New York?

[The9]

Chinatown is excellent for cheap food and some clothes, you won't understand a bloody thing on the menu though.

 

Agreed on Century 21 shopping and skating in Central Park. Can't believe how extortionate the taxi fare appears to have got. I'd also say it is bloody freezing with the windchill in Jan/Feb and you will probably want thermals. Getting on the Liberty Island ferry in minus 20 is an experience and no mistake - looked something like this for my mate in 2000.

 

 

I've stayed at Vanderbilt YMCA in Midtown (near the UN) on two occasions and it's very cheap, you can get 2 person rooms, and though the showers are down the corridor, there are cubicles and it's much MUCH cheaper than any hotel. It is on the East side though, so you have to walk a few blocks to get to the subway.

[NY Saint]

Now I know what tourists really like when they visit

 

 

Few other ideas/tips:

 

Have a look at iStopover.com - apartments for less than the price of hotels. Or try Hotels.com or hotwire.com for cheaper prices on hotels.

If you have a smartphone - find a fast food place/coffee shop with free wifi. Download the Yelp application.

Make sure you have a map with you, for as easy as NYC is to navigate on the numbered streets and avenues it can get confusing downtown.

Rent bikes. You'll not be restricted to bus timetables and you'll be able to see most of the city in a day or two.

Top of the Rock is definitely worth it.

Staten Island ferry is free - take it for a view of the Statue of Liberty.

Brooklyn Bridge walk is a great idea - you only need to walk out halfway for incredible pics of downtown.

Ground Zero is going to be a hive of activity over the next month and the free tours of the new site begin next week... however you need to sign up and the waiting list might be six months long.

NY Waterway tours are interesting for a new perspective - craning your neck up from the buses/cabs/bikes can take its toll.

Bloomingdales on 59th is rather like a poor man's Harrods but if you're budget is tight I would skip it completely.

Intrepid Aircraft carrier museum is also interesting but pricey (I live one block away and have a view of it as I write this)

Foley's pub near Madison Square Gardens has more sports memorabilia than I've ever seen including rings, hats, jerseys and baseballs from almost all series.

There are loads of good pubs and bars and even more crap ones. It really depends which part of the city you are in and if college football is on.

Saturdays bars are packed with people watching college (American) football during the day, baseball at night. Sundays bars will have people watching NFL football and baseball at night.

 

 

Feel free to email me if you help when you're here.. however I generally don't put up bail

[Thedelldays]

I want to move to New York :-(

as do I...

 

shall we run away together..?

[View From The Top]

Took this photo from the bridge wing of HMS Phoebe, Feb '87.