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we are going to take our first trip to nyc need to find a hotel nearby and how to get there are cabs usually easy to get
sojourner Member # 3134
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Genny, By nearby, did you mean near the train station in NYC (Penn Station)? Or were you planning on staying outside but nearby Manhattan?
Cabs are plentiful at Penn Station but so are people, so there can sometimes be a wait, esp in bad weather or the height of rush hour. Also, on weekdays, gridlock can be so bad, I generally try to walk. . . if you want to try that, just make sure you travel light and have a suitcase with wheels.
I've found the best and most organized place to get a cab is outside the main 7th Avenue exit of Penn Station. To get there, go up from your Amtrak train using elevator/s or escalator/s (if you see only steps, just look around or ask someone). This can be a 2-short-floor deal, where you have to change elevators, depending on which track you arrive. When you get to main the Amtrak level where the big arrivals/departures board is, and where they sell tickets, then, with your BACK to the ticket sales windows, walk all the way across the level, you will have to go around the waiting area but basically keep going straight, past the information desk and several shops, keep going, keep going, straight across (you are walking the equivalent of 1 city avenue) until you pass Zaro's Bakery on your right, where you will see an escalator up to the street, that is Seventh Avenue (it will be marked Exit to Seventh Avenue, I think). When you get off the escalator you will be under the Madison Square Garden marquee (MSG is right over Penn Station); walk up near the street where you see a line, that is the line for taxis.
You will have trouble finding a decent hotel in Manhattan for under $179 a night, plus tax, $199 in the autumn, maybe less Jan-Feb or last minute in the summer on weekends. Last time I stayed in a hotel in NYC, I stayed right near Penn Station at the Ramada Plaza/New Yorker. Busy place, OK hotel lobby but rooms on the dumpy side. And yet it was $200/night! Still, convenience was all to us, and we needed to be near Penn Station. And it was OK for a night.
Another time I got an OK price for a room with 2 beds at ClubQuarters on W 46th St, btw 5th & 6th Avenues (Av of the Americas). Bit of a walk from Penn Station, but doable for us, and a very good location and nice rooms (a little small, but all NYC rooms tend to be small); we liked it a lot. BUT that was a Saturday night in January; I expect it's much higher the rest of the time, and perhaps available only on weekends.
Right after 9-11 we twice stayed in much more elegant NYC hotels fairly inexpensively--the Intercontinental, for instance--but now prices have skyrocketed at those.
Maybe others here can give you better tips on hotels, since I stay with a friend much of the time now. I can tell you about the different locations once you have some names, but not the hotels themselves. And if you are looking for restaurant bargains, or sights to see, there I can advise you if you like.
One thing I would not do is stay outside of Midtown again. I'd rather spend the money than travel all over the place, esp if I want to go out at night. But different strokes for different folks.
jp1822 Member # 2596
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I have stayed at the Marriot Courtyard in the Times Square area for $179 per night, then add on all the taxes and its a little over $200. Used to stay there when I worked late and my office was in that vicinity. Ironically we didn't have a corporate rate at the hotel. Look on the Internet or call them directly - ask for any discount program that you may have (i.e. AAA).
Don't get this confused with the main Marriot directly in the middle of Times Square - this is very expensive!!! You want the Courtyard.
The Courtyard I am referring to is located on 40th St. between Broadway and 6th Ave. It is very walkable (15 minutes) from Penn Station, but with luggage, you will likely need a cab. You won't have great views, but I did have a nice room with a view on a high floor that looked out onto the street level (that's about all you'll see any way with most NYC hotels. I would recommend this hotel and ask about room types, otherwise, your window will be looking right smack at another building or the inner atrium part of the hotel so to speak.
musicfan Member # 4673
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I've been thinking about making a trip to New York myself and although I haven't pulled the trigger yet, I found this reasonably priced hotel called the Holland Motor Lodge. http://www.hollandmotorlodge.com/ Basically it's right next to the Holland tunnel, next to the Hudson river in Jersey City across from Manhattan. It is within walking distance to the PATH(subway) Pavonia/Newport train station. If you look at the following map, the hotel would be in the upper left hand corner next to the newport centre mall. http://www.panynj.gov/CommutingTravel/path/html/pavonia.html
I do not have first-hand experience,so I can't guarantee anything, but all the reviews I've read have been positive and say that it is clean!! This is no small matter in NYC. I don't think the area is unsafe or anything, perhaps its just a little lower priced since its next to a busy road and not in an area with a lot of things to do. Anyway it is very reasonable price wise. It is a budget hotel, no doubt about that, it's not the Waldorf Astoria, but I unless I hear something really strange, I think I will try staying there if I'm able to take the trip to NYC I would like to.
If someone has stayed there, let me know what you think, positive or negative
George Harris Member # 2077
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My suggestion:
Stay well out in the suburbs on the New Jersey side and find a motel near one of the New Jersey transit commuter rail stations. You will save several times the cost of the commuter ticket on your hotel bill. For some companies this is their travel policy for trips to New York, particularly for someone that will be there for more than one or two nights. I spent a month or so at a motel within a two block walk of the Fanwood station about 12 years ago. Can't rememeber its name. Find one on the Corridor, and you can ride straight into Penn Station. Most of the other lines you go into Newark or Hoboken. Search New Jersey Transit for maps and schedules.
You can go out in other directions as well, north along the Hudson or east toward Connecticut, but from what I have heard the New Jersey side is cheaper.
George
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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George, you left out options on Long Island. Same as New Jersey as far as saving money on hotels, and reliable transportation into midtown via LIRR, the "Route of the Dashing Commuter."
palmland Member # 4344
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Our son and family live in Morristown, NJ. So we usually stay with them but in February we went into the city for one night to see Westminster *** show. We stayed at the Stanford Hotel: http://www.hotelstanford.com/
Rooms were ok and certainly not fancy but nice bed, great location and price. It is on 32st, so just two and half blocks from NYP and Madison Sq. Garden (use 7th av. exit from NYP). OUr price was $149. I checked on rates for first week in April. While weekends are more - around $229,monday April 9 was $159. Interesting hotel as in the Korean district and decent continental breakfast.
We made the short walk back to the station the morning of the infamous Valentine's day storm with no problem.
As George suggested the suburbs are another option. Our son starts his commute at the NJT stop in Convent Station. Across from the parking lot is the Madison Hotel. Weekend rates about $129 (more on week days). Very nice hotel and great restaurant (including option to eat in restored dining car). Taking the midtown direct service will get you to NYP in about an hour.
chrisg Member # 2488
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Try the Herald Square Hotel small romms but are interior and is the quietest place in NYC. I don't have the number but go to my web page and g to the hotel link on my front page to get to it. Last time I stayed there it was $89 a night. http://www.trainweb.org/chris
Chris
rresor Member # 128
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I took my family to NYC for a weekend last year, and stayed at a Marriott Courtyard in Jersey City, right next to the PATH Exchange Plae station. We had a view of the Empire State Building across the river from our room, there was an Indian restaurant across the street, and a place to get breakfast and coffee less than a block away. The hotel is in "Newport", which has to be seen to be believed. This is NOT your father's Jersey City!
Highly recommended.
sojourner Member # 3134
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rresor, that Indian restaurant in Jersey City comes highly recommended. And another thing to keep in mind if staying in Jersey City--you can also take a NY Waterways ferry over to Manhattan--though I'm not sure what their schedule is weekends and nights. They may only go to Lower Manhattan then, not 38th St. But, either way, the boat is a brief and very pleasant ride.
Even nicer than Jersey City is Hoboken South, though I don't know what the hotel situation is there. But they do have a boat as well as PATH and NJ Transit. Also a lovely old working train station. And excellent pan-Latin restaurants, plus many others.
I still prefer staying in Midtown when I visit NYC because I don't like commuting at night, by bus, train, OR boat. I like being right in the Big Apple. But I just go for a night or two. Certainly if I were there for a month, like Mr Harris describes, that would be a different situation and I would not mind being outside the city.
I think I would prfer these close New Jersey areas to Long Island, Westchester, or Connecticut; I find the commute quicker and easier. The PATH trains are also cheaper--just $1.50.
I had to stay on Long Island for a wedding last November, and in the town where the wedding was, the only hotels were nearly as expensive as Manhattan ($179/night, and only if you stayed 2 nights, which we did--otherwise $235.night). However, it was a lovely hotel, hough, a heckuva lot nicer than the Ramada Plaza/New Yorker mentioned above. So, while it wasn't cheaper, you sure got more for the money. Also, it was very convenient to the Long Island RR. I noticed some of the guests were staying there for the NY Marathon and other doings in Manhattan, so I guess people do do that all the time.
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Sojourner - PATH has trains? Or do you mean subway trains? I thought PATH was only busses and ferry boats. I know about LIRR, Metro-North, and NJTransit, but I was not aware that PATH also has actual trains.
sojourner Member # 3134
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Yes, I suppose I mean subway trains, but the PATH trains are called trains and run by PATH (Port Authority) and nicer and newer than the NY subway. I didn't even know PATH had buses; I thought those were all NJ Transit--but I never took the buses and don't pay much attention. The PATH trains go to and from Jersey City, Hoboken, Newark, and a couple of other places thereabouts (though NOT Newark Airport; for that you must take NJ Transit or Amtrak), after which there are bus and even trolley I think connections elsewhere, plus for instance Hoboken South (to which ferry also goes) has PATH right next to the lovely NJ Transit station there. The PATH trains have more than one stop in some of the aforementioned Jersey cities--in Jersey City, for instance, you can get out down by the river or further in. In Manhattan the PATH trains go either by where the World Trade Center used to be downtown or up from Greenwich Village (that is, the West Village/Christopher St) with several stops along 6th Avenue (aka Ave of the Americas) as far north as 33rd St/Herald Sq--which puts you just 1 long block from Penn Station (with an underground connection, but I never took that--better to go overground probably). They cost $1.50, same as the NY subway; and you can use your Metrocard or whatever that card is called. You can find out more at http://www.panynj.gov/CommutingTravel/path/html/
The ferries are nicest of all, to me, at least, in decent weather. Price is around $3.50 but may be slightly higher during rush hour; also there may be a discount for a round-trip ticket, I'm not sure. They run more frequently in rush hour. They go to various places in the same area; check with NY Waterways.
NJ Transit also has some lightrails within NJ, like that nice River Line I took from Camden to Trenton when I returned from Philadelphia. It was very cheap too. More info is at http://www.njtransit.com/sf_lr.shtml
delvyrails Member # 4205
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I don't mean to crash this party, but wouldn't it realy be better if Amtrak would (as needed) reschedule its trains to remake all transfers at Penn Station (and elsewhere in the Amtrak network) into good, easy, DAYTIME connections so there would be no need for expensive and inconvenient overnight stays?
Overnight stays lose them millions each year in unbought tickets.
sojourner Member # 3134
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The original poster here was not making a transfer in NYC but was looking for a hotel during a NYC visit. In fact, NYC is not a major transfer point for Amtrak other than for people coming in on the Empire Service. Your comment would make more sense to me regarding New Orleans or Chicago. Anyway, it is impossible to reach every transfer point in the daytime. Sometimes consideration must be given for when the train leaves or when it stops in busy cities. In all cases with trains, you cannot meet all the rquirements for all stations, it's the nature of the beast. It also may be impossible to reschedule; schedules depend on other considerations as well--freight schedules and the like.
What WOULD be a good idea, in my opinion, is if Amtrak worked to get deals for discounts to passengers when they are coming to a city to catch a train.
In fact, they did used to have something like this announced at Penn Station--show your Amtrak ticket and get a discount at some hotels. I never looked into it and don't think they have it any more, but I could be wrong. However, at certain times of year, esp autumn and in April-May, NYC hotels are so busy that they don't need to give the same kinds of discounts they might at other times.
delvyrails Member # 4205
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Was thinking particularly of the potentially significant Canada-Florida market through New York, which Amtrak has by its own actions made unattractive.
Similar nearly unsaleable Amtrak markets connect the Northeast and Piedmont areas to Houston and beyond through the New Orleans barrier and the Sunset-route to Starlight-route markets through Los Angeles.
If you carefully examine possible reschedulings (including times at major intermediate points), you will find that all three of these major Amtrak barriers can in fact be converted into remunerative and useful gateways. A new topic could be introduced on this subject if there is interest.
sojourner Member # 3134
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I was including the Canadian trains when I said "Empire service"--I suppose they aren't really, but they are the same lines north of NYC. But anyway, please explain--because I don't see any way Amtrak can make the Canada-Florida market work without an overnight in NYC, or somewhere close to there. It's a very long trip between NY and Montreal or Toronto. You'd have to make the trains themselves travel at night to make it work, and that would cut down on the far more substantial NY-Toronto and NY-Montreal ridership, who do not want to go overnight on the train.
Also, NY to Montreal is arguably the most scenic trip east of the Mississippi (with possible competition only from the Cardinal). It would be a horror or horrors to make that a night trip. (It would be nice if there were a way to get more scenery westbound on the Cardinal, though!)
delvyrails Member # 4205
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Glad you asked about through Canada-Florida service, and avoiding having to mortgage the house to stay overnight in Gotham. First though, Amtrak must get over its unit-train obsession. Cars can have different itineraries than trains.
In this case, a southbound car originating at Albany from Adirondack and Maple Leaf connections (or coming all the way from Canada) is taken to New York, lays over there, and is placed on the Boston-Washington overnight train (#67) to Washington, where it lays over for the first train to Florida, the Silver Star.
These through cars could be a coach, a Viewliner, or both. The same idea could be used to provide with the same car both Boston-Washington sleeper service and through Boston-Miami service once again.
Is Amtrak aware that even a significant premium it might charge for this service could be cheaper and more convenient that a hotel stay?
train lady Member # 3920
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There used to be an overnight from DC to NYC. You could entrain at 9pm, go to your sleeper or coach and settle in for the night. It got to NYC very early and you could stay on board until,I think) 7AM. A continental breakfast was servd to sleeper passengers. Too bad it was discontinued.
delvyrails Member # 4205
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train lady, at one time there were sleeper runs between various cites within the NEC.
The problem with them is economic. Each car has its costs related to overnight servicing and terminal opertions at origin and destination. If the haul is short (say under 600 miles each day), the resulting revenue is modest even if the car is filled.
So the aim with contemporary operations is to make the cars and trains run as many miles as resonably possible per day.
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