under one mile (about 15 minutes: walk along 25th Avenue), is the Buccaneer Diner, 83-01 Astoria Boulevard. Nothing fancy, and noting memorable but for it being a good NYC Greek diner open 24 hours daily. But if you really like diners, then on the other side of the airport, a little under 2 miles from your hotel, is the Jackson Hole Airline Diner, 69-35 Astoria Boulevard, which is an architectural jewel, with its classic streamlined railroad car appearance. It closes at 10 p.m.  (midnight on weekends). There is a very good traditional Italian restaurant (you wanted cannoli?) called Park Side, 107-01 Corona Avenue in Corona, also just under 2 miles from your hotel. Absolutely wonderful food here (open until 10:00 p.m.), and across the street, in William F. Moore Park, you will find a bocce ball court . . . and on the far side of the park is the Lemon Ice King of Corona (also open until 10:00 p.m.). If you like Peruvian food, then Pio Pio, 84-02 Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights, just under 2 miles distant, might be a good choice. Note that the full restaurant is on the south side of the street, and a small take-out, Pio Pio To Go, is on the north side of the street (84-21 Northern Boulevard). Open until 11:00 p.m. (midnight on weekends). A large Mexican population has been established in central Corona, and along Roosevelt Avenue, under the elevated train track from about 74th Street to 108th Street, there are many small Mexican restaurants where you can find a good plate of enchiladas. A bit more distant, about 2-1/2 miles distant in central Jackson Heights, you will find La Fusta, 80-32 Baxter Street, for excellent Argentine cuisine (open until 10:00 p.m., 11:00 p.m. on weekends); and the Jackson Diner, 37-47 74th Street (open until 10:00 p.m., 10:30 p.m. on weekends), one of the best-known Indian restaurants in the city. Also in Jackson Heights is Jahn's, 81-04 37th Avenue. Once having locations locations throughout all of NYC, this is the last location remaining. Known for ice cream--its "kitchen sink" is legendary--this location also serves diner-type food. It closes early, at 8:00 p.m. As for those bagels . . . the best place in Queens County is in Whitestone, past Flushing, at Utopia Bagels, 19-09 Utopia Parkway. That might have to wait for a future visit.

 

So these are my favorite places in the area surrounding your hotel. Perhaps one of these will be satisfying. They're all a bit distant, however, and there's really nothing outside your hotel's doors.

[AtSeaWithChris]

2 hours ago, GTJ said:

I can certainly understand the situation. Eating at the airport itself does not require much more elaboration, being overpriced and underwhelming. Let me further explain that, not only do I reside in Flushing, just east of the airport, but several years ago I actually stayed at the LaGuardia Plaza Hotel (then it was a Holiday Inn) when I was sequestered while serving on a supreme court jury in Jamaica. The hotel served all twelve of us dinner and breakfast in its dining room, which was entirely satisfactory (especially because I did not have to cook myself!), but nothing fabulous. I also had an office then, on 85th Street, at 23rd Avenue, right at the end of runway 4, and for lunch I would most often head to a deli on Astoria Boulevard for a sandwich, perfectly satisfactory but once again nothing fabulous. As to the area immediately surrounding your hotel: there's absolutely nothing except houses surrounding it.

 

Not too far away, just under one mile (about 15 minutes: walk along 25th Avenue), is the Buccaneer Diner, 83-01 Astoria Boulevard. Nothing fancy, and noting memorable but for it being a good NYC Greek diner open 24 hours daily. But if you really like diners, then on the other side of the airport, a little under 2 miles from your hotel, is the Jackson Hole Airline Diner, 69-35 Astoria Boulevard, which is an architectural jewel, with its classic streamlined railroad car appearance. It closes at 10 p.m.  (midnight on weekends). There is a very good traditional Italian restaurant (you wanted cannoli?) called Park Side, 107-01 Corona Avenue in Corona, also just under 2 miles from your hotel. Absolutely wonderful food here (open until 10:00 p.m.), and across the street, in William F. Moore Park, you will find a bocce ball court . . . and on the far side of the park is the Lemon Ice King of Corona (also open until 10:00 p.m.). If you like Peruvian food, then Pio Pio, 84-02 Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights, just under 2 miles distant, might be a good choice. Note that the full restaurant is on the south side of the street, and a small take-out, Pio Pio To Go, is on the north side of the street (84-21 Northern Boulevard). Open until 11:00 p.m. (midnight on weekends). A large Mexican population has been established in central Corona, and along Roosevelt Avenue, under the elevated train track from about 74th Street to 108th Street, there are many small Mexican restaurants where you can find a good plate of enchiladas. A bit more distant, about 2-1/2 miles distant in central Jackson Heights, you will find La Fusta, 80-32 Baxter Street, for excellent Argentine cuisine (open until 10:00 p.m., 11:00 p.m. on weekends); and the Jackson Diner, 37-47 74th Street (open until 10:00 p.m., 10:30 p.m. on weekends), one of the best-known Indian restaurants in the city. Also in Jackson Heights is Jahn's, 81-04 37th Avenue. Once having locations locations throughout all of NYC, this is the last location remaining. Known for ice cream--its "kitchen sink" is legendary--this location also serves diner-type food. It closes early, at 8:00 p.m. As for those bagels . . . the best place in Queens County is in Whitestone, past Flushing, at Utopia Bagels, 19-09 Utopia Parkway. That might have to wait for a future visit.

 

So these are my favorite places in the area surrounding your hotel. Perhaps one of these will be satisfying. They're all a bit distant, however, and there's really nothing outside your hotel's doors.

Thank you for all of this info. Those really sound like good local charming places. 

[GTJ]

2 hours ago, AtSeaWithChris said:

Those really sound like good local charming places. 

I don't know if I would say "charming," but probably the best under the circumstances of the time and place of your stay. I suspect that you don't want to spend too much time that evening, and it will be late enough already. The Buccaneer Diner is best for being closest and readily walkable, though your expressed desire for cannoli might make it worthwhile to use a bus or taxi to get to the Park Side restaurant (use Q23 bus from Ditmars Boulevard, outside the hotel, to Corona Avenue, or a taxi would be relatively inexpensive for the 2-mile journey). I believe that all the restaurants have websites, so you can see their menus.

[AtSeaWithChris]

4 hours ago, GTJ said:

I don't know if I would say "charming," but probably the best under the circumstances of the time and place of your stay. I suspect that you don't want to spend too much time that evening, and it will be late enough already. The Buccaneer Diner is best for being closest and readily walkable, though your expressed desire for cannoli might make it worthwhile to use a bus or taxi to get to the Park Side restaurant (use Q23 bus from Ditmars Boulevard, outside the hotel, to Corona Avenue, or a taxi would be relatively inexpensive for the 2-mile journey). I believe that all the restaurants have websites, so you can see their menus.

Thank you. This is great information.