Need help from NYC ATOTers!

[KeithTalent]

Hello friends.

So I'm planning a trip to Toronto for TIFF this September (have to plan early to get the tickets you want) and since I will be over that way, I am thinking of tagging on 3 or 4 days in NYC to the end of trip. However, I am having a very tough time deciding what part of town to stay in and what hotels look good; there's almost too much information out there.

I will be there solo and plan on pretty much just eating, going to art galleries/museums, and walking around the city. I prefer to walk as much as humanly possible, but I don't mind taking cabs and whatnot if I have to.

I'd prefer to keep the hotel price under $400/night if possible and would like an area that I can easily walk back to without worry of getting mugged or whatever. I was in NYC once before, but I was there with my Mother en route to a wedding, so pretty much blocked it all out.

So any NY ATOTers or people that have been there recently have any tips or thoughts?

Thanks in advance friends.

KT

PS: one of you owes me a beer and I plan on collecting.

 

[sjwaste]

Not a NYCer, but the W Union Square has been good to me in the past. The Dream Hotel was nice too, rooms were small but very modern - fine for a solo traveler.

 

[bonkers325]

you can crash on my couch for $399/night

 

[KeithTalent]

Not a NYCer, but the W Union Square has been good to me in the past. The Dream Hotel was nice too, rooms were small but very modern - fine for a solo traveler.

Not exactly sure where that is. Close to most things? I looked on the map and it looked a bit out of the way, but it's hard for me to judge.

you can crash on my couch for $399/night

:hmm:

KT

 

[sjwaste]

Not exactly sure where that is. Close to most things? I looked on the map and it looked a bit out of the way, but it's hard for me to judge.

KT

Depends on what things you're interested in. It's not in Times Square, but I see that as a plus when visiting NYC. It is, however, in walking distance to some restaurants you might be interested in trying. Craft and Gramercy Tavern are both within close walking distance. Les Halles is near there too, and I liked that place before Bourdain made it cool

EDIT: I'm talking about the W. If I were going back, that's where I'd most likely stay.

 

[bonkers325]

Not exactly sure where that is. Close to most things? I looked on the map and it looked a bit out of the way, but it's hard for me to judge.



:hmm:

KT

What locations are you looking to visit? Groupon does offers for hotels in Times Square a lot. Usually you're looking at $150-200 per night.

 

[KeithTalent]

Depends on what things you're interested in. It's not in Times Square, but I see that as a plus when visiting NYC. It is, however, in walking distance to some restaurants you might be interested in trying. Craft and Gramercy Tavern are both within close walking distance. Les Halles is near there too, and I liked that place before Bourdain made it cool

EDIT: I'm talking about the W. If I were going back, that's where I'd most likely stay.

Ah cool, ok. Craft and Gramercy pique my interest for sure. Thanks, I'll take a look at that place. Any other food recommendations, or anything else I need to see around the city?

What locations are you looking to visit? Groupon does offers for hotels in Times Square a lot. Usually you're looking at $150-200 per night.

Was looking to hit at least two very nice restaurants and I want to hit the MOMA. Not really sure what else to be honest. I looked around at Upper East and West side as well as the Times Square area, but supposedly everything in those areas are all overpriced and overrated? Like I said, there's almost too much information, much of it conflicting.

KT

 

[TangoJuliet]

The wife and I just stayed at the Intercontinental which is near times square. I believe it ran us around $300/night. The room was much bigger than any hotel I've stayed at in NYC. Its location was pretty central and there was a subway stop right outside the hotel which made getting around super easy.

 

[bonkers325]

Ah cool, ok. Craft and Gramercy pique my interest for sure. Thanks, I'll take a look at that place. Any other food recommendations, or anything else I need to see around the city?



Was looking to hit at least two very nice restaurants and I want to hit the MOMA. Not really sure what else to be honest. I looked around at Upper East and West side as well as the Times Square area, but supposedly everything in those areas are all overpriced and overrated? Like I said, there's almost too much information, much of it conflicting.

KT

TBH if you go to any of the big name chain hotels you'll probably have a decent experience. If you want to be centrally located try the Grand Hyatt Hotel near Grand Central. You'll be able to get every single train in Manhattan via the S shuttle train that goes cross-town.

http://grandnewyork.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

 

[Crono]

Marriott Marquis is one of the most conveniently located hotels.

http://www.marriott.com/reservation/availabilityCalendar.mi

If you like history and museums (I do), make sure you hit AMNH. It's my favorite, been there almost 10 times now. There are a few other museums (the Met, Guggenheim, MoMA, the Jewish Museum, and a few others IIRC) and other interesting places (Columbus Circle, Lincoln Center/Met Opera) all bunched together within walking distance.

If you like Broadway or haven't experienced a play or show yet, it might be fun to go see a play, show or musical. If you want a view of the city, and possibly catch a glimpse of a celeb or two, head down to NBC Studios/30 Rock. If you are a fan of The Daily Show, you can try getting some tickets. They are located on 11th Ave, not too far away from the other places.

 

[Crono]

Was looking to hit at least two very nice restaurants and I want to hit the MOMA. Not really sure what else to be honest. I looked around at Upper East and West side as well as the Times Square area, but supposedly everything in those areas are all overpriced and overrated? Like I said, there's almost too much information, much of it conflicting.

KT

I always tell people to just go to restaurant row (easy walking distance from the places I mentioned above) and stop by whichever restaurant happens to pique your interest. People's tastes vary, and some native New Yorkers prefer lesser known restaurants, while first time tourists might like hitting the more popular places. That's the problem with New York; everyone has an opinion, so you really might as well decide for yourself. Walk around and see what looks good. I'm easy to please, though, so street food is as good to me as any of the avant-garde restaurants that are out there.

My only solid tip as far as eats go is to avoid Times Square proper. Some of the restaurants are okay, but most are going to be be busy and of course relatively expensive for what you get. You should definitely visit Times Square, but I wouldn't buy anything myself (except for possibly tickets) in the way of food or souvenirs, unless you are specifically looking for touristy junk to take back home for some friends.

If you've got money to burn on clothes or accessories you can stop by the 5th Ave shops or the fashion district on your way to Central Park (I'm assuming you'll want to cut through there at some point - nearly everything I mentioned is around the park (it's called Central Park for that reason ). If you are a true ATOT baller - or want to hawk some jewelry - you can also check out the diamond district.

So far all I've mentioned is midtown. If you head downtown, on the way you can visit Grand Central Station, the Empire State building, and then SoHo if you are an aspiring hipster, but really there are some shops downtown and galleries that are worth checking out if you like art and architecture. Downtown NYC is a good place if you are a photographer or artist, like bars, or enjoy music.

 

[KeithTalent]

The wife and I just stayed at the Intercontinental which is near times square. I believe it ran us around $300/night. The room was much bigger than any hotel I've stayed at in NYC. Its location was pretty central and there was a subway stop right outside the hotel which made getting around super easy.

Thanks, will check out.

TBH if you go to any of the big name chain hotels you'll probably have a decent experience. If you want to be centrally located try the Grand Hyatt Hotel near Grand Central. You'll be able to get every single train in Manhattan via the S shuttle train that goes cross-town.

http://grandnewyork.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

Yeah I saw that one pop up on Expedia. Looks decent enough. I'll take a closer look, thanks.

Marriott Marquis is one of the most conveniently located hotels.

http://www.marriott.com/reservation/availabilityCalendar.mi

If you like history and museums (I do), make sure you hit AMNH. It's my favorite, been there almost 10 times now. There are a few other museums (the Met, Guggenheim, MoMA, the Jewish Museum, and a few others IIRC) and other interesting places (Columbus Circle, Lincoln Center/Met Opera) all bunched together within walking distance.

If you like Broadway or haven't experienced a play or show yet, it might be fun to go see a play, show or musical. If you want a view of the city, and possibly catch a glimpse of a celeb or two, head down to NBC Studios/30 Rock. If you are a fan of The Daily Show, you can try getting some tickets. They are located on 11th Ave, not too far away from the other places.

I definitely plan on going to MoMA and the natural history museum. I'll have to look into the others to see if they interest me. I only know The Guggenheim from Seinfeld. I hate musicals, so no interest in a Broadway show, but I will look into the TV show tickets. That sounds cool.

I always tell people to just go to restaurant row (easy walking distance from the places I mentioned above) and stop by whichever restaurant happens to pique your interest. People's tastes vary, and some native New Yorkers prefer lesser known restaurants, while first time tourists might like hitting the more popular places. That's the problem with New York; everyone has an opinion, so you really might as well decide for yourself. Walk around and see what looks good. I'm easy to please, though, so street food is as good to me as any of the avant-garde restaurants that are out there.

My only solid tip as far as eats go is to avoid Times Square proper. Some of the restaurants are okay, but most are going to be be busy and of course relatively expensive for what you get. You should definitely visit Times Square, but I wouldn't buy anything myself (except for possibly tickets) in the way of food or souvenirs, unless you are specifically looking for touristy junk to take back home for some friends.

If you've got money to burn on clothes or accessories you can stop by the 5th Ave shops or the fashion district on your way to Central Park (I'm assuming you'll want to cut through there at some point - nearly everything I mentioned is around the park (it's called Central Park for that reason ). If you are a true ATOT baller - or want to hawk some jewelry - you can also check out the diamond district.

So far all I've mentioned is midtown. If you head downtown, on the way you can visit Grand Central Station, the Empire State building, and then SoHo if you are an aspiring hipster, but really there are some shops downtown and galleries that are worth checking out if you like art and architecture. Downtown NYC is a good place if you are a photographer or artist, like bars, or enjoy music.

This is all very helpful, thank you. I'll have to go through that link. I'm kind of a spaz when it comes to food/restaurants, so I generally like to have a bunch of places picked out before I get there.

Not a baller, so I guess I'll skip the diamond district; kind of weird there is a diamond district. Not really much interest in the Empire State Building or Stature of Liberty or anything like that. I do love architecture though; is that Downtown area walkable?

KT

 

[K1052]

The highest concentration of hotels are in Midtown, which is fine since it's a central location and all the subway lines come through there. Consult Tripadvisor before booking....even good brand properties have their dogs and this is even more true in NYC. I have lately preferred to stay below 23rd street though since most of what I want to see and do is in the neighborhoods to the south and the food options are generally better. Great neighborhood walking (Chelsea, Tribeca, Soho, Union Square, Financial District) is also closer at hand.

For restaurants Yelp is a good place to start but read the reviews themselves instead of only going by star rating. It has rarely steered me wrong. Pretty much all the food around Times Square is garbage, do not eat there. Restaurant Row is ok but there are much better places to eat if you're willing to invest a little time in research before you go.

If you are going to do the Museum of Natrual History be warned that it is gigantic. Ive been 3 times and only seen about half of it.

 

[sjwaste]

I'll preface again by saying I'm not a resident or expert, but I think we have similar taste in food. In any case, these are all opinions, and in reality you can do none of the below and still have a great time.

Craft was good enough for me to go twice the last time we were there. But it was, however, a backup because we couldn't get reservations at Le Bernardin or Per Se Still, I'd suggest it - they even do a decent brunch.

Based on what others who I trust have told me, you really should try to get to Le Bernardin. Your hotel concierge (or Amex, if you have a Platinum card) can help you get a reservation. I plan to go next time through. If you're into "molecular gastronomy" - I hate the term - I'd give WD50 a shot. I, however, am not really into that style so it's lower on my list. I plan to hit Minibar in DC for that sort of thing if I ever do it. So out of Le Bernardin, Per Se, Gramercy Tavern and WD50 - pick two and drain your wallet. Use Craft as a backup since IMHO it's an easier table to get.

As I said before, I'm a sucker for Les Halles. The Times isn't going to give it a million stars or anything, but I cannot avoid going there for a cassoulet and a chimay. I'd personally try to end up there once, but people may disagree with me there, so its up to you.

Crono gave a lot of good advice. Times Square is more or less to be avoided at all costs for food. Unless you want to hit Guy Fieri's joint and tell us how it is.

 

[bonkers325]

Thanks, will check out.



Yeah I saw that one pop up on Expedia. Looks decent enough. I'll take a closer look, thanks.



I definitely plan on going to MoMA and the natural history museum. I'll have to look into the others to see if they interest me. I only know The Guggenheim from Seinfeld. I hate musicals, so no interest in a Broadway show, but I will look into the TV show tickets. That sounds cool.



This is all very helpful, thank you. I'll have to go through that link. I'm kind of a spaz when it comes to food/restaurants, so I generally like to have a bunch of places picked out before I get there.

Not a baller, so I guess I'll skip the diamond district; kind of weird there is a diamond district. Not really much interest in the Empire State Building or Stature of Liberty or anything like that. I do love architecture though; is that Downtown area walkable?

KT

Really it doesn't matter where you stay because you can get to anyplace in Manhattan within 20 minutes via train. Use Google Maps public transit navigation to get you to where you need to be, it's accurate and will tell you which trains to take to get to your destination. Stay near the 42nd street subway stations so you have quick 5 minute access to every subway line that goes through Manhattan. MoMA is a good 10 minute walk away from Grand Central, and you can take the 4/5/6 to the Guggenheim.

Craft Bar is nice. I did the renovation project for Beecher's Handmade Cheese which is next door to Craft. If you like cheese and wine (and want to see them making cheese) you should stop by and have a look. Their mac & cheese is awesome.

You should also stop by Clinton St. Baking Co and have some of their Chicken & Waffles. They serve it with warm vermont maple butter. Heart stoppingly good.

 

[sjwaste]

Oh, I forgot, the Museum of the City of NY is pretty cool if you want something on the history of the city.

 

[KeithTalent]

The highest concentration of hotels are in Midtown, which is fine since it's a central location and all the subway lines come through there. Consult Tripadvisor before booking....even good brand properties have their dogs and this is even more true in NYC. I have lately preferred to stay below 23rd street though since most of what I want to see and do is in the neighborhoods to the south and the food options are generally better. Great neighborhood walking (Chelsea, Tribeca, Soho, Union Square, Financial District) is also closer at hand.

For restaurants Yelp is a good place to start but read the reviews themselves instead of only going by star rating. It has rarely steered me wrong. Pretty much all the food around Times Square is garbage, do not eat there. Restaurant Row is ok but there are much better places to eat if you're willing to invest a little time in research before you go.

If you are going to do the Museum of Natrual History be warned that it is gigantic. Ive been 3 times and only seen about half of it.

Tripadvisor seems to lean towards the boutique hotels. For example their top rated hotel is The Casablanca Hotel http://www.casablancahotel.com/ , I almost booked it semi-blind looking at the reviews there, but after looking closer at the place it seems kind of cheesy. I don't know.

I did pop in to the Natural History Museum last time I was there, but do not remember any of it. I was planning on going for at least half a day, but we'll see.

I'll preface again by saying I'm not a resident or expert, but I think we have similar taste in food. In any case, these are all opinions, and in reality you can do none of the below and still have a great time.

Craft was good enough for me to go twice the last time we were there. But it was, however, a backup because we couldn't get reservations at Le Bernardin or Per Se Still, I'd suggest it - they even do a decent brunch.

Based on what others who I trust have told me, you really should try to get to Le Bernardin. Your hotel concierge (or Amex, if you have a Platinum card) can help you get a reservation. I plan to go next time through. If you're into "molecular gastronomy" - I hate the term - I'd give WD50 a shot. I, however, am not really into that style so it's lower on my list. I plan to hit Minibar in DC for that sort of thing if I ever do it. So out of Le Bernardin, Per Se, Gramercy Tavern and WD50 - pick two and drain your wallet. Use Craft as a backup since IMHO it's an easier table to get.

As I said before, I'm a sucker for Les Halles. The Times isn't going to give it a million stars or anything, but I cannot avoid going there for a cassoulet and a chimay. I'd personally try to end up there once, but people may disagree with me there, so its up to you.

Crono gave a lot of good advice. Times Square is more or less to be avoided at all costs for food. Unless you want to hit Guy Fieri's joint and tell us how it is.

I appreciate your input as you're right, I think we have similar tastes, at least in food.

My top three to try and get to are:

1. Per Se - since I went to, and loved, TFL several years ago I've been dying to go here.
2. Le Bernardin
3. Eleven Madison Park

Then maybe some smaller places while I'm there. I like the idea of maybe hitting Les Halles for lunch; grabbing a quick steak-frites or something. Craft sounds good too, but not sure I will have time. I thought there was some crazy steak place in New York that is really good? I can't remember the name. I don't think it was Peter Luger, but maybe? :hmm:

Really it doesn't matter where you stay because you can get to anyplace in Manhattan within 20 minutes via train. Use Google Maps public transit navigation to get you to where you need to be, it's accurate and will tell you which trains to take to get to your destination. Stay near the 42nd street subway stations so you have quick 5 minute access to every subway line that goes through Manhattan. MoMA is a good 10 minute walk away from Grand Central, and you can take the 4/5/6 to the Guggenheim.

Craft Bar is nice. I did the renovation project for Beecher's Handmade Cheese which is next door to Craft. If you like cheese and wine (and want to see them making cheese) you should stop by and have a look. Their mac & cheese is awesome.

You should also stop by Clinton St. Baking Co and have some of their Chicken & Waffles. They serve it with warm vermont maple butter. Heart stoppingly good.

Cool, I like the idea of that cheese place and I am totally down for chicken and waffles. Been wanting a good one for a while.

I really prefer to walk as much as possible, but I would guess most places I can take a short subway ride to, I could also easily walk to without issue?


What's the burger joint people like out there? Shake Shack or Steak 'n' Shake? Or maybe it's something else?

KT

 

[K1052]

Tripadvisor seems to lean towards the boutique hotels. For example their top rated hotel is The Casablanca Hotel http://www.casablancahotel.com/ , I almost booked it semi-blind looking at the reviews there, but after looking closer at the place it seems kind of cheesy. I don't know.

Absolute number rank is much less important than overall rating. Look at the traveler photos and read the reviews. Filter by cost and rating then pick from that.

It can reply help to avoid problem properties or ones that are doing remodels while open.

 

[KeithTalent]

Absolute number rank is much less important than overall rating. Look at the traveler photos and read the reviews. Filter by cost and rating then pick from that.

It can reply help to avoid problem properties or ones that are doing remodels while open.

Ah ok, thanks. Will try that out this evening to see what pops up.

KT

 

[sjwaste]

I appreciate your input as you're right, I think we have similar tastes, at least in food.

My top three to try and get to are:

1. Per Se - since I went to, and loved, TFL several years ago I've been dying to go here.
2. Le Bernardin
3. Eleven Madison Park

Then maybe some smaller places while I'm there. I like the idea of maybe hitting Les Halles for lunch; grabbing a quick steak-frites or something. Craft sounds good too, but not sure I will have time. I thought there was some crazy steak place in New York that is really good? I can't remember the name. I don't think it was Peter Luger, but maybe? :hmm:

You are thinking of Peter Luger. Be advised - no credit cards there. Well, I think they take the Peter Luger credit card, but I have no idea what the fuck that even is. Also, I believe they're in Brooklyn, so it'll be a bit of a hike, but nothing a lot of people don't do for a commute every day. I've never been, but I want to go. If you get to Per Se or Eleven Madison Park, I'm jealous. One of my best friends is a recovering new yorker, visiting him was a lot of fun, but it's a shame we were broke college kids then.

You should try to get to Portland the next time you're out east. We get a lot of solid chefs moving here, or back here, from the big food cities to open up on their own here - close to their ingredients, lower costs, so it's a win for them. I've been here for 2 years and have no idea how a city of 60,000 can have this many good restaurants.

Shit, I'm jealous of all of this. I'm Mr. Mom this week. My wife is in SFO for a business trip and I'm in charge of our 1 year old. I like hanging out with my daughter (she's welcome at many a nice restaurant downtown), but my wife may get to try 2 or 3 great restaurants this week.

 

[TangoJuliet]

Here are some pictures of our room at the intercontinental





It was a corner room at one of the higher floors with a great view of the hudson river.

 

[sjwaste]

Wow TJ. That's excellent. I like being able to see out over an old city like that. Reminds me of going up to the Liberties in Philly when I was younger.

For the hell of it, here's a shot out of our room at the U.S. Grant in San Diego about a month ago.

 

[ultimatebob]

I liked Daniel better than Per Se, but they are both very good. The service for both restaurants is insanely good, as are the four of five dessert courses

I'm saving up to go to Eleven Madison Park next, so I can't comment on that one.

Just keep in mind that Per Se only takes reservations a month in advance in the morning. So, if you want to go there on September 7th, you need to call in on the morning of August 7th. If you call earlier, they'll probably tell you that they aren't taking reservations, and if you try to call in the afternoon you'll find out that they are fully booked for the day.

If you're not a gourmet mood, go to Peter Luger in Brooklyn instead. Best steak in NYC... and I've tried a bunch of the others.

 

[KeithTalent]

You are thinking of Peter Luger. Be advised - no credit cards there. Well, I think they take the Peter Luger credit card, but I have no idea what the fuck that even is. Also, I believe they're in Brooklyn, so it'll be a bit of a hike, but nothing a lot of people don't do for a commute every day. I've never been, but I want to go. If you get to Per Se or Eleven Madison Park, I'm jealous. One of my best friends is a recovering new yorker, visiting him was a lot of fun, but it's a shame we were broke college kids then.

You should try to get to Portland the next time you're out east. We get a lot of solid chefs moving here, or back here, from the big food cities to open up on their own here - close to their ingredients, lower costs, so it's a win for them. I've been here for 2 years and have no idea how a city of 60,000 can have this many good restaurants.

Shit, I'm jealous of all of this. I'm Mr. Mom this week. My wife is in SFO for a business trip and I'm in charge of our 1 year old. I like hanging out with my daughter (she's welcome at many a nice restaurant downtown), but my wife may get to try 2 or 3 great restaurants this week.

Heh, well at least you can live vicariously her, and me! I'll be sure to post pics, assuming I get into those places. Portland is in Maine right? If so, it looks nice. I've never been that far East before, but sounds like it would be a nice trip.

I do like the idea of getting an amazing steak, but I don't love old school steakhouses all that much so not sure I will bother heading all the way out there for that.

Here are some pictures of our room at the intercontinental





It was a corner room at one of the higher floors with a great view of the hudson river.

Looks pretty good. Thanks for the pics. I'm stuck working tonight, so won't really get a chance to look closely at hotels until tomorrow night.

I liked Daniel better than Per Se, but they are both very good. The service for both restaurants is insanely good, as are the four of five dessert courses

I'm saving up to go to Eleven Madison Park next, so I can't comment on that one.

Just keep in mind that Per Se only takes reservations a month in advance in the morning. So, if you want to go there on September 7th, you need to call in on the morning of August 7th. If you call earlier, they'll probably tell you that they aren't taking reservations, and if you try to call in the afternoon you'll find out that they are fully booked for the day.

If you're not a gourmet mood, go to Peter Luger in Brooklyn instead. Best steak in NYC... and I've tried a bunch of the others.

Yeah I remember running into that with The French Laundry, but thanks for the reminder. I'll start calling one month in advance of the first day I'll be there. I think one of them said 28 days, which is annoying. Of course this is all much easier than getting El Bulli reservations was, that was crazy.

KT

 

[ultimatebob]

OK... Don't forget that taking the subway to Brooklyn is fun part of the New York experience. You haven't really seen the "real" New York until you get outside of lower Manhattan.