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| HOME : NEW YORK CITY : VISITING NEW YORK |
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Ten Questions About Visiting New York
By Tom Meyers, BOOKitCHEAP Editor
Planning a trip to New York can be a daunting task -- especially if it's your first. But, never fear, we're here to help! The BOOKitCHEAP staff lives and works in New York City and we're pros at answering all your New York questions.
Here are some of the most common questions we're asked:
Where should we stay?
In a hotel. Sorry, just throwing in a little humor. Honestly, most New York hotels are in Midtown Manhattan, clustered South of Central Park and around Times Square. On our site, we refer to this large area as Central Park, Midtown East and Midtown West.
The entire area is a dense mix of 50-floor office buildings, hotels, television studios, shops and restaurants. Staying in one of these hotels is usually ideal for tourists, especially those taking advantage of the city's main attractions. Some visitors might prefer staying in the Upper East Side or Upper West Side, both of which are quieter and much more residential. Visitors intending to see New York's "Sex and the City" side might be best off staying Downtown, closer to the hip bars, restaurants, boutiques and nightspots.
Of course, you could always stay outside of Manhattan in a different borough. This makes sense if you're visiting somebody in an outer borough, or just spending one evening before blasting off from the airport. Or you really want to keep your costs down. Those are about the only reasons we can think of to stay outside Manhattan.
What's Manhattan? Where's "Downtown," "Midtown" and "Uptown"?
Let's get down to the basics: New York City is divided into five boroughs (all former cities before the city unified 100 years ago): Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Manhattan is an island and connects to the other boroughs by bridges, trains, and ferry boats. The Hudson River separates Manhattan from New Jersey and the East River separates Manhattan from Brooklyn and Queens.
Manhattan is home to approximately 1,500,000, though millions more jam the borough's streets every day to work, visit and play. New York City's population is roughly 8,000,000.
In Manhattan, "Uptown" roughly means the area north of 59th Street on both the East Side and West Side (referred to as the "Upper East Side" and "Upper West Side"). We loosely define "Midtown" as everything between 59th Street and 14th Street. Downtown, therefore, encompasses everything on the island South of 14th Street. Read more in our guide to New York City neighborhoods.
How much do hotels cost?
Fasten your seatbelts: Hotel prices in New York fluctuate wildly. That double in Midtown you booked for next month at $89 might go for $219 a week later. WHY? Quite simply, New York is the world capital of supply, demand, and the free market. There's almost always something going on here: holidays packed 'em in, businesses throw conventions, performing arts hold festivals, parades parade... and they all have to sleep some place.
The secret is to find a time when the city is relatively quiet and plan your visit accordingly. For instance, the Christmas season is the most expensive time of year. However, the first weeks of January are among the cheapest all year. But then comes Valentine's Day…
Is New York safe?
Yes. A lot has changed in the past twenty years. We all have stories about how the city has changed since we first moved here. (One staffer, Marina, is actually from New York and now lives in an area that she wasn't even allowed to visit as a child.)
New York is consistently rated among the safest big cities in the nation, if not the safest. Most streets in Manhattan are safe to walk along at any time of day or night. However, we don't recommend that women ride the subway alone after midnight (guys can deal with the occasional freakish episodes).
Are New Yorkers nice?
But of course! When here, don't be intimated. You should feel comfortable stopping any (normal looking) pedestrian on the street to ask directions. Don't forget that most New Yorkers were once new in town, as well.
Tourists always express surprise at how nice New Yorkers are to them during their stay. It's time to start revising the stereotype! (We do, however, all walk around with a cup of Starbuck's in one hand and a cell phone in the other…)
Do we need to rent a car?
Oh, Lord, please no. Unless you're staying at a hotel in an outer borough and are planning to drive to destinations outside the city limits, do not rent a car. Inside Manhattan, they are nothing but a hassle and you'll spend more on parking garages and parking tickets than you ever would on cabs.
What should we pack?
Pack comfortable clothes and walking shoes. We can tell you this: You are going to be doing a lot more walking than you think you are. It's okay -- you'll be working up an appetite for well-deserved delicious dinners.
Pack at least one nice outfit (with nice shoes) for dinner and the theater. Jeans are showing up more frequently at the theater, but we don't approve. (Sorry for the snobbery, but we've heard actors complain.)
What about buying theater tickets?
Theater tickets can be purchased in advance through TicketMaster, TeleCharge and by calling (or visiting) the theater directly. Once at your hotel, you could purchase tickets through your concierge or hotel theater ticket desk, but they're probably going to charge a hefty surcharge.
A better bet is to buy same-day half-priced tickets for plays and musicals through TKTS, a service offered by the Theater Development Fund. Most tourists line up at the group's Times Square ticket booth (47th and Broadway), but we recommend visiting the group's other less-trafficked office downtown at South Street Seaport.
Is it easy to get around town?
Yes. First of all, you're going to be walking. A lot. But that's okay, because New York was built for pedestrians by pedestrians. City sidewalks are safe and convenient and packed with everybody else in town doing the same thing.
Secondly, New York boasts a wonderful and efficient 24-hour subway system, convenient bus system, and world-famous speeding cabs. You'll be delighted that you left the car at home.
We hope these answers offer you a basic overview of what to expect and how to plan your trip. Have fun, and see you in the Big Apple!
QUICK LINKS:
New York City Hotels Homepage
New York City Neighborhoods
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