5 Tips for Planning Your New York City Vacation

New York City is one of the most popular destinations for travel and tourism in the continental United States. Often referred to as "the greatest city in the world", New York is home to some of the most diverse cultural centers and experiences to be found. With so many options, it's easy for visitors to the Big Apple to feel overwhelmed. If one has only so many days to experience NYC, how should they be spent?

Here are 5 tops from a NYC native for how to make the most of your trip to New York City.

Tip #1 - Timing is Everything

New York is an exciting city, with a new photo opportunity on every corner. Areas like Times Square and the Theatre District are home to some of the most well-known images of NYC. While they feature some of the finest <a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link']);" href="http://hotel-ny.net">NYC hotels</a>, they are also home to a large population of working New Yorkers, and are located very close to a major NYC transportation center (The Port Authority). Wandering these sidewalks and taking photographs is best done after 10AM and before 4:30PM, outside of city "rush hours". Lingering too long on a sidewalk during rush hours is a good way to get swept up in the current of people walking to or from their places of employment, and possibly elbowed out of the way. While most New Yorkers are happy to have a thriving tourism industry, tourists must also respect the fact that not everyone is on vacation today.

Tip #2 - Learn and Use New York's Public Transportation Systems

New York City traffic is a strange beast that can transform your 3-block travel route into a 2-hour standstill. All vehicles navigating the gridmap streets of NYC are subject to these traffic jams, including the famous yellow taxi cabs. To avoid spending your vacation sitting in the back of a cab, consider walking to your destination or utilize NYC's subway system. Most New York City residents do not own cars, since the NYC Subway is the largest rapid transit system in the world. Metro cards are inexpensive, compared to other major cities, and grant you access to almost anywhere you may want to visit while exploring the Big Apple.

Tip #3 - Dress for the Seasons

Although New York City is geographically located in a temperate part of the US, the actual topography of the city can make for some unpredictable and extreme weather conditions. Like in many big cities, the presence of tightly-grouped tall buildings can turn a blustery day into a gust of wind that will turn  your umbrella inside out. In the winter months, this has a compounding effect on the windchill factor of the local weather. In summer, the large amount of paved and developed land in New York City gives the heat and sunlight few paths of escape. Even though NYC is on the water, areas in-land can get quite warm with so much concrete and steel for the heat to bounce off of. When planning your vacation to NYC, make sure to pack for every weather contingency possible for the season you'll be there during.

Tip #4 - Leave Unplanned Days to Explore NYC

While there may be an abundance of guided tours and planned outings available in New York City, some of your most memorable experiences may come by surprise. In between the tours and attractions, set aside at least one day to explore without a set route. Although Manhattan may be the city's most popular borough, travelers should not discount the outer boroughs like Queens and Brooklyn. Stepping outside of the NYC "movie set" and wandering the side streets is a wonderful way to experience the real New York.

Tip #5 - Eat Well

Food should be its own line item on your travel itinerary, since New York City is home to some of the top restaurants and chefs in the world. On the opposite side of the ambiance spectrum, NYC street food vendors are a staple of New York food culture, serving up everything from hotdogs and pretzels to gyros and doughnuts. A little pre-trip research will yield a list of NYC restaurants that will provide a once in a lifetime dining experience, regardless of your choice of cuisine or dietary restrictions.

Choose the Right New York Hotel for Your Trip to Nyc

New York Hotels are always in demand, and this keeps rates for accommodations in New York City high. In order to get the best deal possible, you will need to plan your trip well in advance, and perhaps consider a New York neighborhood rather than the downtown theater area.
New York Hotels can be broken into three price categories: Luxury, Moderate and Budget.
Great Luxury Hotels in New York City:
• The Buckingham
A luxurious all suite hotel on 57th St. near 6th Avenue.
• AKA
AKA balances the long term comfort of a luxury furnished apartment with the style and service of an intimate hotel.
• The Michelangelo
A Travel & Leisure "Greatest Hotels of the World". On 51st St. and 7th Ave.
• The Waldorf Astoria
The icon of world renowned New York hotels. On Park Avenue and 50th Street.
• The Carlton on Madison Avenue
Entirely renewed and glamorous. On Madison Ave., 4 blocks from
the Empire State Building.
• The New York Palace
55 Stories of unbeatable luxury.
On 50th Street between Park and Lexington Avenue.
• Hilton New York
Conveniently located in the midst
of business and media centers in New York City, at West 53rd
Street and Avenue of the Americas.
Great Moderate Priced Hotels in New York City
• Envoy Club
Fully furnished, elegantly designed suites, available for nightly or extended stays.
Full Hotel Services.
• Hotel Roger Williams
Just blocks from Grand Central and the Empire State Building in the heart of New York City.
• Broadway Plaza
A very reasonable hotel at 27th Street and Broadway. Featuring large rooms and modern amenities.
• The Marmara
An Upper East Side hotel where old world hospitality mixes and modern amenities and the most cosmopolitan of locations.
• Park Central
The vibrant choice of 3 midtown New York hotels offering great value and comfort.
• On the Ave
A distinctive Upper West Side hotel. A Michelin winner for 2006 and 2007.
Great Budget Hotels in New York City
• Park 79
Tranquil and friendly, you'll appreciate the rates at this Upper West Side hotel.
• The Pod Hotel
High style and modern with low rates and a dynamite midtown location.
• Days Executive Hotel
Just across the Hudson River, minutes to Times Square. You can save big and still "do" the city by day and by night.
• Wolcott Hotel
A terrific value, steps from Macy's, Madison Square Garden, the Empire State Building and much more .
• Thirty Thirty NYC
Comfort and convenience of a European-style hotel at an affordable price. Near the Empire State Building, Macy's, MSG, and Union Square.
Parking is also very limited in New York City, and parking in a hotel lot will run over /day. So plan your visit around public transportation and taxis instead of your car.
To get the best rates, ask about corporate rates, discounts, and packages. Sometimes you can save 10% off the hotel rate.
Most hotel rooms are small, and older hotels which are high rises sometimes have poor water pressure. You may want to forego that view for a better morning shower.
Don’t forget to plan for New York hotel taxes which are 13.6% New York State Tax, and a New York City hotel Room Occupancy tax.
A great online guide to New York Hotels can be found at www.newyork.com.

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Welcome to the "Big Apple". New York- the Alpha City is the largest city in the United States. Being part of the US, New York enjoys the privilege of being one of the most important cities of entire US and partly of the world. Multi ethnic people from all walks of life are seen teeming in its streets. New York is a crowded city with interesting people. Traders, students, tourists, locals- New York has its hands full round the clock. A sudden trip to New York demands pre booking of the vacation rentals so that you enjoy your momentary stay in this city hassle free.

Site seeing of New York City

New York as a city is cosmopolitan in all senses. From the traditional artifacts, museums, palaces, forts and statues to modern day delights- expect every amusement here. All age group people come here to drink in the quest of discovering new places and their rich cultural history. New York remains high on fulfilling traveler's myriad quests. Talking of the precious artifacts- Hall of Fame for Great Americans in NYC, Empire State Building, House of Frankenstein Wax Museum in Lake George require special mention. Apart from it certain trademark architectures are also worth seeing that stand tall in the history of the earth! Statue of liberty and Brooklyn Bridge are among those. There are certain addresses that speak volumes of the residents. 5th Avenue Boutiques and the iconic landmark- Times Square are those addresses that world will feel proud of. To know more of this place and be a proud part of it, staying at one of the vacation rentals of this city is mandatory- literally!

New York vacation rentals

People love traveling with family. A stay in hotel rooms especially when you are out with your grandpas and grandmas and kids, is bothering. With economic point of view, luxury and comfort vacation rentals becomes an obvious choice for most of the tourists. Spacious rooms, wonderful interiors, modern furniture and necessary amenities are all donned in the vacation rentals. Only you require your own groceries and cooking. Many online agencies work up to help you book your suite online. They upload photos of tie up vacation rentals and you just need to choose from what you like. Mostly these vacation rentals are situated at locations best suitable for your vacations. Just search the net to get in the contact details of the online service providers and book online today!

Jarkko Nieminen plays tennis in central park new york

Tribute to the New York Yankees, the most successful franchise in the history of sports with 26 world championships. The song is "Your Hand in Mine" by Explosions in the Sky. DISCLAIMER: I MADE THIS VIDEO USING MUSIC AND FOOTAGE FROM DVD'S THAT I PAYED FOR. I TOOK A LOT OF MY SPARE TIME (2 MONTHS) TO MAKE THIS VIDEO TO EXPRESS MY LOVE AND APPRECIATION FOR MY TEAM, THE NEW YORK YANKEES. I DO NOT TAKE CREDIT FOR THE FOOTAGE OR MUSIC, NOR DO I MAKE ANY MONEY OFF OF THIS VIDEO. I MADE THIS VIDEO STRICTLY FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF FELLOW YANKEE FANS LIKE MYSELF, AND DO NOT INTEND TO MAKE MONEY OFF OF IT OR PREVENT MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL OR THE NEW YORK YANKEES FROM MAKING MONEY. I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE LAWS ABOUT COPYRIGHTS BUT I BELIEVE THAT, EVEN THOUGH I USED COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL, I AM NOT CLAIMING CREDIT FOR THE FOOTAGE/MUSIC, NOR AM I MAKING ANY MONEY OR PREVENTING THE PARTIES THAT OWN THE MATERIAL FROM MAKING MONEY. PLEASE DO NOT FLAG THIS VIDEO BECAUSE IN THE END, YOU WILL ONLY BE SCREWING THE FANS THAT MADE YOUR SPORT WHAT IT IS AND GAVE YOU GREAT WEALTH. THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS LET A DIEHARD FAN LIKE MYSELF HAVE MY LITTLE TRIBUTE MONTAGE THAT I WORKED INCREDIBLY HARD TO MAKE.

New York Hotels are always in demand, and this keeps rates for accommodations in New York City high. In order to get the best deal possible, you will need to plan your trip well in advance, and perhaps consider a New York neighborhood rather than the downtown theater area.
New York Hotels can be broken into three price categories: Luxury, Moderate and Budget.
Great Luxury Hotels in New York City:
• The Buckingham
A luxurious all suite hotel on 57th St. near 6th Avenue.
• AKA
AKA balances the long term comfort of a luxury furnished apartment with the style and service of an intimate hotel.
• The Michelangelo
A Travel & Leisure "Greatest Hotels of the World". On 51st St. and 7th Ave.
• The Waldorf Astoria
The icon of world renowned New York hotels. On Park Avenue and 50th Street.
• The Carlton on Madison Avenue
Entirely renewed and glamorous. On Madison Ave., 4 blocks from
the Empire State Building.
• The New York Palace
55 Stories of unbeatable luxury.
On 50th Street between Park and Lexington Avenue.
• Hilton New York
Conveniently located in the midst
of business and media centers in New York City, at West 53rd
Street and Avenue of the Americas.
Great Moderate Priced Hotels in New York City
• Envoy Club
Fully furnished, elegantly designed suites, available for nightly or extended stays.
Full Hotel Services.
• Hotel Roger Williams
Just blocks from Grand Central and the Empire State Building in the heart of New York City.
• Broadway Plaza
A very reasonable hotel at 27th Street and Broadway. Featuring large rooms and modern amenities.
• The Marmara
An Upper East Side hotel where old world hospitality mixes and modern amenities and the most cosmopolitan of locations.
• Park Central
The vibrant choice of 3 midtown New York hotels offering great value and comfort.
• On the Ave
A distinctive Upper West Side hotel. A Michelin winner for 2006 and 2007.
Great Budget Hotels in New York City
• Park 79
Tranquil and friendly, you'll appreciate the rates at this Upper West Side hotel.
• The Pod Hotel
High style and modern with low rates and a dynamite midtown location.
• Days Executive Hotel
Just across the Hudson River, minutes to Times Square. You can save big and still "do" the city by day and by night.
• Wolcott Hotel
A terrific value, steps from Macy's, Madison Square Garden, the Empire State Building and much more .
• Thirty Thirty NYC
Comfort and convenience of a European-style hotel at an affordable price. Near the Empire State Building, Macy's, MSG, and Union Square.
Parking is also very limited in New York City, and parking in a hotel lot will run over $25/day. So plan your visit around public transportation and taxis instead of your car.
To get the best rates, ask about corporate rates, discounts, and packages. Sometimes you can save 10% off the hotel rate.
Most hotel rooms are small, and older hotels which are high rises sometimes have poor water pressure. You may want to forego that view for a better morning shower.
Don’t forget to plan for New York hotel taxes which are 13.6% New York State Tax, and a $2 New York City hotel Room Occupancy tax.
A great online guide to New York Hotels can be found at www.newyork.com.

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