Half Term In New York

[Belindabelle]

I have been looking around for a holiday for half term and a week in NY for four is coming out cheaper than a week all inclusive in Cypress. I have never been to NY before but I bet some of you have and I wondered if you could answer a few questions.

Which airport, JFK or Newark?
Do you just get a taxi from the airport. How much?
Where do I want to stay? Midtown, Downtown, Times Square.
Any hotel recommendations? The Plaza and Waldorf have come up in budget but are they just too posh for us.
Should I book B&B or just go with room only?
How much spending money for food and drink per day per head? DS,s are 16 and 9.
What attractions should we definitely see?

Sorry about all the questions and not using the travel topic but our half term is in 3 weeks and as usual DH is away and has left it all to me. We normally holiday in the UK but didn't manage to get away in the summer so I want to push the boat out. Also this is likely to be our last holiday with DS1 so would like it to be memorable.

Thank you.

In order of easiness of question:

Go room only - hotel breakfasts are expensive, there are loads of great cheap breakfast options, and you'll be so jetlagged you'll want to be up and out at 7am.

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g60763-d93352-Reviews-DoubleTree_Suites_by_Hilton_Hotel_New_York_City_Times_Square-New_York_City_New_York.html is a great option for a family of 4

Midtown/Times Square are both good options, Downtown less so but still perfectly fine if you find an attrractive hotel deal.

Newark and JFK are both perfectly fine options for flights. From JFK you can simply get a cab from a marshalled rank for a reasonable fixed cost so no need to pre-book.

Attractions is a whole other thread - I'll see if I can find a link...

Try this thread. But don't be put off by talk of queues at Empire State. If you make your jetlag work for you and turn up fifteen minutes before opening time at 8am on a weekday then you'll be able to pretty much walk straight in.

Thank you
I am googling old threads too and see the Carlton and Chandlers hotel mentioned. I want to get the flights and accomodation booked then I will work on filling the 7 days.

Where are you finding cheap flights. I'm looking at going similar time and flights are really expensive.

Don't know if it is in budget for you but we went this summer and stayed at the Lowes Hotel near Central Park - reopened this year after refurbishment.

Would agree avoid hotel breakfast as expensive.

We have been before so this time did just the 9/11 memorial plaza and museum - probably half a day. We also went to the Dakota building (DH wish) and then wandered through Central Park to the boating lake. We didn't row but did eat at the restaurant (we had booked). Restaurant suggested by DD (age 17) (something to do with Gossip Girl). It was great - lovely view of lake, excellent food and service and good value for money - we thought. Also, based on a recommendation on another NY thread, we booked 'Robert' at the Art and ?Design Museum at Columbus circle - 9th floor and views of Central Park. Again good food - quite expensive.

In the past we have visited Statue of Liberty and gone up both Empire state and Rockerfella Plaza towers, one at night - there are deals to be had for 'VIP' entry to avoid queuing. The Station is also good for a visit and several places to eat there. DH and DS (age 13) have visited the Aircraft Carrier/Ship moored on the west side of Manhattan with a Concorde and Space Shuttle on board too I think. DD and I went shopping - walked the length of 5th Ave and met up at Times Square. We have been to the theatre but tickets are eye wateringly expensive even compared to the West End.

Have a great time.

Fab half term break with kids!

Thoroughly recommend the Midtown Courtyard Marriott. Reasonably priced but not too far out, about 10 mins walk to Times Sq and Grand Central. We had a family room for five which is unusual in NY.

Don't have hotel brekkie. Loads of deli/smoothie/bagel places around and you might as well try them.

Look up Big Apple Greeter and see if you think that'd appeal. We had one and it was good but the kids wanted to do our own thing so we had a half day with him and the rest of the time by ourselves. We booked bus tickets for the sightseeing buses which are great, the nighttime tour is excellent and you can hop on and off at various places. We also had a boat trip which was great, saw Ground zero, Chinatown, Central Park, Grand Central, museums, Empire State but the kids reckon the BEST thing was Top of the Rock (actually me too).

No difference IMO between JFK and Newark.

Have a fab trip, it's the one place we would love love love to go back to.

JFK or Newark North convenient for Manhattan. I am firmly a Newark girl though, just prefer it. Cabs are fixed prices before you get in so no nasty shocks when you arrive at your destination.

If it's your first visit, you'll want to be in Midtown. Just beware of hotels which are in or near Times Square as they're real shoe boxes. I know no one goes to New York to spend time in their hotel room but you don't want to be sleeping with the bathroom door open so your feet will fit in or have to store your suitcase in the shower (not kidding on either). If you want a specific hotel recommendation, Park Central hotel is a fab option. Neither the Plaza or the Waldorf is too posh- you'll be surprised how relaxed the US is. British people are usually the best dressed wherever you go. The Plaza is perfectly placed but the Waldorf is just a little out of the tourist areas. Hotels generally don't offer breakfast as part of any deal and there are delis and cafés everywhere so good to try somewhere different every day.

The Gray Line buses are fabulous value. The night tour (included in your ticket) is just brilliant. Also the Circle Line cruise round Manhattan is well worth three hours of your time.

I'd say go to Top of The Rock rather than the Empire State as the latter has always been an unpleasant experience but I do realise most people want to do the ESB. My favourite touristy thing to do in NYC is the Radio City Music Hall backstage tour. Might not sound very exciting but it is really, really good. The Tenement Museum on Orchard is also very interesting and takes you to a part of town you might otherwise not go to.

Greenwich Village and surrounding areas are just great areas to wander around. Walk down the High Line from midtown and come put in deepest Meatpacking and take it from there. Washington Square Park is another must.

Further tourist attractions depend on what you want to see. I would recommend MoMa (buy your tickets online to jump the queues) but wouldn't spend too long inside galleries and museums unless there's something you specifically want to see. Wandering through Chinatown and Little Italy is fascinating However, just meandering without any plan is absolutely the best thing to do in NY.

If you'd like any specific restaurant receommendatioms for places slightly off the beaten track that tourists don't often find, will be happy to oblige.

That shod have read "Newark both" not "Newark North" so sorry for confusion!

Thank you so much this is exactly the kind of insider knowledge that I am after. Mumsnet is brilliant for this.

Normally I spend months researching and planning before we go on holiday but New York just jumped into my mind and I don't have much time before we go.

The hotels all look good but I don't want to scrimp and miss out on a fantastic place for the sake of a few hundred pounds. Mind you the more I save on flights and accomodation the more money I will have for food and shopping.

Beaver I am looking at flights from Glasgow/edinburgh via LHR with Virgin and Delta. Coming in at around £460.

You can fly direct to Newark from both Glasgow and Edinburgh with United Airlines, though not sure they'd be as cheap as the flights you've already found.

Yes the direct flights are expensive. The children love that whole airport travel thing so we will just make it part of the holiday. I will just drink myself through it!

We went in Feb and flew into Newark and got but transfer into the city - our hotel was one block away from the drop off and then flew out of JFK and got the subway out to the airport no hassle at all.

We just had room and found delis/diners for breakfast every day - ended up going to the same one a lot as the menu for breakfast was too tempting.

We got an all in deal with BA with flights and hotel at Grand Hyatt.

If you want to do the Statue of Liberty book soon - it was fully booked when we wanted to go on line to go to the top - they restrict the number going up - we got to her feet by turning up early on the day but the second/third ferry out did not have a chance to do so. If you aren't bothered about wandering around nearby the Circle line boat tour is good - but it has the potential to be COLD at that time of year!

Attractions wise - Top of the Rock I would recommend but also Empire State. Loved both.

There is a lovely Italian Pizza Pasta restuarant in Times Square opposite TKTS booth called the Olive Garden.

Toys R Us in Times Square is pretty cool for a visit - it has a ferris wheel inside!

Try and get tickets for Baseball - it is the World Series whilst you are out there so should be some around - if not basketball or ice hockey.

We didn't do much 'touristy' when we went as it was my 4th visit and hubby's 6th or 7th it was a lovely escape week and we didn't hare around trying to do loads - was also about 8 weeks pregnant and in one of my nauseous weeks so ate a lot of pretzels!!!

Unashamedly marking my place.

I liked the Circle Line

Agree that the Public Library is lovely, DH was at my suggestion but it's really great (mind you, there was a vg free children's literature exhibition when we went, which may no longer be there, but they still have Winnie the Pooh).

We stayed at the Warwick on our last trip. It was nice and central, a couple of blocks from the Top of the Rock and an easy walk/ subway everywhere. I love NY and each time we leave I think I'm done there and I've seen it all. Then I read threads like this and get all nostalgic and want to go again. It's a perfect place for a half term visit and I second all Charleybarley's recommendations.

Hotel Metro on W 35th St has some great family suites (two bedrooms). It may or may not fit into your budget. It's within walking distance of the Empire State Building (which dominates the view from the rooftop bar), Penn and Grand Central Stations and much else.

Walk the High Line, an abandoned elevated railway turned into a linear art gallery and park.

You can get the train from Newark to Penn Station for tuppence.

The Grand Central Oyster Bar is a great experience, even if you don't like oysters.

Admin, can you move this to travel, pretty please - I am hoping to go next year so I don't want it to disappear!

The Library Hotel is brilliant and has a buffet in the main reading room that has fruit/cereal/yoghurt/pastries in the morning and coffee/snacks all day (wine in the evening I think).

We stayed at The Roosevelt in midtown which was nice. Agree with all said above. Grand Central Station is worth a look, going down to where the old fish market is on the river is great as ther are shops and restaurants and you get to see the river. The ferry to Staten Island and back is fun and great views.

We liked Central Park, Whitney museum, Little Italy for pizza and 5th Avenue for the whole vibe and shops.

Have a great time!

Second the Library Hotel or its sister, the Giraffe (further from midtown but cheaper with bigger rooms). Free breakfast every day, not hot food but very good buffet rather than stale doughnuts, free coffee and snacks all day, and free cheese and wine every evening.

The Giraffe has lots of suites which are the same price as hotel rooms in other places, so you and the kids would get separate rooms, and it's five minutes' walk from the original Shake Shack in Madison Square Park.

And don't go the Olive Garden! It's a chain restaurant and noting compared to proper Italian places.

Try and stay away from any restaurants on or near Times Square, really.

Just back from NY. Flew to Newark, taxi was I think $90 including tip into Manhattan. There's a train that goes to Grand Central too every 10 minutes which is cheaper (I think I read $12.50 each).

I would go against the grain and say don't stay very near Times Square or even in midtown - it's like going to London and staying in Leicester Square - sooooo many nicer places! Times Square is the type of place you go once to see, find it's rammed with people and there's not actually that much to do, and leave an hour later.

I would far prefer Greenwich village, Chelsea or Soho, personally. Places with a far more local feel with great variety of restaurants for the evening, as well as shops and other entertainment.

That said, what I find with New York (and I've been several times) is it is really surprising now small Manhattan is. So even if you stay in Times Square, hop on a subway or in a cab and you're down the other end in 10-15 minutes. I don't think it matters where you stay nearly as much as it does in a larger, more spread out city.

On that subject, we thought the subway was great, cheap, really easy to use and much more compact than London. It didn't seem to take any time at all to get anywhere. Most of the time you just go down a short set of steps, swipe in (get a free metrocard from the machine which you can top up any time easily) and you're right there at the track. Cabs were not expensive either - we got 30 blocks in midtown for $7 (plus tip...) And you can walk 10 blocks in about 10 minutes.

As others have said, I would definitely not bother with hotel breakfasts. I LOVE an American breakfast menu from a deli/diner (French toast, pancakes...) - probably better food and less expensive than a hotel breakfast.

Things to do...we spent half a day at the 9/11 memorial and museum, which is downtown. I would recommend. Same end of town, go over to Brooklyn on the subway, have a look around, walk the bridge (maybe a mile) back for amazing views. Wall Street is just beside the memorial and museum, if you want to have a look (it's just offices though!) If you/your kids like designer stuff, Century 21 is right there too, it's the biggest designer outlet in Manhattan.

Again, in the same very small area, you can either get the ferry to Liberty Island, OR you can get the (free!) ferry to Staten Island which goes past the statue. It might be worth a trip to Liberty Island for your first visit, but we did Staten Island, and it was great - you get a nice seat and can get photos etc, and of course it's one of the few things that's free! It takes about an hour there and back in total, brilliant views of Manhattan on the way back.

Museum of Natural History on upper west side, lots of other galleries/museums on the upper east side if that's your thing.

I love an open top bus tour to see everything and get bearings...you will get accosted in Times Square with many offers!

Top of the Rock fantastic views, you get to actually see the Empire State Building rather than being up it. Go at sunset (book tickets beforehand).

Can you tell I want to go back?! Enjoy yourself!