Traveling to NYC, feedback wanted - General

Hi guys, I decided to take a break of work for the first time in 3 years, and I'm going to see NYC with my girlfriend. A city I've been wanting to see for ages, and haven't been able to because of my company. [B][U]Planning:[/U][/B] - We'll be staying for 5 days, 4 nights in February. - I've allocated €3.000 for the both of us to be spent on hotel, flight and things-to-do. - I happen to have a business acquintance who has a nice hotel (The NYLO NYC) and we'll be staying there with a nice discount. - We've got a panoramic room, like you're supposed to in a beautiful city like this. - We basically have $375 to spend per day. [B][U]Questions:[/U][/B] - Ofcourse spring is a 'better' time to visit NYC because of the weather. However, is there a native NYC'er here who can say based on personal experience if NYC is worth coming too as a tourist in February? - Is $375 on average a day, for 5 days, for 2 people enough to be in New York? Should I increase my budget, or is this enough to do a lot of nice stuff? - We've made a selection of cigar, vodkabars, restaurants, delis, hamburgerjoints and other things we want to do and/or visit. Are tips on what we really HAVE to go do or see? - As weird as this may sound, big part of going to America is trying all sorts of different foods. Not because these aren't available here in the Netherlands, but just because they're "so American". It's what I grew up with in the movies. Thats why I just need to go buy a 50 layer pastrami sandwich. I Just have to. Same goes for filthy street hotdogs, bagels and a lobsterroll. It's part of the culture I want to dip my toe in. - Top of the Rock and/or Empire State Observatory? Are they worth it or should we just do one, or what? - I've done research. I figured out how the streetsystems work, what the taxi-etiquette is, what the tipping-etiquette is, what the metro-etiquette is etc. Also, I tend to smoke on holidays although I'm not a regular smoker. What's the deal, can I smoke on normal sidewalks or not? - We wanna dive into a comedyclub and see a random standup comedian whilst being able to drink. Where should we go? - Be sure to recommend us any food establishment you can think of. We're looking for the entire scope of things. Deli's where you buy a 15$ sandwich, and restaurants where you spend $300 for two people. - Any stores we should visit? How's Macy's or should we just go to another mall or? - BIG one : Is it worth hiring a car for $500 for 3 days or am I just going to be burning (incredibly cheap(!)) fuel in standstill traffic all day surrounded by yellow cabs? I'd love some input and discussion from people who've been to NYC, or even live there. Be sure to bombard me with all kinds of tips, do's, don'ts and places to visit, or things to eat. Thanks in advance!

Go to Nintendo World

[QUOTE=IliekBoxes;46721752]Go to Nintendo World[/QUOTE] Noted. We're both not really gaming people anymore, but we both had a (S)NES in our childhood. It might be a very fun way of spending an hour. Also, since I have euro's, stuff paid for in dollars is pretty cheap. I'm looking for a new nice cigarette jet lighter. I could order one of Ebay sure, but I wanna buy it in NYC preferably. Is there a smoking or smoking accessory shop in NYC somewhere? Preferably Manhattan?

Okay, so I'm from a New Jersey suburb about an hour away from NYC, so I go there quite often. Smoking-wise, it's still pretty common to see in the streets. No one's gonna holler at you for smoking in New York. I'd say for touristy things, you should totally checkout Manhattan. Rockefeller Center's a pretty great place to hang out, and in February you can probably still ice skate there. Honestly the most fun thing to do in New York is to walk around from downtown to uptown and just kind of take in the sights. I recommend going to TKTS, where you can get last-minute tickets to a Broadway matinee. Food-wise there's a ton of places to go, you'll find some neat stuff pretty much anywhere. Although the most unique food I've seen in the city is in the Village. One of my favorite places is called [URL="http://www.pommesfritesnyc.com/"]Pommes Frites[/URL], a place that sells great Belgian fries with a huge variety of toppings and dips. They put em in paper cones too, so you can walk around with them or put them in conveniently placed holes in the tables. If you have any questions I'll be glad to come up with more stuff, it's just hard to think of things right now off the top of my head.

Be prepared to see a lot of crazy people.

[QUOTE=Jmir 54;46721841]Be prepared to see a lot of crazy people.[/QUOTE] Like people in mascot costume shouting racist, xenophobic and anti-semitic remarks at passerbys. Seeing those was quite a sight. (But if you see the Naked Cowboy if he's still around, he's an alright guy.)

[QUOTE=Pr0fane;46721802] Is there a smoking or smoking accessory shop in NYC somewhere? Preferably Manhattan?[/QUOTE] You'll probably come across one sooner or later, usually with bright neon signs and bongs in the window. If you're into spending an hour at stores like that, there's the M&M store, The Disney store, and the massive Toys R Us is totally worth visiting even if you don't want any toys. Plus you can try to meet the weird Elmo who hates minorities

[QUOTE=BigJoeyLemons;46721833]Okay, so I'm from a New Jersey suburb about an hour away from NYC, so I go there quite often. Smoking-wise, it's still pretty common to see in the streets. No one's gonna holler at you for smoking in New York. I'd say for touristy things, you should totally checkout Manhattan. Rockefeller Center's a pretty great place to hang out, and in February you can probably still ice skate there. Honestly the most fun thing to do in New York is to walk around from downtown to uptown and just kind of take in the sights. I recommend going to TKTS, where you can get last-minute tickets to a Broadway matinee. Food-wise there's a ton of places to go, you'll find some neat stuff pretty much anywhere. Although the most unique food I've seen in the city is in the Village. One of my favorite places is called [URL="http://www.pommesfritesnyc.com/"]Pommes Frites[/URL], a place that sells great Belgian fries with a huge variety of toppings and dips. They put em in paper cones too, so you can walk around with them or put them in conveniently placed holes in the tables. If you have any questions I'll be glad to come up with more stuff, it's just hard to think of things right now off the top of my head.[/QUOTE] That's great man. Thanks for the info. My girlfriend is a semi-pro figure skater so she'd love it if I were able to surprise her with an opportunity to skate in NYC. Can't thank you enough for this. Belgian fries are abundant here in the Netherlands, but it might be awesome to have a little piece of home whilst we're there. I've saved their adress in the CityMapper app. TKTS is in my browser favs too. Thanks for all your info!

go to MoMA

[QUOTE=Jmir 54;46721841]Be prepared to see a lot of crazy people.[/QUOTE] Yeah actually I'm kinda worried about this. I'm 6 foot 5 inches, and usually wear formal clothing. I'll be sure to stand out is what I'm saying. I have my creditcards and money in a small clip in my innerpocket but I won't escape putting my passport and other important documents in a wallets in my pocket. How 'safe' is New York in Manhattan and SoHo where we'll be spending 80% of our time? Also, are there area's to just stay out of? Also also, what's up with walking around late at night? I'm a night person, and love exploring even at 2AM. Is this viable? [editline]16th December 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=BigJoeyLemons;46721867]weird Elmo who hates minorities[/QUOTE] Is this the same Elmo that was on Dutch national news lately, for attacking a tourist demanding 10 instead of 1 dollar bills, and attacking a NYPD officer after that? I don't really want to meet him lol.

[QUOTE=elitehakor;46721878]go to MoMA[/QUOTE] Holy shit I totally forgot about the museums! MoMA is such a great place to go, and so is the Met. Even if you're not a big fan of art, you should totally dedicate like half a day to checking out museums. You can get selfies with priceless art like I did last year [t]http://41.media.tumblr.com/9182944615272bc8e823a828d21c6c39/tumblr_mxpt1nOiMK1qg226zo1_1280.jpg[/t] [t]http://40.media.tumblr.com/3b16a7294b55fe94bcef7f6e8e66e264/tumblr_mxpt1nOiMK1qg226zo2_1280.jpg[/t]

Ah yes. MoMA is on our list already. We're both really into art! Thanks for suggesting though. Love it.

[QUOTE=Pr0fane;46721908]Yeah actually I'm kinda worried about this. I'm 6 foot 5 inches, and usually wear formal clothing. I'll be sure to stand out is what I'm saying. I have my creditcards and money in a small clip in my innerpocket but I won't escape putting my passport and other important documents in a wallets in my pocket.[/QUOTE] Dude, I'm 6 foot 6 so I know what you mean. The only time it's been a bad thing was when a homeless-looking man came up to me and asked if i played basketball, then segued into telling me about how he needed a train ticket and if i could give him some cash. If this ever happens, have a couple of singles ready in your pocket so you don't have to pull out your wallet and flash around your funds, like I did.

I can probably answer some of these. [QUOTE=Pr0fane;46721744][B][U]Questions:[/U][/B] - Ofcourse spring is a 'better' time to visit NYC because of the weather. However, is there a native NYC'er here who can say based on personal experience if NYC is worth coming too as a tourist in February? [B]I doubt they'll have the Christmas stuff up still by then, and if it's February, it's just... Cold New York. Not much is different. Perhaps an ice skating rink will still be open.[/B] - Is $375 on average a day, for 5 days, for 2 people enough to be in New York? Should I increase my budget, or is this enough to do a lot of nice stuff? [B]That really depends on what you're doing. There's a lot of expensive stuff, but there's also a lot of really cheep (but sometimes shady) stuff.[/B] - We've made a selection of cigar, vodkabars, restaurants, delis, hamburgerjoints and other things we want to do and/or visit. Are tips on what we really HAVE to go do or see? [B]Taking a ferry out to the Statue of Liberty. You can't go up inside of it anymore, but it's a nice sight to behold.[/B] - Top of the Rock and/or Empire State Observatory? Are they worth it or should we just do one, or what? [B]The Top of the Rock only has thick glass panels holding you back from falling to your death if you go outside. However there's a nice inside observatory with wide windows so you can see pretty well from the warm comfy indoors. IIRC, there's also plenty of seating near the windows. As for the Empire State Building, it's observatory has strong metal fencing around it and a kind-of-tall concrete wall. It's kind of hard to see over it and anything much below the tower, but with how safe it feels to be outside there, it's worth going up. Note if that you're actually going in February, MAKE SURE TO BRING A SCARF AND A HEAVY COAT UP THERE. It's going to be ball-shriveling cold.[/B] - I've done research. I figured out how the streetsystems work, what the taxi-etiquette is, what the tipping-etiquette is, what the metro-etiquette is etc. Also, I tend to smoke on holidays although I'm not a regular smoker. What's the deal, can I smoke on normal sidewalks or not? [B]You can, but just don't toss your butts on the ground. Dispose of them properly.[/B] - Be sure to recommend us any food establishment you can think of. We're looking for the entire scope of things. Deli's where you buy a 15$ sandwich, and restaurants where you spend $300 for two people. [B]Serendipity (if it's still there) is rather pricey. But they're usually pretty crowded with long wait times. I can't offer much else here since we only stayed for 2 days and didn't get to go to many places to eat.[/B] - Any stores we should visit? How's Macy's or should we just go to another mall or? [B]Macy's. Nintendo Store. Hershey's store. A huge Toys-R-Us/LEGO store (which has a bunch of awesome LEGO sculptures)! There's tons of neat places around Times Square, just look around and see what piques your interest. Some of them might seem childish but you are NEVER too old for LEGO.[/B] - BIG one : Is it worth hiring a car for $500 for 3 days or am I just going to be burning (incredibly cheap(!)) fuel in standstill traffic all day surrounded by yellow cabs? [B]Driving in New York is absolute Hell. I don't recommend it whatsoever. We mostly walked where we wanted to (great exercise), and the only times we relied on transportation was when we took a double-decker bus tour and when places were too far to walk to. Cabs are expensive though so watch out. But this also all depends on where you're staying. We stayed only a few blocks away from Times Square.[/B][/QUOTE] One more thing, if you get any food from streetside vendors, please be careful. My dad got a hotdog from one once and got some nasty food poisoning. It also apparently tasted like ass.

[QUOTE=BigJoeyLemons;46721942]Dude, I'm 6 foot 6 so I know what you mean. The only time it's been a bad thing was when a homeless-looking man came up to me and asked if i played basketball, then segued into telling me about how he needed a train ticket and if i could give him some cash. If this ever happens, have a couple of singles ready in your pocket so you don't have to pull out your wallet and flash around your funds, like I did.[/QUOTE] Yeah well lets get this clear. I'm no pussy, but I am 'worried' about crime somewhat. Based on some fashion discussions I've been having with some of the guys on this forum, I'm going to be sticking out like a sore thumb, just like my girlfriend. I'm a bit afraid that our looks are just going to scream 'tourist with wallets filled'.

Hope you have an awesome trip, bud. NYC is somewhere I'd love to visit.

Another thing. [I]Don't carry money.[/I] Use credit cards or convert it to prepaid visa cards or something. If you HAVE to carry money, make sure to hide it well. Also store valuables on your person in places you can easily see in secure bags of some type. Be vigilant. Always have someone you trust with you. If anyone ever stops to ask you about something, anything, make sure your trusted person is looking out, because that's where pickpocketers like to strike. Don't bring anything outside with you unless you absolutely must. If you want, purchase a chain wallet and keep the chain where you can see it. You'll also run into beggars of some type every now and then. Do not give them anything. If you really want to help and think they're legit, offer to buy them food instead, like a sandwich or something. If they refuse and ask for money instead, say that you do not carry money, and walk away.

[QUOTE=Pr0fane;46721975]Yeah well lets get this clear. I'm no pussy, but I am 'worried' about crime somewhat. Based on some fashion discussions I've been having with some of the guys on this forum, I'm going to be sticking out like a sore thumb, just like my girlfriend. I'm a bit afraid that our looks are just going to scream 'tourist with wallets filled'.[/QUOTE] Trust me, you won't stick out in Manhattan or Times Square. Those are the most densely populated, tourist-ridden parts of the city. and I'm assuming you mean you dress fashionably? I don't think you'll have much of an issue in the Village, since that's where all the starving artists live. Just don't flaunt around any of your possessions and don't look up in awe at all the buildings and take too many photos. If you have a relatively indifferent attitude and look like you're just trying to get from point A to point B, you'll blend right in. [editline]15th December 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=SuperDuperScoot;46722022]Another thing. [I]Don't carry money.[/I] Use credit cards or convert it to prepaid visa cards or something. If you HAVE to carry money, make sure to hide it well. Also store valuables on your person in places you can easily see in secure bags of some type. Be vigilant. Always have someone you trust with you. If anyone ever stops to ask you about something, anything, make sure your trusted person is looking out, because that's where pickpocketers like to strike. Don't bring anything outside with you unless you absolutely must. If you want, purchase a chain wallet and keep the chain where you can see it. You'll also run into beggars of some type every now and then. Do not give them anything. If you really want to help and think they're legit, offer to buy them food instead, like a sandwich or something. If they refuse and ask for money instead, say that you do not carry money, and walk away.[/QUOTE] tbh this is better advice than mine

[QUOTE=SuperDuperScoot;46721965][B]I doubt they'll have the Christmas stuff up still by then, and if it's February, it's just... Cold New York. Not much is different. Perhaps an ice skating rink will still be open.[/B] Yeah I'm definitely hoping for a rink to be open. My gf, and by extension, I would love that. [B]That really depends on what you're doing. There's a lot of expensive stuff, but there's also a lot of really cheep (but sometimes shady) stuff.[/B] Yeah we're going to be eating, doing and buying what we want within reason ofcourse. Well I guess we'll find out if it'll be enough. [B]Taking a ferry out to the Statue of Liberty. You can't go up inside of it anymore, but it's a nice sight to behold.[/B] Oh what? Really? I thought it was closed for repairs after Sandy, but that it had reopened? This sucks. I wanted to go into the crown. We'll still take the ferry though. [B]The Top of the Rock only has thick glass panels holding you back from falling to your death if you go outside. However there's a nice inside observatory with wide windows so you can see pretty well from the warm comfy indoors. IIRC, there's also plenty of seating near the windows. As for the Empire State Building, it's observatory has strong metal fencing around it and a kind-of-tall concrete wall. It's kind of hard to see over it and anything much below the tower, but with how safe it feels to be outside there, it's worth going up. Note if that you're actually going in February, MAKE SURE TO BRING A SCARF AND A HEAVY COAT UP THERE. It's going to be ball-shriveling cold.[/B] Thanks for the info. Guess we'll do both then. I usually wear a nice long coat, and a good scarf, so I'll be sure to bring them. I might even go shopping for a new coat there because of the beneficial euro/dollar conversion. [B]You can, but just don't toss your butts on the ground. Dispose of them properly.[/B] No matter in what country I am. I never drop butts on the ground. My girlfriend will attest that, to her horror, I'd sooner but stinky butts (ha) in my coats pocket and take them home again, rather than pollute. [B]Serendipity (if it's still there) is rather pricey. But they're usually pretty crowded with long wait times. I can't offer much else here since we only stayed for 2 days and didn't get to go to many places to eat.[/B] Ah yes I've heard about it somewhere. This is definitely on our list. If we have to wait for longer than 30 minutes we'll be gone though. We'll find somewhere else to eat. [B]Macy's. Nintendo Store. Hershey's store. LEGO store (which has a bunch of awesome LEGO sculptures)! There's tons of neat places around Times Square, just look around and see what piques your interest. Some of them might seem childish but you are NEVER too old for LEGO.[/B] Added Hershey's to CityMapper. LEGO's ain't going to fly with my girlfriend, even though I agree it's physically impossible to be too old for LEGO's. [B]Driving in New York is absolute Hell. I don't recommend it whatsoever. We mostly walked where we wanted to (great exercise), and the only times we relied on transportation was when we took a double-decker bus tour and when places were too far to walk to. Cabs are expensive though so watch out. But this also all depends on where you're staying. We stayed only a few blocks away from Times Square.[/B] Good to know. We'd love to be walking, but if it's cold we'll be taking a cab pretty much all and everytime. Car rental is out of the question, also because I want to be able to enjoy alcohol too. [B]One more thing, if you get any food from streetside vendors, please be careful. My dad got a hotdog from one once and got some nasty food poisoning. It also apparently tasted like ass.[/B] Ah. I'll check for which carts have locals buying from them. I'm not looking to get food poisoning during the short 5 days I'll have. [/QUOTE] [editline]16th December 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=SuperDuperScoot;46722022]Another thing. [I]Don't carry money.[/I] Use credit cards or convert it to prepaid visa cards or something. If you HAVE to carry money, make sure to hide it well. Also store valuables on your person in places you can easily see in secure bags of some type. Be vigilant. Always have someone you trust with you. If anyone ever stops to ask you about something, anything, make sure your trusted person is looking out, because that's where pickpocketers like to strike. Don't bring anything outside with you unless you absolutely must. If you want, purchase a chain wallet and keep the chain where you can see it. You'll also run into beggars of some type every now and then. Do not give them anything. If you really want to help and think they're legit, offer to buy them food instead, like a sandwich or something. If they refuse and ask for money instead, say that you do not carry money, and walk away.[/QUOTE] This is really good practical advice. Honestly, I was planning to be walking around with $300 in cash pretty much nonstop since how else am I going to pay for taxis? I don't trust some shady taxi guy with my creditcard. Yeah I know I'm insured and whatnot, but I'm culturally trained to pay cash, by direct debit card, or dont pay at all. Can you even pay by creditcard in taxis? I'll remember the beggar-advice. And valuables. Well I won't escape bringing me and my gf's phones. I want us both to be able to contact eachother in case of emergency, or if we lose eachother. We've both got Note 4's. We also planning to take pictures with them. Is this safe to do publicly or are we going to get mugged for our phones? I'll leave my watch at home in the Netherlands though. [editline]16th December 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=BigJoeyLemons;46722052]Trust me, you won't stick out in Manhattan or Times Square. Those are the most densely populated, tourist-ridden parts of the city. and I'm assuming you mean you dress fashionably? I don't think you'll have much of an issue in the Village, since that's where all the starving artists live. Just don't flaunt around any of your possessions and don't look up in awe at all the buildings and take too many photos. If you have a relatively indifferent attitude and look like you're just trying to get from point A to point B, you'll blend right in. tbh this is better advice than mine[/QUOTE] Well yes. I dress 'italian', for a lack of a shorter way of saying it. I like fashion, and I chose to dedicate a bigger portion of my income towards shoes, clothing, coats etc than an average person. I'm not wearing over the top stuff. Don't get me wrong. But kinda stuff like this: [img]http://menfash.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Dress-Coats-for-Men.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.shoppingner.com/images/men/DressShirts/0157291/0157291-1j201108241439094186.jpg[/img] [img]http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTAyNFg1MjU=/z/-D8AAOSw7NNULjZQ/$_72.JPG[/img]

You shouldn't be worried about using a credit card in a taxi (which you can do as far as I know). They're not criminals. Also your style of dress isn't too far off from how trendy NYC folk dress, although you're a little higher-budget. There's always a few nicely dressed people, and a load of businessmen, so you shouldn't be too worried. Taking phone pictures should be fine as long as you hold them steady and don't take up a lot of time and sidewalk space.

[QUOTE=BigJoeyLemons;46722317]You shouldn't be worried about using a credit card in a taxi (which you can do as far as I know). They're not criminals. Also your style of dress isn't too far off from how trendy NYC folk dress, although you're a little higher-budget. There's always a few nicely dressed people, and a load of businessmen, so you shouldn't be too worried. Taking phone pictures should be fine as long as you hold them steady and don't take up a lot of time and sidewalk space.[/QUOTE] Thanks for explaining dude. Really, I appreciate it immensely. Yeah I've been sure to look into what annoys new yorkers most about tourists, and I made my girlfriend watch the little 'YT documentary" too to make sure we're going to be 'good' tourists.

Yeah I agree on the no driving thing. Traffic is terrible in NYC, and I always walk or take the subway. Street vendor wise, they have the best kebabs. Definitely need to try those. For restaurants, they're all over Times Square and you'll eventually find one you like just walking through Times Square. Also people in NYC walk fast, they don't stop moving. & one last thing, Times Square at night is really cool to see, a lot different than times square during the day. [editline]15th December 2014[/editline] and you won't stick out clothing wise in NYC either, like above there are a ton of business people always on the streets in suits and ties.

Guys I'm also having trouble oriënting myself. Where would a person go shopping for clothing like I wear? On Google Maps I can find lots of clothingstores but they're all general clothing stores. What's the shopping area/street to be?