NYC over July 4th week

I know this is a little early, but me and my boyfriend are coming to New York on 30th June for a week so will be there during the July 4th week. This will be our 4th time to New York.

Just wondering what is is like? I have heard that everywhere closes? (is this just a rumour?)

Is the parade good to go watch? where should we go to see it? The firworks display, where should we go see that from?

Is there anything else that happens on this day?

NYC over July 4th week

Have a look at these threads:

tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k55122鈥?/a> Any_suggestions_for_4th_of_July_in_Manhattan-

tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k63954鈥?/a> 4th_July-

tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k42089鈥?/a> July_4th_Where_to_watch_fireworks-

:-)

NYC over July 4th week

Not to be a wiseguy (sort of), but isnt this holiday not exactly a British favorite? Just curious how you look at it (history books, etc.)

We were there over July 4th.

www.angenandy.co.uk July 4th is day 7.

And I can%26#39;t speak for the whole of the UK but I think most of us are over it ;o)

Everything doesn%26#39;t close but some places close only on the 4th. There%26#39;s no parade in Manhattan but the fireworks are spectacular (9 pm). There are several different displays, the biggest is on the east river near 34th st. There%26#39;s another display near/around the Statue of Liberty. If you want to splash out, consider doing one of the many boat cruises that will give you views of both displays.

Here%26#39;s some info

nymag.com/guides/summer/july4/index.html

If you do a text search on July 4 y9ou should find MANY previous posts. Everyone has a different favorite place on where to stand/watch if you don%26#39;t do the boat ride. Some go to Roosevelt Island.

ange:

just trying to start a little trouble on a thursday morning....no harm meant!

I believe there is an Independence Day parade in Chinatown, complete with floats and lion %26amp; dragon dances. It may be on the 3rd though instead of the 4th.

Just had the worst July 4th ever aboard the Sheryll Princess, they charge $100 for a 10 hour nightmare. We could not see the fire works the DJ was horrible, he blasted crappy music at 120 decibels all night long. Everyone was throwing up and ill. The boat was bouncing and rocking making people very sick. It was without a doubt a big rip off. The boat was positioned so poorly that you could not see a thing. What a shame...we so looked forward to this and it was just a nausating experience....avoid the Sheryll Princess.

I%26#39;ve never heard of that boat. What ever made you choose it in the first place? I%26#39;ve never seen it mentioned on this or other forums. And, I%26#39;m curious -- why is your only post about your holiday so negative?

oily skin

movie theatre near Westin Times Square?

Hello again.

Quick question for all you experts!

Is there a movie theatre close to the Westin Times Square?

We will be staying there from Aug 3-6th and are looking for evening activities with the kids. They love going to the movie theatre.

If so, does anyone know the cost of a movie ticket?

We pay $8:50P/P here, and just wanted a comparism in ticket prices.

thanks to all who respond.

lena

movie theatre near Westin Times Square?

There are two multi screen theaters a two minute walk from the hotel. One is the AMC Empire 25 (25 screens) $10 adults. $6.50 children. I can%26#39;t recall the name of the other but it is across the street from the AMC theater. I don%26#39;t know the price of a ticket but I imagine it is the same as the AMC theater.

movie theatre near Westin Times Square?

Hi,

There is actually a movie theatre attached to the Westin Times Square - if you go to the lobby (which is on the 2nd floor) there is a connecting corridor which takes you to the movie theatre and a mexican restaurant called Chevys - so you don%26#39;t even have to go outside!

Not sure on price but if you go to the Westin website there may be more information.

NYC Boat Trips

Just had the worst July 4th ever aboard the Sheryll Princess, they charge $100 for a 10 hour nightmare. We could not see the fire works the DJ was horrible, he blasted crappy music at 120 decibels all night long. Everyone was throwing up and ill. The boat was bouncing and rocking making people very sick. It was without a doubt a big rip off. The boat was positioned so poorly that you could not see a thing. What a shame...we so looked forward to this and it was just a nausating experience....avoid the Sheryll Princess.

NYC Boat Trips

Sorry you had a bad experience!

Thanks for the warning!

Music store

Hi. My future husband is a saxophone player and we are going to spend our honeymoon in NY in October. We want to buy a new saxophone while we are there. Do you know good stores where we can find one? Thanks a lot.

Music store

West 48th St. between 6th-7th Aves. is where all the professional music stores are. Sam Ash is probably the biggest, with separate shops across the street from each other.

Music store

One of the most famous and oldest instrument stores in NYC is Manny%26#39;s Music.

http://www.mannysmusic.com/index_mannys.htm

156 W 48th St

New York, NY 10036

(212) 819-0576

Not sure they carry reeds and horns, though. If they don%26#39;t I%26#39;m sure they can refer you to the best.

thanks a lot!

reptiles

Taking Metro to JFK

Hi!

I will be in New York with my family next week for the first time. We are staying in a Hotel on 47th street between 5th and 6th avenue.

Is that a safe area to walk on the streets at night?

Can I take a metro to go to JFK airport? How convininet and safe will it be with family?

Regards,

Haridas

Taking Metro to JFK

Yes it%26#39;s certainly safe on that street. You can%26#39;t take a ';metro'; b/c we don%26#39;t have one. We have a subway. ;) It%26#39;s safe but maybe not convenient for getting to the airport if you have lots of luggage and/or are leaving during rush hour since it will be crowded.

I suggest you go to the website hopstop.com and get directions.

Taking Metro to JFK

Unlike the streets of yourown city, the streets in New York are safe to walk at night, particularly in the area you mentioned.

There is no metro in New York City. Instead, we have a ';subway.'; The subway does not go all the way to JFK; instead, you need to change either at Jamaica or at Howard Beach for the Port Authority%26#39;s ';Air Train';. The trip is not too terrible (although very crowded at rush hour) but since all taxi journeys between Manhattan and JFK have the fixed fare of $45 plus tolls, if any (and plus tip), the difference between the public transportation fare and the taxi fare diminishes when you have more people. With a family, I would just take a cab.

OK, Subway.

Sorry for getting that wrong and thanks for correcting it.

Thanks a ton for the help. I will probably take a taxi. By the way, my flight is at 8:00 p.m. When do you think I should start from Manhattan if I take a taxi? What are the the rush hour timings for the subway?

Cheers

If your flight is at 8, you%26#39;d likely need to be there at 6 (but you should ask your AIRLINE what time they require you to arrive). Since it takes about an hour to JFK, that would put you leaving at 5, the HEIGHT of rush hour. I%26#39;d order a car service and have them tell you what time to leave to arrive when you need to be there.

carmellimo.com

dial7.com

are the 2 most popular car services. Carmel has a discount coupon on the website where it says save $$$

If your flight is at 8 and you aim to get there by 6, I would leave by 4:30. I have frequently left to go to JFK around this time, and traffic is just terrible. Leave a little earlier to take the stress out of your travel.

Haridas, Please be assured that NYC is a very safe place to walk around at night. I%26#39;ve never felt unsafe there like I do in my own city!

Also, the subway is very safe and, for a family, it would be a very convenient and much cheaper way to travel. I recommend it. I do agree with the other posts, however, that a car service or taxi is recommended for your trip to the airport. Hauling a bunch of luggage up and down subway station steps is not fun.

Safe and happy travels to you!

Thanks a lot to everybody for all the help.

My next question,

I shall be driving to New York from Washington. I have to drop the car off at the Alamo rental at 40W street, Manhattan. I have downloaded a route map from google. Do I need to be cautious about anything? Any special indtruction for a driver who is entering NYC for the first time?

Thanks for suggestions.

Haridas

There is no such place as ';40W Street';.

Do you mean that you are going to something that is somewhere on West 40th Street, and you have not given us the address? Or do you mean that you are going to a building whose address is #40 one West ___ Street, and you ahve not given us the number of the street?

I meant West 4oth Street.

Sorry for the confusion.

Haridas

About driving into NYC:

#1. THERE IS NO RIGHT-TURN-ON-RED in NYC. It is ILLEGAL in the five boroughs of NYC. PLEASE do not make right turns at red lights. I%26#39;ve seen and known people to get tickets, especially as they come in from NJ or have out-of-state plates.

#2. Have cash for tolls for the bridges and tunnels. I%26#39;m guesing you%26#39;ll come in via the Holland Tunnel. I think it%26#39;s $4.50?

#3. Our 2 local news-traffic-weather radio stations are:

AM1010 WINS (every 10 minutes on 1, 11, 21, etc.)

AM880 WCBS (on 8, 18, 28, etc)

You can get these signals way far outside NYC.

#4 We refer to our highways as ';highways';, ';parkways'; or ';expressways';, not ';freeways';. Also we typically use the names of highways (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway), not route numbers (278).

Dont%26#39; worry, you%26#39;ll do fine!

Does this happen in new york too?

I have just been on the phone to my bank to request a simple answer to a very simple question.

I have listened to 3 automatic messages , spoken to 5 different people, been put on hold and then cut off TWICE, had a message relayed to me from a department that no longer exists, and am currently waiting to be put through to the customer satisfaction department where I am told someone called Frank will take my call. All the while I have been browsing this site and wishing I was there and not here.

Does anyone else suspect that Frank doesn%26#39;t exist and that the customer service department is just an empty room with a solitary telephone which no-one answers

Not a travel question I know but ...... what the heck

Does this happen in new york too?

I think Franks having a nap

Does this happen in new york too?

lol Gillian - dont know about NY but it happens here in the UK!

This is a growing problem. We also have the issue of outsourced customer service to India so very often you%26#39;re speaking to someone who%26#39;s accent is difficult to understand on the phone.

I was given a website that helps you get a human for the US. They say they also have the UK and Canada. If you want them to start one for Australia, get them 25 numbers. Here%26#39;s the link

http://gethuman.com/world.html

Thanks nywhiz

I%26#39;m still waiting for Frank.

....and when I do get to speak to him I%26#39;m going to request a signed group photograph of the customer satisfaction department employees.....

They%26#39;re closing in 3 minutes Annie has asked me to call back on Monday between 8am and 9pm

Ahhhh... Brisbane Australia...perfect one day,beautiful the next. Unless of course you need to speak to someone at the bank.

I rang a number the other day and was told to press '; 1';, ';2'; etc etc and if not then a HUMAN VOICE would speak to me!!! Who else should I be expecting other than a ';human voice';!!! I think someone has been watching too much of Babe, Shrek etc. etc.

';You have reached the NYC Forum at Trip Advisor.com hotline ..... to hear this message in English press 1 ..... to hear this message in Spanish press 2 ..... to hear this message in Austrailian press 3. If you calling about a problem getting coherent responses on the NYC Forum ..... please press 1. If you are calling about a incident on the NYC Forum involving Chipper or Skipper ..... please press 2. If you are calling about fake hotel reviews on the NYC Forum ..... please press 3. If you are calling to complain about Lotupath ..... well ..... join the club. Otherwise, please leave a message including your name, the time of your call and phone number where you can be reached ...... and we%26#39;ll get back to you at our earliest convenience.'; BEEP.

I%26#39;m pretty certain that ';Frank'; is a mutant automaton that works at every bank, insurance company, computer helpline, and cable TV company in the world - ';Frank'; can be in Mumbai, or Memphis, or Montpelier, or Marseilles or Melbourne or Maidstone - ';Frank'; is hired to stall us, irritate and exasperate us, and to make us eventually give up. Our job is to fight the machine and take back control of our lives!

Let%26#39;s march! Are ye with me?

Gillian

may I ask which bank did u call?

cost of a carriage ride??

how much do they go for in central park... and how long are they??

cost of a carriage ride??

Here is the information:

Riding inside one of the many colorful horse-drawn carriages that que up every day just across from the Plaza Hotel on Central Park South and 5th Ave. Popular all year round - either enjoying a soft summer breeze or all bundled up beneath the snug seat blankets to keep out the winter chill - the carriages provide a peak back to gaslight New York and it%26#39;s easy to imagine Diamond Jim Brady sharing an after dinner ride with Lily Langtree.

Each carriage is brightly colored and usually feature fresh flowers along with a charming and knowledgeble driver providing an insightful commentary along the way.

Carriages can be found all year round lined up along Central Park South between 5th and 6th Avenues.

Estimated Cost (not including tip):

$34 for the first 1/2 hour and

$10 for each additional 1/4 hour.

Call Central Park Carriages at 212-736-0680 for more information

information you need from central parks website.

cost of a carriage ride??

Thanks for your help!! :D

Do you know if there are any deals w. the rides?? If so... where?? Also how many ppl can fit in the carriage??

Thanks again...

By law, the capacity of each carriage is limited to 4 adults. Children under the age of 12 count as half of an adult.

I am not sure about discounts fro the carriage ride.

You%26#39;re not going to find any discounts for the carriage rides, as they are often independant operators, not part of a larger organization.

The rides are all well and fine, but I do think you see more of the Park on foot, or even on one of the pedicabs, which are multiplying like bunnies, for better or worse.

I know a carriage ride sounds romantic, etc., however, before you get in one, please take a good look at the horse. Many look very sad, not well fed and not well taken care of. Please use your best judgment.

what 2lovestotravel said...

I agree....I felt very sorry for the horses....and that was back in June before it got really hot.

oily skin