Tips 4 Visiting NYC!!??

Question

Im planning a trip to NY with friends in Feb. And Im in need of some advice. I think ive sorted flights and hotel and that. But i just want to ask some generic questions.

1. In restaurants will they add tax and tip for me? being from the uk we are too cheap to tip and tax is already added because we are lazy lol! I just dont want to look 'touristy' if you know what i mean!

2. Some people on here say that new york is 'safe as houses' and others say 'oohh i wouldnt go out at night' ? just need someone to clarify wheres 'safe' or not as we're all 21 and probably too niave for our own good!

3.Whats the easiest airport to use? as all three look about the same distance away? and whats the best transport to get from the airport to get to midtown manhattan area and roughly how much will it cost?

4. On maps the New York area looks huge but then in blogs etc. people say how much they walked from place to place? If You could give me walking times from different landmarks it would be helpful as i can look on a map and try and get my head round it!

Im asking a lot for someone to give me an answer for all this, but il be amazed if you can! it would really help me out.. ciao!

Answer 1

well, i will give you some facts about new york, first i will answer your questions, then i will give you some tips of my own

1. Well in NYC, the restauraunts arte lazy, not the people (LOL). You have to do thework, and the tip etc. It is annoying, so i advise you to bring a calculator! And the resatauraunts are expensive, so before you choose, you better study the place , make sure you get wat u pay for (many restaurants charge 10 bucks for like 4 bites, it isnt funny lol). Read wat critics say, and see wast the customers are sayin. You can always do it on the internet instead of in person since you dont want to look "touristy." I no wat you mean!!! Edit: some restauraunts do tax 4 u some dont, so bring a calculator just incase. But yea, better be safe then sorry. and do this a couple days in advance so that you cna make reservations over the telephone. Remember, you can always go to google (google.com) and put in NYC restauraunts. and SEARCH!!!

2. Just like any other city, in New York, there are the nice areas and the very unsafe areas, in every burough, some more than others. Like in Manhattan, the majority of it is nice, but if you go above 96th styreet, it turns to a bad neighborhood on crime, yet there4 are some bad areas downtown between midtown and "downtown" manhattan is pretty much safe. NOw lets say in like brooklyn queens or bronx, there are many nice tourist attractions there, but most of it is a residential ghetto. Staten island is like half and half (lol). So it differs wherever you go in the city. Contact me if u wanna go (on my profile) to no wat neighborhood is okay.

3. Newark Liberty International (EWR) is the best airport. It is a big airport (not crowded, just big), and is a quick 15-30 min drive to manhattan. I would reccomend Laguardia (LGA) but it is a domestic airport, meaning that it only flies to other pllaces in the us, so i dont think it will go to the U.K. So i would go with EWR(by the way its in new jersey, its a quick drive believe me, i live in manhattan and thats where i go to fly outta NY. To get from there to new york, take the AmTrack train (google it 4 tix) it is expensive but better then a bus for $5.

4. New YOrk does look quite big on maps dosent it? Well, transportation is the easiest thing in manhattan. There are stres every 2 blocks, and skools every 5-10 blocks, and people here are willing to walk 2 miles to work, so it makes it look like everything is around, and it is. It is the same thing every where, with different buildings (LOL). Manhattan streets are mostly numbers (except Houston street and below), so it is easier there. For transportation from one end of the city to another, or maybe just a few blocks, we have subways, and buses. Before you go on it, get a metro card from any stand or deli. It is not too expensive, so i suggest the subway for long distances and buses fdor short. i have listed a site with a bus route and a train route map. Dont sweat it, it is easy.

Here is my own informaiton

1) if you see anything from a street vendor you want to get, and they say 10 dollars, pull out a 5 and 2 singles, and say, this is all i have. it WILL work, but if you pull out anything more, they WILL make u pay the whole 10 dollars, so keep "vendor money" in a pocket

2) Here are a list of things you can do while in new york wiht your friends:

Moma museum

House of Wax

The Body exibit

Central park

visit yankee stadium (old and new they are rite next to eachother)

visit shea stadium and citifield (mets play at shea, will play at citifield next year)

visit the empire building

chrystler building

top of the rock (rainbow room if you can too!)

ride the staten island ferry

visit statue of liberty

visit ellis island

go to coney island, a famous part of ny history

coney island aquarium

Ft. Tryon Park (the cloisters)

TImes Square

Grand Central

Broadway

South Street seaport (do this at the evening)

The original NY library

and google activiteys in new york

i really hope this helped, if u hav anymore, contact me

Answer 2

1. Tax will be added automatically but you add your own Tips

2. It s always safe as long as you know where to go :)

3. The airport you want to choose is JFK since you can take a subway to manhattan whereas Newark is a bit more $

4. Everything is close enough to the subway system that you don't have to walk too far

5. Good walking shoes / heavy coat as it can be very windy and cold in between those tall buildings

Enjoy your visit  

Answer 3

My daughter and I were in NYC recently and I'd be glad to help you.

Domestic flights go into LaGuardia.  International flights go into JFK.  I don't know about the third airport.  We didn't want to drag luggage onto a train or bus so we took a taxi from LaGuardia to our hotel at 7th & 51st in midtown Manhattan. It cost $26.70.  There is no charge for additional passengers.

Restaurants always add the tax to the bill, and also add the tip for parties of 6 or more people. To figure the tip just double the tax.

If you stay in areas where tourist are you'll be safe.  Times Square & Broadway are both safe at night and probably all of midtown is too.

We stayed out late and walked back to our hotel and always felt safe.

Don't go in Central Park at night or on any deserted streets.

I too thought NYC was huge and was surprised by how many places we could easily walk to.  We walked  from our hotel to Central Park, Broadway, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, Trump Tower & St Patricks Cathedral.

The Hop on/off bus circles the city and stops at all tourist attractions. You can get off and catch the next bus when you're ready.  They run every 15 minutes. A 2 day pass costs $50 with no limitations on number of rides and you can get one on most street corners in midtown.

Go to the Empire State Bldg when it opens at 9A.M. to avoid the long line later in the day.  Ticket $17.50

You can get 1/2 price Broaday show tickets at Marriott Marquis Hotel at 46th & Broadway. They go on sale at 3:00 each day for shows that evening.  They post of list of shows that have tickets available. Don't let the long line discourage you because there are several ticket windows and the line moves very fast. They only accept cash -- no credit, no debit.

I can give you additional information if you'd like.  E-mail me  by clicking on my avatar.

Answer 4

Restaurants will add the tax. It's up to you to add the tip.

15% is about right.

New York is pretty safe as long as you are in areas that

have lots of nightlife activity. Don't go walking around

Harlem at night.

Airports are a toss up. Newark might well be the easiest

one to use. Not sure though.

You can get to downtown by a taxi (expensive) a

shuttle bus (maybe 20-25 bucks) or the train (cheapest)

If you have lots of luggage the train may be awkward.

Once you get settled, use the subway to get from

neighborhood to neighborhood (i.e. Central Park

to East Side Markets) and then walk around from

there. New York is too big to just walk everywhere.

The subway system has passes you can buy for

unlimited travel over a certain time- like 3 day passes

or 1 week passes. It's been a while since I was there,

so I don't know what they cost now.

While you're there, try to take in a Yankees game in

the Bronx. See the Museum of Natural History. Walk

around Chinatown, Wall Street, Central Park, and

Greenwich Village. Don't forget the Statue of Liberty

(free boat ride!).

Good luck and have a good time!

Answer 5

1. I think tax is added but just pay like 10 percent or sumthin for tips

2. I've heard is don't go into central park at night but i've been there quite a few times and nothings happened

3. Probably go to JFK because if you go to Newark, getting from there into manhattan will cost you more in a taxi as newark is in another state. The best thing to do is probably either take a taxi or somewhere around the airport book a shuttle bus type thing but i don't know how much it would cost

4. Have no idea about times but you can get a "hop on, hop off" bus that tours around all the major sightseeing places