Hey guys.
So I’m finally getting a chance to fly back across the pond and enjoy some quality time in the US. I’ll be spending a week or so near Philly with friends, but then I’ll spend the last 3 days in NYC.
I have found out that in NYC everything is expensive, and it’s also so bloody big and so full of bad neighborhoods that I don’t even know where I should try to be.
I don’t have a particular fondness for being robbed or stabbed for accidentally looking someone in the eyes, nor can I afford to pay hundreds of dollars a night for a place to stay.
So I need some information from those that know something.
I’ll mainly be doing the Broadway/Times Square/Central Park touristy stuff, so I guess I’d like to stay somewhere relatively close to that. Do you guys know of some not too expensive hotels or places to stay in the vicinity?
And which places of the city should I avoid?
I can’t help with places to stay but you’ll be safe in the touristy areas. I think the crime in NYC is over exaggerated. If you’re riding the subways just try to avoid them late at night, especially if there’s noone else at the stop. If you’re walking around you’ll be fine on the main roads where everything is becasue of all the people, just don’t go wandering down some lonely side street. Keep aware of your surroundings and ignore the panhandlers, I’ve been to the city many times and ride the subways and never had a problem. Don’t go much further uptown beyond Central Park because then you’ll be approaching Soth Harlem and that’s not the safest place to be. Again, not sure about hotels because I live close enough where I ride a train into the city for the day and then take subways around and head home at night. Let me know if I can be of any more help, I’ll try if I can.
I wouldn’t mind staying someplace where I could take a subway into the city in a relatively short time (I like trains, so riding on one for an hour or something is not a big issue, as long as I can be sure to walk out of there with all my expensive electronic shit :D), but it would need to be a place where I am sure to have good access to subways at pretty regular intervals. It would suck to have to be home by 9 because the last train only runs until then. That being said, I won’t be out partying for long either, so I doubt I’d be traveling much after midnight.
As for the crime, our entire population could fit into one street in NYC, and you can just imagine how unaccustomed I am to crime, aggression and general bother. I’ve been warned to A) Not walk around gazing admiringly up at the tall buildings and B) never look anyone in the eyes, to avoid muggings and beatings. Fuck if I know whether all this is true or not. I just want to be a tourist for a couple of days and live to show the thousands of pictures I’ll be taking 😀
When are you coming? If you have time do a lot of research you should. NY has 5 burroughs and you’ll be spending most of your time in Manhattan which is where all the tourist suff is. Maybe you can find a decent hotel in Queens or Brooklyn which are about a half hour or so subway ride to Manhattan.
There are very few muggings in Manhattan, unless you’re at an empty subway station late at night . Manhattan is full of tourists so you won’t be alone in that regard. Locals are walking the streets at a fast pace and will pay no attention to you. The thing about not looking people in the eyes is ridiculous and every tourist new to the city stares up at the buildings, just move to the side when you do it. Just be careful you’re not paying attention and walk into someone else or into an intersection. And if you enter an intersection and expect a cab or bus to let you pass that’s a mistake. The pace is so fast, drivers are crazy and you will get run over. It’s crowded, loud, fast and crazy but it’s great. If you tell me what you’re into maybe I can suggest some places to see, there’s so much so it can be helpful to have somewhat of an itinerary. PM if you want or keep it going here.
Wow, have a great time. I’m only a couple hours from Philly and about 4 from NYC. When I was there for an extended time I rented an apartment. When I was there for just a couple days I stayed at the Marriott Marquis. I stayed in Manhattan and around Times Square area and some of the other touristy areas for the most part. Took the subway a lot, but walked and walked and walked. I had no problems at all. I think you’ll be fine staying around the touristy areas. Central Park is pretty dark and lonely late at night. Basically, hang around where all the action is. I think just use your good common sense and good judgment and you will be just fine. Hold your valuables close to you so no one lifts them. There are a lot of very skillful thiefs out there looking for distracted tourists and they know how to take your stuff right out from under your nose.
Wish I could be of more help. I hope you have a fabulous time. How long is the flight? :):):):):)
I have three weeks to prepare and book everything. I land in NY at the end of the month, and initially planned to fly back home on 9/11 before I actually noticed that I chose 9/11 (and the 10 year anniversary as well), so I changed my plans a bit and am flying home a bit sooner.
The flight out is some 6 hours and the flight back is closer to 5 hours 🙂
So Queens and Brooklin are okay neighborhoods to be in then? The hotels in Manhattan that don’t have rats and roaches seem to be unavailable below $250 a night at that time, and I just refuse to accept that the last 2 days of my trip will cost more than the flight to America 🙂
All I’ve really got planned so far is that I’ll sleep two nights in NY, and I will see one show on Broadway each night. Other than that, I just want to be as touristy as I possibly can while in NY. I’ll do a bunch of museums and the zoo and the aquarium and theme parks and whatnot in Phoenixville and Philly, so what’s really left to enjoy in NY is just… it’s fucking magnificent grandeur. I just want to enjoy one of the biggest cities in the world. Eat good food, see cool things and take a crapload of useless pictures that don’t tell one iota of a story once you get home 🙂
I might do the whole Lady Liberty / Ellis Island tour, but the last boat leaves at 10:30 for that an I’m not known for my early mornings 😀
As far as I know Queens and Brooklyn are decent. NY can be overwhelming but obviously magnificent. I suggest you do as much preparation as you can before hand and familiarize yourself as much as possible. If you like architecture you want to see Grand Central Station and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. You can view the Statue from Manhattan without getting on the ferry which can have real long lines anyway. I also suggest you become a morning person for a few days because the days will go fast. Below are links to a tourist guide to the city and also the craziness known as NY transit system. Try to study maps of the city and tourist locations as best as you can. I’ve got a message out to a friend who lives in Queens for lodging recommendations. I don’t envy new people to the city but if you like a good adventure you’ll have the time of your life.
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/newyorkcity/
http://www.mta.info/nyct/
Thank you!
I’m a huge architecture nut so I’d definitely like to see some awesome cathedrals and stuff.
I have no doubt that I’ll be returning to NY sometime later (in a cheaper season!) to really do a NY tour (right now it’s just a bonus on my Philly tour) so I won’t lose sleep if I can’t get onto the statue and Ellis and other such things this time. I’m good with maps and will have my cellphone’s GPS running as well, so I’m not particularly worried about losing my way. I like adventures in traveling, as lone as they are safe adventures, and I’m pretty sure that NY is going to be one heck of an adventure 😀
My only hesitation is if you’re attendig Broadway shows and they’re out late you’ll hve a fairly long subway ride if you’re staying in Brooklyn or Queens. Ideally if you can find a decent inexpensive place to stay in Manhattan that would be more convenient but I do know rooms are not cheap. Those would be the times to avoid eye contact, late night subway rides could be a little nerve racking, especially if you’re leaving Manhattan.
Keep in youch and I’ll help you with which subway lines and stations you’ll need to go to but regardless, get inside Grand Central Station because it’s absolutely amazing architecture at it’s best. At the southern most tip of Manhattan is Battery Park with street performers, etc., and from there you can view the Statue without boarding a ferry. Also the Brooklyn Bridge has a tourist walk…if you walk from the Brooklyn side of the bridge across into Manhattan the views ar spectacular.
If you like good BBQ, look up Virgils near Times Square!
For a fee, I’ll head to the city and be your tour guide!
Stay in NJ; it’ll save you a hell of a lot of money. Then you can take a 20-minute bus ride to NYC or the Path if you’re near Hoboken. There are decent sections of Queens and Brooklyn, but there are also sections of both boroughs that you really don’t want to be, especially if you’re a tourist. Dyker Heights in Brooklyn is a really nice area with some incredible homes. It’s also very close-knit so neighbors watch the streets and so forth.
Most of Manhattan is pretty safe overall, with some obvious exceptions such as Harlem, Washington Heights, etc. Mainly I would recommend staying out of the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens unless you know exactly what area of the borough you are venturing into.
oh btw, looking someone in the eye in northern NJ is also often a no-no in certain neighborhoods. It’s not like they’re really going to kill you, but it’s pretty likely they’ll become confrontational. When I was growing up there, it was generally a “wtf you looking at?” or “You got a f***ing problem?” It was standard protocol. :p
I’m a huge architecture nut so I’d definitely like to see some awesome cathedrals and stuff.
I have no doubt that I’ll be returning to NY sometime later (in a cheaper season!) to really do a NY tour (right now it’s just a bonus on my Philly tour) so I won’t lose sleep if I can’t get onto the statue and Ellis and other such things this time. I’m good with maps and will have my cellphone’s GPS running as well, so I’m not particularly worried about losing my way. I like adventures in traveling, as lone as they are safe adventures, and I’m pretty sure that NY is going to be one heck of an adventure 😀
I love architecture as well. I was fascinated with St. Patrick’s Cathedral. I remember a lot of ornate work on the interior, if my memory serves me correctly. There were many older buildings and churches that were pretty neat and of course the usual touristy places & big city skyscrapers and such. Queens is considered safe and Brooklyn is considered a mixed bag, but all cities have their problems no matter how safe they are. One thing you could do is see if police blotters for Brooklyn and Queens are available online for you to look at before you decide anything. That would give you a good idea of the crime rate, where it is prevalent and the types of crimes that are committed. I personally never had problems there. But, like any other big city, there are good and bad and you might want to look into which areas to stay away from. Hope that helps! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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