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New York hotel comparison: Hotel Beacon vs. The Lucerne?

Dansaman — Fri, 24 May 2013 23:28:18 GMT

The Hotel Beacon and the Lucerne are in the same general Upper West Side neighborhood, they basically have identical ratings on TripAdvisor, their costs are similar, and so far they have both been bed bug-free according to the Bed Bug Registry. So which one should our family choose for a summer visit to NYC?

New York hotel recommendation, activities for a few days.

HuronBob — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:35:22 GMT

So, spouse and I snagged an invitation to the "Man of Steel" premier (at Lincoln Center) and after-party in New York. But, I've never been to New York and don't have a clue about the place. I have a couple of questions. I've tentatively booked a room at the Empire Hotel (price and location, along with reviews seemed reasonable), my question for you folks is: Is there a compelling reason why I SHOULDN'T stay there? And, if the answer to that is "Do Not Stay There!!!", what other options are there (close to Lincoln Center, room cost $300 per night or less)? The second half of the question is: I'll have from Saturday evening (June 8th) until later afternoon on Monday to experience New York... What should we do?

finding out what we can take from the UK, to Germany, in a car

Megami — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:40:04 GMT

We are moving to Germany. I have to fly* but my husband is driving, from the UK to Germany. Our removalists will pack nothing perishable, including food in sealed containers, liquid toilettries etc. Can we just take them in the car?

Specifically, I would be looking to try and bring the following with us:
- Potted orchids
- Pantry items, some in bottles/cans/jars never opened, some already used (like the gazillion jars of spices we have)
- Cleaning items, washing powders etc.
I am assuming this would all be okay travelling around within the EU BUT the last thing I want is my husband stopped and given a hard time for carrying a plant or something over national borders when he is not meant to.
Is there a website somewhere that sets this all out clearly, in English?

*Long story to do with visa status, the MOD and their refusal to move our car.

NYC travel challenge: LaGuardia to Weekhawken this Saturday afternoon

brozek — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:28:59 GMT

My wife is traveling to New York City for work this weekend, so we're making a family trip out of it (including a 5 and 1 year-old). Their first time - yay! Unfortunately, we're flying into LaGuardia and the person organizing her travel just changed the hotel reservation to the Sheraton Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken. We've only visited NYC a handful of times, but enough to know that's a difficult jaunt with no direct route. Getting a car service is an option, but it's almost $200 and we'd like to find more frugal option using public transportation if at all possible. Is our best bet an airport bus to the Port Authority, then transfer to something going into Weehawken (bus or bus/ferry combo)?

Where can I take a shower and leave a bag for the day in New York City?

reductiondesign — Mon, 13 May 2013 22:33:17 GMT

In a few weeks I'll be flying into NYC around 9:00 AM and flying out around 9:00 PM, and I'd like to take a shower somewhere and maybe even leave my bag for the day so I can wander the city. So far the only options I've found are to pay about $50 for access to an airline lounge, which seems too pricey for what I want, or to book a hotel room. Surely there are cheaper options? I'm not too picky about location, but somewhere in Lower Manhattan would probably be best. Please help me out, New Yorkers!

BOS to Deleware. Need meeting point on 1-95 NYC, public transit...

thatgirld — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:30:07 GMT

I'm road trippin' with friends. They are driving from Boston to Deleware. I'm in NYC. I need to meet them somewhere along the 1-95 route in the NYC area, So they don't have to go out of their way to pick me up.

Snowflake details: I'll be getting picked up around 10-11pm -- need somewhere safe to wait if i need to.
Would like it to be public transit accessible from the west side of Manhattan.
I don't want to take a train to CT, just to drive back through NY.

Help, meFi. you're my only hope.

8:51am MetroNorth Train : Packed?

Quisp Lover — Sat, 04 May 2013 02:21:02 GMT

I'm trying to decide whether to take MetroNorth to Grand Central Monday morning. Will a train arriving @8:51am be unpleasantly packed, or is that considered late in the rush hour?

Full story: I live in the 'burbs and have a colonoscopy in downtown Manhattan with a 9:15am arrival.

So my options are:

1. take metronorth Monday morning in a weakened fasting state after a miserable Sunday of purging (I'd imagine standing for the trip would be pretty awful), or

2. check into a downtown hotel Sunday afternoon, and attempt to wrangle the purging regimen in the hotel room (using ice buckets to cool the awful-tasting liquids to make them more palatable). Problem is I need to take four bisacodyl tablets at 1pm Sunday, and check-in isn't going to be until 3pm, so I might have a scary trip down (OTOH the nurses say bowels shouldn't crank up until 4 or 4:30).

No great choices, obviously. It sucks to be middle aged.

Izakaya in New York

Tanizaki — Fri, 03 May 2013 21:12:59 GMT

I will be traveling to Manhattan this weekend. I would appreciate recommendation for izakaya or other Japanese eating/drinking establishments of note.

Happenstance takes me to Manhattan this weekend. I will be arriving on Saturday night. I would like to visit an izakaya or other Japanese drinking and eating establishment. If it is a place full of Japanese staff and customers and you can barely order without speaking Japanese, that is exactly the place I am looking for. I came across this review of NYC izakaya but I cannot discern from the page which shops might be up my alley. The more informal and earthy, the better. Midtown would be preferable if at all possible.

Any local MeFites are welcome to join me, I might add. Thank you very much.

Hotel recommendation near the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC?

obliquicity — Thu, 02 May 2013 04:29:40 GMT

A colleague and I are traveling to New York at the end of the month (Tues-Thurs, if it matters) for business that will take place near the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

We will not have a car, because who is crazy enough to have a car in NYC? -- so I'd like to find someplace relatively near, or at least on the same subway line as, the museum. However, we also are limited to the state rate for our hotel -- which in NYC is $241/night.

I apologize for the "do my homework for me" aspect of this question, but I'm hoping that someone has insight into a great, charming, maybe even artsy, and yet relatively inexpensive hotel for us. Or even just clean and nice and friendly, frankly. Searches are proving somewhat overwhelming.

And while I'm here and thinking about driving in the city... if you have thoughts about the best way to acquire a car and do a day trip to Philadelphia with the least possible amount of city driving (but also minimal inconvenience!), I'd deeply appreciate that, too. We do need to use a car, unfortunately, rather than public transit.

Help me make a birthday weekend in NYC amazing!!

pearlybob — Wed, 01 May 2013 22:23:41 GMT

I'm taking my daughter to NYC for her 13th bday gift around the end of June. She is going to be so excited!! I'm trying to plan some great things for a Mom and a 13 yr old to do but I'm getting overwhelmed.... We will do a broadway show for sure...but any other suggestions? Help me decide what is really cool and worth doing and what would be just "meh". She loves the arts and creating and cooking and falls on the nerdy, quirky, funny side of life. She's perfect!! We will be there 3 nights and 4 days. Staying in SoHo but can Uber Car pretty much anywhere. I also have a very dear friend who lives there and will be with us to help navigate. He loves my daughter and will be up for anything but has no clue what 13 yr old girls of her ilk are into so he hasn't been much help....Thanks all!

Interesting, intelligent, cultural, or culinary activities in NYC

aught — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:08:20 GMT

My partner will be in NYC for the next month for medical treatment, with varying energy levels, and I will be visiting her over the long weekends. Looking for people's favorite diversions that would be appropriate for a non-athletic, museum-interested, grad-school-educated, foodie couple based on the Upper East Side (70th St.) We're 40-somethings who've done a lot of the NY standard stuff in the past, including the big UES museums and MOMA -- although I have to admit a lot of my experience is nearly 20 years ago at this point -- but we're both comfortable using the Metrocard to take subways and buses around town. Partner will probably not be up to walks over 20-30 minutes. Just looking for cool stuff locals might recommend for weekend activities that wouldn't be in travel guides or major web sites or mobbed with typical tourists. Thanks in advance!

northern lights viewing w'in driving distance of Manhattan

xetere — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 09:34:39 GMT

ISO the best place tonight 13 April 2013 to view possible northern lights within an hour's drive of Manhattan?

According to this article in Accuweather, an amazing solar pulse on Thursday means that the Northern lights might actually occur as far south as NYC! Forecast is for partly cloudy skies which means, of course partly clear too. Woo-hoo, but given the artificial lights of Manhattan, I want to maximize my chances of seeing. Does anyone know where (park rural place that would have access tonight) within an hour and a half drive of Manhattan where one could possibly stargaze and see Aurora if lucky?

I'm thinking due north both because it might slightly increase chances and because that seems most rural, but open to any suggestions.

Geeky in NYC?

bondcliff — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:26:43 GMT

Heading to NYC next week with the family for a few days. What are some good destinations for a family that likes geeky things?

Not Star Trek and Cosplay, think more engineering and Lego. We're staying in Manhattan near Grand Central Station.

I'm especially looking for quick things that we can see on the way to somewhere else. Audiokinetic sculptures / ball machines and that sort of thing would be especially welcome.

Things The Boy (11) likes:

Lego
Minecraft
Star Wars
The Simpsons
Complex mechanical things
Chess
Humor / comedy
Farts and fart-related things
Hot dogs / pizza / sushi / shrimp
Roller coasters (full size and models)

Not interested in:

The Intrepid (I've seen it and he's seen enough Air/Space museum type things)
FAO Schwarts (does that still exist?)
Movies (I am, but he's not really into many films)

Currently on the list:

Museum of Natural History / Hayden Planetarium
Empire State Building
Museum of Math
WTC Memorial
The Subway (we have those here but the system isn't as complex)

General NYC advice is welcome too. (best times to hit those destinations, etc)

Manhattan optimization assistance needed!

Narrative Priorities — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:22:28 GMT

I need to rent a ZipCar minivan to drive upstate with a bunch of friends. Which location should I pick it up from so as to maximize how quickly we get out of the city and minimize both sketchiness and inconvenience?

I don't drive very much in Manhattan, nor do I spend a whole lot of time in some of these neighborhoods. I'm hoping you guys will have better info than me!

We'll be picking the minivan up on a Friday morning around 10AM and dropping it off that Sunday night, possibly after dark. We specifically need a minivan, we'll all be coming in from Brooklyn or Queens, we'll have luggage to deal with, and we'll be driving up to the Catskills.

The locations I'm considering are:

Riverside Drive @ W 135th
Pros: Close to the subway, less time driving in Manhattan
Cons: Long subway ride and multiple transfers for people from Brooklyn, not much else there, possibly sketchy/deserted at night?

W 42nd @ 12th Ave
Pros: Maybe less sketchy? Not as long of a subway ride?
Cons: Lots of walking or dealing with a crosstown bus, probably a lot of traffic

W 14th @ 8th Ave
Pros: very easy subway ride, lots of people around even at night
Cons: That's a LOT of Manhattan to be driving through afterward

Any any all thoughts, strategies and anecdata are welcome!

How early should we arrive at JFK for a flight to Barbados?

neushoorn — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 14:00:59 GMT

How early should two people who will not check baggage arrive at JFK airport for an 8:00 AM flight to Barbados (BGI)?

A friend and I will land at JFK in the evening and will spend our 11-hour layover at a hotel that's four miles away from the airport. Our next flight (to BGI) leaves at 8:00 AM.

We'll travel to the airport with the hotel shuttle, which should drop us off at our departure terminal. We're flying American Airlines.

Since it's a layover, the airline will have our luggage. We'll just have our carry-ons.

We're travelling on one American and one European passport.

How early should we arrive at the airport?