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New York trip advice


ColonelBlimp

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I'm off to New York in 3 weeks, just me and the missus. It's a one off 5 day trip that we've promised ourselves for years.

Had our 25th wedding anniversary last year and we never had a honeymoon anyway so why not, got to go while you still can eh?

Anyway, those of you who have been, other than the usual touristy stuff, are there any places/things you would recommend?

We won't do a show on Broadway, not my kind of thing but things like the High Line, Brooklyn, Roosevelt Island, Empire State, Rockefeller Plaza, Staten Island Ferry, Chinatown, 911 memorial, Grand Central are on the list

What else though? Any suggestions? Staying in Manhattan.

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I've not been in about 10 years, but I went 3 times in pretty quick succession because 5 days is just not enough to do everything. It wasn't until the third time (after we'd got all the obviously touristy stuff out of the way) that we started to feel like we had a handle on the place.

The only thing I'd recommend is to try and find some time to just mooch about Central Park (get a take out deli tray from one of the delis and have your lunch up there). Watching the world go by and you realise you're in about 100 different films

Don't bother going up the Statue of Liberty (if it's still open to do that?). You spend an age queuing and then when you're in the head, the window in the crown is so tiny and dirty you could barely see anything.

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Definately take time to walk over the brooklyn bridge, not far from the 911 memorial so can do at the same time.

We stayed near time square so then walked back through chinatown and little italy which are fun places.

Also the view NYC which is in the marriot hotel on time square, a rotating restuarant and bar you get great views of the city, its not cheap, we had a bottle of prosecco and it was about $50 dollars but well worth it. Becareful when looking at the W hotel though if you do this, we saw a couple ermm...well you know, the waitress said its quite common.

You really have to go to tiffanys to have a look around, you can combine that with central park as its right on the edge, whilst in central park head to the boathouse for a drink, the guys on the bar are great fun.

Everyone says the view from the top of the rock is the best, but for me you cant beat the empire state building, we went up as soon as we got there, had watched the film an affair to remember on the plane and it was surreal being there a couple of hours or so later.

The only thing i dont like about NYC is the tipping culture, but it is a culture and widely expected. I got a proper mouthful off our shuttle bus driver on the transfer from the airport to the hotel, we had prebooked it and waited over one and a half hours for it when we arrived so i wasnt happy so didnt tip him, he went mad at me in the street outside the hotel.

 

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1 hour ago, Paul71 said:

The only thing i dont like about NYC is the tipping culture, but it is a culture and widely expected. I got a proper mouthful off our shuttle bus driver on the transfer from the airport to the hotel, we had prebooked it and waited over one and a half hours for it when we arrived so i wasnt happy so didnt tip him, he went mad at me in the street outside the hotel.

LOL - I forgot about the tipping thing. I remember a bartender handing me my drink and then refusing to let go. I looked at him puzzled and he just stared at me and said "TIP". Pretty subtle eh?

Then on our last day we all pooled our shrapnel and left it on the table for the waitress as a tip - who then chased us down the street and threw it at us shouting "I don't want no goddam small change!"

 

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I had my first trip across the pond for my wife's 60th last year. Great trip over 8 days split between NYC and Boston

highline is a wonderful stroll and very enjoyable way of taking in a feel for the city

i'd recommend Ellie's stardust diner for a breakfast. The waiters are all out of work or wannabe Broadway singers so they sing show numbers while you eat pancakes and maple syrup. There are tips and add ons but it isn't big money and you just can't help smiling and smiling some more. Fun with a capital F ... Just off Time Square.

we also did a short harbour trip. No stop offs and probably only a couple of ours but you see all the rivers and great views of the bridges, New Jersey, Liberty, Ellis island and iconic buildings 

Stiv is spot on over the tips .. Did my head in and I am a good tipper .. But you just don't know when and what for especially outside restaurant bills. 

 

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If you can afford it, helicopter trip around Manhattan. Best ones take off west side of Manhattan.

If you are going to do Liberty, go really early, cannot remember if you can prebook.

Central park you can loose a day there especially at the weekend.

Brooklyn has some amazing waterfront dining and the views at night are stunning..

Don't buy electronics from small retailers. Such as cameras and phones.

Eat at restaurants on the streets and not the avenues, usually cheaper and frequented by locals.

 

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36 minutes ago, McRamFan said:

If you can afford it, helicopter trip around Manhattan. Best ones take off west side of Manhattan.

If you are going to do Liberty, go really early, cannot remember if you can prebook.

Central park you can loose a day there especially at the weekend.

Brooklyn has some amazing waterfront dining and the views at night are stunning..

Don't buy electronics from small retailers. Such as cameras and phones.

Eat at restaurants on the streets and not the avenues, usually cheaper and frequented by locals.

 

Some real good advice here.. :thumbsup:

You need your passport for the helicopter and book in advance.. Very special though but as said above, not cheap.

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I found Central Park pretty incredible. There's the John Lennon memorial in there as well. Amazing how busy everything is around it, yet find the right spot and you can totally forget you're in one of the most busy cities in the world. Perfect tonic to a morning hanging around Times Square/Broadway.

I also think the view from the Empire State building is pretty difficult to top although not sure what it's like from the top of One World Trade Center which I'd expect is also pretty impressive looking back towards midtown/central Park.

I enjoyed just walking around, feeling the vibe as much as any of the Tourist attractions, really is a great place. Unlike L.A, which I found almost scary, New York seemed to somehow have a sense of togetherness despite everyone being strangers.

Wouldn't bother with the Yankees... on the edge of the Bronx which is rough, and my imagination of baseball being like a test match but with burgers and chips instead of pork pies and scotch eggs was pretty wide of the mark. Nice stadium though.

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54 minutes ago, ColonelBlimp said:

Helicopter ride is a no no, the wife won't go near one!

Some great info here, thanks to all of you.

What's the going rate for tipping, 10%?

Be careful tipping a lot add service at around 18% in restaurants, and will happily let you tip again!

Taxi 10-15%

Wait staff 15-20% its part of their wage as the employer can pay them below the minimum wage.

Bar $1 per alcoholic drink, 4-5 drinks in a round $3.

room service 15% of bill

Concierge 1-5 depending on depth of info.

bell hop doorman $2 plus $1 per bag.

make sure you have plenty of $1 bills

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it isn't a tip in our sense of the word it is a service tax.

a waitress will be taxes on the IRS assessment of what she is likely to earn from tips in a year, if you don't tip her you are robbing her.  Most table service people are expected to share their tips with the bar and kitchen so you are causing double the pain

about time they either paid them a proper wage or include the tip on every check.  McRamFan is right though check the details because some do helpfully include it in the final amount.  Pretty similar to the policy in the UK now where some load the bill with a tip charge and then say nothing when you don't notice and tip again.  I actually don't know where this UK tipping at 10/20% came from.  Spain is great, round up to the nearest € in a bar or a respectable round fig elsewhere

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47 minutes ago, Spanish said:

it isn't a tip in our sense of the word it is a service tax.

a waitress will be taxes on the IRS assessment of what she is likely to earn from tips in a year, if you don't tip her you are robbing her.  Most table service people are expected to share their tips with the bar and kitchen so you are causing double the pain

about time they either paid them a proper wage or include the tip on every check.  McRamFan is right though check the details because some do helpfully include it in the final amount.  Pretty similar to the policy in the UK now where some load the bill with a tip charge and then say nothing when you don't notice and tip again.  I actually don't know where this UK tipping at 10/20% came from.  Spain is great, round up to the nearest € in a bar or a respectable round fig elsewhere

It might be how it works but its wrong, if its a service tax/tip whatever you want to call it, anywhere in the world it should really be at the customers discretion. I loved new york yet this legendary quality service that the americans are supposed to be so good at was no better than you find here in the UK. The only bar staff i was happy to tip were the guys in the boat house, they were fantastic, everywhere else i did it just not to cause offence.

Just price your stuff to include enough money to pay your staff.

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I found the lack of tax being included in the price of goods in shops more annoying than the tipping. 

Makes everything look cheaper initially to entice you in and then you end up feeling robbed when you get to the checkout. Plus it's different rates for different things.

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Boat trip under the bridges and view Manhattan, battery park, book to go into the crown of Liberty, best view of esb is from top of the rock, also gives the best view of Central Park, when in Central Park go to strawberry fields and then cross over the road to the Dakota building where Lennon was shot, Chelsea hotel where did vicious  killed Nancy spungeon, buy a five day subway pass very cheap and you can use the busses aswel, wall st, tiffanys for the wife they are very polite and accomadating, pre book esb and rocker fella, make sure you study a map before you go and make notes of subway stations, have an agenda, there is so much to see and do, nice bars around the remember acne area to sit and contemplate, hard to imagine that was 15 years ago tomorrow ! You will love the place !

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