Go for Sunday brunch at the River Cafe - on a barge under brooklyn bridge (brooklyn side), views back across the water...booking essential but the best view of Manhattan and amazing (expensive of course) food too...
Also agree with Lombardi's pizza (mentioned above)...otherwise just choose a different part of the city each day and stroll around..I bloomin love it there..if I was younger/childless I's be aiming to move there...as it is, with a family I'd like to live in San Fran or even Santa Monica (there last week, another awesome place..)..
Go for Sunday brunch at the River Cafe - on a barge under brooklyn bridge (brooklyn side), views back across the water...booking essential but the best view of Manhattan and amazing (expensive of course) food too...
Also agree with Lombardi's pizza (mentioned above)...otherwise just choose a different part of the city each day and stroll around..I bloomin love it there..if I was younger/childless I's be aiming to move there...as it is, with a family I'd like to live in San Fran or even Santa Monica (there last week, another awesome place..)..
Go for Sunday brunch at the River Cafe - on a barge under brooklyn bridge (brooklyn side), views back across the water...booking essential but the best view of Manhattan and amazing (expensive of course) food too...
Also agree with Lombardi's pizza (mentioned above)...otherwise just choose a different part of the city each day and stroll around..I bloomin love it there..if I was younger/childless I's be aiming to move there...as it is, with a family I'd like to live in San Fran or even Santa Monica (there last week, another awesome place..)..
Enjoy, am very jealous.
With you on Santa Monica (fantastic place) The wife has family living in cheviot hills.
@ricky_otto - my company has an office in LA and am speaking to them about a transfer (wife not keen tho) or at least a secondment....am currently checking out beach rentals in Malibu :-)
@ricky_otto - my company has an office in LA and am speaking to them about a transfer (wife not keen tho) or at least a secondment....am currently checking out beach rentals in Malibu :-)
If your wife doesn't fancy it then let me know as I'm happy to be a house husband (:
@ricky_otto - my company has an office in LA and am speaking to them about a transfer (wife not keen tho) or at least a secondment....am currently checking out beach rentals in Malibu :-)
I spend a lot of the year in Southern California as my in laws have a home in Costa Mesa - near Newport Beach. Don't know if you have kids, but Orange County is a much better place to live than LA. Cleaner, fresher, and much better schools.
Get on the subway and visit Coney Island, New Yorks answer to Leysdown, fantastic place. People watch the real Americans & get some proper stodge food from Nathans. Wonder Wheel, Warriors come out to play yay!
I will have to check with the Missus as I can't remember which day we were there, but they have free fireworks every Friday or Saturday night during the summer on the beach at Coney Island Fair and the fair is kind cool to see at night even if you don't really like the rides. You can get there on the Subway. Think we were there first week of September and caught the last display of the year.
Part of why we went at that time of the year was to go to the US Open Tennis, we had a really good time there, but we both like tennis.
I think someone already mentioned the Highline, that's a pretty cool raised park and there are bits of art etc to look at along the way. If you like seafood, too, check out Chelsea Market for lunch (we went to the Lobster Place, amazing chowder).
We also did this which was a really great fun and different way to see some parts of the City and was one of the best things we did, just wear comfy shoes! accomplicetheshow.com/
Some of the best fun you'll have though is just wandering around soaking un the atmosphere and watching the crazies - it's like being on a movie set (all those 'New York characters' you see in movies but you thought were exaggerated stereotypes - turns out they're real!).
We stayed on the upper westside and ate a lot of our meals on Amsterdam Ave (a couple of blocks west of central park), in particular there was an awesome Thai place (I think it was called Land) and also a really good Indian called Sagwat (this was big deal for me as Indian food in Alberta is shite) get the Chicken Manglorean if you like spicy. There's an awesome café up that way too café Lalo I think, open until like 4 am or something stupid and does awesome cakes. (Can you tell I like my food)
Be prepared for it to be stiflingly hot too (if you're on the subway and you see an empty carriage - don't think you're luck is in, its probably because the A/C isn't working in it).
I wasn't sure how much I was going to like New York, but I absolutely loved the place. We had ten days there and I could easily have filled another 10 with stuff I didn't get to see that I wanted to. I get well jealous now whenever I hear of anyone else going.
Will have changed a lot since I did Bunac during the summers in the late eighties. Doubt the European guesthouse on time square is still there. $8 a night, above a porno cinema. Was just a pile of mattresses on the floor sleeping maybe 50. Even then it was dirt cheap.
Another couple of thoughts, we got a week long ticket for the subway which effectively works like an Oyster card. We used the subway loads and at all times of day and night and never felt unsafe and this ticket saved us some money.
We also chose to go up the Rockefeller tower so you get to see the Empire State rather than the other way around. We did the sun and stars package so you get to go up during the day and again at night which was great and the skyline does look quite different between the two. Book online in advance to avoid the absolutely horrendous queues (this a generally good tip, try to think a couple of days ahead and book onto tours etc because the queues can be brutal).
The Delis are also great for cheap, good food on the go.
Last tip, I saved google maps to my phone so you can use it offline without getting stung for data roaming - this was a lifesaver for when we just wandered around as it stopped us getting lost a few times. Instructions on how to do it here.
Get on the subway and visit Coney Island, New Yorks answer to Leysdown, fantastic place. People watch the real Americans & get some proper stodge food from Nathans. Wonder Wheel, Warriors come out to play yay!
Go for Sunday brunch at the River Cafe - on a barge under brooklyn bridge (brooklyn side), views back across the water...booking essential but the best view of Manhattan and amazing (expensive of course) food too...
.
Friend went here and loved it and I was looking at doing it in April the only thing is the dress code is quite strict put me off a bit
Another couple of thoughts, we got a week long ticket for the subway which effectively works like an Oyster card. We used the subway loads and at all times of day and night and never felt unsafe and this ticket saved us some money.
We also chose to go up the Rockefeller tower so you get to see the Empire State rather than the other way around. We did the sun and stars package so you get to go up during the day and again at night which was great and the skyline does look quite different between the two. Book online in advance to avoid the absolutely horrendous queues (this a generally good tip, try to think a couple of days ahead and book onto tours etc because the queues can be brutal).
The Delis are also great for cheap, good food on the go.
Last tip, I saved google maps to my phone so you can use it offline without getting stung for data roaming - this was a lifesaver for when we just wandered around as it stopped us getting lost a few times. Instructions on how to do it here.
@CAFCBourne - I don't do dress codes and certainly wouldn't have done one for this...whilst I can't remember exactly what I was wearing, it would have involved jeans and smart trainers...maybe it's more relaxed for Sunday brunch, as do remember jackets/ties etc on the website for an evening meal (hence why we went for brunch!).... Just book in advance or you won't get in.
There's a hotel called Le Parker Meridien. When they built the thing, they tried to buy out a burger joint who wouldn't sell. So they built the hotel around it. Upshot is, there's a fantastic little burger place slap bang in the middle of a hotel. And the burgers are as good as any I've tasted. And they have Sam Adams on tap.
There's a hotel called Le Parker Meridien. When they built the thing, they tried to buy out a burger joint who wouldn't sell. So they built the hotel around it. Upshot is, there's a fantastic little burger place slap bang in the middle of a hotel. And the burgers are as good as any I've tasted. And they have Sam Adams on tap.
I wouldn't go to NY without going here.
Love that Sam Adams - Boston though, never been to NY
We are going for 2 weeks on april 4th. Staying on staten island only problem is we have a 10yo with us.
There used to be a mock up village (Richmond Town Restoration) there (may still be there) where volunteers dress up in old style clothing (18th century) your 10 year old may like it.
Comments
Also agree with Lombardi's pizza (mentioned above)...otherwise just choose a different part of the city each day and stroll around..I bloomin love it there..if I was younger/childless I's be aiming to move there...as it is, with a family I'd like to live in San Fran or even Santa Monica (there last week, another awesome place..)..
Enjoy, am very jealous.
Reminds me of where I'm sitting right now.....Birmingham City centre...........
I will have to check with the Missus as I can't remember which day we were there, but they have free fireworks every Friday or Saturday night during the summer on the beach at Coney Island Fair and the fair is kind cool to see at night even if you don't really like the rides. You can get there on the Subway. Think we were there first week of September and caught the last display of the year.
Part of why we went at that time of the year was to go to the US Open Tennis, we had a really good time there, but we both like tennis.
I think someone already mentioned the Highline, that's a pretty cool raised park and there are bits of art etc to look at along the way. If you like seafood, too, check out Chelsea Market for lunch (we went to the Lobster Place, amazing chowder).
We also did this which was a really great fun and different way to see some parts of the City and was one of the best things we did, just wear comfy shoes! accomplicetheshow.com/
Some of the best fun you'll have though is just wandering around soaking un the atmosphere and watching the crazies - it's like being on a movie set (all those 'New York characters' you see in movies but you thought were exaggerated stereotypes - turns out they're real!).
We stayed on the upper westside and ate a lot of our meals on Amsterdam Ave (a couple of blocks west of central park), in particular there was an awesome Thai place (I think it was called Land) and also a really good Indian called Sagwat (this was big deal for me as Indian food in Alberta is shite) get the Chicken Manglorean if you like spicy. There's an awesome café up that way too café Lalo I think, open until like 4 am or something stupid and does awesome cakes. (Can you tell I like my food)
Be prepared for it to be stiflingly hot too (if you're on the subway and you see an empty carriage - don't think you're luck is in, its probably because the A/C isn't working in it).
I wasn't sure how much I was going to like New York, but I absolutely loved the place. We had ten days there and I could easily have filled another 10 with stuff I didn't get to see that I wanted to. I get well jealous now whenever I hear of anyone else going.
Doubt the European guesthouse on time square is still there. $8 a night, above a porno cinema. Was just a pile of mattresses on the floor sleeping maybe 50. Even then it was dirt cheap.
We also chose to go up the Rockefeller tower so you get to see the Empire State rather than the other way around. We did the sun and stars package so you get to go up during the day and again at night which was great and the skyline does look quite different between the two. Book online in advance to avoid the absolutely horrendous queues (this a generally good tip, try to think a couple of days ahead and book onto tours etc because the queues can be brutal).
The Delis are also great for cheap, good food on the go.
Last tip, I saved google maps to my phone so you can use it offline without getting stung for data roaming - this was a lifesaver for when we just wandered around as it stopped us getting lost a few times. Instructions on how to do it here.
http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-use-google-maps-offline-on-ios-android/
Oh and strap up! My Missus came back preggers!
I wouldn't go to NY without going here.
I wouldn't Don't bother with Broadway shows. Most on in London and cheaper.
Check out
http://www.clubfreetime.com/contact/seat-filling-papering-service-audience-development
For free walks/guided tours and off Broadway shows.
My first time in the states , only thing planned so far is one day at a festival in NY that Noel Gallagher and Royal Blood are playing (and weird Al!)
Planning on shopping , eating and doing all the tourist stuff.
Currently selling anything not needed to pay for it (including some organs possibly)