First time going to New York - Need Advice/Help

[Gazmog]

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Not to mention someone stole my credit card one night too....

Sorry to hear that, Gruson. It hadn't been pre-authorised, had it? :thud

 

[FlyAndFight]

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Stay at the Waldorf Astoria. Lovely view and great service.

Brunch at the Plaza was always enjoyable.

Must pick up chocolates from that little shop on Rockefeller Center. They have their chocolates flown in from Europe twice a week.

 

[kierbaudy]

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Miracle grill brunch is tasty (get mexican fare, stay away from pancakes and such), I don't remember exact prices but I think it averages around 9-12 bucks per person, you don't need reservations. It's not the largest in terms of spread, but it is tasty and has flavor. Reasonalbe spread. Hmmm... I've never tried brunch at La boit en bois, but they do have one, again cash only. It's on the pricey side, I think around 20 per person, but 2-3 courses I think. Sorry, I don't know for sure. City search might help. I also liked candela for brunch, it is nuovo cuisine, a little light on the spread but fairly well done if you like salmon and some unknown ingredients in your food. Their dinner is excellent but intimidating gothic atmosphere if you dine alone. Bruch is not that crowded and you can go alone, it is on average 12-14 bucks. I'm not a meat and potatos person, so I don't know any in the city that are cheap like that. There are diners in the city, there's a really good one in gramacy park area with tile decorations on the outside around 28th and 3rd I think, not sure if someone knows which one, it is very busy but cheap. Tai food is usually on the cheap side and there are plenty in the city, averages around 8-12 bucks for lunch. Venerios is indeed excellent, one of the best bakeries in the city, but you have to know what you want, it is fast paced and people are pushy. Very good cookies, but their cakes are heavenly.
I think the city is great, really large and diverse, great for walkers. 2 weeks is a long time for a visit because it is large and it can get overwhelming, I think 1 busy week is probably enough, but this will vary on the person. You might like foraging for food. I travel alone quite a bit and been to many large cities and finding food is always the toughest, finding a place that a single person can go and eat comfortably.

John's and Ray's Pizza are better than average. John's has a thinner crust and Ray's is thick all the way. Pizza and soda can run you 4 bucks easy, it is expensive. You definately have to have pizza because NYC has the best in the country. Stands typically have lousy hotdogs, but their prezels are good, if you like prezels. In the morning rush hour (7-9:30 am) during the weekdays, you can come out on to the city streets and you will find vendors with huge aluminum carts on the corners offering really cheap and great bagels (really fresh), they are everywhere. I think they are like a dollar or 1.50 each, so it's a cheap and quick breakfast. Pace is fast so know what you want before you step up to their window. Citysearch is very accurate so look up restaurants, they have location and prices. Coney island used to be a hell hole, but now it is really nice with broadwalk and an aquarium as well as little rides. I remember going as a kid, but stopped when it turned dangerous and became a mess. Now, families go there all the time. It's a very long ride from the city on the subway, an hour and half maybe, so I'm not sure if it's worth it, but worth a detour if you are in the neighborhood. Best steaks in town used to be peter luger's in bklyn, where the hassidic community lives which is an interesting sight because of the cultural aspect. They have german size beer. Weekends are the best for central park, safest that time also. Sometimes there are mimes and street performers on weekends. Chinatown has good ice cream and there is a pancake lady on weekends at the end of mott st in a little stand and she makes these bite size pancakes that are really tasty. It is endless...

 

[WETAFAN]

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Thanks for the tips again.

Does brunch mean all you can eat/buffet or is it a set course meal? From where I come from, brunch is buffet. What time does brunch usually start?

Is NY's tap water safe enough to drink?

Bagels ....yummmmm

Is it generally safe to walk around the city at night from let's say 10pm to 1am? in terms of muggers and thefts?

I'll be there from Sept 10 to Sept 26, can anyone tell me what the temperature would be like? Do I need a jacket?

Thanks so much.:yay

 

[Asphodel1224]

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brunch here is usually a set meal. there are rarely any buffets in nyc.

walking around at night from 10pm-1am can be fairly safe, though it depends on where in the city you are. times square is pretty safe to walk around. if you're walking around the city on fridays and saturdays that's even better because nightlife in nyc begins at midnight so there will be a lot more people around.

nyc's tap water is safe to drink, though i filter mine with a brita. i seriously doubt you're going to get sick from drinking unfiltered tap water.

as for good bagels, try h&h bagels or ess-a-bagel, though the cart bagels are pretty good and cheap.

temperature in september should be warm enough still that you can wear t-shirts. i'd recommend a light jacket though, just in case it gets cooler at night.

 

[WETAFAN]

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Thanks.

I will be bringing my laptop to NY and intend to hook up to the net often, can anyone recommend place where I can get free wi-fi connections. I thought Starbucks hotspot was free but I just checked their site and apparently I have to subscribe to the hotspot service. My Starbucks here has free wireless connection in their premises.

Can anyone help?

 

[Asphodel1224]

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certain parks in the city may have free wi-fi, though i'm not completely sure if its free or through subscription. bryant park, which is on 42nd street between 5th and 6th avenues, does have wifi, but like i said, i'm not sure that its free.

 

[WETAFAN]

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Thnx Asphodel.

Any recommendations where I can buy original DVDs for the best prices. I know the usual large establishments like Tower, HMV, Borders have DVDs but I do believe their prices are strictly recommended retail. Any places better than them?

Also, any other places other than TRU, FAO, Mike's shop, Midtown Comics where I can get Star Wars Hasbro, Master Replica, Gentle Giants, Wetas, Sideshow Colelctibles, statues, toys, etc....?

BTW, how many TRU's are there in NY besides the Times Square outlet? Is tehre any Best But stores there? I would like to buy the SW MR Best Buy sabers is possible. I am also looking for all the US exclusive Star Wars items like the Target Lava Vader, Walmart Exclusives..... Are there any specialty collectible stores there? Sounds very limited, aint it?

Thanks heaps.

 

[WETAFAN]

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Asphodel......are you out there?

Anyone.....?

Anyone who could help me on my previous query would be great. Thanks.:help

 

[WetaWork]

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Keep in mind, you'll find mostly Region 1 dvds in NYC.

J&R Music World has a tremendous selection of dvds. It's right accross the street from City Hall Park which has free wifi access.

A block away on Fulton St. there is a dvd street vendor who sells legit (Region 1) dvds. Be careful of other dvd vendors selling camcorder bootlegs.

 

[Asphodel1224]

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I usually get my DVD's from the internet or from Best Buy - there really isn't any discount outlets here in NYC that sells DVD for any cheaper than national chains. Bootleg DVD's can be had in Chinatown, but they're pretty poor in quality, though I've gotten some before that were pretty good.

As for more SSW stuff, the only other place that I know of is Forbidden Planet. I can't remember the exact address but its something like 12th Street near Union Square Park. When I went there earlier this summer, I believe that they had Gandalf on Shadowfax and a couple of busts displayed.

I think that the Times Square TRU is the last TRU in the city. There used to be one in Union Square but it closed earlier this year. The Times Square TRU used to be really good with restocking their merchandise back in my heyday of Toybiz collecting. I used to go right when they opened in the morning and race the other collectors to get all the rare ones. I believe that they tend to be fairly good with restocking since it is a large store and they get a lot of business from all the tourists in Times Square.

As for Target, there aren't any in the city - there is one out in Queens (but a long subway and bus ride) and one in Brooklyn (haven't been to that one). The only Walmart I know of is in New Jersey.

There are a couple of Best Buys in the city - 3 that I know of. One in the Upper East Side on 86th, one on 23rd, and another in Soho on Broadway I believe. I'm sure that you can go onto the Best Buy website and locate stores much more precisely.

Hope that helps!