US Holiday

[nicky]

I would rather stay on the lower east side, I prefer that area. Pretty much spent my entire weekend looking for accommodation so am giving myself a night off. Will continue to look tomorrow night.

I actually want to split my stay into 1 week blocks.

 

[XFactor1979]

TBH, i'm struggling to find something available. I've found loads ranging from under $60 up to $150. Friends have had apartments to themselves and only paid less than $150 a night?

Hey, I dare you to stay in Harlem, or have a Rumble in the Bronx/ South Bronx

[youtube]O8fy9-V6G14[/youtube]

[youtube]m55Y5rD57PE[/youtube]

 

[peejay]

I would rather stay on the lower east side, I prefer that area. Pretty much spent my entire weekend looking for accommodation so am giving myself a night off. Will continue to look tomorrow night.

I actually want to split my stay into 1 week blocks.

Lower East side =

 

[nicky]

Lower East side =

Yeah, i think that would be best. However I wont argue with a week on the Upper west side across the road from central park

 

[Donstuie]

www.airbnb.com

www.craigslist.com

www.wotif.com

I used craigs list for my recent 3.5 month stay and got very lucky - $100 US a night in the heart of the West Village ( my friend who checked it out before i confirmed lived around the corner) - Perry street (cntr Bleecker) for those of you who know this area.

But i definetly will use air bnb when i go back for another 6 weeks next May.

The apartment lifestyle is DEFINETLY the way to go if you are staying say 4 - 5 days or more.

Happy to give any help or advice - just ask.

Again, more quality advice and much appreciated

I knew about craigslist but wasn't familiar with airbnb. Some very good spots in there from the looks of it and affordable. Prime spots in Manhattan for under $100 a night, can't go wrong with that

 

[peejay]

Again, more quality advice and much appreciated

I knew about craigslist but wasn't familiar with airbnb. Some very good spots in there from the looks of it and affordable. Prime spots in Manhattan for under $100 a night, can't go wrong with that

just make sure you indicate whole apartment - button on the right side otherwise you might be looking at a share situation - not that there is anything wrong with that - whatever is your thing.

 

[Donstuie]

It'd be good to have a local nearby to give advice and the like. But yeah, sharing a room might be a tad much

 

[peejay]

It'd be good to have a local nearby to give advice and the like. But yeah, sharing a room might be a tad much

Its not sharing a room - usually its a bedroom in a two bedroom apartment so you get your own room. Actually i noticed there is a shared room option as well.

But to avoid this remember to click on whole apartment.

 

[tammy0005]

What time of the year do you all suggest/usually go? I am looking at July/August 2012 but that is summer break and I was wondering how much of a difference price wise do you think it would make? Also regarding the weather I don't really love it hot but compared to Australia (VIC) it can't really be all that bad can it?

 

[Donstuie]

Its not sharing a room - usually its a bedroom in a two bedroom apartment so you get your own room. Actually i noticed there is a shared room option as well.

But to avoid this remember to click on whole apartment.

Of course, the goal would be to have the run of my own apartment for the stay. But if it makes a big difference budget-wise, I'm open to renting a bedroom if the place is nice, good location and the people aren't arseholes.

 

[Shell]

What time of the year do you all suggest/usually go? I am looking at July/August 2012 but that is summer break and I was wondering how much of a difference price wise do you think it would make? Also regarding the weather I don't really love it hot but compared to Australia (VIC) it can't really be all that bad can it?

It depends on where you go- up in the Northern States its hot, but its cold at night AFAIK.

Places like NYC is stinking hot in August apparently- then in the southern states like Florida its stinking hot everyday, with that high humidity type heat.

 

[peejay]

What time of the year do you all suggest/usually go? I am looking at July/August 2012 but that is summer break and I was wondering how much of a difference price wise do you think it would make? Also regarding the weather I don't really love it hot but compared to Australia (VIC) it can't really be all that bad can it?

THIS YEAR in NYC May and the start of June was beautiful weather Late june was getting a bit hot. July and August was very hot.

The weather varied from high 80's to low 100's (29 - 40) in that late june july and august period but the thing is it does not cool down at night - it was still 26, 27 when i was coming home at say 2am - might get down to 24 at 5am but then shoots up again. so whilst we get hotter days in our summers here in Melbourne we also get cooler nights and evenings hence relief.

If heat is not your thing thing i would suggest before mid june or after mid september for NYC and the North East coast.

 

[Donstuie]

I'm looking at late Apr/May

 

[peejay]

I'm looking at late Apr/May

That will be good weather - you might get a coolish day say - 18, 19 in early april but generally it should be low 20's

I will be going back then also - 6 weeks from last week of April until first week of june.

First Sunday in May is the Bike New York 5 boro bike tour - 42 miles visiting all of the 5 boroughs - i did it this year and it is awesome - roads are closed so riding down 6th ave with the streets closed and through central park then through the bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and finishing on Staten island.

I barely ride here in Melb but this ride is awesome - it totally flat, except when you cross the bridges lots of rest stops and then a great function/party at the end. 23 000 riders !!! A great experience and a chance to see parts of NYC you may not normally see on a visit.

I was wearing my Richmond jumper during the ride and got a lot of questions from other riders some thought it was a thing you got if you bought a jeep.

Oh and it is not something just for bike freaks - i am 195 and 100 kgs so not exactly a riders build. Plenty of average americans (not in shape) doing it as well.

 

[imation23]

If I were to fly into the US and stay for around a week before heading into Canada for 4 months or so would I have any trouble getting back into the states in terms of a visa? Just a bit confused about what type of visa I would need to apply for the first time I entered....

Cheers

 

[WALL-e]

Going to LA, San Fran, Vegas, Austin, New Orleans, Miami and New York. Will be going in MArch. What's the weather likely to be like in those places?

 

[Donstuie]

That will be good weather - you might get a coolish day say - 18, 19 in early april but generally it should be low 20's

This is what I'm expecting. But for the Canada leg I'm expecting to still freeze my nuts off.

 

[peejay]

Going to LA, San Fran, Vegas, Austin, New Orleans, Miami and New York. Will be going in MArch. What's the weather likely to be like in those places?

NYC will be chilly - expect temps in the 5 to 10 range ( higher if you go at the end of March)

San fran will be 12 - 16 approx

Vegas will be warmer about 20 but will drop suddenly at night (approx 5) - typical desert.

Austin, Norleans (get ready to say it like that) and miami will be warmer Miami will also be in the low 20's but will only drop to around 15 at night.

So its really only NYC wheer you will really feel the cold.

 

[WALL-e]

NYC will be last, so late March. Thanks mate, so long as I can get some sun in Miami.

 

[nicky]

If I were to fly into the US and stay for around a week before heading into Canada for 4 months or so would I have any trouble getting back into the states in terms of a visa? Just a bit confused about what type of visa I would need to apply for the first time I entered....

Cheers

You don't need a visa for the states Just need to fill out something online before you go and make sure you have an address to where you're staying.

 

[nicky]

More NYC tips (from my friend) - apologies if they've been posted

http://www.bigapplegreeter.org/01-big_apple/g_o.html

blank said this museum was one of the best things she did in NYC:

http://www.tenement.org/

The view from the Empire State Building is amazing but I queued for over three hours. Apparently 'Top of the Rock' (ie. top of the Rockerfeller Building) is almost as good, so it might even be worth skipping Empire State and going there instead, particularly as it's in the heart of 5th avenue too. Outside the Rockerfeller Centre there is a Magnolia Bakery, where you can buy a 'Red Velvet Cupcake' made famous in the TV show 'Sex in the City'.

Central Park - this is a good thing to do for a day - especially seeing the 'Imagine' star etc.

Shopping and neighbourhoods:

Walk the length of Bleecker Street from the point where it almost reaches Hudson Street, through Greenwich Village and beyond. Greenwich Village itself is overrated but I liked the little neighbourhood cross streets where Bleecker is much closer to Hudson, where you will find red brick apartment buildings with bottle green fire escapes that look like they are in Sesame Street.

Finance District:

It is worth walking (note a long walk) from Wall Street Stock Exchange and past old stock exchange - there is a series of tourist attractions from a bull statue (ie. bull market); copper star plaques commemorating navy people all the way to the river (?), near the Native American museum where you can view the Statue of Liberty in distance over the water. I also walked in the other direction, past the New York City Town Hall to the Brooklyn Bridge (which is quite a long bridge).

In the evening:

There is a movie house which has screened nothing but Woody Allen films for forty years.

'Please don't tell' is a fake 'speakeasy' bar - like they had during the prohibition. You have to go into the shopfront which is like a hotdog restaurant and then into the phonebooth in order to be let in via a hidden door to the bar. This is located not far from the non Hudson St end of Bleecker street so you could go there after shopping: http://nymag.com/listings/bar/pdt/ Don't forget to give a decent tip for each of the drinks you buy too.

Galleries:

I went to Metropolitan Museum of Art ('the Met') - the view from the building of Central Park is special; Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) - this was my favourite - matisse, picasso etc; Gugenheim (this was really disappointing but is an amazing building)

The regeneration project I told you about:
http://www.thehighline.org/

Another gallery 'the Fricke' - it is close to the Guggenheim. It has old/classical work which was privately owned. The gallery has only a couple of paintings by Whistler, but the reason why it's a good gallery to visit is it's interesting to see what was a posh old home. It is a gallery which is well known by insiders, so you don't have the throngs of people either - and plenty of locals go there.

 

[WALL-e]

Depends on your length of stay doesn't it?

 

[peejay]

More NYC tips (from my friend) - apologies if they've been posted

http://www.bigapplegreeter.org/01-big_apple/g_o.html

blank said this museum was one of the best things she did in NYC:

http://www.tenement.org/

The view from the Empire State Building is amazing but I queued for over three hours. Apparently 'Top of the Rock' (ie. top of the Rockerfeller Building) is almost as good, so it might even be worth skipping Empire State and going there instead, particularly as it's in the heart of 5th avenue too. Outside the Rockerfeller Centre there is a Magnolia Bakery, where you can buy a 'Red Velvet Cupcake' made famous in the TV show 'Sex in the City'.

Central Park - this is a good thing to do for a day - especially seeing the 'Imagine' star etc.

Shopping and neighbourhoods:

Walk the length of Bleecker Street from the point where it almost reaches Hudson Street, through Greenwich Village and beyond. Greenwich Village itself is overrated but I liked the little neighbourhood cross streets where Bleecker is much closer to Hudson, where you will find red brick apartment buildings with bottle green fire escapes that look like they are in Sesame Street.

Finance District:

It is worth walking (note a long walk) from Wall Street Stock Exchange and past old stock exchange - there is a series of tourist attractions from a bull statue (ie. bull market); copper star plaques commemorating navy people all the way to the river (?), near the Native American museum where you can view the Statue of Liberty in distance over the water. I also walked in the other direction, past the New York City Town Hall to the Brooklyn Bridge (which is quite a long bridge).

In the evening:

There is a movie house which has screened nothing but Woody Allen films for forty years.

'Please don't tell' is a fake 'speakeasy' bar - like they had during the prohibition. You have to go into the shopfront which is like a hotdog restaurant and then into the phonebooth in order to be let in via a hidden door to the bar. This is located not far from the non Hudson St end of Bleecker street so you could go there after shopping: http://nymag.com/listings/bar/pdt/ Don't forget to give a decent tip for each of the drinks you buy too.

Galleries:

I went to Metropolitan Museum of Art ('the Met') - the view from the building of Central Park is special; Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) - this was my favourite - matisse, picasso etc; Gugenheim (this was really disappointing but is an amazing building)

The regeneration project I told you about:
http://www.thehighline.org/

Another gallery 'the Fricke' - it is close to the Guggenheim. It has old/classical work which was privately owned. The gallery has only a couple of paintings by Whistler, but the reason why it's a good gallery to visit is it's interesting to see what was a posh old home. It is a gallery which is well known by insiders, so you don't have the throngs of people either - and plenty of locals go there.

The hudson end of Bleecker street is where i lived. Bleecker and perry.

The Frick musuem is spot on as your friend says - its also free on sundays afternoon from memory (best check)

The highline is a great walk starts in the meat packing district and goes to 30the street. The hudson end of bleecker and the highline can be done in the same day - if so also do the Chelsea market - the fish place has the 2nd best soup in the city - the new England clam chowder and lobster bisque are to die for and about $5 a big cup. The best soup is at the original soup nazi which is up near 55th and broadway.

For a great night out and to see a great live band go to Cafe Wha on McDugall street in the Village Wed - Sun .
And i lived in a red brick apartment building with a bottle green fire escape !!!!

 

[Shell]

The view from the Empire State Building is amazing but I queued for over three hours. Apparently 'Top of the Rock' (ie. top of the Rockerfeller Building) is almost as good, so it might even be worth skipping Empire State and going there instead, particularly as it's in the heart of 5th avenue too. Outside the Rockerfeller Centre there is a Magnolia Bakery, where you can buy a 'Red Velvet Cupcake' made famous in the TV show 'Sex in the City'.
.

Same here. Did my ****ing head in- i dont think even the Eiffel Tower was anywhere near that bad ffs.

My brother went to the observation deck of the World Trade Centre (circa 96 I think), that would have been awesome...

 

[Donstuie]

We went to NY when I was a kid (hence why I want to go back 20 years later) and we went to the top of the WTC. I remember looking forward to it more than anything else, and it didn't disappoint. It was absolutely amazing. Ironically the thing that gave me a sense of how high we were was seeing the top of the adjacent building. Majestic.

It really shook me when they were suddenly gone, and a Ground Zero visit is definitely on the cards for my next journey over.