NFR: New York

[SP]

Recommendations please for a first time visitor to New York (not me unfortunately) for a 20 something single male.  Looking for a decent hostel in a central location.  Also, a live sporting event, Basketball seems to be preferred option but other sports considered.

Grateful for any advice.

[jmh]

Recommendations please for a first time visitor to New York (not me unfortunately) for a 20 something single male.  Looking for a decent hostel in a central location.  Also, a live sporting event, Basketball seems to be preferred option but other sports considered.

Grateful for any advice.

Though I've lived in NYC (I'm assuming you're talking about the city and not the rest of the state) for ten years, I've really never had to look for accommodations for out of town guests because most of my relatives and friends live in the area as well.  That being said, I've heard good things about the two locations of the Pod Hotel if your friend is traveling alone and hoping to meet other visitors to socialize with.  Make sure your friend doesn't stay near the airports because the airports are a long way away from almost anything a tourist will want to see, just as is the case in London.

As far as a live sporting event goes, it depends on when your friend is traveling.  I personally find ice hockey vastly more entertaining than basketball but if your friend prefers basketball then that's what he should go see.  Tickets to NBA teams can be hard to come by through the teams themselves, but Stubhub is a good bet for tickets on the secondary market. 

For other recommendations, I think a bit more guidance would be useful.  What does your friend enjoy?  There's SO much to do here that it seems like a disservice to make generic suggestions like "go to the top of the Empire State Building" or "walk around Central Park" rather than something that's a bit more tailored.

And, of course, if there's a Fulham match while your friend is here, he should come watch with the FulhamNYC group at Legends on 33rd Street.

[Rhys Lightning 63]

Having just come back from New York I can recommend one thing, DO NOT stay in New York itself. He's best staying in New Jersey, as close to the Lincoln Tunnel as he can, then getting a bus from the 42nd Street Bus Terminal for $3.90 (dirt cheap, when you consider that a taxi cab tried to charge me $55 for the same route)

[Tempest]

JMH, I'm in NYC for the marathon again, I take it Legends will be showing the FFC v Man U game on 2nd Nov considering our opponents?? Bit dodgy going to a bar to watch footie day before the marathon though.

[jmh]

JMH, I'm in NYC for the marathon again, I take it Legends will be showing the FFC v Man U game on 2nd Nov considering our opponents?? Bit dodgy going to a bar to watch footie day before the marathon though.

With the new NBC deal, all Premier League matches are on live TV, so Legends should be showing all the matches without ever having to rely on a dodgy Internet stream like in years past.  That being said, the atmosphere should be very good for the match against Man U (Villa play West Ham at the same time and they both have good support groups as well) and I definitely encourage you to stop by.  Is there much else you should be doing that day?  I'm far from being one myself, but as I understand it, marathon runners generally just relax and get to bed early the day before a race; if you wanted to do sightseeing, well, one good thing about watching the Premier League in this time zone is that the matches are done at noon and you still have much of the day ahead of you.

[btings]

Some hotels in Manhattan are actually cheaper on the weekend, since they have so many business visitors.

[Wingnut]

I would stay in the Bronx and get the subway to Manhattan if I was you. Accommodation in Manhattan is cramped, even the likes of the Waldorf Astoria doesn't have spacious rooms by our standards.

On sports, depends when you are going as other have said. It is far from certain that the Yankees will make the post season this year and the Mets won't make it. Ice hockey is by far the best night out sports wise. The season doesn't start for another few weeks and the Rangers are on the road for the first few weeks, until Oct 28th actually. I find basketball very dull and it is very expensive in NY.

The good news is that you will get tickets via the NY Rangers of NY Knicks sites, once you apply well in advance. A cheap ticket, with a half decent view, for hockey is about $75 and basketball is about $85.

[King_Crud]

I really enjoyed the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and I'm not really into art. Natural History Museum was good too. I did a tour of Stock Exchange but I'm not sure if you can still do that. I was there in 1999 so things have changed since the 2001 attacks. I'd also gone up the World Trade Centre....

[jmh]

I have to disagree with Wingnut, don't stay in the Bronx, it's largely pretty shady.  If you want to save money by staying outside Manhattan, I'd look at inner areas of Brooklyn or Queens (or even Riether Lightning's New Jersey idea) instead.

I'm not an art guy but I also enjoyed the Met.  There's a lot of neat historical stuff there like an absolutely fascinating reconstructed Egyptian tomb and a collection of medieval weapons and armor, and they also have a rooftop garden/cafe/bar with a great view over Central Park.

I'm pretty sure they do still do tours of the NY Stock Exchange, and they definitely do tours of the Federal Reserve that include their gold vault.

[Burt]

Similar thread recently on the Exiles board, Mr SP sir:
http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?topic=27965.0

Hope it's of use.

[Forever Fulham]

If you are renting a vehicle, then I recommend staying at Zenobia Marion's SerenityAh B & B in Brooklyn.  It's a converted Victorian on a tree-lined residential street.  I've used subways to get from her place into Manhattan.  Doesn't take long.  Finding a parking space on the street near her home is catch as catch can.  But there's a private overnight garage two blocks away  that charges around $15/night.  It's well lit, guarded, and secure.  Good neighborhood.  Very nice lady.  646-479-5138  or 347-414-5536.  [email protected]    She has a website, but I can't locate it.  Google will help you.  Address is 57 Rutland Road, Brooklyn, NY, 11225.  Subway stop is 5-6 blocks from her house.

[Forever Fulham]

BTW, just for fun, go to the secret PDT bar in Manhattan:
https://www.google.com/#q=pdt+please+don%27t+tell+new+york

[jmh]

If you're renting a vehicle, then it's definitely a good idea to stay outside Manhattan, but generally if you're a single traveler you're unlikely to need one unless you're planning lots of trips outside the city.  I've rarely felt the need for one while I've lived here, and most of the time it's more trouble than it's worth, what with parking being a hassle.

I've read very good things about PDT but for some reason haven't been there even though it's definitely the kind of place I enjoy.  Similar places include Little Branch, Employees Only, and Hudson Clearwater (similar vibe but more of a restaurant than a bar), all in the West Village.

[SP]

Thanks to all for the recommendations & links.  Opted for Pod 39, a bit pricey but bang in the centre & loads going on. Game on.

:yay:

[jmh]

Thanks to all for the recommendations & links.  Opted for Pod 39, a bit pricey but bang in the centre & loads going on. Game on.

:yay:

Good call. 

The restaurant in the hotel, Salvation Taco, is worth a look.  It's definitely non-traditional Mexican food (Moroccan lamb on roti is the dish people seem most often to cite to support how non-traditional it is), but trendy and very tasty; my wife and I had a really good dinner there a couple of months ago. 

It's close to Grand Central Terminal, which is good for accessibility and is also worth a look in its own right since being restored a few years ago.

[SP]

Thanks for the recommendation jmh.  The only criticism seems to be noisy AC or lift bells, fortunately, that's not something a 26 year old full of beer & tacos will worry too much about.  Hopefully plenty of other travellers to hook up with.