4 days in NYC - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**BelfastFlyer** · 08-06-2006, 11:03 AM

Hey Folks
Thanks to the excellent sale from BA i got a flight to NYC in november for £167! As I only have a few days there, any tips about what I should/shouldnt do?

My hostel is based near Time square and I'll be there over a weekend.

Ta!

**tumblezweedz** · 08-06-2006, 01:46 PM

Gack! We only spent one day there, basically stood in line for most of it at the Empire State Building. That's worth doing, but I don't know if I'd wait in line for three hours again. Be careful, they sucker you in saying it's only a 45 minute wait - that's just for the tickets. To be fair, it was bitterly cold, so perhaps more crowded than typically, and one of the lifts was broken which slowed things down a fair bit. We wanted to go to the MoMA, but it had moved locations and we couldn't get to the new place in time. Bit disappointing, but oh well. Rode the subway, definitely a NYC must, and checked out the World Trade Center site briefly and then checked out all the pretty lights at night. Next day we stopped by Ellis Island, but it was too cold to wait for the boat. I would have loved to have taken ferries around and explored more, but we happened to choose the weekend of the infamous "President's Day Weekend blizzard" for our visit, so getting around was not the easiest. Hopefully you'll have better weather, but be sure to bring a warm sweater and a hat!

**omisan** · 08-07-2006, 01:32 AM

Once you've checked out Times Square, I recommend you hightail it out of Midtown tourist-trappiness. Check out the freakier side in the East Village, hit up a club in the meatpacking district. If you're there around Thanksgiving, there's the big ol' parade, which you should probably avoid

Head to Central Park instead, walk your way from the south end up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and check out some cool stuff. On the way, you can admire the beautiful autumn color of the trees shedding their leaves - if any are left at that point. Buy a hot dog from a street vendor (they're actually good), get some pizza you fold up to eat, try the Chinese food at some ratty hole in the wall.

Don't buy a Yankees hat (ever).

**mbo108** · 08-07-2006, 07:01 AM

November could get cold out, but my favorite little oasis in NYC is Bryant Park (40th St between 5th Ave and 6th Ave) behind the New York Public Library (obscure movie reference: opening scene from Ghostbusters is there). Plus there is free Wi-Fi out in the park.

But you have to decide what you want to do, then go out and find it. NYC has everything you can imagine. You could wait in line for tickets to David Letterman, get last minute tickets to a Broadway show, head down and check out Wall St and the Financial District plus Ground Zero (being from Belfast I'm sure you're familiar with both the pain and the hope that sites of terrorism can bring out).

If you got real tired of the city (doubtful) you could take a cheap bus down to Atlantic City, NJ for some gambling. Tons of casinos and the buses are usually like $20 each way but they give you $10 of chips to gamble with on the trip down.

Hope this helps. NYC is one of my favorite places ever. I like it in summer cause you can do fun stuff outside, but November shouldn't be too bad. Just remember, its always colder in the shadows of those tall buildings!

**BelfastFlyer** · 08-07-2006, 09:23 AM

thanks guys, soo many things to do and so little time!

DJ_VeeeNoM · 08-07-2006, 03:35 PM

Downtown!

DJ_VeeeNoM · 08-07-2006, 08:08 PM

Sorry about that post I made a few hours ago, I was in a rush and Downtown is the place to hit if you rsally want to get the feel of NY (let's be honest upstate ny is not even to be mentioned if not for raves) O.k going back Downtown or Lower NY is the mecca of fun You have Chinatown, the Villages, Hells Kitchen, Meatpacking district, well you'll figure it out once you get here, places you should visit around Time Square, oh yeah what is it that you wanna see? trust me (Oh shit a friend if mine is on a double Sole spread) going back if you want some good sites the usual touristic things I would say you have lots to cover, oh and the Event passis like 64$

cattlikewoah · 08-09-2006, 04:19 AM

Hey,
I'll be visiting NYC too in November... when will you be there?

**BelfastFlyer** · 08-09-2006, 07:51 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cattlikewoah @ Aug 9 2006, 12:19 PM) [snapback]134285[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Hey,
I'll be visiting NYC too in November... when will you be there?
[/b]

I get there the 10th and leave late 13th, what about you??

**BelfastFlyer** · 10-07-2006, 03:26 AM

just booked my hostel for my wee trip and I'm utterly shocked to hear that the hostel wont accept credit cards as payment?! My god, do these people like putting people off staying there?! The only reason I picked it was because it's in the middle of time square. Looks like I'm going to have to find the cash from somewhere!

**Kevin-L** · 10-07-2006, 12:50 PM

just wondering how much was the hostel? any of the museums are really good, i always liked the natural history and the guggenheim was just a really cool building if you like modern stuff. hot dogs and cheasnuts are the greatest in new york. have fun and dress warm.