New York, New York
 

Couldn't think of another forum to post this in, what happened to the different state/country threads? Sorry if its an inappropriate place to ask!
Anyway, I'm going to New York in december and I can't wait! I've never been before and I was looking for some recommendations, where to stay, what to do, etc. Is there anything I shouldn't miss (other than the obvious I mean)? I'm going for 5 nights so hopefully I'll find enough to do! Any info would be much appreciated.
P.S. I'm from the UK!:)

what's your budget for things, place to stay, prices for food, activities.... that will help me make some suggestions besides the eat meat with the NY TFPers.

Good thinking Batman. My budget is £1000 for the flights/hotel (for 2), so thats about $2000. Then spending money depends on how much I can save before then!

when booking your flight - you might want to check if there's a package type deal - sometimes the airlines will partner will some hotels and you'll get a really good rate - or just checkout places like hotels.com (they sometimes have decent rates at the better hotels) - though december in NY is really prime season...

If you can get a package deal at the hotel, like having it include breakfast (not all do) that will save you some money.

If you're in ny in mid-december -the Tree at rockefeller center, while touristy is a must see - skating not necessary.. but the tree is cool - and the store windows on fifth avenue - especially saks fifth avenue -are usually done up nicely for the holidays.

whew... no tickets booked. Yikes! Only because it's a prime visiting holiday between the Jewish holidays and the Christian ones, it's prime time in NYC from Thanksgiving onwards.

Keep on the lookout for cheap fares.

I really need to put together a comprehensive list of reasonable places to stay that are near the tourist areas, and also some places that aren't since the neighborhood flavors are quite different. Stay tuned.

NYC + December = chaotic hell. You need to get your reservations now.

if you like literary stuff and booze, you can go to the white horse tavern on 567 Hudson St in manhattan, that's where dylan thomas drank the 18 shots that killed him dead...

also there is the algonquin hotel at 59 W 44th St manhattan, where h.l. menken hung out and dorathy parker hung out...

it might be toursity, but go see the emipre state building...the outside, look up and see the cool work, and the lobby has beautiful art....

china town and little italy...see them...

Manhattan is great and you definitely should do some of the touristy stuff like the tree at Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building but you should spend at least a day or two hitting some of the less touristy neighborhoods in Manhattan as well as the other boroughs and all they have to offer.

I'm particularly fond of the village, Williamsburg, Flushing, Corona, Dumbo, Forest Hills, Harlem, Woodside, etc. and if you look around you'll find that there are plenty of not-so-touristy things to do and places to eat that aren't nearly as expensive as Manhattan and give you so much more of that real New York feel.

Use sites like Digitalcity.com and you'll find plenty of things to do.

locals use

http://gothamist.com/

http://nymag.com/

http://timeoutny.com/
TONY recently had an article on the neighborhoods that aren't the gentrified same stores you can find in LA/SF/Boston/Houston etc.
http://www.timeout.com/newyork/artic...1/top-10-hoods

http://www.villagevoice.com/

Thanks for your input. I've booked everything now, staying at the Stanford Hotel, which is by the empire state building. Just got to work out the order we're going to do stuff now.

I just went to New York in late July and it was amazing
One place that some people over look is the restaurant 'serendipity' on 3rd stree/avenue?
it's the same restaurant that the movie "Serendipity" was based on.
The Ffrozzen Hot chocolates are to die for. But I reccomend you to not go during meal times. The line ups were hours long when we finished eating at around 5. Go in between meal times for the sundaes and drinks (and the food looks delicious). It's not horribly expensive either and the atmosphere inside is simply exquisite.
The toilets inside the restrooms are the ones where the water tank is a box above the toilet and you have to yank the chain to flush :D

Definately go see a Broadway show. I went and saw "Curtains" with the Tony award winning cast. it was fabulous.

New York Pizza in Little Italy is fabulous. So is shopping on Canal Street in Chinatown.

The subways seem frightening at first, but they are a great way for commuting around Manhatten.

Have fun

You definitely have to get some pizza. New York has so many awesome places around for pizza. I can't remember any specific names off the top of my head, but I enjoyed them all.

The most important part of a NY trip is HANGING OUT WITH THE TFPers!

this thread had my top suggestions...

http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=74519

here is a brand new resource to utilize.

the city of NY has a tv channel and they produce alot of shows strictly about the city of NY. I watch it all the time to find things that I may not have know about or even be reminded about places I've not visited in years.

NYC TV
shows suggested:
Eat Out
$9.99
Cool In Your Code

I hardly ever hear of The Cloisters being suggested to NYC visitors http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Ar...ment.asp?dep=7 but I find that museum to be highly enjoyable and a relaxing, peaceful atmosphere. Nice view too, up on the banks of the Hudson.

See the Unicorn tapestry, along with many others:
http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Ar...l37.80.6.L.jpg

http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Ar...n_image_cl.jpg

I lived in fort Washington for a bunch of years - Fort Tryon Park is the city's best kept secret and that museum is really neat - especially in the spring with the lavendar garden...

Just take the A train north...

and if you're feeing adventurous :D you can walk across the George Washingon bridge to new jersey -then just turn around and come back :D

see if you can find the little red lighthouse under the big gray bridge :D It's a children's story :D


and I seem to recall there being a new harbor in upper manhattan as well..

It might be a little cold but a day in the LES and Williamsburg, Brooklyn can be a lot of fun. Start out in the LES (shop, mill about and check out the hipsters, have spot of tea a Moby's ex-place Teany, grab some lunch at Frankie's on Clinton Street.)

Then walk across the Williamsburg Bridge into Brooklyn. Watch the metro rumble by within feet and enjoy panoramic views of both Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Once off the bridge turn right down Bedford Ave and walk a few blocks into the largest Hasidic populations outside of Israel. The only thing missing from this scene is a horse and carriage. Take pics at your own risk.

Turn around and walk back past the bridge up Bedford Ave into Williamsburg (shop, mill about and check out the hipsters, have some mind blowing pizza at Driggs Pizzeria, go thrifting at Buffalo Exchange.)

Ok now you're tired. It's late afternoon and you just wanna get back to the hotel. But don't do it. Don't take the metro back across the bridge. Breath deep, stretch your legs out and go for it. Walk back across the bridge as the sun slowly sinks like a fiery diamond into the jagged skyline of Manhattan.