Sport in NYC

I%26#39;m a bit of a football fan (soccer to all you New Yorkers ) and am visiting NYC in mid August. Any suggestions what sports will be played between 9th and 13th of August. I%26#39;d really like to see some form of American sport and dont really know what is on at that time of year.

Sport in NYC

I%26#39;ll try to help you out, but I really don%26#39;t know much about sports. Summer is baseball season in the U.S. Our two major leageue teams are the New York Yankees and the New York Mets, but we have minor league teams as well (I think there are 2).

Sport in NYC

There are really only two major sports going on--baseball and pro football training camps. Major League Baseball is either the Yankees or the Mets depending upon which team is playing at home. But if you want to try something fun and different, the Brooklyn Cyclones will be playing in Coney Island. They are a minor league baseball team (if they were an English soccer team they%26#39;d be somewhere around division 2 and non-league but with 8,000 fans watching) that plays in a beautiful 8,000-seat stadium adjoining the beach, boardwalk and Atlantic Ocean in Coney Island. Most of the seats are taken by season ticket holders but some less expensive seats are available (Brooklyncyclones.com for tickets) on game day. You can spend a day at Coney Island going on the rides or lying on the beach, eating hot dogs at Nathan%26#39;s and then going to the game. Most games start at 5 pm. Coney Island is reached by subway about an hour from Manhattan.

As for pro football training camps, the Giants train up in Albany, NY, but the Jets train at Hofstra University on Long Island and their practices and training sessions are open to the public.

You%26#39;re in luck, Steve. I just checked their schedule (I think you might call it a ';fixture list';?) and the Yankees are in town during your stay. Their stadium is in the Bronx.

As luck would have it I have tried to follow American Football for the last 15 years or so on English TV. For my sins I tend to follow the Giants. How far is Albany from the city, can I get there and are the training camps available to the public. If the Giants are not possible then I may try the Cyclones. Only problem being I will be in NYC for only 4 days and will have wife and 17 year old daughter in tow. The chances of getting the two of them away from the city are as likely as seeing the Giants in a superbowl!

Steve. Why ruin an otherwise good vacation by going to see the Giants? Besides, Albany is nearly a four-hour drive from New York City.

If you need a sports fix and have a wife and daughter to contend with, I%26#39;d go with the Cyclones or the Jets practice.

The Cyclones play in a lovely little ballpark in Coney Island, not a bad seat in the house. After the game you could have dinner at Gargiulo%26#39;s, a legendary Italian restaurant just down the block from the park. There are rides, the beach, the boardwalk and the ocean. What could be better?

As for the Jets, they practice at Hofstra, which is perhaps 10 minutes away by cab from the Roosevelt Field Mall, one of the largest and best shopping malls in the U.S. Drop the wife and daughter at the Mall and cab it over to Hofstra to watch practice. You can arrange to meet %26#39;em back at the Mall at a designated time and location after practice. You%26#39;ll have to take the Long Island Railroad from Penn Station to Carle Place and from there get a cab to the Mall.

Isn%26#39;t minor league ball over by August, Ruffian?

No, the Cyclones season runs through the end of August. Steve said he%26#39;d be here from the 9th to the 13th. The Cyclones have home games on the 10, 11th and 12th against the Tri-Cities Valley Cats, whomever they might be. Times haven%26#39;t been set yet but games usually begin at 5 pm.

And by the way, Steve, as far as things to do in Coney Island, I left off one of the best. You have to go for a ride on the Cyclone--the roller coaster after which the team is named.

Well what can I say-Coney Island and the Cyclones it is then. How easy are tickets to come by for an out-of-towner like me? The whole Coney Island experience sounds just great. Seeing as I dont arrive until August I%26#39;m sure many more questions will be winging their way over the pond. By the way my 4 nights in Manhatten will be spent at the Southgate Towers hotel-good, bad or shall I start worrying now?

Steve, you can check Brooklyncyclones.com for ticket info. There may be some day of game tickets available at the box office but those are likely to be in the outfield bleachers.

The Cyclones have been somewhat of a phenomenon. They are the first team in Brooklyn since the Dodgers left in 1955. In the league they play in, most teams average crowds of perhaps 2,500 fans. The Cyclones pack in 8,000 to every game and most of the tickets are purchased well before the season begins by season ticket holders. Brooklyn fans were so starved for baseball that in their first season the Cyclones sold out every game even before anybody knew what players would be playing on the team.

I don%26#39;t know much about the Southgate. Check the posts on the hotel section of this board.

By the way, if you need a football fix, the Metro Stars of the MSL should have started their season by then. They play at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands in New Jersey. Haven%26#39;t checked the schedule so I don%26#39;t know if there%26#39;s a game while you%26#39;re in town.

Ruffian42-as usual an immediate reply-thanks for that. Have looked at the posts for the southgate and they look favourable. I think I%26#39;ll definitely try to watch the Cyclones. I%26#39;m really looking forward to NYC and will no doubt post my itinery to see what you new yorkers can advise for me to do.

For all you fans of Man. Utd-at last a derby day victory over the Blues at the council house!

what shoes?

help two days to go and I can%26#39;t decide what fotwear to pack, my husband says one thing, I say another. Is there snow on the groubd or has it all gone ? is it very wet ? help please !!!

Penny

what shoes?

No snow left. It rained yesterday and should rain (or snow) later this week.

I%26#39;d bring something that can get wet, at least.

what shoes?

No snow on the ground, not wet at all, but must come prepared for both, because you never know. Forecast for Thursday - Sunday, partly sunny, temperture 3.8 - 4C. Calling for snow showers or rain for MOnday %26amp; Tuesday (that depends on how cold it gets).

Again, prepare for all contingencies and you will be fine.

Have a great trip!

The most important thing to pack is your most comfortable walking shoes! Hopefully they%26#39;re waterproof.

Opticians

Is it (a) possible and (b) easy to pick up prescription specs in NY?

Opticians

I don%26#39;t know whether your UK prescription would be filled here. You might need to get an exam for an American prescription. Most optician shops should have an optician on staff who can do the exam, though.

There are several glasses-in-an-hour chains here, plus loads of independents who tend to have more expensive and more varied frames but who don%26#39;t generally turn around the glasses that same day.

Opticians

I%26#39;ve used many opticians over the years, and have gotten the best service at Lens Crafters. They%26#39;ve got many stores around the city.

Clarion Hotel on Park Ave. South - good location???

Does anyone know about the location of the Clarion Park Ave. South?? I know it got pretty good reviews on this website but is it in the middle of hussle and bussle? I prefer to stay on the upper w. side but the Comfort Inn West got not so good reviews and most of the less expensive hotels in that area are booked or poorly reviewed. Thanks for any info you have.

Clarion Hotel on Park Ave. South - good location???

This location is very good....right near the #6 train line on 28th St, within walking distance to the Empire State Bldg, Macys, Grand Central Station and the Union Square Area. Buses run on Park Avenue, also, and the area is somewhat quiet at night, yet enough activity so that you do not feel isolated. If you cannot get an upper west side hotel, then I think this is a good bet, unless you want the Times Square Area (Belvedere of HOtel 41, for instance).

Clarion Hotel on Park Ave. South - good location???

The neighborhood is fine, but the UWS is much nicer. Friends stayed at the Comfort Inn Central Park in September. There was a bit of a mix-up about beds (they are a mother %26amp; daughter and the hotel gave them one double bed). It took a day to sort out the difficulty. But, even with that, they%26#39;d go back in a heartbeat -- the location is THAT wonderful! It%26#39;s on W. 71st St. between Columbus Ave. %26amp; Central Park West. A block from the Dakota. Two blocks from the subway. Right in the heart of the vibrant upper west side.

Also look at the Beacon, Belleclaire, Milburn, Newton, Lucerne.

database

famous people -theatre

I am a typical english person who wishes to see someone famous on broadway

coming in march

I am going to see Jessica lange and wondered if there more theatre on I cannot get a ticket for 700 sundays

any help would be lovely smitten with coming to new york

famous people -theatre

On Broadway:

Pillowman (which originated at the Royal National), with Billy Crudup and Jeff Goldblum, starts 3/21

Julius Caesar with Denzel Washington starts 4/3

Spamalot, with Tim Curry, Hank Azaria, David Hyde Pierce

On Golden Pond, with James Earl Jones %26amp; Leslie Uggams, starts 3/22

Glass Menagerie, with Jessica Lange, starts 3/22

Glengarry Glen Ross, with Alan Alda and Liev Schreiber

Streetcar Named Desire, with Natasha Richardson and John C. Reilly, starts 3/26

Off-Broadway:

Hurlyburly, starring Ethan Hawke, closes on 3/19

famous people -theatre

bettina

does glass menagerie open in feb [getting confused as we do our dates date then month] went on site help

All the dates are month/day.

For more info, go to www.playbill.com and click on the link on the left side of their home page that says ';Broadway.'; You can then click on the show titles for more info, including dates.

bettina

thanks again

Hey!

I was just going to ask the same thing!

Thanks so much! I want to spamalot!

blackheads

Trip report Feb 2nd to 7th

We have just got back from New York after a fabulous 5 days, firstly can I thank everyone for all the ideas and advice, I don%26#39;t often post but I read several times a day! Having an itinary and good walking shoes is the best advice ever. The resturant information is invaluable, although I didn%26#39;t think it would be and only made a list on the night before we went, but my two sides of jottings went everywhere with us and we had some amazing meals.

Originally my partner and I were going to New York, but at the last minute my sister came with us so we had to do flight and hotel shuffling. We stayed at Hotel 41 (it was everything we hoped for and we absolutely loved it!) Jenny stayed at the Milford Plaza (which was a lot better than expected, but she did have a high storey corner room)

We met up, after different flights, at Newark Airport. It took us about 20 minutes max to go through immigration.The weather was cold but really sunny. I had pre-booked a car from Carmel Limo (just before all the grotty reports, so I was slightly worried) The car arrived within 10 minutes, was absolutely spotless and the driver was really nice and chatted and pointed out all the passing land marks - I would definately use them again.

We spent about an hour unpacking and wrapping up then set about exploring at about 6pm. We decided to start of with a night time ESB view to get us right in the mood. There was no queues, and we went straight up. It was fantastic! I have to agree about the staff at the ESB, they were the only unpleasant New Yorkers we met (and decided that if they moved to the immigration department they would be fast tracked for promotion!)

We spent the rest of the evening walking down to Grand Central Station (loved it), St Patricks Catherdral, 5th Avenue, and generally soaking up the atmosphere. We had planned to go the Rockerfeller Centre Rainbow Rooms, but all forgot not to wear jeans, we didn%26#39;t see the iceskating because they were %26#39;hoovering%26#39; the rink, but we didn%26#39;t mind because it was so nice anyway! We eventually ended up back at Times Square and I spotted Carmines, so we went in on the off chance of a table and were seated within 5 minutes. The food is HUGE! It was really good fun, but you need at least 6 people! We went back to the hotels with aching feet and were exhausted!

I had arranged to have a Big Apple Greeter on the Thursday at 11am. We had woken early so had walked to Macy%26#39;s with the work crowds (that was good fun and just how we imagined New York to be!) but Macy%26#39;s didn%26#39;t open until 10am, so we just wandered around being excited! Chuck, our greeter was brill! We spent the day walking round Soho, China Town, Little Italy and Greenwich Village. We had lunch at a little Chinese place that we would never have dared go in alone, it was fantastic, and so cheap! We went to Dean and Delucca%26#39;s for a nosey round, and just had the most wondeful day, we walked and talked for miles! I would reccommend a greeter more than anything, we all got on brilliantly and it gave us so much confidence to go exploring, using the subway, checking our itinery and we learnt such a lot.

Chuck left us at 4pm and we used the subway unsupervised - that was really good fun and so easy. We had a big slice of New York cheesecake and hot chocolate on the way home, just to rest our feet! We had booked for The Producers at night, we had good seats but were all really disappointed with it after reading such good reviews. We were still full after the cheesecake and were so tired we went straight back to the hotel afterwards!

On friday I had booked Tavern on the Green for lunch (resturant week menu!!!) So we did fifth avenue, FAO Shwartz (we were hours in there and loved it) then Bloomingdales (we bought 6 pairs of Nick and Nora pjamas for $12 a pair in the sale - bargain) Then walked through Central Park and the remains of last weeks snow to Tavern on the Green. It was over the top indulgence and we had a lovely time! The food was delicious, the service excellent and the Crystal Room is so pretty. We went back through the park to Bloomingdales and bought lots of boots (!) in the sale this time.

In the evening my partner and I had booked for 12 Angry Men, Jenny wanted to see Mama Mia and got box office tickets with the Broadwaybox print outs (I took a selection with me so we could see more shows if we fancied) We all really enjoyed the shows that night and all came out buzzing! We had to wait for Jenny out side the theatre, which was right next to Ellens Starlight Diner - we had a great time in there, a really fun place to go. It fills up really quick once the shows finish though, but we managed to get in just before the rush.

On Saturday we had planned Century 21, the Stattern Island Ferry and Brooklyn Bridge. We were undecided whether we should do the ferry or Century 21 first (all three of us shop till we drop and were worried about carrying too many bags!), thank goodness we did Century 21, we stood outside until opening then shopped like people possessed (sunglasses, numerous handbags and underwear, we especially liked the recipts that told you how much you had saved, I paid for the holiday in 1.5 hours!)

We went to St Pauls%26#39;s church, which we all found very moving. The Stattern island ferry trip was excellent, unfortunately the water taxis weren%26#39;t working so we walked through Seaport and to the Brooklyn Bridge and walked over it (we were going to do half way and back, but as our feet were so sore we decided on all the way and a taxi ) We went for a late lunch at Katz%26#39;s Deli - that is an amazing place, we loved it and could have spent hours people watching. We got a taxi (maddest taxi driver in New York) back to Century 21 and had another rummage - then got the subway home to do a bit more shopping in Macy%26#39;s before going back to the hotels to change. We were going to go to Joe Allens for dinner but ended up in an Irish bar up the road from it, our only %26#39;just okay%26#39; meal on the holiday.

On sunday we started with a daytime ESB visit - a 20 minute wait but very crowded at the top. Then had a really relaxed day shopping and looking around midtown, we had lunch in the Carniegie Deli, it was the first day we didn%26#39;t have sore feet! At night we went to an Irish bar for a few drinks then headed to Joe Allens - what a nice resturant, the food and service were excellent. We all got in far to late and a little worse for wear!

On our last morning we went to Bloomingdales and then Serendipity for frozen hot chocolates. We did some last minute shopping and then went back to our hotels to wait for our car to the airport (Carmel Limo again, on time, clean and lovely driver)

We had an absolutely wonderful 5 days. We seemed to pack such a lot in and saw such a lot (it sounds as though we did loads of shopping, we did but it was so easy to shop and see at the same time) We all loved the food and one of the nice things was trying to get in all the different types of New York food experiences in (the resturant list was consulted several times daily!) We were concerned how cold it would be whilst we we%26#39;re there, in fact this wasn%26#39;t an issue at all, we wrapped up with scarves, gloves and thermals and were never really cold (although the weather was lovely on the saturday and sunday anyway.) One of the things that amazed us was how much bigger or smaller everything was to what we expected - the ESB and the skyscrapers are so big, the Statue of Liberty much smaller, the distances are walkable (and you see so much when walking) the subway is great. New York was so what we had expected but more so, it%26#39;s weird seeing things that are on the TV all so close together. People are really freindly and helpful, and we always felt safe and totally unthreatened, the amount of police was really amazing. The Big Apple Greeter program is wonderful.

Once again thank you for all the help that we were able to get from this site, it really did make our holiday unforgettable!

Trip report Feb 2nd to 7th

Hi,

So glad you had such a great time. I am also taking a list of the restaurants from this forum, hoping for some inspiration. Looks like it will be worth it.

Hope we can do half as much as you managed to fit in.

Pat

Trip report Feb 2nd to 7th

clarissa,

Please would you say in what way you were disappointed by The Producers ?

We saw the film again recently and quite fancied the show after deciding against 700 Sundays.

If we like the film - we will like the show. Right ?

PatG, all the resturants we went to were really good, Katz%26#39;s Deli was my favorite for atmosphere and totally unexpectedness value, we were so glad we went. The steak, service and atmosphere at Joe Allens were excellent and perfect for our last night. All of the places we ate were special though, and we%26#39;ve talked about them all loads of times since.

Pino, if you liked the humour you may enjoy it. We all thought the acting was appalling and although some parts were very funny, there was not enough of them to make up for the hammy acting throughout. The second half was the best, but by that stage two of us kept dropping off to sleep. We all were so disappointed that we only went to the theatre the following night because we had bought tickets, but all of came out that night with the buzzing you usually get after a show.

Fabulous report! I loved your comment about relocating the ESB clerks to immigration!

Re ';The Producers'; ... it was one of my favorites. Saw it several times with the original cast, and once with a replacement cast. Unfortunately, it just didn%26#39;t hold up. Matthew Broderick%26#39;s and (especially) Nathan Lane%26#39;s departure left an unfillable hole in the show. Plus, the humor is definitely not for everyone.

Clarissa, I think Century 21 has restocked since your visit. Time to book a return trip for the spring.

Yay for Big Apple Greeter!!! (There are many of us lurking on this forum.)

Bettina, I can%26#39;t speak highly enough about Big Apple Greeters. Everyone should have one! We had such a wonderful time that day and saw all sorts of things that would have passed us by. Being shown how to use the subway was invaluable. One of the nice thing was being able to ask those stupid questions that you have wondered about for years, we read lot of American murder books and there are all sorts of things we had questions about (what does a %26#39;brownstone%26#39; look like?), our greeter also liked a good murder and told us to visit the %26#39;Mysterious Book Shop%26#39; near Central Park, which we did but it was shut when we went. It was lots of little things like that that made our visit so much more than it would have been if we hadn%26#39;t had a greeter.

I can%26#39;t believe the amount we brought back with us, I can now see that the pink suede boot and $40 of Hershey%26#39;s chocolates may have been a little over enthusiastic!!!!

What a fantastic trip report! You really packed your days full, didn%26#39;t you!

Glad you enjoyed Hotel 41! We stayed there in December and loved it so much we are staying there again in April. I think it%26#39;s perfect for couples and the location is fantastic!

Jeez! Bet you sleep for a week after your hols! Sounds like you had a great time Clarissa. Ive only got 6weeks left to go! Caroline x

clarissa, Bettina,

Have decided to plump for Good Vibrations - we are easily swayed.

Thanks for your comments !

Hi Clarissa, glad you had a fab time in NY. We are flying out this Sunday til following Sunday and I was wondering did you bring back more than 锟斤拷145 in gifts, have been reading that that is all you can bring back. Have been getting good advice off these wonderful people on this site and intend taking tags off certain things, but want to bring trainers back and will be more than three pairs!! Any advice u can give would be appreciated. Thanx

Roverman, we took most of Century 21%26#39;s stock home with us!!!! Each time I go to the US I try my hardest to only buy 锟斤拷145 worth of %26#39;stuff%26#39;, it just doesn%26#39;t work!!!!!! We take as little as possible with us, pack an extra huge holdall each, then buy as much as we can, I think it%26#39;s an illness!!!!!

More seriously, we have tha attitude that everything is so much cheaper than home and it virtually pays for the holiday by getting the next few months clothing, presents etc. If we get stopped at customs we are happy to face the consequences. We take reasonable precautions, such as removing SOME tickets (but apparently if you get a designer bag for $150, that should be $400 and you%26#39;ve taken the tickets off you will be taxed on the full amount) We wear a lot of clothes there, so they don%26#39;t appear new. We have never been stopped at customs yet (touch wood!) We tend to buy lots of cheap stuff, rather than expensive things, like cameras.

This time it was a bit scarey though because my partner has the same name as a %26#39;bad person%26#39; who isn%26#39;t allowed to fly and his passport had a message come up at check-in at Newark. He had a different date of birth, but was given extra security searches and we had unusual stickers on our cases when we got home! I fully expected being stopped at Manchester, but there was a customs officer to be seen. Aparently there are plans to increase the limit which is ridiculous in this day and age.

700 Sundays

Has anyone seen Billy Crystal in 700 Sundays?My family and I have tickets for the first week in April.

700 Sundays

WOW! Lucky you. We%26#39;re going to New York in mid-May and I couldn%26#39;t find anything but premium ($$$$$) tickets. We%26#39;re huge Billy Crystal fans and I was hoping to surprise my husband with the tickets once we were in the city. We do have tickets for La Cage au Folles and Spamalot and looking forward to both. The show has received great reviews and was extended, so I%26#39;m sure it%26#39;ll be just great. Enjoy!

700 Sundays

I sprang for a benefit performance last night because I couldn%26#39;t get hold of regular tickets. He was astounding! I%26#39;m a huge fan anyway. So many of his family stories seem universal -- you recognize these people even without knowing them. You will love the show. And the theater is small, so it%26#39;s an intimate performance. Wish I could%26#39;ve taken him home with me!

I saw this show in January - it was fantastic. Even if you are not a huge BC fan you will love this show. The night we were there David Letterman was in the audience and he said on his show the next night that it was the best show he had seen on Broadway !!!! I laughed so much I had pains in my stomach.

You will have a great night .

Bettina....did you get his number for me ?

For YOU???!? I just had a conversation with a friend who thinks there%26#39;s something wrong with me -- I%26#39;d sooner have BC than G Clooney, B Pitt, or most any of the others I can think of. In fact.... I%26#39;d take him over HJ (but I%26#39;d have to spend time with both before making a final decision).

I%26#39;ll take that as a no then ? Well, don%26#39;t expect me to put a word in for you when I bump into Huge!

Thanks for all the input. We had to pay premium ($176) per ticket but they are great seats row c seats 2-4-6-8.Now another question--we%26#39;re taking my 9 year old son,he has two sisters 18 and 16 so hes%26#39; heard it and seen it all,so do you think he%26#39;ll enjoy the show?

Omigod, that%26#39;s a lot of money! Is your 9-year-old a fan of Billy Crystal%26#39;s. Gosh, I hope so! I%26#39;m sure you must be a fan or you wouldn%26#39;t spring for such an expensive evening, so you%26#39;re hopefully familiar with his material. I would think a lot of the material might go over your 9-year-old%26#39;s head, and part of the evening is devoted to ';bris'; humor.

New Yorkers or those familiar with NY help! Safest location?

We will be travelling with 3 children including a young baby so I want to come back each evening to a pleasant, safe enviroment.

Just wondering which of the following 3 hotels are in the best location.........

The Salisbury Hotel on West 57th Street.

The Southgate Tower Hotel on 371 7th Avenue.

Or the Milburn Hotel on 242 West 76th Street.

I haven%26#39;t a clue which locations are more desirable in N.Y.!!

Thanks!!!

New Yorkers or those familiar with NY help! Safest location?

I%26#39;m not familiar with the Milburn Hotel in particular, but the upper west side is a very safe and comfortable location. My daughter lives nearby, and I visit often. There are many families with babies and small children walking around. There are a lot of nice restaurants as well. I would recommend this location highly.

New Yorkers or those familiar with NY help! Safest location?

While I%26#39;m not familiar with the hotel, if you can stay on West 76th you will have not just a pleasant and safe environment, you%26#39;ll be in a real New York neighborhood. Lots of small, excellent restaurants and shops, tree-lined streets, etc.

I%26#39;d opt for the Salisbury second. Excellent location, also safe and pleasant. Nothing wrong with the Southgate, but the surrounding area is a bit commercial and not what you%26#39;re looking for.

Thanks so much PJM and Ruffian. Your advice really helps in my decision-making!!! Thanks again, Deb

I visited New York for my first time last September (leaving for my third trip back tomorrow!!) and stayed in the upper west side and loved it, felt so safe and comfortable there. The restaurants nearby are great and you don%26#39;t have to go too far unless you want to.

I would recommend the upper west side to anyone planning to visit New York

Curren weather conditions

Hi,

I am arriving in NYC within the next 10 days - I%26#39;m so excited!

I have been expecting very cold weather during my trip and was just wondering if someone could tell me just how cold it currently is there.

Many thanks xx

Curren weather conditions

Today it%26#39;s sunny and will reach about 55. But in 10 days it could be cold and snowing. Ya never know.

Curren weather conditions

Thanks for such a quick reply!

Better pack all my extra warm clothes then - just in case!!!

I too am heading back over to New York in the next couple of days, packing the suitcase tonight as it happens, yippee, can%26#39;t wait (third visit in just over six months - have seen two of the four seasons so far)

I heard it snowed a little yesterday but not enough to stick and at the moment there are no sign of the major snow storm like they had the beginning of January.

I%26#39;m just packing lots of layers and whatever I forget I can buy over there cheaper than here anyway. Have a great time.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that it snows hard and grounds my return flight - I really don%26#39;t mind being stuck in NYC!!!!

grown dutch rabbit

Groceries near 50th & Lex

Staying at the Kimberly in mid-May and will want to pick up some groceries (mainly soft drinks and packaged snacks). Anyone know what%26#39;s close by. Thanks

Groceries near 50th %26amp; Lex

The nearest markets would be on 2nd or 1st Avenue. West of 3rd Ave. is zoned for business, so you won%26#39;t find any supermarkets.

Groceries near 50th %26amp; Lex

There are many small delis and drug/convenience stores in the area where you will find plenty of snacks. If you are looking for a supermarket, there is an Associated Supermarket on Second Avenue and 48th Street.

I leave right near there!! I shop at the Food Emporium, on the corner of 51st and 2nd Ave. Beware, at all of the smaller stores, you will pay a lot more for chips, soda etc. Better to go to a chain.

Visiting NYC with 2 kids, aged 12 and 9

Visited NYC in July but just a stopover for a day and a half so did not really have time to explore. Going back for 6 days in April. Any ideas for good places to eat with 2 picky children (and a picky mum). Also read a lot of comments re Rainbow room for views of ESB. Are children allowed in there, or any other bar for that matter?

Also would like to visit the Intrepid Museum. Is it worth a visit?

Any advise you can give me to make this a memorable trip for myself and husband who will both be 40 this year!!!

Visiting NYC with 2 kids, aged 12 and 9

Re: places to eat, I think the kids would enjoy ESPN Zone in Times Square - quite a lot of fun for that age group. Or, Hard Rock Cafe on 57th Street. Sorry, I don%26#39;t know about if Rainbow room is suitable for them. But I do know that nearly every restaurant has a bar, and you can certainly bring in children. Re: Intrepid, yes it%26#39;s fascinating to see. Kids would like it very much! Enjoy!

Visiting NYC with 2 kids, aged 12 and 9

Children are allowed in the Rainbow Room and any other restaurant with a bar area. You might have issues in pubs and bars that aren%26#39;t part of restaurants.

I ate at the Rainbow Room at a similar age and loved it. The beauty of bringing a kid there is that the kid can%26#39;t recognize that the food leaves something to be desired.

Brooklynbaby

Would you recommend reservations for rainbow room?

Also what is worthwhile seeing in Brooklyn?

Katie, you probably need reservations for the Rainbow Room.

As for Brooklyn, if you%26#39;re here during cherry blossom season (usually mid-April, but it varies) the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is drop-dead gorgeous, very worth the subway ride (2 or 3 train to Eastern Parkway). There%26#39;s a children%26#39;s museum that%26#39;s supposed to be good-- I can%26#39;t say since I haven%26#39;t been there. Their site is http://www.bchildmus.org. The Brooklyn Museum is hit-or-miss for tourists; nice if there%26#39;s something you really want to see but if your time is limited maybe not the best use of time. It%26#39;s right next to the Botanic Gardens. I love Coney Island (beach, rides, and boardwalk with sleazy carny stuff) but other people on this site find it tacky and sleazy in a bad way.

dont miss mars 2112 at broadway and 51st.

theres a space ship outside....on entering you are greeted by

the checkin crew who are wearing star trek style costumes.

you are taken aboard a shuttle which takes you to restaurant in a space colony on Mars.... the place is fantastic inside.

there are various aliens wandering around to amuse and an awesome soundtrack playing ..

the staff are friendly and very efficient and the meal we had was superb..even the cosmopolitans for the adults went down a treat..

the 9 year old loved the place as theres also an arcade for video games where you charge up a swipe card to play the games.

we went back again the next day didnt bother with the meal just so little boy could play the arcade games again.

we were kept amused in the aptly named Mars Bar drinking more cosmopolitans....

well worth a visit

Katie - Since your stay is limited both times you come, I would not venture into Brooklyn. Although I%26#39;m sure the Brooklyn Museum is very nice, you%26#39;d first have to see the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art), the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim... and there%26#39;s a children%26#39;s museum in Manhattan that is very nice (I%26#39;ve been there). Also, the advice to go to Coney Is. in April is not good. Maybe if it was during the summer. April can still be cold in NY and I%26#39;m sure the boardwalk attractions are closed down. In summary, there is plenty to keep you busy in Manhattan! You%26#39;ll want to spend some time in Central Park, Greenwich Village, South St. Seaport, visit ';Ground Zero';, having dinner or lunch in both Chinatown and Little Italy, explore the galleries of Soho, wander Columbus Ave. on the Upper West Side, go to the top of the Empire State Building, and try a boatride - Circleline or Spirit of NY, so you can see the skyline (and the Statue of Liberty) from the water. If you want Brooklyn, I%26#39;d say, fine, take a walk over the bridge... That%26#39;s supposed to be very nice, but I wouldn%26#39;t waste a day taking the subway out there. If you have extra time, try to see at least one broadway show. Get 1/2 priced tickets the day of the event at Tickets line in Times Square.

blackheads

City Tours

Hi there who operates the best tours of NYC need to do a tour so we are guarenteed to see everything at least once on our trip! Could do with some help please.

City Tours

Gray Line is the most popular.

http://www.graylinenewyork.com/

Radio City Apartments

Will be coming to NYC the first of June. I am bring my 18 year old daughter for graduation. My sister and aunt are also coming. I hope NYC is ready for us!

I have been planning this trip since last August. Doing a lot of reading and research. Just found this forum yesterday and I think it%26#39;s the best place for info now. I think I%26#39;m hooked! I will have many questions in the upcoming months.

We are staying at the Radio City Apartments. We would rather spend our money on other things than a hotel. We want clean, safe and a central location. What do you think?

Radio City Apartments

just got back from a week in new york staying at the waldorf.....walked past radio city every night to and from times square...as late as 0200 hrs one morning after shopping in the virgin stire with a 9 yrs old who wanted to spend his money on nintendo games.

nice are very near to the rockerfeller centre and the ice rink

(dont think its there in the summer though.

never felt threatened everywheres in easy walking distance

especially tiffanys and monola blahnik

Radio City Apartments

My office is right across the street from Radio City Apts. The location is right between Times Square and Rockefeller Center. Excellent transit access -- turn left and the N/R/W subway lines are on the corner. Turn right and you can get the B/D/F/Q. A block away is the 1/9, and one block more is the C/E.

I have to tell you that I still think you can do better! It%26#39;s an older building. I%26#39;m not prissy when it comes to hotels, and I can ';rough it'; to save some money. But I honestly get a grungy feeling about the place. That%26#39;s not to say it isn%26#39;t terrific, it%26#39;s just my feeling.

Take a look at rates and compare reviews for these budget Times Square hotels -- Novotel, Belvedere, Portland Square, Broadway Inn.

I always push people to stay on the upper west side, for a more ';real'; New York experience. Compare these hotels: Beacon, Belleclaire, Milburn, Newton, Comfort Inn Central Park.

Hi Bettina,

Just read your message and saw your comment about the upper west side. That area seems to highly recommended by a lot of people and I like the sound of the Milburn Hotel which claims to be family-friendly. That%26#39;s a big factor for us as we%26#39;re going to NY with our 3 kids, one of whom is only 15 months. However, I%26#39;m a bit concerned that it%26#39;s quite far from the main attractions like Times Square, Empire State building etc. So for convenience I%26#39;m tempted by Radio City Apartments and thinking they would be more convenient though I am a tad worried now by some negative reviews and the word ';grungy'; in your message!! lol! What do you think? Would it be a hassle commuting to/from the Milburn to the sights? Or is it worth the commute? Not sure I could handle 3 kids and a stroller on the subway!! Confused. Help!!! I%26#39;d really appreciate your insight into this. :-)

I%26#39;ve never had to handle three kids and a stroller on the subway, though many New Yorkers do it all the time.

The thing is, the tourist attractions are not all located in one place, so you%26#39;ll be traveling no matter where you stay. If you want to be able to walk to 5th Avenue, Times Square, Rock Center, then stay in the Times Square/Theater District. If you want a lovely, lively neighborhood with great shops and restaurants, that%26#39;s fun to stroll and explore at all hours, that%26#39;s near to Lincoln Center, Central Park, Museum of Natural History/Planetarium, then stay on the UWS.

You might want to get a map of Manhattan and plot out where the sites are you want to see, that might help you decide what%26#39;s most important to make your vacation easier.

Just a little FYI...The Beacon Hotel on the upper west side is terrific and I think lots of people know it. They are sold out until May 1st! At least that is what the reservation guy told me. So if you want to stay there book several months ahead of time.

Drinks with good views of times sqaure

Any suggestions to go in for a drink?

Drinks with good views of times sqaure

';Blue Fin'; has a great view of Times Square...floor to ceiling windows...you feel like you are on the street!! (also great for dining). FYI...not views of Times Square, but great views...';The Rainbow Room'; after dark (drinks, only)-beautiful views of NYC...especially if you can%26#39;t make it to the top of the Empire State Building (too crowded)..

Drinks with good views of times sqaure

On top floor of Marriott Marquis, ';The View';. Used to rotate, not sure if it still does.

Bubba Gumps Shrimp Co on Times Square has got good views. I don%26#39;t think you can go in for just a drink though, you have to eat. The food is gorgeous though so I%26#39;d recommend that!!

OMG! Bubba Gump%26#39;s sounds great. I%26#39;ll have to make sure and go there. Is that a place you should call ahead for a table or just show up?

As per the others, The Marriot Marquis still has the revolving bar/restaurant. It takes about 70 mins to go full circle and has great views.

Blue Finn is ace for food also

Hi. We just turned up at Bubba Gumps and got a table straight away. I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;d mind if you had to wait a while because the atmosphere is so good in there. Hope you enjoy it!!

Is Blue Fin a romantic place or kind of loud and festive? I know they have amazing food!

unsplit a computer peak

Accommodations for family of 6?

My husband and I, with our 4 teenagers, will be in New York Feb. 17th to 23rd. We would really like to get some kind of a suite where we could all be together. We want to be close to the theatres, Times Swuare, etc. and so far I%26#39;ve had no luck with the suite thing. I%26#39;ve booked 2 separate rooms at the Ramada New Yorker but there%26#39;s no guarantee they%26#39;ll be close together. Does anyone have any suggestions?? Thanks!

Accommodations for family of 6?

My first suggestion is to cancel your New Yorker reservation, the place is a dump and not in a very nice area. Take a look at A Hospitality Company (www.ahospitalitycompany.com), which does short-term rentals of furnished apartments. They%26#39;ve got 100+ properties all over Manhattan, many in doorman buildings. You will save a ton by having your own kitchen, too! I don%26#39;t have any affiliation with this company, but a friend uses them and loves it. I saw one of the apts. she rented, in a doorman building on Park Ave., and it was pretty wonderful.

Accommodations for family of 6?

I have done a lot of research on hotels for 6 in NY. The best I could come up with is the Embassy Suites the one draw back about them is that they are located way down town near Ground Zero. However ist is a perfectly safe area and it is only a subway ride away from everything. Make the subway your best friend when you are in NY and no where is too far away. The rates are very good for a suite that sleeps 6 and there is a free hearty breakfast included every morning. Hope this helps.

You are coming over a big holiday weekend (President%26#39;s Day) which won%26#39;t make your task any easier. I agree cancel the Ramada New Yorker immediately. Check 2 bedroom/2bath suites at the Best Western Hospitality and the Salsibury. The Bedford is another all suite hotel that may have 2 bedroom accomodations. None of these are right in the theater district, but all are in midtown which is all you really need. Make sure, even with 2 bedrooms, they allow 6 to a room. There are fire regulations that make this a problem in some places.

hi we have the same problem, there is also the double tree suites in times sq, plus the hotel belleclaire but thats upper west side. We are stuck between a rick and a hard place. I want to stay at the double tree but it is a bit above our budget so it looks like downtown at the embassy suites.

I am hoping for a magical cash injection in the near future so fingers crossed hehe!!

one thing that annoys me is these discount sites never account for these rooms or people of this size needing a room yet those rooms are out there!! whats more annoying is the ones that let you input the 6 people then say too many for our booking system arghhhhhh.

the embassy suites do lookk very nice though but I rather be in times sq to be central and also its easier to eat later and then just cross the road etc to the hotel and get the kids to bed, mine range from 3 to 16.

sorry that should be 2-16 she will be having her 3rd birthday in nyc!! a magical xmas one I hope!!

You have 2 threads going on the same topic so I am cutting and pasting in my reply from your other thread...

New York isn%26#39;t like a lot of other places with huge sprawling rooms. Hotel rooms here generally are REALLY REALLY small. Packing 6 of you into a suite is a recipe for disaster and discomfort. Will make you feel like you are staying in a flophouse. Nothing wrong with 2 rooms. Really. Much, much nicer for you all.

Also, the Ramada New Yorker is not a great hotel... lots of complaints about it.

I found a couple other deals, for good, solid hotels, within your budget, that you can consider.

I plugged your dates, 2 rooms, 2 adults and 2 children for each room, onto hotwire.com. It came back with two very good sounding options.

1. A hotel matching the description of Murray Hill East Suites (Midtown South, 3*, amenities: kitchenette) came in at $134 per suite. (You%26#39;ll need 2.) Read the reviews on trip advisor. This is a very nice, clean, comfortable hotel (formerly an apartment building), with a kitchenette in each suite.

2. A hotel matching the description of the Sheraton Russell (Midtown South, 3.5*, Customer Favorite, amenities: fitness, business) came in at $150 per room (You%26#39;ll need 2). Also read the reviews on trip advisor. Very nice hotel. By the way, at the Sheraton%26#39;s website, their least expensive room for your dates is $252. You%26#39;d be saving about $100/room.

(I plugged in 2 rooms to guarantee you%26#39;ll get them, because when a hotel sells out, it sells out and I wouldn%26#39;t want you to get stuck with just one room.)

On the website betterbidding.com, under the New York board, they have pinned at the top of the forum a listing of hotwire properties listed, that%26#39;s how I figured out what they are. You can check that out also.

Good luck!

Thanks very much for your suggestions! I really didn%26#39;t feel good about the New Yorker Ramada so cancelled those reservations. Your comments confirmed what I was worried about so I appreciate that very much. I tried A Hospitality Company but, unfortunately, they had nothing for our time frame. I ended up getting 2 rooms at the Westin on Times Square. I signed up for the Star whatever membership and got the deal for 4 nights and then 2 nights free. It ends up being a little over $200/night for a room with a king bed and a cot. This is more expensive than the Ramada but I%26#39;m thinking the location will make it worth it. In less than 48 hours will be there, now if I just had my broadway tickets purchased...........

What you joined was Starwood Preferred Guest. Make sure they input your Starwood #, and you%26#39;ll earn points. In fact, anything you bill to your room will earn points. So, if you end up eating in the hotel restaurant or having a drink at their bar, bill it to the room. Starwood is very good about giving you discounts for future travel. They have ';cash and points'; deals... and also ';50% off rates deals'; at lots of their properties (own Sheraton, Westin, W hotels...). I was able to book a $45 room at Sheraton in Ft. Lauderdale using only 1,000 points per night... and you%26#39;ll be earning more than that with their stay. Also, Westin had the ';heavenly bed';... I think you%26#39;ll enjoy your stay. Great location, too! One more thing, check the starwood.com website to make sure you%26#39;ve got the best rate. Sometimes they offer AAA or CAA non-refundable rates that are unbelievable!

hotwire or priceline ???

does anyone have any knowledge of which hotels in midtown manhattan these two services use for 4-star deluxe properties? i%26#39;ve never used these services before but am considering giving it a try.

hotwire or priceline ???

Hi there,

I have used priceline about 10 times for New York. I usually bid $100 for a 4 star in midtown. I was turned down only once and ended up spending $90 for a 3 star. That hotel was fine though.

The hotels that I have stayed in at the 4 star level through priceline are:

Hilton (not the one at times square)

Westin

Millenium

These hotels are wondefully located and safe.

Also, go to www.betterbidding.com for free advice. I highly recommend using priceline if:

-You know the approximate area where you want to stay.

-You realize that immediately after booking the credit card is charged. NO REFUNDS!! So be sure of your dates.

-You have no choice on the actual hotel. But rest assured, if you choose 4 star in midtown, the hotel will be just fine.

hotwire or priceline ???

Forgot to tell you...If you bid and are rejected, you must wait 3 days to bid again unless you change the star level.

Check out www.biddingfortravel.com and/or www.betterbidding.com

My Itinerary-- one week to go!!

Hello all,

Hoping u can help.. How does this sound!!

Arrive from Dublin on Monday the 21st Feb @ 1 (hopefull) JFK. Taxi to the Ameritania Hotel on Broadway. Dump bags,, head to Times Square and go for dinner in Carmines. After dinner go to Marquis Marriott for drinks..

Anywhere we can go afterwards nearby?? Friendly Fun Bar

Day 2

Woodbury Common- Shop Shop Shop

Then Phantom of the Opera at 7.. any suggestions of somewhere to go after/before the show for food?? Any fun bars/ clubs around this area?

Day 3

Up Early. Staten Island Ferry.. Do the whole wall St area.. Water Taxi to brookln (are they running at the moment and from where.. no mention on their website).. Lunch in River cafe. Walk back over Brooklyn Bridge.. Drinks in Grenwich (this is our main night on the town so is this the best place to go to and if so where should we head for??? Help Needed Here)

Day 4

Empire State Building

Macys

Fifth Avenue

Central Parl - Lunch in Boathouse Rest (do we need to reserve??)

Rockerfeller Centre

Bloomingdales

Knicks Game at 7pm

Day 5

Open to suggestions.. flight at 6 so have to leve the hotel at 3ish

How have we done?? Let me know.. Thanks So much

My Itinerary-- one week to go!!

You%26#39;ve got two of your four nights in Times Square. Since time is limited, you might consider combining it for one night there and the second night somewhere else.

Also, check the bus times for Woodbury Common. You might not have much time there if you need to be back to your hotel and freshened up and back up to Times Square for an early curtain on Day 2.

My Itinerary-- one week to go!!

Thanks for that... can anyone recommend any good bars?

There%26#39;s thousands of bars in manhattan. What are you interested in? That might help getting some feedback.

Give yourself a treat.

Do this:

As you leave the Majestic Theater where the Phantom is playing, cross the street and turn right. You will be on Eighth Avenue.

Cross Eighth Avenue turn left and walk two blocks south to 42nd Street.

Turn right on 42nd Street and cross Ninth Avenue. You will pass a Citibank on the corner, the Sparta Alexis Bar a little further down the street, and finally you will come to Sukhothai West. Now cross the street, look slightly to your right, and you will see Chez Josephine.

Go in and you probably will be greeted by one of New York%26#39;s most legendary Restauranteur%26#39;s--Jean Claude Baker. If you are met by someone else tell them that you came all the way from Ireland because you%26#39;ve heard so much about Jean Claude and his gratiousness.

See what happens next.

Try the Hog Pit down on 13th street and 9th ave...

blackheads

Howard Johnson Express Inn - East Houston St.

Anybody stayed there? Any opinions. Plus if you have any eating / drinking suggestions for the area. Thanks, Mark.

Howard Johnson Express Inn - East Houston St.

I have walked past this hotel several times as I am frequently in the area. From the outside it looks pretty nice, as it is relatively new. Cannot speak for the rooms as I have never been inside.

I am not sure of your age, but know that it is in the middle of the east village, which is really very happening and very loud at night. If you are coming to New York to party, then you have picked a great location. However not the best place if you want peace and quiet.

As far as food and drink, I don%26#39;t even know where to begin, you have hit the jackpot. You are a few blocks Ave A, which is the main strip of the east village and has a million restaraunts.

Be sure to get a slice of Pizza at Nino%26#39;s (St Marks and A.), 7A (7th St and A) is a great 24 hour funky diner. Two Boots (4th and A) is funky cajun style pizza place that is rather good too. Near your hotel is a great divey Mexican restauraunt called Nuevo Amenecer (Stanton and Essex st.), it is not much to look at from the outside, but the food is delicious and cheap, and they have the strongest Margaritas in the city.

Veneiro%26#39;s Bakery on 11th and 1st Ave is one of the best in the city. You are also near Kiev and Veselka, (both on 2nd Ave) which are 2 of the most famous Ukranian 24 hour diners here.

All in all, this is a great area to be in as far as experiencing ';a city that never sleeps';, this is one of the areas of New York that REALLY does have something going on 24 hours a day.

Howard Johnson Express Inn - East Houston St.

sounds good to me. i%26#39;ll sleep when im dead

Hottest NYC club

I%26#39;m coming to NYC in March and want to check out some of the hottest clubs around town. Can I get a few suggestions? I am into hip hop music.

Thanks!

Hottest NYC club

bump

are there any websites that review clubs?

Hottest NYC club

Not so sure about reviews but I have seen clubplanet.com mentioned as a reference point.

Check out newyork.citysearch.com and sheckys.com. I%26#39;m going to NY in march too and these sites have helped me find some clubs to check out!

sheckys.com has more in-the-know info than most sites. also, as corny as it seems, if you read new york magazine or the new york post%26#39;s page 6, there%26#39;s always some gossip about celebrities at clubs, and while it%26#39;s sort of embarassing to admit, it can be a good way to find out what the newest/hottest place is. and hey, you don%26#39;t have to admit that%26#39;s how you found it...

bleaching cream for skin

Hotel Penn and the surrounding area?

Have read mixed reviews of the hotel pennsylvania, but its already booked so too late to change our minds.

Any body know what sort of location it? any nice places?

Hotel Penn and the surrounding area?

It%26#39;s right opposite Madison Square Garden. I stayed there quite a while ago, certainly wouldn%26#39;t do it again. It%26#39;s very close to subway stations, and the Empire State Building,but I didn%26#39;t really like the area on an evening. Some posters have said that they have upraded some rooms...ask if you can have one of those at check in.

Which transport?

Can anyone recommened the best form of transport from Newark airport to the Belvedere Hotel.

We arrive at Newark at about 2pm on Friday 25th February. Will we hit rush hour if we get a coach??

We%26#39;d prefer not to get a taxi, in order to save some pennies!!

Which transport?

The Belvedere is on West 48th. This means you won%26#39;t have to fight crosstown traffic. You can take a bus from the airport through the Lincoln Tunnel to Port Authority (8th Avenue between 40th and 42nd). After that it%26#39;s a short walk to the hotel.

I never fly into Newark but I know there%26#39;s a train you can take from there into Manhattan. If you take a bus, don%26#39;t be too concerned about rush hour because even if you don%26#39;t get out of the airport until 3 pm, the rush goes primarily in the other direction, from NYC to New Jersey.

Which transport?

ah ha, very good point with teh traffic! Will opt for the coach, that way we get to see New York as we arrive!

Thank you!

Hi

My wife and I went to NYC in July last year. We landed on Newark and we took the train into Penn Station. From there we used a cab to get to our hotel (Hotel Thirty Thirty). I have posted more information about this in a trip report with pictures on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com. Maybe you can find some useful information there :-)

Regards

Gard

I fly through Newark most of the time, prefer it to JFK, and the buses are very easy to find, inexpensive, $12.00 one way, $20.00 round trip, and fast. Keep in mind that if you buy a round trip you get a 25% discount on the double decker bus tours (keep your receipt).

www.NewYorkSightseeing.com

Office is located at the Grey Line Visitors Center, 777 8th Ave @47th St, right near your hotel!

Which one? Urgent!

We are a young married couple (age 25 and 34) we like relaxing, funny, romantic movies/ plays.

I%26#39;m having some doubts between 2 broadwayshows, don%26#39;t know which one to choose...

Mama Mia or Beauty and the Beast?

Please give me some advice or reviews of your own experiences... it would help a lot!

Also, would you prefer to go on a week-evening or weekend?

Thx!

Which one? Urgent!

Hi. I guess Beauty and the Beast would be the more romantic of the 2, and of course fairy tales always have happy endings! Mama Mia is fun, not romantic in the true sense of the word just great to sing along and dance to - obviously it helps if you are an ABBA fan!

Which one? Urgent!

NEITHER.

';La Cage Aux Folles'; is in a differant league from both of these in terms of romance.

There%26#39;s a reason this show won the awards it did, why it%26#39;s been playing around the world for more than 20 years, and why it%26#39;s hailed as a ';classic';.

I thought ';Mamma Mia'; was quite enjoyable but if you%26#39;re looking for drop-dead gorgeous sets, costumes, and lighting as well as breathtaking choreography, great music, and a show that says something about love, family, and friendship than ';La Cage'; trumps the two you mentioned.

Listen to Carp. Beauty, while lovely, is a Disney-type show and I consider it really a children%26#39;s show. Momma Mia is good listening but not romantic. Cage would be a better choice. Also, I don%26#39;t know if you%26#39;d consider it romantic, but given your age ranges you might enjoy Movin%26#39; Out, the Billy Joel musical with the Twyla Thorpe choreography.

Mamma Mia is both funny and relaxing and really enjoyable. The music is brillant and it is really uplifting will have you in top form for the night. Enjoy!!

Whatever you see, I think see it on a weekday evening. It%26#39;s very crowded always, but weekends are even crazier...

Yankee stadium?

I would love to see a game in yankees satdium!

The game is on at 7pm, we are staying at the Affinia Dumont and I was wondering... we are taking a subway over there (is it easy to find, once you leave the subway in Brooklyn?) and at what time do you think the game ends? Is it safe to return by subway at maybe 10:30 pm??

I was also considering just taking a tour in Yankee stadium, but I think it%26#39;s more spectacular to really BE there, no?

In Belgium, we don%26#39;t have baseball, so i%26#39;m not exactly a fan, we%26#39;d take the outer circle, cheapest seats 12$ pp.

Sorry for all the questions...

Yankee stadium?

Yankee Stadium is in the Bronx..you will take the uptown #6 train near your hotel and change at 42nd Street for the #4 express and it takes you directly to the stadium...you will be right there, 161st Street...just follow the crowds. The subway is absolutely safe after the game (very crowded) and you will then take the same #4 train to 42nd St %26amp; change for the #6 local to 33rd Street, 2 blocks to your hotel. Being there is fun, but so is taking the tour. Don%26#39;t worry about the seats, just go and soak up the atmosphere! Check www.newyorkyankees.com for all the info you need.

By the way, your hotel is in a very nice residential area, with many good restaurants on 3rd Avenue. You are 3 3 blocks from the Empire State Building, 4 blocks to Macys, walkable to Grand Central Station, Crysler Building and Times Square, and not far from the downtown sites. The subway is 2 blocks away, and buses are right there! Hotel gets good reviews on this site, and they have a spa!!!

Yankee stadium?

The Yankee Stadium tour is very good if you at all interested in baseball. Having said that, my sister isn%26#39;t a fan and she came along with us and thoroughtly enjoyed it. I wouldn%26#39;t do the tour in place of a game though, if it%26#39;s one or the other go for the game

Going to a game is good fun even if you%26#39;re not a fan. I would choose this over a stadium tour. When you return on the subway you are safe--you%26#39;ll be surrounded by other Yankee fans on the train with you (families with children, seniors, everyone).

blackheads

carmines for2-can you just have 1 meal to share?

i would love to try carmines but there%26#39;s only 2 of us. reading other reports on this fab forum you shouldn%26#39;t go there if there are less than 6 of you. short of teaming up with complete strangers can you order one meal between you or is this not done.

thanks

carmines for2-can you just have 1 meal to share?

Hi,

My friend and I just had a salad and a spagetti between us. They were gigantic and we could not finish (the dishes would feed about 4 people) but it was worth it for the experience! :-)

carmines for2-can you just have 1 meal to share?

You can do it and you%26#39;ll STILL have food left over.

My boyfriend and I went to Carmine%26#39;s for lunch on our last day. We had one meal between us. Let%26#39;s just say we were still stuffed while of the plane home!!! Go and enjoy!

thanks everyone, it will definitely be one meal to share +

possibly a doggy bag

software

your advice please

Me and my brother are coming to new york on the 21 april. We can%26#39;t wait. we are staying at the hotel pennsylvania and after reading reports found it to very mixed, but a new forum has eased me about it thankfully. i was looking for a good steak house to try, i looked at a site for uncle jacks and was woundering if it was a good a it looks or if you can recommend any other ones. i found this pages the best, better than any guide, picked up the best tips here about everything. Thank you.

your advice please

Hi

My wife and I went to a place called the Strip House. This is a steak house but it was not like other steak houses I have been to in the USA. The Strip House was more formal and more expensive compared to other steak houses that I have been to but it was a good experience. I have posted a trip report with pictures from my trip to NYC in July 2004 on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com. Maybe you can find some useful information there :-)

Regards

Gard

your advice please

ok, so the hotel pennsylvania: i%26#39;ve had many friends stay there and while it%26#39;s not the ritz, it is very centrally located and the price is right and the rooms are fine, so don%26#39;t worry. if its your first time to ny i can%26#39;t imagine you%26#39;ll be spending much time in your hotel anyway. ok, so steakhouses: there are many many good ones--i have not heard of uncle jacks and I am a steak lover so that makes me nervous... the ones over the 8 years I%26#39;ve lived here that I think are the best are these (and this includes ambiance as well) Peter Luger%26#39;s In Brooklyn (a very very short subway or cab ride away) is i think the most famous/best. Then I%26#39;d say Keene%26#39;s Chop House (midtown) the Strip House (greenwich village) Dylan Prime (tribeca), Old Homestead (meatpacking district). There are many others, but these are our favorites. Check citysearch.com or zagats.com because they range in price and some are sort of expensive--but if you are a steak lover it%26#39;s totally worth it to splurge (I think) Enjoy!

Uncle Jack%26#39;s is excellent, but unless they%26#39;ve opened a branch in Manhattan, the only one I know of is in Bayside, Queens, quite a trip. Considering where you%26#39;re staying, I%26#39;d recommend Keen%26#39;s Steak %26amp; Chop House, 74 West 36th. In addition to fine steaks, they also have the world%26#39;s largest collection of Meerschaum pipes--all attached to the ceiling. This is a real man%26#39;s place and you%26#39;ll enjoy it. Old Homestead is excellent as well but very, very expensive, even by New York standards.

Oh, right--All the ones I suggested are in neighborhoods in Manhattan (except Peter Luger%26#39;s which is very close in Brooklyn), I should%26#39;ve mentioned...

thank you all i will give these a try. may have more questions later.

Suggestions for North America Itinerary please

We are arriving in New York in early May for a 5 week once in a life-time retirement holiday. We intend staying in New York for a few days but our intention is to visit other parts of North America and would welcome suggestions for achieving our aim

We prefer the countryside to cities as we like walking. We do not intend to fly but hire a car or use a train for one-way long distances but a bus might be possible and we fully respect the vastness of the country although we have never been there.

One of the places we would like to visit is the Colonial East Coast but we would also like to go to Boston, Niagara falls, New England and Canada.

It has occurred to me that a circular route might be a possibility travelling accross to the Grand Canyon and then northwards to pick up the railway to Toronto as we would also love to travel on the Trans-Canada sightseeing train.

Suggestions on a route would be welcomed from anybody

.Many thanks

Suggestions for North America Itinerary please

Check out Tauck%26#39;s Website.

They have this sort of thing down pat and their offerings will fire your imagination as to how to put this together:

www.tauck.com/docs/search.php鈥?/a>

Suggestions for North America Itinerary please

Excellent suggestion by Carpenter about Tauck tours. They are one of the best if you like bus tours.

First things first. If you are not going to fly, hire a car or use a train for long distances, you might want to re-think the Grand Canyon. It will take you five days minimum to get there by bus and another three to four days to get to Canada to catch a train to Toronto.

Second, Canada. As far as the trans-Canada sightseeing train is concerned, everything between Toronto and Alberta is pretty much farm country. The real scenery is between Calgary and Vancouver, the Canadian Rockies.

As for a suggested colonial route, you might want to consider flying into Boston and use that to explore the Colonial east coast. Then down to New York. From there, you might consider a visit to Williamsburg, Virginia, a lovely, restored colonial village.

Another itinerary you might consider is to fly directly to Los Angeles. From there, you can take bus trips to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. Then go up the Pacific Coast to San Francisco, Seattle and ultimately Vancouver. There you can catch the trans-Canada train to Toronto. Side bus trip to Niagara Falls. From Toronto, bus on to Montreal, perhaps Quebec City, and then down to Boston, winding up in New York City.

It%26#39;s a lot of traveling. This is a very big country.

My family and I have driven cross country several times--each time taking a different route and ending up in Las Vegas. (My parents live there!). If you have any specific questions, please post back--I%26#39;ll be glad to answer.

It%26#39;s an ambitous trip, but a wonderful one! Instead of a circle, I%26#39;d recommend a horshoe shape. Considering the places you listed above, the fact that you don%26#39;t want to fly, and your preference for the country rather than cities, here are some suggestions:

Start out in Toronto, then make your way to Niagara Falls (about 2 hours away). From there, enter the US and go east/ northeast into New England (Vermont, New Hampshire, very nice), then down to Boston. Make sure to visit Cape Cod while in Massachusetts. Then head south to New York City.

After NY, keep traveling south through Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, and into Virginia. Someone mentioned Williamsburg, which is a restored colonial town, very nice. Then keep heading south/southwest to Shenadoah National Park (website below). Take the Skyline Drive, which is a 100-mile section of road that will wind you through the mountains. Gorgeous scenery, lots of opportunities for hiking.

http://www.nps.gov/shen/home.htm

Then I%26#39;d recommend you take a train westward to make up some time. I%26#39;d like to see you head for New Mexico--Santa Fe and Taos are gorgeous. From there, you can drive west to the Grand Canyon. Then west/northwest into California. At Los Angeles, pick up Pacific Coast Highway (Route 1) and drive north along the California coast. Spectacular scenery. Stop in Santa Barbara, Carmel and Monterey before making your way to San Francisco.

From SF, I%26#39;d recommend a detour inland to Yosemite National Park--breathtaking! You can then make your way back to the coast, perhaps stopping on the way in the Napa or Sonoma wine-making regions of California (very nice). Then head north up through Oregon and Washington, either by car or train, to Vancouver. Pay a visit to Victoria, on Vancouver Island. From Vancouver, take a train east/northeast through British Columbia and then into Alberta and the Canadian Rockies. There are glass top trains which are great; the scenery is spectacular. In Alberta, visit Lake Louise, Banff, and Jasper National Park. You can then make your way eastward through Canada, but I%26#39;d rather see you spend more time in the scenic areas I outlined, perhaps flying home from Calgary, Alberta.

This is a lot, I know, and there are countless other itineraries you could follow, but it%26#39;s a start anyway. Pick up a good road map of North America, and start plotting out your ';must-see'; places, then maybe we can help you fill in the rest.

Good luck, it will be a spectacular trip!

Thank you for the responses, the suggestions are all useful although I would add that I am arriving and leaving New york by ship which crystallises the start and finish of my itinerary.

Happy Traveller thank you for the great route, the old Wild

West has a great attraction and appears most interesting. My intention was to use the train for long distance and hire a car to cover the major areas of the journey which i hope to put together

On that point thank you SueFee for your offer. Can you or anybody else reading this recommend a reliable and reasonable company that hires cars for one-way journeys. I presume it must be something that happens in your vast country as they also do in Europe.

Many thanks

Pinwillow---You can rent cars for one-way trips but please note that it is incredibly expensive. It%26#39;s much cheaper to do a round trip rental (return it to the same place you picked it up). That said, the major companies to call---Hertz, Avis, Budget and National. Hertz and Avis tend to be the most expensive anyway but have alot of locations--probably they%26#39;ll be the best ones to do a one-way rental, if that%26#39;s what you want.

Don%26#39;t forget the great state of GEORGIA where you can go to the Blue Ridge Mountains to the beach where the water is great to swim in, in about 3 hours driving

You could take Amtrak%26#39;s Lake Shore Limited train to Chicago from New York City. This train leaves New York City in the afternoon and then travels alongside the scenic Hudson River into upstate New York, where it stops at Albany, the state captial. Then it%26#39;s East across the state of New York, to Cleveland, Ohio (at night) and then mid-morning you get into Chicago. From Chicago, you could take the Capitol Limited train to Washington, DC. From DC, it%26#39;s easy to get a train back up to New York City. The trip from NYC to Chicago is overnight and so is the train trip from Chicago to DC. Traveling by train in sleeping compartments is expensive, but Amtrak coach is definitely not.

If you wanted to go on a round-the-country train trip, you could go from NYC to Boston to Chicago to Seattle to Los Angeles to Chicago to Washington, DC to NYC.

If you have any questions or need any help, please feel free to email dvdmovie1@aol.com

blackheads

hotel help

To begin with, when I first began haunting this sight I read a post from someone ( don%26#39;t remember name ) who suggested something to the effect that it was possible to %26#39;over%26#39; search hotel choices. I thought maybe so... but that wouldn%26#39;t be my plight. I should have bitten my tongue!! I won%26#39;t even confess the number of hours! So please help. I have managed to steal two nights from other stops on our vacation so that we now have 5 in NYC in mid June. We ditched the car idea and are taking the train and know we will probably take a cab to which ever hotel we select. I have narrowed it down to 3, and actually decided to maybe try them each, but that was a late night musing. #1 The Barclay, because as Ambassador members we should get an upgrade and with an eligible discount the room is about 200 per night. #2 Sheraton hotel and towers, also prefered members and with discount a club room is also about 200. per night. #3 Affina 50 because of reviews and kitchenette, but 270. per night. Please supply your very valuable input! Many thanks in advance!!

hotel help

As a New Yorker, I can%26#39;t comment on the guest rooms or hotel services, but just on the location. The Intercontinental and Affinia 50 are right near each other, both on the east side. The Sheraton is on 7th Ave. Based on location, I%26#39;d go with the Sheraton. It%26#39;s closer to Central Park, Columbus Circle, the upper west side, and the theaters. I have a suspicion that the other two hotels are better reviewed though. And, it sure would be nice to have a kitchenette! Tough choice, but you won%26#39;t go wrong with whatever you choose.

hotel help

The person to which you speak, must be me. I have been laying low. Figured I was bugging the locals way too much on what the ideal hotel.

This is what I did. I have four reservations for June that I can cancel, just like you. I have documented them well, so that I can cancel a few days ahead. I am reading the posts and reviews, so that I can zero in on what works best for us. You know best what works for you, ie. location, service, cleanliness, etc.

I have taken full circle. I have reservations right now at Algonquin (per local recommendation), Warwick, Novotel, and Belvedere. I have already canceled the Hilton Times Square -- too ';fish bowl';. I am about to cancel the Novotel (too convention) and the Warwick (not so good reviews lately). I will decide later between Algonquin and Belvedere. Believe it or not, Belvedere sounds pretty good for the cost.

Yes, . . you can over research. But, . . .give it a rest for a couple of weeks. Later the right one will feel comfortable.

Yes Runfar82 the post was in relation to you, the statement being offered by NYWhiz. Analysis paralysis... sage advice! I will sit on my reses until one %26#39;hatches%26#39; .

Itinerary, needs some adjustments...

Arrival: 1st September (thursday) at 1:00 o%26#39;clock JFK.

*first thing to do: unpack at the Affinia Dumont

*5th avenue for some postcards, then up to the Postoffice (don%26#39;t know the opening-hours though...)

*dinner: ?

*ESB by night

2nd September (friday)

*Big Apple Greeter

afternoon: ?

dinner: Minado (sushi buffet)

3rd September (saturday)

*Labordayweekend, so we%26#39;re going to Brooklyn%26#39;s Carribean Parade, also Brooklyn Botanical Garden (open?), Chocolate Factory Jaques Torres and afterwards a Grimaldi Pizza and a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge

4th September (sunday)

*Harlem Gospel Tour

*afternoon: rent a tandem-bicycle (3hrs) in Central Park

and stroll in CP

*Pre-theater dinner Carmine%26#39;s: is this an OK place? I mean, is it possible to make any reservations here?

We are going to see Beauty and the Beast afterwards it%26#39;s on : Lunt-Fontanne Theatre

205 West 46th Street

and at what time should we go for dinner if the play starts at 7:30 pm?

5th September (monday) Labor Day

*Shopping Macy%26#39;s - Bloomingdales - Saks - Century 21

*Mme Tussauds

*NY Public Library (open?)

*Rockefeller Center Tour (open?)

*stroll around Theater %26amp; Garment district

If anybody else has some advices to do anything on this day... it would be helpful, thx

dinner:

6th September (tuesday)

*SOL %26amp; Circle Line Cruise 2hrs

*Ellis Island

*South Street Seaport

*Battery park, Wall Street

*Helicopter Ride (can I already go over there, and make reservations for example on friday the 2nd?)

dinner: Rivercafe

7th September (wednesday)

*AMNH

*Central Park stroll to Carnegie Hall (tour)

*Chelsea and West-Village (what%26#39;s interesting there?)

dinner: Virgil%26#39;s BBQ

8th september (thursday)

*NBC Tour %26amp; Radio City Music Hall Tour (maybe also CNN?)

*East Village, Gramercy, St Marks Place

*Little Italy, Chinatown

Anybody suggestions to see over here?

dinner: Lombardi%26#39;s (italian)

9th September (friday)

*Historic Richmondtown (it%26#39;s included in the NY Pass which we have, but how do you get there, and is it any interesting?)

*Madison Square Garden Tour

*Manhattan Mall

What else??

10th September (saturday)

*Brunch at St Barts Caf锟斤拷

*Stroll at the Chelsea Fleamarket

*Leave for the airport -%26gt; Belgium!

Please, i%26#39;m not the ';best'; when it comes to making an itinerary, so if anyone has some advice about anything on this schedule, it%26#39;s more than welcome!

Thx a lot!

Itinerary, needs some adjustments...

Wow, you%26#39;ve got a lot going on (and still a lot of time to plan, so don%26#39;t panic yet!)

Check your dates on the West Indian parade in Brooklyn. I believe it%26#39;s on the Monday, not the Saturday, of the weekend. It%26#39;s definitely worth going to. There will be food stalls of all sorts at the parade; since you will have lots of time here maybe that%26#39;s not the best night for a big pizza meal at Grimaldi%26#39;s. Also, the Botanic Garden is closed on Mondays; it%26#39;s nice but really not worth a special trip so late in the season.

If I%26#39;m wrong about the day of the parade, I%26#39;d strongly suggest switching your plans for Monday, Labor Day, with some other day. Labor Day is a big shopping weekend and people are off from work, and the stores will be ridiculously and unpleasantly crowded. If you don%26#39;t _have to_ be there that day, you%26#39;re better off not. Also, skip Manhattan Mall altogether. There%26#39;s not much there and what there is, is unpleasant.

Also, consider combining Wednesday and Thursday so that one day you%26#39;re in midtown (musuem, Carnegie Hall, park, Radio City, etc) and the other you%26#39;re downtown (Chelsea, Village, Chinatown, Little Italy).

Richmond is a neighborhood of Staten Island. I%26#39;m sure it%26#39;s lovely but it%26#39;s not generally on most people%26#39;s must-see lists for a visit.

Do you have any interest in any of the musuems?

Itinerary, needs some adjustments...

I%26#39;d try to fit in a visit to the Met if you can. It%26#39;s too big to see all of in a day, but if you pick you bits you%26#39;re interested in, you can see quite a lot. It%26#39;s open late till 9pm on Fridays so you could go then. Make sure you go to the Egyptian exhibition and gaze at the Temple in the twilight. Also, check out what%26#39;s on at the Guggenheim and maybe take a look. When I was there in Jan it was an Aztec exhibition and it was great.

You can make reservations for liberty helicopters on line (just type liberty helicopters into a search engine). We did this and had no problem. It%26#39;s a bit out of the way to go to the office to reserve, but people turned up and flew straight away when we were there without reservations.

The AMNH is fantastic - my fav museum in NY. Beauty and the Beast is fantastic as well. I hope you have a great time!!

If it were possible I WOULD make reservations, but you need to pay immediatley by creditcard, but I already booked a NY pass which I can get discount on a helicopter flight, so you see, I can%26#39;t make reservations through internet for a helicopter-flight :-(

This is an ambitious itinerary.

Arrival day. Don%26#39;t know why you need Post Office. If it%26#39;s simply to mail the postcards, just give them to the desk at the hotel. If you need to go, the main P.O. is on 8th Avenue between 32nd and 34th Streets. Open until at least 9 pm. Since you%26#39;re going to ESB that night, you probably want to stay in the neighborhood. If there are any meat eaters in your group, try Keen%26#39;s Steak %26amp; Chop House, 74 West 36th. If you like Spanish food, there%26#39;s a lovely, small Spanish restaurant called El Pote on 2nd Avenue between 39th and 38th or 38th and 37th.

For Friday, your second day, you have a gap in the itinerary. I%26#39;m going to suggest you take what you have scheduled for Monday (Labor Day) and move it back to Friday. Why? Two reasons. The Caribbean Parade is on Monday, Labor Day, not Saturday, and you do not want to miss that. Second, you do not really want to be in the stores shopping on Labor Day. It%26#39;s a zoo. By the way, there%26#39;s really not much to see in the Garment District. So after your morning greeter, hit the department stores, Mme Toussauds and the library, not necessarily in that order.

Now Saturday is open since you are no longer going to the Caribbean Parade. I noticed on Tuesday you have the Circle Line Cruise, the SOL and Ellis Island, South St. Seaport and a helicopter ride. That%26#39;s a lot of water for one day. Move either the Circle Line cruise or the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island trip to Saturday. I suggest the latter. You can easily spend a half-day at Ellis Island alone. If you have time left in the afternoon, explore Chinatown and Little Italy. Dinner at Lombardi%26#39;s if you want pizza, or 10 Pell or Joe%26#39;s Shanghai or New Green Bo if you want Chinese.

Sunday looks fine, and for a 7:30 curtain you want to eat at around 5:30 to 5:45. Carmine%26#39;s is not great for two people. It%26#39;s better suited for groups. And you may have eaten Italian food at Lombardi%26#39;s the night before. So go to my favorite Brazilian restaurant, Via Brasil, 34 West 46th for an excellent seafood dinner and walk up 46th to the theater.

That brings us to Monday, Labor Day. Go into Brooklyn for the Caribbean Parade. Don%26#39;t plan on dinner. There%26#39;s plenty to eat at the stalls along the parade route. If you have time, walk down Eastern Parkway to Grand Army Plaza and have a look at Prospect Park. It%26#39;s Brooklyn%26#39;s Central Park. If you go to the Botannical Garden, go in the morning before the parade begins, but check to make sure it%26#39;s open on Labor Day. I%26#39;m not sure it is.

Tuesday. We%26#39;ve previously moved Ellis Island to Saturday, so that leaves us with your Circle Line cruise and helicopter tour. The departure points for each are not too far apart. I would move the NBC and Radio City tours from Thursday to this afternoon and substitute dinner at Virgil%26#39;s for dinner at the River Cafe.

Wednesday is fine, but we%26#39;ve already moved Virgil%26#39;s to Tuesday so you need a dinner place. Since you%26#39;ll be in the west Village, may I recommend Chez Michallett, a charming, romantic, tiny French bistro on the corner of Bedford and Grove streets. After dinner, just wander round the neighborhood. It%26#39;s lovely.

Thursday%26#39;s, NBC and Radio City tours have been previously moved. That leaves the entire day and night open. Here is where you%26#39;re going to do Wall Street, South Street Seaport, perhaps Soho, the East Village and St. Mark%26#39;s Place. For dinner, the River Cafe and then a walk back across the Brooklyn Bridge.

That leaves Friday. I have no idea about what%26#39;s in historic Richmondtown or why it%26#39;s historic. I think you can pass it by (it%26#39;s really out of the way) and the Manhattan Mall is no big deal either. That leaves you with the Madison Square Garden tour. So what else to do? How about the Museum of Modern Art? Or Grand Central Station with lunch at the Oyster Bar. Or a bit of athletic activity at Chelsea Piers.

Saturday. Double check brunch at St. Bart%26#39;s. It%26#39;s wonderful but I thought it was on Sunday. Perhaps it%26#39;s both.

I know this is complicated, but the key to a good itinerary is grouping things in the same geogrphic area to cut down on traveling time. Hope this helps.

Have a great trip.

Thx Ruffian!

I%26#39;m going to make some changes on the itinerary this evening, reading your advices won%26#39;t make that a problem ;-)

I%26#39;ll let you know what the final itinerary will be...

Grtz

Ellen

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I LOVE NYC!

Meet me at this webpage:

http://www.looknmeet.com/pushkin

Check out the Cloisters Museum and the NY Hall of Science. Try finding a small bistro or cafe in Chelsea for dinner when you are down there.

The Met is a must.

microsoft

Stand-by lines - does it work?

I really would like to go in the stand-by line for Live with Regis and Kelly. Their website says to get there as early as 7 am. Does anyone know the likelyhood of me actually getting in. Do a lot of people show up for the stand-by line making it difficult to get in?

Stand-by lines - does it work?

I don%26#39;t want to be discouraging, but I have stood in line 3 times for Regis and Kelly and have never gotten in. I have arrived at 7 am, 6:30 a.m., and at 6 a.m. Two of those times it was summer, and the other was at Christmas- so maybe this time of year it would be easier.

The last time I went I asked the first person in line what time she had arrived. It was 5 a.m.! It seemed that each time they were letting people in w/standby tickets, but you had to arrive much earlier than I was up for!

Each time, however, we ended up walking down the street to get standby tickets for The View. We were able to get in there every time, which was fun. The Tony Danza show is also filmed in the same building a little bit later in the morning. You could probably get on that if you were unable to see Regis and Kelly.

Stand-by lines - does it work?

So do you guys think that I would have a decent chance of getting into the View then? I sent away for tickets but they aren%26#39;t here yet and we%26#39;re leaving on Sunday!

I think you would have a decent chance with The View. I would get there by 9, though. They start handing out standby numbers at 10, I think.

It%26#39;s funny, I have arrived at 10 a.m. and received standby seats on the first row. I have also arrived at 10 a.m. with tickets in hand, and still not gotten in! (There is a line in fine print that says having tickets does not guarantee admittance. It is still first come, first serve.)

Good luck!

Thanks so much! That means there is still hope! We%26#39;re gonna try Regis and Kelly first, then will try the View dependent on the length of the line!

I wrote for tickets for Regis and Kelly one month before our visit never expecting to hear anything because the website mentions that waits are sometimes up to one year in advance. Well, to my surprise the tickets came in the mail about a week before our trip. We had a great time. I do believe that only a few people got in from the standby line on the day we went.