New York Tips

[RoseTulips2023]

We're going to NYC for 10 days on Saturday. We'll be staying in a hotel on Broadway which was cheaper than an Airbnb. I keep hearing how expensive it is, particularly eating out. Any recommendations of reasonable places to eat would be great. Thanks.

Is been a while since I went but I do remember how cheap the amazing pizza slices were , it's a great quick dinner or lunch a couple of times .

Just come back from 10 days there. Could write a book! What kind of things are you after?

Nowhere is cheap but you get a lot for your money. 6 dollar bagel will easily do two for lunch.

Also noticed it is no longer 24 hr city. If you want to eat in the evening, and not Taco Bell etc, most restaurants shut by 9pm.

Broadway extends from one end of Manhattan to the other - would help to know where on Broadway the hotel is located.

I live in NY and just came back from London and OMG! You are SO expensive over there! At least we are value for money lol.

Don’t worry too much about the cost of eating out: portions are so big you can easily share a main course (entrée) between two and still be stuffed. Generally when you eat out all the time on holiday, two meals a day are plenty. You can use the salad bars at whole foods etc when you’re over heavy restaurant food. You pay by weight, so fill up the box with lettuce and peppers etc rather than heavier things. Don’t forget to tip in restaurants (another reason to get a take out lunch from a supermarket). 10-12% of the pre-tax bill is fine.

It’s very hot and humid right now, raining on/off, occasional thunderstorms. No need for a sweater or even cardigan, except if you plan on going indoors a lot as a/c can be freezing. Bring a brolly. And walking shoes. And lots of extra clothes if you’re not going to do laundry because it’s v steamy out and you’ll be showering twice a day. Also fewer and fewer places are accepting cash so make sure you have at least one functional credit card (although another good reason to use supermarkets as they do still take cash!).

12% of pre-tax restaurant bill is less than HALF of what you should tip. It's our system. Don't cheat the person working for you; it won't change the system and you hurt the person right in front of you.

Don't forget the 20-25% tip, it's mandatory, don't be cheap.

Portions are normally big, I would try and share. Pizza is often sold by the slice.

We had two really expensive meals but they were planned and budgeted for as the trip was a birthday/exam celebration, sorry, can't help with tips.

We had breakfast included but it was really nothing big so wouldn't have lasted all day. We paid for a proper diner breakfast one morning $70 for the three of us, but that definitely lasted until dinner.

(tipping) 10-12% of the pre-tax bill is fine.

It most certainly is not! In the US I tip 20% minimum. I absolutely hate tipping on principle, but because of how the wages of restaurant staff are structured (which I can't do anything about) I pay up. I just treat it as if it was another form of sales tax. (I also don't try to estimate whether the "quality of the service" was worth a dollar or two extra. Paying people more based on how good they are at emotional labour is not my idea of how societies should work. I'm always amazed at people who otherwise have progressive views discussing how well they were served today. If they don't spit in my food, the service is OK.)

An easy way to think about it when coming from the UK is to look at the menu and pretend the $ are £. So for example if a dish is priced at $20 it's going to cost you another $1.77 in sales tax and $4 in tip. $25.77 is £20.19 at today's exchange rate.

Tipping is 20% not sure where PP got 10% from.

Takeout bagels make great lunches, Central Park is a nice place to eat them.

SM has fun food posts with current hot spots to eat in. So it can be worth doing a search before you go.

I live in New York and have done for almost 20 years 😂

10-12% is indeed fine. Tourists who come and fall for 20% piss us off immensely!

Wow, so many great tips. Thanks very much. We're staying at 49 W 32nd St.

We're planning queuing for cheaper theatre tickets. My husband has booked a baseball game. We're going to the Friends Experience. Statue of Liberty, Empire State.

Any specific places to eat would be great.

Thanks again.

Oh we'll also be visiting MOMA and we're doing a day trip to Washington DC.

The hotel is 49 W 32nd St. Thanks.

It's not an area I'm very familiar with, but here are the "10 Best Near 49 W. 32nd St." from a reviewing website that a lot of people use. Maybe one of these will be useful.

www.yelp.com/search?cflt=restaurants&find_loc=49%20W%2032nd%20St%2C%20New%20York%2C%20NY%2010001

That's great. Thanks very much ShrubRose.

A day trip to DC is tough. The train takes about 3 hours each way. DC has amazing museums, sights and restaurants. You might want to stay overnight to really enjoy it.

Are you joking?

I was born and raised in NYC and don't live there but still have a house there. It's absolutely 20-25% and I don't know a single New Yorker who would say otherwise.

@RoseTulips2023

I'm rushing out now, but will come back with some recs later - how many of you, how old and how adventurous are you when it comes to food?

Your hotel sounds like it's just off Herald Square, which isn't a great area (it's safe, but very much a bland touristy rip-off area), so not going to be a source of great food.

And I'm here now and it's very hot and humid - a pp was very right about that!

More later

Thanks for this. What is SM?

I also don't know anyone who tips less than 20%. Literally no-one! That's the completely normal starting rate of tipping in the Tri State in a sit down restaurant.

Thanks for this. We've booked trains there and back for the day so we can hopefully rest on the train :) We'll have to have a longer trip there another time :)

Wrt using to public transport - should we get OMNY or Metrocards or use our debit cards?

Any tips on the best way to get cheaper theatre tickets?

Pizza- johns of bleaker street- all you need to know! (I don’t know much else!) we walked over the Brooklyn bridge which was amazing

edited to add use metro cards, so handy!

Places like Olive Garden and food courts are reasonable.

Also street corner stores selling pizza slices are great.

Most hotels are ok with take out food being brought into your room.