Going to NYC for the first time next weekend...

[Epic Fail]

Originally posted by: Arcadio
You can stay at my place.

It's a trap!!1!

 

[jonks]

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: blackdogdeek
my wife and i stayed at the time hotel. it's right near times square and i think it might be in your budget. it was small but very nice and has a great location.

the food cart at 53rd and 6th is $5 for lamb over rice during the lunch rush. i work in that grey building that is on that block, the calyon building.

you can get a nice meal for less than $100 with good drinks at Ruby Foo's which is at 49th and broadway. you're also right in the neighborhood for good brazillian bbq at churrascaria platafarma which is on 48th between 8th and 9th i think. you can google is for the location. it's pricey but it has a ridiculously stocked buffet salad bar complete with shrimp cocktail and sushi. then you get the all you can rodezia(sp?) experience where waiters walk around with huge skewers of all types of cooked meats and you just signal if you want them to cut you a slice. there's also bobby van's steakhouse near 50th and 7th. utsav is decent indian but they have a lunch buffet. there's also smaller quick venues like tina's at 56th and 5th for freaking awesome cuban food for about $10 for more than you can eat in one sitting, cafe duke is a more upscale deli that has good ramen and other korean food on 51st between 6th and 7th. today i went for some quick chinese food at yip's on 52nd between 5th and 6th.

EDIT: closer to times square there is that dallas bbq place, carmine's for family style italian, ollie's for cheaper chinese food. gray's papaya has awesome hot dogs for cheap but it's at 38th or 37th and 8th ave.

one thing to note is that times square has been turned into a pedestrian area meaning that broadway is closed off in that section to traffic so it's now packed with people sitting at chairs and tables enjoying the sights of times square. there is a TKTS booth right there where you can go to get cheaper ticket for broadway shows.

That dallas BBQ place is AWESOME! It's cheap compared to the rest of NY too...

Dallas BBQ is kindof an inside joke in nyc.

 

[Ctrackstar126]

Another vote for the chicken and lamb its seriously some of the best food youll have. Ive brought a few people to the city and they all love it. Ive stayed at the doubletree on lexington i literally payed about 130 for it with priceline pick your price. Its a great location but it isnt crazy when you step outside with tourists.

Also i go down to the city often as I have a friend who lives down there and out of all the trips I enjoyed the area between the boardwalk and wall st. Also grab yourself a bagel and eat breakfast in bryant park.

Also times square is a tourist trap but regardless its a must if its your first time there just try not to eat at any of the gimmicky restaurants around there. Good idea is to find a restaurant in soho and eat just make sure to look at the menu to make sure it isnt over budget..

Also Canal st is great. Just walk buy all the shady people telling u to buy. Have your camera ready to there is nothing better then watching cops chase down Haitians as they carry big ass suitcases full of purses.

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: jonks

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: blackdogdeek
my wife and i stayed at the time hotel. it's right near times square and i think it might be in your budget. it was small but very nice and has a great location.

the food cart at 53rd and 6th is $5 for lamb over rice during the lunch rush. i work in that grey building that is on that block, the calyon building.

you can get a nice meal for less than $100 with good drinks at Ruby Foo's which is at 49th and broadway. you're also right in the neighborhood for good brazillian bbq at churrascaria platafarma which is on 48th between 8th and 9th i think. you can google is for the location. it's pricey but it has a ridiculously stocked buffet salad bar complete with shrimp cocktail and sushi. then you get the all you can rodezia(sp?) experience where waiters walk around with huge skewers of all types of cooked meats and you just signal if you want them to cut you a slice. there's also bobby van's steakhouse near 50th and 7th. utsav is decent indian but they have a lunch buffet. there's also smaller quick venues like tina's at 56th and 5th for freaking awesome cuban food for about $10 for more than you can eat in one sitting, cafe duke is a more upscale deli that has good ramen and other korean food on 51st between 6th and 7th. today i went for some quick chinese food at yip's on 52nd between 5th and 6th.

EDIT: closer to times square there is that dallas bbq place, carmine's for family style italian, ollie's for cheaper chinese food. gray's papaya has awesome hot dogs for cheap but it's at 38th or 37th and 8th ave.

one thing to note is that times square has been turned into a pedestrian area meaning that broadway is closed off in that section to traffic so it's now packed with people sitting at chairs and tables enjoying the sights of times square. there is a TKTS booth right there where you can go to get cheaper ticket for broadway shows.

That dallas BBQ place is AWESOME! It's cheap compared to the rest of NY too...

Dallas BBQ is kindof an inside joke in nyc.

I don;t care. I can tell you know that the food is not uber fresh (it's not 2 days old either)....but they just mask it with the bbq sauce, which has a pretty good taste.

 

[purbeast0]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I checked out that pod hotel mentioned above, everything is booked other than like $300+ a night rooms, a lil more than we wanna spend.

I did find 2 that I am probably going to pursue - the Da Vinci, and the Carlton on Madison.

They both seem to be in good locations and the Da Vinci seems to be pretty damn cheap, but it is getting some pretty solid reviews as well.

I will check out that Time one mentioned above as well.

Thanks for all the replies about food too!

EDIT:

wow, The Time hotel is definitely on my list now, that place looks awesome and is a great location!

 

[rh71]

I have $200 in gift certificates to Ritz-Carlton if you want it for cheap. God knows I'm not going to stay there at $300-400/night. 😉 Might be worthwhile for a weekender.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: rh71
I have $200 in gift certificates to Ritz-Carlton if you want it for cheap. God knows I'm not going to stay there at $300-400/night. 😉 Might be worthwhile for a weekender.

excuse my noobness, but will the GC work on the "Carlton on Madison" hotel?

or is "Ritz-Carlton" completely different?

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: rh71
I have $200 in gift certificates to Ritz-Carlton if you want it for cheap. God knows I'm not going to stay there at $300-400/night. 😉 Might be worthwhile for a weekender.

excuse my noobness, but will the GC work on the "Carlton on Madison" hotel?

or is "Ritz-Carlton" completely different?

looks like they're a completely different hotel. The back of the certificate lists 2 in NY as the ones in Battery Park and Central Park, neither of which are close to Madison Ave if I know the city correctly...

 

[bigrash]

I stayed at the Carlton on Madison with the gf this past valentine's day, and i wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The place is beautiful, but the rooms are super tiny. I mean, I've stayed in other hotels in Manhattan, but these rooms were ridiculously small. There was no walking room at all. I remember staying at a holiday inn in Manhattan when I was in college and even that room was 10 times more spacious.

But as far as looks goes, this hotel is top notch. Definitely the 2nd best looking hotel that I've ever stayed in (next to the Venetian hotel in Vegas). From the lobby to the rooms, the decor was simply gorgeous. It's sad that the rooms were so small because this hotel is beautiful.