Update for Boston Help...Now Need For NYC

I deleted the Boston topic as my wife and I found out last night that we probably won't be going there in June as we thought.

So now we have decided upon Dallas as both of us have family there or really going crazy and going to the Big Apple.

So now I need NYC advice. After searching on here for parks to go to, we would really like to go to Coney Island (a must), Rye Playland and then back to SFGAd so I can hopefully snag the KK credit and get a chance to ride El Toro.

We are planning a June 1 - June 10 date so what I would really like to know is how many days we should rent a car and can anyone help me with the Subway system?

Can I get to Coney Island on the subway? Obviously, we will need the car for SF and Rye but other things we would like to do if we go to NYC is go to Toys R Us, Statue Of Liberty, Kate Spade (gotta keep the wife happy), Times Square and other tourist sites.

The NYC Subway is awesome!!! At first glance, it looks like a plate of speghetti, but after just a few minutes, you see how easy it is to get from any two points in New York. There is a station (Stillwell?) that is right there at Coney Island. As soon as you get off at CI, Nathans Hot Dogs is RIGHT THERE! This is A MUST! The original Coney Island hot dog. I would also check out Morey's Peir and Great American in Jersey. I have read a lot of negatives about SFGA, but we had no problems on the day we went. Great Experience.

1EJ

You can get a Metropass which is good for all public transportation. You catch the ferry at Battery park for The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island make sure you get there early. The Empire State Building is a must you can buy a ticket for both the IMAX on the 2nd floor and the observation deck at the top.

Depending on where you are staying you have a lot of choices in the area.

From Times Square:

SFGADV 70 miles

SFNE 150 miles

Lake Compounce 100 miles

Coney Island - a subway ride

Rye Playland 30 miles

All are worth the trip.

A tip on the Statue of Liberty. Go first thing in the morning. The lines for the ferry can get massive later in the day. If you go first thing, you will still have lots of time for other things in NY that day.

I would recommend if you have time all of the New Jersey shore piers. Here is the map of parks around NYC including everything in New Jersey. I went to most of them in 4 days time.

http://local.live.com/?v=2&cid=8004479AF9BE49CD!131

Thanks for the comments everyone, my wife said that if we do go to NYC, she might let me go to SFNE for my birthday which would rock.

I checked on the metropass thing but couldn't find a good website to help me out. Any tips?

Also, should I plan on renting a car for like 4 or 5 days and then take the subway around to everywhere else?

If you are sticking within the main metropolitan area you likely could get around on just the subway and the trains. However if you are going venture as far as SFNE or the New Jersey shore piers (I did highly recommend them didnt I?) you will need a car.

NYC Subway system map

http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm

NYC Metro Card info

http://www.mta.info/metrocard/index.html

You can take the train from Grand Central to Rye Playland (or the other way around)

http://www.mta.info/mnr/html/mnrmap.htm

It doesnt look like you can get to SFNE or Lake Compounce by train easily however.

You might be able to get to Adventureland (Long Island) by train.

http://www.mta.info/lirr/html/lirrmap.htm

You can take the New Jersey/NYC Port Authority PATH to get to some (VERY LIMITED) parts of New Jersey from NYC.

http://www.panynj.gov/CommutingTravel/path/html/map.html

EDIT - additional info added.

*** Edited 1/5/2007 7:17:07 PM UTC by beast7369***

I would lump all of the outside-of-NYC-metro activities into a group of days and only rent a car for those days. Then rely on the subways, trains, busses and cabs (if all else fails) for getting around all of the NYC area stuff. You can easily get to/from the airports via public transport fro cheap.

I've taken the subway to Coney (from Penn Station I believe it was) and a train up to Rye (from Grand Central I believe). From the Rye train station, I took a cab to the park and a bus back to the station.

The Jersey Shore parks are a blast, especially Morey's, but I would want to dedicate 2-3 days just to do those, so you may want to save that for another trip. I could spend a weekend just at Morey's--sooo much to do.

Consider Yankee Stadium, as it's to be torn down in the near future. :( *** Edited 1/5/2007 7:44:00 PM UTC by Acoustic Viscosity***

^ Hehe, I also got to Rye via the subway from Grand Central. Like a stupid southerner, I tried asking for help from the people in the booth....can't understand WHY people say NYC isn't hospitable to visitors... ;)

Morey's? Flipper's Fascination :)

If you have time, consider going to the Palisades Center in West Nyack.. there's a kiddie credit to be had, and a chance giant wheel on the 4th and 5th floors, not to mention all the shopping experience your wife could want short of the Mall of America. I went last year with some friends for the credit, and we stayed several hours for the mall (It even has a Lego store, Apple store, Sharper Image, an Imax theater, not To mention Best Buy, Circuit City, and no less than *3* stores for each major wireless carrier, which amazed me) I generally don't care for malls or shopping, but I enjoyed myself the entire day!

Edit: I almost forgot.. they also have a PTC Carousel next to the ferris wheel. IIRC it was PTC #15. Arson, do you remember?
*** Edited 1/5/2007 8:36:47 PM UTC by dannerman***

Thanks Beast, I was on a couple of those websites but didn't delve further in.

So it sounds like most of the NYC stuff can be done via subway which is nice.

Yeah, you want to avoid driving if you can. It's so easy to get around the city, it's just not worth the hassle of driving.

Timbers, I had no idea about the attractions at the Pallisades Center. Doh!

Neither did I, Matt. We went in Feb for a kiddie coaster and found so much more.. I want to go back :)

In fact, I've heard the Jeepers closed and the kiddie credit moved one floor up... so you know it's another credit since it's relocated ;)

I did that trip last summer and spent only a day between NYC, Rye, and Coney Island. I guarantee I would not have been able to do that without the trains and/or subway. We actually drove up to Rye in the AM and did the park there then drove to the Rye train station which is a few miles from the park and parked there and then took the train into NYC Grand Central. That actually isnt a bad plan of attack depending on where exactly you will stay and what you want to get out of your experience. I actually enjoyed it so much I am considering going back just to hit Coney Island one more time before Thor Enterprises destroys it and gives it their flavor. As well as hitting Steel Pier in Atlantic City which I missed due to weather issues.

The kiddie coaster (a Miler) in the Palisades Mall actually moved one floor down. It is now on the third floor at a place called Krazy City. It is quite an elaborate arcade and fun center. They have the coaster, a couple of other Jr. rides, mini golf, four lanes of bowling and enough arcade games to keep the kids happy. The have a pizza snack bar. It is quite popular with the birthday party crowd. There is also a sky bike which is very unique attraction.

The mall is the second largest in America according to a couple of websites. Not sure that is true but it is really big. A couple of the anchors are BJs and Home Depot which is kind of different from most malls. They also have the wheel and carousel as dannerman pointed out.

We go over there a couple of times a year and there is something for everybody. It is a good place for a family that has some shoppers, and some non-shoppers. On the weekends I usually end up in the Fox Sports Grill that has multiple monster plasma screens tuned to the game du jour.

Coney Island is very close to the Jersey line. We were in Atlantic City, Drove to Coney Island, parked at the baseball field (Brooklyn Cyclones) and took the train to Yankee Stadium and back. Great time. Forgot about Rye. DOH!!

1EJ

I saw a picture somewhere that there is a coaster inside a store or mall at times square. Don't know if it was rideable or just a pic of a toy. Any ideas?

Thanks for all the tips. Now the only problem is trying to get the Coney Island credit as the 2007 schedule isn't up but if it is like the 2006 one, the only time to go would be on a weekend which messes up all my plans.

Anyone from the area know what the hours might be yet for the first week of June?

Another question, can anyone recommend a decent hotel (not hostel) in NYC and a decent location for about 100 bucks a night.

We are looking at the Howard Johnson in Queens which is close to the airport we are flying into and then it would be a couple blocks from the subways.

Any help would be appreciated.