# How long to stay in New York?



## miss direct (Jun 26, 2008)

I'm going to New York in the autumn to do a Celta course. The course lasts four weeks, but I've been told that it's very intensive and I won't have much opportunity for a social life/seeing the city. 

I want to book my flights asap as I have found some cheap(ish) ones. But I have no idea how long to book for. I don't have much money, but feel that I want to stay on for a while after the course. As well as NYC, I'd like to see New England and a few other places on the East coast. 

I'm wary of booking my flights so I have an extra few weeks out there, but then completely running out of money! Any advice or suggestions?


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## skyscraper101 (Jun 26, 2008)

I reckon, in amongst your course a full 4 days should be able to cover most the the major attractions of New York City.

I would take another 5 for driving round New England. So about nine days total should see you fine.


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## editor (Jun 26, 2008)

I'd say that 10 days is the absolute minimum to get past scratching the surface of that fine city.

I've lived there for a bit and visit it quick regularly and I still find new and interesting things every time.

Apart from accommodation, you can get by pretty cheaply in NYC - eating out is really cheap and there's tons of stuff you can do for nothing/next to nothing.


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## miss direct (Jun 26, 2008)

Ok maybe I'll whack two extra weeks on. I may even be lucky enough to make a few friends who I can stay with cheaply. Last time I went there (admittedly it was 5 years ago), I stayed in a hostel that was £8 a night.


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## Gavin Bl (Jun 26, 2008)

while its possible to quickly see the main highlights in a couple of days, I would spend about a week there, if I was already there for something else.

However, I would trim that down if I wanted to see some more of the NE and would definitely make time to see the leaves change in New England though, even if its just a couple of days.

Some years ago - in late Sept/early Oct, we did a splendid trip taking in NY and Boston, by train - and then a circular road trip out of NY (I picked up a car in Tarrytown - about 45mins North of the city) - which was Niagara, Toronto, Montreal and then a few days 'leaf-peepin' in New England, staying in Burlington, in Vermont. Really, really nice trip.

Think it was

Day 1 NY with rellies
Day 2-5 Boston by train, and return to NY
Day 5-6 NY
Day 7 - pick up car and drive to Niagara
Day 8 see Niagara, cross into Canada and short run to Toronto
Day 9 - Toronto
Day 10 Drive to Montreal
Day 11 Montreal
Day 12 Drive to Burlington
Day 13-14 Leaf peepin
Day 15 return to NY
Day 16-18 NY and home

This was a slightly awkward way round, as I have rellies in NY and so all roads lead there....so to speak...you could trim a couple of days off by making Boston part of the loop. 

Its a whistlestop tour, but the driving was OK - Toronto and Montreal were manageable enough so that with 2 evenings out and a full days sight-seeing you can get a good flavour of the cities, even if you don't linger - and they are utterly different places. Boston is well worth a trip too, but the train is a huge pain, very slow. The drive from NY over to Niagara, via Scranton IIRC, is a delight too.

cheers
Gav


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## 1927 (Jun 26, 2008)

skyscraper101 said:


> I reckon, in amongst your course a full 4 days should be able to cover most the the major attractions of New York City.
> 
> I would take another 5 for driving round New England. So about nine days total should see you fine.



What!!!!!?????

I have been to NY for between a week and two weeks every year for the last five years and there are still loads of stuff I haven't got round to yet.


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## Belushi (Jun 26, 2008)

I was there for five days in april and I barely scratched the surface, cant wait to go back


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## skyscraper101 (Jun 27, 2008)

1927 said:


> What!!!!!?????
> 
> I have been to NY for between a week and two weeks every year for the last five years and there are still loads of stuff I haven't got round to yet.



I'm talking the major attractions. Obviously there's tons of stuff to do in NY but if you wanted to do say, central park, empire state, rockerfeller, bus tour, brooklyn bridge, statten island, financial district/WTC, Chinatown/Little Italy, Times Square, Broadway, 5th, 6th & 7th Ave and a few cool bars and restaurants inbetween (which no doubt also get done during the 4 week course) then yeah 4 days is fine.

Obviously there's still loads of galleries/museums/neighborhoods which you wouldn't get round to but I'm trying to consider the budget for staying there if that's an issue, plus she wants to go to New England which will take a lot of time.


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## softybabe (Jun 27, 2008)

1927 said:


> What!!!!!?????
> 
> I have been to NY for between a week and two weeks every year for the last five years and there are still loads of stuff I haven't got round to yet.



i agree with Mr 1927...we've been going yearly for 3 yrs and i've only just returned from spending almost 2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!! and...........still didnt make it to Ellis Island 

We went out every day sometimes till 11pm....so much to do and see so little time...we only stopped for breakfast and dinner...often having lunch on the move or not at all...


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## Gavin Bl (Jun 28, 2008)

softybabe said:


> We went out every day sometimes till 11pm....so much to do and see so little time...we only stopped for breakfast and dinner...often having lunch on the move or not at all...



I guess thats the thing, you can endlessly hang out in NY - having a great time, but to see the city and get a flavour of it, can be done in under a week I reckon - esp if you can get north and see the leaves change, given the time of year that the OP is going


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## 1927 (Jun 28, 2008)

softybabe said:


> i agree with Mr 1927...we've been going yearly for 3 yrs and i've only just returned from spending almost 2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!! and...........still didnt make it to Ellis Island
> 
> We went out every day sometimes till 11pm....so much to do and see so little time...we only stopped for breakfast and dinner...often having lunch on the move or not at all...



Funny what ya say about Ellis Island. I have been there and the Statue, but Mrs27 ahs never been. Thing that puts me off is the queue for the ferry, and then when ya get to Liberty island the security is the tighest I have EVER seen and that includes any airport you care to mention. All this time queueing can be better spent seeing NY so I have never been back.


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## softybabe (Jun 28, 2008)

1927 said:


> Funny what ya say about Ellis Island. I have been there and the Statue, but Mrs27 ahs never been. Thing that puts me off is the queue for the ferry, and then when ya get to Liberty island the security is the tighest I have EVER seen and that includes any airport you care to mention. All this time queueing can be better spent seeing NY so I have never been back.



i hear ya...we got to the statue looked around and actually also got on the ferry to NY via Ellis Island but the heavens opened and we just stayed on on the ferry...the boy was fed up by this time and just wanted to return to NY and shop


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## miss direct (Jun 30, 2008)

Well thanks for the advice, just booked my flights and I've added on three days before my course, and ten days after. If I run out of money I'll just have to camp in central park or something. I'd really like to go to Niagara falls if possible, does anyone know how easy/difficult it is without a car? I don't have a driving licence.


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## simon_rushton (Jun 30, 2008)

About 9 hours by train. I guess it'll be about $100-150 return.


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## Gavin Bl (Jul 1, 2008)

I guess there'll be bus trips doing Niagara and Toronto from NY - poss taking in Montreal too. Toronto is only an hour or so from the falls.

If you do get to Niagara, you MUST go on the Maiden of the Mist boat trip - don't let anyone bullshit you that its touristy - its fantastic!


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## chair (Jul 7, 2008)

I think 10 days would be okay


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## geekpenguin (Jul 30, 2008)

I agree that to see New York City properly, you need at least a week - I went there a few years ago for 3/4 days and barely got to see anything! We stupidly spent most of the time on tour buses (we used them for transport as well as sight-seeing as my mom was freaked about the subway for reasons unbeknownst to me) so in a sense, wasted a lot of time on that (particularly the Brooklyn one - unless you have a burning desire to see it, I personally wouldn't bother). 

My suggestion would be to avoid the Statue of Liberty, cause like someone's already said, security is really tight - I mean airport tight - and you can't go right up or anything. I didn't want to go up, so stayed down with my nan and all we basically saw was the view from the bottom and you can get that from Manhattan island easy enough. Saying that, I think Ellis Island would be worth it. I didn't get to go last time but I really want to check it out this time. 

Really looking forward to seeing the Upper West Side and things like the Empire State Building/Bethesda foundtain in Central Park. We didn't get to see those before, we just ran out of time. Hopefully going back later in the year!

Also, if you want somewhere good to eat that's pretty quick and relatively cheap, check out the cellar in Macy's - they have a pasta bit where they cook it for you fresh; quite possibly the best pasta I have ever eaten in my life.


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## Belushi (Jul 30, 2008)

> We stupidly spent most of the time on tour buses (we used them for transport as well as sight-seeing as my mom was freaked about the subway for reasons unbeknownst to me) so in a sense, wasted a lot of time on that (particularly the Brooklyn one - unless you have a burning desire to see it, I personally wouldn't bother).



I love the tour bus! great way to see the city! (obv. you shouldnt just do the tour bus) I found the Brooklyn one fascinating!


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## geekpenguin (Jul 30, 2008)

Belushi said:


> I love the tour bus! great way to see the city! (obv. you shouldnt just do the tour bus) I found the Brooklyn one fascinating!



Maybe I was just tired...I think I was more annoyed that we didn't get to see the Empire State Building but had spent like nearly two hours seeing Brooklyn. I did like the brownstones tho. And we got (apparantly) the "best NY cheesecake" in Manhattan at this deli place - I still can't get used to the fact that real New York cheesecake has cake on the bottom, not biscuit...


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