New York

[Honeymoonmummy]

Hi all, have just booked flights for 2 weeks in NY at Easter next year and need some help planning my trip.

I need to know anything and everything please - places to stay (cheap), where to visit with 6yo DS and 8yo DD, whether it's feasible to fly elsewhere during the holidays (Disney Florida??), possibly a road trip to Philly and Washington, possibly Niagara Falls??

Is there anything I should consider doing that I should book sooner rather than later?

I've never been to the east coast before so it's all really new to me, please help! And if anyone is as anal as me and has a spreadsheet of info they want to share, that would be good too!

TIA

I think that if you are in NYC for two weeks you could spend all your time in that city tbh.

What sort of accommodation are you looking at and ideal budget per night?. Unfortunately prices per night for rooms in NYC are high due to demand; you will not get a "cheap" room there.

Please do not look at apartment rental sites for NYC as these are more often than not sublet illegally by the tenant against the terms of their own lease. Rentals there of 30 days or less are illegal. You therefore need to stay in a hotel. Have you looked at a map of NYC; staying in Midtown Manhattan would be good. Suite based hotels that are offered by the likes of the Marriott or Hilton can be good bets and they do breakfast as part of the room rate.

Distances can be long between cities; for instance it takes between 3-4 hours by train to travel into Washington DC even on the Acela express (which is itself very expensive). I personally would not drive to or even in either DC or Philadelphia (due to their many and varied parking restrictions as well as difficulties in finding a space to park).

We flew to Mexico from NYC for a week of Caribbean sunshine. 5 nights in NYC was brilliant but tiring.

Thanks both. So are you saying there's a law saying it's illegal for anyone or just its contravening the tenancy agreement? If the latter can't I just get some assurances on booking if I went through something like air bnb, I presume that's what you're referring to?

I think AirBNB is banned in NYC so check that. It is because of the illegal sub-letting that happens and AirBnB would promote it.

I would recommend you sign up to Big Apple Greeters. You give them the dates of your trip and what your interests are and then they assign you with a volunteer (if there is one) who will take you around NYC as a personal guide. It is also FREE! Our visit to NYC last year was brilliant but we still say that the best part was with the lady who we were assigned for. She took us to places that you wouldn't think and she was so knowledgable about the city and her home town (Brooklyn) bigapplegreeter.org

Take the subway out to Coney Island there's the beach and rides which the kids might like

Wow ok thanks Appraiser, there are places in NYC on AirBNB. The greeter thing sounds amazing so I'll go for that.

And Coney Island is a good shout, thanks! I know nothing about NY other than from films!!!

It's definitely possible to do any of the additional trips you mention, although I wouldn't do Disney personally - it will be very busy at that time of year and take a lot of time out of your trip.

NYC of course has loads of museums, galleries, tourist attractions etc. but for me, 2 weeks in a hotel in the city would be too long and I think a road trip is a great idea.

If you want to see a different city, Philadelphia, DC and Boston are all easily reached by train, and you won't really want to be bothered with a car while you're there. Or if you drove along the coast to Boston, there are several places along the I95 that would be really fun - Mystic is a former whaling town and has a recreation of the old town with ships you can explore, and an aquarium. Norwalk has another aquarium and a good children's museum, and there are pretty towns.

In the city I would look at:
Natural History Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art - especially Egyptian section and the armour.
Brooklyn Children's Museum is I think better than Manhattan Children's Museum.
Children's Museum of Art (not really a museum at all but a fun place for art activities, you need to check the schedule in advance for drop in sessions)
Staten Island Children's Museum is a pain to get to but it's really very good and is in a park with some lovely gardens, especially the Chinese scholar's garden.
Playgrounds in Central Park
Ferry trip to Liberty Island and Ellis Island (worth booking in advance)
Either One World Observatory or Top of the Rock rather than Empire State Building (horrendous queues).

Bear in mind that you could get almost any type of weather at that time of year so you want to be reasonably flexible about your plans.

This is why I love Mumsnet! Thank you so much!

We hired a camper van when we did the west coast, would that be a do-able/ cheapish option on the east coast?

Also, what's a good site to find hotels in NYC? What's their equivalent of a premier inn / travelodge?? (That's the kind of budget we're looking for!)

try tripadvisor

If you find the prices in NYC are too high for you, have a look at options in Jersey City or Hoboken - it's an easy journey into Manhattan by PATH or ferry and you will get more for your money.

Yes I'll have a look on trip advisor, the trouble is that it doesn't let you filter for hotels with family rooms. Does anyone know a hotel search site that does let you do this and includes all the budget chain hotels? Or is there a chain that usually have family rooms like the premier inn does here?

I see they've changed trip advisor so that you can specify for family rooms. I had no idea how ridiculously expensive New York hotels were!!

Have you now found somewhere to stay?.

I did mention that re prices. NYC is one of the most visited in the world by tourists and year round too so prices reflect demand.

Not yet Attila, need to do more research first

We've just come back from a few days in New York. Be warned it's very expensive. America used to be cheap but not anymore. With the pound at an all time low against the dollar eating out was probably more expensive than eating out in the U.K. Having said that the food is great and lots of it!!
There's plenty to see and do but 2 weeks is a long time to be in a busy city with small children. Even my teenagers got a bit bored of museums after a while so getting out of the city for a while sounds like a good idea. What about Long Island? I've not been but my DD did Camp America there and said it was fantastic with wonderful beaches.
As PP have all said hotels are eye wateringly expensive in the city. Cheaper out of town and the subway is easy to use and $3 each for any journey.
But if you want to stay in the city perhaps look at Embassy Suites. I understand there is a new one opening in the autumn. You get a bedroom and small lounge with sofa bed and a small kitchen with microwave and tiny hob (I think) which might be handy. You also get free buffet breakfast which will see you through lunch too and best of all Happy Hour with free bar and snacks from 5-7 every night
Phew! That was a long post!!

Watching with interest op. Dad is in Boston for the year so we will be probably going out at Easter and I was thinking about some days in NY

Dd not dad!

OP...Just read your post to DH. He said don't piss about just get an onward flight to Orlando and take your DCs to Disney!! They will love you for ever!!! He has a point...Probably cheaper too

Thanks both. I'll check out that hotel. Yes I'm watching the flights for Orlando! Am thinking maybe 5 days in NY, week in Orlando and then couple of days back in NY before we fly home? Is a week in Orlando about right?? Again know nothing about the place!! So much research to do and so little time!! (My job is crazy hours) Thanks all, any help is most welcome!

I took my kids to NYC for 12 days last year and they loved it . They enjoyed just hanging out .
There are a lot of museums to see the big ones and smaller ones down town ,and of course liberty and Ellis island.
Also the central park zoo is nice , boating on he lake etc.
We stayed at the Kimberly apartments with have a small kitchenette, not great for cooking meals but cook to manage take out and make sandwiches and breakfast . It is a great location .
I find Times Square a bit busy so would avoid the ourist areas.
We did Empire State as it is so iconic. Got there at 9 - no queues at all .

We also had 5 days in Miami doing absolutely nothing as it was scorching hot.

We are literally just back from a week in Florida - Disney and Washington .

I found that Disney was hot and busy and probably a week was too short asyou have 4 parks and 2 water parks not o mention sea world and universal. Tickets are eye watering and cost the same for 2 days and 2 weeks.
Lots of internal flights add to the cost and you can loose whole days .
You could get a train to Washington or to Boston. I believe Niagra would need an overnight stay.

I probably wouldn't do NY C and Disney in 1 holiday it will be hot and exhausting .

We found 12 days in a suite fine but couldn't do 2 weeks In a hotel room .

Upstate in Bear mountain is lovely especially if you go in Autumn. It is part of the appalachian trail that goes all the way to Georgia. You can get a train there from grand central.

Have a look at Long Island City for hotels. It's one subway stop from
Manhattan and so the hotels are a bit cheaper. It's also v.v. Fashionable right now, and there are a few good museums (MOMA PS1 and Sculpture Center) and some fantastic restaurants (Casa Enrique, M. Wells) as well as a waterfront park with spectacular views.

I used to live there though, so I'm a bit biased...

The Kimberly apartments are $300 a night!!

Re Florida heat, we'll be there in April which I believe will be 80 degrees so hot but not too uncomfortable.

Thanks for the other tips. Keep them coming! Haven't had chance to do any more research the last few days due to work

We got the Kimberly at a discount with BA but yes they were expensive . This was supposed to Be a one off holiday of a life time as we'd been promising to take the kids for years . That said they were perfect and in a fantastic location. This is probably why we can't afford to go back - too spoilt!