# NEW YORK CITY



## ALDABRAMAN (Jan 30, 2012)

OK fellow TFOers, we are going to New York City for one of our vacations this year. Any advice or direction would be great, keep in mind we are country folks!

Note: After egg laying season, lol. May or June is looking good.


----------



## pdrobber (Jan 30, 2012)

Awesome! you'll have a great time. Check out the regular stops, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building, Central Park, maybe some museums (AMNH, Met), a bridge or two, maybe a broadway or off broadway show, lots of shopping...also Little Italy, Chinatown, WTC are interesting. Maybe take the SI Ferry and drop in on TerryO LOL. If you go to Gracie Mansion (Mayor's official "house" although Bloomberg doesn't actually live there) you can stop by my place, it's literally down the street, I can see it from my front door, 200 ft away.

Maybe I'll go watch the aldabrans for you, my parents and grandparents have places in Port Charlotte, SW FL.


----------



## wellington (Jan 30, 2012)

Don't walk with your head down. Look them in the face as you walk the streets. Don't act like tourist. Tell your wife to keep purse around neck and shoulder and put your wallet in your front pocket or shirt pocket. That is what I can tell you about having a trip to a big city. The bad people in the big cities can spot an out of towner from miles away, and that makes you a target. I am not from NY but the other better big city Chicago. Other than that have a great time


----------



## Luke225 (Jan 30, 2012)

ALDABRAMAN said:


> OK fellow TFOers, we are going to New York City for one of our vacations this year. Any advice or direction would be great, keep in mind we are country folks!
> 
> Note: After egg laying season, lol. May or June is looking good.



I was born and raised in NYC. The Village, SOHO, Time square, Little Italy, China town Battery Park, Central Park ( go for a carriage ride)
Take the staten Island ferry in battery park it was 25 cents but remember to stay on so you can come back. NYC is a great place but it is chaotic. People going fast to nowhere. Everytime I go I stay tops three hours then back home to Delaware where it's nice and quiet!

Have FUn!
Michael


----------



## pdrobber (Jan 30, 2012)

good advice, I didn't even think of that stuff haha, it's just what I do without thinking about it. P.S. I may be one of the people who gets angry at you for not walking quickly enough. Despite the "angry and unfriendly" reputation, most New Yorkers LOVE giving directions...so don't be afraid to ask for help in subway stations, etc...often when people see tourists looking at a subway map, they're just waiting for them to ask for help, and then when they do, sometimes even more people will jump in and offer help.


----------



## TylerStewart (Jan 30, 2012)

wellington said:


> Don't walk with your head down. Look them in the face as you walk the streets. Don't act like tourist. Tell your wife to keep purse around neck and shoulder and put your wallet in your front pocket or shirt pocket. That is what I can tell you about having a trip to a big city. The bad people in the big cities can spot an out of towner from miles away, and that makes you a target. I am not from NY but the other better big city Chicago. Other than that have a great time



Now that's my idea of a vacation! Just keep it real and head to Vegas. Non-stop action, and you can act like a tourist and nobody really cares


----------



## Greg T (Jan 31, 2012)

Been there a few times - fantastic place but I wouldn't want to live there! Go to Times Square and around that area for sure. Great things to see there and some fun stores to go in. Stop somewhere around there and get a brick oven pizza - simply great! Take the subways around because you have to experience that part of NYC. Go to the Fish Market and see Lady Liberty. Last time I was there, Ground Zero was still a big hole, so stop by there and see what it looks like now.

It will be a fun vacation for you!


----------



## dmmj (Jan 31, 2012)

Hey I'm walking here!!!!!!


----------



## JoesMum (Jan 31, 2012)

I'm going to NY next month - really looking forward to it


----------



## ShadowRancher (Jan 31, 2012)

I don't know what you guys like to do for fun but I'm a total museum rat and my fav in NY besides the obvious MET and MOMA is the Tenement Museum...just google it I swear its worth it. They have preserved buildings in the tenement district and have exhaustively researched several families so the homes look just as they did when lived in and they have actors that play the family members. It's really really cool, if I remember there is a Irish family and a Jewish family...maybe a few others. If you go to the site and get the tour times you can pick which part of history/immigrant family you follow. 

And after you're done there is a spectacular gelato place across the street


----------



## JoesMum (Jan 31, 2012)

ShadowRancher said:


> I don't know what you guys like to do for fun but I'm a total museum rat and my fav in NY besides the obvious MET and MOMA is the Tenement Museum...just google it I swear its worth it. They have preserved buildings in the tenement district and have exhaustively researched several families so the homes look just as they did when lived in and they have actors that play the family members. It's really really cool, if I remember there is a Irish family and a Jewish family...maybe a few others. If you go to the site and get the tour times you can pick which part of history/immigrant family you follow.
> 
> And after you're done there is a spectacular gelato place across the street


It looks really interesting http://www.tenement.org/


----------



## ShadowRancher (Jan 31, 2012)

JoesMum said:


> ShadowRancher said:
> 
> 
> > I don't know what you guys like to do for fun but I'm a total museum rat and my fav in NY besides the obvious MET and MOMA is the Tenement Museum...just google it I swear its worth it. They have preserved buildings in the tenement district and have exhaustively researched several families so the homes look just as they did when lived in and they have actors that play the family members. It's really really cool, if I remember there is a Irish family and a Jewish family...maybe a few others. If you go to the site and get the tour times you can pick which part of history/immigrant family you follow.
> ...



Haha thanks for linking that for me! I was being lazy


----------



## Guggie (Jan 31, 2012)

Check out the Guggenheim!

Ryan Guggenheim


----------



## batchick (Jan 31, 2012)

This is awesome. I'm heading over to NYC for a conference next month. The Tenement Museum looks fab.


----------



## Zamric (Jan 31, 2012)

Never been there, never wanted to go there.... BUT always wanted to visit The Statue of Liberty.... to bad it's in NY  (no insult intended for all you native New Yorkers out there.)


----------



## GBtortoises (Jan 31, 2012)

My advice on vacationing in NYC-See what you can and then travel to the Catskills, the Adirondacks and the Finger Lakes region to see what New York State is really about. Adirondack State park = 6,100,000 square acres. Catskill State park = 700,000 square acres. Best time to come-May through October. Summers are awesome here and falls are some of the most colorful in the U.S.


----------



## DesertGrandma (Jan 31, 2012)

GBtortoises said:


> My advice on vacationing in NYC-See what you can and then travel to the Catskills, the Adirondacks and the Finger Lakes region to see what New York State is really about. Adirondack State park = 6,100,000 square acres. Catskill State park = 700,000 square acres. Best time to come-May through October. Summers are awesome here and falls are some of the most colorful in the U.S.



This sounds heavenly. My experience with NYC was that once is enough.


----------



## StudentoftheReptile (Jan 31, 2012)

Don't forget the Museum of Natural History and Bronx Zoo.


----------



## GBtortoises (Jan 31, 2012)

DesertGrandma said:


> GBtortoises said:
> 
> 
> > My advice on vacationing in NYC-See what you can and then travel to the Catskills, the Adirondacks and the Finger Lakes region to see what New York State is really about. Adirondack State park = 6,100,000 square acres. Catskill State park = 700,000 square acres. Best time to come-May through October. Summers are awesome here and falls are some of the most colorful in the U.S.
> ...



NYC has a lot to offer tourists as long as your into buildings and people, lots of people.

I'm just not. I live about 4 hours north, in the northern Catskills. I travel to NYC on average about once a year, mainly to attend a motorcycle show in January. The time in the city makes me really appreciate the serenity and natural beauty of the rest of the state and especially the hills where I live. 

I'm not saying that a vacation to NYC is a bad thing, just that there is so much more to New York State that few people across the country realize.


----------



## jaizei (Jan 31, 2012)

Zamric said:


> Never been there, never wanted to go there.... BUT always wanted to visit The Statue of Liberty.... to bad it's in NY  (no insult intended for all you native New Yorkers out there.)


 My thoughts exactly


----------



## JoesMum (Jan 31, 2012)

GBtortoises said:


> My advice on vacationing in NYC-See what you can and then travel to the Catskills, the Adirondacks and the Finger Lakes region to see what New York State is really about. Adirondack State park = 6,100,000 square acres. Catskill State park = 700,000 square acres. Best time to come-May through October. Summers are awesome here and falls are some of the most colorful in the U.S.


We're only going for 3 nights, so it'll have to be just the city this time 

Unfortunately Liberty is closed for most of this year for maintenance. We'll be able to go to the island, but not inside.


----------



## Zamric (Jan 31, 2012)

New York STATE.... all those places (outside the city) sound GREAT! I wouldn't mind those! I did go salmon fishing at Niagra Falls, down river.... last October, Had a GREAT time and I'm not much into fishing. Fresh Salmon just cant be beat!!!


----------



## GBtortoises (Jan 31, 2012)

Zamric said:


> New York STATE.... all those places (outside the city) sound GREAT! I wouldn't mind those! I did go salmon fishing at Niagra Falls, down river.... last October, Had a GREAT time and I'm not much into fishing. Fresh Salmon just cant be beat!!!


You got to come back in September-October and go Salmon fishing near Pulaski, NY-one of the most famous Salmon runs in the world! It's crazy- 15-20 pounders all day long!


----------



## judy wayte (Jan 31, 2012)

i live in ky now but was born and raised in long island ny go to the bronx zoo and the museum of natural history if you are into art the met. judy


----------



## Zamric (Jan 31, 2012)

in October I got an 18lbs Salmon.... this year my buddy wants to wait a month (Nov) and go for the Steelhead run


----------



## GBtortoises (Feb 1, 2012)

Zamric said:


> in October I got an 18lbs Salmon.... this year my buddy wants to wait a month (Nov) and go for the Steelhead run


Nice! Some of the worlds best Trout (fly fishing) in the Delaware river, 10 minutes from my house, even better about an hour downriver.


----------



## Tom (Feb 1, 2012)

I have been there several times. I was taught by people wiser than me that if you have nothing nice to say, then say nothing at all...


----------



## terryo (Feb 1, 2012)

Wow...I can't believe all the negativity about NY. To me, it's so exciting. The best restaurants, the greatest shopping, the Theater district. I think I have the best of both worlds living here. Just enough country living not to make me insane, and then a short ferry ride to the big city. I can understand how some people feel though. When I used to visit my Aunt in Texas, I couldn't wait to get home to moisturize my hair and body.


----------



## GBtortoises (Feb 1, 2012)

TerryO--Gotta tell ya' most people outside of New York aren't very fond of it! I was born and raised here in the town that I'm from in the Catskills and moved back many years ago. But I spent some time in Mississippi, Texas and North Dakota and was forever defending where I was from and trying to explain that NYC is just a small little corner of a huge state. A friend in North Dakota refused to believe that I grew up on a farm, even after I brought back photos of our farm! I was even asked once when I told someone that I grew up on a farm: "Where do you keep the cows in those big buildings (skyscrapers)? That's why I _always_ make it clear that I am from *New York State* and not just "New York". As soon as you say that, everyone automatically assumes NYC because that's all they've seen or heard about on television.

I've also never gone "insane" living in the country. I have more things to do here than I have time to do them all.


----------



## JoesMum (Feb 1, 2012)

We live very close to London... only 30 minutes on the train... busy and bustling (but quieter than New York). I love to go there, but it's good to come home too!


----------



## JoesMum (Feb 15, 2012)

Well, I've just got back after spending a long weekend in NYC. It was fabulous (if cold ) and I am presently rather jet-lagged and trying to stay awake until something closer to my normal UK bed-time!

We bought CityPass online and exchanged the receipt at our first attraction for the books of tickets.

We went up the Empire State Building by day and to the Top of The Rock one evening to see the city lights. We saw a show (Memphis) on Broadway, visited the Met, walked in Central Park, went to the AMNH and saw the planetarium... window-shopped on Fifth Avenue, saw Grand Central Station and St Patrick's cathedral.

We went out to Liberty Island (you can't climb her this year as she's being restored) and to Ellis Island and walked up Wall Street... and also visited the 911 memorial (reserve passes in advance online)

We ate very well and had a brilliant time in the USA... and I've probably missed out a load of other things we did.

More coffee required... *props eyelids open with matches  *


----------



## batchick (Feb 15, 2012)

I'm heading there and also bought a CityPASS. Did it all work well? I can't wait. I'm going to walk myself broken and see as much as possible, whilst also being diligent and going to my conference as much as I should. Fearing the jet lag and journey - 22 hour layover in Dubai makes for a long trip.


----------



## JoesMum (Feb 15, 2012)

At least we were able to fly direct from London Heathrow to JFK. It's a flat $45 fare (plus taxes and tolls works out about $50) with a yellow cab between Manhattan and JFK. Watch out for arrivals hall sharks trying to get you in their (not yellow) cabs for $96 and their 'friendly' warning that we'd be "in a cab with the Taliban"!!!!

We walked MILES! Comfy shoes are a total necessity  We did use cabs too for occasional longer trips on Manhattan Island (To get back to the hotel when we really could walk no further at the end of the day!) 

The CityPASS was very easy to use; just hand over the book and the ticket person knows where to find their voucher in amongst the others! February is low season, so it was pretty quiet everywhere and there was no queueing.

My husband travels overseas a lot on business and uses Melatonin to help minimise jet lag. You take one half an hour before bed and it regulates your sleep pattern... it works! The problem I have is that the flight from the USA home landed at the equivalent of 4am New York time (9am in London) and I never sleep properly on planes, so I feel like I could do with a nap. Given a decent night's sleep in my own bed, I'm sure I'll be OK!


----------



## pdrobber (Feb 15, 2012)

glad you had a good time! It's kind of an odd time to visit here though, not the holiday season and not spring or summer...not fall with the foliage. just kind of barren, cold, kind of windy and wet...LOL


----------



## terryo (Feb 15, 2012)

Yes, I wish you could have come for the Christmas Season, or even in the Spring. It's so beautiful then. But I'm glad you had a good time anyway.


----------



## Jacqui (Feb 15, 2012)

GBtortoises said:


> I'm not saying that a vacation to NYC is a bad thing, just that there is so much more to New York State that few people across the country realize.



I have to admit I was one of those folks.  Until I started driving the truck thru your wonderful state all I thought the state was is the city. I learned a beautiful lesson and the state is now in my top 5 most beautiful places to go. Just a beautiful countryside.

As for the city, well my biggest impression is still how small and green the Statue of Liberty really is.   I think the world's craziest drivers live there. (no offense TerryO), but found it a very interesting city. 

Glad you enjoyed your visit to the states and made it home safely. Why did you happen to pick NYC to travel to?


----------

