New York City

[junetwentythree]

^ Actually it's not a long walk at all. Street blocks are much shorter than Avenue blocks so if one is healthy and able, that's definitely a doable walk.

[mama squeak!]

Just an update on our plans, our friend will be lending us her apartment for the week. Yay! More savings for shopping LOL!    Kaya lang her apartment is at Jersey City but okay na rin since laking tipid namin. Plus her place is about a mile from the nearest PATH train station (Journal Square).

@ junetwentythree, it's actually my second time in NY but the first time doesn't count since it was way back in highschool when we did a whirlwind visit. So parang first time visitors kami ulit this trip   

I made a rough itinerary of places my sister and I would like to visit and would appreciate any comments all you ladies can give. 

Day 1      Arrive at Penn Station and go to NJ. Nothing much to do here since Amtrak arrives at 6PM.

Day 2     Take PATH train to World Trade Center (end station). Made reservations already for 1030H.
             Subway to Chelsea Market for lunch. Or can we walk it? Any interesting places along the way?
             Subway to Majestic Theater to watch Phantom of the Opera at 2PM. Can we walk from Chelsea Market to the theater? Any interesting places along the way? Or better to subway it na lang?
             Walk around Times Square

Day 3    Liberty Island. Take the ferry from NJ side and get off at NY side.
            MoMA / other museums after
            Lunch at Papaya King (is this near any of the museums we're going to)
            Empire State bldg at sunset 5-6PM
            Dinner with friends

Day 4    Top of the Rock
            Museum of Natural History
            Lunch at Shake Shack
            Central Park. Any interesting things to see/do that we shouldn't miss here?
            Dinner with friends at Serendipity

Day 5    Woodbury Outlet shopping! 

We prefer our visit to be relaxed lang. I'm not into zipping from one place to the other so we just chose what we wanted to see and do. Would the above IT be enough to do all the things I listed or bitin-bitin? Is there any other worth it place to see for a "first time" NY visitor?

About the transpo, is it cheaper to get the unlimited 7 day Metrocard as against the pay-as-you-ride refillable Metrocard? I read somewhere that the latter can also be used with the PATH train, tama ba?

Thanks again for your inputs!      

[aquacharly]

mama squeak, for souvenirs, the best pa din chinatown! i got those cheesy I Love New York stuff for a steal! parang 3 t shirts for $10 lang.. ok for pasalubong

They have that offer along Times Square too.   If your time is limited, I do not recommend going to ChinaTown/Korean Town.  If you are hankering for Korean Food, go to 32nd St... kahilera sila doon.  Bjut even the best there is not as good as the best in LA.   There is also that Japanese buffet place there; always full. 

MAMASQUEAK, Times Square is safe coz ang daming police.   Generally, where tourists congregate, madaming police that's what I've noticed.  .  However, staying on Times Square is kinda pricey for very pokey rooms, ugh.  The stores are open till midnight too at Times Square, most if not all... vs on 5th Ave. where by 8 or 7pm, they close already.

From Chelsea to Phantom of the Opera?  You can't walk it, unless you are referring to a Chelsea something. 
If you are gonna eat before the show, there is FISH somewhere there.  I prefer that over that what is it:  Red Lobster? 
The view from The Rock is much better than from the Empire State, IMO. So do not miss that. 

If you will be going to Central Park South, there's Sarabeth and/or The Plaza to dine in (pls do not dine in the Food Court at the Basement, nasa The Plaza ka na eh... destress while you dine).

IMO, Woodsbury is too far.  My NYC friends do not bother going there, unless you will purchase sangkaterbang items.   But if you go, and say it is worth the trip, hahaha -- I will go next time I get back there (mid-May, God willing).

 

[mama squeak!]

^Thanks again for the recos, aquacharly! I'll look into it.    Fish looks promising, lots of good reviews.

I've always been curious with Woodbury since halos lahat yata ng nakakausap ko always mentions that place. Plus they have my clothing brands there. Compare ko the selection and prices with my regular online shopping! 

Timing also since my friend who owns the apartment can drive us there. So take advantage na kami ni sister    I'll let you know if it's worth the trip. 

[artegirl]

The view from The Rock is much better than from the Empire State, IMO. So do not miss that. 

I agree with this.  I prefer the view from The Rock over Empire State, kasi if your at The Rock, Empire State ang view mo =D  It's beautiful at night!

mama squeak! I suggest you drop by the visitors center din (there's 1 in Times Square) to get a map.  That's were we got the map with very good subway guide. 

other must see?  1 of my favorite area is the Flatiron/Gramercy area.  Check out Eataly, food is great!  Then there's Nordstrom Rack for bargain shopping.  I remember meron din DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse) but I didn't get the chance to check it out.  And plenty of shops around to occupy you =D  Another dining option here is Gramercy Tavern.  Food and service are both excellent!  I think this is the most affordable restaurant in Saveur's "Restaurants That Matters"list. 

I remember when we went to Museum of Natural History, pagdating ng lunch time, we asked at the Museum's info desk where Shake Shack is.  After giving us instructions and saying "best burger in town" the guy said to his co-worker "that the best question ever asked for today"

Sis, when you go to World Trade, don't forget to check out Century 21.  Another bargain shopping place.  Although baka bitin yung time since you have to be at the theatre by 2PM.

[rics]

WCPO is not really that far from manhattan, maybe an hour or so, same thing if you are coming from jersey. you can take the bus from port authority that will bring you to the outlet, then take the same bus on your way back, i dont know if there is a bus from NJ that goes straight to woodbury though. just take the earliest bus available so you have more time to go around. its not crowded at this time of the year since there is no major holiday. if you are going to shop till you drop, bring maleta with wheels and just stuff all your shopping bags in there, para you can pull the maleta around and hindi ka madaming dala specially if you will just commute.

[aquacharly]

Sabi nga buy sangkaterbang stuff, To make the trip worth it.  It is suppsedly better/easier to navigate than Gilroy 's.

[mama squeak!]

Thanks artegirl! The Flatiron/Gramercy area sounds interesting. I'll check that out. I love Nordstrom Rack and DSW but I've no plans of shopping in NY. Ang mahal ng sales tax! We'll definitely try Shake Shack. Naku with all these planned places to eat kailangan talagang todo lakad! 

Rics, no worries with the transpo since my friend can drive us. I just want to check some stores that carry my clothing/shoe brand and compare ko with my regular online shop. My online store does not charge sales tax kasi if I send my goods to CA. Yun lang the selections are limited and the sizing are sometimes a miss speciallly the shoes. Hay naku the shoes! Anyone want to buy a size 10 red YSL Palais pumps? Should have gotten an 11 since European brands are one size smaller than US sizes. Hay lesson learned! 

@aquacharly, suki na ako ni Gilroy LOL! My brother lives just a 30 minute drive away. Lagi kong pinupuntahan dun is the Le Creuset and Calphalon stores. Sige, I will compare Woodbury with Gilroy's and let you know.

 

[artegirl]

^mama squeak! if you are buying clothes, shoes below $100, no sales tax =)

[mama squeak!]

^Yup, that's what my friend told me. Actually it's $110 pa nga. Teka is that accumulated total or per item? Kasi kung total yun lalagpas ako for sure   

[pretinnes]

Sis mama squeak, you might wanna try going to The meatpacking district. Pastis is our favorite place when we go there.

You might wanna drop by:
The Bryant park
The flat iron bldg(aka The daily bugle in Spider man)
The museums(Moma, the MET, museum of nat'l history,  Guggenheim, the intrepid)

[rics]

visit the bronx zoo, go upstate and visit westpoint (this is near woodbury already).

if you are in NJ visit the cake boss' bakery Carlos in hoboken.

[mooncake and leaves]

anyone knows the closest airport to niagara falls? i'm thinking of putting niagara first in our itinerary then travel to nyc so we don't have to go back and forth. tia

[rics]

^buffalo/niagara international airport

[mooncake and leaves]

^ thank you

also, any food recommendations? like, if we go to new york, what's the one food or restaurant we shouldn't miss? nothing too fancy, i hope. thanks again

[rics]

^sabrett hotdog stand on the streets of NYC. you can try getting an ice cream cone at any ice cream truck parked on the side streets and enjoy it as you walk around. nothing fancy, just enjoy the experience

[junetwentythree]

^^ Ippudo. http://www.ippudony.com/ The wait is outrageous but so worth it. If you come, I'll take you guys there

[kristala]

anyone tried any tour buses from NYC to Niagara and Washington DC? (except chinese buses coz i heard they only speak chinese hehe)...yung hindi expensive...tama lang na price but ok naman.. yung sa chinese bus kasama na overnight sa hotel and sightseeing...if meron sana parang ganun pero english yung tourguide..TIA!

[rics]

parang narinig ko na yan but havent really tried it. i know people who have tried niagara-nyc 3days/2nights and they say its worth the trip, medyo mabilisan lang.

meron din dc trip na ganito? went to dc last summer but better nga if you just join this kind of trip kasi the walking is such a killer, plus parking is a nightmare.

[kristala]

what about yung www.tours4fun.com ? heard of it?  tiningnan ko yung reviews meron bad meron din good... pero cheaper kasi and wala kana iisipin... sila na bahala.. depends na lang ata sa tourguide sa time ng travel mo... hope ko na lang siguro na okay yung tourguide na ma assign sa amin.. thanks!