Money Matters
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
UPDATE: AW and kind of MMR: Trip to NYC planned and booked!
Hey All--
I'm super excited! My DH and I just booked a one-week trip to NYC. With the exception of one long weekend to the FL Gulf Coast, we haven't gone anywhere for vacation since our wedding/honeymoon almost two years ago.
I almost choked when I started looking at hotels, lol. Everything was substantially more expensive than when I went in March a few years ago. Oh well! I still got a good deal on the Lower East side with a big name hotel that is normally over $300/night and I grouponed it for $230/night.
Does anyone have any tips on where to find good deals on stuff to do/places to eat? Some of the things we are planning is:
- Natural History Museum
- Broadway show or two
- Helicopter ride (yeah, Groupon)
- Central Park (maybe a carriage ride)
- Boat ride around the harbor, past the Statue of Liberty
- Lots of eating! Thank you Chase Freedom for having 5% points on restaurant purchases this quarter.
Or any other recommendations/suggestions.
Thanks!
Re: UPDATE: AW and kind of MMR: Trip to NYC planned and booked!
I definitely recommend the MoMA, that's my favorite museum in NYC. There's a ton of others as well depending on what you two are into. Radio City Music Hall is fun to visit and I would look up city events to see if there will be any street festivals during your week there. One time we stumbled upon a Brazilian-themed block party in Times Square and it was awesome. The view from the top of the Empire State Building is pretty awesome and we also enjoyed a ferry ride past the Statue of Liberty. For good deals on shows I recommend looking at some of the many fliers people will shove in your face as you walk through Times Square. We got some good bargains on dinners and comedy shows that way. Saturday Night Live was also something we wanted to do but never got around to, maybe you'll have better luck.
Have a blast!!
Thanks ladies! I didn't realize the Staten Island Ferry went there for free. Or even if they charge now, I'm sure it is much less than one of the tours. I don't care if it doesn't stop on the island, I just think it would be fun to see NYC from the harbor and see the Statue of Liberty closer than I can from the shore.
Sounds like Times Square is a go-to place for finding deals. I'm not especially picky about the show we go to, though I've heard Wicked is really good and I haven't seen it yet.
@FirstMate06, I looked into getting Saturday Night Live tickets last time I went, but the process is tough for tourists because you can't request specific dates. The studio will just randomly tell you...usually about six months after you've requested tickets...that they are giving you tickets for XYZ date and then asks to confirm you want them. It is something like that.
@hoffse, my DH wants to take a day trip to Philly, primarily for a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich, lol. Thanks for the tips on the art museums and places to go for other great shows.
@cbee817, my favorite way to see a city is just walking around in it! There are so many little discoveries that way. I've only been to NYC once before and it was just for a couple days. But, just from walking, I randomly stumbled across the courthouse that is always filmed in Law and Order episodes...which is one of my fave shows. It was an unexpected highlight of my trip.
Thanks to those of you who recommended the Book of Mormon. That sounds RIGHT up our alley. We like South Park, love comedies, and are definitely not offended easily. Sounds like a good idea to definitely book that one and then play it by ear to catch another discount show, once we are there.
@hoffse, haha, I have a similar story with sweet tea. I had just moved to the South from So. Cal. I ordered iced tea and the waitress asked if I wanted it "Sweet or Unsweet." I had never heard that phrase before because, on the West Coast, tea is always unsweet (unless you are ordering Lipton Raspberry or something like that). I replied, "Sweet tea? What is that? Is that like regular iced tea that has already been sweetened?" I swear, she looked at me like I fell out of the dumb tree and hit every branch on the way down, lol, and then said, "Yeeeaaahhhh."
I ordered the sweet tea, just to be adventurous. And almost started gagging. It was so sickly sweet and disgusting. It took all my courage to tell her I didn't like the sweet tea and asked if she would bring me an unsweet tea instead, lol.
DH already knows where he wants to go for his cheesesteak. I think it's Gino's? Apparently there are two legendary places, across the street from each other, and that is one of them.
http://specials.restaurant.com/deal/national
Restaurant.com has discount theater tickets at times, link above.
Geno's and Pat's are the two big rivals. Jim's is another place that is well known for cheesesteaks. It is conveniently located on South Street. There is so much to do in Philly, it might be worth a separate vacation.
I'm loving that you're
coming to town and enjoying everyone's feedback! I live in CT, about 45
minutes outside of NYC and work in the city. I second everyone’s advice, definitely
take advantage of the museums! The Muesum of Natural History is one of my
favorites and also happens to be in my
favorite neighborhood, the Upper West Side. I also really enjoy going to
Serendipity in Upper East, a restaurant featured in the movie. They are famous
for their frozen hot chocolate and happen to be down the street from
another popular NYC location, Dylan's Candy Bar, owned by Ralph Lauren's
daughter.
If you're looking for a unique
experience, I'd advise going to Beauty & Essex. It's a PDT (stands for Please
Don't Tell but I know I can trust the MM ladies!) - located in the Lower East
Side, the exterior looks like a junky but interesting thrift store. However,
upon entering the door in the back of the setore, you're hit with super high
ceilings, a spiral staircase, fur on the walls and free champagne in the
ladies room! This place is not exactly cheap but definitely an experience! I
prefer to go here for brunch on Sundays – speaking of, brunch is super popular
in NYC so make reservations just like you would for dinner. Chow down on the
red velvet waffles if you go, they’re so yummy!
I’m not sure when you’re
going, but keeping with the brunch theme, another one of my favorites that is
absolutely lovely in the summer is
the rooftop jazz brunch at Hotel Chantelle. The live musicians there have
always been phenomenal, and the menu is structured so that it’s a per-person
price and they give you family style portions of every food so you get to try
everything. Drinks are also extremely reasonable!
The Flatiron lounge (not
surprisingly located in the Flatiron district) is home to the wonderful Sarabeth’s which is just down the
street from Madison Square Park and one of the most quintessential New York
views. You can also stop by the Flatiron Lounge, a super sexy place to grab a craft cocktail (which will most certainly cost you $18+)
Venturing outside the
city but still staying local, there are some really fun things to do in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Williamsburg
(in Brooklyn) is home to Smorgasburg on the weekends, featuring ~100 food
vendors offering literally everything under the sun. Go here for some
interesting cultural finds, traditional NYC eats and a fairly cheap date where you can graze on food for hours. I’ve
attached a thrillist article with the new vendors this year. http://www.thrillist.com/eat/new-york/the-lineup-of-new-food-to-chow-down-on-at-smorgasburg-2015. The Bronx is home to Yankee Stadium (good for a sports
fanatic husband like mine), Arthur Ave – home to tons of amazing Italian
restaurants and bakeries, the Bronx Botanical Garden and Bronx Zoo, both of
which are top-notch.
If you take none of my
Hope you have an amazing time!!!
recommendations, at lease appease me by please avoiding any national chain
restaurants in the city! People break my heart when they come to New York and
go to TGIFriday’s. If you need any on-the-spot recommendations, Yelp is always
super helpful so I’d have the app on standby. Let me know if you need any more
information! Happy to advise, clearly
@smerka, oh yes, I've seen the South Park episode.
@csuave, thank you! I was trying to think of who the two big cheesesteak rivals were. Both my DH and I have been to Philly...though it was many years ago for both of us and long before we knew each other. I liked South Street. I remember it reminded me of Hollywood Blvd. Lots of fun, quirky stores. And thanks for the tip about Restaurant.com. I used them before for restaurant savings, but never thought about them for ticket savings.
@Xstatic3333, I expect I will have to drag my DH out of Chinatown kicking and screaming, lol. Eating "good, real" Chinese food is what he is looking forward to the most. One thing about living in NOLA is...we might be world renowned for our own food...but there is a distinct absence of good ethnic restaurants. And we say the same thing out here...if you don't have amazing food, you won't be in business for long! Thanks for the other recommendations.
I've actually been to Momofuku!!! The only other time I've been to NYC, I was there two days and one night. And THAT was where I chose to go for my one and only dinner I'd be in town for. It was super delicious! I definitely recommend it. And not too bad price-wise, considering the reputation. If I remember correctly, most of the entrees ran between $15-$25. I didn't see it on the current menu, but I had pork belly tacos.
@FutureMrsMerati, thanks for all the info! Wow! I've heard about those frozen hot chocolates and have it on my maybe list. Might need to upgrade it now
. We are actually going fairly soon. The first week in May. We will only be there for one Sunday, but are staying in the Lower East Side. I'll see if I can get reservations at Beauty and Essex. Nothing better than secret locals spots and I do love a good brunch.
The Smorgasborg in Brooklyn sounds amazing. That is my ideal eating experience in a different city...lots of small portions so I can try a bunch of things.
Ugh, I hear you on the chain restaurants. My DH and I are big foodies and are looking forward to all the awesome food NYC has to offer. I would never waste room in my stomach for something I can get in my hometown. Yelp is a godsend for quick reviews. I always check them out before I go to a restaurant I've never been to...whether in town or out of town.
Check out this for discounts on places to go. We've done this in Niagara falls and loved it. So nice to pay one flat amount and have the entrance for so many places covered under the pass.
http://www.citypass.com/new-york?mv_source=rkg&creative=56083437149&adpos=1t1&device=c&network=g&matchtype=e&gclid=CI_60tiPisUCFQmRaQod1Q0ACA
My NYC trip was great! Thanks again ladies for all the help and recommendations.
We saw the Broadway show "Something Rotten". It was a cute, lighthearted comedy musical and we bought the "same day" tickets for $35/each. MM Win!
Unfortunately, I badly hurt my knee on the very FIRST day. Ugh! As such, we still ran around during the day going to museums and seeing the sights, but we basically stayed in our hotel room at night and ordered in. It at least cut way down on the food budget I had for the trip. Trying to look on the bright side, lol. And we got amazing pizza on two different nights from two different nearby places.
I did buy the NY Pass. Honestly, though, I barely broke even on it. And if I hadn't taken "The Tour"...which was $76/person normally, I would have lost money. But, that also might have been different if I hadn't been injured. For example, the Pass included two hours of bike rentals for Central Park...which we were really looking forward to...but that was a no go.
We LOVED riding on the Staten Island Ferry. It was one of our favorite things we did and is totally free.
@FutureMrsMerati, thanks for recommendation on the Smorgasborg in Brooklyn. We went there on the Saturday we were leaving (our flight didn't leave until 9PM) and just loved it. We tried so many yummy things there. Plus, it was so nice to eat right near the water and looking out at the Manhattan skyline.
Now that I know Jet Blue has non-stop flights for $200, my DH and I were talking about going for a long weekend next year. Hit some of the restaurants we missed, see another Broadway show, and go to the Met (missed that one on this trip).
As an aside, what is the deal with Times Square and why is it such a popular tourist trap, lol? Rheotorical question. I'm like, "Oh look. It's TGIF and Olive Garden in big neon lights. Ummm...but its still TGIF and Olive Garden." Not that I dislike those restaurants, but I didn't go all the way to NYC to eat at the same restaurants I can go to at home, lol.
Glad to hear you had a great time! Although not glad to hear about your knee! Hope it's not a serious injury.
Thanks! I actually went to one of those Urgent Care clinics last Thursday because...at that point...it had been 12 days since I'd hurt my knee and it really wasn't getting better. The doctor took x-rays and there were no fractures or torn ligaments...so woo-hoo. But he was also a bit surprised I didn't have improvement yet. He called it a bad sprain and told me to give it two more weeks, and if there still wasn't significant improvement, he said I would need to see an orthopedist
I also want to do a long weekend around March of next year. I've heard once April 1st hits, that is when the hotels get really expensive. I couldn't find hardly anything below $200/night but, I know when I went in March a few years ago, my room was $120/night in about the same area.