Hi! We're going to be passing through NYC (1st time visitors) for three days (2 nights) and want to see the city. If we also wanted to see the USMMC on my third day, where would be a good place to stay to do both?
Knowing that we'd like to see some of the usual touristy stuff (Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, Empire State Bldg, etc. Where should we stay in a budget hotel?
Is parking in NYC do-able or should we subway?
If any experts could suggest a possible itinerary it would be welcome. Wish we had more time but we don't.
Arrive NYC 1PM Sunday... leave after King's Point Tour Tuesday night. So basically we have 1/2 day Sunday, All day Monday, and a couple of hours on Long Island after the tour Tuesday.
THANKS!
I'll take the easiest one first:
"Is parking in NYC do-able or should we subway?"
Parking while "do-able" is exceptionally expensive. Further changing garages and driving from place to place in Manhattan is even more expesive. Expect to pay ~$40.00/day to park a car anywhere around or within convienience of the sights and attractions you mention. By far the cheapest - and fastest way - around Manhattan is indeed the subway. That's why even when he was a relatively anonymous billionare before he became Mayor Michael Bloomberg often took the subway and still swears by it. Tht said, if you are intimidated by the subway and it can be so there are always Yellow Cabs.
As for "budget hotels" there are some and I always believe the best way to find those are "Hotels.com". That said even budget hotels for the one of the two nights you mention - Monday will not likely be cheap. So my advice is this:
1) If you decide to NOT rent a car at all then I'd stay in Manhattan on Sunday night and place my bags with the Bellman at that hotel on Monday morning after breakfast. That leaves you in Manhattan for Sunday afternoon and most of Monday without any big expense for parking, etc and local transportation. I'd do subways - if you stay in Midtown start with the Empire State Building - Sunday afternoon is usually a good time to do ESB as the lines aren't long, even on nicer days on Sunday. If you are into that sort of thing - Saint Patrick's Cathedral - after the ESB is nearby an Masses, etc. will be over. If you are a baseball freak then I suggest lunch across the street fromESB on the south side of 31st street at "Foley's" ask the guy at the elevators or one of the likely several NYPD beat cops in the Cushman Carts outside of ESB and they'll point the way. It's a truly traditional NYC Irish Taveran where lots, and lots of sportswriters have and still hang out that is filled with Mets, Yankeen and other assorted Sports Illustrated Memorabillia. The shepard's pie and/or the corned beef and cabbage are the best and very reasonably priced so a good way to fill up for the rest of your day.
As I said, if you are adventorous use Hotels.com but read the recent reviews before picking a hotel - your "bargain room" will be very small in Manhattan so take that into account getting more to two in a room their bargain listings are always "sporty at best." If you are a Marriott or Hilton person, then I'd go with either a Courtyard or Hampton Inn Property in Midtown and "bite the bullet" - you'll be able to get a room with two full size beds and even be able to squeeze in a rollaway for a fourth person/second child if you need to and that might be cheaper and will of course be "less adventurous for you." It's the way I'd go but it could be as much as 50-70/more for that first night - but as I said, you'll fit in the room for sure, and it will definately be clean and safe. These hotels I'm talking about are generall between 24th Street and 40th street. Above 40th you are in the Times Square area until you get east of 5th avenue and then you are on the "West Side" which usually is a bit higher priced. Below 24th and down to lower Manhattan - I would not recommend for a family I did not know, especially between 5th and 11th Streets - It's Chelsea and it's safe but the area is very "young and hip" email me if you want more details and there's really nothing in the way of tourist attractions there, unless you want to go to the Chelsea Hotel and see where Andy Wahrol and Sid Vicious died... Though if you are looking fo a HUGE lobster - porteguese style there are two most excellent places on 24th street for that.
You may find something downtown but it too will likely be higher priced.
After the ESB heading south one can easily take the Subway down to the new Freedom Tower and Ground Zero memorial sites. From there depending on when you g and whether it's Monday or Sunday you may need to pay special attention to the subway advisories as I'm pretty sure there is still ongoing recovery efforts from hurricane Sandy damage to the 1 and R lines in lower Manhattan which are the easiest ways to get to Battery Park where you get the ferry to the Statue of Liberty.
All that is doable if you ae organized and you don't have small children with you in the day - day and half you mention. There's other advice I can give you but it's easiest to answer specific questions if you PM me - basically tink of Manhattan of 26 square miles where in each square mile (~10 square blocks) you can find alsmost as much variety as you'll find in many other entire cites with the exception of Chicago - not a bigot about it - trust me while I have lived in NYC and Manhattan twice in my life it's not where I'd choose to live at this stage of it or likely for the rest of it either. Great place to visit though.
From the sound of your post it sounds like your plan is for you to accompany your child on their vist most of the day or at least half of it on Tuesday. If that's the case you may not need or want a car then either - if you do, my suggestion is that one of you or all of you cab back out of Manhattan and pick up the car at LGA if you are flying in on Sunday - on Monday afternoon. If you are choosing to drive up, I'd check suggest trying to see if you can stay at a loca hotel in Great Neck (eitehr the ANdrew or the Inn at Great Neck on Monday evenin, and see if you can pay to keep your car in their garage from your arrival at Sunday at ~ noon through checking out of that hotel on Tuesday.)
Not sure if this is possible if you don't stay there Sunday night but worth a try, if not and you are driving take parking fees into account for just parking your car and leaving it set from Sunday throuh Monday afternoon at your Manhattan Hotel - most have some sort of valet service and the car is usually at a garage within a block or so of the hotel so only takes 1/2 hour or so from requesting it till they bring it round to you. Unless you are a seasoned NYC driver, I do NOT recommend driving around Manhattan or really around and in the five boroughs except to get through them to Great Neck. I'm not an alarmist but unless you live in the so called "Bos-Wash" corrider, traffic will be significantly more than you are used to and can easily put you in a very foul mood - foul enough to carry over and ruin an otherwise excellent visit.
If you do have things you want to do on Long Island while you DS/DD is on their visit Tuesday or you just want to stay out of their hair, depending on what you are looking or, there are several nice Arboretums and other such places to visit in Nassau County not far from USMMA.
Sorry for the ramble but I expect with the coming of spring and some few remaining 2017 folks trying to make final decisions as well as 2018 PC's starting their quest, this topic will be on more than just your minds and revisiting/updating it comes up from time to time - that's why there's a sticky on it but that gets dated, etc.
Best of luck to you all - Acta Non Verba - Jasperdog!
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