Getting Around
As I mentioned in the previous post, we took the Bolt Bus
from Baltimore and it dropped us off at NYC’s Penn Station. There’s a Metro station right at Penn
Station, but we had no interest in trying to take our mammoth luggage on the
Subway. There are also plenty of Taxis
waiting outside the station that you can flag down. We thought about taking
one, but then we decided we wouldn't mind walking the 6 blocks to Hotel 31. The
walk was fine, but I almost wish we had taken a taxi just for the sake of
riding in a NYC taxi. Maybe next time.
The MetroCard
is your friend. There are kiosks in nearly every station. We bought
an unlimited 7-day pass for $30. This includes unlimited subway and bus rides.
We never rode the bus, but we spent a whole lot of time on the subway. The
stations are typically hot and stuffy, but the trains are cooled and
comfortable. Download a NYC subway map (like this one) and/or the Hop-Stop app before you go. If you know where your destination is, you can just look at the map and figure out what trains it will take to get there. If you're not sure, type in the name of your destination into the Hop-Stop app and it will come up with the best route for you to take. You can get nearly everywhere by subway. The only time I felt like I had to walk very much was to the
museums along the “Museum Mile.” I would love for Utah to have that extensive
of transit system. Love, love, love the subways.
As for getting to-and-from the airports, I’d highly
recommend taking a taxi. My friend Jackie flew in and out of LaGuardia. She
said that there are tons of people willing to share a cab fare. If you decide
to stay at Hotel 31 like we did, find someone that’s also headed to Midtown
Manhattan and split the fare. You can see how NYC cabs calculate their Rate of
Fare here. Note that there’s a flat rate from JFK. While you do have to take
traffic into calculation, I feel that taxis are safer and definitely more
reliable. You can read about our horrible experience with Newark Airport
Express in an upcoming post.
Where to Stay
When I first researched places to stay, we first pondered
staying in Secaucus, NJ. The rooms there were good sized, cheaper, and only a 15 or 20 minute bus ride to Times Square. I guess this is where you have to decide
between price and location. If you have a family/group of more than 4 or 5
people, I would definitely consider staying outside of Manhattan. The majority
of hotel rooms downtown have a max of 4 occupants and paying for 2 rooms would
be outrageous. The best way to choose a hotel is by researching and reading
reviews on Tripadvisor.com.
Ultimately, we decided that a more convenient location
was worth the extra price. We stayed at Hotel
31, just a few blocks south of Grand Central Station. The hotel is
clean, a mere 3 minute walk to the subway station (6 Train), and the best deal
for its location. We saved time and money by staying at a place so close to the
subway.
We reserved a Double/Single room with a private bath. We
stayed the first night by ourselves, but my BF Jackie joined us for the next
two nights (hence the single bed). They ended up giving us a Double/Double room
on the 5th floor. It came with a swamp cooler and an in-room safe.
The private bath was convenient, but I don’t remember seeing more than 4 other
people the whole time we stayed there so I don’t think sharing a bathroom with
people on the same floor would have been a big deal. The room was a little
cramped, the elevator was tiny (but awesome), and the stairs were extremely
narrow. That’s New York for you, though, so you'll get used to it.
{If you’re curious, I believe we ended up paying about $188/night.
That price includes all taxes and fees.}
Where to Eat
There’s a Dunkin’
Donuts at the west end of the block from Hotel 31. Each morning we
walked there and bought donuts and milk or juice for breakfast. It was fast and
fairly cheap. The hotel doesn't include a mini fridge so we just went each
morning for a fresh, cold drink. Lunches and dinners varied according to what
part of Manhattan we were at the time.
Our first night, Travis and I went to Little Italy. There’s a famous
pizzeria there called Lombardi’s
and that’s where we ate our first NYC meal. New Yorkers are the thin crust
lovers. When it comes to pizza crust, I believe the thicker the better. All
considering, it was delicious. The soda was ridiculously over-priced, but the
water tastes funny so pick your battle. Also, keep in mind that you pay with
cash there. They do have an ATM in the restaurant, but it might be easier to
just have cash on hand.
I love New York style cheesecake. It’s my most favorite
dessert and I was determined to have some while in New York. It’s $7/slice
(on the cheap end) and worth every penny. I got my daily fix from a delicious restaurant called Junior’s. I think there are other locations, but we only ate at the one inside Grand Central Station. You can
either sit in the restaurant or order your cheesecake (and other random things)
from the side counter. Their chicken strips are amazing and Travis loved their burgers.
The food court
at Grand Central is definitely the best way to go. They have an oyster
bar, a pizzeria, a steak house, etc. There’s something for everyone. We only places we ate at were Junior’s and a Chinese restaurant called Feng Shui (similar to Panda Express), but I would have loved
to try other places had we had the time.
When at Times Square we at TGI Fridays. Times Square also has a lot of popular
restaurants like McDonalds. After we toured the 9/11 memorial we use
an app called NYC Way to find a hamburger joint that I don’t remember the name
of (which is tragic because it was really good). We also ate at Vezzo Thin Crust Pizza which is
on the east end of the block of Hotel 31. I can’t say that it was all that
amazing, but the location was convenient.
A little restaurant research prior to your trip can be
quite helpful. Once again, I’d recommend tripadvisor.com.
Other thoughts/tips:
- Jackie thought it might be cheaper to pay as you go on the Subway. She put about $20 on a card and used it up in less than two days. Thirty dollars for a 7-day unlimited pass might seem like a lot, but it's a good deal.
- Subway stations for trains that are heading Uptown (north) are on the east side of the street. If you want to go Downtown (south), go down the stairs of the station on the west side of the street.
- Grand Central has multiple levels of trains, shops, etc. It might seem overwhelming, but there are plenty of signs. If you get confused, just start following the crowds.
- A good tip amount for hotel cleaning staff might be $5/night. A good tip at a restaurant would be 15-20% of your bill. You can Google taxi and other tipping etiquette.
- Must-have apps: Hop-Stop, NYC Way, TripAdvisor
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