First I would like to start off by saying make sure you research the airport you are arriving in to see if Uber, Juno, or other car services are recommended or are at least familiar with the pickup process at the airport. The Juno service in New York was not familiar with JFK airport procedures and after waiting for 30 minutes in freezing cold weather we watched our Juno app while the driver drove away. Juno was kind enough to refund our electronic payment and the airport customer service was able to get us quick and inexpensive transportation across the city. In fact they arranged for our party of 7 transportation nearly 40 minutes from the airport for only $80. This was a great price, the Juno driver was charging us $100, taxi's would have charged us much more and most can not accomodate such large parties without waiting long periods. We waited about 10 minutes for a van to arrive. For return to the airport our hotel was able to get us the same service.
I would also advise when looking for a place to stay consider staying outside the city center. Its all about location, so your going to pay for location. True staying in city center is convenient however, staying outside the city you get to save $100 or more each night per room. Plus you get to experience what most of the New York population experience every day when commuting to the city. By staying outside the city we found great food, experienced riding the metro into the city daily with most of the residents of the city. It felt like a more authentic experience and less like being a tourist.
You should be prepared to navigate the New York Metro stations. There is absolutely no need to return a car or take a taxi even if your staying in one of the outlying boroughs. The Metro stations are everywhere and are super convenient but can be confusing if you aren't careful. During our visit they had metro lines under repair which made it more confusing but with modern technology at our fingertips we were able to download a metro app and find our way around without getting lost. Most of the larger stops have security guards or an attendant to ask questions if you need assistance.
Another great tip about the metro is you can buy unlimited cards to use for a week or longer depending on how long you are going to be there. Also, something the metro site does not tell you but a New Yorker will, you can use 1 unlimited card for up to 4 people. Meaning you can buy 1 unlimited card the first person can swipe to go through the metro gate and then pass the ticket back to another person to use for entry. This can be done up to four times before the ticket will read as invalid for up to an hour. After the hour you can use your ticket again.
If you plan to visit any of the museums they are wonderful to visit and have coat check options if you are visiting in the winter as we did. Take advantage of the coat check some are free and others are only a few dollars. Some museums are free on certain days of the week so check the website to see if they have a day that is free to the public. Also some are closed on certain days of the week so plan your itinerary accordingly. Also if your looking for the MoMA they have two locations. The famous Starry Night painting is located in the Manhattan location. My daughter loved the museums the beautiful paintings, statues, and art.
If you are planning to visit some of the other sites such as the 911 memorial, statue of Liberty, Top of the Rock, Empire State Building, or take any city tours then I would recommend the New Yorker pass. We purchased this pass and we received hop on and hop off bus passes for the city which was amazing. Plus we received free entrance to all of the major city sites including museums if you dont want to visit on a free day. We were also able to take a New York City walking tour with the pass as well as a SoHo tour. The SoHo tour was wonderful we were able to try desert in little Italy and dumplings in China town. after the tour we even chose to eat at a wonderful restaurant in China town that was recommended by our tour guide. This was the best food we had while in New York.
One of my absolute favorite things to do was the night time cruise along the river. This was also included in our New York Pass. The city is so beautiful at night and the cruise captain was wonderful pointing out all the different building and bridges. The boat was designed well for all different types of weather, when we visited the average temperature was high 40's and low teens. Even with these cold temperatures we were able to enjoy this wonderful river cruise as they have heated indoor and outdoor seating. the windows are very large allowing you to view the sites just as well from indoors as you can outside. If you have time to take a cruise like this I would highly recommend it.
My sons favorite locations were the bronx zoo and the intrepid sea and air museum. It does take some time to get to the sea and air museum, the closest metro stop is a bit of a walk but it is great to walk through these neighborhoods. We walked through Hells Kitchen and ate lunch in a Greek restaurant on our way back from the sea and air museum. The zoo was very fascinating as well. a lot of the animals are not on exhibit during the winter due to their need to be warm but the ones that were out were great. The best part is on Wednesdays the zoo is on a pay what you would like to donate so if you cant afford to pay their regular price for admission for a large group you can choose your own price on Wednesday. The Zoo has some beautiful scenery with a small waterfall and foliage. It is one of the nicer zoo's we have been to. The only one my family has enjoyed more is the National zoo in Washington DC.
If you get the opportunity you should take a walk through Central Park. It is a beautiful park and it was much larger than we though. The day we visited it was snowing the park is even more beautiful in the snow. Being from Florida the family and I spent more time than we expected in Central Park enjoying the beauty of the snow.
Even if you don't plan to buy anything while you are in New York you should check out some of the cool stores on time square. The M&M store is crazy busy but they have some really neat stuff that i've not seen in any other store. Of course you could order the items online but seeing the store in person is an experience. It's 3 floors full of M&M history and fun. Then there is the Hersey store, it has everything supersized. A 3lb Hersey bar or Kit Kat bar sound good to you? Or how about a make your own Smore bar? they have it all, go and check it out it smells amazing too.
Also, remember when visiting New York City its the city that never sleeps so you can plan your dinner later than you would normally eat to avoid long wait in line for a table and avoid eating in time square or high traffic areas. You will pay less, have more table space, and spend less time waiting and more time enjoying your time. Museums will still close early but other places are open late like the river cruises, top of the rock, and empire state building. So plan your day to make the most of your time. Also, if your a light sleeper like I am take some ear plugs and download a white noise app on your phone. Otherwise you will never get any sleep theres traffic and city noise all night long.
We loved our visit to New York City, it truly is a beautiful city and the people are strong and welcoming. I would encourage anyone that is thinking about visiting the city to not waste another day, start planning your trip today.
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