New York

[ShouldIbeEmbarrassed]

Looking to book 4/5 day break to New York, first time going so looking for some tips please, such as area to stay, hotel recommendations and mostly what sort of spends we would need each day for 2 adults and 2 teens. Thanks

We went October half-term and agree it's a great time to go.

Times Square is horrible but your teens will probably want to go to say they've been.

Depends what they're like but we went to Brooklyn for one day - mooched around thrift shops. You could get the subway over and walk back over the Brooklyn Bridge.

We stayed in Korea Town, really close to the Empire State Building. Clean, budgety hotel (the NYMA) but with a roof-top bar. Not cheap but worth it on first night for a drink and view of ESB on next block. Felt very "We're really here!" exciting. The time difference works if you want to go up the ESB as well - I know everyone recommends TOTR but ESB still exciting. You'll be up at 6:00 first morning so can be first in the queue.

Food for teens - pizza slices from Joe's Pizza. If you use the Staten Island ferry (do, it's free), wander into Staten Island and get pizza there as well. We had the most authentic, not fancy, "New York" feeling lunch there.

Korea Town is also near to Bryant Park and Herald Square. Both had winter food market stalls when we were there - plus ice skating at Bryant Park. But it was a good way to eat if avoiding fine dining have any fussy eaters.

I'm sure you'll have a great time. I agree with the comment about Times Square, it's horrid, unless you're interested in billboards, tourist tat and M & Ms. Also agree about how easy it is to underestimate distances. You could easily spend a whole day walking in Central Park.

It's easy to find your way round, and the subway isn't expensive, although its not as easy to navigate as the underground and we've come across some very strange characters on there! The tip about getting your bearings on day 1 by doing a tour is really sensible and gives you a sense of how far apart places are. So for example it would make sense to do the Staten Island ferry (which is free) and the 9/11 memorial together.

Food wise, brunch is good (and reasonable) in diners, so you could do brunch and then go somewhere good for dinner. You used to be able to get a 'dollar slice' of pizza to take away in lots of places when DC was living there, not sure if it's gone up now though!

I'd take clothes for every season, you just never know, and it always seems to be windy when you're waiting for a ferry.

There are so many incredible sights to see, but just to add to the list, there's lots to do in Bryant Park and don't forget Grand Central station.

Oh and last time we visited, the lovely border control officer at the airport gave us some vouchers to see Broadway shows half price - so do be nice to them, you never know!

We went October half term in 2019. The city was gearing up for Halloween. You didn’t see much in Manhattan but we stayed out in Brooklyn. It was great walking the streets looking at all the decorations - they really go to town in a way we just don’t!

Brooklyn was a good shout for us. DH and I had both been to NY before as singles but it was great to be able to come back to a really nice family neighbourhood of an evening after traipsing Manhattan all day. We had a lovely apartment in a Brownstone for the price of a dodgy hotel room in Manhattan. We did cook one or two evenings or just picked up stuff from an Italian restaurant to take away. People will tell you that AirBnB and the like are illegal but unless the law has changed since 2019 that isn’t actually true. They are legal in houses of three apartments or less,one of which has to be owned by your host. The apartment we had was top floor of a house in which the owner lived below and we had no issues. It was 100% nicer than a hotel and good to feel part of an authentic, safe and historic neighbourhood. If you are considering this as an option, do your research though on area and double check how many dwellings there are in the building direct with the owner. It was 30 minutes on the subway into the heart of Manhattan.

Everyone seems to have covered the main things. The high wire is great on a sunny afternoon. It’s easy to pick up decent street food (the Halal Guys who had trucks everywhere were good). Plan your days in attraction zones on a map so you’re not covering big distances in a day. If you are doing Top of the Rock, a lot of time is spent queueing or waiting around (we booked online, arrived early and got given a time slot at reception for half an hour later). I wish we’d done the Empire State as it looked less busy. Time Square is horrid BUT at night it’s actually something else. Never been at night before and there was something Blade Runner about it. We did a Broadway Show and got cheap(ish) tickets through the TodayTix app (change location to NY). The price of discount seemed to be the same as the discounted ticket booths (but without the hassle of queueing).

As it was Halloween we took a train to Sleepy Hollow. It’s typical small town America with a few Historic buildings and an interesting cemetery but they did have some spooky night time entertainment on (night time cemetery tours etc) which you can find online.

Have a good trip!

Quick correction, that should read ‘one of which has to be lived in by your host as well as owned’.

And should have also said Sleepy Hollow is 30 minutes by train from Grand Central. It’s a pretty journey along the Hudson River once you leave NY.

visitsleepyhollow.com/halloween-in-sleepy-hollow/

Oh, yes, we were there for Halloween as well - had forgotten that. Went round Chelsea Market beforehand and then watched the parade. But too busy for our youngest but bit of an experience.

We went to Union Square Park on first day as well and had a game of chess with one of the guys who play there all day.

I wish I'd gone to the UN building. Just realised we weren't that far away now, looking at the map.

Been going for years and rarely used the underground. Pick your district/area each day and explore. Just as cheap to hop in a cab if there’s 4 of you than riding the subway.

Times Square is best at night, after 8:00 pm (when the theater crowds have all gotten to their shows). Don't go there during the day. There are some stadium type steps there too if you want to rest up and just people watch and look at all the lights. I can't see skipping it altogether.

I've read in other threads people complaining about food prices--do your research ahead of time. Even single pizza slices can be expensive if you go to the wrong place. That said, food doesn't have to exorbitant. Chinatown is a good place for cheap eats.

The High Line is extremely popular, but should be better midweek.

October is a wonderful time to go.

Been several times with teenage daughter. They love it at that age. Remember nyc hotel rooms are quite small so be prepared. Resy is their equivalent of top table and many restaurants use this system. A lot of desirable places book thirty days in advance so book before you go. I’ve had the visitor pass things before but you often have to queue to exchange your pass before queuing for entry so consider booking the attractions you really want to see rather than feeling like you have to do everything. My top tips: get a map of Manhattan and map out what you’d all like to do. Group the activities in roughly the same areas - e.g photo with Wall Street bull/liberty island that sort of thing. I actually enjoyed walking it all. Teens like the insta stuff so high line/vessel/Brooklyn bridge/Guggenheim/ westfield world trade centre Best shops to visit - Macy’s and Bloomingdales - go straight to visitors services and get their visitors discount card - it generally saves state sales tax amounts. Last visit was October 2019. we did the nbc studio tour (excellent), the colour factory (arty insta place) the high line/vessel walked the Brooklyn bridge to go to an original soda fountain. I also booked breakfast at Tiffany’s as a treat. My DD enjoys theatre so we did ‘the ride’ which was awesome. We also saw To kill a mockingbird’ with Jeff Daniels and got rush tickets for Mean girls. I’d definitely recommend queuing for rush tickets if you have a party of 4. Check individual theatres for show. Broadway is quite relaxed about bringing food into the theatre which makes a difference to costs. I also suggest going to a deli for a takeout breakfast to bring back to the hotel. Previously we’d done liberty island/Ellis island, the world trade centre 911 memorial and museum, the tour of grand central station, the top of the freedom tower, Empire State, museum of modern art, New York public library, which were all fab. Remember all museums are chargeable in nyc and they are expensive. I didn’t much enjoy the American natural history one. My DD loved the food from taco no1 and the hot chocolates at max Brenner. Have a fab trip!

The big obstacle currently is the US travel ban. Until that is lifted (and there is no word from President Biden on this matter) European and U.K. citizens won’t be travelling there at all.

Everything pretty much covered! We’ve got older kids and one of their highlights was a basketball match. It was brilliant! We had some of the cheapest tickets (they were not cheap, we booked them there but in advance wasn’t much less) but the view was actually brilliant and our seats were like bar stools and we had total space behind us, with no other seats!!!

Plus NY cheesecake is a must, but it’s so rich a whole slice each is maybe too much!

Tipping is expected out there and sometimes they tell you how much they would like, just be careful!

We loved it and can’t wait to return!

Our accommodation was just off Times Square and totally basic although perfect considering we only slept there!

I'm looking to book this week. BA sale seems to have some amazing prices compared to booking flights and hotel separately.

I have lined up some provisional ones just depends how much prices jump forward Easter holidays. Been going back and forth between BA site and trip advisor!

We did a week in NYC with our teens (15,15 and 14)in July. It’s hugely $$$$$ with a family of teens.

We did a BA deal. We stayed in the Affinia Gardens which has huge rooms. We had a 1 bed suite with a kitchen. Had a dining area too. Bedroom had 2 double beds and a pull out in lounge. Was really lovely. It’s near Central Park and they have free bikes.

Food-There is a $$$$ supermarket near AG but we bought a lot of food at Trader Joe’s as cheaper. Mostly breakfast stuff, couple of evening meals and picnics, snacks etc. We found food in NYC and US pricier than before due to exchange rate.My dc loved the chains. Shake Shack, Chic Fil A, Dunkin etc. Fill you up more than U.K.We all loved Joe’s Pizza( v cheap for lunch) and Papaya King hot dogs. Katz Deli was a big highlight( dd still talks about her egg cream and the atmosphere) and Carmines( family share Italian, we had sausage and broccoli pasta/ strawberry shortcake and it was really good). Juliana’s in Brooklyn too. Dh and I loved getting a picnic at Zabars which we ate in Central Park but it is $$$ and not sure the kids shared our enthusiasm of Zabars. It is fab though.

Re travel we got the Subway passes and walked. Feels v safe and my 3 traveled on their own some times. We got a yellow cab to hotel but sky train is really easy and we’d probably do that next time. That said the cab ride was an experience. You can’t walk everywhere it’s too big.

Highlights:-
-The High Line(free), Make sure you dip into Chelsea Market whilst there( old Oreo factory).
-Central Park particularly boating in Central Park and seeing the turtles. We saw baseball games and street entertainment, roller skating etc in the summer.

• Top of the Rock sun setting( book and time right)

-Liberty Island( we did the pedestal), new museum is fab. Dh and I enjoyed Ellis Island but quite dry and kids were over it quick.

• walking Brooklyn Bridge back towards city( kids moaned but glad they did it). But if a concrete jungle outside of Dumbo but glad we made it to Juliana’s as amazing pizza. There is a nice park by the water with good views of Manhattan.

-Natural History Museum was good. Dh and I loved The Met( great roof terrace views, Dendur Temple, I’d pick one area as its huge)but we separated from the kids for that day. Think they’d have enjoyed it).

• We loved The Tenement Building( near Katz) but kids didn’t.
• Washington Square Park
• Grand Central Station whispering gallery

I’d make a list of what you want to do and check a pass is actually cheaper. It wasn’t for us so we didn’t get one. Ds and I did 911 museum and I wish I hadn’t. It’s understandably very dark. Just remember you’ll be getting on a plane soon after. It’s not for all kids. MOMA was closed, I’m so doing that next time though.

For teens- the Friends apartment building, Target and Dylan’s Candy Store(near AG hotel).

Enjoy! It is exhausting so don’t over do it is my advice. You will want to flop in hotel in evenings. My teens enjoyed ordering take out to hotel room. They got some good deals on their phones with delivery. It is also hellish expensive so we mixed and matched. They got a good variety and the budgeting bits were some of the most memorable.

DS and I poked our noses into Times Square. Glad we did just to see but you wouldn’t want to spend too much time there.

We went about 8 years ago and spent a huge amount. Part of that was it being so insanely hot that we were constantly going into bars along the way just to cool down and have a drink. We ate in some pretty pricey places too which didn’t help, but things are generally pretty expensive.

If your kids like burgers, you can go for a fancy version at The Spotted Pig - best burger I’ve ever had. And a very cool place too.

I used to live and work in NYC and we visit regularly due to family. Do your research before you go! Take a good look at the map of Manhattan and figure out what you want to visit and where it is and (as another poster says), group those things together so you aren't constantly having to get from Central Park to Greenwich Village to Midtown and back as the distances are fine by subway or cab, but if you want to do a lot of walking, it's FAR! I recommend staying in Midtown as then you'll be in the middle for wherever you want to go. Avoid Times Square - it's like staying in Leicester Square in London - not nice, very touristy, lots of neon.

As to what your teens will/might like, definitely do one of the views (i.e. Top of the Rock, the Empire State Building or 1 World Trade). I really like the Empire State just for the experience and last time we went, when DS1 was 12, he loved the most iconic things best. We walked the High Line (which is lovely in Oct, not too busy, I recommend going in the morning when it's quiet, went to Hudson Yards and went up The Vessel, which is great for getting Instagram-worthy photos, also really nice shopping centre next door, Circle Line cruise (not the long one all the way round the island, the one that goes from Midtown round to the Brooklyn Bridge and back), carriage ride in Central Park, walking 5th Ave and doing some shopping, stopping at the Rockefeller Centre, which will have some nice autumnal decorations in Oct half-term, if they'll do museums there are lots that are great, but the Tenement Museum might appeal to them, The Met and MoMA are brilliant, but it depends on your teens as to whether you'll be able to drag them in! There are lots of reasonably priced dining options - Chinatown is fun for a wander and a cheap and authentic Chinese meal, but there are lots of chains where you'll be able to fill up cheaply or get a nice sandwich. Midtown is full of offices, so there are masses of places to grab lunch.

The one thing I would recommend you DON'T do is go and see a baseball game - we made that mistake once and my god it was so fucking long, cold and boring. If your family is into baseball, go for it, but if you aren't, don't bother! Basketball would be better (and warmer!), but going to see the taping of a TV show is a much better idea.

Map and good walking shoes! Virgin are good for flights. The high line is great (but get a guide of ‘sights’ as there’s a lot you’d miss of got just wandered along it). We have used ‘diy walls’ which are pretty good - print off get your route, and includes places to eat, local Landmarks and places of interest.

A good idea is to think about movies you’ve seen set in NY and if you want to see the places/restaurants/shops etc.

We were on a budget and stayed in a cheap hotel on statten Island. It was much quieter and we had amazing views of manhatten. We just got the free ferry over each day.

Yy to splitting into zones. I did loads of research and we talked re what everybody wanted to do as only fair. Then I got an NYC map and did blobs of all the things we wanted to do including places to eat and shops. Split areas into days.Looked at areas for chains kids wanted eg TJ, Target and fast food to amalgamate and sort lunch sometimes.Then did a page in a notebook for each area we ripped out on the day. It saved so much wasted times and tired stroppy teens. You will need to research what you need to book for some things.

We got up early each day to avoid queues at the more popular things. Don’t over do it though. Take time to enjoy and explore places like Central Park.

That said 7 days and we still ran out of time, masses we still want to do.

I found a really good website that has walks outlines (with commentary) so the first time we went I printed these off in ‘areas’ and frogmarched everyone around barking out facts!

Don’t miss the UN building. It’s impressive. You have to go to a diner - I liked Andrew’s coffee shop on 7th (andrewsny.com). It’s probably the local equivalent of the Kebab Machine in Notting hill but I liked it (massive portions).

We went to the recording of aTV show and saw ourselves on TV the next night

Be very careful with the air b&b "tip". That pp got lucky by the sounds of it but many more are caught out and left stranded.

New Yorkers will report you in an illegal B&B and you'll be turfed out.

Checking the size of the building with the owner is very dangerous advice to be dishing out. The owner will tell you anything if they're running an illegal let.

As for nyc being expensive. Well, of course it can be and it's more likely to be if you go unprepared but it doesn't have to be.

We found it really quite cheap! You'll get a bagel for a few dollars, pizza slices are a dollar, take bottles for water with you.

Most of the sights are free. It's when you start doing Broadway and not deciding where to eat until last minute that it starts to add up.

@zafferana OMG we did the baseball game. Only highlight was the hotdogs. So I concur, it is a bit of a waste of an evening (plus, how difficult was it to follow?).

Though we did get free t shirts which the kids still wear.

Right @denverRegina. Before I booked our apartment back in 2019 I sought advice on Mumsnet. Plenty of people said they had rented through AirBnB or the like and had zero problems whatsoever. No one who had actually done it seemed to have experienced any issues.

But there were plenty of people, such as yourself screaming ‘it’s completely illegal!’. So I spent quite a bit of time searching the actual legality (and I have just double checked this now). It is illegal to rent out space in a building with three or more dwellings BUT it is not illegal to rent out space in a building of three dwellings or less. We rented through Home & Away. I was concerned about the legality, thanks to Mumsnet so I spoke to Home & Away about their vetting policies and legalities of it all. Nothing they said concerned me. I saw absolutely no reviews of a single person turfed out of their let. Not one. And I did email the owner in advance to confirm the set up she’s advertised was correct. And if it hadn’t been, we’d have walked on arrival.

I’m glad we chose the route we did. Done carefully and with an advanced check, it was a much better option.