Her.ie recently paid a visit to the city that never sleeps, and fell in love all over again. After a couple of magic summers and some stolen weeks in Manhattan, here are some of our top tips for making the most of New York. Twelve things you really should know…
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There is Always a Discount
Landmark NY stores love you just as much as you love them. Both Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s boast visitor centres that will give you additional discounts once you produce your passport, offering you 10 per cent off almost everything in store. This even applies to items already on sale.
Calling All Sports Fans
Whatever time of year you’re hitting up the Big Apple at, there is a sporting spectacular on the cards. It doesn’t matter if you don’t visit Croker or the Aviva from one end of the year to the other, you don’t have to be a sports nut to get your head in the game – it’s really all about soaking up the atmosphere. Sing along to Take Me Out To The Ballgame at Yankee Stadium, watch the NY Rangers take to the ice in Madison Square Gardens or try to figure out what the Super Bowl is all about by watching the Giants play. Just give the basketball a miss at the minute; the Knicks are having a pretty ropey run…
KYA – Know Your Acronyms
The grid system is a gift to travellers in New York – finding your way around can be as simple as counting across and up/down. Below 14th street, however, it can become a little more difficult. A good start is to know your neighborhoods, and your acronyms.
SoHo: South of Houston Street
NoHo: North of Houston Street
Tribeca: Triangle Below Canal Street
Nolita: North of Little Italy
Just the Ticket
A visit to a Broadway show is an absolute must in New York. You can buy your tickets from plenty of different agents or the theatre in question in advance, and any good concierge will be able to help you out from your hotel. But – if you want to get your tickets for a steal, the TKTS booth is the only way to go. Offering tickets up to forty per cent off, you can only buy for the same day and there is no guarantee that the show you’re hoping for will be available. That said, if you’re a musical theatre fan in general you will always find something to suit. On our recent visit we picked up matinee tickets to Cinderella and evening tickets to Matilda for less than half the price the people sitting beside us paid. Ouch. The TKTS booth in the middle of Times Square is well-known, but there is a second one at South Street Seaport that far fewer people are aware of. It’s a lovely part of town, so head here for your tickets and enjoy a cocktail on the waterfront instead of spending hours queuing.
Off the Beaten Track
On a sunny day, check out this public park with a difference. Built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side, fans of Project Runway will have spotted the High Line in lasts season’s episodes. Founded in 1999 by community residents, Friends of the High Line fought for the High Line’s preservation and transformation at a time when the historic structure was under the threat of demolition. Running from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, the park is open from 7am to 10pm daily.
Bottomless Brunch
New Yorkers invented the bottomless brunch, so it should come as no surprise that they’re the best at it. An all-you-can-drink feast on a Sunday morning might sound like a recipe for disaster, but pencil in a nap for your Sunday evening itinerary and you’ll be fine. We opted for Lips NYC and their fabulous Broadway Brunch. The venue is run by some amazing drag queens who top up your champers, serve you your pancakes, and put on a show that raises the roof. Fantastic.
Rocking at the Top
The view from the top of the Empire State Building might be a ‘must’ for New York newbies, but if you’ve been before or the thought of the queues is turning you off, remember that you can get a similarly spectacular vista from the Top of the Rock. The Rockerfeller plaza is a great spot anyway, well worth a trip. Have a romantic skate where the famous Christmas tree is erected every year, then take in a tour at the home of NBC.
Sleep Easy
New York hotel rooms are tiny. There’s a lot of people in Manhattan and they all have to fit somewhere, so unless you know otherwise – expect small from your booking. Be careful when booking through tour operators too, many packages offer hotels that are actually not in Manhattan at all, but a train ride away. For our trip, we opted for The Benjamin. This luxury hotel is situated in Midtown East and is named after its Irish American founder, Benjamin ‘Bud’ Denihan. The hotel is top of our list for many reasons; not least the amazing Rest and Renew Sleep Programme, which offers guests a ‘sleep consultation’ and a choice of NINE different pillows, recommended according to your own sleep patterns.
For Outlet Shopping – Get Out of Town
Century 21 is a designer discount paradise, but if you want the Outlet Mall experience you have to travel for it. The two big attractions are Jersey Gardens and Woodbury Commons. Woodbury offers more in terms of high-end names, but Jersey Gardens is super cheap and easy to get to, and you won’t be stuck for bargain buys there either.
Take Me to the Island
If a trip on the water sounds like fun, you’ll find plenty of options in New York. From dinner cruises to powerboats around the bay, you can take a ride that is as long or short as you like, and pay accordingly. Or, you could get the same view entirely for free. The Staten Island Ferry transports a whopping 60,000 passengers per day between St. George on Staten Island and Whitehall Street in lower Manhattan. The five mile, 25 minute ride offers a stunning view of New York Harbor, The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
Lights, Camera, Action
Pretty much anywhere in New York you can expect to happen across a film or TV set. (During our recent trip, Tom Selleck and Donie Wahlberg were busy being Blue Bloods in Chinatown.) If you’d like to increase your chances of seeing some movie magic happen, though, there are several websites designed to help you out, listing the films and TV shows currently being shot in the city. Or you could arrange a tour of your favourite spots from the classics – you’ll find a handy guide here.
Deeper Underground
Those famous yellow taxis may be iconic, but they’re not the cheapest or the fastest way to get around New York. They’re also not the way the locals get from A to B, so why not go native and embrace the Subway. You can get pretty much anywhere you need to go for a couple of dollars, and the grid system in the city means it’s usually pretty easy to figure out where you’re coming from/going to. Invest in a day pass or a weekly ticket and enjoy the people watching while you travel. You’ll see plenty of characters…
