Radio City Christmas Spectacular booked!!

Internet pre-bookings opened today at 9am for the Radio Christmas Spectacular for those registered on the Radio City website through Ticketmaster. We are going Christmas Eve!

Radio City Christmas Spectacular booked!!

Thanks for sharing that infromation.

Radio City Christmas Spectacular booked!!

Very helpful indeed, thank you. I will be attending but not sure what date yet. Do you go to backstage access to register on the Radio City website?

Yes, its on the home page of www.radiocity.com-The code is BASANTA which is for internet presale not discount tickets.

Much appreciated ';jabbawocky'; and am looking forward to the show.

Do these tickets usually go DOWN in price the longer you hold out to buy? I HATE paying $10+ in fees per ticket!! When I say down, I mean will they be available other places for less cash? Thanks!!!

??s S St Seaport & walking Brooklyn Bridge, shopping

My sister and I will be in NY at the end of the month Woo Hoo!!!!!

We are traveling with a group and with a set itinerary, however, we are planning to modify it some. I bought tickets yesterday for the Greenwich Village Walking Food tour. On another day we have free time after SOL and Ellis Island with lunch at South St .

I searched through the forum and saw a post from 2005 stating that there is a water taxi to Fulton Ferry to Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory and Grimaldi%26#39;s Pizza and then you can walk the neighborhood and walk back over the bridge. Can this still be done? What kind of time frame are we looking at?

I%26#39;m sure we will have some more shopping to do. The previous day we have free afternoon in Times Square and my sis wants to hit Tiffancys, Macys and I want to go to H and M. Would that be best done from Times Square or after Brooklyn Bridge walking?

I know I%26#39;ll get great info here. TA has made my last few trips so much more enjoyable!!

??s S St Seaport %26amp; walking Brooklyn Bridge, shopping

The places you plan on shopping are closer to Times Square than South St Seaport. Macy%26#39;s is at 34th %26amp; Broadway, Tiffany%26#39;s is at 5th Ave %26amp; 57th Street, and there are various H%26amp;M locations around the city, one very close to Macy%26#39;s. So it make may sense to do that after Times Square, although none of the places are particularly close to Times Square or each other.

The Brooklyn bridge is a mile long, so that portion will take you approximately 20 min to walk if you take your time to enjoy the view of the city plus walking time in Brooklyn to the bridge. This could be another 20 minutes, depending on where you start from. Expect to wait in line for a while at Grimaldi%26#39;s (20 min or more) and there will probably be a shorter line at Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. Total time depends how long you will take to eat. Hopefully this gives you an idea of total time.

Oh -- and South St Seaport has its own shopping area (Ann Taylor, Coach, Gap, etc) that you can go through after the walk.

??s S St Seaport %26amp; walking Brooklyn Bridge, shopping

Thanks dagnyfreckles! The ferry and Brooklyn Bridge walk sounds very interesting to me so it looks like this will be an afternoon full.

Here are two previous posts about walking from the SOL to the Brooklyn Bridge area. Lots of good web links, too.

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k827858-鈥?/a> Itinerary_lower_manhattan-

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k970973-鈥?/a> Walking_from_South_St_Seaport_to_Staten_Island_Ferry-

My main advice to you would be to pace yourselves.

How much walking do you do on a daily basis? It takes the ';average'; person about 15 minutes to walk one mile. Most locals can do it in 10. In NYC, locals easily walk at least a quarter to half mile a day , possible more (not including subway stairs, not including standing waiting for trains, nor standing while riding trains).

We are very used to this. You, on the other hand, may not be, especially if you drive everyday. Plus, you%26#39;ll be carrying your shopping treasures everywhere you go, not storing them in your car trunk. I%26#39;d reco shopping at the end of your sightseeing.

I%26#39;m not advising that you can%26#39;t do everything you want. In fact, I say go for it! My advice is to take breaks, wear comfortable shoes and be flexible.

BTW, here is GWB%26#39;s awesome ';Idiot%26#39;s Guide to walking the Brooklyn Bridge';

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k508533-鈥?/a> New_York_City_New_York.html

We are both walking about 30 minutes a day now. I did this before going to Italy last fall and held up through 2 weeks of walking. We will go the group to South Street Seaport (should we eat lunch there or take the water taxi to Fulton Ferry and eat over there?) then walk through the neighborhood over the bridge.

We are staying in Midtown, so should we grab a taxi back to hotel or subway.

TIA for all your great answers.

To have one of my posts called awesome by the ever-dazzling QB is flattery indeed!

Here is a somewhat expanded version of that same post, which includes some info about geting to the Bridge from Fulton Ferry/Grimaldi%26#39;s/Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory:

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k866178-鈥?/a>

';ever-dazzling';???????

ROFLMAO!

Right back at ya, GWB! ;o)

Hey, get a room!!!!

(Sorry, couldn%26#39;t resist!!!)

Hi guys.

If we were at South St Seaport shopping area, how do we get onto and across the bridge? Also, how do you get down on th eother side to get to River Cafe?

Thanks

2much2do: Directions:

Walk west on Fulton Street to Broadway. Turn right onto Broadway and proceed north. At Barclay Street, at the southern entrance of City Hall Park, the road will split. Bear right and take Park Row north. The entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge walkway is on your right, past all the J%26amp;R Eelectronic Stores and directly across the street from City Hall.

NYCgirl - LOL! Touche.

Hotel and tips

I will be travelling with my 16 year old daughter in June. We have reservations at the Sheraton Manhattan Times Square for 4 nights. Some of the reviews make me question my choice. Please advise on suitable (clean/safe) hotels. Also, are the hop on/off tours a good way to navigate the city?

Hotel and tips

The Sheraton Manhattan is a few blocks away, but is not ';in'; Times Square. It%26#39;s a business class hotel. I%26#39;ve never seen the rooms, but I%26#39;m sure it%26#39;s fine. It%26#39;s definitely safe. Have you read through the reviews and seen the Candid Traveler Photos? It%26#39;s also directly across the street from the larger Sheraton New York %26amp; Towers.

The hop-on, hop-off buses are good for getting an overview of the city. I wouldn%26#39;t advise using them as transportation though. Our subway might be 100+ years old, but it%26#39;s still the best way to get around.

Have a great trip.

Hotel and tips

The hotel sounds fine, especially if you got a good rate. I think the best way to navigate the city is for the most part on foot. Manhattan is exceptionally walkable. So my advice is to think walk first, for 20 or so block distances in good weather, subway second, for longer distances or bad weather, and cab last for late nights or places of distance that public transport does not reach. A bus tour might be fun for one day just to get an overview of the city, but not for a primary mode of transportation.

best web host

Lesbian Bars?

I%26#39;m coming to NYC shortly with my girlfriend. Does anyone have recommendations of bars? Relying on guidebooks in other cities has had me wandering down streets where gay bars once were rather than actually finding any...

Grateful for any suggestions.

Lesbian Bars?

Hi - well for a very diverse lesbian bar there%26#39;s the Cubby Hole in the Village

http://nymag.com/listings/bar/cubby_hole/

Check out the free newspaper - The New York Blade www.nyblade.com

And, TimeOut New York has an extensive Gay %26amp; Lesbian section

And check in with the Lesbian and Gay Community Center, at 208 W. 13th St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues (tel. 212/620-7310; www.gaycenter.org for recommendations.

Lesbian Bars?

i found my info on www.hx.com site. it not only gives bar info and locations but also weekly parties, happenings, resources and general news for the community. directions to each club were also well spelled out.

have fun its a great place to visit for %26#39;family members%26#39;!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I%26#39;ve heard that a place called Mr. Black is the place to be.

And once you find your list of places, Yelp.com has consumer reviews of bars and nightclubs, among other attractions.

If you need a nice restaurant:

Cafeteria - 119 7th avenue.

I was not aware of the gay-scene when we agreed to go to this place but the food is really great so I think it%26#39;s worth going there.

............my favorite restaurant in NYC.............CAFETERIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Although not strictly a %26#39;gay restaurant%26#39;, the clientele was mixed and extremely stylish and trendy.........and the food............comfort food heaven. open 24/7 and visited at all hours to find the same fabulous types of people and food was consistently great.

Henrietta Hudson and Rubyfruit are 2 lesbian bars on Hudson Street in the Village. My hairstylist%26#39;s ex wife owns Henrietta... Not being a lesbian I dont know where the scene really is - I%26#39;m sure there are better spots - these 2 have been around forever.

The Cubby Hole is a fun litte bar in a great neighborhood. Very casual and always an interesting, but low key crowd. I use to live around the corner and would go there all the time.......and I%26#39;m not gay.

';and I%26#39;m not gay';

Wow.....what a co-incidence. I go to str8 bars all the time and I aint straight.......

budget apartment accommodation

My partner and I are looking at visiting for a month in September. I have found several apartments on VRBO for a monthly rate of about $1500. These are located in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island. Is this rate realistic for areas outside of Manhattan, or is it too good to be true? We don%26#39;t really need anything more than a hotel room, but apartments rented monthly seem like a much cheaper option.

budget apartment accommodation

I have been looking at a lot of apartment for a weekly rental which have prices higher than $1500 for a week.

For a month rental that price sounds amazing. It sounds to good to be true.

budget apartment accommodation

Yes the rates are correct.In new york city even in Queens bronx brooklyn statan island, yes the apts go for that rate.I would also look into apts in Queens in flushing area close to #7 train, to get into manhattan.best wishes and good luck in your search.

Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island are all very large areas. Some locations within Brooklyn and Queens would be fine for a visit to NYC but others would not be either b/c they%26#39;re too far, not well serviced by a subway or just not a good area. I would eliminate Staten Island as totally impractical.

The old saying in real estate is location, location, location. I guess it just depends on what compromises you%26#39;re willing to make. If $1500 is all you can spend, I%26#39;d say it%26#39;s better to find a good location outside Manhattan than stay in a dreadful place in Manhattan, especially for a month. But if you actually have a bigger budget, you might want to use it and stay in Manhattan. Another option is to consider splitting your trip and spending 2 weeks in Manhattan and 2 weeks outside it.

If you want to post the links or the locations you%26#39;re considering, we have lots of posters who know those areas. You might also want to look at options in Jersey City near the PATH train.

Thanks for all your help. Practical advice is a great comfort to scared overseas tourists.

We are actually planning to stay just over three weeks, but have decided to pay a monthly rate if it is cheaper than the weekly rate.

One apartment we were looking at was listed as Jamaica, Queens - no more detailed address (VRBO#112986). This one seems a bit dogdy. The owner responded to my email with only the monthly rate ($1500). No name, or further details. Their email address seemed a little cryptic. Great price, though!

Another apartment we were looking at was listed as Park Slope, Brooklyn - Near F-Train Subway (VRBO #21231). This one is actually $2400/month, which is probably a little more than we want to spend. The owner did, however, say that this includes all taxes.

If anyone can give me any further information on these properties, it would be very much appreciated.

which museum if only could do one?

Keep in mind I have 2 boys ages 12 and 14. I was looking into going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but now I%26#39;m wondering if they would enjoy the American Museum of Natural History more?

What do you think on this? I know the MET is HUGE. How big is the AMNH? How much is it to get into and what are some of the neat things there to see?

I would love to go to both but am only going to have 2 full days of visit. The first day that we get there we are going to the Yankee vs. Mets game that night so I don%26#39;t know what else I can squeeze into that day.

Thanks!

which museum if only could do one?

I have an older boy - okay he%26#39;s my husband - but he adored the Egyptian section in the Met, complete with an authentic tomb. A real boys thing in my experience.

There is a suggested donation at the Met but you can pay whatever you want.

which museum if only could do one?

You can%26#39;t go wrong either way, really. If they%26#39;re into science/nature, then I think the balance tips in favor of AMNH. If they%26#39;re not, I think the Met.

Both museums have suggested admission prices; they list a price, but you pay as much as you want.

AMNH is very large, though not as big as the Met. You could spend a full day there easily, but you could also spend half a day and not feel bad about missing things.

Some of the highlights of AMNH include:

The Hall of Human Origins

Vertebrate Paleontology (one of the world%26#39;s great collections of dinosaurs and other extinct vertebrates)

Dioramas of African mammals, Asian mammals, and North American mammals

Rose Center for Earth and Space and the Hayden Planetarium

Hall of Ocean Life (w/life-size blue whale model)

There are many other halls and special exhibits, as well as an IMAX theater with regular screenings.

I should add that at AMNH, that pay-what-you-will policy applies only to the museum itself; to go into any special exhibits or to the IMAX movies, you have to pay the list price.

I love the gems and minerals exhibit at AMNH -- especially the enormous star sapphires and star rubies. AMNH is also huge -- indeed, I think it is every bit as big as the Met when you include the Rose Center.

That being said, I think that both museums would be winners.

The MET is amazing and my son really enjoyed the Arms and Weapons section, very extensive with life size horses complete with armor and riders. The eqyptian area is full of tombs and cool things they would like, You can get a map at the front desk and they will mark where these things are.You can never see everything without days... I thought the AMNH was more confusing and walked around forever before seeing anything, didn%26#39;t even get a map, didn%26#39;t think it was laid out very well compared to similar museums I%26#39;ve been in. You can pay what you can afford.

You may be able to do both museums as they are almost directly across one another on central park. Weather permitting, it%26#39;s an easy walk (maybe 10-15 minutes at a brisk pace) and very charming. The walk itself is worth the trip if the weather is nice.

I%26#39;d ask your boys what they are more interested in -- maybe have them tool around the web sites of the 2 museums. I tend to think the AMNH is the better bet because they have so much, including an IMAX movie and a planetarium show, as well as the biggest dinasaur fossil exhibit in the world. OTOH, my 11 year old son absolutely loves Arms and Armour at the Met as well as the Egyptian exhibit (no unwrapped mummies, in case you were wondering)

For the kids, definitely the Museum of Natural History.

I agree for two boys that age the AMNH is the best bet. If you do go to the met they have a great exhibit on armor and swords that i they might really dig.

My boys are 7. 9 and 15 and we saw both. The Met is great, but has lots of ';art'; whereas the AMNH has exhibits and the space show is awesome. i would let them decide, then come back another time and do the other. Thats what we did!

how much are the shows in the AMNH? I know you can pay what you want to get into the museum itself but the ';shows'; or whatever they are called are extra aren%26#39;t they? Which ones do you have to pay for and which ones are worth it.

sebum

Avalon Hotel

hi.. new member here... leaving toronto on april 22 for nyc with 2 girlfriends for a week long stay.

we have a suite at the vincci avalon, and i was wondering if anyone had any comments about the place.

i%26#39;ve read all the reviews available, some are good, some are not so good.

one of my friends has been to nyc several times, and she%26#39;s our ';guide';. we%26#39;re going to do the touristy things, and basically enjoy a week without phones ringing, work pressures, family issues and the like. ;-)

also, just thought of this.... i%26#39;m going to a show at feinstein%26#39;s at the regency on april 24. what%26#39;s the dress code there? what is the menu like? i know it%26#39;s expensive. ;-)

as for weather, i%26#39;m checking the 15 day forecast on accuweather.

thanks in advance,

karenLL

Avalon Hotel

People get dressed up at Feinstein%26#39;s. It%26#39;s one of the few places you could wear a cocktail dress and fit right in. But a nice pair of slacks and a pretty top would also work. Here%26#39;s a sample menu from their website

feinsteinsattheregency.com/download/SampleMe鈥?/a>

Avalon Hotel

Karen are you going to see Donny???? You lucky thing. I%26#39;m missing him by a week but I will see him twice in October over here in England.

I have 2nd row and am so excited.

Have a great time

Ann

hey ann... yes, i%26#39;m going to see donny. :-)

but he%26#39;s not the main focus of this trip. i had my dates picked out last october, and my plane ticket booked long before he announced these shows. he%26#39;s just a happy bonus to nyc. LOL!

are you a donny.commer?

karenLL

I sure am a Donny.commer. I post as Ann from Huddersfield.

I actually met the great man a couple of years ago and managed to get a hug. It was the best day ever. LOL Have a fantastic time and give him a hug from me.

Ann