The Big New York Thread

[Guest bernardblack]

Im really keen to get back and explore Brooklyn, in particular the pizza joints over there which I to my disappointment didnt realise were so plentiful (i mean good ones like on ‘the pizza show’, im aware of the abundance of pizza places!) and so good.

Grimaldi’s is one of the best pizzas I have had.

Get to Brooklyn Brewery too. Free tours and a cool wee spot.

The food market on a Saturday in Brooklyn is also excellent

[pozbaird]

Haven’t read the entire thread so apologies if already mentioned... any P&Bers looking for a good photo opp’ in New York...

Go down to get the free Staten Island ferry from the bottom of Manhattan. When the big doors open to allow boarding the ferry, all the tourists make a dive upstairs onto the ferry upper deck and crowd to the back, to try for a photo of the skyline as you puff away from the dock. Don’t follow the crowds. Board the ferry, and head down the stairs, not up. Head down to the lower level and go to the back. It used to be a car ferry and you can stand at the back at almost sea level on what used to be the car deck. As you head away from Manhattan, you get a great photo of the skyline, and a great perspective as you are at water level.

It’s usually dead quiet there, while up on the top deck, it’s a rugby scrum of tourists trying to get a spot for a photo.

 

[stevieKTID]

Haven’t read the entire thread so apologies if already mentioned... any P&Bers looking for a good photo opp’ in New York...

Go down to get the free Staten Island ferry from the bottom of Manhattan. When the big doors open to allow boarding the ferry, all the tourists make a dive upstairs onto the ferry upper deck and crowd to the back, to try for a photo of the skyline as you puff away from the dock. Don’t follow the crowds. Board the ferry, and head down the stairs, not up. Head down to the lower level and go to the back. It used to be a car ferry and you can stand at the back at almost sea level on what used to be the car deck. As you head away from Manhattan, you get a great photo of the skyline, and a great perspective as you are at water level.

It’s usually dead quiet there, while up on the top deck, it’s a rugby scrum of tourists trying to get a spot for a photo.

 

Agreed, last time we took the ferry we stood there and met a lovely old guy from Staten Island, every Sunday he took the ferry to Manhattan and cycled up the Hudson round central park then back to Staten Island, had a great chat with him.

 

 

[MONKMAN]

c***s from BA have just notified me that my flight from Toronto to JFK has changed from 11am to 7.45pm My choices are pay £290 to move to an earlier flight, 12 o’clock is all they can get me, or lost half a day in NY.

I said I’ll just not get that flight, as I can source my own for around £80 each. They’ve responded saying if I fail to get my flight to NY, all further travel (back to Glasgow via Heathrow) will be cancelled.

[Rugster]

12 minutes ago, MONKMAN said:

c***s from BA have just notified me that my flight from Toronto to JFK has changed from 11am to 7.45pm My choices are pay £290 to move to an earlier flight, 12 o’clock is all they can get me, or lost half a day in NY.

I said I’ll just not get that flight, as I can source my own for around £80 each. They’ve responded saying if I fail to get my flight to NY, all further travel (back to Glasgow via Heathrow) will be cancelled.

That's fucking scandalous.

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

c***s from BA have just notified me that my flight from Toronto to JFK has changed from 11am to 7.45pm My choices are pay £290 to move to an earlier flight, 12 o’clock is all they can get me, or lost half a day in NY.

I said I’ll just not get that flight, as I can source my own for around £80 each. They’ve responded saying if I fail to get my flight to NY, all further travel (back to Glasgow via Heathrow) will be cancelled.

Phone customer services and see if they’ll delete that flight, or try and alter it on manage my booking.

[MONKMAN]

I was going to change but I've decided there's no chance I'm giving the c***s an extra £290, as there's worse places to spend an extra half day than Toronto.

 

Anyway, show tickets - she wants to go to the Lion King (I've seen it in London with an ex, much to her rage), do we book before or chance it when we get there?

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

I was going to change but I've decided there's no chance I'm giving the c***s an extra £290, as there's worse places to spend an extra half day than Toronto.
 
Anyway, show tickets - she wants to go to the Lion King (I've seen it in London with an ex, much to her rage), do we book before or chance it when we get there?

Ive just booked there, couldnt be bothered with the tickets line so bought wicked and school of rock tickets from the theatre box offices, maybe some deals online for some shows, think the Lion King is very popular.

[Rugster]

7 minutes ago, MONKMAN said:

I was going to change but I've decided there's no chance I'm giving the c***s an extra £290, as there's worse places to spend an extra half day than Toronto.

 

Anyway, show tickets - she wants to go to the Lion King (I've seen it in London with an ex, much to her rage), do we book before or chance it when we get there?

I've always bought in advance, even for off broadway. If you're particular about what you want to see I think you need to do that. If you're not particular, and don't mind standing around in a queue for a couple of hours you could use the TKTS booth at Times Square when you get there.

I've seen the Lion King on broadway, it was fucking tremendous.

[MONKMAN]

2 minutes ago, Rugster said:

I've always bought in advance, even for off broadway. If you're particular about what you want to see I think you need to do that. If you're not particular, and don't mind standing around in a queue for a couple of hours you could use the TKTS booth at Times Square when you get there.

I've seen the Lion King on broadway, it was fucking tremendous.

Probably just buy now then, it was superb in London as well.

[GingerSaint]

We went on the day as we weren't too bothered about seeing something in particular. Got tickets for Wicked and it was excellent. 

[MONKMAN]

I’ve seen a rake of shows in London and they were all excellent. Last time I was in New York I was there for a boys holiday, so didn’t bother with Broadway.

She’s adamant we’re going to The Lion King, so I’m probably better off booking.

[welshbairn]

6 hours ago, MONKMAN said:

c***s from BA have just notified me that my flight from Toronto to JFK has changed from 11am to 7.45pm My choices are pay £290 to move to an earlier flight, 12 o’clock is all they can get me, or lost half a day in NY.

I said I’ll just not get that flight, as I can source my own for around £80 each. They’ve responded saying if I fail to get my flight to NY, all further travel (back to Glasgow via Heathrow) will be cancelled.

You get better service from Easyjet than so called "full service" airlines like BA. You can change the name on a ticket for £20 with Easyjet, BA say you have to cancel the booking with only tax refunded minus £15 processing fee. Absolute c***s.

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

BA are an absolute arsehole of an airline, their product is shite and they benefit from having more or less a monopoly on Heathrow, I prefer going to the states with Virgin, find they do the little things better, especially customer service wise, BA staff can be quite aloof as if you should be honoured they’re letting you on the plane, whereas Virgin and in the states airlines like Southwest etc actually have a bit more personality to them. Had some really negative experiences with BA and now actively go out my way to avoid flying with them Monkman’s story kinda makes my point.

[carpetmonster]

BA are an absolute arsehole of an airline, their product is shite and they benefit from having more or less a monopoly on Heathrow, I prefer going to the states with Virgin, find they do the little things better, especially customer service wise, BA staff can be quite aloof as if you should be honoured they’re letting you on the plane, whereas Virgin and in the states airlines like Southwest etc actually have a bit more personality to them. Had some really negative experiences with BA and now actively go out my way to avoid flying with them Monkman’s story kinda makes my point.

Southwest are the best airline in the US and it's not even close. Delta a fair bit after them, United are useless and the sooner AA go fucking bankrupt the better. Spirit are tolerable mainly because the employees are all quite nice, you're packed into the plane like a rush hour tube train.

[Arabdownunder]

10 hours ago, Rugster said:

I've always bought in advance, even for off broadway. If you're particular about what you want to see I think you need to do that. If you're not particular, and don't mind standing around in a queue for a couple of hours you could use the TKTS booth at Times Square when you get there.

I've seen the Lion King on broadway, it was fucking tremendous.

TKTS booth at the Lincoln Center has much shorter queues.

[arab_joe]

20 hours ago, MONKMAN said:

c***s from BA have just notified me that my flight from Toronto to JFK has changed from 11am to 7.45pm My choices are pay £290 to move to an earlier flight, 12 o’clock is all they can get me, or lost half a day in NY.

I said I’ll just not get that flight, as I can source my own for around £80 each. They’ve responded saying if I fail to get my flight to NY, all further travel (back to Glasgow via Heathrow) will be cancelled.

I would be absolutely shocked if BA don't allow you to cancel the flight, if they have moved it 9 hours.  It might take a couple of phone calls to customer service (or better still complain in person if you are going to be in T5 at Heathrow before your trip), but if you claim to have important business in NYC that afternoon then they really should let you change or cancel for free (if they don't refund you some cash).  I have always been successful when I have had issues with BA (including persuading them to  upgrade me from the Radisson Blu to the Hotel Sacher when I was in Salzburg a couple of years back...) but it can take a bit of time and effort.

16 hours ago, MONKMAN said:

Anyway, show tickets - she wants to go to the Lion King (I've seen it in London with an ex, much to her rage), do we book before or chance it when we get there?

The TKTS app is pretty good.  Also, the website gives a good indication of those tickets that will be available if you check it every few days before you go: https://www.tdf.org/nyc/81/TKTS-Live .  That said, if you have a specific show you want to go to then I would probably just book - especially for big name shows like Lion King, Aladdin etc. which rarely seem to be on TKTS.

[doulikefish]

I was going to change but I've decided there's no chance I'm giving the c***s an extra £290, as there's worse places to spend an extra half day than Toronto.
 
Anyway, show tickets - she wants to go to the Lion King (I've seen it in London with an ex, much to her rage), do we book before or chance it when we get there?

http://etours.to/toronto_tour_airport.html

If she has never been you can do a quick tour of the city from the airport

[MONKMAN]

http://etours.to/toronto_tour_airport.html

If she has never been you can do a quick tour of the city from the airport

My mate will be picking us up from the airport, but that looks quite good.

[doulikefish]

My mate will be picking us up from the airport, but that looks quite good.

They are,ive done a few "tours from the airport" and they are generally pretty decent and a welcome change from sitting about a lounge for 5 or 6 hours