New York recommendations

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sally maclennane
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New York recommendations

Post by sally maclennane »

I am hoping to go to New York next year for around 5 days - it'll either be late May/early June or else September as both times before I have been in winter and lovely as it was, it was also bone chillingly cold :cold:

Its around 18 years since I was last there so my knowledge is very out of date. I would like to stay in Manhattan but I'm also interested in Brooklyn (not least as Manhattan is eye wateringly expensive) but I am not sure it'd be much cheaper. I still think it might be a nice place to stay and then we could travel into Manhattan for the more touristy things.

If anyone has hotel recs that would be great, same for things to do/places to eat & drink.
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Little My
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by Little My »

I stayed in Brooklyn once, and I highly recommend it. So easy to get into the city, and we had some lovely evenings in Brooklyn itself. It was actually quite romantic. We stayed in a really large hotel, but I can't remember what it was called. It was quite a number of years ago anyway.
Derek Nimmo
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by Derek Nimmo »

I stayed in an brownstone Airbnb in Bed Stuy last time I went, so "further down" than Brooklyn and whilst the immediate neighbourhood was pretty gritty it wasn't a problem to get in and out of Manhattan at all - I'd never stay on the island again, it's so much calmer and relaxed (not to mention cheaper!) elsewhere. I bloody loved Brooklyn as well - the museum there is great.

Food-wise Xians Famous Foods (a small chain) was a big hit, especially the spicy beef noodles.

ETA Oh, and Ellis Island is great in case that wasn't open last time you were there. I only wish we'd spent more of the day there and managed to fit in the hospital tour too.
lazzbo
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by lazzbo »

I was there this summer and I stayed in an apartment in Queens which was six or seven stops from midtown, it was great! I'll be back tomorrow, I did loads in the week I was there and I had a lovely time. I had one of the best stack of pancakes of my life an' all.
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Luce
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by Luce »

Walking the High Line is a really pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. We walked downtown to get on at one of the gates and it was like walking through a film set. When you get up there the graffiti and artistry is just really engaging. And it is near Chelsea Market which I think is worth a lovely mooch. I imagine the High Line is absolutely brilliant in spring time!
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Epponnee Rae
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by Epponnee Rae »

I’ve not been back since 2018 :cry: so basically anything I had bookmarked then has gone. New things that have opened that I would check out are Hudson flats and the Vessel, the new Little Island park on the west side on the river, and there’s another new food market place called the Tin Building that sounds worth a visit.

I loved bopping around Brooklyn though don’t think I stayed there. I’d also be making a beeline for all the galleries, and Broadway. If you like seeing live music or comedy check out what’s playing when you decide your dates. There’s nothing cooler feeling than going to a club in NYC :)
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emma_p
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by emma_p »

I haven’t been since 2018 either :dotty: I really want to visit Little Island too, it looks amazing! I’d second the High Line and Chelsea market too.
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sally maclennane
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by sally maclennane »

Thanks, this is all helpful. I definitely want to do the High Line, that sounds so good. I like the sound of Little Island too.

Del, I did Ellis Island the last time I was there but I loved it and would probably go again. J has never been to New York so we will do the big toursit things anyway.

I'm still not sure about Brooklyn vs Manhattan - I need to do more research. The costs seem broadly the same.
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lazzbo
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by lazzbo »

In terms of tourist attractions, I went to:
the Whitney Museum, some of which was good and some of which was batshit crazy
Coney Island, which was a lot of fun and very Instagrammable
Governor's Island which was fun and had great views of Manhattan
the Botanic Gardens in the Bronx, which are maaaaassive but strangely lacking in flowers, to my mind
the Orthodox areas of Brooklyn because I'm a nosey cow who's fascinated by that
Central Park, obv
the cable car over to the island between Manhattan and Queens - again, nice views from up high

And then I just walked everywhere, literally from top to bottom. I averaged about 30,000 steps a day, I think, and literally wore my shoes out. :))
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Lily
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by Lily »

I stayed at the Jane as recommended by Nineseven and it was great.

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Topcat
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by Topcat »

if you have ever seen The Warriors (and if you haven't, then you should!), Coney Island is a must.
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Luce
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by Luce »

Oh yes, I’d also recommend walking everywhere too. You just see more than when you’re on the underground (although that is really easy to use, I found). I loved walking through a more residential part of the city on the way to a more touristy one. And yes, for the steps count too :))
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Luna
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by Luna »

Walking around SoHo is really nice. I wish we'd done more but when I went it had been snowing and the weather was not on our side.
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H1ppychick
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by H1ppychick »

First time I went we taxied everywhere and I had no clue where anything was.

Second time I went my friend and I walked everywhere and it was much more immersive. Also relatively easy to find your way around on Manhattan due to the grid design of the majority of streets and avenues.

I’ve only ever been to Manhattan, I’d love to see some of the other boroughs.
olive
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by olive »

I don’t think I’ll ever top my NY step count!

The last time I went I stayed with a friend in Hoboken and it was super easy to get in and out of Manhattan.

I second (third/ fourth) the High Line and the Whitney. As always, I’d recommend Barbuto for food as well as Momofuku.

Years ago Mr O and I went to see the the NY Yankees play at Yankee stadium which was a lot of fun even though I don’t know anything about baseball plus we got to have a wander around the Bronx.
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Little My
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by Little My »

YES, one of my favourite NY experiences was taking the subway to Yankee stadium to see a game. It was the best! Such good vibes. "CRACKERJACK....!"
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Estrella
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by Estrella »

Last time I went was many, many years ago but it was when it was still baseball and NBA season so we saw a game at Madison Sq Gardens and also at Yankee Stadium. Both were amazing. I had no clue what was going on at baseball and this typical New Yorker sitting next to me took great pleasure in explaining it all which was awesome.

We also did a behind the scenes tour of Madison Sq Gardens which was great (I love a stadium tour and did it in Madrid too)
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Livilla
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by Livilla »

Estrella wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 9:25 pm Last time I went was many, many years ago but it was when it was still baseball and NBA season so we saw a game at Madison Sq Gardens and also at Yankee Stadium. Both were amazing. I had no clue what was going on at baseball and this typical New Yorker sitting next to me took great pleasure in explaining it all which was awesome.
We did exactly the same last time we were in NY too, Est, and really enjoyed both. I’d also recommend visiting the Frick Art Gallery as a small glimpse into the “Gilded Age” New York.

One of my trips there I stayed in Washington Heights, at the northern end of Manhattan (near the Met Cloisters) and really enjoyed it, it was such a different world to lower down the island :))
Derek Nimmo
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by Derek Nimmo »

The Frick is closed for renovation at the moment Liv, otherwise it would be one of my top picks too - my Dad recommended it to me when I first visited in the 1990s as "a lovely little jewel of a museum" and he was quite right :hbeat:
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sally maclennane
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Re: New York recommendations

Post by sally maclennane »

We have finally booked! We ended up with a Hilton in Manhattan which is a bit bland but I was honestly getting hotel blindness after reading so many reviews, and prices seemed so high. J checked the BA sale site and they had some good deals but nearly all chains. J has never been and its been so long since I was there that I don't have much sense of what areas are good. I spent ages googling and reading reviews, and was really none the wiser so we just went for it. I'm seeing this trip as a scoping exercise to get my bearings again, and work out where I like. J is decidedly unenthusiastic about it as a holiday, so was leaving the decisions to me, but I'm hoping he likes it when we get there. If not, I'll go back with my best friend or my mum :lol:
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