Where to stay/highlights in NY?

[carreauchompeur]

Folks,

Returning to the UK for my Christmas hols and have potentially 3-5 nights in NYC before flying out of LGA on the 13th Dec (stupidly cheap flight!). I'm coming up from Quito and will probably arrive at the same airport.

Any suggestions on where to stay? Hotels seem stupidly expensive so may try AirBNB or hostel as my budget is pretty limited. I'd pay up to £100 a night for somewhere half decent.

Not bothered about nightlife, just want to see some of the main sights, do some shopping for presents and try to forget how cold it is...

Ta

[brickwall]

Highly recommend the Frick Collection, on the upper east side. Wonderful location, amazing house, and incredible art collection.

For a (pricey) drink, the bar at the top of the Mandarin Oriental on Columbus Circle is lovely and has a great view.

[seyre1972]

Hi,

previous thread

But TBH you're better just looking online/lastminute.com's map of hotels and filter by rating/price as only you know what/where you want to go/do.


Things to do see:

One Workd Trade Centre and the 9/11museum (very humbling) book both
States Island Ferry
Ferry across to Brooklyn, then walk back over The Brooklyn bridge
Wall Street
Times Square (full of tut/tourist cr@p -but has to be done)
The Highline Walk
Grand Central Station - was stunned at how beautiful it was
The Apple Store top of 5th avenue (open 24 hrs a day) maybe not for everyone :geek:

I always take a trip upto the Woodbury Common retail outlet place upstate New York - but hire a car for the day as go out to New Jersey, and into Pennsylvania as well. There is a bus that takes you there as well however.

[pushthebutton]

I'd recommend this:

http://realnewyorktours.com/#_=_

I've spent a fair amount of time in New York, but I hadn't seen anything until someone was there to point it out.

$80 so budget dependent, but if you do it on day one then it'll give you a good idea of where to head back to etc.

[BlackST]

Hotels in Long Island City fit your budget of £100 a night. Not too far on the subway into Manhattan.

Be aware Air B&B is illegal in New York.

[carreauchompeur]

Thanks, I was looking for general areas to stay where it's not a million miles from the city but not extortionate. Certainly think I'll have a packed few days anyway!

[GCH]

BlackST said:

Be aware Air B&B is illegal in New York.

Yes and no.
If the permanent resident of the dwelling is present (ie, you are renting just a room, or part of an apartment) then it is permitted.
If it is the entire apartment/house and the permanent resident is not present, then leases under 30 days are technically illegal. But then again, so is crossing the street when the red has started flashing...

I have spent a significant amount of time living in airbnbs (whole apartments) here in NYC and have never had any issues. If the city did't take the piss with taxes etc on top of already often sky high prices for roach hotels, then perhaps it wouldn't be so popular.

carreauchompeur said:

Returning to the UK for my Christmas hols and have potentially 3-5 nights in NYC before flying out of LGA on the 13th Dec

You might want to double check that - you definitely won't be flying directly to the UK from LGA as it has a 1500 mile flight length limit.

Edited by GCH on Monday 29th August 22:48

[carreauchompeur]

GCH said:

You might want to double check that - you definitely won't be flying directly to the UK from LGA as it has a 1500 mile flight length limit.

Thanks, going with WestJet via Toronto. 180 quid to LGW was too good to pass up!

[p1doc]

central park everytime,empire states building worth a visit if never been before

[Chucklehead]

I just got back from NY yesterday and would really recommend The Beast powerboat trip.. Not sure they'll do it (or that you'd want to) on December though

[BlackST]

Levain Bakery on 74th street do amazing cookies
Unbelievably nice so if you are in Central Park and by the John Lennon Strawberry Fields memorial it's not far from there.