I probably found my need to gather knowledge prior to traveling to a place when I first went to New York. I had no idea what pre-planning truly meant until I went there. You can spend countless dollars in time and money in a taxi getting from place to place if you don't have a plan. So, my most important advice when traveling to New York is to realize your priorities on what you really want out of your trip there before you ever get there (or even before you make one non-refundable deposit on anything). If you go there wanting to get the whole experience, you will surely leave there feeling a little bit jipped. Also, you have to go there looking at your demographics before you even go there. The New York I experienced when my children were young is a totally different New York I want to experience with my girl friends or my husband. To try to combine the experiences leaves someone short and you in a mess all the while you are dishing out tons of dough. After all, New York is not cheap! It doesn't even apologize for not being cheap! There are bargains to be had there and I look for them every time, but overall, it's not a cheap trip so if you are looking to go somewhere cheap, then go somewhere else!
Another great tip I found is to check the airfares going into both LaGuardia and Newark airports. Newark is not that much further away than LaGuardia and usually offers a lower airfare. The cab fare from Newark is approximately $50 versus $25 for cab fare from LaGuardia. So, do the math and maybe save some money to spend elsewhere in New York.
Now back to the demographics. Figure out your main objective in going to New York. There are so many places to see, places to shop, places to eat and experience that you just can't do it one trip. The last time I went to New York with my daughters, I plotted out our priorities and then made hotel and dining reservations close to where we were staying. Probably one other key component to going to New York is to NEVER and I mean NEVER hope that you can catch a cab around rush hour (approximately 4:30-6:00p.m.)!!! It just won't happen. So, if you plan an outing close to finishing up around that time, just know you will need to walk, catch the subway, or plan to have a private driver. You can stand there for an hour or more waving, whistling, cussing, hiking up your skirt or whatever you think will catch a cab but it just won't work! You can leave your hotel between those hours because taxis are in abundance at hotels but don't expect to arrive at your hotel during those times! It's the beauty and curse of New York!
So, first step is to evaluate your group that is going with you to New York. Once you realize their needs and wants, zero in on those activities. You can get the best of New York in the Upper East Side, Central Park, Columbus Circle, SoHo, TriBeca, Midtown, Greenwich Village, Chelsea, Brooklyn, Harlem, etc...I personally like to experience every place the way the locals experience their lives by shopping and eating locally. I have the beauty of living in Dallas so I don't necessarily flock to chains for my experience. You will get so much more of an experience if you stay away from chains and tourist traps. Most people don't know how to access these places. Well, that's what I hope this blog does for everyone. So, stay tuned and hopefully you will be able to gather great information on feeling like a local while on your vacation!
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