Nintendo World or Bust
June 29, 2010 4:10 PM Subscribe
The family has decided to make a spur-of-the-moment pilgrimage to Nintendo World in Rockefeller Plaza this weekend. Traveling by car from central Ohio to NYC, what is the best place to stay outside the city for a trip in on Saturday morning, returning Saturday evening?
We'll be using public transportation to get into the city, and my 5 year old is kind of counting on taking a train. We'll most likely be relying on Priceline for booking the hotel, with a stay on the nights of July 2 and 3. Thanks!
We'll be using public transportation to get into the city, and my 5 year old is kind of counting on taking a train. We'll most likely be relying on Priceline for booking the hotel, with a stay on the nights of July 2 and 3. Thanks!
You definitely want to be near a PATH train. This being a holiday weekend, the buses are going to hit all sorts of traffic in both directions. Definitely search for a place in Hoboken before Jersey City or Newark. If you can afford it, the W Hotel in Hoboken is absolutely beautiful.
Because the fireworks are on the Hudson this year, it might be hard to get a room on one of the waterfront hotels.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:12 PM on June 29, 2010
Because the fireworks are on the Hudson this year, it might be hard to get a room on one of the waterfront hotels.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 5:12 PM on June 29, 2010
have you considered finding a place in the city? some of the newer hotels/motels around the gowanus area of brooklyn have dedicated parking lots and parking around there isn't very hard anyway; you'd be able to stay in the city and just take the subway to nintendo world. way more pleasant than staying in new jersey!
posted by lia at 5:16 PM on June 29, 2010
posted by lia at 5:16 PM on June 29, 2010
Just as a data point, Westchester County, NY is also close to NYC with lots of train access to Grand Central. You might check hotels in New Rochelle, Rye Brook and White Plains. I'm seeing deals at $94 a night for the Rye Town Hilton in Rye Brook. It's a fairly nice hotel with plenty of parking. You'd need to drive to the train station, but there's free parking in the station lot on weekends. The train is about a 30 to 45-minute ride -- closer to 30 if you stay in New Rochelle or White Plains, more like 45 minutes from the Port Chester station (where you'd go if you stayed at the Rye Town Hilton). If you do end up booking in Westchester, feel free to MeMail me for info on where to eat.
By the way, there's an historic theme park in Rye -- Rye Playland -- which is pretty much the single most awesome place on earth. If you do go there, though, be careful to monitor your child on all the rides.
posted by brina at 6:04 PM on June 29, 2010
By the way, there's an historic theme park in Rye -- Rye Playland -- which is pretty much the single most awesome place on earth. If you do go there, though, be careful to monitor your child on all the rides.
posted by brina at 6:04 PM on June 29, 2010
Just so you're aware before you get here: Nintendo World is loud, ultra-crowded, and really not as exciting as you might suspect. Your children probably won't get much of a chance to play the games--older kids and teens tend to camp out on the Wiis/DSs and never leave. And quite frankly, there isn't much there *other* than those things. Both kids I've taken there have wanted to leave quickly, despite being big Nintendo fans (as am I).
I'm not saying don't go--just be sure to have plenty of other activities planned, because there's pretty much no way that the trip to Nintendo World will last more than an hour or so.
posted by yellowcandy at 7:58 PM on June 29, 2010
I'm not saying don't go--just be sure to have plenty of other activities planned, because there's pretty much no way that the trip to Nintendo World will last more than an hour or so.
posted by yellowcandy at 7:58 PM on June 29, 2010
Best answer: I wouldn't think the PATH train would be very exciting for a 5-year-old - it's pretty much all underground, so, not much different than taking the subway. If you can use a NYC subway trip to satisfy the train wish, I would pick a hotel near the Port Imperial Ferry terminal in Weehawken so you can take the ferry into the city, it's a much more interesting way in than the PATH. (Maybe I'm biased - since I commute via the PATH, I can't wrap my brain around the idea of it being fun)
posted by oh yeah! at 4:45 AM on June 30, 2010
posted by oh yeah! at 4:45 AM on June 30, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks everyone! We liked the idea of taking the Ferry over, so got a Priceline hotel near the Newport ferry terminal in Jersey City.
Brina, Rye Playland looks like a blast. Have to keep that in mind for another trip.
yellowcandy, thanks for the info on Nintendo World. We've got other stuff planned as well.
posted by Otis at 11:49 AM on June 30, 2010
Brina, Rye Playland looks like a blast. Have to keep that in mind for another trip.
yellowcandy, thanks for the info on Nintendo World. We've got other stuff planned as well.
posted by Otis at 11:49 AM on June 30, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by TrialByMedia at 4:24 PM on June 29, 2010