NYC Tourist Questions

On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 20:03:45 -0400, jdoe wrote:

here's a few bad places. try 118 and manhattan ave, try 111 and 2nd,

Could you be specific about 111th St and 2 Ave? We take a bus to
Patsy's for pizza once in a while at 117 St and 1st Ave. When we
leave (at night) we walk to 2 Ave at 116 St to get an M15 bus back
home. Seems safe to me.

It also seems to me that if you say that 111th and 2nd is unsafe then
visitors would assume that 117th and 1st, being not that far away,
would also be a place to avoid. Most would feel that getting killed
is not a good trade off for having a great pizza pie. So what I'm
suggesting is that you be specific because most visitors don't have
the time or inclination to delve into these things.

Brian Wickham

I see most people advising visitors to buy MetroCards and I second
that, but today brought home to me a problem that visitors may have
with the one-day MetroCard.

A family got on the M104 bus in front of me and the father's MetroCard
was invalid. He complained that he bought and used it last evening so
it should be good. I asked him if it was a one-day card, he said it
was. I told him that it had expired at 3 am this morning.

A visitor might reasonably assume that a one-day MetroCard is good for
a 24 hour period from when it is first used. BUT, the people who
invented the card thought it was for commuters who would use it in the
morning to go to work and need it for other trips during the day plus
a ride home later in the evening. SO, the card is good until 3 am on
the day after you first use it.

The guy on the M104 first used his last evening so he had maybe 8
hours to get his money's worth. That needs to be changed.

Brian Wickham

Brian Wickham wrote:
I see most people advising visitors to buy MetroCards and I second
that, but today brought home to me a problem that visitors may have
with the one-day MetroCard.

A family got on the M104 bus in front of me and the father's MetroCard
was invalid. He complained that he bought and used it last evening so
it should be good. I asked him if it was a one-day card, he said it
was. I told him that it had expired at 3 am this morning.

A visitor might reasonably assume that a one-day MetroCard is good for
a 24 hour period from when it is first used. BUT, the people who
invented the card thought it was for commuters who would use it in the
morning to go to work and need it for other trips during the day plus
a ride home later in the evening. SO, the card is good until 3 am on
the day after you first use it.

The guy on the M104 first used his last evening so he had maybe 8
hours to get his money's worth. That needs to be changed.

Brian Wickham

Let me tell you as a recent tourist to NYC I never made the assumption
that the one day metro card was good for a 24 hour period. So I would
buy the card early in the day for the full day use. It's great for
getting on an off buses and never have to worry about $2.00 for short
distances.

A visitor might reasonably assume that a one-day MetroCard is good for
a 24 hour period from when it is first used. BUT, the people who
invented the card thought it was for commuters who would use it in the
morning to go to work and need it for other trips during the day plus
a ride home later in the evening. SO, the card is good until 3 am on
the day after you first use it.

Ditto - we bought 7 day cards for 3 of us, then a 1 day for my husband
who came later. Bought it after our theater outing! duh - wasted $5!

On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 10:31:25 -0400, Rita wrote:

On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 13:44:08 GMT, "C. Massey"
wrote:

We have never been to New York City and have a question or two.

Is it possible to get a decent, clean room in a *safe* area for under
$200
per night for wife, son (12 yrs old) and myself? What part of town
would I
look in for this?

All over Manhattan. New York is a safe city. You are no more at risk
there than in any other large American city -- less than in some.

With some looking you should be able to find a hotel room in your
price range. Hotels are expensive and you get less for your money
than in many other cities, but decent, clean, comfortable is possible.

I would assume that taking the normal precautions, the we would be safe
wondering around town. Any areas to avoid?

None that you are the least likely to visit. Wandering around is one
of the great pleasures in New York.

We have never been anywhere like this before, so have no clue.

Then you have an interesting and hopefully, exciting, experience
ahead.


Thanks for any advice/tips.

There is so much to be said about New York City that one can hardly
respond to your question.

love the food for instance
There's one in the town of the former Hooters, and it surprised me by
being decent, food and service.

I don't like that stupid tableside service crap
though. No sandwich needs that much extra attn.

In any case, I've meant to get back.

Unfortunately, though I fell in love with Quizno's in Greensbore, the ones
here have proven consistently to suck.

So, I'm done with them, regrettably, because when the food meets
potential, you like it alot.

screw'em.

Do your homework -- get a guidebook and
read up. See what interests you and then come back and ask specific
questions.

I will say this -- you can get around Manhattan easily with public
transportation so do not need to have your hotel situated in any
particular area.

On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 12:37:29 -0400, sechumlib
wrote:

On 2006-08-01 10:31:25 -0400, Rita said:

On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 13:44:08 GMT, "C. Massey"
wrote:

We have never been to New York City and have a question or two.
Is it possible to get a decent, clean room in a *safe* area for under
$200 per night for wife, son (12 yrs old) and myself? What part of
town would I look in for this?
All over Manhattan. New York is a safe city. You are no more at risk
there than in any other large American city -- less than in some.

Like Edmonton, for example? :-)

You are too funny. but i think that is right as I'm glad Alabama was
great but safety factor was n different than ny i thought. others have
said the same thing
about Montgomery. I went to a party over the weekend. I was
Shrek. The costume went over real well, especially with the kids. Hang in
there and Happy aaugust!!

On Wed, 02 Aug 2006 17:42:23 -0400, Vacation Mamma
wrote:

Hi Michael,
I'll respond here publicly so any inuendo that I'm somehow trying to do
anything but help other travelers or that my web site isp is shady.
Other than that, I'd rather stick to vacation and travel advice and tip
gathering and giving. I've also responded in the text of your email on
specifics.

1. I personally own 3 vacation rentals: in Maine and 2 in southern CA.
My isp is ipower web, if you look at whois, and click through you will
see my personal details. i don't try to hide anything that's just the
way the registry works. to imply something shady is not needed - just
ask. i love to travel, and to write...hence why i'm here. will i get
a business benefit? maybe indirectly, but i use and contribute to this
forum constructively always. i believe i took some of your advice and
barbara v's when i was planning this july stay!
2. I've touted greatrentals twice here recently because they are easy
to use and have some NYC listings which are valid. I stayed at one of
these in July and was satisfied. I also advertise on greatrentals, as
well as a dozen or so other sites. Each one is better for different
areas, and when appropriate I will recommend the vacation rental portal
that I like best as a vacationer (not advertiser) for that area if I
know anything about it. i don't own anything in NYC, have any partners
there, have a vested interest in any of the vacation rental sites or
places. when i do post a link to my site, i make it clear it is mine
and only do so if it is specific to that area.
3. I advise vacation rentals quite often for families. Quite honestly,
I don't personally know any families willing to stay at hostels or
YMCA's, and hotels are often too crowded for us (have you tried
sleeping in a hotel room with your toddlers or preteens lately?) lol....
Vacation rentals are not for everyone or everywhere, but in some
locations they work very well.
4. I cannot guarantee cleanliness, safety, or anything of vacation
rentals, hotels, or anything. I've stayed in B&B's, hotels, and
vacation rentals that were great, and in ones that weren't. The burden
is on the traveller to do their research and due diligence (which is
why most post here). The scam I found was a place (I've forgotten the
name that advertises and shows photos of one type of apartment or condo
in NYC, but it isn't at all what you get - tripadvisor had many bad
comments on them).

ah so you are famous

Pan wrote:
On 1 Aug 2006 21:39:53 -0700, "Vacation Mamma"
wrote:

[snip]
I personally recommend vacation rental apartments over hotels for
families. You will get more privacy,

Possibly.

(i did that's what I can speak to)


be in a neighborhood,

Once you leave wherever you're staying, you're in a neighborhood,
though many folks know I don't like the Times Square area because it's
just about all tourists until you get to 9th Av.

more for
your money,

This I wonder about.

(this was better than what I could find for good (not cheap) hotels
with either suites or 2 adjoining rooms. Examples include Marriott and
Embassy Suites - I personally don't do hostels or Y's and the op asked
for affordable not cheap : $300/night =bedroom, bathroom family room
with extra sleeping, kitchen and dining, and private courtyard, high
speed internet, and personal advice/service as well as a quiet ground
floor apartment in a safe and convenient location - just what MY family
needed - maybe not everyone's but it worked for me-you can find an
exception to every thing anyone says if you look hard enough - but for
many of us, a vr is more for our money...)

and the ability to save dramatically by eating breakfast at
home and even packing a lunch or snack.

Well, anyone can do that by buying yogurt and such-like in a
supermarket. I don't think it's necessary to cook while on vacation.

(and where do you put it if your hotel room doesn't have a
refridgerator or only a wet bar? - my family doesn't want to go out to
eat for breakfast everyday - we want coffee when we arise, and a quick
bowl of cereal, glass of OJ, a beer or glass of wine (a bottle provided
by my landlord)when we return home...I don't want to cook either, but
if you travel with children it is often practical and easier to do so
for some meals)- furthermore it allows me to spend more on the things I
care about and enjoying: yankees game, broadway show, a couple of nice
meals, etc...

NYC has the best deli's and
take out and delivery, so you don't even have to cook anything if you
don't want.

Yes, and you can just as easily do that if you're staying in a hotel
or YMCA or youth hostel.
(only suite hotels have microwaves usually - so how would this work???
I do have lots of experience in hotels in this angle, that's how I
ended up renting homes and apartments instead)


How much do these apartment rentals go for? You may have lucked into
something great, but I'm starting to wonder why you're posting about
this agency so much. What makes that agency better than any other one?

This place I recommended (i don't dare mention it again) is a vacation
rental advertising site/portal, not a rental agency. I don't deal with
those and didn't recommend one. These are individual owners.
I've stayed in hotels, vacation rentals, campgrounds, b&b's and such
and they each have their own place in travel. I just thought this
family would want to check out the option of a vr, and I know that site
has some in NYC because I used it. I definitely didn't luck out - I
did my homework and was happy with the result.
Also, how do you guarantee that the apartments are clean and free of
vermin? A friend of mine stayed at an apartment through one of those
agencies (I have no idea which agency), and it turned out to be the
home of an aging hippie who seemed to have never dusted. The place was
roach-infested and the bathroom was so dirty his girlfriend cleaned it
herself. Plus, she was so grossed out it spoiled the mood. Don't get
me wrong, I'm not assuming that you're spamming and trying to ruin the
business of the agency you're promoting - though the ISP
rentthisplace.net is kind of suspicious - but make some stronger
arguments for why travelers should use it.

[snip]
Do make time for:
a Broadway play (we saw Hairspray) register at www.playbill.com for
discounts.

Anyone else know this site? Is there a charge to register? Do you
agree that it's a good deal?
(why are you attacking my credibility - check out the site yourself -
yes it is free to register, it is well known by most of the theater
going public around the country, and it was my nyc landlord who
suggested it to me, but I'd already registered - I didn't want to stand
in line at the cheap place downtown or times square...my tickets to
hairspray ran about $65 for orchestra - i thought that was pretty good
myself ...)

a Yankees game if at the right time of year

This is the right time of year, except when it's 100 degrees like
today, but tickets might be hard to find, so check www.yankees.com for
ticket availability.

[snip]
sightseeing: Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island,
World Trade Center Site, Churches. chrysler building, Flatiron Bldg.,
Washington Square Park

I wish the Chrysler Building still had an observation deck. When I was
a kid, my father was doing business with someone who had an office
high up in that building, and the view was splendid! It's a great
classic New York skyscraper, as is the Flatiron Building (from about a
generation earlier), and well worth walking past.

[snip]
shopping - even if you go only to stores you know from back home, the
ones in NYC are often flagship stores bigger and better in every way

Hmmm...We don't have big outlet stores in New York. It depends what
you're shopping for.
(did I say outlet? I said flagship. An outlet store is where a
company or another place sell overstocks or seconds, or last years
prices for less - a flagship is one where the store tries out new
products and is considered the "best of the best" of that particular
store. NYC stores on 5th are often known for this. In addition you
might want to check out century 21 across from the world trade center
site - not an outlet, but a discount department store, as is daffy's as
well.

Sheesh - I was only trying to help.....why pick on me...it was all good
advice, maybe not for you...but maybe for this family who had the op.

Michael

If you would like to send a private email to me, please take out the
NOTRASH. Please do not email me something which you also posted.

On Sun, 06 Aug 2006 17:54:32 GMT, marika
wrote:

On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 10:31:25 -0400, Rita wrote:

On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 13:44:08 GMT, "C. Massey"
wrote:

We have never been to New York City and have a question or two.

Is it possible to get a decent, clean room in a *safe* area for under
$200
per night for wife, son (12 yrs old) and myself? What part of town
would I
look in for this?

All over Manhattan. New York is a safe city. You are no more at risk
there than in any other large American city -- less than in some.

With some looking you should be able to find a hotel room in your
price range. Hotels are expensive and you get less for your money
than in many other cities, but decent, clean, comfortable is possible.

I would assume that taking the normal precautions, the we would be safe
wondering around town. Any areas to avoid?

None that you are the least likely to visit. Wandering around is one
of the great pleasures in New York.

We have never been anywhere like this before, so have no clue.

Then you have an interesting and hopefully, exciting, experience
ahead.


Thanks for any advice/tips.

There is so much to be said about New York City that one can hardly
respond to your question.

love the food for instance
There's one in the town of the former Hooters, and it surprised me by
being decent, food and service.

I don't like that stupid tableside service crap
though. No sandwich needs that much extra attn.

In any case, I've meant to get back.

Unfortunately, though I fell in love with Quizno's in Greensbore, the ones
here have proven consistently to suck.

So, I'm done with them, regrettably, because when the food meets
potential, you like it alot.

screw'em.

Do your homework -- get a guidebook and
read up. See what interests you and then come back and ask specific
questions.

I will say this -- you can get around Manhattan easily with public
transportation so do not need to have your hotel situated in any
particular area.

On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 16:25:47 -0400, jdoe wrote:

| doesn't qualify you to know about what is where, walk 3 or 4 blocks
| east of where you stayed and the area is like a war zone.

wow. the war zones i've been familiar with over the years included fires
burning 24 hours a day. buildings that are in ruins. dead bodies. constant
gun fire. perhaps close-in air support with some 500 pound bombs dropping
and what not.

where in manhattan can i find this?

On 2006-08-11 07:48:47 -0400, bitbucket said:

On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 16:25:47 -0400, jdoe wrote:

| doesn't qualify you to know about what is where, walk 3 or 4 blocks
| east of where you stayed and the area is like a war zone.
wow. the war zones i've been familiar with over the years included fires
burning 24 hours a day. buildings that are in ruins. dead bodies. constant
gun fire. perhaps close-in air support with some 500 pound bombs dropping
and what not.

where in manhattan can i find this?

No point in starting with Jdoe's postings to find it, or anything. He's
a maniac.